Development of disjunctive reasoning and the use of MAYBE in fifth through eighth graders

Approximately one-half of the fifth through eighth graders in a school district (n = 164) were randomly selected to be administered a group test of disjunctive reasoning containing 48 inclusive and exclusive items varying in content of the premises (symbolic, object, and human), and affirmation or negation of the conclusion. Using an analysis of variance for repeated measures it was found that performance improved until seventh grade. Eighth graders scored similar to sixth graders. There was a main effect for negative, with negative conclusions producing more correct answers. Further, there were significant first order interactions for Disjunctive by Negation, Content by Grade, and Negation by Content. Since either “YES” or “NO” were the only correct answers, and “MAYBE” was always wrong, contrast of the MAYBE responses to other wrong answers revealed an increasing tendency to use MAYBE among older subjects. Implications were discussed in relation to cognitive developmental theory and educational practices.     

Using conceptual questions to promote motivation and learning in physics lectures

In the last years, science courses in higher education (HE) have been facing some problems, namely the lack of students’ motivation, the number of students’ failures and drop outs, particular in physics courses. The most probable reason, which has been mentioned in current science education research in HE, is that the level of interaction between teachers and learners in formal instructional settings is very low. In this paper, we describe changes that were introduced in lectures towards the promotion of active learning and analyse its effects in the classroom environment. The introduction of conceptual questions and peer instruction seems to motivate students in the class and help them engage in the learning process. These strategies have been used in the first year of an introductory physics course for engineering students in two different Portuguese HE institutions. The data were collected through questionnaires and student interviews.     

Acquisition of computer literacy skills through self-organizing systems of learning among children in Bhutan and India

This article describes a study under the Reaching the Unreached component of the Chiphen Rigpel project between the governments of Bhutan and India. This initiative is an attempt to provide computer literacy to children of Bhutan through setting up “hole in the wall” (HiWEL) Playground Learning Station(s) (PLSs). The study described here involves 14 sites (the experimental group), where PLSs are installed, and another 8 sites (the control group) without PLSs, but having similar demographic and socioeconomic profiling as the experimental group. This article compares the acquisition of computer literacy of school-going children in India with those in Bhutan. Results indicate that Bhutanese children have acquired computer literacy on their own and that their level of computer skills acquisition is similar to that of Indian children when the scores are normalized. This study was done over a one-year period, with results reported for eight months. In addition to verifying the earlier Indian results, this article hints at the fact that, irrespective of ethnicity, culture, and country, an identical—and possibly universal—self-organized learning mechanism seems to work with children vis-à-vis the Internet.     

Exploring the effect of background knowledge and text cohesion on learning from texts in computer science

In this study, we examine the effect of background knowledge and local cohesion on learning from texts. The study is based on construction–integration model. Participants were 176 undergraduate students who read a Computer Science text. Half of the participants read a text of maximum local cohesion and the other a text of minimum local cohesion. Afterwards, they answered open-ended and multiple-choice versions of text-based, bridging-inference and elaborative-inference questions. The results showed that students with high background knowledge, reading the low-cohesion text, performed better in bridging-inference and in elaborative-inference questions, than those who read the high-cohesion text. Students with low background knowledge, reading the high-cohesion text, performed better in all types of questions than students reading the low-cohesion text only in elaborative-inference questions. The performance with open-ended and multiple-choice questions was similar, indicating that this type of question is more difficult to answer, regardless of the question format.     

导向核心素养的物理复习课学习路径建构研究

学习路径的获取应基于学生已有知识和经验,思维过程和知识表征方式.据此,通过预设性测试题诊断分析学生的表现水平,设计物理复习课逆向化教学设计路径,识别期望的学习结果.     

Student perceptions in the design of a computer card game for learning computer literacy issues: a case study

The aim of this work was twofold. First, an empirical study was designed aimed at investigating the perceptions that entry-level non-computing majors -namely Physical Education and Sport Science (PESS) undergraduate students- hold about basic Computer Literacy (CL) issues. The participants were 90 first-year PESS students, and their perceptions were elicited through a written questionnaire. The data analysis revealed scientifically acceptable perceptions as well as various empirical, vague, incomplete and erroneous perceptions. Second, those students’ prior knowledge was utilized to design and implement an Educational Computer Card Game (ECCG) aimed at helping PESS students overcome their conceptual difficulties and approach the aforementioned CL issues in a scientifically consistent manner. The ECCG was designed taking into account basic digital game-based learning principles in combination with basic aspects of social and constructivist perspectives to learning. The ECCG was also pilot-tested in the field with real students, and the results were encouraging.     

Exploring the effect of learning styles on learning achievement in a u-Museum

In recent years, mobile technology has been developing rapidly and has been widely used. There are many successful cases of mobile technology applied greatly in today’s teaching and even combined with sensing devices to overcome the limitations of traditional learning environment. In order to make teaching more diversified, teachers currently treat field trips as one of the major ways to aid traditional classroom teaching. Based on Keller’s ARCS motivation model, this study used the natural disaster section in the sixth graders’ Natural Science-Taiwan subject as an example and application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in mobile devices to develop a context-aware ubiquitous learning system to be applied in the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan. With the guide of the system, learners can use mobile carriers to receive content information displayed in the Museum for learning. This study conducted experiment in the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan to explore whether using the system for learning significantly improves learning outcomes and motivation in comparison to traditional navigation learning. Felder & Silverman’s theory of learning style was incorporated to explore whether there exists differences in learning performance and outcome among learners with different learning styles so design and strategies for future teaching system can be improved.     

Exploring dimensions of social inclusion among alternative learning centres in the USA

Increasing disparities in out-of-school suspension and dropout rates have led a number of school districts to develop alternative models of education to include alternative learning centres (ALCs). Using an exploratory mixed methods design, this study explores dimensions of social inclusion among ALCs, located in the southeastern region of the USA. In the first phase, case-study analyses across two sites contextualised student experiences from the perspective of students, teachers, and assistant principals. In the second phase, data explored student outcomes among a sample of 593 students across 28 ALCs in the school district. Qualitative findings revealed varying dimensions of social inclusion through access, success through empowerment, and participation and engagement. Quantitative findings revealed a majority of students transitioned back to the traditional school environment. There were no clear student or school advantages associated with student transitions; however, high school students were more likely to transition back to the traditional school environment than middle school students. Discussion centres on the challenges school districts experience in promoting social inclusion and implications for inclusive models of education.     

The integration of computer simulation and learning support: An example from the physics domain of collisions

Discovery learning is generally seen as a promising but demanding mode of learning that, in most cases, can only be successful if students are guided in the discovery process. The present article discusses a study on discovery learning with a computer simulation environment in the physics domain of collisions. In the learning environment, which is called Collision, students learned about collisions where two particles move in the same direction and interact via a conservative force in such a way that the total mechanical energy is conserved. In the experiment we conducted with Collision, we evaluated the effects of adding two different ways to guide students: model progression, in which the model is presented in separate parts; and assignments, small exercises that the student can choose to do. The effect of providing assignments and model progression was evaluated by comparing the learning behavior and learning results over three experimental conditions in which different versions of the simulation environment were presented: pure simulation, simulation plus assignments, and simulation plus model progression and assignments. Students' use of the environment was logged, their subjectively experienced workload was measured on‐line, and their learning was assessed using a number of assessment procedures. Providing assignments with the simulation improved students' performance on one aspect of a so‐called intuitive knowledge test. Providing the students with model progression did not have an effect. A subjective workload measure indicated that expanding the simulation with assignments and model progression did not raise the workload experienced by the students. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 597–615, 1999     

Tutor learning: the role of explaining and responding to questions

Previous research on peer tutoring has found that students sometimes benefit academically from tutoring other students. In this study we combined quantitative and qualitative analyses to explore how untrained peer tutors learned via explaining and responding to tutee questions in a non-reciprocal tutoring setting. In support of our hypotheses, we found that tutors learned most effectively when their instructional activities incorporated reflective knowledge-building in which they monitored their own understanding, generated inferences to repair misunderstandings, and elaborated upon the source materials. However, tutors seemed to adopt a knowledge-telling bias in which they primarily summarized the source materials with little elaboration. Tutors’ reflective knowledge-building activities, when they occurred, were more frequently elicited by interactions with their tutee. In particular, when tutees asked questions that contained an inference or required an inferential answer, tutors’ responses were more likely to be elaborative and metacognitive. Directions for future research are also discussed.     

Large‐scale diagnostic assessment: comparison of eighth graders’ mathematics performance in the United States,Singapore and Israel

A diagnostic model for large‐scale assessment was applied to TIMSS data to compare mathematics performance of eighth graders from three countries—the US, Singapore, and Israel. Compared were attribute mastery probabilities for content, skills and cognitive processes underlying students’ performance on the 1999 TIMSS‐R mathematics test. Also compared were the proportions of students from the three samples in each of eight hierarchically ordered clusters of knowledge states. The results indicated significant differences in favour of the Singaporean sample on most attributes underlying the test. The results were discussed in light of the cultural context of education in the respective countries.     

社会转型期对我国青少年运动员文化学习的要求

文章从青少年运动员文化学习在运动训练全过程中的作用,及对其自身人生观、世界观的树立和对我国竞技体育后备人才的储备影响等三方面进行阐述,说明青少年运动员文化学习是我国竞技体育可持续发展的重要保证.文章分析影响青少年运动员文化学习的因素,改革青少年运动员文化学习的教学内容和教学方法,提出创设优良的文化学习环境与氛围是促进其学习的有效途径.     

如何在物理探究教学中培养学生的问题意识

问题意识既是探究教学所必需的，同时又可以在探究教学中进行培养，本文从心理认知规律和教学过程规律两个方面，探讨在物理探究教学中培养学生问题意识的一些方法．     

Exploring the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance: implications for programming pedagogy

Computer programming has been taught in secondary schools for more than two decades. However, little is known about how students learn to program. From the curriculum implementation perspectives, learning style helps address the issue of learner differences, resulting in a shift from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-focused approach. This study aims to investigate the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance. The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) was employed to measure learning styles. A test was administered to assess students' programming performance. Two hundred and seventeen secondary school students of age from 14 to 19 participated in this study. Results indicated that no gender differences in programming performance were found after controlling for the effect of student ability. Academic ability had a differential effect on programming knowledge. Sequential learners in general performed better than random learners. These results suggest the importance of the ordering dimension of the GSD in influencing programming performance. Implications of the findings in relation to programming pedagogy are discussed in this paper.     

Exploring the relationship among learning patterns,personality traits,and academic performance in freshmen

Providing information about how 1st-year students learn may help colleges plan actions aimed at increasing students' persistence in higher education programs. This research aims to assess 1st-year students' academic performance, using a path analysis to establish inter-correlations among students' personality traits, learning patterns, high school achievement, and objectively measured outcomes. Participants included 509 freshmen from different academic disciplines. Results show a causality relations model in which Conscientiousness positively influences Sequential and Precise learning patterns as well as academic performance. The path model also confirms Extraversion as a negative antecedent of the Technical learning pattern. It is argued that knowing students is a primary step to putting them in a position to become an active part of the learning process.     

Crime scenes and mystery players! Using driving questions to support the development of statistical literacy

We argue that the development of statistical literacy is greatly supported by engaging students in carrying out statistical investigations. We describe the use of driving questions and interesting contexts to motivate two statistical investigations. The PPDAC cycle is use as an organizing framework to support the process statistical investigation.     

Patterns of literacy learning in German primary schools over the summer and the influence of home literacy practices

The ‘summer learning effect’ (SLE) is described as a stall or drop in achievement over summer, especially in schools serving poor or ‘minority’ communities. There has been little research in Europe on the effect, and research internationally has primarily focused on the effect in reading, with minimal focus on writing. This paper describes the extent and nature of the SLE in reading comprehension and writing in second grade classrooms in Germany. The SLE was evident in both subject areas with all students experiencing lower progress rates over summer. In reading, students attending the high‐income school progressed significantly more over summer than their low‐income peers, while there was no significant difference in writing progress over summer. Literacy logbooks over summer and interviews with a subset of students provided information on how home literacy practices influenced the effect.     

Exploring students' experiences of technical and vocational learning in University Technical Colleges during the pandemic

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are newly established (since 2010–11) technical and vocational secondary schools in England, catering for young people aged 14–19. The schools focus strongly on delivering vocational, alongside Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-focused academic, qualifications. The colleges have been introduced as a new means of improving technical and vocational education and training—a sector which in England has faced problems of low quality and low esteem—and in a wider international context of STEM-trained worker shortages. University Technical Colleges have been advertised as offering state-of-the-art vocational learning, involving access for students to the latest equipment and technologies in key industrial sectors, alongside extensive project-based learning in partnership with employers. However, how have UTC students fared in these respects since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns in 2020? In this paper we report on results from a survey of 252 students across two UTCs in England, exploring the technical and vocational learning experiences of these students during the exceptional 2019–20 academic year. Findings from the survey reveal lost learning and training opportunities during the pandemic, particularly where courses with practical elements relied on specific equipment and facilities that became inaccessible during lockdown. The survey also highlights disruptions to apprenticeship arrangements, work experience plans and other engagement with employers. Students in some instances have been effectively forced to stay on in education owing to reduced apprenticeship and employment opportunities for school-leavers. We find evidence of students adapting their aspirations and career goals to the new economic circumstances.