Self-Study of a Teacher's Journey toward Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching

The authors describe a journey of self-study during which one author shifted from traditional, teacher-driven approaches to a more problem-based inquiry approach to teaching mathematics. He videotaped a series of lessons taught to sixth-grade students over a semester and analyzed his teaching during discussions with his mentor at the university. The shared analysis helped him learn to involve his students more directly in their own learning. A major lesson learned was that understanding the potential value of a problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics does not guarantee corresponding changes in the classroom. Two vital elements of lesson development emerged as focal points for self-study. After first learning how to prepare worthwhile mathematical tasks, the teacher also learned the importance of implementing effective questioning strategies to help students think more deeply about the mathematics they were learning.     

Treading the Tenure-Track Tightrope: Finding Balance Between Research Excellence and Quality Teaching

Clearly, a rift exists between what faculty at public colleges and universities do and what the general populace and external funding agencies increasingly expect them to accomplish (Fairweather, 1996). Throughout the 1990s, the continual allegation has been that the emphasis on research has escalated at the expense of undergraduate teaching quality (Cole, 1994; Winston, 1994). This article examines the circumstances that have contributed to this state of affairs and then looks at two attempts to address the increased demands for better undergraduate teaching without weakening the research reputaton of their organizations. This first approach—the development of ethical principles of teaching—encourages compliance. The second, a revamping of faculty development and reward structures, promotes a kind of teaching-research synergy.     

分层课程:一种以学生为中心的差异性教学模型——脑科学成果改进美国中小学教育的又一有效范例

分层课程(layered curriculum)模型是近年来在全美颇具影响力的又一个基于脑的教学模型。立足于最前沿的脑科学研究成果,分层课程模型科学而合理地展现了一种以学生为中心、关注学生个体差异的基于脑的教育理念及实践模式。笔者认为,该模型中的很多理念及做法对我国的教育研究与实践有着颇为重要的启示与借鉴意义。     

以学习为中心的教学在药物化学课程中的应用

药物化学作为药学专业的核心专业课程,其教学质量对培养合格的药物研发专业人才至关重要。结合互联网高度发展的现状以及新时代大学生的特点,实践"以学习为中心"的教学理念,强调学生学习的主体地位,优化教学方案,以提高药物化学课程的教学质量。     

生本理念下的初中数学教学

生本教育是郭思乐教授创立的一种教育思想和方式,＂以学定教,少教多学,直至不教而教＂,＂采用个人,小组,班级的多种方式的自主学习。本文试着探讨在生本教学模式初中数学课堂的构建,其可概括为课前自主学——课中交流——学生课后拓展。     

论新加坡以学生为中心的职业教育教学模式

教学以学生为中心是新加坡职业教育的特色。新加坡以学生为中心的职业教育理念和教学模式,为经济发展培养了所需要的高素质人才,对我国深化职业教育教学改革有重要的借鉴意义。     

试论“以学生为中心”的教育思想在外语教学中的实现

从教育学、心理学的角度探讨教师及学生在外语教学中的地位和作用,提出“以学生为中心”的教学模式并指出“以学生为中心的主题教学模式”是解决目前大学外语教学中诸多困惑的一条有效途径,又以某教材为例对模式进行诠释。     

从"以学生为中心"的教学谈高校教师的情绪能力

“以学生为中心”教学模式通过创造一种愿意接受的气氛来提升学生的控制感,通过发展学生个人和团体目标来挖掘学生的学习动机,这两方面的效果对于解决当前大学课堂教育中存在的学生被动学习现象有着重要作用。本文在简要介绍“以学生为中心”教学模式的基础上,从情绪能力角度分析了该教学方法对教师素质的要求。     

"以学生为中心"视听说课互动教学模式探析

随着教学观念的改变和现代化电教设施的普及,视、听、说在扩大学生文化视野,提高英语专业学生的基本技能,尤其是听说能力方面起了越来越重要的作用。“以学生为中心”的视听说互动教学模式主张：课内与课外相结合;个体学习与协作学习相结合;师生互动,使视,听,说三者有机融合起来。     

教学世界:生活世界与科学世界的双向二重化

教育学界关于"教学(教育)回归生活"的困惑和争议仍在持续。在教学论层面深入探讨教学世界和生活世界、科学世界的关系仍然具有重要的理论意义和实践意义。在教学论(和教育学)话语中,我们可以从三个世界,即教学世界、生活世界和科学世界的视角来认识教学世界与其它世界的关系。教学世界是生活世界和科学世界的中介,是生活世界与科学世界的双向二重化,即化科学世界为生活世界和化生活世界为科学世界。教学就是在这种双向二重化的过程中,将其转化的结果沉淀在学生的精神世界里,最终实现教学之目的。"教学回归生活世界"的提法失之片面,正确的提法应当是:教学面向生活世界,超越生活世界,走向科学世界。     

Science in the Classroom: Finding a Balance Between Autonomous Exploration and Teacher-Led Instruction in Preschool Settings

Research Findings: This paper reports on children's use of science materials in preschool classrooms during their free choice time. Baseline observations showed that children and teachers rarely spend time in the designated science area. An intervention was designed to “market” the science center by introducing children to 1 science tool, the balance scale. Baseline measures showed that children did not know the scale's name or function. The intervention was expected to increase children's use of the science area and their knowledge about the scale. Children's voluntary presence and exploration in the science area increased after the balance scale intervention compared to in comparison classrooms. Furthermore, children who participated in this intervention demonstrated improved knowledge about the scale's function, whereas students in the comparison group did not. Practice or Policy: Adults can increase children's autonomous exploration of science tools and materials, and their knowledge about them, by offering particular kinds of large-group learning experiences.     

刍议以学生为中心的高校外语教学

在过去二十多年里,高校外语教学不仅在教学理论方面,而且在教学实践上都发生了惊人的变化,学生学习质量及综合运用语言的能力不断得到提高。但在外语教学取得可喜成绩的同时,我国高校外语教学中还存在需要改进之处。章在分析了目前我国高校外语教学现状之后指出,要想根本改变高校外语教学的现状,我们必须从教学理念上进行转变,要从以教师为中心的教学模式向以学生为中心的教学模式转变,把培养人才及培养学生获得如何学习的方法当作我们教学的首要任务。     

Understanding the Use of Student-Centered Teaching Methods in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses

A growing body of research suggests that student-centered teaching methods are associated with positive learning outcomes for undergraduate students. Yet, the extent of their use and factors leading to their adoption in fields, such as chemistry, continue to be under-explored. Utilizing survey data collected during 2015, we begin to fill this gap, first by considering the degree to which faculty and instructors use and plan to use various student-centered teaching methods in their undergraduate chemistry courses. Then, we examine three potential factors that may help us understand variation in (1) use of and (2) intentions to implement student-centered methods: attitudes toward teaching methods; teaching approaches; and institutional characteristics. Importantly, our findings suggest attitudes and individual teaching approaches are significant predictors of the use and intention to implement student-centered methods in the classroom. Perhaps surprisingly, several institutional factors examined (such as class size, percentage of time spent teaching, and type of institution) play no significant role. Given the positive student outcomes associated with various student-centered methods reported in literature, these findings suggest potential avenues for faculty and instructors’ professional development toward further implementation of these methods.

     

Integrating Technology and a Standards-Based Pedagogy in a Geometry Classroom

Abstract

A mature mathematics teacher (one in the latter stages of a successful career in teaching secondary mathematics) sought support in making a paradigm shift to a technology-integrated pedagogy in the context of a state's emerging standards-based curriculum. The teacher had concerns regarding his ability to make the paradigm shift, but he was willing to make the effort because he believed that integrating technology as an instruction/production tool would increase student achievement in mathematics. This article describes the teacher's experience. Students in two of his three high school geometry classes were introduced to altered teaching methods involving technology. The first class created instructional modules using presentation and Web page software, and a second class used student-created instructional modules. A third geometry class received traditional instruction based on text and lecture. Two topics, angles and circles, were taught using this format. Another topic, lines, was taught traditionally to all three classes. Interestingly, students across the three groups had numerically higher end-of-unit test scores for both lines and circles, much more acceptable to the teacher, than for angles. Recommendations are in order in regard to teacher support for technology integration.     

"以学生为中心":教学改革的关键概念和个案研究

基于某师范大学的个案研究表明,"以学生为中心"的教学改革,有利于学生学习兴趣与动机、自我效能感、学习时间与精力投入和学业满意度的显著提升.研究还表明,学校自身改革进行到一定程度时,其所能取得的改革效果将达到某一稳定水平而难以继续提高,这时师范类院校办学条件和资源先天不足对教学改革的限制性影响将凸显.政府应切实承担起提振教师教育的应有责任,为师范院校提供更大的扶持.在此基础上,要特别注重区分刚性扶持和柔性扶持,对处于不同困境和不同发展阶段的师范院校提供不同的扶持策略.     

Finding Voices in a Changing World: Standard Language Education as a Site for Developing Critical Literacies

What are the “key competencies” needed in our time? What literacy is needed to make students active participants in their societies and contributors to changing cultures? This article offers a contribution to the ongoing discussion about these questions. It takes as its point of departure the “key competencies” formulated in the OECD program Definition and Selection of Competencies (DeSeCo) in response to educational challenges in a changing world, and the five “basic skills” to be developed in all school subjects from year 1 to year 13 in the Norwegian curriculum of 2006 (LK06). It argues, first, for the need to understand “basic skills” in the perspective of DeSeCo “key competencies”, with a focus, as formulated in DeSeCo, on using tools interactively, acting autonomously, and interacting in heterogeneous groups. Secondly, the aims and purposes of the school subject “Norwegian” in Norway, as formulated in LK06, are discussed in relation to the aims of the DeSeCo key competencies and the concepts of critical literacy and Bildung. Thirdly, the article offers a discussion of how standard language education can become a site for the development of key competencies and critical literacies, drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's ideas about utterances and voices and Roz Ivanic's about discoursal identities, and talking about the StLE subject as a potential public space, a stage, a resonance room, and a cultural workshop. Finally, some concluding remarks are made about the crucial role of the teacher in such a curriculum, and about the role of standard language education in relation to other school subjects.     

The Role of Teaching Assistants in Student-Centered Learning: Benefits, Costs, and Negotiations

As more faculty members utilize student-centered methods, we should also expect to see an increase in graduate teaching assistants (TAs) who are asked to co-teach these classes. However, little is written about the challenges TAs face and the adjustments they make when teaching student-centered courses. This study examined a student-centered course taught by the hevruta method, a dyadic approach that emphasizes text-based student discussions. Although students reported significant learning gains, both they and TAs had to negotiate new instructional roles. Based on student and TA feedback, strategies are presented to facilitate effective student learning in a student-centered course co-taught by TAs.