Academic Centrehttps://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2023.58 | 734-745 | PDF
‘Can-Do Statements’ to Improve Year 4 Pupils’ Performance in English Lessons
Evija Latkovska1, Klinta Ieleja2
1 University of Latvia, Latvia, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art
2 Ērgļi Secondary School, Latvia
Abstract. Nowadays, school education concentrates on developing pupils’ skill to learn – teachers should help pupils understand the meaning of education in their life and encourage their independent inquiry. The essence is not just getting excellent grades. Instead, it is about pupils taking responsibility for being interested, for participating and for reflecting on their performance. The mentioned features are characteristic of self-regulated learning – a transversal skill to be honed from early school years. Overall, research on pupils’ self-regulated learning reveals that if mastered as a skill at an early age, it positively influences pupils’ academic performance. Based on the evidence of prior research, the authors of the article consider relevant ‘Can-Do Statements’ to be of importance to develop and enhance pupils’ self-regulated learning skills parallel to their academic achievement. Therefore, the current study aims to examine how self-regulated learning ‘Can-Do Statements’ applied in lessons of English in Year 4, can improve pupils’ confidence regarding their self-regulated learning and their foreign language achievement. The research method is a case study comprising a research sample of 19 Year 4 pupils (nine to ten years old). The pupils come from a rural school in Latvia, Vidzeme region. The data are collected using lesson observation sheets, language tests and a questionnaire for pupils to ensure triangulation of the data. Empirical data show that ‘Can-Do Statements’ implemented in English language lessons help pupils work on self-regulated learning skills simultaneously achieving academic performance goals they set for themselves. However, the level of achievement depends on whether an individual pupil relates ‘Can-Do Statements’ to oneself and one’s learning process. Even though the data show that the efficient use of ‘Can-Do Statements’ would ask for meticulous lesson planning, it can also be witnessed that their application allows creating a positive learning environment, which in its turn is beneficial for the rapport of the teacher and pupils.
Keywords: young learners, self-regulated learning skills, ‘Can-Do Statements’, foreign language learning and performance.
In: Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2023. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Cilvēks, tehnoloģijas un izglītības kvalitāte, 2023. Rakstu krājums
Riga, University of Latvia, 2023. 796 p. Ed. L. Daniela
https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2023
ISBN 978-9934-36-116-6