Abstract

The quality of the French language in Quebec is a very sensitive topic that is always of interest because of the sociolinguistic situation of French in North America. This paper focuses on the implementation of a new grammar in Quebec’s schools, a French-speaking province of Canada, in order to raise the students’ level of their written language. Orthographic difficulties inherent to the French language will first be outlined to clarify the reason why the mastery of many grammatical concepts just for spelling is necessary. Then, key aspects of this new grammar will be defined and distinguished from the traditional grammar. The implementation of this new grammar is finally addressed from two points of view: the official programs on the one hand, and the practices in the classroom on the other hand, which inevitably leads to the issue of teacher training. Potential solutions emerging from research and some advice are presented in conclusion for those interested in the renewal of grammar teaching.

Abstract

Whilst various studies have examined participation on the Internet as a key element of a new emergent civic engagement, informally or formally through national and local governments’ online measures, less has been done to measure or suggest ways of overcoming social and technological constraints on online civic participation. Additionally, few studies have looked at the relationship between the actual implementation of such initiatives in classrooms and the messages which are conveyed indirectly as a result of teachers’ own conceptions of classroom strategies, which are perhaps better described as a “hidden curriculum”. This paper reports on these constructions through a set of detailed quantitative and qualitative case studies of the implementation of civic engagement through online activity in several regions of Portugal. The data, obtained through questionnaires, were used to produce novel composite scores reflecting the participatory and media literacy strategies of schools, as well as teachers and students’ media literacy and online civic actions. We present empirical results from a study population consisting of 12 public secondary school principals, 131 teachers, and 1,392 students in grades 11 and 12, suggesting that students’ online civic engagement and media literacy levels are affected by their teachers’ classroom practices and further training and by the implementation of a project-based approach to media education.

Abstract

Faced with a society that uses the media from dawn until dusk, it is imperative to identify the relationship between users and media. Therefore, this quantitative research aims to determine media competence levels of teachers and students in compulsory education in six areas. Media competence offers a diagnosis of possible shortcomings and needs educational intervention in both groups. Primary education students have shown an intermediate level of media competence. Secondary education students are at a basic level of competence in all the areas, except for technology and media literacy, which are at an intermediate level of competence. Most teachers have a basic level of media competence in all areas. Despite having a curriculum that meets the needs of media literacy in compulsory education and the proliferation of policies supporting technology, this is the weakest area in participants. A critical revision of school curricula and a consensus in their design and development would facilitate students’ shared training and minimize a possible exclusion in relation to media. Meanwhile an own curriculum and a training through a network of related professionals is the way to achieve higher levels of competence in both groups.

Abstract

Media convergence and massive usage of Internet-connected devices, distinguishing features of our current society, cause changes in the way that new generations learn and access knowledge. In addition, emerging new digital skills are necessary for the Z generation to face the challenges of a digital society. This quantitative study, with a sample of 678 Primary School students, aims to provide empirical evidence about the level of digital skills of students belonging to this generation. The results show that the acquisition of digital competences is not inherent to use, but require specific instruction. Otherwise, there is a danger of creating a digital divide, not due to frequency of use or access to connected devices but to lack of instruction on how to use them. The absence of significant variance in the overall level of digital competence among Primary School students of different grades reflects, to some extent, that this level is largely acquired by informal activities with ICTs in an informal context, rather than by developing competences in a school context that affords gradual and progressive skills acquisition. The results show the need to address digital competence in schools, focusing on the systematic development and enhancement of its component areas to move beyond the informal level and reach the academic level, thus facilitating digital natives’ access to future employment.

Abstract

This paper tries to show a present vision in teacher´s training based on communication and information technologies (CIT) and to present an example of how a diagnostic questionnaire is drawn up to detect teachers-to-be´s needs and knowledge in different subjects. The useful aspects of these technologies are evident. That´s why the future teacher needs to have a knowledge of critical aspects and to show their advantages and disadvantages, because the communication and information technologies are not only a simple didactic tool, but also resources to learn, which help the teaching process for the teacher and the learning process for the student.