Latent class analysis of non-formal learners’ self-directed learning patterns in open educational resource repositories

Open educational resources (OERs) are increasingly adopted in non-formal education contexts. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the self-directed learning patterns of non-formal learners using OERs. A lack of knowledge about non-formal learners precludes discussions on how to support their self-regulated learning in open learning environments. We explored the self-directed learning patterns of 1892 non-formal online learners who were using OER repositories. In addition, we examined whether differences existed in future intentions to use OERs between learners with different learning patterns. Four latent classes were identified, and learners’ age was found to affect class membership. We also found that non-formal learners’ use of self-directed learning strategies predicted their future intentions to use OERs. This study advanced our understanding of the subpopulations of non-formal learners using OERs. Future research will benefit from the findings related to designing OER environments that can accommodate diverse self-directed learners.     

Perceptions of typically developing children in India about their siblings with disabilities

ABSTRACT

In India, people with disabilities often struggle to access various opportunities and resources. As a result of perceptions within the Indian culture around disabilities, families may face social, financial, and emotional difficulties. Within the family, a child with a disability may lead to strained relationships, particularly with siblings. Often siblings have little knowledge about disabilities and may feel ostracised. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of 12 Indian children regarding their siblings with disabilities, including their perceptions about disabilities against the backdrop of societal attitudes. Participants were interviewed to understand their knowledge of their siblings’ disabilities, to examine their sibling relationships, and to assess how school and society influenced their perceptions about disabilities. Results from this study can help family members understand how disability shapes relationships between children. The findings also provide key stakeholders with information that might help them better support families.     

高职大学生信息素养与自主学习能力的相关性研究

通过实证研究与统计分析的方法,探讨高职学生的信息素养与自主学习能力的相关性,揭示信息素养对培养高职学生自主学习能力的作用。通过对281名高职院校的学生开展问卷调查,发现信息素养与高职学生的自主学习能力呈显著正相关关系,并且信息能力、信息意识和信息知识对高职学生自主学习能力具有显著的预测能力,建议应注重学生信息素养的培养,以促进其自主学习能力的发展。     

Accessing mainstream: examining the struggle for parents of children who have learning difficulties

In the past decade Ireland has witnessed substantial changes in policy and provision for children with general learning difficulties as government policies and legislation increasingly underpin the move towards more inclusive provision. Despite this series of policy initiatives parents of children who experience Down syndrome and general learning difficulties can encounter serious obstacles in gaining access to mainstream education for their children.
This research project was a study of the experiences of a small sample of parents of children who experience Down syndrome and general learning difficulties in relation to their efforts to access appropriate education and education supports for their child in the mainstream school setting. These parents had to invest extraordinary levels of time, energy, and resources in their struggle to get these children into mainstream school and to support their progress there. At local school level these parents and children had positive experiences, but life has taught them that society offers acceptance as a favour, so they cannot confidently expect acceptance by schools and teachers as a right.     

Suggestions for the ideal follow-up for bereaved students as seen by school personnel

Little is known about how teachers and head teachers (school personnel) attend to children experiencing grief. Our aim was to investigate what the school personnel perceive to be optimal help from the school in such situations. We conducted seven focus group interviews and one single interview among 17 teachers and 5 head teachers from primary and secondary schools. Although the school personnel obviously have high levels of empathy and commitment towards grieving students, they expressed limited knowledge about how child bereavement affects school performance, concentration, and learning, and how this restricted their own efforts to arrange for grieving children during the school day. They also signalled tensions created by the need to mediate too many tasks in the teacher’s role, school staff’s lack of grief knowledge, and guilt for not doing more for bereaved children at school. Despite the existence of solid theoretical and research base in the field of grief in children, opportunities for provision of evidence-validated intervention by teachers and other school personnel in response to grief, and prompt referral of bereaved children suffering more complex grief reactions, appear to be severely compromised. The school personnel pointed out the necessities for action plans and written routines, resources and clarifications of roles, and some basic help principles, key help measures, and improvements to improve the support for bereaved schoolchildren.     

Academic performance and the practice of self-directed learning: The adult student perspective

The practice of self-directed learning is important to adult students as it allows them to learn effectively while juggling work, family and other commitments. This study set out to examine the self-directed learning characteristics present in the adult students’ study process at the case university. The relationship between the adult students’ perceived competence level in self-directed learning and their academic performance was also investigated. In this study, 1695 adult students in the case university participated in a survey that included both Likert-type and open-ended response items. Eleven indicators of self-directed learning were conceptualised and quantified. These indicators included: Goal Setting, Time Management, Procrastination Management, Assignment Preparation, Exam Preparation, Note-taking Capability, Research Capability, Seminar Class Readiness, Technical Readiness, Online Class Readiness and Stress Management. The findings showed that the adult students’ perceived level of competence in the 11 self-directed learning indicators had a direct or an indirect effect on their academic performance. Based on the findings, the case university has conceptualised some new initiatives in the provision of support in terms of self-directed learning to help its adult students to do well in their studies.     

Cueing Metacognition to Improve Researching and Essay Writing in a Final Year High School Biology Class

This paper reports on degrees of awareness and use of specific metacognitive strategies by 16 students in a final-year high school biology class in New Zealand. The aims of the intervention were to broaden students' thinking about bioethical issues associated with cancer and to enhance students' use of metacognition. Cues and prompts were used in this unit of work to help students use metacognitive strategies since students did not generally use metacognitive strategies spontaneously. Scaffolding was mediated through the teacher modelling, questioning, cueing or prompting students to evaluate their learning. The research reported here illustrates how teachers can cue students to be more self-directed in their learning. Three case studies illustrate how learning strategies were used differentially. Most students were aware of strategies that could help them to learn more effectively. It was found that those students who were not only aware of but also used strategies to plan, monitor and evaluate their work, produced essays of higher quality.     

Documentation Panels Enhance Teacher Education Programs

Documentation of children’s projects is advantageous to their learning process and is also a good method for student teachers to observe the process of learning. Documentation panels are a unique way to help student teachers understand how children learn. Completing a panel requires a student teacher to think through a process. Teachers must learn how to ask appropriate questions that reveal the progress of the project and then reflect the information onto a panel that preserves the growth of the child’s thinking. Panels are an effective way to help student teachers convey their knowledge about young children and appropriate methods of teaching.     

Communication between children and carers during mealtimes

Mealtimes are identified as an important learning environment where socialisation and language development takes place. Caregivers can facilitate the structure of a child's learning in the mealtime setting. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding about the nature of communication in a normal population during mealtimes. This is important to help understanding about the nature of communication and interaction in children with disabilities during mealtimes. Participants were six typically developing preschool children aged from 8 months to 3;05 years. Caregivers of the children supported their child having a typical meal at home. Each mother–child dyad was video‐recorded by the researchers during a typical meal for up to 30 minutes. Each recording was transcribed by the researchers, and specific communicative features were counted and coded; caregiver comments about appropriate mealtime behaviour, child verbal and nonverbal initiation, caregiver questions and comments about meal enjoyment, caregiver praise of child, and caregiver repetition to coax feeding. A caregiver questionnaire was also completed to obtain information about the child's feeding, any early history of feeding difficulties and typical mealtime routine. The results indicated that the most considerable difference were between the dyads who had reported early feeding difficulties and those who had not reported any. Carers who supported children who had a history of early feeding difficulties used more language to manage and guide the child's behaviour during the mealtime. Caregivers who reported early feeding difficulties appeared to be more concerned with how their child was presenting at the meal (i.e., appropriate behaviour and meal enjoyment). This information has important implications for supporting children with complex needs during mealtimes.     

Changes in teaching in order to help students with learning difficulties improve in Cypriot primary classes

This article aims to explore what changes two Cypriot primary school teachers brought in their teaching in order to help students with learning difficulties improve in their classes. The study was qualitative and used non-participant observation in two primary classrooms in different primary schools and semi-structured interviews with the main teachers of these classes. The findings revealed that the main changes implemented by these teachers were a differentiated programme of literacy and numeracy, and opportunities to students to process information through many senses. In addition, the teachers boosted the learning of students with learning difficulties by focusing on essentials, using process-oriented praise, peer tutoring, and regular communication with parents. The article concludes with suggestions about how Cypriot primary school teachers can boost the learning of students with difficulties and how leaders can support their efforts.     

Experiences and Support Needs of Mothers of Children with Food Allergy During the Transition to School

Despite the increasing attendance of children with food allergy in schools in Australia and globally, little is known about how affected families manage their children’s transition to school. This paper discusses the experiences and support needs of ten mothers during their child’s transition to school in Sydney, Australia, drawn from the thematic analysis of Photo Elicitation Interviews in homes. One of the significant findings of this study was that most mothers found their child’s transition to school both emotionally and practically challenging, even though their children previously attended a long day care or preschool setting. While the school’s pro-active transitional planning, procedures of food allergy management and psychological support provided to families facilitated a smooth start to school, a lack of these, together with poor or no communication and non-involvement of families in the management of children’s food allergy hindered it. Correspondingly, mothers highlighted the need for schools to keep children’s food allergy at the forefront of their transitional planning and support them holistically by pro-actively communicating, collaborating and involving families in the discussions about food allergy, empowering them with information on the school’s policies and procedures, and acknowledging their concerns of safety. Mothers considered these things to be essential. Additionally, mothers provided advice to other parents on how to achieve a positive start to school. The implications of this study’s findings for schools and families are discussed. Considering the small sample size and generalisability of the findings to other contexts and countries, further research is recommended both nationally and internationally.     

Chinese Parents’ Expectations and Child Preacademic Skills: The Indirect Role of Parenting and Social Competence

Research Findings: This study examined how parenting styles and child social-emotional functioning may help explain the indirect relations between Chinese parents’ expectations for their preschool-age children’s social-emotional development and their children’s preacademic skills. A total of 154 parents with preschool-age children were recruited from 7 preschools located in northeastern China. The results showed that when parents expected their child to master social-emotional skills at a younger age or when they placed more value on social-emotional skills, they were more likely to adopt authoritative parenting, their children had better social competence, and finally their children showed better preacademic skills. The findings not only provided support for the interconnections between Chinese young children’s social-emotional functioning and preacademic skills but also revealed parenting styles and child social competence as potential pathways through which parents’ social-emotional expectations relate to children’s preacademic skills. Practice or Policy: The findings can be used to facilitate parent education efforts to help contemporary Chinese parents reflect on and even adjust their developmental expectations for young children. Parental expectations can also be an important element to consider in prevention and intervention programs that are designed to improve young children’s social-emotional and preacademic skills.     

Child Voice: How Immigrant Children Enlightened Their Teachers with a Camera

Changes in global patterns of residence mean that preschool teachers welcome immigrant children and families into preschools in increasing numbers. Many teachers report both anticipation and apprehension about having immigrant children in the classroom. Apprehension is related to concerns about a lack of enough knowledge about languages and cultures to sensitively work with children and families. To overcome apprehensions and challenges, teachers are encouraged to learn from the work of other adults. This study builds upon research that suggests that teachers can also look to the children as a source of knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore how preschool immigrant children might use a disposable camera to communicate with their teachers. The participants of this qualitative study were immigrant and native-born students in a local preschool. Each child was given a disposable camera, instruction about taking photographs and the request to take pictures of what was important to them. Data were collected by recording each child telling the teacher about the pictures. Data were analyzed for themes, patterns and categories. Findings indicated that the messages that the children conveyed to their teachers included important information about language development and family cultural identity. Findings also identify teacher strategies that helped and hindered child ability to communicate during the photo-narration process. An implication of the study was a shift of child agency within the teacher child relationship during photo-narration activity.     

School,Home and Community: an examination of their impact on children's resource‐based learning

Abstract

The Centre for Information and Research at the University of Central England in Birmingham is carrying out research investigating the relationship between different learning cultures and resource‐based learning in children. The research examines the ways in which children's access to learning resources and support in using them affects their learning. The aim is to produce recommendations for local agencies on how they can work together more effectively to create better learning opportunities for children across a community. The article outlines the aims and methodology of the research and identifies the factors said to affect learning, based on a review of existing literature. This research is timely as there is a national government focus on lifelong learning and widening participation; the focus has been mainly on adult education and there is a need for an examination of the ways in which children are equipped with the skills to become lifelong learners. It takes place in a context in which learning in schools has moved towards project work, requiring children to find their own information through using research and information searching skills. The research also reflects current government concerns about narrowing the existing gap between families and individuals who have access to a broad range of learning support tools and those without this support. The article highlights the value of an interagency approach to identify gaps and to ensure community‐wide support for children's learning within specific localities.     

The Cow Loves to Learn: The Hao-Xue-Xin Learning Model as a Reflection of the Cultural Relevance of Zhima Jie, China's Sesame Street

This study was part of the formative research conducted for the children's educational TV program, Zhima Jie, a Chinese adaptation of Sesame Street. Our particular goal was to examine the cultural basis and relevance o f Zhima Jie as a learning tool for Chinese children. Four hundred children aged 3-6 drawn from representative backgrounds participated in the study. Data were collected on relevant aspects of the Zhime Jie curriculum: preschoolers' desires for books and learning materials, and their reasoning and affect about learning. Results showed that the vast majority of children desired books and learning materials with a number of them also articulating reasons for that desire. While differences in gender and mother's education were small and inconsistent, disadvantaged children were more likely to desire books and learning materials than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. Children also showed a greater tendency for such desires and expressions as their age increased. These findings reflected Confucian beliefs about learning, and they provided support for the cultural relevance of the educational efforts of Zhima Jie in China.     

Parental Involvement in Children’s Learning: The Case of Cochlear Implantation—Parents as Educators?

Extensive research emphasises the importance of parental involvement for children’s learning and academic achievement. This paper reports from a Norwegian study researching parents’ experiences on follow-up after their child’s cochlear implantation. Within this context, parental involvement is suggested to be of major importance for the child’s language learning. The study explores the parents’ talk on their involvement in the child’s language after implantation. Data consist of 27 written parental accounts and interviews with 14 of these parents. The analysis shows the parents’ extensive involvement in the child’s language learning. The study brings into conversation how understandings of learning influence parental involvement, leading to implications for the parents and children involved. It addresses a need for debate on how parents can support children’s learning, whilst avoiding parenthood becoming a series of educational tasks.     

A Classroom Investigation of the Growth of Metacognitive Awareness in Kindergarten Children Through the Writing Process

This study investigated the presence and growth of kindergarten children's metacognition as they engaged in the writing process. The study was conducted in an environment that surrounded children with books, language, and print. Twice a month the teacher/researcher interviewed the children as they finished writing, asking questions designed to help them reflect on their thinking and strategies they used in their writing. Anecdotal records, observations, and individual writing folders were used to complete a checklist of writing strategies for each child. Interviews with the children confirmed that they were exhibiting and showing growth in their metacognition. They were able to provide appropriate answers to questions that required them to talk about their thinking and identify strategies that helped them in their writing. The study provides a model that could be used in classrooms to help children in the development of their growing metacognition and writing in an authentic learning environment.     

"The Cow Loves to Learn": The Hao-Xue-Xin Learning Model as a Reflection of the Cultural Relevance of Zhima Jie,China's Sesame Street

This study was part of the formative research conducted for the children's educational TV program, Zhima Jie, a Chinese adaptation of Sesame Street. Our particular goal was to examine the cultural basis and relevance o f Zhima Jie as a learning tool for Chinese children. Four hundred children aged 3-6 drawn from representative backgrounds participated in the study. Data were collected on relevant aspects of the Zhime Jie curriculum: preschoolers' desires for books and learning materials, and their reasoning and affect about learning. Results showed that the vast majority of children desired books and learning materials with a number of them also articulating reasons for that desire. While differences in gender and mother's education were small and inconsistent, disadvantaged children were more likely to desire books and learning materials than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. Children also showed a greater tendency for such desires and expressions as their age increased. These findings reflected Confucian beliefs about learning, and they provided support for the cultural relevance of the educational efforts of Zhima Jie in China.