Investigating the Links Between Students’ Learning Engagement and Modeling Competence in Computer-Supported Modeling-Based Activities

Journal of Science Education and Technology - The purpose of this study was to understand how students engage in computer-supported modeling-based activities (CSMBAs), and the relationship between...     

Developing Middle School Students’ Interest in Learning Science and Geology Through Slowmation

Research in Science Education - Given that interest is associated with learning in educational research, understanding how its development can be supported in different learning contexts represents...     

Students’ Understanding Is Enhanced Through Molecular Modeling

Integration of molecular modeling into General Chemistry lab encourages students to dually process molecular concepts both verbally and pictorially. When students are tested utilizing questions not previously encountered the dual processing of information can contribute to a transfer to knowledge. General Chemistry students utilized molecular modeling in lab and a comparison of a treatment and nontreatment group during two semesters is presented for a pretest, posttest, and on semester exam questions. The treatment group tested significantly higher than the nontreatment group on both the posttest and semester exam questions related to molecular concepts illustrating that there was a transfer of knowledge.     

Enhancing Students’ Learning Process Through Self-Generated Tests

The use of new technologies in higher education has surprisingly emphasized students’ tendency to adopt a passive behavior in class. Participation and interaction of students are essential to improve academic results. This paper describes an educational experiment aimed at the promotion of students’ autonomous learning by requiring them to generate test type questions related to the contents of the course. The main idea is to make the student feel part of the evaluation process by including students’ questions in the evaluation exams. A set of applications running on our university online learning environment has been developed in order to provide both students and teachers with the necessary tools for a good interaction between them. Questions uploaded by students are visible to every enrolled student as well as to each involved teacher. In this way, we enhance critical analysis skills, by solving and finding possible mistakes in the questions sent by their fellows. The experiment was applied over 769 students from 12 different courses. Results show that the students who have actively participated in the experiment have obtained better academic performance.     

Investigating Students’ Learning Through Co-designing with Technology

Involving students in the co-design of educational curricula and practices can benefit both students and teachers. Students who participate in co-design may show better learning or increased agency or engagement. In the present study, we investigated what kind of science knowledge or practices can be learned by student co-designers while engaging in co-design practices and how that learning happens with six high school students. We created a model to guide the analysis of students’ learning with technology in co-designing processes. The results revealed that students learned engineering design process even if no explicit instruction on engineering learning was given. Also, our analysis suggested that co-designing with technology enabled learning of the engineering design process and potentially furthered learning of science because it promoted knowledge integration. The results have implications for understanding and enhancing engineering design and science learning through co-designing with technology.

     

Fostering Students’ Collaborative Learning Competencies and Professional Conduct in the Context of Two Gross Anatomy Courses in Veterinary Medicine

Collaborative learning has been used in anatomy courses to support students’ learning of challenging topics but the success of group work depends significantly on the students’ ability to communicate in a professional manner. Veterinary students’ experiences with tasks related to collaborative learning and professional conduct were studied by comparing learning collaborative competences and pedagogy, as well as perceived positive and challenging aspects, in two gross anatomy courses. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from students’ experiences of course assignments and collaboration, as well as from self-evaluated collaboration competence development. Trying things out oneself, practical application and professional conduct were positively highlighted particularly in the first-year course (myology and arthrology) group work and learning from others more in the second year (topographical anatomy). Various group work challenges, often relating to practical matters or communication, were the key concerns for students. The main difference between the two courses in learning of collaborative knowledge work competencies appeared to relate to the nature of the group work assignment. The topography course included the element of collaboration in preparing a presentation and teaching session for the rest of the class. Interestingly, students on the myology and arthrology course gave more positive comments on professional conduct than the students on the topography course despite the fact that the latter course included more practical elements relating to their future profession.     

Grade Level Differences in High School Students’ Conceptions of and Motives for Learning Science

Research in Science Education - Students’ conceptions of learning science and their relations with motive for learning may vary as the education level increases. This study aimed to compare...     

A Study on Sixth Grade Students’ Misconceptions and Errors in Spatial Measurement: Length,Area, and Volume

The purpose of the present study was to portray students’ misconceptions and errors while solving conceptually and procedurally oriented tasks involving length, area, and volume measurement. The data were collected from 445 sixth grade students attending public primary schools in Ankara, Türkiye via a test composed of 16 constructed-response format tasks. The findings revealed a wide range of misconceptions and errors such as “believing that all rulers are 30 cm long,” “confusing area formula with perimeter formula,” “believing a box has more than one surface area,” “using the volume formula for surface area,” “believing that ruler must be longer than the object measured,” etc. These misconceptions and errors could be considered as the evidences indicating the sixth graders’ lack of comprehension of the fundamental concepts of spatial measurement and their relationships and the procedures and formulas used for measuring length, area, and volume. The possible causes of such misconceptions and overcoming ways were also discussed.     

Identifying the Item Hierarchy and Charting the Progression across Grade Levels: Surveying Taiwanese Students’ Understanding of Scientific Models and Modeling

The purpose of this study was, first, to understand the item hierarchy regarding students’ understanding of scientific models and modeling (USM). Secondly, this study investigated Taiwanese students’ USM progression from 7th to 12th grade, and after participating in a model-based curriculum. The questionnaire items were developed based on 6 aspects of USM, namely, model type, model content, constructed nature of models, multiple models, change of models, and purpose of models. Moreover, 10 representations of models were included for surveying what a model is. Results show that the purpose of models and model type items covered a wide range of item difficulties. At the one end, items for the purpose of models are most likely to be endorsed by the students, except for the item “models are used to predict.” At the other end, the “model type” items tended to be difficult. The students were least likely to agree that models can be text, mathematical, or dynamic. The items of the constructed nature of models were consistently located above the average, while the change of models items were consistently located around the mean level of difficulty. In terms of the natural progression of USM, the results show significant differences between 7th grade and all grades above 10th, and between 8th grade and 12th grade. The students in the 7th grade intervention group performed better than the students in the 7th and 8th grades who received no special instruction on models.     

Workshop on Friction: Understanding and Addressing Students’ Difficulties in Learning Science Through a Hermeneutical Perspective

Hermeneutics is useful in science and science education by emphasizing the process of understanding. The purpose of this study was to construct a workshop based upon hermeneutical principles and to interpret students’ learning in the workshop through a hermeneutical perspective. When considering the history of Newtonian mechanics, it could be considered that there are two methods of approaching Newtonian mechanics. One method is called the ‘prediction approach’, and the other is called the ‘explanation approach’. The ‘prediction approach’ refers to the application of the principles of Newtonian mechanics. We commonly use the prediction approach because its logical process is natural to us. However, its use is correct only when a force, such as gravitation, is exactly known. On the other hand, the ‘explanation approach’ could be used when the nature of a force is not exactly known. In the workshop, students read a short text offering contradicting ideas about whether to analyze a friction situation using the explanation approach or the prediction approach. Twenty-two college students taking an upper-level mechanics course wrote their ideas about the text. The participants then discussed their ideas within six groups, each composed of three or four students. Through the group discussion, students were able to clarify their preconceptions about friction, and they responded to the group discussion positively. Students started to think about their learning from a holistic perspective. As students thought and discussed the friction problems in the manner of hermeneutical circles, they moved toward a better understanding of friction.     

A Survey on College Students’ English Learning Motivation and the Learning Results

This survey has been processed on 78 graduate students in grade 2010, majoring in science and engineer, from different classes. By analyzing the results of College English Test 4 and questionnaire, it shows that the students’ English learning motivation roots in Certificate. Differences between the winners and losers are not reflected in the time they have used to study, but the learning motivation they possess.     

Using Cogenerative Dialogs to Improve Science Teaching and Learning: Challenges and Solutions in High School Students’ Internships

Internships in science research settings have received increasing attention as a means of helping students construct appropriate understandings, practices, tools, and language in scientific activities. To advance student–scientist partnerships beyond the status quo, the study aimed to investigate how cogenerative dialogs (cogens) may help high school students and scientists identify and address challenges collectively. The analysis identified nine major challenges discussed during cogens: (1) the quality and progress of scientific practice in laboratories, (2) the quality of scientists’/assistants’ instructions in classrooms, (3) the quality of student participation in classrooms and homework, (4) students’ absences, including arriving late or leaving early, (5) the quality of administrative support, (6) preparation for scientific presentations, (7) the process of deciding project topics, (8) students’ peer interactions and communication, and (9) students’ physiological needs. The three most salient challenges were “the quality and progress of scientific practice in laboratories” (39%), “the quality of scientists’/assistants’ instructions in classrooms” (20%), and “the quality of student participation in classrooms and homework” (17%). The study shows that cogens allowed students and scientists to agree on teaching modifications that positively influenced teaching and learning processes during the internship, such that issues were reduced from the beginning to the closing stages. Importantly, the challenges and solutions identified by students and scientists in this study provide accounts of first-hand experience as well as insights to aid program directors or coordinators in designing a learning environment that can foster effective practice for internships by avoiding the issues identified in the study.     

Modeling Secondary Students’ Genetics Learning in a Game-Based Environment: Integrating the Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation and Flow Theory

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This study examined students’ genetics learning in a game-based environment by exploring the connections between the expectancy-value theory of...     

Students’ Learning Processes during School-Based Learning and Workplace Learning in Vocational Education: A Review

Learning in vocational schools and workplaces are the two main components of vocational education. Students have to develop professional competences by building meaningful relations between knowledge, skills and attitudes. There are, however, some major concerns about the combination of learning in these two learning environments, since vocational schools are primarily based on the rationales of learning and theory, while workplaces are based on the rationales of working and practice. This study therefore aims to structure empirical insights into students’ learning processes during the combination of school-based learning and workplace learning in vocational education. A review-study has been conducted in which ultimately 24 articles were analyzed thoroughly. The review shows that students’ learning processes in vocational schools and workplaces are related to six main themes: students’ expertise development, students’ learning styles, students’ integration of knowledge acquired in school and workplace, processes of knowledge development, students’ motivations for learning and students’ professional identity development. Our results show that students are novices who use specific and different learning styles and learning activities in vocational schools and workplaces. It is concluded that the enhancement of students’ learning processes needs to be adaptive and differentiated in nature. Recommendations for further research are elaborated and suggestions for the enhancement of students’ learning processes are discussed using insights from hybrid learning environments and boundary crossing via boundary objects.     

How to Enlarge the Students’ Vocabulary:in English Learning

Vocabulary is a very important element in English learning.Without a large vocabulary,no one can reach a high English level.However,it is very difficult to enlarge vocabulary.In fact there are many methods to enlarge vocabulary.     

Students’ Learning Performance and Transitions in Different Learning Pathways to Higher Vocational Education

To improve students’ transitions between successive educational levels, continuing learning pathways are being designed and implemented in many countries. This study was carried out to examine the effects of the Green Lycea (GL) as critical cases of continuing learning pathways in vocational education in The Netherlands. The GL were compared with a traditional pathway (pre-vocational secondary education and secondary vocational education offered as separate programmes) in terms of students’ learning performance and transitions. GL students and comparable students following the regular pathway yielded the same mean final exam scores for four core subjects in the first phase of their educational programmes, despite the fact that GL students took this exam one year earlier than regular students because of the acceleration of the learning trajectory in the GL programme. Regarding the students’ transitions, the GL and the traditional pathway yielded comparable percentages of students who either did or did not obtain a pre-vocational secondary education diploma; For the GL, however, the percentage of students who proceeded in secondary vocational education was higher. To conclude, it seems to be possible to improve students’ transitions between successive educational levels (with their learning performance being an important precondition) through continuing learning pathways such as the GL. In this regard, GL design characteristics as described and examined in this study can be valuable ingredients for continuing learning pathways internationally as well.     

Learning About Students’ Culture and Language Through Family Stories Elicited by Dichos

Teachers’ knowing about students and their families is critical to ensuring relevant classroom instruction. The Family Storytelling through Dichos approach is explored as a culturally and linguistically appropriate mechanism for learning about students’ backgrounds. This article posits that this approach may be a viable one, since it is rooted in the Hispanic culture and language and integrates three critical elements (a) familism, a core Hispanic cultural value; (b) storytelling, a vehicle for exploring families’ identities; and (c) dichos or popular sayings in the Spanish language, authentic cultural constructs present in Hispanics’ everyday oral discourse.     

Understanding the Students’Contribution to EFL Learning

One can view life from many different perspectives, and each perspective will reveal different aspects and details. As a teaching professional, teachers’ major aim is to help learners. This is the major justification for their career. If they don’t help learners, they will not enjoy teaching. Helping learners requires certain skills on the part of the teacher.