A case study of autonomy and motivation in a student-led game development project

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory case study into the relationship between student autonomy and motivation in project based learning, using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to frame the investigation. The case study explores how different forms of motivation affect the students’ response to challenges and their intention to complete the project. Earlier studies have made little explicit use of theoretical perspectives on student autonomy and motivation, a weakness this study attempts to address. As an exploratory case study seeking to evaluate the suitability of a particular theoretical framework, we chose a small case: three students on a one-term computer games development project. Given the small scale, the approach is necessarily qualitative, drawing on project documentation and one-to-one interviews with the students. Our conclusion is that the concepts of SDT provide a useful framework for analysing students’ motivations to undertake project work, and its predictions can offer useful guidance on how to initiate and supervise such projects.     

The developmental directions and tasks of the school based curriculum management system in Korea

The purpose of this paper is to inquire into the developmental directions and tasks of the School Based Curriculum Management(SBCM) system. The concept of the School Based Curriculum Management can be considered as a subsystem to School Based Management. The logics behind the SBCM system are autonomy, accountability, effectiveness, creativity, professionalism, and participation. The developmental directions of SBCM are to establish and implement the highly autonomous and participative SBCM, the diverse creative SBCM, the highly accountable SBCM, and the professional SBCM. The developmental tasks of SBCM suggested in this study are to establish the School Based Staff Development system, to practice the evaluation system that can control the quality of SBCM, to be managed by a strategic-layer management system, and to constitute the committee of school curriculum.     

学习风格与听力成绩的关系--对非英语专业学生听力学习状况调查报告

大学英语听力学习成绩与学习风格关系表明:听力成绩好的学生表现出较强的场独立型学习风格,而学习成绩差的表现出了没有实际意义的混合型学习风格,学习风格特别是独立型学习风格对于大学英语听力学习有意义;在大学英语听力教学过程中,学习成绩好的学生表现出了场独立学习风格的原因--自主学习强,而成绩不好的学生尽管表现了从理论上将有利于语言学习的混合型学习风格,但由于没有自主学习能力,学习成绩并不理想,因此学生的自主学习能力决定着他们的学习成绩.报告同时对于调查的前后两种结果,即学生整体表现出强的场独立学习风格(上)和听力成绩好的学生表现出场独立型学习风格与现实中大部分学生的听力能力并不理想的矛盾提出了疑问.     

促进主动学习(英文)

本文原是1997年10月在南平师专举办的“世行贷款师资发展项目闽、桂、赣英语学科教学法省级研讨班”讲座稿。笔者在提出了讨论观点后,探究了主动学习的概念。根据对一组亚洲学生,特别是对中国学生的研究结果,举出了好学生在学习语言(这里指外语)时选择的手段。为了将教育的主要重点从教师转向学生,笔者认为对那些好学生的反应我们应该谨慎对待,某种学习态度的改变也许会对学习效果产生影响。在这个过程中,笔者没有忘记教师。为此,文章还列举了参加研讨班教师们提出的有关促进主动学习的建议,供大家今后能有效地进行学习者培训作参考。     

Making sense of research-based learning in teacher education

Research-based learning challenges teacher educators to rethink pedagogical strategies, particularly so in a context where views about the role of research in pre-service teachers' professional development are contested. The views of academics implementing a research-based learning course in teacher education are examined through qualitative semi-structured interviews in order to understand how learning autonomy is fostered. Variation was found in what teacher educators thought the course was intended to achieve and in their teaching strategies. The basis for pedagogical decision-making appeared to be their own research learning experiences. Implications for teacher education and for implementing research-based learning more generally are discussed.     

When teachers learn how to provide classroom structure in an autonomy-supportive way: Benefits to teachers and their students

In two experimentally-based and longitudinally-designed studies, secondary-level PE teachers were randomly assigned to participate or not in a new intervention to help them learn all of the following: support autonomy, provide structure, and provide structure in an autonomy-supportive way. In Study 1, teachers who participated in the intervention showed longitudinal gains in all five hypothesized teacher benefits (e.g., teaching efficacy, job satisfaction). In Study 2, students of teachers who participated in the intervention showed longitudinal gains in all four hypothesized student benefits (e.g., classroom engagement, skill development). Overall, teachers and students benefited after teachers provided structure in an autonomy-supportive way.     

国际上博士生规模与名额分配机制的案例研究

我国著名高校的博士生培养往往面临着院系和导师之间争夺博士生名额的问题.为了解国外是否存在类似问题及其解决方式,本文作者对美国的俄亥俄州和乔治·华盛顿大学、英国的诺丁汉大学和香港的情况进行了调研.研究发现,这些学校并没有出现博士培养方面的供需矛盾,主要原因在于,国际上普遍的做法是层层放权,最后的决定权集中在基层的研究中心以及教师个体手中.这对我国高校的博士生名额分配机制有一定的启发意义.     

外语自主学习模式中词汇随机性测试系统的开发与应用

文章探索了用微软office工具Excel实现外语词汇随机性测试的方法,提出的词汇随机测试模型包括测试词语抽取随机性和受试学生选择随机性两个维度。提出的周期性随机测试模型遵循人类大脑记忆原则,符合大脑的记忆遗忘规律,可以用作外语自主学习模式中学生形成性评价的一个重要工具。     

Longitudinal relations between perceived autonomy support and basic need satisfaction in two student cohorts

The relation between autonomy support and basic need satisfaction was investigated by applying a longitudinal design at a time interval of two years, and by comparing two different grade level cohorts of students. Participants comprised 1.225 Norwegian students divided by two subsamples (6th and 8th grade level/8th and 10th grade level). The results showed stationary effects of autonomy support and basic need satisfaction, respectively, from Time 1 to Time 2. There was also evidence of a causal effect from T1 to T2 between autonomy support and basic need satisfaction, and reciprocal causation from basic need satisfaction T1 to autonomy support T2. These effects were grade level and gender specific. The present study provided support for longitudinal relations between autonomy support and basic need satisfaction. Autonomy support and basic need satisfaction are both antecedents to and consequences of themselves, also when measured at long term intervals.     

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on the Perception of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction among Special Education Students

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have been increasingly implemented in schools to foster better emotional regulation skills for students with special education needs such as learning disabilities (LDs). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of a MBI on the need satisfaction of elementary students with severe LDs. A prospective quasi-experimental design involving one group and two time points was employed. A sample of 14 elementary school students from a severe LDs special education class participated in this project. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted and revealed a significant reduction in need satisfaction, with a large effect size (η² = .35). Contrary to our hypothesis, the MBI appeared to be negatively related to need satisfaction among participants. These results indicate that MBIs could be linked with better self-evaluation skills in students with severe LDs, which, in turn, may change (or increase the accuracy of) the perception that children have of their own need satisfaction.