Virtual Poster Session
Asynchronous Session
Modeling Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Teacher Education View Digital Media
Poster Session Katya Karathanos Aguilar
The benefits of inclusive and culturally responsive teaching have been well-documented and researchers have emphasized the importance of modeling positive examples of this pedagogy for future educators. Yet, there is currently a paucity of research in what effective modeling of this pedagogy looks like by teacher educators, particularly around issues of equity and inclusion. Moreover, tensions often exist between the student learning outcomes that teacher educators have with the needs and expectations teacher candidates have for their own learning. This paper shares preliminary findings from a qualitative inquiry into the perspectives of teacher candidates and the perspectives and practices of instructors into ways in which instructors in a teacher preparation program model inclusive and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices in program courses. Data analyzed include instructor and teacher candidate survey responses and semi-structured interviews with instructors. Findings include descriptions and examples shared among teacher candidates and instructors of a diversity of ways in which instructors model inclusive and CRT practices in program courses. Findings further identify areas for growth and additional support needed in order for instructors to further enhance their teaching repertoires in this arena.
Teaching English in Vocational Schools by Integrating Virtual Reality : Identifying Obstacles to the Use of Tools in English as a Second Foreign Language View Digital Media
Poster Session Marta Carrion
This paper tries to identify some of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of virtual reality tools in the process of teaching and learning English as a Second Foreign Language in the context of vocational high schools, in the city of Valencia (Spain), that also embrace inclusive educational programmes. This research focuses on the discernments and feedback of four high school teachers who were interviewed. The outcome shows the importance of holding previous knowledge in this field and being efficiently trained in the the use of these tools in the language classroom (English). Teachers from these vocational schools highlight both obstacles and benefits that arise from the use of virtual reality when learning a foreign language.
Artificial Intelligence and Collaborative Learning Platforms: Promoting an Inclusive Environment View Digital Media
Poster Session Jennifer Lanham, Garreth Smith, Elizabeth Ann Moore
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-powered approaches into social work pedagogy is essential to creating an inclusive learning experience that addresses students' diverse and unique needs while promoting inclusivity. Utilizing AI and collaborative learning platforms, online social work education becomes more accessible and flexible, enabling a broader group of learners to participate in the program and fostering a more welcoming learning environment. In my presentation, I discuss the interactive tools for collaboration and engagement, where students can participate in active discussions, assignments, and projects. Additionally, I share instructional strategies for proper oversight and regulation to ensure innovation and authenticity.
Using the REACT Teaching Model to Improve Students’ Digital Literacy in Web Design View Digital Media
Poster Session Chun-Yen Tsai
In digital literacy, web design courses can help develop advanced skills to achieve various learning goals, such as software applications, programming skills, website planning, and communication skills (Ivanova, 2018; Tsai et al., 2021). However, the research on web design skills is still scarce in the field of computing education research (Tsai et al., 2021; Wang & Wang, 2011). This study utilizes the REACT teaching model in web design courses to enhance undergraduates’ web design skills and self-concept. The REACT model includes Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperating, and Transferring teaching strategies (Center for Occupational Research and Development, 2016). The instruments were the Web Design Skill Test, the Self-concept Scale, and the course perception questionnaire. The quasi-experimental research method was adopted. The participants were 91 undergraduates taking general education courses, including 47 students in the experimental group and 44 in the control group. The quantitative and qualitative data analyses were used to conduct a comprehensive analysis. This study demonstrates that the average score of web design skills among students in the experimental group was higher than that of students in the control group (F=29.53, p<.001). In addition, the results revealed that the experimental treatment had a notable effect on students’ self-concept in web design, particularly among students with middle and low levels in the pre-test (t=2.87, p=.005; t=3.64, p<.001). Moreover, the open-ended questionnaire showed that students in the experimental group held positive views on the REACT teaching model. Relevant research implications and suggestions are put forward as references for future research.
Parental Motivations for Homeschooling in the United Arab Emirates View Digital Media
Poster Session Reem Al Dhaheri
Homeschooling in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is relatively new, and empirical literature on the nature and outcomes of this approach is very limited. This study fills this gap by exploring parents' motivations in the UAE to homeschool their children. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Ninety-seven homeschooling parents from 27 different nationalities living across the UAE completed the survey. Descriptive data analysis provided insight about homeschooling families' and the reasons for homeschooling in the UAE. The results show that the main reasons parents in the UAE homeschool their children are 1) the desire to strengthen family bonds, 2) concerns over the school environment, 3) dissatisfaction with academic instruction, and 4) the desire to provide moral instruction with religious foundations.
Investigating Elementary Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Education for Sustainable Development View Digital Media
Poster Session Hsing-Wen Hu, Grant Sasse
This study explores elementary school teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In addition, the researchers examined the differences and correlations toward participants' demographic background, education, position in school, school size, and certification in ESD. The research results showed no difference in the participants' knowledge/attitudes of ESD in different demographic backgrounds, positions in school, and school sizes, but significant correlations existed between participants' education and certification in ESD. Moreover, educational resources were crucial in enhancing elementary teachers' ESD. For future studies, gaining participants' reflections may provide qualitative information about elementary teachers' ESD. In addition, investigating how participants' knowledge/attitudes of ESD impact students' ESD would be a valuable study.
Community Partnerships: An Exploration into the Use of an Institutional Website to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice Values View Digital Media
Poster Session Amy Leshinsky, Gabrielle Pallotto
As school communities invest in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice (DEIBJ) initiatives, administrators and Diversity Committees need to consider the implications of their work on the macro community. The school community should consider the ways their work enables them to act as change agents to make a positive impact on the greater community. This research demonstrates that technology is a viable tool to spread public awareness and knowledge. Specifically, institutional websites provide a modality to disseminate knowledge quickly. DEIBJ websites in K-12 education and in higher education act as a vehicle to give families a way to engage with diversity initiatives at the school and acquire awareness of the knowledge. This allows parents to be supporters of their child’s learning alongside the school initiatives. DEIBJ websites give families a way to engage with initiatives and ways they can support their child alongside the school community. This study considers the research supporting DEIBJ institutional websites in higher education and K-12 education and highlights the benefits of implementing a DEI website into a school community. Then, the presentation provides viable suggestions for how to blend school-based DEIBJ initiatives into the institution’s website. Finally, we provide recommendations for school leaders exploring the use of DEIBJ websites at their school. Ultimately, this study will benefit school administrators looking to incorporate DEIBJ initiatives into their school with an institutional website as a modality.
Harnessing the Superpower of Belonging: Using a Three-strand Approach to Transform Student Success View Digital Media
Poster Session Sarah Hurd, Amy Leshinsky
In the vast expanse of educational discourse within public K-12 classrooms, enduring challenges such as inadequate classroom management, disruptive student behaviors, and the persistent struggle for inclusive practices continue to impede student engagement and academic success. These obstacles serve as poignant reasons for a paradigm shift towards nurturing a deeply rooted sense of belonging among students. An element that continues to rise up as panacea to these issues is the concept of belonging. In this context “belonging” indicates a sense of inclusion and connection fostered within educational environments, characterized by equitable valuing of diverse perspectives and active engagement in the learning journey. Cultivating a culture of belonging that positively impacts student success is an ongoing exploration of self and strategies. Students from historically marginalized groups are poised to benefit most from the creation of classroom cultures rooted in belonging. Through this research, a conceptual model was developed that explores the superpower of cultivating belonging in K-12 classrooms. Central to this model is the strategic alignment of teacher positionality, the implementation of responsive classroom management methodologies, and the adoption of culturally sensitive pedagogical approaches. Through a deliberate emphasis on inclusivity and the equitable valuation of diverse viewpoints, educators possess the capacity to construct environments wherein students feel not only enfranchised but also ardently engaged in their educational trajectory. Towards this end, a comprehensive three-pronged strategy for student success emerges: the conscientious positioning of teachers, the masterful deployment of responsive classroom management tactics, and the conscientious embrace of culturally responsive instructional frameworks.
Classroom Community in Introductory Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics: A Mixed Methods Study of Student Belonging and Course Attributes View Digital Media
Poster Session Shira Viel, Maria Tackett
A strong sense of classroom community is associated with many positive learning outcomes and is a critical contributor to undergraduate students’ persistence in STEM, particularly for women and students of color. This poster describes a mixed-methods investigation into the relationship between classroom community and course attributes in introductory undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses, mediated by student demographics. Data were collected at a United States university from online courses in the 2020-21 academic year and from hybrid and in-person courses in the 2021-22 academic year. Quantitative data were gathered from both students and instructors and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The primary instrument was the validated Classroom Community Scale – Short Form. These quantitative results are complemented and contextualized by thematic and textual analyses of focus group data, gathered using a protocol piloted during the 2021-22 academic year. Preliminary practical implications of the study include the value of synchronous participation in fostering connectedness and the importance of attending to students’ personal identities in understanding their experiences of belonging.
Innovative Education and Students' Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills: Evidence from Field Experiments in China View Digital Media
Poster Session Lu Liu
In the face of significant advancements in generative AI and large language models (LLMs), which have substantial economic, social, and policy implications, it is crucial to prioritize educational domains where human attributes, such as creativity, remain unparalleled by AI. This research project aims to enhance creativity among students in rural primary schools in China through an innovative educational program. The program features a free after-school course that integrates principles of analogy-based learning to cultivate creativity. Analogical reasoning is crucial for enhancing creativity. Analogy is a sophisticated process used in creative discovery, whereas similarity is a more basic perceptual process shared with the entire animal kingdom (Gentner & Markman, 1997). Analogy is central to the creative process (Stojanov & Indurkhya, 2013) and has been shown to both measure and enhance creativity (Beaty & Johnson, 2021; Kao, 2020; Kao, 2016; Silvia & Beaty, 2012). Higher analogy is associated with better performance in creativity tasks, indicating a positive relationship between analogy and creativity ability (Kenett et al., 2018). The study is divided into three components: an online research component (Study 1), an offline summer school (Study 2), and a semester-long course in several schools (Study 3). We will assess both the short-term and long-term influences of the program on children's abilities, including immediate progress following the program and sustained impacts on their creativity and cognitive skills over time. Additionally, the study explores the program's cost-effectiveness and mechanisms for scalability.
Teaching Speaking Skills in the Primary School TESOL classroom: The Case of Cyprus View Digital Media
Poster Session Maria Papapolydorou
Speaking has historically been overlooked in the L2 classrooms as it was thought to have less prominence compared to reading and writing (McDonough, Shaw and Masuhara, 2013). This perception was gradually changed by the advent of the communicative approach. Speaking skills – like listening ones – are now acknowledged for the important role they exercise in SLA processes. As a result, a lot of curricula strive to give speaking skills a central role. This paper explores the role of speaking skills within the Cypriot Primary School Curriculum of English. It focuses on some of its strong points, pinpoints some of its limitations and suggests possible ways forward. English teachers in the Cypriot primary schools are encouraged to support students’ oracy development. Teacher guides and lesson plans as well as recommendations offered to teachers during on-service training sessions put particular emphasis on developing students’ speaking within a broader communicative approach. Consequently, primary school students in Cyprus are invited to speak at several parts of the lesson and their active participation is adamant in the way the lesson plays out from beginning to end, offering, thus, ample opportunities for practice. Yet, consistent with international research (Derwing and Munro, 2005; Nair, Krishnasamy and De Mello, 2017), pronunciation does not appear to be actively incorporated in the teaching of oral skills in Cypriot Primary School TESOL classrooms. Pronunciation is only implicitly taught via ‘listen and repeat’ exercises but children are not made aware of any processes of pronunciation improvement.
