Individual and Sociocultural Views of Learning in Science Education

In this paper we consider how theories of learning can inform the practice of scienceteaching in formal settings. We describe two broad strands of learning theory that havebeen drawn upon in science education, namely individual and sociocultural views. Weshow how aspects of both views can usefully inform our understanding of teaching andlearning science in formal settings. A perspective on science learning in formal settingsis presented which draws on and develops features of both individual and socioculturalviews, and the implications of this perspective on science learning for research and practice are discussed. The paper concludes with reflections on some of the recent critiques of so-called `constructivist views of learning' in the light of the perspective developed.     

Childhood Experience and the Onset of Menarche: A Test of a Sociobiological Model

We tested predictions about psychosocial factors in the onset of menarche using data from a longitudinal study of 16-year-old girls. Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper have proposed a model that seeks to explain individual differences in maturational timing in terms of stressful childhood experiences. Their model hypothesizes that (1) individuals who grow up under conditions of family stress (2) experience behavioral and psychological problems which (3) provoke earlier reproductive readiness. In this study, the effect of family stressors on menarche was mediated by neither behavior problems nor weight, contrary to the predictions. However, the most provocative proposition advanced by Belsky et al. received empirical support. Family conflict and father absence in childhood predicted an earlier age of menarche, and these factors in combination with weight showed some evidence of an additive influence on menarche. A genetic inheritance model may provide a more parsimonious account of these data than does a conditional adaptation model derived from sociobiology.     

Lesson study: A collaborative approach to scholarship for teaching and learning in higher education

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning has become an important field of inquiry, focusing on the development of new and critical pedagogic approaches in higher education. It is a broad field leading to the emergence of a number of contrasting perspectives concerning the development of insights into teaching and learning. In this article, we explore the potential for Lesson Study to act as a framework for reflecting on and developing pedagogic practice in the university sector. Originating in Japan over a century ago, Lesson Study is a collaborative tool for analysing and developing understanding of student learning. This makes it an ideal tool for capturing and interrogating new and critical insights into teaching and learning. An outline framework is suggested for developing the use of Lesson Study in higher education and we discuss how it can form a positive methodology for extending the work of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.     

Using the Multiple Lenses of Identity: Working With Ethnic and Sexual Minority College Students

The authors discuss the complexities of working with clients with dual minority status (i.e., sexual orientation and ethnicity). The authors explore the multiple contexts that influence ethnic and sexual minority clients' self‐concept. A case illustration of a Puerto Rican lesbian college student is presented, and suggestions for implementing multiple lenses in counseling dual minority clients are offered.     

Instructional Procedures for Increasing Skill‐Deficient Fourth Graders’ Comprehension of Syntactic Structures

Comprehension of pronoun‐referent structures has been shown to cause difficulty for children throughout the middle grades. This study investigated the effectiveness of a pronoun‐specific approach using principles of systematic instruction in teaching students to identify pronoun antecedents and to answer factual questions based on this knowledge. This approach was contrasted to both a retell method (where the students practised paraphrasing the text) and a no intervention condition. Forty‐five fourth grade students (identified by a screening test as skill deficient) were randomly assigned to one of these three treatment groups. Students in both the pronoun‐specific and the retell group received 20 minutes of individual instruction per day for three consecutive days. On the day following treatment, all three groups were given two tests, one assessing the identification of pronoun‐referent structures and one requiring the child to answer factual questions based on the comprehension of these structures. Maintenance tests were given two weeks later. All passages in the teaching sessions and the test materials were selected from social studies or science texts currently approved for school district use. Results of an analysis of variance with planned comparisons indicated a significant difference favouring the pronoun‐specific group on the identification of pronoun antecedents. These results were also replicated on the maintenance test. No significant differences were found on measures of factual comprehension.     

Stimulated recall — An effective methodology for examining successful teaching in science

Previous research by the authors (Meade, McMeniman, Wilson, Kanes and Davey, 1991) indicated the effectiveness of the stimulated recall (SR) methodology for examining the knowledge bases underlying the classroom actions of effective teachers in secondary mathematics and science. This study investigates more fully the robustness of the SR technique with special reference to: (i) making explicit the implicit theories of teaching; and (ii) the ways in which teachers construe effective teaching and learning. It probes the teaching practices of one effective high school science teacher, and compares the findings to another such teacher from the 1991 study. The conclusions made are that despite its labour intensive and time consuming nature, SR is a useful methodology for gaining profound insight into the implicit theories and beliefs of teachers, and the relationship between beliefs and actions. In particular, these theories and beliefs mainly concentrate on general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.     

Controlled study of the impact on child behaviour problems of intensive interaction for children with ASD

Pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) received 6 months of intensive interaction or treatment as usual. They were assessed for behaviour problems at the start and end of the period, and changes were related to child and parent factors. Intensive interaction did not offer any greater advantages to child behaviour than treatment as usual. However, intensive interaction was more effective for pupils with less challenging behaviour. Levels of depression in mothers were related negatively to changes in child behaviours. These data suggest that intensive interaction may be of limited utility for reducing problem behaviours of pupils with ASD, but that the approach could be effective with less behaviourally challenging pupils and that levels of parent distress may reduce its impact.     

Using automatic machine assessment to teach computer programming

We report on an intervention in which informal programming labs were switched to a weekly machine-evaluated test for a second year Data Structures and Algorithms module. Using the online HackerRank system, we investigated whether greater constructive alignment between course content and the exam would result in lower failure rates. After controlling for known associates, a hierarchical regression model revealed that HackerRank performance was the best predictor of exam performance, accounting for 18% of the variance in scores. Extent of practice and confidence in programming ability emerged as additional significant predictors. Although students expressed negativity towards the automated system, the overall failure rate was halved, and the number of students gaining first class honours tripled. We infer that automatic machine assessment better prepares students for situations where they have to write code by themselves by eliminating reliance on external sources of help and motivating the development of self-sufficiency.