Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers
Oral language skills underpin later literacy achievement and life prospects, and many children struggle with oral language for various reasons. Hence, it is crucial for teachers to provide a learning environment with rich opportunities for all children to practice their oral language. The aim of thi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1036050/full |
| _version_ | 1797794315032854528 |
|---|---|
| author | Karin Edlund Liselotte Kjellmer Helena Hemmingsson Eva Berglund |
| author_facet | Karin Edlund Liselotte Kjellmer Helena Hemmingsson Eva Berglund |
| author_sort | Karin Edlund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oral language skills underpin later literacy achievement and life prospects, and many children struggle with oral language for various reasons. Hence, it is crucial for teachers to provide a learning environment with rich opportunities for all children to practice their oral language. The aim of this exploratory study was to explore a professional development (PD) program designed to coach teachers in using communication-supporting strategies during verbal teacher-child interactions in regular classrooms. In focus were five strategies from the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. The study used a mixed-method case design with multiple observations across four time points over 10 weeks and a follow-up observation after two months. Outcome measures were collected at pre-and, post-intervention and at follow-up. The cases were two intervention teachers and one comparison teacher in second grade in Swedish primary schools. The teachers were directly observed and video-recorded during teacher-child structured small group conversations while discussing different texts with two groups of children each. The groups were mixed and comprised both children struggling with oral language as well as more typically developing children. To further understand the verbal interactions, the teachers’ amount of talk in relation to the children was analyzed in terms of the percentage distribution of the total number of words per minute. The overall patterns of strategy use showed that the two intervention teachers applied more varied strategies from the PD program during the intervention period, but this was not maintained at the follow-up. The amount of teacher talk appeared stable over time, with individual differences in the three teachers. We also discuss the teachers’ own insights and our experience in the design of the PD program, which may guide future research and applications of the PD program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:59:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c12f8807b1d74b7192e1ada193ba512e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:59:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-c12f8807b1d74b7192e1ada193ba512e2023-06-27T14:57:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2023-06-01810.3389/feduc.2023.10360501036050Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachersKarin Edlund0Liselotte Kjellmer1Helena Hemmingsson2Eva Berglund3Department of Special Education, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Special Education, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Special Education, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenOral language skills underpin later literacy achievement and life prospects, and many children struggle with oral language for various reasons. Hence, it is crucial for teachers to provide a learning environment with rich opportunities for all children to practice their oral language. The aim of this exploratory study was to explore a professional development (PD) program designed to coach teachers in using communication-supporting strategies during verbal teacher-child interactions in regular classrooms. In focus were five strategies from the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. The study used a mixed-method case design with multiple observations across four time points over 10 weeks and a follow-up observation after two months. Outcome measures were collected at pre-and, post-intervention and at follow-up. The cases were two intervention teachers and one comparison teacher in second grade in Swedish primary schools. The teachers were directly observed and video-recorded during teacher-child structured small group conversations while discussing different texts with two groups of children each. The groups were mixed and comprised both children struggling with oral language as well as more typically developing children. To further understand the verbal interactions, the teachers’ amount of talk in relation to the children was analyzed in terms of the percentage distribution of the total number of words per minute. The overall patterns of strategy use showed that the two intervention teachers applied more varied strategies from the PD program during the intervention period, but this was not maintained at the follow-up. The amount of teacher talk appeared stable over time, with individual differences in the three teachers. We also discuss the teachers’ own insights and our experience in the design of the PD program, which may guide future research and applications of the PD program.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1036050/fulloral languagecommunication-supporting strategiesprofessional developmentverbal interactionsstructured small group conversationsprimary school |
| spellingShingle | Karin Edlund Liselotte Kjellmer Helena Hemmingsson Eva Berglund Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers Frontiers in Education oral language communication-supporting strategies professional development verbal interactions structured small group conversations primary school |
| title | Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| title_full | Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| title_fullStr | Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| title_short | Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| title_sort | primary school teachers patterns in using communication supporting strategies following a professional development program lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers |
| topic | oral language communication-supporting strategies professional development verbal interactions structured small group conversations primary school |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1036050/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karinedlund primaryschoolteacherspatternsinusingcommunicationsupportingstrategiesfollowingaprofessionaldevelopmentprogramlessonslearnedfromanexploratorystudywiththreeteachers AT liselottekjellmer primaryschoolteacherspatternsinusingcommunicationsupportingstrategiesfollowingaprofessionaldevelopmentprogramlessonslearnedfromanexploratorystudywiththreeteachers AT helenahemmingsson primaryschoolteacherspatternsinusingcommunicationsupportingstrategiesfollowingaprofessionaldevelopmentprogramlessonslearnedfromanexploratorystudywiththreeteachers AT evaberglund primaryschoolteacherspatternsinusingcommunicationsupportingstrategiesfollowingaprofessionaldevelopmentprogramlessonslearnedfromanexploratorystudywiththreeteachers |