Proud to be tvmbo - Kortlopend Onderwijsonderzoek

EIO
The most popular EIO activities according to the students are those where they go
abroad and those in which they come into contact with native speakers. Contact with
native speakers is apparently extremely motivating for tvmbo students, perhaps because
they are then forced to communicate in English. Projects linking to EIO are also
important.
Assessing tvmbo
Schools have not yet thought very much about the question of assessment in bilingual
departments. Teachers check understanding well, which is, of course, vital in a bilingual
classroom. And – when they do think about it - teachers are already using quite a
variety of practical ways of assessing students.
Role of the English department
The role of the English department is also a point for discussion at school, since it is
still unclear or undeveloped at some schools. The English department can play a pivotal
role in the development of tvmbo in terms of the language development of the
teachers at school, in developing materials, finding English-language resources and in
EIO.
Is tvmbo a success?
It is too early in the development of bilingual tvmbo to state categorically that tvmbo
is a success. However, schools are quite optimistic – and certainly enthusiastic –
about the possibilities of developing a tvmbo stream. Both teachers and students
pointed out some very positive points about tvmbo. Many teachers enjoy teaching
tvmbo students and are optimistic about its future. Particularly important seems to be
that bilingual vmbo gives vmbo students a chance and a challenge, and that students’
self-esteem and motivation are probably increased through being in a tvmbo stream.
Teachers realize that creating an effective tvmbo takes time, especially setting up a
strong EIO curriculum and programme. Creating a strong tvmbo team and working
together on tvmbo is also important.
It is heartening to realise that the results of the online surveys correspond to our findings
in the literature, and that teachers and schools are already dealing with a number
of important aspects of bilingual vmbo. In Chapter 6, we discussed the results of the
online surveys for teachers and learners. In Chapter 7, you can find the conclusions
and recommendations of the complete project.
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