Learner profiles in secondary education: Occurrence and relationship with performance and student characteristics

The authors explore the occurrence of different learner profiles in secondary education, as well as their relationship with test performance and student characteristics. Based on a cluster analysis of 1,931 secondary school students’ self-reported text-learning strategy use and study traces, the authors identified and validated four distinct learner profiles: integrated strategy users, information organizers, mental learners, and limited strategy users. Integrated strategy users engaged in different text-learning strategies and obtained the highest scores on the performance test. Limited strategy users generally used only a limited number of text-learning strategies and scored the lowest. In addition, a significant difference was established in gender and reading ability distribution across learner profiles, but home language distribution was not found to be significant.     

Learner profile stability and change over time: the impact of the explicit strategy instruction program “learning light”

Abstract

This study examined the stability and change in secondary school students’ learner profiles after receiving an explicit strategy instruction (ESI) to foster their text-learning strategy use. A randomized quasi-experimental repeated measures design was set up with one experimental condition – receiving an eight-lesson-teacher delivered instructional treatment – and one control condition. Four learner profiles (i.e., integrated strategy users, information organizers, mental learners, and limited strategy users) were corroborated at three measurement occasions in a sample of 444 students. Cluster movement analysis identified positive changes in students’ learner profiles over time. Both short- and long-term results were promising.     

Gender-inclusive game-based learning in secondary education

Boys show a stronger preference for digital entertainment games than girls. For this reason, it may be that game-based learning is more acceptable to boys than to girls. Yet game-based learning might improve the performance of both boys and girls, depending upon the instructional design. In a quasi-experimental study with a secret-trail game, effects were examined on students' subject-matter knowledge. Analysis of covariance revealed that both boys and girls of the game intervention group showed a higher test performance, compared to students of the control group. However, different game activities mediated this effect of the secret-trail game on performance: girls seemed to profit more from searching the Internet to complete assignments and boys from competing with others. The performance of both boys and girls was negatively influenced by technical problems. The results are discussed within the framework of gender-inclusive game design.     

Measuring language learning environments in secondary science classrooms

The purpose of this study was to explore a new learning environment instrument which could be used by teaching practitioners and other educators to measure the language learning environment in the secondary science classroom. The science teacher is central in creating science classrooms conductive to the language needs of students and should be promoting the learning of language in the science curriculum and in the teaching strategies with English as second language learners. The data in this study were collected using a structured self-administered survey with a sample of 240 secondary school students from eight science classrooms. Factor analysis identified five dimensions, namely, Teacher Support, Vocabulary Development, Assessment, Motivation and Language for Learning Science. These five dimensions explained 56.9% of the variance in the language learning environment instrument. The internal reliability of the dimensions using Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.603 to 0.830. The study revealed significant differences in the dimensions of the language learning environment between what the students perceived to actually be occurring to what they would prefer. Implications from this preliminary research include the ability for measuring the language learning environment in the secondary science class and the potential for practitioners to use the information to develop teaching strategies conducive to learning for all students.     

Environmental education in primary schools: a case study with plastic resources and recycling

This paper aims to examine teachers’ use of strategies and approaches in integrating Plastic Resources Education (PRE) into primary school life in order to overcome the challenges encountered during implementation to promote environmentally friendly practices. Case studies with eight Hong Kong teachers from PRE-participating primary schools were invited to take part in focus group interviews, to explicate their personal stories and experiences associated with the PRE implementation in primary schools. Based on the data collected from the teachers’ sharing, several challenges which are commonly reported in the previous literature, including lack of time, shortage of manpower, and insufficient pupil engagement were found. The teachers tackled the barriers by using different strategies to improve pupils’ involvement as well as getting support from the relevant stakeholders of school management and parents. The case studies provide crucial and relevant information which can be used as a reference for other schools to integrate PRE more efficiently to facilitate learning.     

Discovery learning of object-oriented modelling with exploration modules in secondary Informatics education

Discovery learning is very desirable not only in secondary education, because it prepares learners for life-long learning. Within secondary Informatics education in Germany, pupils often acquire many concepts by learning to program. To be able to model, to design and to evaluate own solutions, learners must acquire many details of a programming language and apply complex software development environments. So a lot of time gets lost for important topics, like the working principles of Informatics systems. The research presented here focuses on learning by exploration instead. The basic idea is that before developing own (typically small) solutions, learners explore medium size solutions by means of special learner-adequate Informatics systems, named exploration modules (EMs) here. In this paper, the author presents important aspects of the development methodology of such software, its application to the educational field of object-oriented modelling and shows how EM prototypes have successfully been included in different learning scenarios of secondary Informatics education, Informatics teacher education, and in-service Informatics teacher training within the academic years 2001 to 2004.     

Factors related to study success in engineering education

Recent studies on student learning in higher education have paid attention to the relationships between characteristics of the learning environment and students' study orientations and study success. The purpose of the present paper is to examine these relationships in university level engineering education. The data were collected from Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland, by means of an Internet survey (n=394). Grade point average, credits per semester and students' qualitative evaluation of their learning outcomes were used as indicators of study success. The findings of the study indicate that students' perceptions of their learning environment were related to their study orientations which, in turn, were related to study success. Having a deep study strategy was the most important predictor of study success. Having a surface strategy, doubt about one's abilities and lack of regulation were factors negatively related to study success. Meaning-oriented and self-regulated students using a deep strategy showed the best success in their studies and externally regulated students using a surface strategy the worst. The findings of the study suggest that the learning environments in Lappeenranta University of Technology encourage deep learning.     

A comparative study of learning patterns of secondary school,high school and college students

The main aim of the current research was to identify the similarities and differences in learning patterns used by secondary school, high school and college students. There were 8,072 participants and they responded to the Chinese version of Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) online. Findings show that the three groups of students were significantly different in their adoption of learning patterns; the dimensionalities of learning patterns observed in secondary school and high school students were similar, but were different from those of college students; these students’ learning patterns differed from each other in relation to personal characteristics (i.e. gender and age), but tended to have similar strong relationships with parents’ education level and parents’ jobs. This study contributes to the understanding of the learning patterns characterized by school and college students. By acknowledging this, educators can help to develop better support for students in adapting to new study environments.     

Systematically reviewing the potential of concept mapping technologies to promote self-regulated learning in primary and secondary science education

We systematically searched five databases to assess the potential of concept mapping-based technologies to promote self-regulated learning in science education. Our search uncovered 17 relevant studies that investigated seven different types of learning technologies. We performed a narrative analysis assessing how each technology affects self-regulated learning through cognitive, metacognitive, and motivation strategies, according to Schraw et al. (2006)'s model. We suggest concept mapping technologies may affect self-regulated learning through enhancing these strategies to varying degrees. Computer software was particularly useful for developing cognitive strategies through ease of use. Teaching agents were particularly useful for developing metacognitive strategies by coupling visualisation of knowledge patterns with performance monitoring, aided by a teaching metaphor. Finally, mobile devices and teaching agents were most effective in enhancing motivation. Effects on knowledge gains remain unclear due to small sample sizes.     

Chemistry Teaching for the Future: A model for secondary chemistry education for sustainable development

For more than 40 years, the international community has acknowledged the role education might play in environmental awareness and conservation. The last major initiative came when the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). In the final year of the decade, teachers still struggle to realise education for sustainable development (ESD). One of the challenges teachers face with respect to ESD is the inclusion of even more content into an already overloaded curriculum. In response, it has been suggested that ESD should be introduced as an integrated perspective across the content of all existing subjects. This paper offers a model for how ESD can be realised in chemistry education. The model has been developed to support chemistry teachers in their educational planning and consists of 5 categories: chemical content knowledge, chemistry in context, the distinctiveness and methodological character of chemistry, ESD competences and lived ESD. The ESD model is illustrated through 5 ellipses, visualising the hierarchy of the categories, as they exist in different levels. All 5 ESD categories need to be considered in a holistic ESD approach.     

Exploring learning and fit in the transition from higher education to the labour market: A systematic review

The transition from higher education to the labour market is an important period for youngsters, characterised by extensive changes which act as triggers for learning. Furthermore, students’ educational background and the (in)congruence with their work context is important. Accordingly, the aim of this systematic review is to explore the role of learning and fit in the transition process. Results indicate that most emphasis is put on theoretical knowledge, communication, problem-solving, and learning skills. Although the perception on what has to be learned differs for employers, educators, and graduates, each group valued generic competences most. Results show that transfer can be experienced in three ways and the need for learning at work is stressed. Concerning fit, four types of fit are distinguished: vertical, horizontal, competence, and person-environment fit. Several personal background characteristics are shown to influence fit and findings indicate that fit has an influence on career progress and personal resources.     

Lesson study: A collaborative approach to scholarship for teaching and learning in higher education

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning has become an important field of inquiry, focusing on the development of new and critical pedagogic approaches in higher education. It is a broad field leading to the emergence of a number of contrasting perspectives concerning the development of insights into teaching and learning. In this article, we explore the potential for Lesson Study to act as a framework for reflecting on and developing pedagogic practice in the university sector. Originating in Japan over a century ago, Lesson Study is a collaborative tool for analysing and developing understanding of student learning. This makes it an ideal tool for capturing and interrogating new and critical insights into teaching and learning. An outline framework is suggested for developing the use of Lesson Study in higher education and we discuss how it can form a positive methodology for extending the work of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.     

Primary and secondary students’ motivation in learning English: Grade and gender differences

Student motivation may have significant influences on essential academic outcomes. However, students’ motivation may decline as they grow older. This study examined six motivation constructs (self-efficacy, interest, mastery goal orientation, engagement, avoidance coping, and effort withdrawal) of students from 78 schools in Singapore (N = 4214) in learning English. Using a large and diverse sample of primary 5 (5th grade) and secondary 3 (9th grade) students, grade and gender differences in these constructs were examined. Applying a MIMIC approach to structural equation modeling, the paths from grade and gender as well as the grade × gender interaction variable were found to be significant. That is, (a) the scores for self-efficacy, interest, mastery goal orientation, and engagement tended to be lower whereas avoidance coping and effort withdrawal tended to be higher for the secondary students, (b) boys tended to have lower scores; and (c) the gap in motivation between primary and secondary tended to be greater for girls. Since motivation may have important influences on subsequent learning outcomes, we need to seriously consider the implications of these grade- and gender-related patterns and pay attention particularly to boys in primary schools and girls in secondary schools.     

The effects of portfolio-based advice on the development of self-directed learning skills in secondary vocational education

This experimental study was designed to investigate whether supervision meetings, in which students receive specific advice on how to use a development portfolio to monitor their progress and plan their future learning, helps them to develop self-directed learning skills and improve their learning in the domain. In the first year of a hairdressing program in vocational education, supervision meetings were used to provide students with either specific advice or not. Students in the advice group (n = 21) formulated better learning needs, selected more suitable learning tasks, completed more practical assignments, and acquired more certificates than students in the feedback-only group (n = 22). Interviews also showed that students in the advice group appreciated the supervision meeting more and perceived them as more effective than students in the feedback-only group. Guidelines are provided for the use of development portfolios and the organization of supervision meetings in on-demand vocational education.

Measuring teacher regulating activities concerning student learning in secondary education classrooms: Reliability and validity of student perceptions

.This article describes the use and validation of the Pedagogical Practices Inventory, which uses student perceptions arranged into five subscales to measure teacher activities concerning the regulation of student learning in secondary education. To determine the reliability and validity of the instrument, an inventory study (N = 2128) and a study in which observational data (N = 11) and inventory data (N = 201) were combined, were carried out. Analysis of the inventory data showed internal subscale reliabilities between .83 and .90, indicating consistency of the PPI subscale scores. Correlations between inventory and observational data showed significant relations for three of the five subscales, indicating that the PPI is suitable to tap teacher regulating activities in classroom contexts.     

Measuring learning quality in Ethiopia,India and Vietnam: from primary to secondary school effectiveness

Abstract

This paper examines the way in which learning quality has been conceptualised and measured in school effectiveness surveys conducted by Young Lives, a longitudinal study of child poverty. Primary school surveys were conducted in Vietnam in 2010–11 and Ethiopia in 2012–13, and surveys at upper-primary and secondary level were conducted in Ethiopia, India and Vietnam in 2016–17. The paper discusses the design of cognitive tests to assess Maths and reading at primary level, and then focuses on the development of cognitive tests to assess Maths, functional English and transferable skills at upper-primary and secondary level. In particular, the paper explores how learning quality can be conceptualised and measured in relation to ‘twenty-first century skills’, which are increasingly seen as an important outcome of secondary education. The challenges of designing cognitive tests to measure and compare learning quality across three diverse country contexts are also explored.     

A Perspective on Strategy Research: Progress and Prospects

Our goal in this article is to present a broad perspective on the state of strategy research and to consider, in brief, the prospects for strategy research in the future. We first draw on the literature in an effort to delineate the attributes of strategies and to consider several dimensions of strategies that dot the research landscape. Next, we distinguish strategic performance from skillful behavior. With this definitional framework in place, we survey changes that might be evidenced in learners' strategic processing over time, as a consequence of knowledge and motivation, as well as other personal factors. Additionally, we explore aspects of the task and the context that serve as change agents in strategy development, including domain, time, and instructional support. We conclude with a brief reflection on issues that deserve attention in research and practice in the next decade, to assist strategies instruction in reaching its potential as a part of integrated, validated instructional practices.     

Universal secondary education in Uganda: The head teachers’ dilemma

Uganda has received considerable international attention for being the first and, to date, only African country to adopt a policy of free universal secondary education (USE). However, the policy was adopted with little attention to system capacity or involvement of secondary head teachers, even though there is considerable research documenting the importance of school leaders in promoting or blocking education reform efforts. This study investigated the extent to which Uganda secondary school leaders support USE policy, the extent they think USE is being implemented successfully, and the extent they believe they have the knowledge and skills needed in USE implementation. To understand the role of head teachers in the move to USE in Uganda, it is necessary to understand the political context in which it was adopted and the conditions under which it was implemented.     

Effects of virtual reality on learning outcomes in K-6 education: A meta-analysis

Virtual reality (VR) has gained popularity in educational environments in recent years. Its presence and immersive characteristics enable new learning possibilities. Due to this growth, many studies have been conducted to assess the impact of VR on learning outcomes. The proliferation of experimental studies has created the need for meta-analyses that summarize the effect of VR in terms of learning gain. However, in the current literature there are few reviews focused on K-6 students and on analyzing the influence of some variables: the level of immersion, the length of the intervention, and the knowledge domain. The present meta-analysis aims to respond to these needs. After a pre-selection of 4658 references published between 2010 and 2021, 21 experimental studies were finally included in the meta-analysis. The results indicate that, on average, VR promotes greater student learning in comparison to control conditions (ES = 0.64). Moreover, this effect is even greater when immersive VR (ES = 1.11) is used compared to semi-immersive (ES = 0.19) and non-immersive systems (ES = 0.32). This effect does not depend on the educational level (kindergarten (ES = 0.59), 1–3 (ES = 0.69), 4–6 (ES = 0.70)), and most of the knowledge domains in which VR is used. Moreover, short interventions –less than 2 h– (ES = 0.72) are more effective than those lasting longer (ES = 0.49).