The influence of situational emotions on the intention for sustainable consumer behaviour in a student-centred intervention

Within the curriculum guidelines for Bavaria, we designed a hands-on educational programme for teaching sustainability with regard to agriculture, food and consumerism, partly implemented on a farm as an out-of-school learning setting. The participants were fifth graders (N?=?176). The research followed a quasi-experimental design and used the subscale consumerism of the General Ecological Behaviour Scale and situational emotions (interest, well-being, boredom) to focus data collection activities. The study monitored the students’ knowledge increase and their Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS) scores as possible influencing factors on environmental behaviour. After participation in the programme, while we found that the students intended to consume in more environmentally friendlier ways, this intention did not persistent over a seven-week time span, nor did it relate to the INS or knowledge scores. There was, however, a high correlation with positive situational emotions like interest (r?=?.46, p???.001) and well-being (r?=?.39, p???.001), and a negative correlation with boredom (r?=??.42, p???.001). We conclude that the ‘effect’ of the programme immediately measured after the intervention was strongly linked to situational (short-term) emotions, and should be considered in educational planning as well as the evaluation of sustainability teaching and learning.     

Promoting connectedness with nature through environmental education

It has been suggested that a positive human–nature relationship is essential for countering today’s environmental problems. Prior environmental education research has focused largely on knowledge or attitudinal outcomes, and few studies have examined the ability of environmental education programmes to promote connectedness with nature. Therefore, our goal was to (1) examine differences in connectedness with nature among a sample of children with differing ages and academic tracks, and (2) investigate whether environmental education can help promote and sustain connectedness with nature. With a pre-, post- and retention test design, we assessed a comprehensive four-day environmental education programme on water at a school field centre, using the inclusion of nature in self (INS) scale to identify the change in connectedness of 9–10-year-old pupils and 11–13-year-old pupils. We found that younger children and university-track pupils had higher INS scores than older children and general-education-track pupils, respectively. Participating in environmental education resulted in a robust short-term increase in connectedness with nature in both age groups. However, only the younger pupils’ connectedness remained sustained four weeks following the treatment. Environmental educators should keep in mind that strengthening connectedness to nature is more sustainable before the age of 11.     

A modified refutation text design: effects on instructional efficiency for experts and novices

Recently, cognitive load theory has been considered within conceptual change research. Although the effectiveness of refutation texts (RT) has been proven, the conceptual change process involved and the influencing factors remain unclear. To contribute to this research, we investigate the efficiency of pupils working with a modified RT design in which the alternative and scientific conceptions are not explicitly contrasted, and we examine the level of learner expertise as a possible influencing factor. We investigated the efficiency based on the scientific conceptions learned and the mental effort invested (reflecting cognitive load) during instruction (N = 195, 9th graders). Only pupils with high prior knowledge (experts) showed low efficiency and higher mental effort when dealing with alternative conceptions. Our results indicate that the experts did not profit from the mental effort they invested in the learning process, whereas the novices seemed to profit from their invested mental effort.     

Using dual Euler angles for the analysis of arm movement during the badminton smash

Camera techniques are typically used in the study of human movement. However, as the number of joints and markers involved in a study increases, data extraction and calculation become increasingly tedious and complicated. To overcome this challenge, we propose a method of study that simplifies data extraction and calculation by using an electrogoniometer and dual Euler angles. The contribution of the rotation of each arm segment to produce a racket head’s speed was identified in the context of a badminton smash. The contribution of each segment rotation was computed using dual velocity analysis. A set of orthogonal Cartesian frames was established for computing the anatomical rotational velocities for each of the three segments of the upper arm. Electrogoniometers were attached to the subjects during the execution of the smash to obtain measurements of joint angles throughout the motion. To test the algorithm, the calculated velocity of the racket head was compared to the measured velocity. The calculated velocity was derived from an algorithm, while the measured velocity was obtained from a video image. The results are similar, indicating that the dual velocity method is suitable for determining segmental velocities in such kinematic situations.     

Introducing Large-Scale Innovation in Schools

Education reform initiatives tend to promise higher effectiveness in classrooms especially when emphasis is given to e-learning and digital resources. Practical changes in classroom realities or school organization, however, are lacking. A major European initiative entitled Open Discovery Space (ODS) examined the challenge of modernizing school education via a large-scale implementation of an open-scale methodology in using technology-supported innovation. The present paper describes this innovation scheme which involved schools and teachers all over Europe, embedded technology-enhanced learning into wider school environments and provided training to teachers. Our implementation scheme consisted of three phases: (1) stimulating interest, (2) incorporating the innovation into school settings and (3) accelerating the implementation of the innovation. The scheme’s impact was monitored for a school year using five indicators: leadership and vision building, ICT in the curriculum, development of ICT culture, professional development support, and school resources and infrastructure. Based on about 400 schools, our study produced four results: (1) The growth in digital maturity was substantial, even for previously high scoring schools. This was even more important for indicators such as vision and leadership” and “professional development.” (2) The evolution of networking is presented graphically, showing the gradual growth of connections achieved. (3) These communities became core nodes, involving numerous teachers in sharing educational content and experiences: One out of three registered users (36 %) has shared his/her educational resources in at least one community. (4) Satisfaction scores ranged from 76 % (offer of useful support through teacher academies) to 87 % (good environment to exchange best practices). Initiatives such as ODS add substantial value to schools on a large scale.     

Association tests and outdoor ecology education

This paper deals with the analysis of written associative responses in the context of a week-long outdoor ecology education at a National Park (treatment). Firstly, 12–13 year old pupils were instructed to respond freely to two selected key words (“Environment” and “Conservation”) by listing all words that they associate with them. All observed associations were categorized into a preselected cluster of 8 (or 9) domains. Secondly, the same procedure was applied in a followup survey: For both key words, participation in the education programme influenced frequencies as well as the choice profiles themselves indicating an increase in positive emotional and conservational associations. Advantages and limitations of the method are discussed.     

Equity and Access: All Students are Mathematical Problem Solvers

Often mathematical instruction for students with disabilities, especially those with learning disabilities, includes an overabundance of instruction on mathematical computation and does not include high-quality instruction on mathematical reasoning and problem solving. In fact, it is a common misconception that students with learning disabilities are not strong problem solvers in general. This article highlights the inherent problem solving strengths that students with learning disabilities possess; how they use those skills to address everyday barriers and challenges, and how teachers can relate these skills to academic mathematical instruction. Additionally, practical classroom examples, suggested teaching strategies, and questions for further examinations are discussed.     

On the Impact of Learning Cycle Teaching on Austrian High School Students’ Emotions,Academic Self-Concept,Engagement, and Achievement

Research in Science Education - Over the past several decades, empirical support for inquiry-based forms of science teaching has accumulated. Critical voices, however, also exist, claiming that...