Enhancement of thinking skills: Effects of two intervention methods

Three studies were carried out with Compulsory Secondary Education students to verify the effectiveness of two intervention methods—the infusion method (IM) and the instrumental enrichment program (IEP)—to enhance thinking skills, creativity, behavioral self-regulation, and academic achievement. Study 1 (N = 118) was conducted in order to create the IM, an instruction method designed to teach these skills along with the syllabus content, and to compare its effects with the conventional method (CM). In Study 2 (N = 176), the effects of the IM, the IEP, and the CM were compared in the same variables. In Study 3 (N = 168, using the same subjects as in Study 2), the effects of the IM and the IEP were analyzed to determine whether they were maintained or they increased with time. The results showed that greater changes were obtained with the IM than with the IEP in all the criterial variables and that the effects attained in Study 2, in addition to being significant, persisted at least 1 year after completing the intervention. Relevant scientific and educational implications are drawn from the studies.     

谈高职学校《数据结构》教学中思维能力和学习兴趣的培养

作者结合高职学生的特点,依据《数据结构》课程的教学目标,从教学实践出发,对《数据结构》课程教学中学生思维能力和学习兴趣的培养提出了一些具体措施和方法,以期加强“数据结构”课程建设。     

Two thinking skills assessment approaches: “Assessment of Pupils’ Thinking Skills” and “Individual Thinking Skills Assessments”

This paper is linked to a previous paper outlining an evaluation of a thinking skills intervention (Burke & Williams, 2008). Following extensive requests for the assessment tools used in the intervention, this short paper presents the development and potential uses of two thinking skills assessment tools. The aim of the paper is simply to make these measures available for other researchers to use, adapt and extend them in future research. The Assessment of Pupils Thinking Skills (APTS) measure is a 14-item measure of a range of thinking skills and metacognition. The assessment can be used to provide a comparative measure across thinking skills or to provide a sum score of thinking skills and raise metacognitive awareness of thinking skills. It can be used to assess thinking skills interventions and to monitor change in thinking skills over time among 9 to 12-year-olds. The Individual Thinking Skills Assessments (ITSA) are six more in-depth measures of specific thinking skills that can be used before, during or after interventions to provide more detailed information on children's individual thinking skills. The APTS and the ITSA can be used separately or in conjunction to assess thinking skills and change in thinking skills among older children.     

Developmental trajectories of children's spatial skills: Influencing variables and associations with later mathematical thinking

Few studies have examined the long-term relations between children's early spatial skills and their later mathematical abilities. In the current study, we investigated children's developmental trajectories of spatial skills across four waves from age 3–7 years and their association with children's later mathematical understanding. We assessed children's development in a large, heterogeneous sample of children (N = 586) from diverse cultural backgrounds and mostly low-income homes. Spatial and mathematical skills were measured using standardized assessments. Children's starting points and rate of growth in spatial skills were investigated using latent growth curve models. We explored the influence of various covariates on spatial skill development and found that socioeconomic status, language skills, and sex, but not migration background predicted children's spatial development. Furthermore, our findings showed that children's initial spatial skills––but not their rate of growth––predicted later mathematical understanding, indicating that early spatial reasoning may play a crucial role for learning mathematics.     

Student teachers’ skills in the implementation of collaborative learning: A multilevel approach

This study explores the development of student teachers’ skills in implementing collaborative learning (CL) using a multilevel repeated measures design. Participants were 105 pre-service teachers that were trained in CL implementation. The results indicate that student teachers generally perform well in implementing CL. Further, it appears that these skills increase over time, although no linear growth can be found. Student teachers’ skills development appears to be positively connected with their general feeling of teaching efficacy. Surprisingly, training and students’ pedagogical knowledge have no significant impact.     

Developing teacher assessment skills: The impact of the dynamic approach to teacher professional development

This study investigates the extent to which the Dynamic Approach (DA) to Teacher Professional Development (TPD) can help teachers develop their assessment skills and through that contribute to the improvement of student learning outcomes. To achieve this aim, a multi-treatment group randomisation study was conducted to compare the impact of the DA with the impact of the Competency-Based Approach (CBA) on developing assessment skills and promoting student learning outcomes. Assessment skills of 178 teachers and achievement of their students (n = 2358) were measured before and after the intervention. The DA had greater impact on teacher assessment skills and student learning outcomes than the CBA. Differential effects were also identified since differences in the impact of each approach were only identified for teachers who were situated at higher stages of assessment skills. Implications of findings for research, policy and practice are drawn.     

Case study: use of problem-based learning to develop students' technical and professional skills

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogy that has attracted attention for many biomedical engineering curricula. The aim of the current study was to address the research question, ‘Does PBL enable students to develop desirable professional engineering skills?’ The desirable skills identified were communication, teamwork, problem solving and self-directed learning. Forty-seven students enrolled in a biomedical materials course participated in the case study. Students worked in teams to complete a series of problems throughout the semester. The results showed that students made significant improvements in their problem-solving skills, written communication and self-directed learning. Students also demonstrated an ability to work in teams and communicate orally. In conclusion, this case study provides empirical evidence of the efficacy of PBL on student learning. We discuss findings from our study and provide observations of student performance and perceptions that could be useful for faculty and researchers interested in PBL for biomedical engineering education.     

Young girls’ arithmetic and spatial skills: The distal and proximal roles of family socioeconomics and home learning experiences

The present study addressed girls’ (N = 127) early numerical and spatial reasoning skills, within the context of a critical environment in which these cognitive skills develop, namely their homes. Specifically, proximal links between distal family socioeconomic conditions and first-grade girls’ arithmetic and spatial skills were examined (mean age = 6.72 years; SD = .34). The proximal roles of two factors were considered: the general learning characteristics of girls’ homes, and the kinds of math and spatial learning activities in which girls participated. General quality of the home learning environment and specific math activities mediated the relation between family socioeconomics and girls’ arithmetic skills. In contrast, socioeconomics and home learning experiences were related to girls’ spatial skills indirectly only through their verbal skills; spatial activities were not proximal predictors of spatial skills. For both arithmetic and spatial skills, mothers’ spatial skills were a strong predictor. Future research and intervention implications of these findings are discussed.     

An examination of differences in linguistic and meta-linguistic skills in English (FL) and Hebrew (L1): English intervention program for dyslexic,poor and normal readers

Abstract

This research examined differences between dyslexic, poor and normal readers who learn in the same educational framework, across various linguistic and meta-linguistic skills in Hebrew as the first language (L1) and English as a foreign language (FL), following an intervention program focusing on English linguistic skills. The participants included 124 sixth graders divided into an experimental and a control group, where each group was divided into dyslexic, poor and normal readers. The experimental group participated in an intervention program in English, constructed to the requirements of this research, in addition to the regular sixth-grade English curriculum. All participants were administered a battery of tests in English and Hebrew: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, orthography, decoding, word recognition, reading fluency, dictation, spelling and reading comprehension before and after the intervention program. More significant differences in most linguistic and meta-linguistic skills improvement in English and in Hebrew were found in the experimental group compared to the control group, with the most significant improvement exhibited by the dyslexic readers. The findings indicate the contribution of the intervention program in English for improving linguistic and meta-linguistic skills in both languages among all readers, and especially among dyslexic readers. Enlargement of the curriculum in English appears to expand their potential, and their improvement is better than that of the poor and normal readers.     

An approach to developing independent learning and non-technical skills amongst final year mining engineering students

There is mounting evidence to show that engineers need more than technical skills to succeed in industry. This paper describes a curriculum innovation in which so-called ‘soft’ skills, specifically inter-personal and intra-personal skills, were integrated into a final year mining engineering course. The instructional approach was designed to promote independent learning and to develop non-technical skills, essential for students on the threshold of becoming practising engineers. Three psychometric tests were administered at the beginning of the course to make students aware of their own and their classmates’ characteristics. Substantial prescribed reading assignments preceded weekly group discussions. Several projects during the course required team work skills and application of content knowledge to real-world contexts. Results obtained from students’ reflection papers, assignments related to ‘soft’ skills and end of course evaluations suggest that students’ appreciation of the need for these skills, as well as their own perceived competence, increased during the course. Their ability to function as independent learners also increased.     

Young children's near and far transfer of the basic theory of natural selection: An analogical storybook intervention

Misconceptions about adaptation by natural selection are widespread among adults and likely stem, in part, from cognitive biases and intuitive theories observable in early childhood. Current educational guidelines that recommend delaying comprehensive instruction on the topic of adaptation until adolescence, therefore, raise concerns because children's scientifically inaccurate theories about species may be left unchallenged for many years, allowing them to entrench and become difficult to overcome. In consequence, this investigation sought to explore whether classrooms of kindergartners and second graders could acquire a basic but comprehensive understanding of adaptation from an intervention constructed around two picture storybooks that mechanistically explain natural selection. Learning was assessed in near and far transfer contexts both immediately and a month later. Kindergartners and second graders demonstrated substantial learning of biological information; however, second graders showed pronounced abilities to near and far generalize, immediately and over time. Results suggest that causally cohesive interventions with an emphasis on mechanistic explanation facilitate children's classroom learning of complex counterintuitive scientific ideas.     

Young children's knowledge and skills related to sexual abuse prevention: A pilot study in Beijing,China

To examine the level of knowledge and skills related to prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a sample of Chinese preschoolers in Beijing and to explore the associations between children's scores on the knowledge and skills and their parents’ reports on the knowledge and communication with children about CSA prevention. One hundred and thirty-six preschoolers were interviewed by researchers using the Chinese versions of Personal Safety Questionnaire and the “What If” Situation Test, and one parent of each child was invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding parental knowledge and parent–child communication about CSA prevention. Less than half children knew that strangers were not the only perpetrators and only 16% thought that children should report secret touching. In 3 inappropriate touching requests, less than 30% of the children were aware of using verbal response to definitely refuse the inappropriate touching and less than 20% of the children were aware of definitely removing themselves from the abusive situations. Parent–child communication about CSA and parental educational level were the significant factors for children's self-protection skills. Preschool children lack CSA prevention knowledge and related self-protection skills. Culturally relevant primary CSA prevention programs in China need to be developed and parental education should be a part of CSA prevention. Parents need to be informed about CSA knowledge concepts and need to be encouraged to communicate with their children about sexual abuse prevention.     

Transition to the School Playground: An intervention programme for nursery children

From an ecological perspective, this paper presents selective findings based on practitioner action research which is deliberately written in the first person. The focus is the transition from nursery playground to the school playground of 13 nursery children, all 4-years-old. The paper outlines the first 4-week cycle of action of a 13-week intervention programme. The programme aimed at promoting social and emotional development so that the children became more adaptive to challenges in the new context of the school playground. The findings reveal that process and connectivity of the programme promoted a sense of belonging in which the children reciprocally nurtured each other, acknowledged and recognised feelings and formed friendships so that when they started school they became more resilient within the school playground. The findings also highlight areas of vulnerability which need to be addressed concerning school routines and very young children.     

How to integrate cooperative skills training into learning tasks: an illustration with young pupils' writing

This study explored how to integrate cooperative skills training into learning tasks in the area of writing. Cooperative learning sessions, aimed at developing both cooperative and cognitive skills, were created and conducted in two elementary school classes (Grade 2, age 7–8). Pupils’ teamwork interactions were videotaped and analysed. Results show that young pupils were able to work cooperatively on writing tasks (WT) without teacher's help, advocating realisable teaching practices. Interactive dynamics likely to enhance pupils’ involvement in constructive interactions and in WT are documented; this typology could be used as a heuristic tool in future qualitative research.     

Establishing enabling conditions to develop critical thinking skills: a case of innovative curriculum design in Environmental Science

This paper considers a curriculum design motivated by a desire to explore more valid pedagogical approaches that foster critical thinking skills among students engaged in an Environmental Science course in South Africa, focussing specifically on the topic of Citizen Science. Fifty-three under graduate students were involved in the course, which was run over a two week period. Data were generated from several sources, including individual student evaluations, a focus group discussion, lecturer reflections and summative assessment results. During the course, the development of critical thinking skills was scaffolded by different thinking approaches to the possibilities and problematics of student-selected case studies, followed by a collaborative re-examining of ‘what is known’ about Citizen Science. Spiralling engagement with various resources harnessed the diversity of the class, as they drew on their personal and disciplinary backgrounds. The insights highlight possibilities for alternative higher education teaching models for emerging subjects such as Environmental Science, where the competencies required of graduates, such as critical thinking and coping with uncertainty, differ significantly from traditional ‘science’ competencies, and therefore require a departure from traditional teaching methods.     

Becoming digitally literate: Reinstating an educational lens to digital skills policies for adults

The development of digital skills for all is a key focus of many educational policies across the globe. Despite the significant attention paid to the nature and suitability of such policies targeted at young people, there has been far less focus on digital skills policies targeted at adults. This article contributes to this literature. It outlines current digital skills policy in England. Having established this background, it analyses 30 interviews with digitally competent adults from lower socio-economic backgrounds about their experiences of learning to use the Internet. In doing so, the article highlights that a narrow and instrumental digital skills agenda is emerging in the education of adults, driven by the needs of the commercial sector, that is in stark contrast to the experiences, motivations and hopes of adults who learn about, and use, digital technologies. Reframing digital skills as part of a broader adult education agenda may offer a way to facilitate the development of digital literacies that individuals seek.     

Realism,reflection and responsibility: the challenge of writing effective scenarios to support the development of ethical thinking skills

Universities are paying increased attention to how they might support the ethical development of their students as one of a range of graduate attributes that will enable them to negotiate increasingly complex professional, civic and personal futures. Scenario-based learning is a long-standing strategy used in ethical teaching, and this paper describes and evaluates a version of this approach as applied to a second year undergraduate tutorials module. A quantitative assessment of the development of students’ ethical sensitivity over the course of two deliveries of the module shows an uneven impact but also some encouraging trends. A detailed qualitative analysis of how students responded to each scenario identifies five factors that appear to precipitate more in-depth reflection on ethical problems, and these are presented as useful points of guidance for teachers writing ethical scenarios for the first time or for those aiming to hone their existing practice. These factors include the challenge of devising circumstances which appear realistic and plausible to contemporary undergraduate students, constructing scenarios which encourage readers to reflect on and test their personal values, and portraying events which push students to intervene proactively and so take individual responsibility for their decisions and actions.     

An intervention to improve sibling relationship quality among youth in foster care: Results of a randomized clinical trial

Sibling programming is an important part of a prevention framework, particularly for youth in foster care. After children are removed from their families and placed into foster care in the aftermath of maltreatment, the sibling relationship is often the most viable ongoing relationship available to the child, and may be critical to a youth’s sense of connection, emotional support, and continuity. The promise of dyadic sibling programming in particular rests on the ability of interventions to enhance the quality of sibling relationships; yet little research exists that suggests that sibling interventions can improve relationship quality among foster youth. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the effects of a specific dyadic sibling-focused intervention for older and younger siblings on sibling relationship quality. One hundred sixty four dyads (328 youth) participated in the study, with each dyad consisting of an older sibling between 11 and 15 years of age at baseline and a younger sibling separated in age by less than 4 years. Hierarchical linear models were applied to self-reported, observer-reported and observational data over the 18-month study period. Findings suggest that the sibling intervention holds promise for improving sibling relationship quality among youth in foster care. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.     

Using case studies in business education to promote networked thinking: findings of an intervention study

Case studies are central to the way management is currently taught at universities. Among other benefits attributed to the case study method is that it promotes networked thinking by learners. Networked thinking takes account of interactions and repercussions, making it crucial to decision-making within the complex system of rules that shapes current business reality. However, there is virtually no empirical evidence of the extent to which the case study method actually delivers the advantages attributed to it. This paper aims to remedy that gap in the literature. The paper considers the extent to which the case study method promotes networked thinking on the part of students on business and management courses. The research is designed as an intervention study involving pre- and post-testing. The study finds that students who have worked on a case study correctly identify more interactions in post-testing than in pre-testing.     

Better Movers and Thinkers: An evaluation of how a novel approach to teaching physical education can impact children's physical activity,coordination and cognition

This study aimed to identify what impact a novel approach to teaching physical education (PE) had on children's physical activity (PA), coordination and cognition compared to current provision. One hundred and fifty children were recruited from six primary schools in Scotland. Outcome measures were the Cognitive Assessment System, the Physical Activity Habits Questionnaire for Children and fundamental locomotor skills (crawling, creeping, marching and skipping). Pre-, post- and 6-month follow-up testing was conducted and data analysed comparing a control and an intervention group. Each group received 2 hours of PE each week during the 16-week intervention. Current provision in PE was delivered in the control group and a Better Movers and Thinkers approach to PE delivered in the intervention group. Significant effects of intervention relative to the control group were identified in cognition (p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.76) and coordination (p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.97). No significant effects of intervention were identified for PA (p ≤ 0.200, d = 0.24). The improvement in the outcome measures remained at the 6-month follow-up testing. The present study has identified cognitive and coordination improvements as a result of a novel PE intervention with benefits maintained 6 months later. This supports the need for modification in current PE provision to optimise the potential for learning across the curriculum.