Learning environment,motivation, and achievement in high school science

In a study of the relationship between high school students' perceptions of their science learning environments and their motivation, learning strategies, and achievement, 377 students in 22 introductory science classrooms completed surveys in the fall and spring of their ninth‐grade year. Hierarchical linear regression was used to model the effects of variables at both the classroom and individual level simultaneously. High intraclass agreement (indicated by high parameter reliability) on all classroom environment measures indicated that students shared perceptions of the classroom learning environment. Controlling for other factors, shared perceptions that only the most able could succeed in science classrooms and that instruction was fast‐paced and focused on correct answers negatively predicted science achievement, as measured on a districtwide curriculum‐linked test. Shared perceptions that classrooms focused on understanding and independent thinking positively predicted students' self‐reported satisfaction with learning. Implications of these results for both teaching and research into classroom environments are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 347–368, 2003     

Observing justice in the primary school classroom

Justice-related situations are a part of students? everyday life. In order to test the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of (in)justice in school, valid measures of justice are needed. To our knowledge, this is the first study to develop an observer low inference rating instrument that can be applied to measure justice in the primary classroom. In two pre-studies, justice-relevant situations in the classroom were extracted and observable indicators for these situations were developed. In the main study, this instrument was used to observe 208 primary school students with regard to their experiences of justice or injustice. In addition to this, other measures of justice were developed to examine the convergence between observer low inference ratings of classroom justice and high inference rating instruments for teachers, students, and external observers.Factor analyses and correlations between the different indices of the observer low inference rating and the high inference rating items suggested that incidents of justice and injustice in the classroom do not tend to co-occur frequently. Teachers do not appear to have a general tendency to treat a child more or less justly across a large number of situations.The findings suggest that a comprehensive assessment of classroom justice requires a multi-method approach where the justice ratings of students, teachers and external observers are all taken into consideration.     

Construct validity of the learning behavior scale with an independent sample of students

In this study, the factor structure of the Learning Behavior Scale (LBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 1999) was examined in an independent sample of 257 elementary school students. The LBS is a 29‐item, four‐factor scale on which teachers rate students' positive and negative learning behaviors. The results indicated that the internal consistency of the total LBS scores and the scores on two subscales (Competence Motivation and Attitude Toward Learning) were high enough for individual decision making, whereas the reliability estimates of scores on the Attention/Persistence and Strategy/Flexibility subscales were appropriate only for research or screening purposes. Factor analyses extracted factors similar to three of the factors on the LBS (Competence Motivation, Attitude Toward Learning, and Strategy/Flexibility), and suggested that the fourth factor (Attention/Persistence) may benefit from additional study. In general, the results indicate that the LBS may be a useful tool for examining students' learning behaviors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of Classroom Structure on Student Achievement Goal Orientation

Abstract

The authors assessed how classroom structure influenced student achievement goal orientation for mathematics. Three elementary school classes were assigned randomly to 1 classroom structure condition: token economy, contingency contract, or control. Students in each condition were required to set individual achievement goals on a weekly basis. The authors assessed differences in goal orientation by comparing the number of learning vs. performance goals that students set within and across classroom structure conditions. Results indicated that students in the contingency-contract condition set significantly more learning goals than did students in other classroom structure conditions. No significant differences were found for performance goals across classroom structure conditions. Within classroom structure conditions, students in the contingency-contract group set significantly more learning goals than performance goals, whereas students in the token-economy condition set significantly more performance goals than learning goals.     

The effect of clustering on statistical tests: an illustration using classroom environment data

This paper discusses the effect of clustering on statistical tests and illustrates this effect using classroom environment data. Most classroom environment studies involve the collection of data from students nested within classrooms and the hierarchical nature to these data cannot be ignored. In particular, this paper studies the influence of intraclass correlations on tests of statistical significance conducted with the individual as the unit of analysis. Theory that adjusts t‐test scores for nested data in two‐group comparisons is presented and applied to classroom environment data. This paper demonstrates that Type I error rates inflate greatly as the intraclass correlation increases. Data analysis techniques that recognise the clustering of students in classrooms in classroom environment studies are essential, and it is recommended that either multilevel analysis or adjustments to statistical parameters be undertaken in studies involving nested data.     

Depressive symptomatology in learning-disabled and nonlearning-disabled students

The present study examined the level of depressive symptomatology in a sample of 100 learning-disabled and nonlearning-disabled fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students. Depressive symptomatology was assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). In addition, students were rated by their classroom teachers on behaviors related to depression based on the DSM-III criteria. It was found that students identified as learning disabled obtained significantly higher scores on the CDI and the behavior rating scale than did children in the regular education classroom. There were no significant differences among grade levels for CDI scores, but a trend was noted. A significant difference was found among grade levels for the behavior rating scale scores. There was a significant positive correlation between CDI scores and teacher ratings of depressive characteristics.     

Classroom goal structures and hopelessness as predictors of day-to-day experience at school: Differences between students with and without learning disabilities

The purpose of the present study was to compare the everyday classroom practices of students with and without learning disabilities (LD) and attempt to predict those perceptions from classroom's motivational discourse and feelings of hopelessness. Two hundred thirty students with and without learning disabilities recorded their everyday classroom behaviours and affect over 5 consecutive days. Classroom goal structures were assessed with rating scales. Results indicated that a performance goal structure was associated with less positive affect and less engagement for students with LD. Study 2 attempted to replicate the findings of Study 1 with 120 students, 64 with learning problems and 56 typical peers. Results pointed to salient between-group differences across intercepts, with students with LD having lower levels of positive affect, higher levels of negative affect, higher perceptions of punishment, and lower engagement. Among classroom climates, a mastery goal structure was associated with enhanced reinforcement for both groups. The saliency of goal structures in influencing student behaviours was evident, as they moderated the relationship between hopelessness and students’ achievement-related behaviours. Overall the findings highlighted the importance of mastery goal structures for creating positive academic environments for students with and without LD.     

立足学生差异 建构自主学习的课堂教学策略

立足学生差异建构自主学习的课堂教学策略包括立足学习活动定向的差异,建构自主学习的教学设计策略;立足学生参与课堂活动的差异,建构自主学习的教学实践策略;立足个体经验形成的差异,建构自主学习的反思策略。     

Parent and student perceptions of classroom learning environment and its association with student outcomes

This research is distinctive in that parents’ perceptions were utilised in conjunction with students’ perceptions in investigating science classroom learning environments among Grade 4 and 5 students in South Florida. The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was modified for young students and their parents and administered to 520 students and 120 parents. Data analyses supported the WIHIC’s factorial validity, internal consistency reliability and ability to differentiate between the perceptions of students in different classrooms. Both students and parents preferred a more positive classroom environment than the one perceived to be actually present, but effect sizes for actual-preferred differences were larger for parents than for students. Associations were found between some learning environment dimensions (especially task orientation) and student outcomes (especially attitudes). Qualitative methods suggested that students and parents were generally satisfied with the classroom environment, but that students would prefer more investigation while parents would prefer more teacher support. The study provides a pioneering look at how parents and students perceive the science learning environment and opens the way for further learning environment studies involving both parents and students.     

Elementary Science Students’ Motivation and Learning Strategy Use: Constructivist Classroom Contextual Factors in a Life Science Laboratory and a Traditional Classroom

The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of constructivist classroom contextual factors in a life science laboratory and a traditional science classroom on elementary students’ motivation and learning strategy use. The Constructivist Teaching Inventory was used to examine classroom contextual factors. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire was used to examine student motivation and learning strategies. A Wilcoxon nonparametric test determined that constructivist teaching practices were found to occur more often in the life laboratory than in the regular classroom. Although constructivist teaching practices increased at each observation time in both the regular classroom and in the life laboratory, a Friedman test determined that they were not statistically significant increases. Paired sample t tests determined that student motivation and learning strategies were higher in the life laboratory than in the regular classroom overall as well as at each survey time except for learning strategies at Post 1. A 2 × 4 between 3 within repeated measure ANOVA determined that student MSLQ motivation and learning strategy scores in the regular classroom varied statistically significantly by teacher. Student MSLQ motivation and learning strategy scores in the life laboratory varied statistically significantly by teacher. To triangulate data, individual interviews of students were conducted at the end of the semester and revealed students regard the life laboratory as an asset to their science study; however, students do appreciate and value working in the learning environment that the regular classroom provides.     

Differentiated Curriculum Design: Responding to the Individual and Group Needs of Students with Learning Difficulties with Self‐regulated Learning Strategies

The purpose of this study was to explore special educational curriculum design at senior secondary school level and whether this helps to enhance the academic attainment and self‐confidence of students with learning difficulties. An in‐depth discussion focuses on lesson planning for the individual needs and group needs of students by implementation of self‐regulated learning strategies, based on a case study in a special school in Hong Kong. A multiple methods research design was envisaged for the implementation phase of this participatory action research. Lesson observations, video recordings, teachers’ diaries and students’ interviews were collected during one academic year in a form 5 (equal to year 12 in the UK) classroom. It is suggested that curriculum design should include various elements: learning knowledge, values and attitudes, and generic skills. This differentiated curriculum design showed how subject learning targets could be responsive to both the individual and the group needs of students with learning difficulties. Conclusions also indicate that assisting students to become aware of their individual needs is beneficial both for learning and for curriculum design.     

Gender and the relationship between affective beliefs and perceptions of grade 7 mathematics classroom learning environments

This paper examines the relationships between a number of affective variables included in models explaining gender differences in mathematics learning and a range of classroom environment dimensions more likely to be associated with effective mathematics learning. A large sample of 12–13 year old grade 7 students participated in the study. The data were explored at the individual level, for whole class groupings of students, and by gender. For individuals, three of the classroom environment measures were found to be associated with a subset of the affective variables. The patterns of the relationships in classroom learning environments where teacher support emerged as irrelevant were not the same for males and females, however. For class groupings of students, the same three classroom environment measures were related to the affective variables but their salience was different for males and females.     

A qualitative investigation of student engagement in a flipped classroom

The flipped classroom is gaining acceptance in higher education as an alternative to more traditional methods of teaching. In the current study, twelve students in a Norwegian higher education institution were in-depth interviewed about their learning experiences in a two-semester long mathematics course. The first semester was taught using flipped classroom and the second semester using lectures, where both teaching modes contained a substantial amount of active learning. Overall, students report a more positive learning experience and higher engagement in the flipped classroom. The analysis revealed seven categories that the students highlight as especially conducive to their learning; commitment to peers, being recognized, feeling safe, instructor relationship, physical learning environment, learning with peers and using videos to learn new content. The results indicate that the affective dimension of student engagement is particularly prominent when students reflect upon learning in the flipped classroom.     

课堂教学视野下的反思性数学学习

数学课程标准对学生的反思性数学学习给予了很高的关注,但当前数学课堂教学中学生反思性学习的现实状况却不容乐观。这主要表现为：教师的课堂权威挤占了学生进行自我反思的空间;学生在数学学习中的自我反思能力水平普遍偏低。通过分析课堂教学视野下反思性数学学习的具体内涵,可以发现数学课堂教学中学生进行反思性学习的重要意义主要在于发展学生的数学思维能力、促成个体化的数学学习方式和促进学生自主性的发展。     

Teacher ratings of student engagement with educational software: An exploratory study

The quality of students' learning engagement may significantly influence their learning. Can teachers accurately judge student learning engagement with educational software? In this exploratory study, 3 fifth-grade teachers used a seven-level taxonomy to rate the frequency of different forms of engagement among 42 students interacting with different types of educational software. Teachers spontaneously treated the seven levels of engagement as a continuum, rating students highest on one level or a set of contiguous levels. Teachers generally agreed when ranking students by their typical levels of engagement, but disagreed regarding the actual frequencies of different engagement types. Ratings of software engagement conceived of as interpretive activity were correlated significantly with student reading test scores. Given the authentic classroom conditions in which this study took place, the results are promising for the classroom utility of the seven-level conception of student engagement with software.     

应用型技术大学提升教学质量和听课质量的探索

在应用型技术大学的建设中很多老师都在探索新的教学模式与方法,而忽略了学生的听课质量。文章研究一种提高应用型技术大学课堂教学质量和听课质量的方法,以学生学到知识为最终目标,对教师备课和授课方法提出建议,采用课堂互动、课堂作业等方法提高学生的课堂参与度,通过强化课堂听课纪律,引导学生积极、主动参与课堂学习,最后提出采用课堂考核方式及时了解学生课程学习情况,确保学生都学到知识、掌握知识。采用提出的教学改革方法可提高学生学习效率,促使学生掌握课堂知识,从而提升学生听课质量,降低期末考试不及格率,增加学生理论知识的储备量。     

Antecedent factors influencing ethics-related social and socio-scientific learning enjoyment

This study investigates how affective dispositions influencing students’ moral judgments can both shape their response to individual enjoyment from learning ethics (IE-LE) and predict their individual enjoyment from learning socio-scientific issues (IE-LSSI). Tenth-grade participants from southern Taiwan (n?=?770) responded to survey items that support four subscales: science classroom, news media, IE-LE and IE-LSSI. Structural equation modelling analyses of these subscales found them to be empirically separable, structurally reliable and valid for investigating how students’ affective and self-related cognitive responses can predict their self-evaluated state of IE-LE and IE-LSSI. Viewed from the impact contribution of science classroom and news media, learning enjoyment plays a pivotal role in igniting and sustaining students’ personal attention when discussing IE-LE and IE-LSSI in the classroom. The implication of this study is that by encouraging students to think ethically about issues of science and allowing them to investigate SSI-related issues from a variety of news media sources within the classroom context, teachers can provide opportunity for students to explore science issues that may be well connected to their personal enjoyment of ethics and sense of freedom to learn within a science-related classroom environment.     

Learning science in a cooperative setting: Academic achievement and affective outcomes

A learning unit in earth science was taught to high school students, using a jigsaw-group mastery learning approach. The sample consisted of 73 students in the experimental group and 47 students who learned the topic in an individualized mastery learning approach. The study lasted 5 weeks. Pretests and posttests on academic achievement and affective outcomes were administered. Data were treated with an analysis of covariance. The results show that students of the experimental group achieved significantly higher on academic outcomes, both normative and objective scores. On the creative essay test, the differences in number of ideas and total essay score were not significant between the groups, although the mean scores for number of words were higher for the individualized mastery learning group. On the affective domain, jigsaw-group mastery learning students scored significantly higher on self-esteem, number of friends, and involvement in the classroom. No differences were found in cohesiveness, cooperation, competition, and attitudes toward the subject learned. The results are discussed through the evaluation and comparison of the two methods of instruction used in this study. The cooperative learning movement began in junior high schools as part of the desegregation process, aiming at facilitating positive ethnic relations and increasing academic achievement and social skills among diverse students (Aronson, Stephan, Sikes, Blaney, & Snapp, 1978; Sharan & Hertz-Lazarowitz, 1980; Slavin, 1980). However, elementary teachers quickly recognized the potential of cooperative methods, and such methods were adopted freely in elementary schools before becoming widespread on the junior and senior high level. It has only been during the past few years that application of cooperative learning has been studied extensively with these older students. Cooperative learning methods generally involve heterogeneous groups working together on tasks that are deliberately structured to provide specific assignments and individual contributions from each group member. Cognitive as well as social benefits are expected, as students clarify their own understanding and share their insights and ideas with each other as they interact within the group (Deutsch, 1949). Experiments in the science laboratory have always required students to work in groups of two to four, due to the constraints of experimental processes and limited equipment and sup- plies. Thus, science courses are a natural curriculum area for examining cooperative learning practices. Now that cooperative methods are being refined to develop particular capabilities in the students, science teachers need to examine ways of structuring specific tasks to achieve the academic, affective, and socialization goals for their students. Although most of the studies of cooperative learning in the high school science classroom have centered around the cognitive outcomes of achievement testing and process skills, affective and social outcomes are also significant with students of this age. But few studies in science classes have attempted to assess such aspects of students' progress. As part of a previous revision, the science faculty at the high school where this study was conducted developed an exemplary individualized mastery learning (1ML) program for teaching science. This program seemed to alleviate the severe motivational problems and the extreme individual differences among the students in this rural/bhe-collar community. Students learned to work independently on their science studies. They had almost no lectures and few large group activities. As they worked through their assignments, however, they were free to interdct with other students. Looking in on a typical class, one would see several clusters of two or three students working together, sometimes tutoring each other, sometimes just talking through an assignment. Yet at least half of the class members would be working all alone. The importance of the overall social setting in the classroom as it relates to learning (Bruner, 1986, p. 86) and the central function of social interaction as learning occurs (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 106) seemed to have been ignored. Therefore, group mastery learning (GML), a cooperative learning tech- nique, was suggested as an antithesis to IML for teaching science over short periods. The cooperative mode of instruction considers learning as a cognitive as well as a social process, where students interact with each other as well as the teacher. To bring the social dimension back to science classrooms, the researchers chose to imple- ment GML in Grades 1 I and 12. The goal of the study was to investigate the GML's impact of the method on the individual student's academic achievement, creativity, self-esteem, and number of friends and on the overall learning environment of the classrooms. The researchers were also concerned with the students' attitudes toward earth science, the course being taught at the time of the experiment. Both cognitive and affective outcomes for students who participated in the cooperative GML approach were compared with outcomes for students who studied the same topic in an IML approach. The study addressed a number of questions related to academic and nonacademic outcomes of the two methods of study. First, it sought to determine whether academic achievement of the students taught in the cooperative GML mode would be different from the achievement of students who learned in an individualized method. Second, it sought to determine whether gains or losses would be seen in nonacademic outcomes, such as classroom learning environment, social relations, and students' self-esteem experienced by the students. The results of this study may support more use of cooperative learning in high school science.     

Exploring the effects of online learning behaviors on short-term and long-term learning outcomes in flipped classrooms

ABSTRACT

The flipped classroom pedagogy has been widely used recently. Despite many researches have paid attention with the learning outcome of flipped classroom, there has been limited attention in regard to investigate the relationship between learning behavior and learning outcomes in a flipped classroom. In this paper, we proposed to investigate the influence of online learning behaviors on short-term and long-term learning outcomes in a flipped classroom. This study used Calculus and grade point average (GPA) scores to represent short-term and long-term learning outcomes, respectively. Multiple linear regression indicated that students’ online learning behavior does not have a significant effect on short-term learning outcomes, but has a significant effect on long-term learning outcomes. For applying multiple correspondence analysis, students were divided into groups according to five grade levels based on their scores. According to GPA grade level, students’ online learning behaviors had a significant effect on long-term learning outcomes for the five groups (GPAa, GPAb, GPAc, GPAd, GPAe). According to their Calculus grade level, students’ online learning behaviors had a significant effect on short-term learning outcomes for three groups (CALa, CALd, and CALe), but two groups (CALb and CALc) did not demonstrate this trend. For exploring the effects of online learning behaviors on future learning outcomes, GPA can be considered representative because the GPA was calculated for the entire academic year 2015. Students in the CALa group exhibited the highest frequency of online learning behaviors and obtained the highest GPA grade levels (GPAa and GPAb). For the CALb, CALc, CALd, and CALe groups, students with a higher frequency of online learning behaviors obtained a higher GPA grade level. These results indicate that students’ online learning behaviors have a positive effect on future learning outcomes.     

高职基础课混合式教学模式的构建与实施

传统教学模式以教师为课堂主体进行知识的系统教授,有利于学生集中注意力学习进而形成系统的知识结构体系.但以教师为主导的传统课堂,忽视了学生学习时的个体差异性,不利用学生学习积极性的培养,不利于创新思维和创新能力的培养.混合式教学模式汲取了传统课程与线上学习的优点,摒弃其缺点.将混合教学式模式应用于高职基础课程,对教与学进...