Here are the current articles for the 2023 issue. Articles are published on an ongoing basis, and bundled at the end of the year. To submit a paper, see For Authors. To read articles or get informed when something new is published, simply register or login.
English is taught in many countries, but learning and teaching it poses challenges. This qualitative research focuses on studying the challenges of teaching and learning English writing skills at Hun Sen Prasot High School in Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia. The study involves ten participants, including two English teachers and eight students (four from grade 10 and four from grade 11). The research gathered information through a free writing test for 70 students, followed by interviews with the students and teachers. The study identified several problems, including students prioritizing science subjects, lack of confidence in writing, a preference for working individually, and a lack of knowledge on using technology for writing. Furthermore, students have limited basic writing skills, and teachers' methods have limitations. We conclude with some implications in terms of mentoring.
Keywords:
Online teaching; COVID-19 pandemic; Challenges; Solutions; High school English; Teachers; Principals
This study examines the challenges faced by English teachers in Mongkolborey District, Cambodia, during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the solutions they employed. The main challenges included lack of technological knowledge, financial difficulties, and internet connectivity issues. Teachers suggested sharing phones and utilizing school campuses with Wi-Fi to overcome these challenges. However, there was no solution for parents pressuring children to skip classes or work. The study provides valuable insights for teachers, researchers, and stakeholders, emphasizing the need for collaboration to address these challenges.
Keywords:
Students dropout; COVID-19; Academic performance; Grade 10 and 12
Dropout of school is the priority problem for both developed and developing countries in the world. In the time of COVID-19 pandemic, many schools around the world have closed to wait for the better situation to re-open. Thus, many students have the high risk to drop out of school as the prediction of UNICEF, pandemic threatened to push at least 24 million students out of school completely. This present study is intended to provide understanding of the current causes of dropout in the time of COVID-19. Moreover, it also investigated the characteristics and demographic profiles, possible causes, and the consequences of school dropout. Semi-structured interview was used with twelfth participants involved in this study included five dropout students from grades 10 and 12, three parents of dropout students, three teachers, and a school principal. Specific characteristics and demographics of dropouts (those who have parents who received a low educational level, families who have low incomes, far away from school) were found. Moreover, the causes that lead students to drop out of school in the time of COVID-19 are long-term school closure, low academic performance, poor teaching and learning quality, missed communication, roles of children at home, poverty, and getting married were found to be perceived as related to dropping out. Importantly, all dropouts reported that they have never planned to drop out of school. Furthermore, after dropping out of school, some students have no work yet, they just help with their parents’ housework while other dropouts are working in the factory, working as builders, and some of them are learning vocational skills such as mechanics, technicians.
The mentoring support activities received by teachers can impact motivation and teaching quality, with positive benefits for teachers and their students. However, despite teachers’ fundamental importance of continuous professional development, teacher support is non-existent or insufficient- due to a lack of research-based evidence to guide efficacious processes for teacher induction. Therefore, this study aims to explain the mentoring activities related to (1) emotional support and (2) methodological support, which the mentor intends to provide to the mentee. This study used the quantitative approach. This quantitative study used a questionnaire: Mentee’s Perceptions of Mentoring Support Activities (MPMSA), and a stratified sampling method was used for a sample of 93 mentees from five different New Generation Schools in Cambodia. The findings are according to mentoring activities related to the emotional support of mentees are at a positive perception and mentoring activities related to the methodological support of mentees are a significant issue. Finally, suggestion for using findings to enhance mentoring support activities are discussed.
