NENU-Camtree Teacher Research Project 2024
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NENU-Camtree Teacher Research Project began in April 2024, involving 24 teachers, 12 from Panshi Experimental Primary School. Teachers used the Camtree 'Think-Talk Toolbox' to design inquiries into the role of think-talk skills in their own classrooms.
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Item 运用“思维-对话”提高小学生质疑能力的数学课堂教学研究 Using "thinking-dialogue" to improve the questioning ability of primary school students(2025) Zhang, Dong; Zhu, Cuihua; Bo, KaidiBackground: Questioning is the starting point of thinking, but also the foundation of innovation. The acquisition of students' questioning ability plays a positive role in promoting their future learning and the cultivation of comprehensive quality. However, in the real classroom teaching, the middle and upper grade students in primary and secondary schools lack the ability to question in the learning process, and the vast majority of students are accustomed to passive receptive learning, and students have no sense of questioning. Objective: This study aims to develop students' questioning awareness and ability through the "questioning" skills in the Think-Talk Toolbox (TTT), guide students to learn to express different points of view respectfully, and stimulate students' critical thinking. Design or methodology: To Integrate four strategies of "questioning" skills from TTT into classroom teaching, and use problem-solving as the starting point to promote students' deep thinking and effective questioning, including encouraging students to think about problems beyond the knowledge ontology and combining reality in the classroom, encouraging students to try to challenge the views of teachers and peers, and stimulating students' curiosity and interest. Observation and interview methods were used to continuously evaluate the development of students' questioning awareness and ability. Findings: there was a significant improvement in students' classroom engagement, depth of answering questions, and questioning performance. Conclusion, originality, value, and impact: The promotion of questioning skills in the classroom develops students' knowledge and critical thinking skills. They are able to use questioning conversations to think about knowledge from multiple perspectives, and are able to transfer and extend this to everyday life.Item 如何在小学语文课堂中运用思维对话技能，培养学生的批判性思维能力 How to use thinking and dialogue in primary school Chinese classrooms to cultivate students' critical thinking skills(2025) Li, YajunContext: This research explores how to use connecting, inferring, and justifying skills of the "Think-Talk Toolbox" to encourage responsible, focused, coherent and evidence-based expression in their Chinese language lessons at Panshi Experimental Primary School in China, so as to promote the development of students' critical thinking and the cultivation of rational spirit. Aims: The main goal of the research is to help students learn scientific thinking methods, master rational reading and writing skills, develop the habit of questioning and reflection, and then cultivate students' critical thinking skills. Methods: Action research was used in six lessons, and the connecting, inferring, and justifying skills of the "Think-Talk Toolbox" were gradually introduced into the text interpretation process and multiple dialogues in the classroom to encourage students' independent thinking, dialectical analysis, and rational expression. We focused on students' advanced thinking performance in text interpretation and classroom dialogues, as well as the impact of the "think-talk" skill strategy on students' critical reading and expression skills. Findings: The results show that through "think-talk" skills, group cooperation is optimized, the division of labour is refined, collaboration is embedded, and interaction between groups is enhanced. Students’ learning attitude has changed from passive to active, and the depth and breadth of thinking have been expanded. Teachers' teaching methods have been improved, problem-guiding strategies have become more open and in-depth, and feedback and evaluation methods have been diversified. Focusing on students' thinking process, innovative ideas and group cooperation performance, it effectively promotes their responsible, methodical and evidence-based expression, and then improves their critical thinking skills. Implications: This study shows that the use of connecting, inferring, and justifying skills of the "Think-Talk Toolbox" can promote the development of critical thinking in primary school students. Through questions and guidance, teachers can motivate students to connect new ideas with existing knowledge, conduct logical inferring and explanation, and emphasize evidence and logical support, improving students' critical thinking. Using "think-talk" skills provides an effective way for cultivating students' habits of questioning and reflection, mastering rational literacy skills, and promoting critical thinking.Item 小学科学教学中使用关联技能促进学生对概念理解的策略研究 A Study of Strategies for Using Associative Skills to Promote Students' Understanding of Concepts in Science Teaching in Primary Schools(2025) Yang, ShuyuanContext: It is not difficult to find from both the curriculum standards and teaching practice that in science education, students should pay attention to the learning of basic knowledge of scientific concepts, and the importance of understanding scientific concepts is self-evident. In the process of teaching practice, it is found that it is difficult for students to understand scientific concepts, and most of them use the method of mechanical memory, which is not good and cannot be understood and applied to practice, which is contrary to the essential requirements of science education. Under this premise, I try to explore ways to change primary school students' understanding of scientific concepts, promote the formation and development of primary school students' scientific concepts, and improve the teaching effect of primary school science courses. Aims: The purpose of science education is to enable students to develop scientific concepts in the process of understanding and application. The formation of scientific concepts should not only pay attention to the choice of teachers' teaching methods, but also pay attention to the internal laws of the formation of scientific concepts. The main focus of the research is to improve students' ability to understand concepts by appropriately applying the four aspects of the associative skills in thinking and dialogue in education and teaching, which are: associating existing knowledge, relating personal experience, exploring relevant concepts, and applying them in real life. Methods: This study uses an action research approach. In the process of practical teaching, I found that students' understanding of concepts is relatively rigid and superficial, which seriously affects the effect of learning and inquiry, so I have carried out research on this problem in my daily teaching practice. For third grade students, the lesson "The Movement of Objects" in the first unit of the second volume of the third grade textbook of the Science and Education Edition is used as an example, which mainly shows the process and effect of learning and understanding related concepts. Findings: In the process of education and teaching, teachers and students conduct ‘thinking dialogues’ to guide students, which has an effective role in promoting the effect of students' concept learning, and greatly improves students' ability to understand and apply concepts. Implications: Teachers can effectively guide and promote students' learning, understanding and application of concepts through thinking dialogue with students and using appropriate associative skills in classroom teaching, which can promote the teaching effect of primary school science curriculum.Item 在小学英语教学中使用质疑技能提升学生的小组合作学习质量 The use of questioning skills in primary English teaching improves the quality of students' group cooperative learning(2025) Wang, YanContext: This study was conducted in a primary school in Panshi City, China, focusing on improving the quality of group cooperative learning in sixth-grade English classes. It aimed to integrate questioning skills from the Think-Talk Toolbox (TTT) into teaching practices to foster students’ critical thinking, enhance classroom engagement, and transform the teacher's role from knowledge provider to enabler. Aims: The study sought to address limitations in traditional English teaching methods by introducing questioning strategies to promote critical thinking. It also aimed to empower students to engage meaningfully in discussions, enhance their ability to express ideas, and improve group cooperative learning outcomes. Methods: An action research approach was employed over a one-month period. Activities included structured group discussions with specific roles assigned to students, the use of TTT questioning techniques, and reflective practices. Classroom observations, pre-study preparation, and follow-up reflections were used to evaluate changes in students’ participation and thinking skills. Findings: The study revealed that questioning skills facilitated more structured and meaningful group interactions. Students displayed improved participation, enhanced communication skills, and a greater ability to express critical viewpoints. Although challenges such as language barriers and uneven participation persisted, students showed progress in moving beyond rote learning to exploring and articulating more complex ideas. Implications: This research highlights the potential of integrating questioning strategies into primary English teaching to develop critical thinking and cooperative learning skills. Teachers may learn that fostering an inclusive and dialogic classroom environment, even within short periods, can yield significant improvements in student engagement and learning outcomes.Item 在小学英语课堂小组讨论活动中提升学生表达技能 Developing Expression Skills through Group Discussion in Primary English Classes(2024) Wang, YanContext: This study explores how expression skills set out in the Think-Talk Toolkit (TTT) could be used to improve third-grade students' participation in group discussions in an English classroom in Panshi Experimental Primary School, China, against a background of curriculum reform. Aims: The primary goal is to improve the quality of group discussions and increase student participation in English lessons. The teacher sought to develop students' confidence, encourage the use of English in discussions, and foster critical and innovative thinking by applying TTT expression strategies such as openness and inviting students to express their viewpoints. Methods: An action research approach was applied over five classroom sessions. The study involved progressively introducing TTT expression skills into group discussions, encouraging students to use a bilingual approach (English and Chinese) to share ideas. Data was collected through classroom observations and interviews, focusing on how students engaged with the group discussion activities and the impact of the TTT strategies on their participation. Findings: The use of TTT expression strategies, particularly fostering openness and encouraging students to express their viewpoints, significantly increased students' participation in group discussions. Students progressed from passive participation to actively contributing ideas, with some previously very hesitant students becoming much more active. However, students’ low levels of language and lack of confidence meant that the original plan was adapted to focus on reinforcing expression skills rather than progressing to try and introduce critical thinking skills before students were able to meaningfully engage with these. Implications: Other educators might find that using TTT expression strategies can help increase student participation in group discussions, especially for students at an early stage of learning English. Encouraging openness and active expression can help students overcome barriers like fear of making mistakes, leading to more dynamic and inclusive classroom interactions.