Qualitative variation in approaches to university teaching and learning in large first-year classes

Research on teaching from a student learning perspective has identified two qualitatively different approaches to university teaching. They are an information transmission and teacher-focused approach, and a conceptual change and student-focused approach. The fundamental difference being in the former the intention is to transfer information to students, while in the latter the intention is to change and develop student understanding. Much of our research has been conducted in first-year classes of 100 or more students. The paper begins by outlining a model of teaching and learning based upon this research. It then reviews the quantitative research showing the relationship between teachers’ approaches to teaching in large classes and their students’ approaches to learning. Further analyses of previously collected data are used to identify the size of the relationship between teachers’ approaches and their students’ approaches. The paper concludes by discussing how a more conceptual change and student-focused approach can be manifested in large classes.     

Inside a beginning immigrant science teacher’s classroom: an ethnographic study

Teaching is a highly personal endeavor shaped by ‘funds of knowledge’ and beliefs about teaching, learning, and students. This case study examines how one Asian immigrant teacher’s personal expectations and beliefs influenced his expectations of students and the teaching and instructional strategies he employed. His expectations of students’ behavior and their failure to conform to his expectations influenced him to utilize more traditional, didactic instructional practices and responses to classroom management dilemmas. It is generally assumed that immigrant and minority students will benefit from exposure to teachers from similar backgrounds, and that ethnically diverse teachers can better prepare minority students for the multicultural workplace and global economy. This study focuses on the role a teacher’s background and experiences play in development of their beliefs about teaching and learning, their expectations of students, and the instructional decisions they make regarding teaching and learning. This study suggests that teachers draw on their personal histories and cultural understandings to create classroom practices which are molded by microcosms of personal ‘funds of knowledge’ and beliefs about teaching and learning. In contrast to conventional wisdom and unquestioned myths, this study emphasizes the importance of knowing that teachers’ cultural backgrounds do not necessarily qualify them to provide the most appropriate instructional environment for students from similar cultural backgrounds. This study suggests that all teachers need to learn to recognize and negotiate the unique social elements culturally diverse students bring to the classroom.     

The Technology Policy Unit of the University of Aston in Birmingham

The purpose of this research project was to study how students in the first years of elementary school (children from 7 to 10 years of age) are initiated into the construction of explanations of physical phenomena in the teaching of science. With this purpose in mind, we organized classes based on the proposition of investigative problems, where children, working in groups, could solve problems by raising and testing their own hypotheses. They would then attempt, by means of general discussion organized by the teacher, to discuss how each problem was solved and why it worked. We videotaped a series of classes in which the students solved 15 different investigative problems. We also analysed the teacher/student interactions that took place (in this paper, we present data on two of these classes). Based on our data we found that students construct their own causal explanations by following a sequence of stages that includes the appearance of novelties. We also discuss how our data relate to the teacher's role in the classroom and to the organization of science teaching at this level.     

Academics’ experiences of understanding of their subject matter and the relationship of this to their experiences of teaching and learning

In this paper we focus on the issue of how academic staff experience the understanding of their subject matter and the relationship of this understanding to their experience of teaching. In recent years there has been a substantial amount of research into how academic staff conceive of teaching and learning, how they approach their teaching, and how their approaches to teaching relate to how their students approach their learning. In our present project this research is being extended by looking at the way 31 academics from four broad fields of study experience their understanding of their subject matter and how this relates to the way they experience their teaching. Using a phenomenographic approach we show that academics who experience their subject matter in atomistic and less integrated ways experience their teaching in more information transmission and teacher-focused ways, while those with a more integrated and holistic experience of understanding their subject experience their teaching in more conceptual change and student-focused ways.in final form: 9 September 2004     

Learning‐to‐learn and learning‐to‐teach: the impact of disciplinary subject study on student‐teachers’ professional identity

A coherent view of student‐teachers’ preparation and the learning experiences to which they are exposed are key to sustaining the relevance of university‐based teacher‐education programmes. Arguably, such coherence is lacking and the research base to an understanding of the student‐teacher experience is still a relatively limited one. This paper takes the view that student‐teachers’ epistemological growth is a key component of their professional development, their sense of identity as intending teachers, and their successful entry into a teaching career. In adopting a phenomenographic approach it explores a chain of evidence which demonstrates that immersion in the processes of learning and knowing, within a specific disciplinary context, had a significant impact on students’ emerging professional identities and on their values as teachers which extends beyond the subject matter itself. Arguably, the findings of this case‐study hold important implications for a teacher‐education programme and for effective pedagogic practice.     

Students' understanding of theory in undergraduate education

This paper investigates undergraduate students' application of theory in their analysis of problems presented in authentic leadership cases. Taking a phenomenographic research approach, the paper identifies two levels at which students understand ‘theory’: Level 1-Theory as knowledge acquired from books; Level 2-Theory as support for problem solutions. Only the students at Level 2 understanding achieved the highest learning outcome described by the Bologna Reforms. This result may be accounted for by the difference in the students' pre-conceived understanding of the events and relationships in the analysed cases. The phenomenographic assumption explains why the authentic cases are problematic. The high relevancy of the learning object – as an authentic case – may reduce the effect of variation, in this case the educational environment that is the mechanism for learning according to variation theory.     

Students' Understandings of Gravity in an Orbiting Space-Ship

We report on an investigation of students' ideas about gravity after a semester of instruction in physics at university. There are two aspects to the study which was concerned with students' answers to a carefully designed qualitative examination question on gravity. The first aspect is a classification of the answers and a comparative study of the ways the problem was tackled by two large groups of students who had different backgrounds in physics and were exposed to different teaching styles. The second aspect is to investigate how students link concepts to solve the problem. We used a phenomenographic analysis of student responses to extract patterns of reasoning and alternative conceptions behind the solutions. We found no differences between the classes of answers given by students in the two courses. Our analysis also identifies a hierarchy in the complexity of the hypothetical reasoning pathways, which we interpret as reflecting the ways in which students may link concepts and resolve conflicts as they solve the problem. The hypothetical reasoning pathways may help educators to develop instructional material or lecture room dialogue in order to tease out key issues. An unexpected finding is that there is a discrepancy between our conclusion that the two groups of answers are similar and the distribution of marks awarded by the examiner – which implies that the quality of the answers is different for the two groups.     

How class size reduction mediates secondary students’ learning: hearing the pupil voice

This paper discusses the question of why and how class size can make a difference to teaching and learning from the students?? perspective. Secondary school contexts and, in particular, the students?? own voice on the issue of class size represent an under-researched area for class size studies. This paper draws on data from three case studies that examined secondary school English classes in Hong Kong (one large and one reduced-size class in each case). Both classes were of the same grade and taught by the same teacher. This paper positions the case studies within a broader context that focuses on class size and the processes that appear to be mediated by class size reduction. It also draws on interview data and findings from classroom observations. Notably, these data all suggest that students perceive smaller classes as being able to foster a greater sense of belonging and cohesion in their classroom, closer relations with teachers and enhanced participation levels in classroom activities. Crucially, findings also suggest that smaller classes can help to overcome some key cultural obstacles to learning such as language learning anxiety and the issue of ??face??. Some implications for teachers, trainers and researchers are also presented.     

行动研究法在高职英语教学中的运用

行动研究法是目前学术界流行的一种注重解决外语教学实践问题的研究方法,是教师对自己课堂中的教学现象进行考察和研究以提高教学质量的一种探索性活动。本文尝试运用行动研究法,通过教学和科研相结合的个案研究,加强高职英语教学中的语法教学,从而提高高职学生学习英语的兴趣和成绩。     

Using ‘voice’ to understand what college students with intellectual disabilities say about the teaching and learning process

There is a growing awareness of the value of using pupils’ voices in educational research. At primary and second level, the principle of pupil voice has gained in profile over the last decade. However, in higher education, the use of voice in research collaborations remains under‐theorised and under‐utilised. This paper reports on an inclusive phenomenographic study undertaken with college students with intellectual disabilities (ID). It outlines how pupil voice can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the teaching and learning process. The strategies that promoted learner engagement and autonomy include establishing a supportive learning climate or environment, and promoting self‐regulated learning strategies. These findings suggest that the use of pupil voice is fundamental to changing the way teachers think about students with ID and their learning.     

大学英语大班教学中合作学习模式初探

合作学习理论是一种以学生互动为中心的现代、创新的课堂组织策略。通过分析目前大学英语的教学现状和弊端以及合作学习在英语大班教学中的必要性,阐述如何将该理论应用到实际英语教学过程中以及由此产生的促进作用,以此提高学生的英语水平,活跃课堂气氛并促进学生良好心理素质的形成。     

Metacognitive, cognitive and affective aspects of learning styles and strategies: A phenomenographic analysis

This paper addresses the following questions: how do students perform metacognitive, cognitive and affective learning functions; how is the execution of learning functions regulated by internal and external sources; what learning styles can be discerned from the viewpoint of learning functions and regulation? Subjects were students from an open distance university and a regular university. They were interviewed extensively about their learning strategies, mental models of learning, learning orientations and interpretations and appraisals of instructional measures. The interviews were analyzed in a phenomenographic way. The results indicate that there are large differences among students in the manner in which they carry out learning functions, that these differences are associated with internal and external sources, and that four qualitatively different learning styles can be discerned: an undirected, a reproduction directed, a meaning directed and an application directed learning style. Mental models of learning and learning orientations turn out to be related to the way in which students interpret, appraise and use instructional measures to regulate their learning activities. It is concluded that in many instances instructional measures do not have the intended effects. Suggestions are given regarding the implications of these results for the improvement of teaching practices in higher education.     

Using Phenomenography in the Design of Programs for Teachers in Higher Education

This article describes two academic development activities which exemplify how phenomenographic ideas and the results of phenomenographic research, can be built into the design of teaching development workshops for staff teaching in higher education. The activities focus on two important tenets of a phenomenographic approach to teaching and learning—the experience of variation and relevance to the participant. They are structured in terms of the examination of experience of the participants and their students. They seek to help the participants see variation within the experience as a way of helping them examine their own experience and change their way of seeing teaching. They also set the experience in a context where staff can see the connections between teaching and learning such that the goal of changing teaching to improve student learning appears to the teacher as relevant.     

The changing experiences of primary teachers: responding to scenarios involving diverse sexualities

Sex education and diverse sexualities are controversial topics within the primary school arena. Concepts of childhood innocence have influenced sex education curriculum, policy development and teaching practices within schools. However, research shows that primary school-aged students are aware of and talk about sexualities. The aim of this research is to reveal the pedagogical experiences of primary school teachers in relation to scenarios inclusive of diverse sexualities. Social constructionist theories of pedagogy and phenomenographic methods are used to provide a detailed analysis of the ways in which primary teacher participants conceptualise their encounters with students who introduce concepts of diverse sexualities. This research reveals that primary students ask questions about diverse sexualities, they use homophobic expressions (often as a daily occurrence), they sometimes reveal homosexual feelings to teachers, some have same-sex parents and some are being raised with knowledge of diverse sexualities. Without comprehensive policy and curriculum support, and appropriate professional learning for teachers, teachers are unable to make well-informed pedagogical decisions that promote inclusive education.     

Tables of contextual cognition: a proposal for intercultural research in science education

The goal of this paper is to propose tables of contextual cognition as a tool for research and a model to facilitate the intercultural dialogue on science education in schools. The proposal arose from a qualitative case study, involving the use of tables of compared cognition in biology classes in a Brazilian public school. The results indicate that these tables helped students to understand relationships of similarities and differences between their previous knowledge and scientific knowledge and, equally, to delimit the original context and applicability of each of these ways of knowing. However, I perceived the need to expand these tables to gain a new meaning for the practical purposes of research and culturally sensitive science teaching. Finally, tables of contextual cognition considering these changes are proposed and I discuss the possible implications for teaching and research in science education.     

本三院校CET4后大学英语教学现状以及后续课程设置研究——以宿迁学院为例

大学英语四级后的教学到底该如何进行一直是困扰大学英语教师的一个问题。本文从一项对宿迁学院学生的问卷调查入手,对四级后学生的学习现状进行了调查分析。从后续课程设置角度看,目前的四级后大学英语教学己经不能很好的满足学生的学习需求。而多样化的四级后续课程设置既能满足学生的学习需求,也能很大程度上提高学生的语言应用能力。     

The Conflict Within the Role: A Longitudinal Study of Preschool Student Teachers' Developing Competence In and Attitudes Towards Science Teaching in Relation to Developing a Professional Role

The aim of this exploratory, longitudinal study was to describe an overall picture of how perceptions of the teacher role and attitudes toward science and science teaching develop and interact during preschool teacher education, and how this in turn influences behavior when students are engaged in teaching science. Sixty-five students enrolled in a preschool teacher education program at a Swedish university were followed throughout their teacher education. The study used a phenomenographic approach within a theoretical framework of sociocultural and situated learning perspective. Questionnaires with open and closed questions were combined with interviews. The results show that in spite of growing competence and confidence, many of the students still found science activities to be awkward in preschool, mainly due to a wish to protect the children from school culture. The results have implications for teacher education and the preschool community, showing a need to problematize the purpose of teaching science in preschool and the meaning of pedagogical content knowledge in this context.     

Parental views on the statutory assessment and educational planning for children with special educational needs

In Norway more than 95 per cent of the students in each annual school-leaving cohort from the lower secondary school continue on to upper secondary education. The result is that there is a wide range of abilities among the students, and so various forms of adapted teaching are necessary. Each year almost 10 per cent of the new entrants in upper secondary are classified as students with special needs. The main focus of this paper is on how different forms of adaptation influence the flow of special needs students through upper secondary education. Two groups are compared: one with students who in their first year are taught exclusively within ordinary classes, and one with students who receive adapted teaching in small groups outside ordinary classes. The analysis controls for the level of functional difficulties among the students. The study illuminates how the organization of the specially adapted teaching influences successes as well as failures among the students. A sample of special needs students from six Norwegian counties has been followed prospectively through upper secondary education. Results of this follow-up study are presented within a theoretical framework based on transitions in the life course.     

人机协同支持的小学语文写作教学研究

针对小学语文写作教学中存在的写作障碍问题,文章引入人工智能技术辅助教学,提出人机协同支持的小学语文写作教学模型。基于此,设计人机协同支持的小学语文写作教学流程,构建小学语文写作能力评价指标体系,通过人机合理分工,充分发挥机器便捷化采集与高性能计算优势,赋能学业数据智能诊断分析与推荐;同时,发挥人类(教师和学生)的认知特性,归因问题并指导教师科学决策。最后,根据模型设计写作教学案例,利用技术挖掘学生的薄弱环节,辅助教师开展差异化教学。通过跟踪三个班级一学期的教学实践,从组内时间特性和组间班级群体两个维度进行对比,验证人机协同支持的小学语文写作模型有助于写作问题的精准诊断,并促进学生写作水平的提升。