Qualitative differences in approaches to teaching first year university science

Changing lecturers' teaching strategies to improve learning in higher education may mean first having to address the intentions associated with those strategies. The study reported in this paper used a phenomenographic approach to explore the intentions associated with the teaching strategies of first year physical science lecturers. Approaches found ranged from those involving information transmission to those where the intention was to develop learning through conceptual change, but in all approaches, logical relations were found between intention and strategy. The implications for attempts to improve teaching through developing strategies are discussed.     

The Teaching Practices Inventory: A New Tool for Characterizing College and University Teaching in Mathematics and Science

We have created an inventory to characterize the teaching practices used in science and mathematics courses. This inventory can aid instructors and departments in reflecting on their teaching. It has been tested with several hundred university instructors and courses from mathematics and four science disciplines. Most instructors complete the inventory in 10 min or less, and the results allow meaningful comparisons of the teaching used for the different courses and instructors within a department and across different departments. We also show how the inventory results can be used to gauge the extent of use of research-based teaching practices, and we illustrate this with the inventory results for five departments. These results show the high degree of discrimination provided by the inventory, as well as its effectiveness in tracking the increase in the use of research-based teaching practices.     

A follow-up study of the effect of pedagogical training on teaching in higher education

The present follow-up study examines the effect of university teachers’ pedagogical training on approaches to teaching and self-efficacy beliefs measured by Approaches to Teaching Inventory and an additional part measuring motivational strategies. The effect of pedagogical training on teaching is analysed among 35 teachers who had not participated in pedagogical courses after the first measurement in 2004 as well as among 45 teachers who had acquired more pedagogical training after the first measurement. The results showed that there were more positive changes in the measured scales among teachers who had acquired more credits of pedagogical courses since the year 2004 than among teachers who had not acquired more credits. The results of the first and second measurements are compared.     

Making Content Easier or Adding More Challenge in Year One University Physics?

This paper argues that lecturers may provide insufficient challenge when teaching first year university physics courses, which may contribute to unsatisfactory learning outcomes. Comparisons in learning outcomes between a traditional teaching group and a constructivist orientated teaching group were investigated along with lecturers' and students' perceptions of those courses by interview and survey. Three main findings emerged from this study. The lecturers emphasised the students' poor physics background and adopted strategies to diminish the possible cognitive challenge in their teaching design. However, the students' concerns about the difficulty of the course seemed to be very minor. Finally, this study found that a teaching strategy of increasing the cognitive challenge for the students was likely to encourage an adoption of a comprehension learning approach, highlight the needs for learning university physics, and to promote cognitive engagement and learning commitment.     

Achievement among first-year university students: an integrated and contextualised approach

This paper presents a prospective study aimed at identifying the predictors of academic achievement among first-year university students. It tries to develop an inclusive view of academic achievement by taking into account the possible differential impact of several predictors in two different faculties of the university. Some 317 university students from the two faculties (science and physical education), who were in their first year at university, participated in the study. During the academic year, these students completed a questionnaire. The outcome variable was their average academic mark at the end of the year. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify the most powerful predictors of achievement. The results showed that past school failure, parental education and self-efficacy beliefs predicted achievement in both programs. Age, secondary-school specialisation, reasons for choosing the program, deep processing, time spent studying and intention to persist have also been highlighted as significant predictors of success, but only in one of the two faculties. Self-efficacy was the most powerful predictor of achievement in physical education courses, whereas intention to persist was the most powerful predictor in science. These results show the importance of adopting an integrated and contextualised approach to exploring the predictors of academic achievement at university.     

Qualitative variation in constructive alignment in curriculum design

Constructive alignment has emerged as a powerful curriculum design idea, but little is known of the extent to which the effectiveness of this idea is a function of qualitative variation. This article introduces a model of qualitative variation in constructive alignment, and uses the results from known alignment studies to test the model. The research reviewed reveals that university teachers have at least two qualitatively different experiences of the core elements of constructive alignment. The teachers who describe their approaches to teaching as involving conceptual change/development intentions with student-focused strategies were found to be likely to see the intended learning outcomes for students in more holistic terms, and assessment as an integral part of that teaching approach. When teachers had more of an intention to transfer information using teacher-focused strategies, they saw the object of study more in terms of parts (concepts, definitions, formulae) with assessment focused on those parts. The implications of this qualitative variation in constructive alignment for curriculum design and for the quality of the outcomes of student learning is discussed.     

Teaching Chemistry at Canada's Open University

University‐level courses in science that contain a substantial practicum or laboratory component have always been a problem to deliver through distance education. Because of the potential hazards inherent in the equipment and chemicals commonly used, chemistry is among the more challenging disciplines to teach at a distance. Athabasca University (AU) ‐ Canada's Open University ‐ has been successfully running chemistry courses for over two decades. The development and delivery of AU chemistry courses are described and the approaches that have been developed to meet the challenges of a North American distance‐education university, including the use of new technologies, are discussed. The problems associated with providing distance students with appropriate laboratory experience are also examined. The first‐year general chemistry courses are compared to an equivalent course at a neighbouring traditional university and an analysis of student performance in AU chemistry courses is presented.     

Research and a professional development programme on teaching learning strategies as part of course content

Abstract

There is evidence that many students leave university without effective learning strategies and skills that would facilitate their learning in the future. For example, they can complete their university courses without developing information skills or a love of learning, with only a limited repertoire of learning strategies, and with no intention of engaging in further learning. While these findings indicate a need for universities to review the structure of courses and the way that they are taught and assessed, it is not necessary to wait for this to happen. Within existing course structures, universities can help prepare students for lifelong learning by teaching them learning strategies. This is best done if the strategies are taught by university teachers in the context of their regular coursework. We have confirmed in our research and professional development projects that this can be done. In an experimental study, we investigated the effects of explicidy teaching students learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework. This research indicated that students who were taught learning strategies in the context of their regular coursework used them effectively and achieved better results than students who were taught in the conventional way. In a professional development project, we taught university teachers from a variety of subject areas to teach learning strategies to students in their own courses. These teachers were successful in helping students develop a repertoire of effective learning strategies and display greater commitment to their learning.     

The Reliability of Students' Ratings of Faculty Teaching Effectiveness

Interdisciplinary teaching requires substantial effort to integrate the disciplines, especially when a wide interdisciplinary gap exists, such as when a course bridges the sciences and humanities. Creating successful science/humanities courses requires more than good intentions; it demands awareness of the challenges that faculty encounter in such courses, along with specific strategies to meet these challenges. We compile findings from theories, case studies, and instructional guides in the interdisciplinary literature, along with faculty interviews and our own teaching experience, to present seven main challenges and suggested strategies for each.     

Understanding "prior intentions" enables two-year-olds to imitatively learn a complex task

This study investigated children's understanding of others' intentions in a social learning context. Specifically, it investigated whether knowing an adult's prior intention before the adult gives a demonstration influences what children learn from the demonstration. In the five main experimental conditions, ninety-six 2-year-old children watched as an experimenter (E) pulled out a pin and opened the door of a box. Children in two No Prior Intention conditions saw this demonstration alone or paired with an irrelevant action. Children in three Prior Intention conditions knew what E was trying to do before the demonstration: they first saw E either attempt unsuccessfully to open the door, or visit and open several other containers, or they first saw that the door opened. Children opened the box themselves more often in each of these three conditions than in the two No Prior Intention conditions, even though children in all five conditions saw the exact same demonstration of how to open the box.     

The impact of Greek University students’ perceptions of their learning environment on approaches to studying and academic outcomes

The relationship between university students’ perceptions of their academic environment, their approaches to study, and academic outcomes was investigated for first and fourth-final year students. The responses of 88 first and 92 fourth year students were analysed using a path analysis model. Students’ perceptions of the learning environment were measured by an instrument based on the Course Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) inventories. The Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) was used to assess students’ approaches to studying. The structure of the ASI inventory was explored by factor analysis. The analysis gave two factors which reflect the deep and surface approaches to studying. Workload does not predict any of the studying approaches and academic outcomes. There was a pattern of relationships between deep approach, perceptions of learning environment which encourage this approach, and outcomes. Assessment methods was the best predictor of satisfaction for all of the students. For the first year students, University grade was not associated with any of the explored variables but the level of satisfaction was predicted by relationships with tutors and fellows. For the fourth year students, good teaching predicted achievement both directly and indirectly through the deep approach to studying. The findings indicate that fourth year students’ perceptions of the current learning environment are a stronger predictor of academic achievement than prior academic ability (university entrance examinations’ grade). The study suggests further exploration of the impact of affect in learning especially for the newcomers.     

Taking risks with a growth mindset: long-term influence of an elementary pre-service after school science practicum

In this study, we present the long-term influence of an after school science practicum associated with an elementary science methods course. The practicum or field experience could be considered a community-based service learning programme as it is situated both within and for the community. Study participants included eight third- and fifth-grade teachers who had participated in elementary science methods courses; four of these teachers participated in the after school teaching practicum while four participants experienced a more traditional observation-based elementary science practicum. All of these teachers were in their second or third year teaching which was 3–4 years after taking the methods course. Investigation methods included questionnaires, field observations and semi-structured, individual interviews. Teachers more regularly utilised reform-based teaching strategies and cited the after school teaching practicum as preparing them to use these strategies in their own classrooms. All teachers exhibited a growth mindset to some degree, but the after school practicum participants did demonstrate a wider use of reformed-based teaching strategies and a higher growth mindset. Elementary teachers perceive risk associated with these key aspects of instruction: (1) managing instruction and classroom management, (2) teaching science through guided inquiry, and (3) overcoming adoptions in other ‘mandated’ curriculum like math and reading.     

Subject disciplines and student evaluation of a degree programme in education

The primary purpose of this study is to report the evaluation of a degree programme in Education by final year undergraduate students of a university. The results show that arts and science students rated the courses, instruction and instructors in the education department significantly higher than those in their teaching subject departments; social science students rated their subject departments higher than the education department; the physical and health education students were indifferent in their ratings of both departments. The study further reveals that educational administration, educational psychology and guidance and counselling were rated in descending order as the most interesting courses in education.     

The relationship between first‐year achievement and the pedagogical‐didactical fit between secondary school and university

Central in this study is the degree to which the pedagogical‐didactical approach in undergraduate programmes aligns with the pedagogical‐didactical approach in secondary schools, and how this is related to first‐year achievement. Approaches to teaching at secondary schools and in first‐year university programmes were examined by interviewing school management, school teachers and university lecturers. The teaching approaches found within the schools were contrasted against the academic teaching approaches, resulting in four types of fit. With multiple regression analysis the relationships between these four types of fit, gender, prior achievement and first‐year achievement were examined. The results showed that prior performance is positively related to first‐year achievement, as well as a fit characterised by more student‐centred teaching in the first year compared to the approach to teaching at secondary school.     

Professionalisierung von Hochschullehrenden

Despite a growing interest in professionalization, research on didactic training of novice university teachers is lacking. This contribution, therefore, analyzes the development of teaching intentions and strategies (teaching approaches) in relation to teaching action, professional vision and teacher identity during a video-based training. We questioned fourteen novice teachers in a pre-post-design and with reference to video-taped teaching sessions. We also conducted a systematic video analysis. The results show that the teachers?? approaches start out rather teacher-focused. However, these approaches become more coherent to teaching action over time, which, in combination with emerging self-efficacy in teaching, indicates a developing teaching profile. Teachers?? professional vision of their own teaching is strongly focused on themselves. Teachers reflect on discrepancies between intentions and action and, by this, they can deduce concrete actions to make their teaching coherent to their intentions. We, therefore, conclude that our training equips teachers with the necessary tools for changes in action. Even so, putting this knowledge into practice also depends on contextual factors.     

Impact assessment of a department-wide science education initiative using students’ perceptions of teaching and learning experiences

Evaluating major post-secondary education improvement projects involves multiple perspectives, including students’ perceptions of their experiences. In the final year of a seven-year department-wide science education initiative, we asked students in 48 courses to rate the extent to which each of 39 teaching or learning strategies helped them learn in the course. Results were related to the type of improvement model used to enhance courses, class size and course year level. Overall, students perceived unimproved courses as least helpful. Small courses that were improved with support from science education specialists were perceived overall as more helpful than similar courses improved by expert teaching-focused faculty without support, while the opposite was found for medium courses. Overall perceptions about large courses were similar to perceptions of medium courses. Perceived helpfulness of individual strategies was more nuanced and context dependent, and there was no consistent preference for either traditional or newer evidence-based instructional practices. Feedback and homework strategies were most helpful in smaller courses and independently improved courses. Results indicate that students are perceptive to benefits that arise when improvements are made either by expert educators or by research-focused faculty who received dedicated support from science education specialists.     

A Combined Strategy of Additive Manufacturing to Support Multidisciplinary Education in Arts,Biology, and Engineering

This research presents results for the design and creation of supporting teaching materials using additive manufacturing. The materials are inspired by selected artwork of four animal species, which belong to a collection from the museum of the University of Antioquia. The topic selected was fauna in Colombia, and the animals in question were chosen based on important roles they have in areas like health, the environment, and food. These animals will complement science education given to several age groups visiting the museum. In addition to the 3D-manufactured objects, a study was conducted using several age groups that are very relevant to the museum: children, teenagers, and first year undergraduate students. A video showing technical information cards about the manufacturing process was also developed. This project was multidisciplinary, involving collaboration between the engineering school, the museum, and a local high school. The results showed that young visitors want complete information on the animals and to have interaction with the animal models, which is not always possible. This project serves as a local strategy not only for taking arts and knowledge out of the museum but also for planning first year courses in the university and thus reducing problems like school dropout, low motivation, and poor performance in national exams.

     

Teaching the teacher: exploring STEM graduate students’ nature of science conceptions in a teaching methods course

ABSTRACT

Graduate students regularly teach undergraduate STEM courses and can positively impact students’ understanding of science. Yet little research examines graduate students’ knowledge about nature of science (NOS) or instructional strategies for teaching graduate students about NOS. This exploratory study sought to understand how a 1-credit Teaching in Higher Education course that utilised an explicit, reflective, and mixed-context approach to NOS instruction impacted STEM graduate students’ NOS conceptions and teaching intentions. Participants included 13 graduate students. Data sources included the Views of Nature of Science (VNOS-Form C) questionnaire administered pre- and post-instruction, semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants, and a NOS-related course project. Prior to instruction participants held many alternative NOS conceptions. Post-instruction, participants’ NOS conceptions improved substantially, particularly in their understandings of theories and laws and the tentative nature of scientific knowledge. All 12 participants planning to teach NOS intended to use explicit instructional approaches. A majority of participants also integrated novel ideas to their intended NOS instruction. These results suggest that a teaching methods course for graduate students with embedded NOS instruction can address alternative NOS conceptions and facilitate intended use of effective NOS instruction. Future research understanding graduate students' NOS understandings and actual NOS instruction is warranted.