title: Improving Written Language and Exploring Attitudes towards Learning English in Primary Age ESL Learners in Brunei Darussalam

authors: Dallas, Heather

subjects: ESL learners

abstract: This research was conducted in the small sultanate of Brunei Darussalam on the island of Borneo where the researcher was working as an English language teacher at a government primary school. Although the majority of students’ first language is Bruneian Malay, English is also an important component of the Bruneian curriculum, and is taught from new entrant level. From Year 1, Mathematics and Science are also taught in English and students sit Cambridge University examinations in these three subjects at secondary school. As these are examinations for native speakers, a high standard of English is necessary for academic success.
The main goals in this research were to investigate whether a journal writing programme would improve the English writing of primary students and to suggest to what extent their differing attitudes towards learning English affect success in writing tasks.
The research used the context of a case study of ten students in Years 4, 5 and 6 participating in a weekly journal writing programme to focus on four aims:
• to document any changes or improvements in students’ written English over the course of ten months through a comparison of writing samples at the beginning and end of the programme;
• to observe any changes in student attitudes towards the writing programme and their relationship with the teacher;
• to ascertain basic attitudes or challenges towards learning and using English at school and at home;
• to suggest any connection between the findings for the above aims and actual academic achievement in end of year English examinations.
A mixed-methods approach was used for this research which collected five different types of data and was conducted in two parts. A background context for the study was first established by surveying peers from the same school about their attitudes towards English and any challenges they face. School examination results were also studied. A range of data was then collected from the case study students which included their own survey responses, examination results, written journal entries and classroom observations by the teacher.
A major finding of this research study was the significantly improved deeper writing features exhibited in the journal writing entries. Students’ sense of audience, personal voice, and quality of vocabulary improved far more than would be expected from normal writing maturation in this timeframe. There is evidence of a high degree of student engagement during journal writing, often due to personally motivating topics. The opportunity to share ideas through written dialogue with their teacher resulted in the development of strong teacher student relationships. Findings surrounding the issues of modeling correct language in context, code switching to enhance understanding of new language and the explicit teaching of vocabulary are also examined.
This research provides several other significant findings. There is strong evidence primary age students at all ability levels value English and would like to improve their academic results. Differences in gender were discovered with more boys than girls finding writing the most difficult English skill. Boys were also more likely to fail examinations. Interesting data is provided about the feedback teachers provide writers, and a major finding was that classroom English tasks were not able to be completed successfully by approximately half of all students. There are interesting findings about the strong beliefs students hold on being taught the other core subjects of Mathematics and Science using the English language.
Finally, this research makes an important contribution to understanding how young learners’ attitudes towards a second or subsequent language affect their ability to do the task and to eventual task success or failure. A major implication for educators from this research is that many students are likely to highly benefit from a differentiated English programme in primary school which supports the varied learning needs of all students.
Although this research was conducted in Brunei, many of the findings may also be applicable to ESL teaching programmes in other parts of Asia and around the world at a time of strong international interest and growth in English second language teaching.

text: Improving Written Language and Exploring Attitudes towards Learning English in Primary Age ESL Learners in Brunei Darussalam This research was conducted in the small sultanate of Brunei Darussalam on the island of Borneo where the researcher was working as an English language teacher at a government primary school. Although the majority of students’ first language is Bruneian Malay, English is also an important component of the Bruneian curriculum, and is taught from new entrant level. From Year 1, Mathematics and Science are also taught in English and students sit Cambridge University examinations in these three subjects at secondary school. As these are examinations for native speakers, a high standard of English is necessary for academic success.
The main goals in this research were to investigate whether a journal writing programme would improve the English writing of primary students and to suggest to what extent their differing attitudes towards learning English affect success in writing tasks.
The research used the context of a case study of ten students in Years 4, 5 and 6 participating in a weekly journal writing programme to focus on four aims:
• to document any changes or improvements in students’ written English over the course of ten months through a comparison of writing samples at the beginning and end of the programme;
• to observe any changes in student attitudes towards the writing programme and their relationship with the teacher;
• to ascertain basic attitudes or challenges towards learning and using English at school and at home;
• to suggest any connection between the findings for the above aims and actual academic achievement in end of year English examinations.
A mixed-methods approach was used for this research which collected five different types of data and was conducted in two parts. A background context for the study was first established by surveying peers from the same school about their attitudes towards English and any challenges they face. School examination results were also studied. A range of data was then collected from the case study students which included their own survey responses, examination results, written journal entries and classroom observations by the teacher.
A major finding of this research study was the significantly improved deeper writing features exhibited in the journal writing entries. Students’ sense of audience, personal voice, and quality of vocabulary improved far more than would be expected from normal writing maturation in this timeframe. There is evidence of a high degree of student engagement during journal writing, often due to personally motivating topics. The opportunity to share ideas through written dialogue with their teacher resulted in the development of strong teacher student relationships. Findings surrounding the issues of modeling correct language in context, code switching to enhance understanding of new language and the explicit teaching of vocabulary are also examined.
This research provides several other significant findings. There is strong evidence primary age students at all ability levels value English and would like to improve their academic results. Differences in gender were discovered with more boys than girls finding writing the most difficult English skill. Boys were also more likely to fail examinations. Interesting data is provided about the feedback teachers provide writers, and a major finding was that classroom English tasks were not able to be completed successfully by approximately half of all students. There are interesting findings about the strong beliefs students hold on being taught the other core subjects of Mathematics and Science using the English language.
Finally, this research makes an important contribution to understanding how young learners’ attitudes towards a second or subsequent language affect their ability to do the task and to eventual task success or failure. A major implication for educators from this research is that many students are likely to highly benefit from a differentiated English programme in primary school which supports the varied learning needs of all students.
Although this research was conducted in Brunei, many of the findings may also be applicable to ESL teaching programmes in other parts of Asia and around the world at a time of strong international interest and growth in English second language teaching.

year: 2013

title: The ability of two internal clock models to predict performance on a temporal bisection procedure

authors: Wiles, Lisa Maree

subjects: Animal Timing

abstract: This research is a replication of Machado and Keen’s (1999) procedure which tested the ability of two competing models of animal timing; Learning to Time (LET) and Scalar Expectancy Theory (SET), to predict pigeons performance on a temporal bisection task. Hens were trained in two temporal discrimination's; in Type 1 trials they learned to choose a red key after a 1-s signal and a green key after a 4-s signal and in Type 2 trials they learned to choose a green key after a 4-s signal, and a yellow key after a 16-s signal to receive access to reinforcement.
After they learnt these discriminations, intermediate durations were presented. The resulting psychometric function did not superpose, violating the scalar property of timing. When novel key and duration combinations were presented, performance on subsequent generalisation tests closely matched LET’s predictions. Overall, the results support the findings of Machado and Keen (1999) and supported LET’s rather than SET’s predictions.

text: The ability of two internal clock models to predict performance on a temporal bisection procedure This research is a replication of Machado and Keen’s (1999) procedure which tested the ability of two competing models of animal timing; Learning to Time (LET) and Scalar Expectancy Theory (SET), to predict pigeons performance on a temporal bisection task. Hens were trained in two temporal discrimination's; in Type 1 trials they learned to choose a red key after a 1-s signal and a green key after a 4-s signal and in Type 2 trials they learned to choose a green key after a 4-s signal, and a yellow key after a 16-s signal to receive access to reinforcement.
After they learnt these discriminations, intermediate durations were presented. The resulting psychometric function did not superpose, violating the scalar property of timing. When novel key and duration combinations were presented, performance on subsequent generalisation tests closely matched LET’s predictions. Overall, the results support the findings of Machado and Keen (1999) and supported LET’s rather than SET’s predictions.

year: 2015

title: What works for midwives supporting māmā through emotional distress?

authors: Roia, Tiaan Mereana Manurangi

abstract: Pregnancy and the postnatal period are particularly vulnerable times for mothers’ mental health, with an increased risk of women experiencing depression and anxiety during this time. Therefore, understanding the level and type of service midwives provide to māmā who experience emotional distress is vital to know what midwives need in order to provide the right care to their clients.
The aim of this study was to find out what tools and resources community-based midwives find most helpful to support the needs of māmā. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted, including four Māori midwives, who were able to provide insight on their experiences caring for mothers with mental health needs. Overall, the interviews reflected a strong sense of care and empathy from midwives during their time caring for mothers. Midwives appeared to rely on their interpersonal skills and intuition about emotional distress, and emphasised the importance of connecting with people and utilising support from their communities. Whilst midwives were interested and engaged with providing appropriate care to mothers, they were unbeknown to some of the clinical resources that could be available to their clients. The complexity of referrals and access to mental health services was central to the midwives’ frustration around caring for mothers, as well as a lack of education relating to kaupapa Māori, cultural competency, and mental health processes.
Recommendations based on this study are to provide midwives with education and training on topics like kaupapa Māori, on social and mental health resources and processes for referral to increase their ability to support and care for mothers who experience emotional distress. Improvements to the pathways for referrals and access to mental health services is essential. Future research should focus on understanding why midwives aren’t using a range of online apps and tools, and increase awareness of the available modes of support available.

text: What works for midwives supporting māmā through emotional distress? Pregnancy and the postnatal period are particularly vulnerable times for mothers’ mental health, with an increased risk of women experiencing depression and anxiety during this time. Therefore, understanding the level and type of service midwives provide to māmā who experience emotional distress is vital to know what midwives need in order to provide the right care to their clients.
The aim of this study was to find out what tools and resources community-based midwives find most helpful to support the needs of māmā. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted, including four Māori midwives, who were able to provide insight on their experiences caring for mothers with mental health needs. Overall, the interviews reflected a strong sense of care and empathy from midwives during their time caring for mothers. Midwives appeared to rely on their interpersonal skills and intuition about emotional distress, and emphasised the importance of connecting with people and utilising support from their communities. Whilst midwives were interested and engaged with providing appropriate care to mothers, they were unbeknown to some of the clinical resources that could be available to their clients. The complexity of referrals and access to mental health services was central to the midwives’ frustration around caring for mothers, as well as a lack of education relating to kaupapa Māori, cultural competency, and mental health processes.
Recommendations based on this study are to provide midwives with education and training on topics like kaupapa Māori, on social and mental health resources and processes for referral to increase their ability to support and care for mothers who experience emotional distress. Improvements to the pathways for referrals and access to mental health services is essential. Future research should focus on understanding why midwives aren’t using a range of online apps and tools, and increase awareness of the available modes of support available.

year: 2023