Archives

  • Case studies from 2023-2024
    Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)

    In this issue, we have collated the case studies submitted to the journal, recognising that many of our readers may be looking at these case studies before or while undertaking similar studies on interventions in their own school. We hope that these examples are useful and interesting, showing how others have approached the same topic in ways that may be similar and yet different. 

  • Action research articles from 2022-2023
    Vol. 2 No. 3 (2023)

    In this issue we have collated the articles based on action research assignments that have been submitted to the journal. We hope that these examples are useful and interesting, showing how others have approached action research in ways that may be similar and yet different. The abstracts from each article are presented to encourage you to read more about the topic. Articles are published as each one is ready.

    Assenberg Van Eijsden's article highlights that learning to ask questions effectively is a key skill of the teacher. Observing other teachers’ use of questioning is helpful but may not clarify what types of questions are most effective. This piece of action research was carried out with a small group of Early Years children just starting school in Switzerland, with the aim of encouraging their critical thinking through well-planned questions. Using a cyclical action research approach, interviews, observations, mentor discussions, and audio recordings were used to analyse the types of questions and wait time being used. From the data collected it was evident that the practitioner’s questioning progressed from lower-order questions in the first reading, to a good mixture of question types in the final reading, targeted at the children’s varying abilities. From observation feedback and critical conversations with the mentor and, it became apparent that the children were responding, participating in discussions, and asking their own questions, a sign of critical thinking. Future research opportunities are discussed, with suggested analysis of the types of response being potentially useful to gauge understanding.

  • Case studies from 2022-2023
    Vol. 2 No. 2 (2023)

    In this issue, we have collated the case studies submitted to the journal, recognising that many of our readers may be looking at these case studies before or while undertaking similar studies on interventions in their own school. We hope that these examples are useful and interesting, showing how others have approached the same topic in ways that may be similar and yet different. The abstracts from each article are presented below to help encourage you to read more about the topic.

    Webber presents an intervention that looks to address specific social and learning needs of Hong Kong secondary school students, with a focus on reintegrating students into an on-campus setting, and aimed at improving communication and socialisation among peers, providing time away from devices and screens, and improving focus and concentration in lessons. The question that this case study seeks to answer is: can a small-group, teacher-led and timetabled post-Covid-19 wellbeing intervention for six Grade 9 students in a Hong Kong secondary school help to improve the social and academic integration back into normal school routines? The findings of the case study, based upon both quantitative and qualitative data, are that whilst the intervention showed strong efficacy in promoting socialisation and time away from screens, it was less effective in improving focus in lessons. From triangulating the data and discussing it in relation to the literature, it is concluded that the focus of the intervention was perhaps too narrow, and that the programme could be improved through augmenting the timetable with further academic and pastoral support (e.g. counselling, discussion circles, study skills). These augmentations could provide a more holistic approach to reintegration back into school, and might prove especially useful for students with additional learning needs, who are likely to have been more severely affected by Covid-related school closures — as well as changes to learning environments, lack of agency and control, and more limited 1-1 support — than other students in the school. 

    Zou's case study aims to determine whether a pull-out intervention for pupils with ADHD is effective for these pupils’ Chinese-language learning. This intervention happens in a Hong Kong school, where English is used for teaching instruction, while Cantonese is generally most pupils’ native language and Chinese their third language. Students in Hong Kong are required to learn Chinese well, although Chinese is difficult to learn because of the complicated strokes and pronunciations. This case study focuses on individual students’ needs and provides insights into the intervention received. It adopts a subjectivist approach and uses qualitative methods. Data showed that the one-to-one intervention helped because of the focus on individual needs and its use of adaptive teaching methods. However, such an intervention is very costly, and with the current manpower in this field, it is hard to maintain the frequency that this kind of intervention needs. The effectiveness also varied for different pupils.

    Chong's case study focuses on a small group pull-out writing intervention for Key Stage 3 pupils with dyslexia from a local Hong Kong secondary school and aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the current pull-out writing intervention for KS3 dyslexic pupils in meeting their unique needs and to determine if a revision of the approach is necessary. Data including observations, interviews, questionnaires were triangulated, with analysis revealing that while the intervention aimed to improve pupils' confidence and motivation in learning and help them become more autonomous, there was no formalized reading intervention, and the lack of a reading program negatively impacted pupils' ability to follow written instructions for written tasks. The study also found that there was no agreed-upon approach or methodology for helping with reading and writing consistently used throughout the intervention and transferred to the broader classroom. The study concludes that collaboration and coordination between the English and SEN departments is needed to streamline a consistent approach to support pupils with dyslexia. The study recommends incorporating typing practice in all interventions, extending writing interventions to have a more lasting effect, establishing a reading program or intervention for the whole class, and using the five writing strategies recommended by Slavin et al. (2019) to equip secondary school pupils with healthy writing routines beyond their school years.

    Pham's case study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an English as an Additional Language (EAL) intervention for a small group of Grade 5 students. The intervention took place in an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), focusing on developing the students' verbal expression and listening comprehension skills, while also building their social language and connections with peers. The study uses a mixed method case study approach, including unstructured, non-participant observations, an interview with the EAL teacher together with a survey sent to all the Grade 5 Homeroom teachers and TAs and students’ assessment data to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Results indicate that the EAL intervention had a positive impact on the students' language skills and social connections, as evidenced by improvements in their verbal expression, listening comprehension, social language and peer connections; as well as characteristics of a good EAL practice model suggested by Carder (2007) and the Prism model of Thomas and Collier (1997) reflected in the EAL intervention. The session also proved the principles of the Responsive Classroom approach by NEFC, where students’ social and emotional development is of equal importance as their language and academic growth. The findings suggest that more helpful CPD activities and opportunities for students to enhance their communicative skills outside the classroom may offer promising approaches to improving EAL students' language proficiency and social integration.

    Jones' case study examines a set of whole-class, virtues-based interventions with a cohort of KS3 students in Vietnam following the COVID-19 pandemic. The cohort was targeted due to perceived difficulties in readjusting to in-person lessons following several years of intermittent social isolation brought about by the pandemic at a critical point in the students’ social and emotional development. Interventions were selected to support them, addressing qualities such as empathy, kindness and respect, as well as skills such as living well with differences and expressing self-worth and self-image. This study sought to establish the extent to which targeted, intensive, whole-class interventions can support wellness and behaviour for learning in young adolescents following pandemic-related isolation. To this end, interviews with school staff and in-class observations were carried out, and school documentation was consulted, including behaviour and attendance records, as well as records of English grades before, during and after the pandemic lockdowns. Members of the cohort showed similar responses to pandemic lockdowns as did students in comparable contexts, including disengagement, lower attendance and poorer grades, and more pronounced negative effects for SEND students. School staff acknowledged a positive effect from the interventions, while also crediting the end of school closures and a return to relative normalcy as providing needed stability. Although findings are inconclusive as to the extent to which the initiative supported students, especially when considered in isolation from other variables, this study may serve as a useful base from which to explore further applications of virtues-based interventions for student wellness and behaviour.

    Tsang's case study looks at the subject of Response to Intervention (RTI), which has gained significant traction in educational discourse since its emergence as an innovative approach in 2003 (Fuchs & Vaughn, 2003). The implementation of RTI was catalysed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 2004), as previous practitioners predominantly relied on the inadequate IQ-achievement discrepancy (IAD) method for identifying children with learning disabilities (LD). This led to a disproportionate identification of minority students in education. Consequently, RTI has been widely adopted with the aim of optimising and standardising the identification process for children with LD. This case study investigates the efficacy of RTI in an international secondary school in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), with a particular focus on grade 6 and 8 students. The school employs the RTI model to accommodate learning diversity by utilizing a three-tiered system designed to support academically struggling students. The investigation commences with a literature review to scrutinize the RTI's theoretical framework, effectiveness, and limitations. Subsequently, the research methodology is delineated, encompassing the research design, data analysis, and findings, which elucidate the RTI's impact within the HKSAR international school context. While the findings corroborate the efficacy of RTI, they simultaneously reveal the shortcomings of its implementation and the pragmatic challenges associated with such interventions in real-world educational settings.

    Blease's case study investigates a 1-to-1, teaching assistant-led, push-in intervention for Grade 8 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an International School in Hong Kong. The research question focuses on the intervention's effectiveness in improving language skills and enhancing task understanding for students with ASD. Data collection includes semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and assessment data. Findings indicate positive outcomes in language skill improvement for Grade 8 students with ASD through the intervention. Implications highlight the importance of addressing specific challenges, such as perspective understanding, conversational skills, sensory overload, and social interaction. The study underscores the significance of inclusive education and the school's responsibility in ensuring academic and social success for students with ASD. Recommendations include hiring additional Inclusive Education Specialist (IES) staff, increasing intervention sessions, and offering professional development for all teachers.

    Fernández Rodríguez' case study highlights that in an English Medium Instruction (EMI) school all lessons and assessments are conducted in English, irrespective of the students’ native language or country of residence. When the school admits a student with limited English, policy dictates that it must provide the resources to improve their English skills. The literature around language development and school-based interventions presents a range of ways that this support can be provided. This case study asks to what extent a small-group teacher-led pull-out EAL intervention can help Form 2 pupils in an EMI Hong Kong Direct Subsidy School (DSS) develop in English? Using a combination of semi-structured interviews, observations and secondary data, the study concludes that there is value in the small-group approach, but that the school’s lack of capacity to continue the support beyond the initial upskilling in Form 2 means that the consequences of this decision may become visible in senior years when students need to prepare for their public exams. It recommends that lesson activities focused on listening and speaking skills and reading and writing tasks must be further developed and implemented. It further suggests that technology may be a useful way to do this.

  • Conference Proceedings June 2023
    Vol. 2 No. 1 (2023)

    Welcome to the second annual edition of the Sunderland Reflective Action in Education (SunRAE) journal.

    This open access journal was the brainchild of the University of Sunderland’s International Initial Teacher Training team. The team, working with internationally based trainee teachers since 1999, had long discussed the fascinating insights into international practice that were shared through the formal assignments built into the master’s-level modules within the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programmes. They saw the great wealth of knowledge that the assessment process produced, but of course, this was private to the trainees and graduates. The team wanted a way to collate, curate and share work so that international teachers could learn from others around the world. The idea for the journal was born. The idea was that trainees and recent graduates could submit their work to the journal, experience a supportive and developmental review process and have their work published through the journal.

    In the 2021-2022 academic year, the team was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Fellowship for the SunRAE project. The initial project scope included a conference and an open access e-journal. Thanks to further internal funding it grew to include a podcast series, posters and TeachMeet videos at the conference, and in effect, the development of a community of practice around research and teaching in international schools from the perspective of those involved in international initial teacher training through the University of Sunderland.

    This second issue commemorates the second conference, held in June 2023 and acts as conference proceedings as well as an archive of the event. Where material is accessible online, it provides hyperlinks.

    We hope that you enjoy exploring SunRAE and all it has to offer.

  • Action research articles from 2021-2022
    Vol. 1 No. 3 (2022)

    In this issue we have collated the articles based on action research assignments that have been submitted to the journal. We hope that these examples are useful and interesting, showing how others have approached action research in ways that may be similar and yet different. The abstracts from each article are presented below to encourage you to read more about the topic.

    Atanasiu’s article presents ‘Low Student Engagement Level in Struggling Learners and Ways to Address It’, looking at the outcomes of the increased engagement levels in struggling learners in a British international school in Romania. Atanasiu addresses the effectiveness of some of the methods targeting ‘dips’ in students’ involvement levels and investigates its triggers. Student engagement has been interlinked with sounder progress levels, improved attendance, and increased learning-related curiosity. The research has shown that improved engagement has the potential to lessen behaviour-related incidents, boost progress in struggling learners, and has a positive impact on the social climate. In this study, a significant improvement in the number of successful tasks performed independently by children, a decrease in behavioural incidents, and improved social integration were present as the result of the strategy applied to increase engagement. Identifying pluming components of engagement (i.e., cognitive, social, behavioural) was discovered to be instrumental for the engagement-booster strategy to be effective.

    Ross writes about ‘The Impacts of Reward-based Behaviour Systems on First-year Primary School Students in Hong Kong’, aiming to compare the behaviour of Year 1 students in Hong Kong as more reward-based behaviour systems were applied to the class. These students had mostly been subjected to Zoom classes throughout their education since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to them have only a narrow foundation of how to behave from their short time experiencing face-to-face classes in kindergarten. This project used Lewin’s (1946) spiral model for educational action research and as each cycle passed, stricter and more rewarding methods were used to see how the students’ behaviour developed over time. Through the action research project, it became clear that as more positive reinforcement was used, students were more likely to respond better than when less positive reinforcement was being used. This also appeared to yield more continuity of positive behaviour, particularly amongst the low-level disruptors.

    Connelly’s paper asks, ‘What impact does the use of differentiation when teaching writing to Key Stage 1 (Primary 3) EAL students effectively support and challenge students to create engaging lessons in a primary school in Hong Kong?’. In it she undertakes an investigative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of differentiation on KS1 English as an Additional Language (EAL) Primary 3 students during writing lessons in a school in Hong Kong. The action research used the four-stage model of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting over three cycles which allowed for deeper research and intervention implementation. Findings suggest that implementation of scaffolding and group work allowed for progress in pre and post-test results, supporting the constructivist view that students build on previous knowledge and learn from more experienced others. As it was a small-scale research project, there are still knowledge gaps, and it would be recommended to have continuous research to gain optimal results.

    Shamseddine focuses on ‘The impact of implementing collaborative learning as means of creating an interactive student centred learning environment in a Year 10 chemistry classroom in Egypt’. This action research, conducted in a Year 10 chemistry classroom at a British international school in Egypt over three cycles aimed to improve the researcher’s own skills and knowledge in creating a student-centred learning environment by introducing more collaborative learning activities. The research was needed because the researcher noticed the detachment of pupils at several points in the lesson: the sessions were becoming similar, and students seeming bored even though the researcher made sure they stay engaged and that different parts of the syllabus are covered using sufficient differentiation.  Two new strategies were implemented: think-pair-share and peer assessment. The researcher found the think-pair-share strategy to be useful with the covering new material and peer assessment strategy useful during the revision period.

    As always, we encourage you to read with a questioning perspective and to follow up the evidence underpinning the approaches our authors have reported on. As successful or less successful as an approach may seem, each one must be considered in terms of the different contexts that readers may be familiar with. Might there be features of your context that would be conducive or less conducive to such an approach? What has shaped your perspective?

    If you would like to submit your assignment to the journal, you will find the process straightforward and supportive. All PGCE /  Level 7 research module assignments that have reached the passing standard are likely to make a useful contribution to our expanding knowledge about practitioner research in international schools. Please do consider submitting your assignment!

  • Case studies from 2021-2022
    Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022)

    In this issue, we have collated the case studies submitted to the journal, recognising that many of our readers may be looking at these case studies before or while undertaking similar studies in their own school. We hope that these examples are useful and interesting, showing how others have approached the same topic in ways that may be similar and yet different. The abstracts from each article are presented below to help encourage you to read more about the topic.

    Ross presents ‘A case study of a Hong Kong primary school's online after-school pull-out intervention for “cross-boundary” students’, aiming to determine the efficacy of an intervention to help students catch up because of the closed border between Hong Kong and Mainland China. In this school, students who are required to cross the border between Hong Kong and Mainland China daily to attend school, known as “cross-boundary students” were no longer able to do so due to stringent Covid-19 measures and the adoption of Mainland China’s “zero-Covid policy”. A pragmatic solution to this was the provision of an after-school pull-out intervention for targeted “cross-boundary” students. Through the case study research, it became clear that the intervention was effective in dealing with students’ academic needs, but that very little was done to address their non-academic needs during this time of online classes. The intervention promoted good opportunities for assessment and feedback and interaction opportunities between teachers and students, but less so for student to student interactions.

    In the article ‘A case study of a teacher-facilitated, small-group after-school online intervention for able mathematicians in grade nine an international school in Hong Kong’, Shylesh highlights that the constraints of school timetabling can place limitations on opportunities for students to access certain subjects. One solution described by Shylesh is to provide this additional form of targeted stretch and challenge outside of the timetabled lesson time. This study focuses on a twilight pure mathematics provision for a targeted small group of four Grade 9 students, using an online self-study platform facilitated by their normal mathematics teacher. Assessment data showed that although the students’ results in mathematics seemed

    to improve over the time that the intervention was studied, there was no conclusive evidence that additional mathematics study had impact on the students’ attainment in the Science subjects. Further research is required to establish whether the online independent nature of the intervention is appropriate and whether this intervention can result in impact beyond the core mathematics results.

    In the article ‘Peer-to-Peer mentoring and its potential benefits for International Baccalaureate Grade 11 and Pre-IB Grade 10 students working on project-based assignments in an international school in China’, Bendran presents a hypothetical case study that proposes a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme, which could be introduced in an international school in China. The main research question asks whether this form of peer mentoring intervention could support students who are new to the International Baccalaureate and its use of project-based assignments. This is of interest because the targeted students would have come from a Chinese education background and have limited exposure to project-based assignments thus far. By aligning the proposed intervention with the literature on peer mentoring, it seems likely that a peer-mentoring intervention could have positive benefits for both mentee and mentor, and it is recommended as a way to support transition.

    Wright proposes a magazine enrichment intervention in the article ‘A Proposal for a Student Magazine Enrichment Programme’. Wright highlights that British-trained educators working in international settings face the challenge of supporting students in environments which may not be receptive to conventional British educational practices regarding student support interventions. This hypothetical case study, based in a Shanghai bilingual primary school, presents an opportunity to introduce and run a culturally and contextually sensitive student support initiative in a school that does not run interventions as standard procedure. More able students are identified as the target group for this intervention, which aims to extend and stretch them academically and culturally, provide peer group support and be a vehicle for the development of student agency through participation in an extracurricular student-led school magazine. A case study proposal for this student support intervention is presented, which provides guidance on how to analyse the impact of this intervention if it is chosen to be implemented.

    As always, we encourage you to read with a questioning perspective and to follow up the evidence underpinning the approaches our authors have reported on. As successful or less successful as an approach may seem, each one must be reconsidered in terms of the different contexts that readers may be familiar with. Might there be features of your context that would be conducive or less conducive to such an approach? What has shaped your perspective?

    If you would like to submit your assignment to the journal, you will find the process straightforward and supportive. All PGCE /  Level 7 research module assignments that have reached the passing standard are likely to make a useful contribution to our expanding knowledge about interventions in international schools. Please do consider submitting your assignment!

  • Conference Proceedings June 2022
    Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022)

    Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Sunderland Reflective Action in Education (SunRAE) journal.

    This open access journal was the brainchild of the University of Sunderland’s International Initial Teacher Training team. The team, working with internationally based trainee teachers since 1999, had long discussed the fascinating insights into international practice that were shared through the formal assignments built into the master’s-level modules within the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programmes. They saw the great wealth of knowledge that the assessment process produced, but of course, this was private to the trainees and graduates. The team wanted a way to collate, curate and share work so that international teachers could learn from others around the world. The idea for the journal was born. The idea was that trainees and recent graduates could submit their work to the journal, experience a supportive and developmental review process and have their work published through the journal.

    In the 2021-2022 academic year, the team was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Fellowship for the SunRAE project. The initial project scope included a conference and an open access e-journal. Thanks to further internal funding it grew to include a podcast series, posters and TeachMeet videos at the conference, and in effect, the development of a community of practice around research and teaching in international schools from the perspective of those involved in international initial teacher training through the University of Sunderland.

    This first issue commemorates the first conference, held in June 2022 and acts as conference proceedings as well as an archive of the event. Where material is accessible online, it provides hyperlinks.

    We hope that you enjoy exploring SunRAE and all it has to offer.