Factors influencing teacher appropriation of professional learning focused on the use of technology in science classrooms

Understanding factors that impact teacher implementation of learning from professional development is critical in order to maximize the educational and financial investment in teacher professional learning. This multi-case qualitative investigation elucidates factors that influence the appropriation of instructional tools associated with professional development focused on technology within science classrooms using activity theory as a theoretical framework. This framework has the capacity to account for multiple elements in professional learning. Implementation variability associated with professional development adoption drives this inquiry to search for better understandings of the appropriation of pedagogical practices. Purposeful sampling was used to identify four participants from a group of science teachers engaged in professional development designed to investigate how cyber-enabled technologies might enhance instruction and learning in eighth-grade science classrooms. The data from this investigation add to the literature of appropriation of instructional practices by connecting the conceptual and practical dispositions of teachers with an appropriation hierarchy.     

教育敏感性和教师行动中的实践性知识

在日常的课堂生活中,教师每一刻所做的、所说的,甚至什么都不做,都具有教育实践意义。无论教育目标或目的是什么,也不管教学中使用何种方法和手段,它们对教和学都有教育价值,都会产生教育效果。这些都是教师在和学生的交往活动中所体现出来的实践性知识,本文就是探究教师这种实践性知识的本质和意义。教师行动中的实践性知识需要教育敏感性,也可以说需要教育关切和机智,或身体化的、直觉的理解。     

A meta-analysis on the influence of gamification in formal educational settings on affective and behavioral outcomes

Educational technology research and development - The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gamification used in formal educational settings on student affective and behavioral...     

关系性思维中的一些重要关联——对中国和澳大利亚6～7年级学生进行的调查研究

近年来,关系性思维(relational thinking)的研究成为数学教育领域的一个热点问题.这一领域研究的主要目的之一就是促进学生从算术学习向代数学习的顺利过渡.利用带有一个未知数字和两个未知数字的数式,来探索学生在数式中运用关系性思维的能力与处理含有字母的式子的能力之间的重要关联.重点讨论学生对含有两个未知数字的数式和含有字母式子的不同类型的回答,以及学生在含有两个未知数字数式上的表现是如何影响他们在含有字母的式子上的表现.     

Comportements et attentes de formation continue chez les enseignants du secondaire

How do teachers in the second cycle regard in‐service training and what are their expectations? This article proposes to describe their attitudes on the basis of a postal survey carried out among a representative sample of teachers in lower and upper secondary schools and LEP (upper‐secondary vocational schools) in France. The survey brought in 2106 usable replies, of which a representative group of 988 replies have been analysed.

First it was noted that three‐quarters of the teachers had in the past had some in‐service training. It consisted of self‐training, done especially by reading and fairly short courses, bearing essentially on knowledge of the main subject and on the methods and techniques of teaching.

More than two‐thirds of the sample knew about academic plans of training, though in most Académies it was the first year of their existence. Half of them enrolled for at least one of the proposed courses and 60% of these candidates were accepted.

After multidimensional analysis of the expectations of contents, five concepts of training can be identified:

1. a traditional concept of didactic training, centred on the contents and methods of teaching, is widely shared by all the teachers;

2. a concept based on the ‘modern’ contribution of didactics, the pupil‐teacher relation and collaboration inside the institution;

3. a concept centred on pupils’ knowledge, external collaboration and innovation, (like the preceding one, this concept is shared above all by women, the young, vocational and general subjects teachers in the LEP);

4. a concept centred on interests not directly linked to classroom activities but related to teaching. It is especially held by vocational teachers in the LEP.

5. a concept centred on personal interests not directly linked to the teaching profession, especially held by men, the young, LEP teachers, auxiliary teachers and LEP teachers in technological teaching.

Teachers in the classical and modern upper secondary level and even more so the agrégé teachers are the ones who share the least in these concepts, except for the first one.     

Working memory capacity and reading skill moderate the effectiveness of strategy training in learning from hypertext

Cognitive and metacognitive strategies are particularly important for learning with hypertext. The effectiveness of strategy training, however, depends on available working memory resources. Thus, especially learners high on working memory capacity can profit from strategy training, while learners low on working memory capacity might easily be overtaxed. In addition, efficient basic reading comprehension processes are important for strategy training to be successful: When both the newly acquired strategies and poorly routinized basic reading comprehension processes compete for working memory resources, navigation within the hypertext and learning might deteriorate rather than improve. In an experiment, 64 undergraduates learned with a comprehensive expository hypertext after receiving either a cognitive or a metacognitive or no strategy training. In line with the predictions, learners high on working memory capacity or reading skill could profit from learning strategy training in terms of learning outcomes and the quality of their navigational behavior. Learners low on working memory capacity or reading skill, in contrast, performed worse in both training conditions compared to the control condition. The improvement in learning outcomes for skilled learners as well as the impairment in learning outcomes for unskilled learners could be shown to be indirect effects mediated by the quality of navigational behavior.     

Learning science by doing science: an authentic science process-learning model in postsecondary education

Research on understanding the full extent that an authentic science research experience engages students in how scientists think and act is sparse. ‘Learning-science-by-doing-science’ (LSDS) is an emerging self-guided process-learning model in postsecondary science education. It offers authentic science research opportunities that drive students to think and act like scientists. This study investigates the LSDS approach as a potential model for science learning at postsecondary level and aims to answer a main research inquiry – what are the students’ and teaching staff’s perceptions of students’ learning gains and the quality of their learning experiences in an authentic research environment within the LSDS model? To answer this question, data were collected from the students, alumni, instructors, teaching assistants and the program director via questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. Students’ and staff’s lived experiences and their perceptions on their authentic research experiences within the LSDS model were used to articulate the key attributes and stages of the LSDS model. The outcomes of this study can be used to help other science programs implement similar authentic research process learning approaches in their own contexts.     

Sex and acute weighted vest differences in force production and joint work during countermovement vertical jumping

It is unclear whether weighted vest (WV) use improves countermovement vertical jump (CMVJ) performance by enhancing stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) function via increased storage and utilisation of elastic strain energy. In is also unknown whether WV use stimulates different responses in men and women. WV effects on energy storage and utilisation during CMVJ were examined in men and women. Nine men (25 ± 3 y; 89.7 ± 18.7 kg; 1.8 ± 0.1 m) and 12 women (24 ± 3 y; 62.7 ± 10.3 kg; 1.6 ± 0.1 m) performed CMVJ wearing a WV with (loaded) and without (unloaded) 10% added mass while kinematic and ground reaction force (GRF) data were obtained. A longer eccentric sub-phase and increased storage of elastic strain energy occurred when loaded. Increased positive joint work occurred during the concentric portion of loaded CMVJ. Women exhibited less positive hip work and greater positive ankle work than men during the unloading and eccentric sub-phases, respectively. Joint work was similar between sexes during the concentric sub-phase, likely due to decreased trunk extension excursion in men when loaded. Women and men employ different SSC strategies during the CMVJ, though the different strategies do not alter energy storage or concentric mechanical output.     

Anthropometric characteristics of elite cricket fast bowlers

The aims of this study were to describe the current anthropometric profiles of elite Australian female and male cricket fast bowlers and establish a set of reference values useful for future investigations on player selection, talent identification, and training programme development. The participants were 26 female (mean age 22.5 years, s = 4.5; height 1.71 m, s = 0.05; body mass 66.2 kg, s = 7.5) and 26 male (mean age 23.9 years, s = 3.5; height 1.88 m, s = 0.05; body mass 87.9 kg, s = 8.2) fast bowlers. The anthropometric profiles included the measurement of skinfolds, and segment lengths, breadths, and girths. A series of derived variables assessing the distribution of subcutaneous adipose tissue, the bivariate overlap zone, relative body size and proportionality, and somatotype were also calculated. The male bowlers had larger length, breadth, and girth measurements than their female counterparts. There were differences in proportionality between the sexes, with only the male bowlers exhibiting characteristics that could be considered "large" relative to height. The female bowlers had a higher sum of seven skinfolds (P < 0.001), were more endomorphic (F(1,50) = 30.18, P < 0.001), and less mesomorphic (F(1,50 = 10.85, P < 0.01) than the male bowlers. These reference data should be useful to practitioners and researchers interested in cricket. Further research is needed to clarify why only male fast bowlers had variables that were proportionally large relative to height.