The Status of Science Classroom Learning Environments in Indonesian Lower Secondary Schools

Learning Environments Research - This study reports cross-validation results for an Indonesian-language version of a modified form of the What Is Happening In this Class?(WIHIC) questionnaire and...     

Self-Regulation of Learning within Computer-based Learning Environments: A Critical Analysis

Computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) present important opportunities for fostering learning; however, studies have shown that students have difficulty when learning with these environments. Research has identified that students’ self-regulatory learning (SRL) processes may mediate the hypothesized positive relations between CBLEs and academic performance. In this review, we identified 33 empirical studies of SRL and CBLEs. We address three research questions: (1) How do learner and task characteristics relate to students’ SRL with CBLEs? (2) Can various learning supports or conditions enhance the quality of students’ SRL as they learn with CBLEs? (3) What conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues exist for this growing area of research? We found evidence that specific SRL processes are more often associated with academic success than others and that SRL skills can be supported. We also identified a number of issues that researchers should aim to address in future investigations, including a more comprehensive measurement of facets of SRL and the quality of SRL processes, the seeming disconnect between SRL processes and learning outcomes, and the distinction between self- and other-regulation. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Classroom Learning Environments in Urban Elementary,Middle, and High Schools

The purpose of the present study was to investigate student gender, subject area, and grade level differences in students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment. Over 13,000 students from 96 urban elementary, middle, and high schools that served predominantly minority students completed a modified version of the Classroom Environment Scale (CES) and the Instructional Learning Environment Questionnaire (ILEQ). Female students generally reported higher scores for their perceptions of the learning environment than did male students. There were very few differences by subject area, but there were many statistically and educationally significant differences by grade level. In general, middle school classes had less favorable perceptions of their learning environment than did either elementary or high school classes.     

A Study of Computer-Assisted Learning Environments in Singapore

The present study filled some gaps in past learning environment research in that, first, it involved the development of a new instrument tailor-made specifically for use in computer-assisted learning (CAL) classrooms and, second, it provided one of the rare examples of an evaluation of computer-assisted learning based on its impact on the nature of a classroom learning environment as perceived by students. In addition, the research was conducted in the unique milieu of the Singapore school system, and it investigated associations between students' outcomes and the classroom environment in computer-assisted learning settings.     

Toward an Understanding of Authentic Learning: Student Perceptions of an Authentic Classroom

Advocates of educational reform often describe classroom instruction as inauthentic. That is, most classroom learning activities are structured around artificial contexts for learning, and students only engage in tasks and remember information at superficial levels. Some teachers are attempting to break traditional classroom practices by creating authentic contexts for learning. To date, most of the research on authentic classrooms has described the processes teachers have used to develop the classroom environment (learning activities, resources, etc.); however, few have examined authentic classrooms from the students' perspective: “What do students think about authentic classrooms?” The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a unique learning environment at a large, Midwest high school to understand how students perceived that environment. Most of the students reported a positive experience and described the classroom as fun and exciting with real-world relevance. However, there were several students who did not share these views, and many students were not successful.

     

Conceptualisation,Development and Validation of an Instrument for Investigating the Metacognitive Orientation of Science Classroom Learning Environments: The Metacognitive Orientation Learning Environment Scale – Science (MOLES-S)

Metacognition refers to an individual's knowledge, control and awareness of his/her learning processes. An important goal of education is to develop students as metacognitive, life-long learners. However, developing students' metacognition and evaluating whether classrooms are oriented to the development of students' metacognition are difficult and often time-consuming tasks. Further, no instruments that measure key dimensions related to classroom factors that specifically influence the development of students' metacognition have been available. This article describes the conceptualisation, design, and validation of an instrument for evaluating the metacognitive orientation of science classroom learning environments. The metacognitive orientation of a learning environment is the extent to which that environment supports the development and enhancement of students' metacognition. Social constructivism was the guiding referent informing the instrument's orientation and development. This instrument measures students' perceptions of the extent to which certain psychosocial dimensions, evident in learning environments where interventions have resulted in enhanced student metacognition, are evident in their science classrooms. Findings from the use of this instrument complement what is already known from research studies to be generally the case in relation to science classrooms' metacognitive orientation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于计算机学习环境下的自我调节学习

自我调节学习是学习者获得成功学习的重要因素,因此如何促进和利用学习者的自我调节学习能力就成为基于计算机的学习环境设计的关键问题。欧洲电子学习网络推出的iClass项目以自我调节学习的理论与模型为指导,充分促进了自我调节学习的实现。未来基于计算机学习环境的设计可以从多个方面促进学习者的自我调节学习。     

Project Selection in the Design Studio: Absence of Learning Environments

Project selection is an essential matter of design teaching. Based on observations of a specific curriculum, the author claims that a wide repertoire of subjects including offices, restaurants, hotels, and other public places are used to prepare design students, but that schools and other “learning environments/ schools” are similarly ignored. Considering this, the study unfolds reasons why interior design studios do not assign “learning environments” as design projects. Moreover, it analyzes a specific learning environment, in terms of its considerable scope and adequate complexity, as a design problem.     

Different Gender Students' Participation in the High- and Low-achieving Middle School Questioning-orientated Biology Classrooms in Taiwan

This case study investigated gender-based differences in classroom participation through examining teacher-student interactions between a female biology teacher and two groups of middle school students, namely high achievers and low achievers. The female teacher used a questioning-orientated instructional strategy as her major teaching style which creates greater opportunities for student participation in biology learning. Classroom sessions were videotaped for one school year, then analysed for gender differences in question-and-answer patterns. The results showed that more teacher-initiated questions, teacher-directed interactions, and teacher feedback were given to males than females in both groups, but a large difference was found between the two groups of students. Girls in the low-achieving biology class (LABC) were more likely to participate at a rate comparable with their male classmates; girls answered more procedure questions and an equal percentage of process questions, called out approximately the same percentage of answers to undirected teacher-initiated questions, and received more instances of praise and follow-up questions. Contrary to what was observed in the high-achieving biology class (HABC), LABC girls initiated more questions than LABC boys.     

An Exploratory Study of Situated Conceptions of Learning and Learning Environments

This paper describes a study designed to test whether situated conceptions of learning can be measured using questionnaires, and the relations between these aspects of students’ awareness, their awareness of other environmental variables, and their learning outcomes. A situated conception of learning is one that is evoked and adopted by students in response to their perceptions of their learning tasks in a particular context. It may reflect the aims they have for their studies, once they have started that study and experienced that study environment. The results from this small-scale, limited-context study showed that when students perceived the learning environment as being more supportive of learning, they were more likely to describe a situated conception of learning that was more closely aligned with those promoted by the University. They also had higher scores on the deep approach to learning scale, lower scores on the surface approach scale, and expected to leave university with a higher degree classification. These associations, which suggest that situated conceptions, like prior experience of learning, may be a crucial indicator of learning approach and outcomes of learning, are sufficiently large to warrant more rigorous investigations.     

Designing Science Learning with Game-Based Approaches

Given the growing popularity of digital games as a form of entertainment, educators are interested in exploring using digital games as a tool to facilitate learning. In this study, we examine game-based learning by describing a learning environment that combines game elements, play, and authenticity in the real world for the purpose of engaging students’ learning of science and enhancing student motivation. We discuss the design of the environment and present research conducted. Our findings demonstrate that the design of an engaging, interactive environment using a game-based approach can help students have fun while learning.     

Classroom Learning Environments and Students' Approaches to Learning

Four hundred and eighty-four students from two metropolitan secondary schools completed the Learning Process Questionnaire, the Individualised Classroom Environment Questionnaire and the Learner Self Concept scale. Relationships between perceptions of the classroom learning environment, approaches to learning and self concept as a learner were investigated. Gender and level of schooling (junior high versus senior high) differences were examined. Results showed Deep Approaches to learning were significantly related to classroom learning environments which were perceived to be highly personalised and to be encouraging active participation in the learning process and the use of investigative skills in learning activities. High learner self concept was positively associated with Deep Approaches to learning and with classrooms perceived as high in Personalisation. It was negatively associated with Surface Approaches to learning. Differences in perceptions of learning environments and approaches to learning in relation to gender and level of schooling were small. The implications of these findings are discussed and strategies for facilitating Deep Approaches to learning are referred to. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Learning Environments and Learning Styles: Non-traditional Student Enrollment and Success in an Internet-based Versus a Lecture-based Computer Science Course

Colleges and universities are increasingly using information technologies to enhance the learning environment. Many educational institutions offer Internet-based on-line courses in an effort to meet the educational needs of students. The primary goal of this research was to determine if there is a relationship between students' preferred learning environment (i.e. face-to-face or on-line) and their learning style. The secondary goal was to determine if there were any differences in the academic success of students in the face-to-face versus on-line sections. Participants were adult (ages 22+ years), non-traditional computer science students given the option to take a face-to-face lecture-based or an on-line Internet-based computer science course. Results revealed that computer science students in the face-to-face learning environment were more likely to have the Assimilator learning-style, whereas computer science students in the on-line Internet-based learning environment were more likely to have the Converger learning-style. Student academic success did not reliably differ as a function of learning environment selection. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of learning style characteristics of computer science students, learning styles and gender differences and implications of student academic success in on-line vs face-to-face environments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An Investigation of the Metacognitive Orientation of Confucian-Heritage Culture and Non-Confucian-Heritage Culture Science Classroom Learning Environments in Hong Kong

A debate is ongoing in Hong Kong regarding whether local and international schools vary in the extent to which they provide classroom learning environments that support the development of students' higher order thinking and metacognition. This study investigated commonalities and variations in the metacognitive orientation of local and international schools in Hong Kong. Commonalities and substantive differences in the metacognitive orientation of the classroom learning environments were identified and these variations might, to some extent, be explained with reference to cultural variations regarding the purposes and processes of education. This research provides a further example of the value of the concept of learning environments for addressing educational questions that might otherwise be resolved with reference to primarily anecdotal data and hearsay.     

视频会议学习环境下的互动模式研究

基于H.323视频会议系统,根据Oliver和Mcloughlin提出的互动模型,分析了视频会议学习环境下的5种互动模式.通过通信原理课程的培训实验,表明视频会议学习环境下,教师和学生间的互动比较多,学生间的互动比较少,学习更关注学习内容,学习过程仍是以教师为中心.     

Collaborating in the Evolution of a Middle School Science Learning Environment

This study describes a collaborative study involving a teacher and university researcher using learning environment research to transform a middle school science learning environment. Habermas' idea of knowledge constitutive interests (technical, practical, and emancipatory) is used as a perspective to make sense of the learning environment. Student perceptions of science and the nature of science were explored. Classroom observations and student interviews were the primary data sources. Students perceived science as primarily a set of facts to be learned and did not view it as an inquiry method or a social process. Despite the characterization of the course by the teacher and students as hands-on and experimental, technical interests were prevalent. Through negotiation, a plan of action was outlined for recreating the learning environment to make it more practical and emancipatory, as well as more consistent with contemporary perspectives on the nature of science.     

Changing the Learning Environment to Enhance Explaining and Understanding in a Year 12 Chemistry Classroom

Internationally there is concern in relation to the traditional learning environments evident in many science classrooms and the levels of understanding of science developed by students in such environments. Further, students have generally been found to be poor in relation to thinking in terms of models or theories and in terms of evidence to support their theories. The majority of research on classroom environments has focused on characterising the learning environment in classrooms rather than monitoring changes to a class's or an individual's perceptions to their learning environments as a consequence of interventions. This study reports an attempt to change the learning environment in a classroom and documents changes in participants' perceptions of their learning environments and the corresponding changes in a teacher's and her students' perceptions of their reasoning and understanding that such changes facilitated. A community of learners in which students and teachers began to understand the processes and the value of reasoning in terms of theories and evidence was developed as a result of the involvement of the researchers with the teacher and her class of students. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

设计最优化学习环境:OECD研究的视角

设计最优化学习环境是面向21世纪的"适应性教育"所提出的要求,它有助于学习者形成"适应性能力"。OECD的研究认为,要善于提炼新学习的基本特征,这就是主动建构、自我调节、情境相依和协同努力。与此相连的新学习本质观主张:在学习过程中学习者应积极投身于学习活动中,持续努力,确保成功;重视学习者已有知识,强化知识组织,形成合理的知识结构与线索,形成一种完整的知识图景;遵循信息加工能力的限制条件,重视学习中动机、情感与认知的动态交互;培养学习者理解概念、通晓程序和自我调节的协调能力,致力于达到学习迁移的效果。为此,设计最优化学习环境的基本原则是:生本教学、自我调节;注重交往、善用合作;关注动机、情知相依;利用旧知、因人施教;富有挑战、减负增效;紧扣目标、不断反馈;学科融合和内外互通。     

虚拟环境下英语学习模式的研究

近年来，随着因特网在我国的迅速发展，越来越多的人意识到了网络学习的重要性。教师被期望成为指导者和设计者，课堂则设计为以学生为中心。教师应具备在虚拟环境下英语自主、合作、探究式学习的足够知识。     

外语学习策略分类中的跨文化交际问题

在对外语学习策略的研究中,对外语学习的跨文化交际因素考虑太少,导致在策略分类中跨文化交际策略的缺失。中国人把英语作为外语学习且本族文化与目标语文化的差距很大,在学习策略的分类中,应把那些与跨文化交际意识与能力有关的策略从原来的策略群中剥离出来,与新提炼和界定的策略一起,组成一个独立的跨文化交际学习策略群。