Changes in students' educational attitudes: A study of an experimental living-learning program

This study highlights the longitudinal changes in educational attitudes of students during the freshman year of college, with the prime focus on comparisons between students in a living-learning program (N=95) and students in the regular curriculum (N=89) at the University of California, Davis. The Student Orientations Survey was used in a pre-post design, and major results were (1) students who selected the experimental program held somewhat different attitudes from their peers in the regular curriculum prior to the start of the academic year and (2) compared to changes in attitudes of their peers, the experimental-program students, by the end of the academic year, had significantly decreased their desire for lectures and formalized education, expressed greater interest in self-directed independent study, desired a more significant role in educational decision-making, and viewed education more as a way of exploring various academic areas rather than solely preparing for a vocational future. Coupled with findings from student interviews, various implications of the results were discussed.     

THE USE OF EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IN EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION

Considerable controversy has existed concerning the utility of experimental design in educational evaluation. The polar positions are that experimental design has no utility in educational evaluation and that experimental design is the only valid evaluation strategy. This article examines these positions in terms of conceptualizations of evaluation according to the'LCIPP Evaluation Model "and of experimental design according to the "true comparative experiment." An alternative position including three main points is developed: (a) The methodology of educational evaluation includes much more than the methodology of experimental design; (b) Experimental design does have potential utility in the areas of input and product evaluation, but not within the areas of context and process evaluation; (c) The utility of experimental design can be increased by following a set of procedures that do not require the use of common criterion instruments and uniform decision rules for all students in an experiment; this allows judgment of a program in terms of the number of students for whom it was successful.     

The bright and dark side of writing motivation: Effects of explicit instruction and peer assistance

The authors investigated the impact of explicit instruction and peer-assisted writing on students' writing motivation and self-efficacy for writing. Eleven teachers and their 206 fifth- and sixth-grade students participated in a 2 (explicit instruction vs. writing opportunities without explicit instruction) × 2 (peer-assisted writing vs. writing individually) experimental intervention study with a pretest-posttest design. The four experimental conditions were compared with a business-as-usual (BAU) condition. The five-week interventions were implemented in authentic classes by regular class teachers, who received a prior professional development training. Multilevel analyses showed that students who wrote with a peer were more autonomously motivated at posttest than BAU students. Additionally, BAU students and students receiving explicit instruction were more controlled motivated than students who were offered ample writing opportunities while practicing individually. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed in view of realizing a bright pathway towards autonomous writing motivation.     

A quasi-experimental research on the educational value of performance assessment

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that performance assessment increases educational value in teachinglearning activities using a quasi-experimental research design. In this research, the three measurement criteria of educational value are suggested as ‘improvement & advancement,’ ‘sincerity & enthusiasm,’ and ‘individuality & wholeness.’ A pre-test was administered to 4 classes (156 students) in 7th grade. Classes were divided into an experimental group (2 classes, 79 students) and a control group (2 classes, 77 students), according to the pre-test results. Only the experimental group was involved in the performance assessment for 9 weeks. The results of this study show that performance assessment has a positive effect on the educational value of teaching-learning activities in schools.     

Can Computer Use Hurt Science Achievement? The USA Results from PISA

A surprising result of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is that computer use was negatively associated with high student achievement in some countries. More specifically, the students from all three countries who indicated that they use computers in the classroom most frequently were those with the lowest achievement on the TIMSS in 1995. For the purpose of this study, a similar comparison was made for 15-year-old U.S.A. students, based on the data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results of this study show that it is not computer use itself that has a positive or negative effect on the science achievement of students, but the way in which computers are used. For example, after controlling for the student's socioeconomic status in the United States of America, the results indicated that the students who used computers frequently at home, including for the purpose of writing papers, tended to have higher science achievement. However, the results of this study also show that science achievement was negatively related to the use of certain types of educational software. This indicates a result similar to that found in the TIMSS data, which might reflect the fact that teachers assign the use of the computer and of educational software to the lower achieving students more frequently, so that these students can obtain more personal and direct feedback through educational software.     

Detecting the correlation between mobile learning behavior and personal characteristics among elementary school students

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the features of mobile learning behaviors among Chinese elementary school students, and relationships between mobile learning behaviors and personal characteristics in mobile learning environment. The current study designed and developed a game-based educational mobile environment and conducted an experimental research. Eighty-three elementary students participated in this study. The results revealed the features of elementary school students’ mobile learning behavior including: 1) the students had reasonable login frequencies and learning time duration with appropriate guidance from the teachers, and satisfying learning performance by self-learning; 2) higher grade, learning style with active information processing and higher test scores in the conventional Chinese subject course had positive impacts on the mobile learning behaviors, but no gender difference was found. Regrettably, students showed more digital consuming than digital creating in the current study. The results could provide necessary suggestions on mobile learning for young learners.     

Dyslexia in Greek higher education: a study of incidence, policy and provision

Dyslexia is defined as a disability that primarily affects reading and writing. Internationally, the number of dyslexic students entering higher education is on the rise. It is estimated that students with dyslexia represent a small but significant minority. Many English-speaking countries have developed support services and teaching practices to accommodate dyslexic students' educational needs. In Greece, research on dyslexia is very limited. The purpose of this study is to define the incidence of dyslexia among the Greek student population and to examine dyslexic students' age, gender and major field of study. Data were collected from a total of 406 departments at all Greek public institutions of higher education (n = 32). The existing practices for identifying and provisions for supporting dyslexic students were also examined. The incidence of dyslexia in Greek higher education was estimated to be 0.16%, which is far below the estimated incidence in the general population. Interesting results were yielded regarding the variability of higher education institutions' responses to dyslexia. In almost all Greek institutions, provision takes place in the form of oral examinations and generic counseling. technological education institutions (TEIs) seem to be more aware of the educational needs of dyslexic students, possibly because they have three times more dyslexic students than higher education institutions (HEIs). All Greek universities deal with the needs of dyslexic students on an individual basis, making provision reactive rather than proactive. The results of the present study are discussed in the light of inclusive education and equality of opportunity for students who learn in a different way but do not differ from their counterparts in terms of intelligence or general abilities.     

The effectiveness of a multisensory alphabetic phonetic approach with college students who are learning disabled

College students diagnosed as learning disabled were studied to determine whether they would make more progress in a summer program if taught by an adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) approach. Progress of those exposed to this approach was compared to progress of those exposed to (a) a nonphonetic approach or (b) no educational activity. Pre- and posttest results are reported for the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. The subjects were 30 college students aged 17 to 24, who were diagnosed as LD. They were divided into groups of 10 and exposed to the indicated educational intervention. The O-G group was found to achieve statistically significant improvement in reading when compared to the group using the nonphonetic approach or no educational activity. No statistically significant difference was noted between the latter two groups. This study indicates that a modified O-G approach is useful in the teaching of reading to college students who are LD.     

The effects of concept and vee mappings under three learning modes on Jamaican eighth graders’ knowledge of nutrition and plant reproduction

The first objective of this study was to investigate if the experimental students’ post‐test knowledge of nutrition and plant reproduction would be improved more significantly than that of their control group counterparts based on their treatment, attitudes to science, self‐esteem, gender and socio‐economic background. Treatment involved teaching the experimental students under three learning modes—pure cooperative, cooperative–competitive and individualistic whole class interpersonal competitive condition—using concept and vee mappings and the lecture method. The control groups received the same treatment but were not exposed to concept and vee mappings. This study’s second objective was to determine which of the three learning modes would produce the highest post‐test mean gain in the subjects’ knowledge of the two biology concepts. The study’s sample comprised 932 eighth graders (12–13‐year‐olds) in 14 co‐educational comprehensive high schools randomly selected from two Jamaican parishes. An integrated science performance test, an attitudes to science questionnaire and a self‐esteem questionnaire were used to collect data. The results indicated that the experimental students (a) under the three learning modes, (b) with high, moderate, and low attitudes to science, and (c) with high, moderate, and low self‐esteem, performed significantly better than their control group counterparts. The individualist whole class learning mode engendered the highest mean gain on the experimental students’ knowledge, while the cooperative–competitive learning mode generated the highest mean gain for the control group students.     

Testing elementary and secondary school students’ ability to perform historical perspective taking: the constructing of valid and reliable measure instruments

Historical reasoning competencies play an important role in history education. However, valid and reliable large-scale measurement instruments to assess these competencies are scarce. This study considers two instruments for measuring students’ ability to perform historical perspective taking (HPT) as a historical reasoning competency. The instruments have been tested for validity and reliability among 1,270 Dutch upper elementary and secondary school students, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years. One instrument offers effective validity and reliability and can map HPT performance among a large and heterogeneous student population. The results show that even upper elementary school students are capable of performing HPT. However, as students age, their ability to perform HPT increases. Differences regarding the ability to perform HPT were also found between educational levels. Pre-university students performed HPT more successfully compared to students at lower educational levels. The results of this study can be used to gain insight into the construct of HPT and into how historical reasoning competencies such as HPT can be measured. Furthermore, the results provide insight into how differences between students, such as age and educational levels, influence the performance of HPT.     

Disentangling the effects of flipped classroom instruction in EFL secondary education: When is it effective and for whom?

Flipped classroom refers to an instructional approach in which students study educational videos at home and do homework assignments in class. The present study aims to compare flipped classroom with other forms of video-based instruction and determine which types of students benefit most from video-based instruction. Thirty-eight EFL school classes with 848 ninth-grade students took part in a quasi-experimental pre-post-test intervention study over four weeks. Two independent variables were completely crossed resulting in four experimental conditions: video (at home vs. in class) and instructional method (student-centred vs. teacher-centred). Multilevel analysis reveals that all four experimental conditions were equally effective in promoting students’ learning gains. At-risk, average and excellent students profited least from the learning conditions. The study constitutes a first step towards a comprehensive evaluation of flipped classroom by using a better-controlled research design and may contribute to a more objective discussion about the positive effects of flipped classroom.     

学生认知方式与物理教学模式适配性实验研究

本研究选取某省示范高中92名学生为被试,采用问题讨论、自学指导、边讲边议、实践探究常见的四种课堂教学模式,对不同认知方式学生进行物理课堂教学,其结果表明：教学内容难度高且结构松散,实验探究、问题解决模式更适用于场独立性认知方式的学生。教学内容难度小且内容翔实,自学指导模式更适用于场依存性学生。     

The effect of the biology critical thinking project on the development of critical thinking

This article describes the Biology Critical Thinking (BCT) project in which carefully designed activities for developing specific critical thinking skills are incorporated into the biology curriculum. The objectives were to find out whether the BCT project contributes to the development of critical thinking skills in various biological and nonbiological topics and how it affects students' biological knowledge and classroom learning environment. The study consisted of 678 seventh graders who were assigned randomly into two groups that studied the same seventh-grade biology textbook. Only one group, the experimental, completed the BCT activities. The results indicate that the students in the experimental group improved their critical thinking skills compared to their own initial level and compared to their counterparts in the control group. Improved critical thinking skills were observed in a new biological context and nonbiological everyday topics, suggesting generalization of thinking skills across domains. The experimental students scored significantly higher than the control on a knowledge test, suggesting that “knowledge of facts” as one educational goal and “learning to think” as another, need not conflict, but rather can interact with each other. Finally, the results show that BCT involvement decreased the frequency of teacher-centered teaching and enhanced student-centered, more active learning.     

Students' conceptions of learning in different educational contexts

The aim of this study is to investigate students' conceptions of learning in different educational contexts, and analyze to what extent conceptions are contextually dependent. Student nurses and car mechanic students are chosen as two groups, and qualitative similarities and differences between the students are described and explained in terms of the educational contexts: nursing education and car mechanic education.The study is 'qualitative by its nature, and the phenomenographic approach and grounded theory are taken as the points of departure. Data for the cross-section study were collected through individual interviews with student nurses (n = 60) and car mechanic students (n = 54). Different groups of students were interviewed at the beginning and at the end of the educational programs.As a result of the analysis, qualitative similarities and differences in students' conceptions were found. Differences among students within a program were, however, fewer than differences among students participating in different programs. In comparing groups of students within the programs, similar trends of development could be identified. Students within both programs used more developed conceptions at the end than at the beginning of the programs. The differences found within and between the student groups could be explained in terms of educational contexts. The results thus showed that conceptions were to some extent contextually dependent.     

The Effect of Computer-Assisted Learning Integrated with Metacognitive Prompts on Students’ Affective Skills

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of computer-assisted learning integrated with metacognitive prompts on elementary students’ affective skills on the subject of electricity. The researchers developed educational software to enable students to easily and comprehensively learn the concepts in the subject of electricity. A case study method was used. Eighteen students from the seventh grade (12–13 years) participated in the study. Students’ views on their performances while using educational software and the impact of the software on their affective skills towards the subject of electricity were examined. Data were collected by open-ended questions in the educational software. According to the research results, there were students who had negative attitudes and perceptions before starting to learn about the subject of electricity. Interactive activities, animations, and visual experiments in the educational software were effective in overcoming the students’ negative attitudes and perceptions about the subject. Besides, students who assessed their own performances during the learning process believed themselves to be more successful over time. In the light of the research results, some suggestions are made for future studies.     

A "consumer" survey of educational provision for deaf and hard of hearing students

The researchers report the results of a survey of 140 deaf and hard of hearing students attending integrated or self-contained high school classrooms in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The survey was designed to gather information about educational experiences and preferences for various types of educational placements. There were no gender differences in placement, but there were hearing status differences (81.6% of the students in segregated placements had severe or profound hearing losses, compared to 52.4% of the students in integrated settings). Even though students were aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the different placement options, 80% indicated that they were generally satisfied with their current placement. One implication is that a range of options seems to be more appropriate than a one-size-fits-all model, at least from students' perspectives. The views and preferences of students should be considered when educational provisions are designed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.     

Differing gender preferences for educational media among Thai students studying English at university

There have been many reports indicating that there are differences between male and female students in various issues in education. This research examined the preferences for various forms of educational media by freshmen students studying English in Thailand. Approximately 3000 students at seven university campuses in central Thailand were surveyed on their preferences for the media used in and out of English classes. The results indicate many similarities between the male and female choices. Overall, students believed that traditional media were effective for in-class learning, but the media used in alternative classroom activities are more enjoyable. The students thought that entertaining media and the internet are popular ways to learn English and can be better utilized in classes. There was a stronger interest in the internet among male students. Overall, this study shows that there is a great interest from all students to have more technologically focused media available to help them learn.     

Students with autism in regular classes: a long-term follow-up study of a satellite class transition model

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are increasingly being educated within mainstream schools. While there is often an assumption that students with ASD who are academically capable will succeed in an inclusive educational placement, previous research has indicated that this is not always the case. Indeed, it seems that students with ASDs are often not equipped to cope with the social and communication demands of a mainstream classroom. Autism Spectrum Australia's (Aspect) satellite class programme aims to address this gap by blending specialised intervention with strategies to prepare students and receiving schools for transition to more inclusive educational placements. A long-term follow-up study comprising a parent survey of satellite class graduates and four detailed case studies was undertaken to determine whether these classes led to successful placement of students with ASD in more inclusive educational settings. Results indicated that a majority of graduates remained placed in more inclusive educational settings. Overall, parents were satisfied with the programme. Attendance at a satellite class was just one of a number of factors associated with positive outcomes in late adolescence. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for teachers and school staff planning for and supporting students with ASDs in their transition to inclusive educational settings.     

基于增强现实的翻转学习设计方法对学生学习的影响

近年来,翻转学习越来越受到重视;它让学生在课前通过教学视频获取基础知识,从而有更多的时间在课堂上练习、应用知识或师生互动。许多学者指出,通过这种学习方式,教师可以引导学生进行更高层次的思考,以及与同伴和教师的互动,设计出更有效的课堂活动。同时,研究人员也指出,采用适当的教育技术或学习策略可以进一步提高学生的学习成绩。因此,此次研究提出了一种基于增强现实(AR)的翻转学习指导模式。为了验证所提方法的有效性,我们在一所小学的自然科学学习活动中,使用所开发的系统进行了实验。研究对象是四个班111名五年级学生,实验组2个班,对照组2个班。实验组采用基于AR的翻转学习模式,对照组采用传统的翻转学习模式,实验结果表明,基于AR的翻转学习指导方法不仅有利于学生项目成绩的提升,而且提高了学生的学习动机、批判性思维倾向和群体自我效能感。     

Selektionsprozesse beim Übergang in die Sekundarstufe I und II

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of family environment, school grade, performance and social behavior of students on educational trajectory. The research project Family-School-Job (FASE B) utilized a representative longitudinal sample of 454 students and their primary reference persons in the canton of Bern (Switzerland). Using step-wise logistic regression analyses, the study investigated the predictive value of family-based and individual determinants at the end of primary school for the transition to lower secondary schooling and for the development at upper secondary education (academic education or vocational training). The transition to lower secondary education was more strongly influenced by grades than by results of standardized performance tests. Parental expectation, parents’ socio-economic background and by classroom misbehavior were also important predictors.Parental expectations predicted educational pathways into secondary education whereas grades in German andgender were partially significant only. Parental expectations permit precise predictions of educational pathways, even when controlling for students’ grades and performance.