Students integrate knowledge acquisition and practical work in the laboratory.

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Agüera, E I; Sánchez-Hermosín, P; Díz-Pérez, J; Tovar, P; Camacho, R; Escribano, B M

2015-09-01

The aim of the present work was to transfer a wider concept of teamwork and self-learning to the laboratory, encouraging students' capabilities when seeking, acquiring, and processing knowledge. This educational innovation was carried out with a total of 38 students (fourth year of degree in Biology) in the area of physiology (Advances in Reproduction course) at University of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain. The design of the project's application methodology consisted of establishing a way in which problems would be tackled in the practical classes. For this purpose, the different tasks were set up so that students could relate them to the concepts learned in the theory classes. On the first day of class, the project was presented to the students. Groups of two to three students worked in the laboratory and set up an outline of the protocol of the practical work that they had done. This outline was performed individually and sent to the lecturers through a learning management system (Moodle). The teachers gave feedback and assessed student submissions. Upon finishing the course, students completed a survey. The project-based learning method promotes practical self-learning on the part of students. This methodology demonstrated to us that it stimulates a critical and self-critical capacity in students, both individually and in groups, and that writing didactic practical material helped students to enhance their theory knowledge. The experiment was a success in view of the scores obtained upon finishing the subject. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Improving Student Success in Calculus: A Comparison of Four College Calculus Classes

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Bagley, Spencer Franklin

The quality of education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is an issue of particular educational and economic importance, and Calculus I is a linchpin course in STEM major tracks. A national study is currently being conducted examining the characteristics of successful programs in college calculus (CSPCC, 2012). In work related to the CSPCC program, this study examines the effects on student outcomes of four different teaching strategies used at a single institution. The four classes were a traditional lecture, a lecture with discussion, a lecture incorporating both discussion and technology, and an inverted model. This dissertation was guided by three questions: (1) What impact do these four instructional approaches have on students' persistence, beliefs about mathematics, and conceptual and procedural achievement in calculus? (2) How do students at the local institution compare to students in the national database? And (3) How do the similarities and differences in opportunities for learning presented in the four classes contribute to the similarities and differences in student outcomes? Quantitative analysis of surveys and exams revealed few statistically significant differences in outcomes, and students in the inverted classroom often had poorer outcomes than those in other classes. Students in the technology-enhanced class scored higher on conceptual items on the final exam than those in other classes. Comparing to the national database, local students had similar switching rates but less expert-like attitudes and beliefs about mathematics than the national average. Qualitative analysis of focus group interviews, classroom observations, and student course evaluations showed that several implementation issues, some the result of pragmatic constraints, others the result of design choice, weakened affordances provided by innovative features and shrunk the differences between classes. There were substantial differences between the

Effectiveness of Student Learning during Experimental Work in Primary School.

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Logar, Ana; Peklaj, Cirila; Ferk Savec, Vesna

2017-09-01

The aim of the research was to optimize the effectiveness of student learning based on experimental work in chemistry classes in Slovenian primary schools. To obtain evidence about how experimental work is implemented during regular chemistry classes, experimental work was videotaped during 19 units of chemistry lessons at 12 Slovenian primary schools from the pool of randomly selected schools. Altogether 332 eight-grade students were involved in the investigation, with an average age of 14.2 years. Students were videotaped during chemistry lessons, and their worksheets were collected afterward. The 12 chemistry teachers, who conducted lessons in these schools, were interviewed before the lessons; their teaching plans were also collected. The collected data was analyzed using qualitative methods. The results indicate that many teachers in Slovenian primary schools are not fully aware of the potential of experimental work integrated into chemistry lessons for the development of students' experimental competence. Further research of the value of different kinds of training to support teachers for the use of experimental work in chemistry teaching is needed.

Student versus Faculty Perceptions of Missing Class.

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Sleigh, Merry J.; Ritzer, Darren R.; Casey, Michael B.

2002-01-01

Examines and compares student and faculty attitudes towards students missing classes and class attendance. Surveys undergraduate students (n=231) in lower and upper level psychology courses and psychology faculty. Reports that students found more reasons acceptable for missing classes and that the amount of in-class material on the examinations…

Sleep and sleepiness among working and non-working high school evening students.

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Teixeira, Liliane Reis; Lowden, Arne; Turte, Samantha Lemos; Nagai, Roberta; Moreno, Claudia Roberta de Castro; Latorre, Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira; Fischer, Frida Marina

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate patterns of sleepiness, comparing working and non-working students. The study was conducted on high school students attending evening classes (19:00-22:30 h) at a public school in São Paulo, Brazil. The study group consisted of working (n=51) and non-working (n=41) students, aged 14-21 yrs. The students answered a questionnaire about working and living conditions and reported health symptoms and diseases. For seven consecutive days, actigraphy measurements were recorded, and the students also filled in a sleep diary. Sleepiness ratings were given six times per day, including upon waking and at bedtime, using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. Statistical analyses included three-way ANOVA and t-test. The mean sleep duration during weekdays was shorter among workers (7.2 h) than non-workers (8.8 h) (t=4.34; pSleep efficiency was lower on Fridays among non-workers. Working students were moderately sleepier than non-workers during the week and also during class on specific days: Mondays (13:00-15:00 h), Wednesdays (19:00-22:00 h), and Fridays (22:00-00:59 h). The study found that daytime sleepiness of workers is moderately higher in the evening. This might be due to a work effect, reducing the available time for sleep and shortening the sleep duration. Sleepiness and shorter sleep duration can have a negative impact on the quality of life and school development of high school students.

Increasing Student Engagement with Practical Classes through Online Pre-Lab Quizzes

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Cann, Alan J.

2016-01-01

Laboratory practicals classes are an essential component of all science degrees, but are a pinch point because of rising student numbers, rising student expectations and falling student exposure to laboratory work prior to entering higher education. Augmentation of physical laboratory work with online interventions is not new, but as virtual…

Teachers' Assessment of ESL Students in Mainstream Classes: Challenges, Strategies, and Decision-Making

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Cheng, Liying; Milnes, Terry

2008-01-01

Given the increasing numbers of ESL students in Canadian classrooms, this study investigated how teachers of mainstream classes assess the written work of ESL students and whether they use different assessment strategies for ESL versus non-ESL students. Interviews were conducted with seven mainstream teachers from a private high school in Ontario.…

"SCAFFOLDING" STUDENTS' WRITING IN EFL CLASS: IMPLEMENTING PROCESS APPROACH

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Ekaning Dewanti Laksmi

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The writing process approach views a writing learner as a creator of text, and hence, he needs to experience what writers actually do as they write, and so do students in EFL writing classes. The approach offers an answer to the need of helping the students develop their writing skill without their having to master the basic fundamental elements of writing, i.e. grammar, prior to attending the writing courses. This article highlights the potential of the process approach-with which students go through a write-rewrite process-in giving students a scaffold to work in a real, live process of how a real writer engages in the process of writing. However, the most important harvest is the fact that students have become more confident in expressing their ideas in writings.

Lecture classes in human anatomy: the students' perceptions.

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Kar, Maitreyee; Roy, Hironmoy; Ghosh, Anasuya; Tapadar, Arunabha; Chowdhury, Subhramoy; Mukherjee, Pranab; Jana, Tapan Kumar

2013-06-01

The human anatomy, or in brief, the body structure has fascinated man for ages. Due to the information explosion and the increase in specializations, this knowledge is available in a very sketchy manner in high school biology courses. The first comprehensive course on the human anatomy is taught to the first year medical students in medical colleges. This is in keeping with the regulations of the Medical Council of India. The anatomy lecture classes occupy a considerable time of the course, to provide the students with an effective knowledge of the gross anatomy, histology, embryology and the clinical anatomy. On the other hand, the students' feedback regarding the lecture methods and the teaching environment is crucial in judging the efficacy of the present curriculum. To obtain the students' feedback about the environment of the lecture classes, as regards the venue, the teaching and learning aids which are used, the lecture class schedule of the university (the number of classes per week, the durations of the lecture classes, etc.) and the existing departmental practices (display of the class routine in advance, synchronization between the lecture and the practical classes), so that their suggestions could help the faculty in planning the most effective teaching procedures. A semi structured questionnaire was supplied to the students to get their feedback. Most of the students found the air conditioned seminar room's environment to be more comfortable and they supported the existing durations of the lecture hours with the combined use of chalk and a board and overhead projectors (OHPs). The perceptions of the learners helped in modifying the departmental practice in the desired way.

Working-Class Boys, Educational Success and the Misrecognition of Working-Class Culture

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Ingram, Nicola

2009-01-01

This article contributes to the theory of institutional habitus by exploring the differing ways in which the institutional habitus of two schools in Belfast, Northern Ireland mediates the local habitus of working-class boys. All of the boys in this qualitative case study live in the same disadvantaged working-class community but attend two…

Work-life balance/imbalance: the dominance of the middle class and the neglect of the working class.

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Warren, Tracey

2015-12-01

The paper was stimulated by the relative absence of the working class from work-life debates. The common conclusion from work-life studies is that work-life imbalance is largely a middle-class problem. It is argued here that this classed assertion is a direct outcome of a particular and narrow interpretation of work-life imbalance in which time is seen to be the major cause of difficulty. Labour market time, and too much of it, dominates the conceptualization of work-life and its measurement too. This heavy focus on too much labour market time has rendered largely invisible from dominant work-life discourses the types of imbalance that are more likely to impact the working class. The paper's analysis of large UK data-sets demonstrates a reduction in hours worked by working-class men, more part-time employment in working-class occupations, and a substantial growth in levels of reported financial insecurity amongst the working classes after the 2008-9 recession. It shows too that economic-based work-life imbalance is associated with lower levels of life satisfaction than is temporal imbalance. The paper concludes that the dominant conceptualization of work-life disregards the major work-life challenge experienced by the working class: economic precarity. The work-life balance debate needs to more fully incorporate economic-based work-life imbalance if it is to better represent class inequalities. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2015.

Motivating students to read the textbook before class

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Pepper, Rachel E.

2016-11-01

Many faculty in STEM courses assign textbook reading in advance of lecture, yet evidence shows few students actually read the textbook. Those students that do read often do so only after the material has been presented in class. Preparing for class by reading the textbook beforehand improves student learning and is particularly critical for classes that employ active engagement strategies. Here I present strategies I have used to successfully motivate my students to read the textbook before class in physics classes ranging from introductory algebra-based physics to advanced courses for physics majors. In the introductory course, I used pre-class reading quizzes, a common strategy that has been shown effective in previous studies, but one that is somewhat time-consuming to implement. In my more advanced courses I used reading reflections, which required considerably less time. While it was typical for less than 25% of students to read the textbook before I implemented reading quizzes or reflections, after implementing these strategies 70-90% of students reported reading the textbook before class most of the time. Students also report finding both the readings themselves and the quizzes and reflections valuable for their learning.

Playing at Work: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender with Power Structures of Work and Production.

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Corrado, Marisa; Glasberg, Davita Silfen; Merenstein, Beth; Peele, Melanie R.

2000-01-01

Focuses on an exercise where students were assigned social roles based on gender, class, and race and then selected division of labor and reward structures in order to explore inequality in work and production. Offers a review of literature on the power structure of work and production and an evaluation of the exercise. (CMK)

Social Class in Family Therapy Education: Experiences of Low SES Students

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McDowell, Teresa; Brown, Andrae' L.; Cullen, Nicole; Duyn, April

2013-01-01

In this article, we report the results of a national survey of students in COAMFTE-accredited family therapy programs who self-identify as coming from lower- or working-class backgrounds. Results of the study reveal opportunity and tension relative to family, friends, and community because of social mobility associated with graduate education.…

Strategies to Improve Learning of All Students in a Class

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Suraishkumar, G. K.

2018-01-01

The statistical distribution of the student learning abilities in a typical undergraduate engineering class poses a significant challenge to simultaneously improve the learning of all the students in the class. With traditional instruction styles, the students with significantly high learning abilities are not satisfied due to a feeling of…

Undergraduate students as co-producers in the creation of first-year practical class resources

OpenAIRE

Hubbard, KE; Brown, R; Deans, S; García, MP; Pruna, M-G; Mason, Matthew James

2017-01-01

Undergraduate students are increasingly working with academic staff to evaluate and design teaching materials in Higher Education, thereby moving from being passive consumers of knowledge to genuine partners in their education. Here we describe a student partnership project run at the University of Cambridge, which aimed to improve undergraduate biology practical class teaching. Student interns were recruited to act as researchers, pedagogical consultants and producers of teaching resources. ...

Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes.

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Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D; Klotz, Leidy

2017-08-01

We report on a study of the effect of peers' interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students' STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students' experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students' STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students' intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance.

Hybrid teaching method for undergraduate student in Marine Geology class in Indonesia

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Yusuf Awaluddin, M.; Yuliadi, Lintang

2016-04-01

Bridging Geosciences to the future generations in interesting and interactive ways are challenging for lecturers and teachers. In the past, one-way 'classic' face-to-face teaching method has been used as the only alternative for undergraduate's Marine Geology class in Padjadjaran University, Indonesia. Currently, internet users in Indonesia have been increased significantly, among of them are young generations and students. The advantage of the internet as a teaching method in Geosciences topic in Indonesia is still limited. Here we have combined between the classic and the online method for undergraduate teaching. The case study was in Marine Geology class, Padjadjaran University, with 70 students as participants and 2 instructors. We used Edmodo platform as a primary tool in our teaching and Dropbox as cloud storage. All online teaching activities such as assignment, quiz, discussion and examination were done in concert with the classic one with proportion 60% and 40% respectively. We found that the students had the different experience in this hybrid teaching method as shown in their feedback through this platform. This hybrid method offers interactive ways not only between the lecturers and the students but also among students. Classroom meeting is still needed to expose their work and for general discussion.Nevertheless, the only problem was the lack of internet access in the campus when all our students accessing the platform at the same time.

The Construction of Social Class in Social Work Education: A Study of Introductory Textbooks

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Strier, Roni; Feldman, Guy; Shdaimah, Corey

2012-01-01

Social work introductory textbooks reflect myriad practical interests, pedagogical concerns, and theoretical considerations. However, they also present students with accepted views, dominant perspectives, and main discourses of knowledge. In light of this centrality, the present article examines the representation of the concept of "social class"…

Attitudes of Jordanian Students Towards Using Group Work in EFL Classrooms

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Sana' Ababneh

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses itself to the outcomes of a field study which was carried out to identify Jordanian EFL students' attitudes towards using group work in EFL classrooms. The study sample consisted of 179 students enrolled in English 101, an elementary language skills course taught at Al- Huson University College, Al -Balqa' Applied University, Jordan. A questionnaire was used to investigate the subjects' attitudes. The findings show that approximately two-thirds of the participants are either very extrovert or somewhat extrovert, i.e. they have positive attitudes towards participating in group work in EFL classes. In contrast, only a third are either somewhat introvert or very introvert, i.e., they do not like to take part in group work in EFL classes. Moreover, the data show that neither the subjects' gender nor their secondary school stream (vocational, scientific, or literary has any significant effect on their preferences.

Strategies to improve learning of all students in a class

Science.gov (United States)

Suraishkumar, G. K.

2018-05-01

The statistical distribution of the student learning abilities in a typical undergraduate engineering class poses a significant challenge to simultaneously improve the learning of all the students in the class. With traditional instruction styles, the students with significantly high learning abilities are not satisfied due to a feeling of unfulfilled potential, and the students with significantly low learning abilities feel lost. To address the challenge in an undergraduate core/required course on 'transport phenomena in biological systems', a combination of learning strategies such as active learning including co-operative group learning, challenge exercises, and others were employed in a pro-advising context. The short-term and long-term impacts were evaluated through student course performances and input, respectively. The results show that it is possible to effectively address the challenge posed by the distribution of student learning abilities in a class.

The Work of Ideology: Examining Class, Language Use, and Attitudes among Moroccan University Students

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Chakrani, Brahim; Huang, Jason L.

2014-01-01

This article investigates overt language attitudes and linguistic practices among French-taught university students in Morocco, showing the relationship between language behavior and attitudes. The results reveal a class-based divide in respondents' patterns of language use, in their support of the French monolingual sanitized classroom, and in…

Achievement Flourishes in Larger Classes: Secondary School Students in Most Countries Achieved Better Literacy in Larger Classes

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Alharbi, Abeer A.; Stoet, Gijsbert

2017-01-01

There is no consensus among academics about whether children benefit from smaller classes. We analysed the data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to test if smaller classes lead to higher performance. Advantages of using this data set are not only its size (478,120 15-year old students in 63 nations) and…

Intersectionality and Social Work: Omissions of Race, Class, and Sexuality in Graduate School Education

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Bubar, Roe; Cespedes, Karina; Bundy-Fazioli, Kimberly

2016-01-01

In 2008 EPAS Standards on "Engaging Diversity and Difference in Practice" (2.1.4) added intersectionality (a theory developed by feminist of color) as one aspect to understand diversity, difference, and power in social work curriculum. We consider how intersectionality is omitted in graduate student learning even when class assignments…

Comparing Ratings: In-Class (Paper) vs. out of Class (Online) Student Evaluations

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Mau, Ronald R.; Opengart, Rose A.

2012-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used by institutions of higher learning in the tenure and promotion process and in awarding merit pay increases. The trend at some institutions has been towards using an online student assessment instrument (SAI) in lieu of the traditional paper-based, in-class assessment. This study examines the…

The Characteristics and Extent of Participation of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Regular Classes in Australian Schools.

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Power, Des; Hyde, Merv

2002-01-01

A national randomly selected survey of a sample of deaf and hard-of-hearing students included in regular classes from kindergarten to high school in Australian preschools and schools was conducted via a questionnaire to itinerant teachers working with such students. This article reports the analysis of a questionnaire that surveyed the demographic characteristics of such students and a set of characteristics of their behavior in their placement in terms of "participation" in aspects of regular class activities. These aspects were level of integration, academic participation, level of independence, and social participation. Data are reported and analyzed in terms of the above demographic and participatory characteristics of the students. We consider comparisons with comparable reports from the United States and Great Britain and discuss implications for deaf and hard-of-hearing students included in regular classes.

Measuring Social Capital among First-Generation and Non-First-Generation, Working-Class, White Males

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Moschetti, Roxanne; Hudley, Cynthia

2008-01-01

Social capital is a useful theory for understanding the experiences of working class, first-generation college students. Social capital is the value of a relationship that provides support and assistance in a given social situation. According to social capital theory, networks of relationships can aid students in managing an otherwise unfamiliar…

Computer Game Design Classes: The Students' and Professionals' Perspectives

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Swacha, Jakub; Skrzyszewski, Adam; Syslo, Wojciech A.

2010-01-01

There are multiple reasons that justify teaching computer game design. Its multi-aspectual nature creates opportunity to develop, at the same time, creativity, technical skills and ability to work in team. Thinking of game design classes, one needs direction on what to focus on so that the students could benefit the most. In this paper, we present…

The Relationship between Student Motivation and Class Engagement Levels

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Nayir, Funda

2017-01-01

Purpose: Student engagement and interest in class are important conditions for active learning. For this they must be highly motivated. In other words, students who have high motivation make an effort to be engaged in class. Thus, knowing students' motivation level is important for active engagement in class. The aim of the present study is to…

First-Year and Non-First-Year Student Expectations Regarding In-Class and Out-of-Class Learning Activities in Introductory Biology †

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Brown, Tanya L.; Brazeal, Kathleen R.; Couch, Brian A.

2017-01-01

National calls for teaching transformation build on a constructivist learning theory and propose that students learn by actively engaging in course activities and interacting with other students. While interactive pedagogies can improve learning, they also have the potential to challenge traditional norms regarding class participation and learning strategies. To better understand the potential openness of students to interactive teaching practices, we administered a survey during the first week of two sections of an introductory biology course to characterize how students envisioned spending time during class as well as what activities they expected to complete outside of class during non-exam weeks and in preparation for exams. Additionally, we sought to test the hypothesis that the expectations of first-year students differed from those of non-first-year students. Analyses of closed-ended and open-ended questions revealed that students held a wide range of expectations and that most students expressed expectations consistent with some degree of transformed teaching. Furthermore, first-year students expected more active learning in class, more out-of-class coursework during non-exam weeks, and more social learning strategies than non-first-year students. We discuss how instructor awareness of incoming student expectations might be used to promote success in introductory science courses. PMID:28512514

Comparing Levels of Professional Satisfaction in Preschool Teachers Whose Classes Include or Do Not Include a Special-Needs Student

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Koyutürk, Nazife; Sahbaz, Ümit

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the professional satisfaction of the preschool teachers in whose class there is a student with special needs to the preschool teachers in whose class there are not any students with special needs. The research study group was composed of 185 pre-school teachers who work in the city and county center in…

Teachers' Perspectives of Lower Secondary School Students in Streamed Classes--A Western Australian Case Study

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Johnston, Olivia; Wildy, Helen

2018-01-01

Streaming in secondary schools is not beneficial for improving student outcomes of education with vast amounts of educational research indicating that it does not improve academic results and increases inequity. Yet teachers often prefer working in streamed classes, and research shows that teachers mediate the effects of streaming on students.…

A comparison of the effects of computer-enhanced with traditional instruction on the learning outcomes of high-school students in anatomy classes

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Kim, Norma B.

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effects of computer-enhanced instruction (CEI), using A.D.A.M.sp°ler The Inside Story (1997a) anatomy software, compared with traditional instruction (TI) on student learning outcomes in high school anatomy classes. Learning outcomes are comprised of student achievement. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine whether there were relationships between learning style theories and student learning outcomes. The study was conducted in two human anatomy classes at a suburban high school near Pittsburgh. One class was chosen randomly to receive CEI. The other class received identical instruction but with no software enhancement. The same instructor taught both classes. Before the study began, the Thurstone and Jeffrey Closure Flexibility Test was administered to measure students' visual perception levels and classify them as either visually perceptive or nonvisually perceptive. The Dunn Dunn and Price Learning Style Inventory was administered to the students to identify their learning styles. CEI students worked in groups at computers using A.D.A.M.sp°ler software. Students in the TI class worked in groups on word processors for written assignments. Students in both classes received the same lectures, assignments, and study guides. After the three-week instruction period, a posttest was administered to each student in both classes to compare their achievement in the endocrine unit. Two way ANOVA revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean posttest scores of students who received CEI and TI. However, a significant difference in mean posttest scores was found between visually perceptive students and nonvisually perceptive students (p < .01). There was no interaction between the instruction methods and students' visual perception levels. Regardless of the type of instruction received, visually perceptive students scored higher than nonvisually perceptive students on the posttest

Running Shoes, Auto Workers, and Labor: Business Writing Pedagogy in the Working-Class College.

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Mazurek, Raymond A.

2002-01-01

Considers how the introductory business writing course is appropriate for the development of critical literacy, especially for students at second-tier, working-class colleges. Notes that the opposition between labor and management offers rich opportunities for the critical examination of corporate rhetoric, opportunities that are as relevant in…

Social-Class Differences in Consumer Choices: Working-Class Individuals Are More Sensitive to Choices of Others Than Middle-Class Individuals.

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Na, Jinkyung; McDonough, Ian M; Chan, Micaela Y; Park, Denise C

2016-04-01

The present research shows that, when making choices, working-class Americans are more affected by others' opinions than middle-class Americans due to differences in independent versus interdependent self-construal. Experiment 1 revealed that when working-class Americans made decisions to buy products, they were more influenced by the choices of others than middle-class Americans. In contrast, middle-class Americans were more likely to misremember others' choices to be consistent with their own choices. In other words, working-class Americans adjusted their choices to the preference of others, whereas middle-class Americans distorted others' preferences to fit their choices. Supporting our prediction that this social-class effect is closely linked to the independent versus interdependent self-construal, we showed that the differences in self-construal across cultures qualified the social-class effects on choices (Experiment 2). Moreover, when we experimentally manipulated self-construal in Experiment 3, we found that it mediated the corresponding changes in choices regardless of social class. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Improving student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment introductory physics class

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Salehzadeh Einabad, Omid

Introductory physics courses often serve as gatekeepers for many scientific and engineering programs and, increasingly, colleges are relying on large, lecture formats for these courses. Many students, however, leave having learned very little physics and with poor views of the subject. In interactive engagement (IE), classroom activities encourage students to engage with each other and with physics concepts and to be actively involved in their own learning. These methods have been shown to be effective in introductory physics classes with small group recitations. This study examined student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment course that included IE methods with no separate, small-group recitations. In this study, a large, lecture-based course included activities that had students explaining their reasoning both verbally and in writing, revise their ideas about physics concepts, and apply their reasoning to various problems. The questions addressed were: (a) What do students learn about physics concepts and how does student learning in this course compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, (b) Do students' views of physics change and how do students' views of physics compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, and (c) Which of the instructional strategies contribute to student learning in this course? Data included: pre-post administration of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), classroom exams during the term, pre-post administration of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), and student work, interviews, and open-ended surveys. The average normalized gain (=0.32) on the FCI falls within the medium-gain range as reported in the physics education literature, even though the average pre-test score was very low (30%) and this was the instructor's first implementation of IE methods. Students' views of physics remained relatively unchanged by instruction

Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Katelyn M; Brownell, Sara E

As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students' LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. © 2016 K. M. Cooper and S. E. Brownell. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Happy classes make happy students: Classmates' well-being predicts individual student well-being.

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King, Ronnel B; Datu, Jesus Alfonso

2017-12-01

Student well-being has mostly been studied as an individual phenomenon with little research investigating how the well-being of one's classmates could influence a student's well-being. The aim of the current study was to examine how the aggregate well-being of students who comprise a class could predict students' subsequent well-being (Time 2 well-being) after controlling for the effects of prior well-being (Time 1 well-being) as well as key demographic variables such as gender and age. Two studies among Filipino secondary school students were conducted. In Study 1, 788 students from 21 classes participated; in Study 2, 404 students from 10 classes participated. For Study 1, questionnaires assessing students' life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect were administered twice seven months apart. For Study 2, the well-being questionnaires were administered twice, three months apart. Hierarchical linear modeling was used with level 1 (Time 1 individual well-being, gender, and age) and level 2 (class well-being) predictors. Results across the two studies provided converging lines of evidence: students who were in classes with higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect were also more likely to have higher life satisfaction and positive affect at Time 2. The study indicated that the well-being of a student partly depends on the well-being of their classmates providing evidence for the social contagion of well-being in the classroom context. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Note-Taking for Middle-School Students with Learning Disabilities in Science Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, Joseph R.

2010-01-01

While today's teachers use a variety of teaching methods in middle-school science classes, lectures and note-taking still comprise a major portion of students' class time. To be successful in these classes, middle-school students need effective listening and note-taking skills. Students with learning disabilities (LD) are poor note-takers, which…

A Revised Pilot Study Examining the Effects of the Timing and Size of Classes on Student Performance in Introductory Accounting Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, David E., Sr.; Scott, John

2014-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the effects of the timing of classes and class size on student performance in introductory accounting courses. Factors affecting student success are important to all stakeholders in the academic community. Previous studies have shown mixed results regarding the effects of class size on student success…

Language Use in a Multilingual Class: a Study of the Relation Between Bilingual Students' Languages and Their Meaning-Making in Science

Science.gov (United States)

Ünsal, Zeynep; Jakobson, Britt; Molander, Bengt-Olov; Wickman, Per-Olof

2017-04-01

In this study, we examine how bilingual students in elementary school use their languages and what this means for their meaning-making in science. The class was multilingual with students bilingual in different minority languages and the teacher monolingual in Swedish. The analysis is based on a pragmatic approach and the theory of translanguaging. The science content was electricity, and the teaching involved class instruction and hands-on activities in small groups. The findings of the study are divided into two categories, students' conversations with the teacher and student's conversations with each other. Since the class was multilingual, the class instruction was carried out in Swedish. Generally, when the conversations were characterised by an initiation, response and evaluation pattern, the students made meaning of the activities without any language limitations. However, when the students, during whole class instruction, were engaged in conversations where they had to argue, discuss and explain their ideas, their language repertoire in Swedish limited their possibilities to express themselves. During hands-on activities, students with the same minority language worked together and used both of their languages as resources. In some situations, the activities proceeded without any visible language limitations. In other situations, students' language repertoire limited their possibilities to make meaning of the activities despite being able to use both their languages. What the results mean for designing and conducting science lessons in a multilingual class is discussed.

Changing Social Work Students' Perceptions of the Role of Government in a Policy Class

Science.gov (United States)

Granruth, Laura Brierton; Kindle, Peter A.; Burford, Michael L.; Delavega, Elena; Johnson, David H.; Peterson, Susan; Caplan, Mary A.

2018-01-01

Understanding student political attitudes--feelings about government and perceptions of its role--has long been of interest to social scientists. One factor that may influence political attitudes is belief in a just world, a complex psychological construct well established in the literature. Our study explores changes in social work students'…

Mentor Social Capital, Individual Agency and Working-Class Student Learning Outcomes: Revisiting the Structure/Agency Dialectic

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Lovett, Trevor William

2014-01-01

This investigation explores factors that contributed to the disparate learning identities of two white baby-boomer brothers from the same working-class family. The research, part of a broader phenomenological study into the influences of working-class masculinities and schooling offers an insight into the individual family members' differential…

Teacher interpersonal behaviour and student attitudes in Brunei primary science classes classes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scott, R.; Brok, den P.J.; Fisher, D.; Staver, J.; Zandvliet, D.; Tillotson, J.; Anderson, C. W.; Crawley, F.

2004-01-01

This study investigated relationships between students’ perceptions of their teachers’ interpersonal behaviour and their subject-related attitude in primary science classes in Brunei. Teacher-student interpersonal behaviour was mapped with the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and reported

Managing Student Self-Disclosure in Class Settings: Lessons from Feminist Pedagogy

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Borshuk, Catherine

2017-01-01

This article describes difficulties and opportunities associated with students' disclosure of their personal experiences in university class settings. In classes that deal with topics such as violence, racism, family dynamics, mental health or social justice, students with first-hand experience of these topics can bring valuable real-life…

The Class Size Policy Debate. Working Paper No. 121.

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Alan B.; Hanushek, Eric A.

These papers examine research on the impact of class size on student achievement. After an "Introduction," (Richard Rothstein), Part 1, "Understanding the Magnitude and Effect of Class Size on Student Achievement" (Alan B. Krueger), presents a reanalysis of Hanushek's 1997 literature review, criticizing Hanushek's vote-counting…

All in a Day's Work: Job Experiences, Self-Esteem, and Fathering in Working-Class Families.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm-Thomas, Karen; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

1994-01-01

Examined how working-class fathers' job experiences affected their self-esteem and parenting styles. Conducted home interviews with 59 working-class fathers in dual-earner families and their target child, who was aged 8 to 12 years. Found that more positive fathers' work experiences, higher their self-esteem, which predicted more accepting…

The tip of the iceberg in organic chemistry classes : how do students deal with the invisible?

OpenAIRE

Graulich, Nicole

2015-01-01

Organic chemistry education is one of the youngest research areas among all chemistry related research efforts, and its published scholarly work has become vibrant and diverse over the last 15 years. Research on problem-solving behavior, students´ use of the arrow-pushing formalism, the investigation of students´ conceptual knowledge and their cognitive skills have shaped our understanding of college students´ understanding in organic chemistry classes. This review provides an overview of res...

Field classes: key to involve and attract students to soils

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Muggler, Cristine Carole; Cardoso, Irene Maria; da Silva Lopes, Angelica

2015-04-01

Soil genesis is a subject taught to students of Agrarian Sciences and Geography at the Federal University of Viçosa in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Each semester 200 to 250 students inscribe for it. It is organized as the first 60 hours course on soils for 1st and 2nd year's students. The course has a distinct pedagogical approach, which is based on Paulo Freire's education principles, known as socio constructivism. In such approach, learning environments and materials are prepared to stimulate dialogues and exchange of knowledge between students themselves, strengthening that their role is crucial to their own learning. During the course, students have different types of practical classes: indoors, in a class room or at the Earth Sciences museum and outdoors, in the field. In the class room they have the opportunity to handle materials -minerals, rocks, soils and maps-, follow demonstrations and perform small experiments. The classes given in the museum intend a broadening of the subjects approached in theoretical and practical classes. In the field classes the students are organized in small groups with the task to investigate soil formation by observation and description of geology, landscape, land use, soil expositions and some of the soil properties. Attracting students to soils involves looking at meanings and perceptions related to soils they bring with themselves and follow this up to sensitize and create awareness about their importance. With this aim, it is also included, as part of the evaluation, a final voluntary presentation that many of the students do. The presentation can be a song, a poem, a sketch or whatever they propose and create. Many of the presentations bring topics related to the new perception about soils they get during the semester and to ideas or questions raised in the field classes. A survey with the students showed that field classes are by far the preferred classes and they are considered more dynamic. Since students have less and less

Pride, Paternalism, Prejudice—Images of the Working Class

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ove Skarpenes

2018-01-01

Full Text Available What has happened with the image of the working class? The hero in the construction of the Nordic Model was the labor movement (and the working class. For a long time, this was the dominant picture of the Norwegian working class. However, the societal trends of the past decades have, in a peculiar way, given the working class a central place in political discussions and in the public sphere, but now, a more ambivalent image emerges. In a somewhat paternalistic way, the worker image in political and academic debates as well as in part of the public sphere is typically that of a person unsuccessful in the educational system. Even a third image is identifiable in the public sphere—a prejudice imagery—in which the class is labelled as unhealthy, abusing the welfare system, culturally unsophisticated, and politically dangerous, moving toward right-wing populism. The ambition of the paper is to present these different images of the working class.

Student Attitudes towards Group Work among Undergraduates in Business Administration, Education and Mathematics

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Gottschall, Holli; Garcia-Bayonas, Mariche

2008-01-01

Group work is a widely used teaching technique in higher education. Faculty find themselves utilizing this method in their classes more and more, yet few studies examine what students actually think about group work. The current study surveyed Mathematics, Education, and Business Administration majors at a mid-sized southeastern university in…

Exploring social class differences at work

OpenAIRE

Evans, Samantha

2016-01-01

This paper is part of a wider project that investigates how organisational and individual factors within the workplace contribute to social class differences and inequality by examining the relative impact of objective and subjective indicators of social class on explicit (e.g. salary, promotions) and implicit (e.g. career satisfaction, quality of working life, stress and well-being) career and work outcomes. \\ud There is increasing recognition that social class differences play a crucial rol...

Authentic scientific data collection in support of an integrative model-based class: A framework for student engagement in the classroom

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Sorensen, A. E.; Dauer, J. M.; Corral, L.; Fontaine, J. J.

2017-12-01

A core component of public scientific literacy, and thereby informed decision-making, is the ability of individuals to reason about complex systems. In response to students having difficulty learning about complex systems, educational research suggests that conceptual representations, or mental models, may help orient student thinking. Mental models provide a framework to support students in organizing and developing ideas. The PMC-2E model is a productive tool in teaching ideas of modeling complex systems in the classroom because the conceptual representation framework allows for self-directed learning where students can externalize systems thinking. Beyond mental models, recent work emphasizes the importance of facilitating integration of authentic science into the formal classroom. To align these ideas, a university class was developed around the theme of carnivore ecology, founded on PMC-2E framework and authentic scientific data collection. Students were asked to develop a protocol, collect, and analyze data around a scientific question in partnership with a scientist, and then use data to inform their own learning about the system through the mental model process. We identified two beneficial outcomes (1) scientific data is collected to address real scientific questions at a larger scale and (2) positive outcomes for student learning and views of science. After participating in the class, students report enjoying class structure, increased support for public understanding of science, and shifts in nature of science and interest in pursuing science metrics on post-assessments. Further work is ongoing investigating the linkages between engaging in authentic scientific practices that inform student mental models, and how it might promote students' systems-thinking skills, implications for student views of nature of science, and development of student epistemic practices.

Hidden Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Class.

Science.gov (United States)

Goudeau, Sébastien; Croizet, Jean-Claude

2017-02-01

Three studies conducted among fifth and sixth graders examined how school contexts disrupt the achievement of working-class students by staging unfair comparison with their advantaged middle-class peers. In regular classrooms, differences in performance among students are usually showcased in a way that does not acknowledge the advantage (i.e., higher cultural capital) experienced by middle-class students, whose upbringing affords them more familiarity with the academic culture than their working-class peers have. Results of Study 1 revealed that rendering differences in performance visible in the classroom by having students raise their hands was enough to undermine the achievement of working-class students. In Studies 2 and 3, we manipulated students' familiarity with an arbitrary standard as a proxy for social class. Our results suggest that classroom settings that make differences in performance visible undermine the achievement of the students who are less familiar with academic culture. In Study 3, we showed that being aware of the advantage in familiarity with a task restores the performance of the students who have less familiarity with the task.

Effect of Group Work on EFL Students' Attitudes and Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Taqi, Hanan A.; Al-Nouh, Nowreyah A.

2014-01-01

The use of group work in classroom activities is a method used for motivating learning and increasing the idea of pleasure through learning. The current study investigates the advantages of group work in exams in the English department, in the College of Basic Education. 40 students in two classes of "The Introduction of Phonetics and…

Class size, type of exam and student achievement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Erik

Education as a road to growth has been on the political agenda in recent years and promoted not least by the institutions of higher education. At the same time the universities have been squeezed for resources for a long period and the average class size has increased as a result. However......, the production technology for higher education is not well known and this study highlights the relation between class size and student achievement using a large dataset of 80.000 gradings from the Aarhus School of Business. The estimations show a large negative effect of larger classes on the grade level...... of students. The type of exam also has a large and significant effect on student achievements and oral exam, take-home exam and group exam reward the student with a significantly higher grade compared with an on-site written exam....

Class Size, Type of Exam and Student Achievement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Erik Strøjer

2011-01-01

Education as a road to growth has been on the political agenda in recent years and promoted not least by the institutions of higher education. At the same time the universities have been squeezed for resources for a long period and the average class size has increased as a result. However......, the production technology for higher education is not well known and this study highlights the relation between class size and student achievement using a large dataset of 80.000 gradings from the Aarhus School of Business. The estimations show a large negative effect of larger classes on the grade level...... of students. The type of exam also has a large and significant effect on student achievements and oral exam, take-home exam and group exam reward the student with a significantly higher grade compared with an on-site written exam....

A Risky Business? Mature Working-Class Women Students and Access to Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Reay, Diane

2003-01-01

Examines the experiences of 12 working class women attending an Access course at an inner city further education college. Risks and costs involved in transitioning to higher education were evident in the women's narratives. Material and cultural factors inhibited their access to higher education. The desire to "give something back"…

Providing Students with Foundational Field Instruction within a 50 Minute Class Period: A Practical Example

Science.gov (United States)

Percy, M.

2014-12-01

There is a growing recognition among secondary educators and administrators that students need to have a science education that provides connections between familiar classes like biology, chemistry, and physics. Because of this waxing interest in an integrative approach to the sciences, there is a broader push for school districts to offer classes geared towards the earth sciences, a field that incorporates knowledge and skills gleaned from the three core science subjects. Within the contexts of a regular secondary school day on a traditional schedule (45- to 50-minute long classes), it is challenging to engage students in rigorous field-based learning, critical for students to develop a deeper understanding of geosciences content, without requiring extra time outside of the regular schedule. We suggest instruction using common, manmade features like drainage retention ponds to model good field practices and provide students with the opportunity to calculate basic hydrologic budgets, take pH readings, and, if in an area with seasonal rainfall, make observations regarding soils by way of trenching, and near-surface processes, including mass wasting and the effects of vegetation on geomorphology. Gains in student understanding are discussed by analyzing the difference in test scores between exams provided to the students after they had received only in-class instruction, and after they had received field instruction in addition to the in-class lectures. In an advanced setting, students made measurements regarding ion contents and pollution that allowed the classes to practice lab skills while developing a data set that was analyzed after field work was completed. It is posited that similar fieldwork could be an effective approach at an introductory level in post-secondary institutions.

Combining Chalk Talk with PowerPoint to Increase In-class Student Engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swati Betharia

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In striving to attain a higher degree of in-class student engagement, and target a larger number of preferred student-learning styles, this case study describes a multimodal teaching approach. PowerPoint slides have gradually gained popularity over the more traditional chalk and talk lecture design. The student population in today’s age seeks more non-passive modes of information delivery. Numerous novel approaches to enhance active learning, such as flipped classroom and problem-based learning, have recently been explored. While working well for therapeutic and lab-based courses, these formats may not be best-suited for all basic science topics. The importance of basic science in a pharmacy curriculum is well emphasized in the 2016 ACPE Standards. To actively involve students in a pharmacology lecture on diuretics, a session was designed to combine the PowerPoint and chalk talk approaches. Students created 10 concept diagrams following an instructor, who explained each step in the process using a document camera. For visual learners, these diagrams provided a layered representation of the information, gradually increasing in complexity. For learners with a preference for the reading learning style, the information was also available in corresponding PowerPoint slides. Scores from pre- and post-session quizzes indicated a high level of concept understanding and recall (median 1 [IQR 0 – 2] vs 4 [IQR 3 – 5]; p<0.001. The student perception survey data reported higher in-class attention levels (76%, an appreciation for the utility of self-created concept diagrams (88%, and a call for additional sessions being presented in this format (73%. Targeting a variety of student learning styles by using the active development of concept diagrams, in addition to traditional PowerPoint slides, can promote student engagement and enhance content understanding.   Type: Case Study

Stress in Professional Classes: Causes, Manifestations, Coping.

Science.gov (United States)

Endres, Fred F.

1992-01-01

Investigates whether students in professional journalism and mass communication classes experience class-related stress, what factors contribute to the stress, and whether that stress changes over time. Finds that students perceive stress in their professional course work, and reveals general stress patterns over the 15-week semester. (SR)

Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes

Science.gov (United States)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D.; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D.; Klotz, Leidy

2017-01-01

We report on a study of the effect of peers’ interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students’ STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)–related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students‘ experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students‘ STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students’ intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance. PMID:28808678

Restructuring the CS 1 classroom: Examining the effect of open laboratory-based classes vs. closed laboratory-based classes on Computer Science 1 students' achievement and attitudes toward computers and computer courses

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Jean Foster

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of classroom restructuring involving computer laboratories on student achievement and student attitudes toward computers and computer courses. The effects of the targeted student attributes of gender, previous programming experience, math background, and learning style were also examined. The open lab-based class structure consisted of a traditional lecture class with a separate, unscheduled lab component in which lab assignments were completed outside of class; the closed lab-based class structure integrated a lab component within the lecture class so that half the class was reserved for lecture and half the class was reserved for students to complete lab assignments by working cooperatively with each other and under the supervision and guidance of the instructor. The sample consisted of 71 students enrolled in four intact classes of Computer Science I during the fall and spring semesters of the 2006--2007 school year at two southern universities: two classes were held in the fall (one at each university) and two classes were held in the spring (one at each university). A counterbalanced repeated measures design was used in which all students experienced both class structures for half of each semester. The order of control and treatment was rotated among the four classes. All students received the same amount of class and instructor time. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) via a multiple regression strategy was used to test the study's hypotheses. Although the overall MANOVA model was statistically significant, independent follow-up univariate analyses relative to each dependent measure found that the only significant research factor was math background: Students whose mathematics background was at the level of Calculus I or higher had significantly higher student achievement than students whose mathematics background was less than Calculus I. The results suggest that classroom structures that

Early Talk About the Past Revisited: Affect in Working-Class and Middle-Class Children's Co-Narrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Lisa K.; Miller, Peggy J.

1999-01-01

Investigated personal storytelling among young working-class and middle-class children, observing them at home at age 2; age 6 and 3; and under-one year. Analysis of generic properties, narrative content, and emotion talk revealed a complex configuration of similarities and differences. Differentiation between working-class and middle-class…

Responses to different types of inquiry prompts: college students' discourse, performance, and perceptions of group work in an engineering class

Science.gov (United States)

Balgopal, Meena M.; Casper, Anne Marie A.; Atadero, Rebecca A.; Rambo-Hernandez, Karen E.

2017-08-01

Working in small groups to solve problems is an instructional strategy that allows university students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines the opportunity to practice interpersonal and professional skills while gaining and applying discipline-specific content knowledge. Previous research indicates that not all group work prompts result in the same experiences for students. In this study we posed two types of prompts (guided and open) to undergraduate engineering students in a statics course as they participated in group work projects. We measured student discourse, student performance, and perceptions of group work. We found that guided prompts were associated with higher-level discourse and higher performance (project scores) than open prompts. Students engaged in guided prompts were more likely to discuss distribution of labour and design/calculation details of their projects than when students responded to open prompts. We posit that guided prompts, which more clearly articulate expectations of students, help students determine how to divide tasks amongst themselves and, subsequently, jump to higher levels of discourse.

Working-class formation in Europe and forms of integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Flemming

2005-01-01

, which occupied the social space and hence obstructed further diffusion by other organizations. Only external events such as a major war or an economic crisis were able to break these ties effectively. In West and North Europe repression was moderate and temporary, whereas the working classes in South......, political organization and state structure that best explains different forms of working-class integration in Europe....

Special Classes for Gifted Students? Absolutely!

Science.gov (United States)

Burton-Szabo, Sally

1996-01-01

This article makes a case for special classes for gifted students and answers objections to special classes raised by the middle school movement and the cooperative learning movement. A sample "Celebration of Me" unit taught to gifted seventh graders which involved poetry, literature, personal development, art, music, and physical fitness is…

A Comparison of Students in Single-Sex Classes and Coeducational Classes in High Poverty Public Elementary Schools in Mathematics and Reading Achievement

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Aldridge, Ashley Elizabeth

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether any statistically significant differences in mathematics and reading academic achievement and academic gains of male and female students taught in single-sex classes existed when compared to male and female students taught in coeducational classes. This study reported findings from mathematics…

"I Am Working-Class": Subjective Self-Definition as a Missing Measure of Social Class and Socioeconomic Status in Higher Education Research

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, Mark; Denson, Nida; Kilpatrick, Sue; Matthews, Kelly E.; Stehlik, Tom; Zyngier, David

2014-01-01

This review provides a critical appraisal of the measurement of students' social class and socioeconomic status (SES) in the context of widening higher education participation. Most assessments of social class and SES in higher education have focused on objective measurements based on the income, occupation, and education of students'…

Social Class and Belonging: Implications for Graduate Students' Career Aspirations

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrove, Joan M.; Stewart, Abigail J.; Curtin, Nicola L.

2011-01-01

We examined the role that social class background plays in graduate students' career goals. Class background was significantly related to the extent to which students struggled financially in graduate school, which related to their sense of belonging in graduate school. Sense of belonging related to academic self-concept, which predicted students'…

A coordination class analysis of college students' judgments about animated motion

Science.gov (United States)

Thaden-Koch, Thomas Christian

The coordination class construct was invented by di5essa and Sherin to clarify what it means to learn and use scientific concepts. A coordination class is defined to consist of readout strategies, which guide observation, and the causal net, which contains knowledge necessary for making inferences from observations. A coordination class, as originally specified, reliably extracts a certain class of information from a variety of situations. The coordination class construct is relatively new. To examine its utility, transcripts of interviews with college students were analyzed in terms of the coordination class construct. In the interviews, students judged the realism of several computer animations depicting balls rolling on a pair of tracks. When shown animations with only one ball, students made judgments consistent with focusing on the ball's speed changes. Adding a second ball to each animation strongly affected judgments made by students taking introductory physics courses, but had a smaller effect on judgments made by students taking a psychology course. Reasoning was described in this analysis as the coordination of readouts about animations with causal net elements related to realistic motion. Decision-making was characterized both for individual students and for groups by the causal net elements expressed, by the types of readouts reported, and by the coordination processes involved. The coordination class construct was found useful for describing the elements and processes of student decision-making, but little evidence was found to suggest that the students studied possessed reliable coordination classes. Students' causal nets were found to include several appropriate expectations about realistic motion. Several students reached judgments that appeared contrary to their expectations and reported mutually incompatible expectations. Descriptions of students' decision-making processes often included faulty readouts, or feedback loops in which causal net

Differentiation in Key Learning Areas for Gifted Students in Regular Classes: A Project for Primary School Teachers in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Mantak; Chan, Serene; Chan, Cheri; Fung, Dennis C. L.; Cheung, Wai Ming; Kwan, Tammy; Leung, Frederick K. S.

2018-01-01

Gifted students usually require much less time spent in practising and revising basic skills; instead, they benefit greatly from opportunities to work through the curriculum at a faster pace (acceleration). Teachers currently working with mixed-ability classes do not always find it easy to differentiate their teaching approach in this way, so…

Students' perceptions of motivation in high school biology class: Informing current theories

Science.gov (United States)

McManic, Janet A.

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of motivation to achieve while participating in general level high school biology classes. In a national poll of teacher's attitudes, student's motivation was a top concern of teachers (Elam, 1989). The student's perceptions of motivation are important to understand if improvements and advancements in motivation are to be implemented in the science classroom. This qualitative study was conducted in an urban high school that is located in a major metropolitan area in the southeast of the United States. The student body of 1100 is composed of Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students. The focus question of the study was: What are students' perceptions of their motivation in biology class? From general level biology classes, purposeful sampling narrowed the participants to fifteen students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants having varying measurements of motivation on the Scale of Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom (Harter, 1980). The interviews were recorded and transcribed. After transcription, the interviews were coded by the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The coded data of students' responses were analyzed and compared to current theories of motivation. The current theories are the social-cognitive model (Bandura, 1977), attribution theory (Weiner, 1979), basic needs theory (Maslow, 1954) and choice theory (Glasser, 1986). The results of this study support the social cognitive model of motivation (Bandura, 1977) through the description of family structure and its relationship to motivation (Gonzalez, 2002). The study upheld previous research in that extrinsic orientation was shown to be prevalent in older students (Harter, 1981; Anderman & Maehr, 1994). In addition, the students' responses disclosed the difficulties encountered in studying biology. Students expressed the opinion that biology terms are

Student Responses to a Flipped Introductory Physics Class with built-in Post-Video Feedback Quizzes

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Roberto

We present and analyze student responses to multiple Introductory physics classes in a university setting, taught in a ''flipped'' class format. The classes included algebra- and calculus-based introductory physics. Outside class, students viewed over 100 online video lectures on Classical Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Modern Physics prepared by this author and in some cases, by a third-party lecture package available over YouTube. Inside the class, students solved and discussed problems and conceptual issues in greater detail. A pre-class online quiz was deployed as an important source of feedback. I will report on the student reactions to the feedback mechanism, student responses using data based on anonymous surveys, as well as on learning gains from pre-/post- physics diagnostic tests. The results indicate a broad mixture of responses to different lecture video packages that depend on learning styles and perceptions. Students preferred the online quizzes as a mechanism to validate their understanding. The learning gains based on FCI and CSEM surveys were significant.

Trabalho e classes sociais Work and social classes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Haddad

1997-10-01

Full Text Available Exposição, discussão e refutação das principais tentativas de atualizar a teoria marxista de classes e posterior reavaliação dessa teoria à luz da transformação da ciência em fator de produção e da possível perda de centralidade do trabalho no processo produtivo, tendo por base as interpretações lógicas da obra de Marx feitas por Ruy Fausto.Exposition, discussion and refutation of the main attempts of actualizing marxist class theory and a posterior reevaluation of this theory taking into account the transformation of Science into a factor of production and of the possible centrality-loss of work in the productive process, based on the logic interpretations of Marx's work made by Ruy Fausto.

The Opinions about Relationship between Students and Teachers in the Class of Hands-on

Science.gov (United States)

Pigultong, M.

2018-02-01

This research has the purpose to study on 1) Relationship between Students and Teachers in the Class of Hands - on and 2) Class Management at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. The research consists of collecting information from 400 students who have valid student status in 2016 at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. This research uses content analysis technique, Average (-X) and Standard Deviation to interpret the information. The results of the research focus on 2 topics 1) The Human relationship between Students and Teachers. The samples group had high expectations of human relationship (x=3.87). 2) Class Management. The samples group had high expectations of Class Management (x=3.88).

Trump Voters and the White Working Class

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen L. Morgan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To evaluate the claim that white working-class voters were a crucial block of support for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, this article offers two sets of results. First, self-reports of presidential votes in 2012 and 2016 from the American National Election Studies show that Obama-to-Trump voters and 2012 eligible nonvoters composed a substantial share of Trump’s 2016 voters and were disproportionately likely to be members of the white working class. Second, when county vote tallies in 2012 and 2016 are merged with the public-use microdata samples of the 2012-to-2016 American Community Surveys, areal variations across 1,142 geographic units that sensibly partition the United States show that Trump’s gains in 2016 above Romney’s performance in 2012 are strongly related to the proportion of the voting population in each area that was white and working class. Taken together, these results support the claim that Trump’s appeal to the white working class was crucial for his victory.

Indiscipline in schools: working with class meetings in developing morally autonomous children

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Carmen Lúcia Dias

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The problems with discipline and violence in their several manifestations in classrooms in both public and private schools have been a major challenge for educators. Regarding the classroom environment, the purpose of this study was to propose class meetings as a coping mechanism, aiming to build morally autonomous subjects. From the description of situations experienced within the school context by children between seven and eight years old who study in a public elementary school, we tried to emphasize its importance through the analysis of thoughts and the moral development in this group, involving real dilemmas emerging from the familiarity between teacher-student and student-student. The importance of using resources such as class meetings is evidenced in this study which may result in the building of moral autonomy

Sports injuries in students aged 12-18 during physical education classes in Israel

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Coleman R

2003-12-01

Full Text Available A retrospective study was made of sports injuries occurring in physical education classes in 51 junior and senior high schools in Israel during a period of 14 months (2000-2002. The survey covered a total population of 11439 students aged 12 to 18, 52% male, 48% female. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence, types and risk factors involving sports injuries among students in physical education classes. Physical education teachers were asked to complete questionnaires recording injuries that occurred during their lessons. Data included: socio-demographic parameters (gender, age, height and weight of the injured students, area and type of injury, time of injury during the class, type of sport activity, previous injuries, assessment of sport capabilities and performance. A total of 192 injuries were recorded in the survey (1.70%. Male and female students had fairly similar injury rates (49% female, 51% male. 12-14 year old students showed the greatest number of injuries (52%. The ankle was the most common site of injury in both genders (48% mostly involving ankle sprain. Athletics was the most common sport involving injury (38%. 45% of injuries were reported to occur in the start of the class, whereas 26% of injuries were repeat injuries. This survey showed that the incidence of injuries during supervised physical education classes in high schools in Israel is relatively low and is similar to that of other Western countries.

A case study of a vocabulary strategy in a high school class of special education students

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Prevost, Jill K.

In the United States, almost 7000 students drop out of high school every day and the most common reason is academic failure. The economic, social, and emotional cost of dropping out of high school are enormous. Vocabulary knowledge is essential for students to grasp the concepts of a content area and there has been little research reported for scaffolding vocabulary learning in content classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate a vocabulary instructional strategy in a high school biology class. The research questions focused on understanding the vocabulary instructional strategy and student perception of the strategy. This was an evaluative case study using a convenience sample of a college preparatory biology class of special education students. Participants included eight males and two females who were identified as having learning, emotional or health disabilities with average to low average intelligence. Informal interviews, observations, school records, student and teacher artifacts and rich description were used for data triangulation. Analysis involved coding and grouping data by category, and identification of relationships between categories. Three themes emerged from this study: Students believed the strategy helped them to learn vocabulary, the strategy gave direction to instruction, and the strategy can be difficult to implement. The skill level of our future work force and the health of our society is linked to our nation's high school graduation rate. Development of instructional strategies that result in student academic success will improve our high school graduation rate which will result in positive social change.

Self-Regulated Learning and Perceived Health among Students Participating in University Physical Activity Classes

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McBride, Ron E.; Xiang, Ping

2013-01-01

Three hundred and sixty-one students participating in university physical activity classes completed questionnaires assessing perceived health and self-regulated learning. In addition, 20 students (11 men; 9 women) were interviewed about their reasons for enrolling, participation and goals in the class. Results indicated the students endorsed…

Stabilization students' awareness based on training classes in EMS

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Behzad Imani

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The professional ethics in the medical field is an important concept. Understanding of EMS with professional ethic provide better services and to minimum professional stress. The group discussion method in the teaching of professional ethics is efficiency. The authors benefited of the method to evaluate the awareness of the ethical issues based on training classes.Material and Methods: The study was Cross - sectional. The study population included all of the students of EMS in the final year. Number of samples was 30 and method of sampling was the census method. After of expression course plan pre test was taken and after the end of class final examination was taken. Rate of knowledge of student was assessed after 3 semesters and data obtained were analyzed by software SPSS 16.Results: Rate of knowledge of students before teaching were 97% weak and 3% moderate. The scores of Students was between 20-14 and the mean of was 16.58. Results after 3 terms were this: The average student score 24/69, most samples (80% have a high awareness and 20% had poor knowledge.Conclusion: The ministry of health policy is edification prior knowledge. The students' awareness of duty was high (80%, in the legal field was very weak and in some areas, such as respect, altruism was moderate.

Rapid knowledge assessment (RKA): Assessing students content knowledge through rapid, in class assessment of expertise

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O'Connell, Erin

Understanding how students go about problem solving in chemistry lends many possible advantages for interventions in teaching strategies for the college classroom. The work presented here is the development of an in-classroom, real-time, formative instrument to assess student expertise in chemistry with the purpose of developing classroom interventions. The development of appropriate interventions requires the understanding of how students go about starting to solve tasks presented to them, what their mental effort (load on working memory) is, and whether or not their performance was accurate. To measure this, the Rapid Knowledge Assessment (RKA) instrument uses clickers (handheld electronic instruments for submitting answers) as a means of data collection. The classroom data was used to develop an algorithm to deliver student assessment scores, which when correlated to external measure of standardized American Chemical Society (ACS) examinations and class score show a significant relationship between the accuracy of knowledge assessment (p=0.000). Use of eye-tracking technology and student interviews supports the measurements found in the classroom.

TA Mentorship in Lecture significantly enhances students' learning in mechanics in large introductory physics classes

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Cheng, K.; Caglar, Mehmet

2011-10-01

Lab is an important component of students' learning in a traditional lecture-lab setting of introductory physics courses. Using standard mechanics concepts and baseline surveys as well as independent classroom observations, the effects of TA mentorship in Lecture on students' learning of physics concepts and problem-solving skills among different student subgroups taught by other TAs and lecturers using different level of student interactive engagement in classes have been analyzed. Our data indicate that in lecture training of TA promotes lecture/lab synergism in improvement students' learning of mechanics in large introductory physics classes.

Using Laptop Computers in Class: A Student Motivation Perspective

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Houle, Philip A.; Reed, Diana; Vaughan, Amy Grace; Clayton, Suzanne R.

2013-01-01

This study examined the reasons why students choose to take laptop computers into college classes. The model involved the individual student choice involving opportunity, ability and motivation. The resulting model demonstrated how some (primary) factors, such as effective learning, directly impact the laptop usage choice, and other factors…

Student Accountability in Team-Based Learning Classes

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Stein, Rachel E.; Colyer, Corey J.; Manning, Jason

2016-01-01

Team-based learning (TBL) is a form of small-group learning that assumes stable teams promote accountability. Teamwork promotes communication among members; application exercises promote active learning. Students must prepare for each class; failure to do so harms their team's performance. Therefore, TBL promotes accountability. As part of the…

The Role of Frequent Short Exams in Improving Student Performance in Hybrid Global Business Classes

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Nakos, George; Whiting, Anita

2018-01-01

The authors investigate whether frequent in class exams can improve the performance of students in hybrid global business courses. An experiment was conducted in three hybrid sections of a global business course exposing students to short in class exams. The expectation of a short exam forces students to watch the online lectures and study the…

The Class of 2011 Student Survey Report

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National Association of Colleges and Employers (NJ3), 2011

2011-01-01

Based on responses from 20,000 college seniors nationwide, "The Class of 2011 Student Survey Report" gives you hard numbers "plus" the analysis you need to develop your college recruiting strategy and build your brand among college students. Align your recruiting strategies tactics with students' wants, needs, attitudes, and behaviors--you'll get…

The Role of Field Classes in Education of Prospective Teachers in Biology

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E. Fleszar

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Field classes are indispensable in education of biology and environment protection students, as they allow a future teacher to carry out teaching material bringing together theory and practice through activity. In the framework of Biology Didactics classes the biology students of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Szczecin participate actively in the works on didactic nature trail in the Arkoñski Woods prepared by Dr. Ewa Fleszar. During the work on didactic natural path the students make themselves acquainted with: field class objectives; field class tasks; field class programmes, e.g. concerning phenology; flora and fauna species. Writing synopsis of field classes for selected lesson units at different teaching levels they acquire sound knowledge based on the ecological contents. Contacts with nature as well as gaining the experience during field classes allow them to obtain competences for working in the field and to understand the objectives of carrying out such classes. Field classes have an effect on developing interests of participants in the subject, and affect the improvement of teaching performance. Visit to the field forms ecological awareness, which leads to obtaining an ecological culture.

A Data Mining Approach to Study the Impact of the Methodology Followed in Chemistry Lab Classes on the Weight Attributed by the Students to the Lab Work on Learning and Motivation

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Figueiredo, M.; Esteves, L.; Neves, J.; Vicente, H.

2016-01-01

This study reports the use of data mining tools in order to examine the influence of the methodology used in chemistry lab classes, on the weight attributed by the students to the lab work on learning and own motivation. The answer frequency analysis was unable to discriminate the opinions expressed by the respondents according to the type of the…

Reliability and Agreement in Student Ratings of the Class Environment

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Nelson, Peter M.; Christ, Theodore J.

2016-01-01

The current study estimated the reliability and agreement of student ratings of the classroom environment obtained using the Responsive Environmental Assessment for Classroom Teaching (REACT; Christ, Nelson, & Demers, 2012; Nelson, Demers, & Christ, 2014). Coefficient alpha, class-level reliability, and class agreement indices were…

Using LectureTools to Enhance Student-Instructor Relations and Student Engagement in the Large Class

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Shaw, Jerie; Kominko, Sofiya; Terrion, Jenepher Lennox

2015-01-01

Positive student-instructor relationships are important for student engagement, motivation, retention and achievement. Yet, as class sizes grow, these relationships can be increasingly difficult to develop. This study explores LectureTools--a web-based student response and learning platform that facilitates communication between instructors and…

Textbook Readability and Student Performance in Online Introductory Corporate Finance Classes

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Peng, Chien-Chih

2015-01-01

This paper examines whether the choice of a more readable textbook can improve student performance in online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 206 students during the period from 2008 to 2012. The results of this study show that the student's age, student's major,…

Microaggressions and Social Class Identity in Higher Education and Student Affairs

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Locke, Leslie Ann; Trolian, Teniell L.

2018-01-01

In this chapter, we discuss microaggressions, or the everyday (and often unintended) incidents of discrimination that individuals from marginalized or underserved groups experience on college campuses as they relate to students' social class identities--or simply, class-based prejudices.

Worked problems in heat, thermodynamics and kinetic theory for physics students

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Pincherle, L; Green, L L

2013-01-01

Worked Problems in Heat, Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory for Physics Students is a complementary to textbooks in physics. This book is a collection of exercise problems that have been part of tutorial classes in heat and thermodynamics at the University of London. This collection of exercise problems, with answers that are fully worked out, deals with various topics. This book poses problems covering the definition of temperature such as calculating the assigned value of the temperature of boiling water under specific conditions. This text also gives example of problems dealing with the fir

Engaging Students in Large Health Classes with Active Learning Strategies

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Elliott, Steven; Combs, Sue; Huelskamp, Amelia; Hritz, Nancy

2017-01-01

Creative K-12 health teachers can engage students in large classes by utilizing active learning strategies. Active learning involves engaging students in higher-order tasks, such as analysis and synthesis, which is a crucial element of the movement toward what is commonly called "learner-centered" teaching. Health education teachers who…

How Information Literate Are Junior and Senior Class Biology Students?

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Schiffl, Iris

2018-03-01

Information literacy—i.e. obtaining, evaluating and using information—is a key element of scientific literacy. However, students are frequently equipped with poor information literacy skills—even at university level—as information literacy is often not explicitly taught in schools. Little is known about students' information skills in science at junior and senior class level, and about teachers' competences in dealing with information literacy in science class. This study examines the information literacy of Austrian 8th, 10th and 12th grade students. Information literacy is important for science education in Austria, because it is listed as a basic competence in Austria's science standards. Two different aspects of information literacy are examined: obtaining information and extracting information from texts. An additional research focus of this study is teachers' competences in diagnosing information skills. The results reveal that students mostly rely on online sources for obtaining information. However, they also use books and consult with people they trust. The younger the students, the more they rely on personal sources. Students' abilities to evaluate sources are poor, especially among younger students. Although teachers claim to use information research in class, their ability to assess their students' information competences is limited.

Argumentation in Science Class: Its Planning, Practice, and Effect on Student Motivation

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Taneja, Anju

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of argumentation and formative feedback to understand how teachers orchestrate argumentation in science class and how it affects motivation. Qualitative data was collected through interviews of 4 grade-9 science teachers and through observing teacher-directed classroom discourse. Classroom observations allowed the researcher to record the rhythm of discourse by characterizing teacher and student speech as teacher presentation (TP), teacher guided authoritative discussion (AD), teacher guided dialogic discussion (DD), and student initiation (SI). The Student Motivation Towards Science Learning survey was administered to 67 students before and after a class in which argumentation was used. Analysis of interviews showed teachers collaborated to plan argumentation. Analysis of discourse identified the characteristics of argumentation and provided evidence of students' engagement in argumentation in a range of contexts. Student motivation scores were tested using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests, which showed no significant change. However, one construct of motivation---active learning strategy---significantly increased. Quantitative findings also indicate that teachers' use of multiple methods in teaching science can affect various constructs of students' motivation. This study promotes social change by providing teachers with insight about how to engage all students in argumentation.

Using Pre-Assessment and In-Class Questions to Change Student Understanding of Molecular Movements

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Jia Shi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Understanding how different types of molecules move through cell membranes is a fundamental part of cell biology. To identify and address student misconceptions surrounding molecular movement through cell membranes, we surveyed student understanding on this topic using pre-class questions, in-class clicker questions, and subsequent exam questions in a large introductory biology course. Common misconceptions identified in student responses to the pre-class assessment questions were used to generate distractors for clicker questions. Two-tier diagnostic clicker questions were used to probe incoming common student misconceptions (first tier and their reasoning (second tier. Two subsequent lectures with assessment clicker questions were used to help students construct a new framework to understand molecular movement through cell membranes. Comparison of pre-assessment and post-assessment (exam performance showed dramatic improvement in students’ understanding of molecular movement: student answers to exam questions were 74.6% correct with correct reasoning while only 1.3% of the student answers were correct with correct reasoning on the pre-class assessment. Our results show that students’ conceptual understanding of molecular movement through cell membranes progressively increases through discussions of a series of clicker questions and suggest that this clicker-based teaching strategy was highly effective in correcting common student misconceptions on this topic.

Evaluating the Benefits of Providing Archived Online Lectures to In-Class Math Students

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Cascaval, Radu C.; Fogler, Kethera A.; Abrams, Gene D.; Durham, Robert L.

2008-01-01

The present study examines the impact of a novel online video lecture archiving system on in-class students enrolled in traditional math courses at a mid-sized, primarily undergraduate, university in the West. The archiving system allows in-class students web access to complete video recordings of the actual classroom lectures, and sometimes of…

Representations of deaf students about inclusion in physical education classes

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Tássia Pereira Alves

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Inclusion is a social process in school aims to change attitudes and to build a position to cover everyone without distinction. Thus, the objective was to analyze the representations of deaf students on their inclusion in physical education classes. It is qualitative, descriptive and analytical, attended eight deaf students from 2 public schools in a city in the countryside of Bahia. For data production, it was used a semi -structured interview, through the aid of an interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras, at the same time, it was translated by the interpreter and transcribed by the researchers. Data analysis used the technique of categorical content analysis. The inclusion of deaf people in physical education classes still failed to materialize and in fact, even having found some teachers with pedagogical actions that proved to be inclusive, yet they still leave many gaps, regarding satisfactory learning of students because they simply just integrate deaf students in the classroom. It is necessary that the school and the teacher ensure that the curriculum is accessible to them, so that they can contribute to the construction of citizenship, motor development, cognitive and social-emotional student.

A trial of music composition work on the theme of the marching season from spring to summer (An interdisciplinary class between music and climate education for the university students)

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Kato, Kuranoshin; Kato, Haruko

2017-04-01

studied it only a little in the university to get license of primary school teacher. But they have already experienced composition on the theme of spring at the class in the previous year. In this class, the students tried to compose on the theme of the marching season from spring to summer. The term of the class was from April to July 2016, and thus the students have really experienced the detailed seasonal advance just during their activity. At the final stage of this activity, students' music works were performed with various instruments. The present study will report outline of the activity including a part of the students' music works and the analysis results of them, together with brief explanation of the seasonal cycle from spring to summer around the Japan Islands. The students' music works are analyzed on the following three points, and then the possibility toward the joint activity of music with science will be discussed. 1) The point to which the students have paid attention for composition, 2) The relationship between music expression of the works and the climate, 3) The students' interest in the climate induced by the experience of this activity.

Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work.

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Gaudet, Andrew D; Ramer, Leanne M; Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J; Ramer, Matt S

2010-12-29

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students--even term high achievers--could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom.

Improvement in Student Data Analysis Skills after Out-of-Class Assignments

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Kristen Lee Williams Walton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The ability to understand and interpret data is a critical aspect of scientific thinking.  However, although data analysis is often a focus in biology majors classes, many textbooks for allied health majors classes are primarily content-driven and do not include substantial amounts of experimental data in the form of graphs and figures.  In a lower-division allied health majors microbiology class, students were exposed to data from primary journal articles as take-home assignments and their data analysis skills were assessed in a pre-/posttest format.  Students were given 3 assignments that included data analysis questions.  Assignments ranged from case studies that included a figure from a journal article to reading a short journal article and answering questions about multiple figures or tables.  Data were represented as line or bar graphs, gel photographs, and flow charts.  The pre- and posttest was designed incorporating the same types of figures to assess whether the assignments resulted in any improvement in data analysis skills.  The mean class score showed a small but significant improvement from the pretest to the posttest across three semesters of testing.  Scores on individual questions testing accurate conclusions and predictions improved the most.  This supports the conclusion that a relatively small number of out-of-class assignments through the semester resulted in a significant improvement in data analysis abilities in this population of students.

Cooperative learning in industrial-sized biology classes.

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Armstrong, Norris; Chang, Shu-Mei; Brickman, Marguerite

2007-01-01

This study examined the impact of cooperative learning activities on student achievement and attitudes in large-enrollment (>250) introductory biology classes. We found that students taught using a cooperative learning approach showed greater improvement in their knowledge of course material compared with students taught using a traditional lecture format. In addition, students viewed cooperative learning activities highly favorably. These findings suggest that encouraging students to work in small groups and improving feedback between the instructor and the students can help to improve student outcomes even in very large classes. These results should be viewed cautiously, however, until this experiment can be replicated with additional faculty. Strategies for potentially improving the impact of cooperative learning on student achievement in large courses are discussed.

Research Notes ~ The Effect of Self-selection on Student Satisfaction and Performance in Online Classes

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Pan G. Yatrakis

2002-10-01

Full Text Available This paper examines student performance, satisfaction, and retention of information in online classes as a function of student choice as to the format of instruction. Student outcomes are studied for two groups enrolled in online classes: those who were allowed to choose between an online and a ground-based format and who chose the online format voluntarily; and those who were obliged to take classes in the online format without being afforded the opportunity to choose.

Increasing Engagement in Science through an Authentic Crop Protection Experiment for Year 9 School Students Working with Scientists

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Oliver, Richard; Rybak, Kasia; Gruber, Cornelia; Nicholls, Graeme; Roberts, Graeme; Mengler, Janet; Oliver, Mary

2011-01-01

Practical work is often considered to be a highlight of science classes for students. However, there are few opportunities for students to engage in an investigation which is situated in a real world problem and students are required to contribute their own ideas to the design and conduct of an experiment. This paper reports on a Scientists in…

Students' objectively measured physical activity levels and engagement as a function of between-class and between-student differences in motivation toward physical education.

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Aelterman, Nathalie; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Van Keer, Hilde; Van den Berghe, Lynn; De Meyer, Jotie; Haerens, Leen

2012-08-01

Despite evidence for the utility of self-determination theory in physical education, few studies used objective indicators of physical activity and mapped out between-class, relative to between-student, differences in physical activity. This study investigated whether moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and rated collective engagement in physical education were associated with autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation at the between-class and between-student levels. Participants were 739 pupils (46.3% boys, Mage = 14.36 ±1.94) from 46 secondary school classes in Flanders (Belgium). Multilevel analyses indicated that 37% and 63% of the variance in MVPA was explained by between-student and between-class differences, respectively. Students' personal autonomous motivation related positively to MVPA. Average autonomous class motivation was positively related to between-class variation in MVPA and collective engagement. Average controlled class motivation and average class amotivation were negatively associated with collective engagement. The findings are discussed in light of self-determination theory's emphasis on quality of motivation.

An observation tool for instructor and student behaviors to measure in-class learner engagement: a validation study

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Alimoglu, Mustafa K.; Sarac, Didar B.; Alparslan, Derya; Karakas, Ayse A.; Altintas, Levent

2014-01-01

Background Efforts are made to enhance in-class learner engagement because it stimulates and enhances learning. However, it is not easy to quantify learner engagement. This study aimed to develop and validate an observation tool for instructor and student behaviors to determine and compare in-class learner engagement levels in four different class types delivered by the same instructor. Methods Observer pairs observed instructor and student behaviors during lectures in large class (LLC, n=2) with third-year medical students, lectures in small class (LSC, n=6) and case-based teaching sessions (CBT, n=4) with fifth-year students, and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions (~7 hours) with second-year students. The observation tool was a revised form of STROBE, an instrument for recording behaviors of an instructor and four randomly selected students as snapshots for 5-min cycles. Instructor and student behaviors were scored 1–5 on this tool named ‘in-class engagement measure (IEM)’. The IEM scores were parallel to the degree of behavior's contribution to active student engagement, so higher scores were associated with more in-class learner engagement. Additionally, the number of questions asked by the instructor and students were recorded. A total of 203 5-min observations were performed (LLC 20, LSC 85, CBT 50, and PBL 48). Results Interobserver agreement on instructor and student behaviors was 93.7% (κ=0.87) and 80.6% (κ=0.71), respectively. Higher median IEM scores were found in student-centered and problem-oriented methods such as CBT and PBL. A moderate correlation was found between instructor and student behaviors (r=0.689). Conclusions This study provides some evidence for validity of the IEM scores as a measure of student engagement in different class types. PMID:25308966

Student Evaluation of Instruction: Comparison between In-Class and Online Methods

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Capa-Aydin, Yesim

2016-01-01

This study compares student evaluations of instruction that were collected in-class with those gathered through an online survey. The two modes of administration were compared with respect to response rate, psychometric characteristics and mean ratings through different statistical analyses. Findings indicated that in-class evaluations produced a…

Student Perceptions of Using Tablet Technology in Post-Secondary Classes

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Mang, Colin F.; Wardley, Leslie J.

2013-01-01

This paper assesses students' attitudes towards using tablets, such as the Apple iPad, in university classes. Tablets are found to be a substitute for laptop computers. Students initially expressed a great deal of optimism regarding the technology, and, although their views diminished slightly as they gained experience with using a tablet,…

Distinct Classes of Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in a National Sample of Incoming First-Year College Students: A Latent Class Analysis.

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Rinker, Dipali Venkataraman; Diamond, Pamela M; Walters, Scott T; Wyatt, Todd M; DeJong, William

2016-09-01

: First-year college students are at particular risk for experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences that may set the stage for experiencing such consequences in later life. Latent class analysis is a person-centered approach that, based on observable indicator variables, divides a population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive groups ('classes'). To date, no studies have examined the latent class structure of negative alcohol-related consequences experienced by first-year college students just before entering college. The aims of this study were to (a) identify classes of first-year college students based on the patterns of negative alcohol-related consequences they experienced just before entering college, and (b) determine whether specific covariates were associated with class membership. Incoming freshmen from 148 colleges and universities (N = 54,435) completed a baseline questionnaire as part of an alcohol education program they completed just prior to their first year of college. Participants answered questions regarding demographics and other personal characteristics, their alcohol use in the past 2 weeks, and the negative alcohol-related consequences they had experienced during that time. Four distinct classes of students emerged: (a) No Problems, (b) Academic Problems, (c) Injured Self and (d) Severe Problems. Average number of drinks per drinking day, total number of drinking days, age of drinking initiation, intention to join a fraternity or sorority and family history of alcohol problems were associated with membership in all of the problem classes relative to the No Problems class. These results can inform future campus-based prevention efforts. © The Author 2016. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Exploring possible selves in a first-year physics foundation class: Engaging students by establishing relevance

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Dawn Bennett

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Students often complain that they cannot see the relevance of what they are being taught in foundation physics classes. While revising and adjusting the curriculum and teaching are important, this study suggests it might also be useful to help students view their learning in relation to their future career aspirations. This paper reports on a study conducted with first-year students enrolled in a compulsory foundation physics unit with a history of low pass rates. Working within a “possible selves” framework, activities were designed to help students position their learning in relation to possible future lives and careers. Two cohorts of students (N=93 engaged in an intensive workshop comprising multiple activities relating to self and career. Self-reflection worksheets were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that students experience immediate benefits from these activities through self-reflection on the current self, future possible professional selves, and the role of current studies in narrowing the gap between the two.

Storing and Transmitting Skills: The Expropriation of Working Class Control. NALL Working Paper.

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Smith, Dorothy E.; Dobson, Stephan

Researchers explored the relationships between the great working class communities and the industries they sustained and were sustained by in terms of production, storage, and transmission of skills. First, the ethnographic literature on industrial workplaces and the working class communities associated with them was reviewed. Next, lengthy…

Nursing Students' Perceptions of the Transition to Shift Work: A Total Worker Health Perspective.

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Postma, Julie; Tuell, Erica; James, Lois; Graves, Janessa M; Butterfield, Patricia

2017-11-01

Nursing students make an abrupt transition from traditional classes to clinical rotations and shift work. Little is known about students' sleep, sleep disturbances, and safe practice behaviors during this critical phase of professional development. The purpose of this study was to identify nursing students' perceptions of problems and potential solutions related to shift work and long work hours. This qualitative, descriptive study used two nursing student focus groups which engaged in a two-round participatory process aimed at framing future interventions. Participants identified problems and solutions related to personal and workplace well-being. Findings will inform undergraduate curricular revisions, and hospital hiring and managerial practices.

Problematizing a general physics class: Understanding student engagement

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Spaid, Mark Randall

This research paper describes the problems in democratizing a high school physics course and the disparate engagement students during class activities that promote scientific inquiry. Results from the Learning Orientation Questionnaire (Martinez, 2000) guide the participant observations and semi-formal interviews. Approximately 60% of the participants self-report a "resistant" or "conforming" approach to learning science; they expect to receive science knowledge from the teacher, and their engagement is influenced by affective and conative factors. These surface learners exhibit second order thinking (Kegan, 1994), do not understand abstract science concepts, and learn best from structured inquiry. To sustain engagement, conforming learners require motivational and instructional discourse from their teacher and peers. Resisting learners do not value learning and do not engage in most science class activities. The "performing" learners are able to deal with abstractions and can see relationships between lessons and activities, but they do not usually self-reflect or think critically (they are between Kegan's second order and third order thinking). They may select a deeper learning strategy if they value the knowledge for a future goal; however, they are oriented toward assessment and rely on the science teacher as an authority. They are influenced by affective and conative factors during structured and guided inquiry-based teaching, and benefit from motivational discourse and sustain engagement if they are interested in the topic. The transforming learners are more independent, self-assessing and self-directed. These students are third order thinkers (Kegan, 1994) who hold a sophisticated epistemology that includes critical thinking and reflection. These students select deep learning strategies without regard to affective and conative factors. They value instructional discourse from the teacher, but prefer less structured inquiry activities. Although specific

Electrifying Engagement in Middle School Science Class: Improving Student Interest Through E-textiles

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Tofel-Grehl, Colby; Fields, Deborah; Searle, Kristin; Maahs-Fladung, Cathy; Feldon, David; Gu, Grace; Sun, Chongning

2017-08-01

Most interventions with "maker" technologies take place outside of school or out of core area classrooms. However, intervening in schools holds potential for reaching much larger numbers of students and the opportunity to shift instructional dynamics in classrooms. This paper shares one such intervention where electronic textiles (sewable circuits) were introduced into eighth grade science classes with the intent of exploring possible gains in student learning and motivation, particularly for underrepresented minorities. Using a quasi-experimental design, four classes engaged in a traditional circuitry unit while the other four classes undertook a new e-textile unit. Overall, students in both groups demonstrated significant learning gains on standard test items without significant differences between conditions. Significant differences appeared between groups' attitudes toward science after the units in ways that show increasing interest in science by students in the e-textile unit. In particular, they reported positive identity shifts pertaining to their perceptions of the beliefs of their friends, family, and teacher. Findings and prior research suggest that student-created e-textile designs provide opportunities for connections outside of the classroom with friends and family and may shift students' perceptions of their teacher's beliefs about them more positively.

Making the Invisible More Visible: Home Literacy Practices of Middle-Class and Working-Class Families.

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McCarthey, Sarah J.

1997-01-01

Interviews with eight families showed that literacy materials and goals for using literacy differed between middle and working class families, with middle class families drawing on more resources to learn about the child's classroom. However, all families expressed value for literacy activities, challenging the myth that working-class families do…

Self-Regulated Learning and Perceived Health among University Students Participating in Physical Activity Classes

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McBride, Ron E.; Altunsöz, Irmak Hürmeriç; Su, Xiaoxia; Xiang, Ping; Demirhan, Giyasettin

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore motivational indicators of self-regulated learning (SRL) and the relationship between self-regulation (SR) and perceived health among university students enrolled in physical activity (PA) classes. One hundred thirty-one Turkish students participating in physical education activity classes at two…

Athletic and sporting interests of students in the physical education classes

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Kosyns’kyi E.O.

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Athletic and sporting interests of students in the physical education classes. The aim is to study the structure of sports and sporting interests and motivation for physical activities first year students. An anonymous questionnaire was attended by 209 students (116 girls, 93 boys. The presence of additional independent study of organized physical activity, lack of missed classes. High self-esteem health of boys and girls due to the high level of interest in physical training. The main condition for the formation of interest in physical culture is the introduction of innovative technologies in physical education and attracting students to sports events. The highest level of interest in girls revealed their studies shaping, the young men - martial arts. Found that the high level of interest indicated 44.19% of the boys, the average - 51.16%, low - 4.65%. Found that the high level of interest indicated 15.15% of the girls, the average - 77.27%, low - 7.58%.

Using Facebook to Engage Microbiology Students Outside of Class Time

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Blaine A. Legaree

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Numerous usage studies show that a high percentage of college age students are subscribers of the social media service Facebook.  Modern teaching methods have a high emphasis on student engagement in the classroom, however, not all students participate equally and therefore it is important to find alternate methods for student engagement.  The popularity of social media services and the wealth of online biology resources therefore seem like an obvious way to additionally engage students, particularly non-traditional students who may be less likely to participate in class discussions.  In order to investigate how to engage students using this tool, I set up a Facebook group for my medical microbiology class over two semesters.  Afterwards I surveyed students on its usefulness.  The feedback was mostly positive, and of the resources shared with students, they were most likely to view online videos.  Students also found it helpful to have an alternate means of interacting with the instructor and their peers.

Stories of Social Class: Self-Identified Mexican Male College Students Crack the Silence

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Schwartz, Jana L.; Donovan, Jody; Guido-DiBrito, Florence

2009-01-01

This study explores the meaning of social class in the lives of five self-identified Mexican male college students. Participants shared the significant influence social class has on their college experience. Intersections of social class and students' Mexican identity are illuminated throughout the findings. Themes include: social class rules and…

Students who developed logical reasoning skills reported improved confidence in drug dose calculation: Feedback from remedial maths classes.

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Shelton, Chris

2016-06-01

The safe administration of drugs is a focus of attention in healthcare. It is regarded as acceptable that a formula card or mnemonic can be used to find the correct dose and fill a prescription even though this removes any requirement for performing the underlying computation. Feedback and discussion in class reveal that confidence in arithmetic skills can be low even when students are able to pass the end of semester drug calculation exam. To see if confidence in the understanding and performance of arithmetic for drug calculations can be increased by emphasising student's innate powers of logical reasoning after reflection. Remedial classes offered for students who have declared a dislike or lack of confidence in arithmetic have been developed from student feedback adopting a reasoning by logical step methodology. Students who gave up two hours of their free learning time were observed to engage seriously with the learning methods, focussing on the innate ability to perform logical reasoning necessary for drug calculation problems. Working in small groups allowed some discussion of the route to the answer and this was followed by class discussion and reflection. The results were recorded as weekly self-assessment scores for confidence in calculation. A self-selecting group who successfully completed the end of semester drug calculation exam reported low to moderate confidence in arithmetic. After four weeks focussing on logical skills a significant increase in self-belief was measured. This continued to rise in students who remained in the classes. Many students hold a negative belief regarding their own mathematical abilities. This restricts the learning of arithmetic skills making alternate routes using mnemonics and memorised steps an attractive alternative. Practising stepwise logical reasoning skills consolidated by personal reflection has been effective in developing student's confidence and awareness of their innate powers of deduction supporting an

Improving Student Retention in Online College Classes: Qualitative Insights from Faculty

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Russo-Gleicher, Rosalie J.

2014-01-01

This article provides qualitative insights into addressing the issue of student retention in online classes in higher education. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted at random with 16 faculty who teach online courses at a large community college in the Northeast about how to improve online student retention. Qualitative analysis…

Education of Social Skills among Senior High School Age Students in Physical Education Classes

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Akelaitis, Arturas V.; Malinauskas, Romualdas K.

2016-01-01

Research aim was to reveal peculiarities of the education of social skills among senior high school age students in physical education classes. We hypothesized that after the end of the educational experiment the senior high school age students will have more developed social skills in physical education classes. Participants in the study were 51…

Reflective Journaling as a Flipped Classroom Technique to Increase Reading and Participation with Social Work Students

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Sage, Melanie; Sele, Patti

2015-01-01

Students in undergraduate social work practice courses come to class with varying levels of educational, life, and practice experience. Students require an introduction to the material through textbook reading before they are able to engage in critical discussions, yet reading adherence varies widely among students. This research explores the use…

Choosing to Work? Mothers Return-to-Work Decisions, Social Class, and the Local Labor Market

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Tiina Sihto

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the ways in which social class shapes the return-to-work decisions of Finnish working-class and middle-class mothers, and how these decisions are structured by the constraints and opportunities mothers face in the local labor market. The focus of the study is in the local labor market of the city of Jyväskylä. The data consist of two semi-structured focus group interviews of 14 employed mothers of below school-age children. Using the framework of “gendered moral rationalities,” the study shows that there are similarities in mothers’ experiences, while the structural constraints mothers faced when deciding about the timing of returning back to work differ. The analysis highlights that the differences were not only dependent on social class but also on the situation in the local labor market. For working-class mothers, the most crucial issue was the financial strain that their staying at home caused to their families. For middle-class mothers, finding employment opportunities that would match their educational qualifications in the local labor market had been challenging, which affected their timing of returning back to work. The paper concludes that local labor market plays an important role in mother’s return-to-work decisions and should be explored further in differing geographical contexts.

Students' Participation Styles in Two University Weight Training Classes.

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Bennett, Gregg

2000-01-01

Described the participation styles of college students enrolled in two basic weight training classes. Participation styles fell onto a continuum between slackin' and sweatin'. Observation and interview data indicated that there were four participation styles in the slackin' category and two in the sweatin' category. The transtheoretical model for…

Using LectureTools to enhance student–instructor relations and student engagement in the large class

OpenAIRE

Jerie Shaw; Sofiya Kominko; Jenepher Lennox Terrion

2015-01-01

Positive student–instructor relationships are important for student engagement, motivation, retention and achievement. Yet, as class sizes grow, these relationships can be increasingly difficult to develop. This study explores LectureTools – a web-based student response and learning platform that facilitates communication between instructors and students – as a possible solution to this issue by analysing survey data collected from students in a second-year communication class at a large Cana...

Students' Evaluation of Professional Personality Competencies of Physical Education Teachers Working in High Schools

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Demir, Erdal

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between professional personality competencies of physical education teachers working in high schools and gender, school type, and class variables of students. The study was organised according to the screening model. The study was carried out in a total of 17 schools, 16 state and one…

A Comparison of Burnout Levels of Preschool Teachers in Terms of Having Integration Students in Their Classes or Not

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Sahbaz, Ümit; Koyutürk Koçer, Nazife

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study is to compare burnout levels of preschool teachers who have integration students in their classes and those who do not. The sample of the study consists of 185 preschool teachers working in Isparta city and town centers. The data of the study were collected using the Burnout Inventory developed by Maslach and Jackson…

Applying Augmented Reality in practical classes for engineering students

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Bazarov, S. E.; Kholodilin, I. Yu; Nesterov, A. S.; Sokhina, A. V.

2017-10-01

In this article the Augmented Reality application for teaching engineering students of electrical and technological specialties is introduced. In order to increase the motivation for learning and the independence of students, new practical guidelines on Augmented Reality were developed in the application to practical classes. During the application development, the authors used software such as Unity 3D and Vuforia. The Augmented Reality content consists of 3D-models, images and animations, which are superimposed on real objects, helping students to study specific tasks. A user who has a smartphone, a tablet PC, or Augmented Reality glasses can visualize on-screen virtual objects added to a real environment. Having analyzed the current situation in higher education: the learner’s interest in studying, their satisfaction with the educational process, and the impact of the Augmented Reality application on students, a questionnaire was developed and offered to students; the study involved 24 learners.

Student Academic Self-Concept and Perception of Classroom Environment in Single-Sex and Coeducational Middle Grades Mathematics Classes

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Kombe, Dennis; Che, S. Megan; Carter, Traci L.; Bridges, William

2016-01-01

In this article, we present findings from a study that investigated the relationship between all-girls classes, all-boys classes, and coeducational classes on student mathematics self-concept and student perception of classroom environment. Further, we compared responses of girls in all-girls classes to girls in coeducational classes and responses…

[School well-being of students with and without special educational needs--a comparison of students in inclusive and regular classes].

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Schwab, Susanne; Rossmann, Peter; Tanzer, Norbert; Hagn, Joachim; Oitzinger, Sabrina; Thurner, Verena; Wimberger, Tanja

2015-07-01

The present study examines the academic well-being of students with and without special educational needs (SEN) in inclusive classes compared to students from regular classes in which no child with SEN is taught. In addition, the relationships between the school well-being and emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behavior are analyzed. A total of 1115 students from the 4th and 7th grade (37 % 4th graders, 63 % 7th graders) participated in the survey, 126 of whom had been diagnosed as having SEN. The subscale Well-Being at School taken from the FEESS 3–4 (Rauer & Schuck, 2004) and the SDQ (Goodman, 1997) were used for measurement. Results indicate high reliabilities for the subscale Well-Being in School for students both with and without SEN for both grades 4 and 7. Furthermore, it could be shown that the variance explained for school well-being can be connected to elements on the students’ individual level as well as on the class-specific level. Significant predictors of school well-being were sex, behavioral difficulties and strengths as well as the school grade. The SEN status (no SEN vs. SEN) and the class setting (regular vs. inclusive class) did not influence the school well-being significantly.

School physics teacher class management, laboratory practice, student engagement, critical thinking, cooperative learning and use of simulations effects on student performance

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Riaz, Muhammad

The purpose of this study was to examine how simulations in physics class, class management, laboratory practice, student engagement, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and use of simulations predicted the percentage of students achieving a grade point average of B or higher and their academic performance as reported by teachers in secondary school physics classes. The target population consisted of secondary school physics teachers who were members of Science Technology, Engineeering and,Mathematics Teachers of New York City (STEMteachersNYC) and American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA). They used simulations in their physics classes in the 2013 and 2014 school years. Subjects for this study were volunteers. A survey was constructed based on a literature review. Eighty-two physics teachers completed the survey about instructional practice in physics. All respondents were anonymous. Classroom management was the only predictor of the percent of students achieving a grade point average of B or higher in high school physics class. Cooperative learning, use of simulations, and student engagement were predictors of teacher's views of student academic performance in high school physics class. All other variables -- class management, laboratory practice, critical thinking, and teacher self-efficacy -- were not predictors of teacher's views of student academic performance in high school physics class. The implications of these findings were discussed and recommendations for physics teachers to improve student learning were presented.

DESIGNING PODCAST FOR STUDENTS: A PROTOTYPE FOR TEACHING ENGLISH IN LISTENING CLASS

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Delsa Miranty

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the context of language education, listening is recognized as the first skill that learnt by the students in the EFL classroom. However, some problems are commonly found in the process of learning to listen the material in form of English. Students are usually less confident and often confuse to start to listen the material in the EFL classroom. To minimize this problem, this study is aimed at discovering alternative tool in learning listening material by using Podcast. Four instruments were chosen to reveal students’ listening skill, they were: direct observation, questionnaire, interview and test. Direct observation was conducted three times, Likert Scale with five options was applied for questionnaires, close interview was conducted at the end of teaching learning process and the tests were conducted to check the students understanding of the materials. Moreover this research used one class in the third semester of English department in Untirta. The result of this research showed two things. First, there was effectiveness of using Podcast in the laboratory, since it has high score, for normalization gain score and the students finally had nice and good communication in the laboratory, the students have many time to download, listen, analysis and discuss the materials from Podcast with their team, out of the laboratory before they came to the laboratory. Second, there were good responses from the students since they got many advantages after using Podcast as the tool in the listening class, by applying podcast in the listening class. It started since the students were allowed to download, listen and give comments in the web blog about materials in critical listening from www.critical listening Podcast 2016.word press. Finally, by using Podcast, the English teacher also help the students to build their interaction skill and students’ self-confidence to improve their critical listening.

Key Concepts for and Assessment of an Undergraduate Class that Engages Engineering Students in Climate Change Grand Challenge

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Powers, S. E.; DeWaters, J.; Dhaniyala, S.

2015-12-01

Engineers must take a leading role in addressing the challenges of mitigating climate change and adapting to the inevitable changes that our world is facing. Yet climate change classes targeting engineering students are scarce. Technical education must focus on the problem formulation and solutions that consider multiple, complex interactions between engineered systems and the Earth's climate system and recognize that transformation raises societal challenges, including trade-offs among benefits, costs, and risks. Moreover, improving engineering students' climate science literacy will require strategies that also inspire students' motivation to work toward their solution. A climate science course for engineers has been taught 5 semesters as part of a NASA Innovations in Climate Education program grant (NNXlOAB57A). The basic premise of this project was that effective instruction must incorporate scientifically-based knowledge and observations and foster critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills. Lecture, in-class cooperative and computer-based learning and a semester project provide the basis for engaging students in evaluating effective mitigation and adaptation solutions. Policy and social issues are integrated throughout many of the units. The objective of this presentation is to highlight the content and pedagogical approach used in this class that helped to contribute to significant gains in engineering students' climate literacy and critical thinking competencies. A total of 89 students fully participated in a pre/post climate literacy questionnaire. As a whole, students demonstrated significant gains in climate-related content knowledge (pproblem statements and solutions in a manner that incorporated a multidimensional systems perspective. These skills are sometimes foreign to technically focused, number crunching engineering students, but are critical for using their engineering skills and profession to address climate change mitigation

Social and psychological characteristics of the class teacher interaction with students

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E.B. Petrushikhina

2013-07-01

Full Text Available We summarize the results of socio-psychological studies of classroom management, performed on the basis of a theoretical model of value exchange, developed by R.L.Krichevsky. Classroom management is understood as a kind of management activity of a teacher, aimed at organizing group of students. Factor analysis revealed two major factors of the effectiveness of classroom management: the nature of the relationship between the students and their relations to the class teacher. As teacher’s activity characteristics, we considered manifestations of his attitudes toward students, leadership style, characteristics of individual interaction with students. It is shown that the activity of the class teacher, aimed at meeting the critical social needs of students, has two major dimensions: taking care about students and development of their motivation. We analyze the impact of social and perceptual characteristics of the teacher on the effectiveness of his interaction with students. We reveal the features of self-assessment and reflective evaluation of personality and activity of a class teacher, the specifics of causal attributions of success and failure of students in different areas of school life.

Setting the question for inquiry: The effects of whole class vs small group on student achievement in elementary science

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Cavagnetto, Andy Roy

This study was conducted to determine the effects of two different student-centered approaches to setting the question for inquiry. The first approach (whole class) consisted of students setting a single question for inquiry after which students worked in small groups during an investigation phase of the activity with all groups exploring the same question. The second approach (small group) consisted of each group of students setting a question resulting in numerous questions being explored per class. A mixed method quasi-experimental design was utilized. Two grade five teachers from a small rural school district in the Midwestern United States participated, each teaching two sections of science (approximately 25 students per section). Results indicate three major findings. Instructional approach (whole class vs. small group) did not effect student achievement in science or language arts. Observational data indicated the actions and skills teachers utilized to implement the approaches were similar. Specifically, the pedagogical skills of dialogical interaction (which was found to be influenced by teacher level of control of learning and teacher content knowledge) and effective rather than efficient use of time were identified as key factors in teachers' progression toward a student-centered, teacher-managed instructional approach. Unit exams along with qualitative and quantitative teacher observation data indicated that these factors do have an impact on student achievement. Specifically increased dialogical interaction in the forms of greater student voice, and increased cognitive demands placed on students by embedding and emphasizing science argument within the student inquiry corresponded to positive gains in student achievement. Additionally, teacher's perception of student abilities was also found to influence professional growth. Finally, allowing students to set the questions for inquiry and design the experiments impact the classroom environment as teacher

The Effect of Group Work on Misconceptions of 9th Grade Students about Newton's Laws

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Ergin, Serap

2016-01-01

In this study, the effect of group work and traditional method on 9th grade students' misconceptions about Newton Laws was investigated. The study was conducted in three classes in an Anatolian Vocational High School in Ankara/Turkey in the second term of the 2014-2015 academic year. Two of these classes were chosen as the experimental group and…

What Happens outside of the College Class(ed)room? Examining College Students' Social Class and Social Integration in Higher Education

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Soria, Krista M.

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationships between undergraduate students' social class background and variables theorized to affect students' social integration in higher education, including students' perception of campus climate, frequency of faculty interactions, frequency of involvement in campus activities, and sense of belonging.…

Organization of the independent work of students while studying engineering graphics

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Tel’noy Viktor Ivanovich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the possibility of creating and implementing teaching conditions for the rational organization of the independent work of first-year students in state of adaptation to the study of the course of engineering drawing. Theoretical and methodological aspects of students’ independent work are presented: types and forms of organization and control, training and methodological support of their independent work. The authors used such an approach to independent work organization: teacher-led classes during the main types of training activities (lectures, practical and laboratory work; form of organization of training (extracurricular, and also self study using innovative teaching methods promotes creative activities of students and the development of competencies of a future skilled construction industry professional. The role of modern information and communication technologies in independent work of students was specified. According to the degree of coverage of students, taking into account individual characteristics and different levels of preparedness, the following forms of independent work organization were detached: individual, differentiated and front.In the process of engineering graphics studying it is recommended to use the following basic forms of independent work: ongoing work with the lecture material; selection and study of literature and electronic sources of information on the problems of the discipline; preparation for the main classroom training; performing calculation and graphic works; work in student scientific societies and carrying out research work; participation in scientific conferences, seminars and other. Emphasis on the formation of students’ skills in working with different types of educational and scientific literature, the ability to analyze, organize information in electronical library systems, open educational resources.

Factors Related to In-Class Spiritual Experience: Relationship between Pre-Class Scripture Reading, In-Class Note-Taking, and Perceived In-Class Spiritual Experiences

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Hilton, John, III; Sweat, Anthony R.; Plummer, Kenneth

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between student in-class note-taking and pre-class reading with perceived in-class spiritual and religious outcomes. This study surveyed 620 students enrolled in six different sections of an introductory religion course at a private religious university. Full-time religious faculty members…

Sono, trabalho e estudo: duração do sono em estudantes trabalhadores e não trabalhadores Sleep, work, and study: sleep duration in working and non-working students

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Érico Felden Pereira

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Este estudo objetivou investigar a duração do sono e fatores associados em escolares trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. Foram coletadas informações sobre o padrão do ciclo vigília/sono de 863 adolescentes de 10 a 19 anos em escolas de São Paulo, Brasil. Análises ajustadas foram aplicadas para comparação da duração do sono entre trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. O porcentual de adolescentes trabalhadores foi de 18,4% e 52% dos jovens que trabalhavam apresentaram oito ou menos horas de sono. A prevalência de baixa duração do sono foi maior nos trabalhadores dos sexos masculino (p = 0,017 e feminino (p The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of sleep and associated factors in working and non-working students. Data were analyzed on the sleep-wake cycle in 863 teenage students in São Paulo, Brazil. Adjusted analyses were performed to compare sleep duration in working and non-working students. 18.4% of the group worked, and 52% of the working students slept eight hours or less per night. Prevalence of short sleep duration was higher in working students of both sexes (males, p = 0.017; females, p < 0.001. Working students showed short sleep duration in the analysis adjusted for socioeconomic status, but short sleep was more frequent in older adolescents (p = 0.004 and in lower (p = 0.001 and middle (p = 0.011 socioeconomic classes. Although more working students were in night school, in the model adjusted for gender and socioeconomic status, working students in afternoon courses showed higher prevalence of short sleep duration (PR = 2.53; 95%CI: 1.68-4.12.

Reflective Journaling as a Flipped Classroom Technique to Increase Reading and Participation With Social Work Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sage, Melanie; Sele, Patti

Students in undergraduate social work practice courses come to the class with varying levels of educational, life, and practice experience. Students require an introduction to the material through textbook reading before they are able to engage in critical discussions, yet reading adherence varies widely among students. This research explores the use of reflective journals as a Flipped Classroom technique to increase reflective thinking and reading adherence. This study surveys 27 students in two practice courses about the use of weekly reflective journaling as a flipped classroom assignment. Findings support that reflective reading journals increase student preparation and engagement, but require more work for students and instructors. Implications are discussed.

Teaching Business Law to Non-Law Students, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse ("CaLD") Students, and Large Classes

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Kariyawasam, Kanchana; Low, Hang Yen

2014-01-01

This paper is largely based on the experience of teaching law to students with non-legal background in business schools, with a focus on internationalisation and the large class lecture format. Business schools often consist of large classes which include a significant proportion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) students. Teaching a…

"We Haven't Done Enough for White Working-Class Children": Issues of Distributive Justice and Ethnic Identity Politics

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Keddie, Amanda

2015-01-01

This article explores the politically contentious issue of White working-class student under-achievement within one particular school--a large and culturally diverse comprehensive secondary school in the greater London area. The article examines the equity philosophies and identity politics articulated by staff in their understanding of and…

Clone Yourself: Using Screencasts in the Classroom to Work with Students One-on-One

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Lang, Guido; Ceccucci, Wendy

2014-01-01

Despite the fact that screencasts have been used in higher education for years, little is known about the effectiveness of using them inside the classroom--as part of a lecture. One of the main benefits of using screencasts in class is that it allows the professor to work with students one-on-one. This novel instructional method was implemented to…

Outcomes of social class and classism in first- and continuing-generation college students.

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Allan, Blake A; Garriott, Patton O; Keene, Chesleigh N

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of classism that may explain links between social class, first-generation college student status, and academic and well-being outcomes. Specifically, with a sample of 1,225 college students from a public university, we examined social class and first-generation status as predictors of institutionalized, citational, and interpersonal classism and classism as a predictor of life satisfaction, academic satisfaction, and grade point average (GPA). Partially supporting hypotheses, social class and first-generation status predicted institutionalized classism and interpersonal classism, and social class predicted citational classism. In turn, institutionalized classism and citational classism negatively predicted life satisfaction, and institutionalized classism negatively predicted academic satisfaction. Indirect effects were significant from social class to life satisfaction via institutionalized and citational classism, from social class to academic satisfaction via institutionalized classism, and from first-generation status to life satisfaction via institutionalized classism. Social class also had direct effects to life satisfaction, academic satisfaction, and GPA, and first-generation status had direct effects to academic satisfaction and GPA. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Neurosignal record with a Brain-Computer interface to estimate the level of stress in a student during a class

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Luz Angela Moreno Cueva

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: This work shows an individual study of the capture, recording, and analysis of the level of stress of a university student during a class that involves an evaluation. The stress information was estimated using a commercial and low-cost computer-brain interface. This allows solving the problem of easily obtaining quantitative and not only qualitative measures. Objective: The aim of this article is to analyze the behavior of neural signals to estimate the level of stress in a student to some verbal and nonverbal events generated by a teacher. Methodology: An experimental design of individual character was developed taking as disturbances the level of stress, events such as questions, time limits, and gestures. Results: Some events that caused stress in students produced by the verbal and non-verbal language of the teacher when teaching the class were evidenced. Conclusions: Teachers are encouraged to moderate their body language during assessments by avoiding actions that emulate anxieties or pressures in unnecessary times.

Social Gender in the Pictures Drawn by Students about Physical Education Class

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Temel, Cenk; Güllü, Mehmet

2016-01-01

The current study aimed to analyze the social gender perception in physical education classes in Turkey through the pictures drawn by students about the physical education class. The document analysis technique, which is a qualitative research method, was used in the study. In the light of this aim, the pictures drawn by a total of 394 students…

Evaluation of Professional Personality Competence of Physical Education Teachers Working in Secondary Schools by Students

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Demir, Erdal

2016-01-01

The aim of this article is to assess how students evaluate the professional personality competence of physical education teachers working in secondary schools, and to investigate differences based on the variables of gender, school type and class. In line with these aims, this study was completed as a screening model cross-sectional study, which…

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

Science.gov (United States)

Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond cookbook-like laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.

Student Attitudes: A Study of Social Class

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Clifford A.

1976-01-01

Student attitudes toward current controversial problems (bussing for racial integration, legalization of abortion, and legalization of marijuana) were studied with regard to social class. The 1960 revision of the Purdue Master Attitude Scale was used. (LBH)

Business Students' Views of Peer Assessment on Class Participation

Science.gov (United States)

Tiew, Fidella

2010-01-01

The purpose of this project was to introduce peer and self assessment on tutorial class participation to a marketing unit at Curtin Sarawak. This assessment strategy was introduced with desire to improve class participation and increase student involvement in assessment. At the end of semester, a questionnaire was used to gather responses from a…

Impact of Tactile-Cued Self-Monitoring on Independent Biology Work for Secondary Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Catherine; McDougall, Dennis; Black, Rhonda S.; King-Sears, Margaret E.

2014-01-01

Results from a multiple baseline with changing conditions design across high school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) indicated that the students increased the percentage of independent work they completed in their general education biology class after learning tactile-cued self-monitoring. Students maintained high…

Building Students' Reasoning Skills by Promoting Student-Led Discussions in an Algebra II Class

Science.gov (United States)

DeJarnette, Anna F.; González, Gloriana

2013-01-01

Current research and professional organizations call for greater emphasis on reasoning and sense making in algebra (Chazan, 2000; Cuoco, Goldenberg, & Mark, 1996; Harel & Sowder, 2005; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2009, 2010). This paper illustrates how students in an Algebra II class had opportunities to develop…

[Levels of plasma cholinesterase in Colombian working-class populations].

Science.gov (United States)

Carmona-Fonseca, Jaime

2003-12-01

Levels of plasma cholinesterase in Colombian working-class populations Reference values for plasma cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) are not available for Colombian populations. A representative sample of a working-class population was used to establish these values to provide reference data for use by the social security system. Two working-class populations were sampled from the Aburrá Valley (Aburrá) and eastern Antioquia (Oriente). Cholinesterase activity was measured in 827 workers, with ages spanning 18-49 years, 415 from Aburrá and 412 people from Oriente. Three methods were used to measure cholinesterase: Michel, EQM and Monotest The average values by Michel and EQM were not statistically different between regions (Michel: Aburrá, 1.11, and East, 1.13 deltas pH/hora; EQM: Aburrá, 2.55, and Oriente, 2.48 U/ml). By the Monotest, the enzyme average was statistically higher in Aburra than in Oriente (5,743 and 5,459 U/L respectively; p = 0 .012). By region and technique, men had significantly higher enzymatic levels than women. Within both regions and sexes, no statistically significant difference among the three aged groups was noted. Our obtained Colombian values differed significantly from foreign reference values: Michel and Monotest levels were higher and EQM levels were lower. For making clinical and epidemiologic decisions in Colombia related to these data, the values obtained for the Colombian populations are preferred over values derived from external sources.

Evaluating the Intervention of an Ethics Class in Students' Ethical Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Marquita

2011-01-01

In this pilot study, the author evaluated the impact of an ethics class in terms of students' ethical decision-making. The research compares aggregate responses from scenario-based pre- and post-survey open-ended survey questions designed to elicit changes in ethical decision-making by comparing students' cognitive and affective perceptions about…

Is Active Learning Like Broccoli? Student Perceptions of Active Learning in Large Lecture Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, C. Veronica; Cardaciotto, LeeAnn

2011-01-01

Although research suggests that active learning is associated with positive outcomes (e.g., memory, test performance), use of such techniques can be difficult to implement in large lecture-based classes. In the current study, 1,091 students completed out-of-class group exercises to complement course material in an Introductory Psychology class.…

Students Opinions and Attitudes towards Physical Education Classes in Kuwait Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Heyam Reda; Mohammad, Mona Ahmad

2012-01-01

The aim of study was to investigate student opinion and attitude toward physical education classes. Two thousand seven hundred (2700) students answered the survey: 1239 (45.3%) were male students and 1497 (54.7%) were female from Kuwait six districts: Al_Hawalli, Al_Asimah, Al_Jahra, Al_Mobarak, Al_Farwniah, Al_Ahmadi. Weight Status was determined…

Flipping the Classroom in Medical Student Education: Does Priming Work?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Rose

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction The emergency medicine (EM clerkship curriculum at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center includes monthly lectures on pediatric fever and shortness of breath (SOB. This educational innovation evaluated if learning could be enhanced by “priming” the students with educational online videos prior to an in-class session. Factors that impacted completion rates were also evaluated (planned specialty and time given for video viewing. Methods Twenty-minute videos were to be viewed prior to the didactic session. Students were assigned to either the fever or SOB group and received links to those respective videos. All participating students took a pre-test prior to viewing the online lectures. For analysis, test scores were placed into concordant groups (test results on fever questions in the group assigned the fever video and test results on SOB questions in the group assigned the SOB video and discordant groups (crossover between video assigned and topic tested. Each subject contributed one set of concordant results and one set of discordant results. Descriptive statistics were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Lecture links were distributed to students two weeks prior to the in-class session for seven months and three days prior to the in-class session for eight months (in which both groups included both EM-bound and non-EM bound students. Results In the fifteen-month study period, 64% of students rotating through the EM elective prepared for the in class session by watching the videos. During ten months where exclusively EM-bound students were rotating (n=144, 71.5% of students viewed the lectures. In four months where students were not EM-bound (n=54, 55.6% of students viewed the lectures (p=0.033. Participation was 60.2% when lecture links were given three days in advance and 68.7% when links were given two weeks in advance (p=0.197. In the analysis of concordant scores, the pre-test averaged 56

The predictors of students' attitude towards inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education classes

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Orlić Ana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Positive attitude towards inclusion of children with disabilities in Physical Education (PE classes is one quite important factor for successful implementation of inclusive education. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of attitude of the students as future PE teachers towards inclusion in PE. In this study, the predictors in the field of personality, professional competences for working with children with disabilities and certain personal characteristics (gender were included. The sample included 221 students of the final year of studies at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education in Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad. In order to measure the attitude towards inclusion in PE, the instrument of Attitude Toward Inclusive Physical Education was used. In the field of personality, a trait of openness to experience was examined, which was measured using the HEXACO PI-R instrument. An additional questionnaire was also designed by which the students were asked to indicate their gender and professional competences for working with children with disabilities: their average mark during the studies, subjective assessment of the level of knowledge and skills required for working with children with disabilities acquired in the course of their studies (self-assessment of professional competence and experience in working with children with disabilities during their professional practice. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that openness to experience, self-assessment of professional competence and gender were significant predictors. The results indicate that, during the training for teaching profession, it is necessary to develop students' specific competences required for the work in inclusive education as well as to create the teaching atmosphere which will enhance inquisitiveness and creativity as significant determinants of the trait of openness to experience.

Organizing Independent Student Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhadyra T. Zhumasheva

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This article addresses issues in organizing independent student work. The author defines the term “independence”, discusses the concepts of independent learner work and independent learner work under the guidance of an instructor, proposes a classification of assignments to be done independently, and provides methodological recommendations as to the organization of independent student work. The article discusses the need for turning the student from a passive consumer of knowledge into an active creator of it, capable of formulating a problem, analyzing the ways of solving it, coming up with an optimum outcome, and proving its correctness. The preparation of highly qualified human resources is the primary condition for boosting Kazakhstan’s competitiveness. Independent student work is a means of fostering the professional competence of future specialists. The primary form of self-education is independent work.

Hong kong working class and union organization: A historical glimpse

OpenAIRE

Ng, Sek Hong; Ip, Olivia

2008-01-01

This paper attempts to sketch a longitudinal profile on the evolution of a working class in Hong Kong context in light of the thesis of embourgeoisement. The increasing economic affluence in the 1980s and early 1990s appeared to have bred an optimism in society that the members of the working class were converging in life-style and consumption behaviour with the middle class in a process of embourgeoisement. However, the thesis of embourgeoisement comes under question again around the turn of...

Working Memory in Students with Mathematical Difficulties

Science.gov (United States)

Nur, I. R. D.; Herman, T.; Ningsih, S.

2018-04-01

Learning process is the activities that has important role because this process is one of the all factors that establish students success in learning. oftentimes we find so many students get the difficulties when they study mathematics. This condition is not only because of the outside factor but also it comes from the inside. The purpose of this research is to analyze and give the representation how students working memory happened in physical education students for basic statistics subjects which have mathematical difficulties. The subjects are 4 students which have a mathematical difficulties. The research method is case study and when the describe about students working memory are explanated deeply with naturalistic observation. Based on this research, it was founded that 4 students have a working memory deficit in three components. The components are phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, dan episodic buffer.

Collaborative Testing as a Model for Addressing Equity in Student Success in STEM Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Dileonardo, C.; James, B. R.

2016-12-01

Introductory Earth science classes at two-year colleges play a critical role as "gateway courses" for underrepresented student populations into undergraduate STEM programs. Students entering college underprepared in math and science typically receive their only exposure to science at the undergraduate level in introductory courses in the Earth and space sciences. In many colleges a huge disparity exists in these classes between success rates amongst students from groups traditionally represented in the STEM fields and those from underrepresented populations. Closing the equity gap in success in these courses is a major focus of many pilot projects nationally. This concern has also led to the adoption of new teaching and learning practices, based on research in learning, in introductory Earth science pedagogy. Models of teaching practices including greater engagement, active learning approaches, and collaborative learning structures seem to help with student achievement in introductory courses. But, whereas these practices might increase overall student success they have not proven to close the equity gap in achievement. De Anza a two-year college in the San Francisco bay area has a long history in the geology department of incorporating and testing teaching practices developed out of research in learning. Collaborative learning has infused every aspect of our learning approaches in the Earth sciences, including laboratory, fieldwork, and test preparation. Though these approaches seemed to have educational benefit the huge equity gap department-wide persisted between targeted and non-targeted populations. Three years ago collaborative testing models were introduced into our geology and meteorology classes. The mechanism included methods for directly comparing collaborative to individual testing. The net result was that targeted populations including African Americans, Latinos, and Filipinos increased steadily at around 3.5% per year from 66% to 73%. The overall

Assessment of the efficacy of blended learning in an introductory pharmacy class

Science.gov (United States)

Munson, Christina Elizabeth

Blended learning is the convergence between traditional face-to-face learning typically seen in a university setting and a computer-mediated learning environment, and is increasingly being seen as a viable alternative for learning instruction. Pharmaceutical calculations (PC) is a course taken by students in the first year in the school of pharmacy at the University of Kansas (KU SOP). One of the objectives of the PC class is that students are able to perform calculations with minimal error consistently. This requires repetitive drill which is a poor use of class time. By moving presentation of material online and using class time for small learning group problem solving as well as practice exams, the transformation of the course to a blended or hybrid course is assessed for efficacy and found to have student outcomes which are comparable to previous face-to-face (F2F) classes. As KU SOP expands it class sizes from 105 to ˜150 students and its campuses (building a satellite campus in Wichita, Kansas), being able to provide quality instruction at a reasonable cost is desirable. By redesigning PC to be a hybrid course, the need to hire additional instructors and/or increase available resources is minimized. Instructors remain for the large part on the main campus in Lawrence while students are learning at remote locations, a cost-effective measure for all parties involved. Using small learning groups (consisting of not more than 3 or 4 students) to work problems in PC was demonstrated to be an effective use of F2F class time in the fall semester, 2008 at KU. The class was taught by the same instructor in the fall of 2009 using blended learning as the class format. The current computer Learning Management System (LMS) in use at KU is Blackboard((c)2010). By using Blackboard to deliver lectures and have students work through tutorials to learn the material, class time was devoted to highly-focused problem solving. Due to unequal data distribution, the non

Does Missing Classes Decelerate Student Exam Performance Progress? Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

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Lin, Tin-Chun

2014-01-01

A total of 389 business students in undergraduate introductory microeconomics classes in spring 2007, 2009, and 2011, and fall 2012 participated in an exam performance progress study. Empirical evidence suggested that missing classes decelerates and hampers high-performing students' exam performance progress. Nevertheless, the evidence does…

Tablets in English Class: Students' Activities Surrounding Online Dictionary Work

Science.gov (United States)

Bunting, Leona

2015-01-01

Tablets have become increasingly popular among young people in Sweden and this rapid increase also resonates in school, especially in classrooms for younger children. The aim of the present study is to analyze and describe how the students deal with the open instructions for a task of using online dictionaries on tablets. Specific focus is on how…

An Agenda for Research on Work and Class in the Post-socialist World

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morris, Jeremy

2017-01-01

’ of neoliberalism, show that empirically-grounded work on postsocialist working-classes can make important contributions to wider social science debates. Studying the ‘losers’ of transition can tell us much about populist politics, the rise of the global working-class outside the Global North and the nature...

Engaging Students in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class Using an Academically Focused Social Media Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Gavrin, Andy; Lindell, Rebecca

2017-03-01

There are many reasons for an instructor to consider using social media, particularly in a large introductory course. Improved communications can lessen the sense of isolation some students feel in large classes, and students may be more likely to respond to faculty announce-ments in a form that is familiar and comfortable. Furthermore, many students currently establish social media sites for their classes, without the knowledge or participation of their instructors. Such "shadow" sites can be useful, but they can also become distributors of misinformation, or venues for inappropriate or disruptive discussions. CourseNetworking (CN) is a social media platform designed for the academic environment. It combines many features common among learning management systems (LMS's) with an interface that looks and feels more like Facebook than a typical academic system. We have recently begun using CN as a means to engage students in an introductory calculus-based mechanics class, with enrollments of 150-200 students per semester. This article presents basic features of CN, and details our initial experiences and observations.

Social Class, Work, and the Family: Some Implications of the Father's Occupation for Familial Relationships and Sons' Career Decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortimer, Jeylan T.

The effects of both vertical and nonvertical dimensions of fathers' work on family relations and vocational socialization are explored through a multivariate analysis of data collected from several hundred male student participants enrolled in a Michigan College from 1962-1967. Social class and occupationally-related differences in family…

Effects of Teaching Strategies on Student Motivation to Learn in High School Mathematics Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Toles, Ann

2010-01-01

To succeed in an increasing technological and global society, students need to develop strong mathematical and problem-solving skills. This qualitative grounded theory study examined student perceptions of the ways in which teaching strategies in high school mathematics classes affect student motivation to learn the subject. Study participants…

The dynamics of student learning within a high school virtual reality design class

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Teresa M.

This mixed method study investigated knowledge and skill development of high school students in a project-based VR design class, in which 3-D projects were developed within a student-centered, student-directed environment. This investigation focused on student content learning, and problem solving. Additionally the social dynamics of the class and the role of peer mentoring were examined to determine how these factors influenced student behavior and learning. Finally, parent and teachers perceptions of the influence of the class were examined. The participants included freshmen through senior students, parents, teachers and the high school principal. Student interviews and classroom observations were used to collect data from students, while teachers and parents completed surveys. The results of this study suggested that this application of virtual reality (VR) learning environment promoted the development of; meaningful cognitive experiences, creativity, leadership, global socialization, problem solving and a deeper understanding of academic content. Further theoretical implications for 3-D virtual reality technology are exceedingly promising, and warrant additional research and development as an instructional tool for practical use.

Incorporating Active Learning and Student Inquiry into an Introductory Merchandising Class

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyun-Hwa; Hines, Jean D.

2012-01-01

Many educators believe that student learning is enhanced when they are actively involved in classroom activities that require student inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to report on three student inquiry projects that were incorporated into a merchandising class with the focus on making students responsible for their learning, rather than the…

Work–life balance/imbalance: the dominance of the middle class and the neglect of the working class

OpenAIRE

Warren, Tracey

2015-01-01

The paper was stimulated by the question of class in work-life debates. The common conclusion from work-life studies is that work-life imbalance is largely a middle class problem. It is argued here that this assertion is a direct outcome of a particular and narrow interpretation of work-life imbalance in which time is seen to be the major cause of difficulty. Labour market time, and too much of it, dominates the conceptualisation of work-life and its measurement too. This heavy focus on a cer...

Working Longer Makes Students Stronger?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Vibeke Myrup

Abstract: Despite much discussion on the role of education policy on school and student performance, we know little about the effects of school spending at the margin on student cognitive achievement beyond the effects of class size. Thus this paper examines the effects of annual ninth grade...... classroom hours in literacy and maths on ninth grade (aged 16) student performance in writing and maths, respectively. Using population data for Denmark in 2003-2006, I exploit unique policy-induced variation in classroom hours.On average, the reform changed classroom hours by 2.2-3.3% in literacy and maths...

Social Class Dialogues and the Fostering of Class Consciousness

Science.gov (United States)

Madden, Meredith

2015-01-01

How do critical pedagogies promote undergraduate students' awareness of social class, social class identity, and social class inequalities in education? How do undergraduate students experience class consciousness-raising in the intergroup dialogue classroom? This qualitative study explores undergraduate students' class consciousness-raising in an…

Profile of Students Uninterested in Practicum Class at Faculty of Engineering Universitas Negeri Surabaya

Science.gov (United States)

Munoto; Sondang, Meini; Satriana, FMS

2018-04-01

This study aims to determine the characteristics of students who were uninterested in attending practicum classes. This study applied naturalistic qualitative research methods using participatory observation and interviews. The data validity was ensured by triangulation, detailed description, length of observation time, as well as details and thorough observation. The data were analyzed using domain analysis and followed by conducting taxonomic, component, and thematic analyses. The results of the study indicate that faineant students show a negative behavior while attending laboratory practicums. They have a lack of motivation, effective interaction, and attention. The cognitive abilities vary from low to high. Other causes on how the aspects of the study were low were found as well, therefore improving those aspects allows students to raise their interest in practicum classes. The impact is to create well-skilled vocational teachers in conducting practicum classes in vocational schools and to make graduates better-prepared for the workforce.

Student Debt and the Class of 2015. 11th Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

Cochrane, Debbie; Cheng, Diane

2016-01-01

Student Debt and the Class of 2015 is the eleventh annual report on the student loan debt of recent graduates from four-year colleges, documenting the rise in student loan debt and variation among states as well as colleges. This report includes policy recommendations to address rising student debt and reduce debt burdens, including collecting…

Student Collaboration in Group Work: Inclusion as Participation

Science.gov (United States)

Forslund Frykedal, Karin; Hammar Chiriac, Eva

2018-01-01

Group work is an educational mode that promotes learning and socialisation among students. In this study, we focused on the inclusive processes when students work in small groups. The aim was to investigate and describe students' inclusive and collaborative processes in group work and how the teacher supported or impeded these transactions. Social…

A guided note taking strategy supports student learning in the large lecture classes

Science.gov (United States)

Tanamatayarat, J.; Sujarittham, T.; Wuttiprom, S.; Hefer, E.

2017-09-01

In higher education, lecturing has been found to be the most prevalent teaching format for large classes. Generally, this format tends not to result in effective learning outcomes. Therefore, to support student learning in these large lecture classes, we developed guided notes containing quotations, blank spaces, pictures, and problems. A guided note taking strategy was selected and has been used in our introductory physics course for many years. In this study, we investigated the results of implementing the guided note taking strategy to promote student learning on electrostatics. The samples were three groups of first-year students from two universities: 163 and 224 science students and 147 engineering students. All of the students were enrolled in the introductory physics course in the second semester. To assess the students’ understanding, we administered pre- and post-tests to the students by using the electrostatics test. The questions were selected from the conceptual survey of electricity and magnetism (CSEM) and some leading physics textbooks. The results of the students’ understanding were analyzed by the average normalized gains (). The value of each group was 0.61, 0.55, and 0.54, respectively. Furthermore, the students’ views on learning with the guided note taking strategy were explored by using the five-point rating scale survey. Most students perceived that the strategy helped support their active learning and engagement in the lectures.

Medical students perceive better group learning processes when large classes are made to seem small.

Science.gov (United States)

Hommes, Juliette; Arah, Onyebuchi A; de Grave, Willem; Schuwirth, Lambert W T; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Bos, Gerard M J

2014-01-01

Medical schools struggle with large classes, which might interfere with the effectiveness of learning within small groups due to students being unfamiliar to fellow students. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of making a large class seem small on the students' collaborative learning processes. A randomised controlled intervention study was undertaken to make a large class seem small, without the need to reduce the number of students enrolling in the medical programme. The class was divided into subsets: two small subsets (n=50) as the intervention groups; a control group (n=102) was mixed with the remaining students (the non-randomised group n∼100) to create one large subset. The undergraduate curriculum of the Maastricht Medical School, applying the Problem-Based Learning principles. In this learning context, students learn mainly in tutorial groups, composed randomly from a large class every 6-10 weeks. The formal group learning activities were organised within the subsets. Students from the intervention groups met frequently within the formal groups, in contrast to the students from the large subset who hardly enrolled with the same students in formal activities. Three outcome measures assessed students' group learning processes over time: learning within formally organised small groups, learning with other students in the informal context and perceptions of the intervention. Formal group learning processes were perceived more positive in the intervention groups from the second study year on, with a mean increase of β=0.48. Informal group learning activities occurred almost exclusively within the subsets as defined by the intervention from the first week involved in the medical curriculum (E-I indexes>-0.69). Interviews tapped mainly positive effects and negligible negative side effects of the intervention. Better group learning processes can be achieved in large medical schools by making large classes seem small.

The "Third Ear" Decolonizes: Integrating Deaf Students into Post-Secondary Classes

Science.gov (United States)

McHeimech, Zeinab

2009-01-01

Can we effectively integrate Deaf students into our post-secondary classes before recognizing and listening to them? Studies indicate that Deaf students continue to struggle, be silenced, and experience isolation when mainstreamed. Deaf students, or second-language students, inevitably develop new identities once included; however, we cannot…

The importance of teacher interpersonal behaviour for student attitudes in Brunei primary science classes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brok, den P.J.; Fisher, D.; Scott, R.

2005-01-01

This study investigated relationships between students' perceptions of their teachers' interpersonal behaviour and their subject-related attitude in primary science classes in Brunei. Teacher-student interpersonal behaviour was mapped with the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and reported

Working class conservatism: a system justification perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Jost, John T

2017-12-01

Working class conservatism is a perennial issue in social science, but researchers have struggled to provide an adequate characterization. In social psychology, the question has too often been framed in 'either/or' terms of whether the disadvantaged are more or less likely to support the status quo than the advantaged. This is a crude rendering of the issue obscuring the fact that even if most working class voters are not conservative, millions are-and conservatives could not win elections without their support. System justification theory highlights epistemic, existential, and relational needs to reduce uncertainty, threat, and social discord that are shared by everyone-and that promote conservative attitudes. I summarize qualitative and quantitative evidence of system justification among the disadvantaged and consider prospects for more constructive political activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS` COMMUNICATION SKILLS THROUGH EXERCISE AND THEATRICAL GAME IN THE CLASSES OF SPEAKING ART

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GALAC LUCIA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The ability to communicate is a prerequisite of the process of building interpersonal relationships, of social integration. Communication is a complex process involving the exchange of messages between at least two people and implies a harmonious combination of verbal, paraverbal and non-verbal language. Communication skills are particularly important to the people working in the field of culture. The classes in the Speaking Art discipline provide students with the opportunity to understand this process and to apply it practically through exercises and theatre games.

The academic majors of students taking American soil science classes: 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years

Science.gov (United States)

Brevik, Eric C.; Vaughan, Karen L.; Parikh, Sanjai J.; Dolliver, Holly; Lindbo, David; Steffan, Joshua J.; Weindorf, David; McDaniel, Paul; Mbila, Monday; Edinger-Marshall, Susan

2017-04-01

Many papers have been written in recent years discussing the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aspects of soil science. Therefore, it would make sense that soil science courses would be taken by students in a wide array of academic majors. To investigate this, we collected data from eight different American universities on the declared academic majors of students enrolled in soil science courses over a 10 year time period (2004-2005 to 2013-2014 academic years). Data was collected for seven different classes taught at the undergraduate level: introduction to soil science, soil fertility, soil management, pedology, soil biology/microbiology, soil chemistry, and soil physics. Overall trends and trends for each class were evaluated. Generally, environmental science and crop science/horticulture/agronomy students were enrolled in soil science courses in the greatest numbers. Environmental science and engineering students showed rapid increases in enrollment over the 10 years of the study, while the number of crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students declined. In the introduction to soil science classes, environmental science and crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students were enrolled in the greatest numbers, while declared soil science majors only made up 6.6% of the average enrollment. The highest enrollments in soil fertility were crop science/ horticulture/ agronomy students and other agricultural students (all agricultural majors except crop science, horticulture, agronomy, or soil science). In both the soil management and pedology classes, environmental science and other agricultural students were the largest groups enrolled. Other agricultural students and students from other majors (all majors not otherwise expressly investigated) were the largest enrolled groups in soil biology/microbiology courses, and environmental science and soil science students were the largest enrolled groups in soil chemistry classes. Soil physics was the only class

Sound Levels and Risk Perceptions of Music Students During Classes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Matilde A; Amorim, Marta; Silva, Manuela V; Neves, Paula; Sousa, Aida; Inácio, Octávio

2015-01-01

It is well recognized that professional musicians are at risk of hearing damage due to the exposure to high sound pressure levels during music playing. However, it is important to recognize that the musicians' exposure may start early in the course of their training as students in the classroom and at home. Studies regarding sound exposure of music students and their hearing disorders are scarce and do not take into account important influencing variables. Therefore, this study aimed to describe sound level exposures of music students at different music styles, classes, and according to the instrument played. Further, this investigation attempted to analyze the perceptions of students in relation to exposure to loud music and consequent health risks, as well as to characterize preventive behaviors. The results showed that music students are exposed to high sound levels in the course of their academic activity. This exposure is potentiated by practice outside the school and other external activities. Differences were found between music style, instruments, and classes. Tinnitus, hyperacusis, diplacusis, and sound distortion were reported by the students. However, students were not entirely aware of the health risks related to exposure to high sound pressure levels. These findings reflect the importance of starting intervention in relation to noise risk reduction at an early stage, when musicians are commencing their activity as students.

Relationship Among Dental Students' Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Azab, Ehab; Saksena, Yun; Alghanem, Tofool; Midle, Jennifer Bassett; Molgaard, Kathleen; Albright, Susan; Karimbux, Nadeem

2016-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students' attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second-year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students' grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (pattendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.

Using Mobile Devices to Facilitate Student Questioning in a Large Undergraduate Science Class

Science.gov (United States)

Crompton, Helen; Burgin, Stephen R.; De Paor, Declan G.; Gregory, Kristen

2018-01-01

Asking scientific questions is the first practice of science and engineering listed in the Next Generation Science Standards. However, getting students to ask unsolicited questions in a large class can be difficult. In this qualitative study, undergraduate students sent SMS text messages to the instructor who received them on his mobile phone and…

Working-Class Jobs and New Parents' Mental Health

Science.gov (United States)

Perry-Jenkins, Maureen; Smith, JuliAnna Z.; Goldberg, Abbie E.; Logan, Jade

2011-01-01

Little research has explored linkages between work conditions and mental health in working-class employed parents. The current study aims to address this gap, employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how levels of and changes in job autonomy, job urgency, supervisor support, and coworker support predicted parents' depressive…

The influence of physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes on perceived health state and psychological wellbeing

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Roh, Su Yeon

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates on perceived health state and psychological wellbeing. The subjects of this study were 187 female college students participating in Pilates classes in six universities located in Gyeonggi-do. The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS 18.0 version. The results are as follows. First, the physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their perceived health state. Second, the physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their psychological well-being. Third, the perceived health state of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their psychological well-being. Fourth, there is a causal relationship among the physical self-perception, perceived health state, and psychological well-being of female college students participating in Pilates classes. In particular, the physical self-perception obtained by the students through their Pilates classes strengthens their psychological well-being through their perceived health state. PMID:29740551

The influence of physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes on perceived health state and psychological wellbeing.

Science.gov (United States)

Roh, Su Yeon

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates on perceived health state and psychological wellbeing. The subjects of this study were 187 female college students participating in Pilates classes in six universities located in Gyeonggi-do. The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS 18.0 version. The results are as follows. First, the physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their perceived health state. Second, the physical self-perception of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their psychological well-being. Third, the perceived health state of female college students participating in Pilates classes affects their psychological well-being. Fourth, there is a causal relationship among the physical self-perception, perceived health state, and psychological well-being of female college students participating in Pilates classes. In particular, the physical self-perception obtained by the students through their Pilates classes strengthens their psychological well-being through their perceived health state.

Action research to promote medical students' motivation in an English for Specific Purposes class.

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Afsaneh Dehnad

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Action research is an attempt to seek immediate solutions to the problems experienced in educational settings. In this type of research, teachers are the researchers who intend to make instant reforms to develop, and improve their teaching styles and reflect on pedagogical practices. The purpose of this study was to conduct an action research to tackle the problem of students' low motivation in English classes at the medical school of Iran University of Medical Sciences in fall 2010. Participants of this study were 98 third-semester ESP students of medicine. To reform the situation and promote students' motivation to participate in classes more actively and eagerly, the researchers changed the syllabus by applying Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988 cyclical model of action research, and adopting task-based teaching. Data was collected by means of interviews with both teachers and students to determine the changes to be made in the syllabus, classroom observations to monitor students' behavioral changes, and a questionnaire to assess students' attitudes towards the changes. This research study had a number of valuable outcomes the most important of which was a change in classroom behavior of the students.

Action research to promote medical students' motivation in an English for Specific Purposes class.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehnad, Afsaneh; Nasser, Hayedeh

2014-01-01

Action research is an attempt to seek immediate solutions to the problems experienced in educational settings. In this type of research, teachers are the researchers who intend to make instant reforms to develop, and improve their teaching styles and reflect on pedagogical practices. The purpose of this study was to conduct an action research to tackle the problem of students' low motivation in English classes at the medical school of Iran University of Medical Sciences in fall 2010. Participants of this study were 98 third-semester ESP students of medicine. To reform the situation and promote students' motivation to participate in classes more actively and eagerly, the researchers changed the syllabus by applying Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) cyclical model of action research, and adopting task-based teaching. Data was collected by means of interviews with both teachers and students to determine the changes to be made in the syllabus, classroom observations to monitor students' behavioral changes, and a questionnaire to assess students' attitudes towards the changes. This research study had a number of valuable outcomes the most important of which was a change in classroom behavior of the students.

Labs not in a lab: A case study of instructor and student perceptions of an online biology lab class

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Doiron, Jessica Boyce

Distance learning is not a new phenomenon but with the advancement in technology, the different ways of delivering an education have increased. Today, many universities and colleges offer their students the option of taking courses online instead of sitting in a classroom on campus. In general students like online classes because they allow for flexibility, the comfort of sitting at home, and the potential to save money. Even though there are advantages to taking online classes, many students and instructors still debate the effectiveness and quality of education in a distant learning environment. Many universities and colleges are receiving pressure from students to offer more and more classes online. Research argues for both the advantages and disadvantages of online classes and stresses the importance of colleges and universities weighing both sides before deciding to adopt an online class. Certain classes may not be suitable for online instruction and not all instructors are suitable to teach online classes. The literature also reveals that there is a need for more research on online biology lab classes. With the lack of information on online biology labs needed by science educators who face the increasing demand for online biology labs, this case study hopes to provide insight into the use of online biology lab classes and the how students and an instructor at a community college in Virginia perceive their online biology lab experience as well as the effectiveness of the online labs.

Teacher Justice and Students’ Class Identification: Belief in a Just World and Teacher–Student Relationship as Mediators

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Ronghuan Jiang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available For school-age adolescents, teacher justice plays an important role in their learning and social outcomes. The present study examined the relation between teacher justice and students’ class identification in 1735 Chinese school-age adolescents by considering belief in a just world (BJW and teacher–student relationship as mediators. Structure equation modeling (SEM was used to reveal the direct and indirect effects. The analyses showed that all the direct and indirect effects were significant. These findings indicated that teacher justice had a positive effect on students’ class identification. In addition, teacher justice impacted students’ class identification through students’ just-world belief and teacher–student relationships. These results suggested that for adolescents, teacher justice played an important role in shaping their just-world belief system and their interpersonal relationships with teachers, which in turn affected their sense of belonging and values in relation to their class. Thus, it is important for teachers to be aware that their injustice may negatively impact their relationships with students, students’ belief systems, and their psychological engagement at school. There is a need to develop teacher-training programs to help teachers to establish classroom reward-punishment systems with the consideration of social justice, to communicate with students through an unbiased approach, and to increase student participation in the important decision making of the whole class.

Teacher Justice and Students’ Class Identification: Belief in a Just World and Teacher–Student Relationship as Mediators

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Jiang, Ronghuan; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Zhen, Rui; Sun, Yan; Fu, Xinchen

2018-01-01

For school-age adolescents, teacher justice plays an important role in their learning and social outcomes. The present study examined the relation between teacher justice and students’ class identification in 1735 Chinese school-age adolescents by considering belief in a just world (BJW) and teacher–student relationship as mediators. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was used to reveal the direct and indirect effects. The analyses showed that all the direct and indirect effects were significant. These findings indicated that teacher justice had a positive effect on students’ class identification. In addition, teacher justice impacted students’ class identification through students’ just-world belief and teacher–student relationships. These results suggested that for adolescents, teacher justice played an important role in shaping their just-world belief system and their interpersonal relationships with teachers, which in turn affected their sense of belonging and values in relation to their class. Thus, it is important for teachers to be aware that their injustice may negatively impact their relationships with students, students’ belief systems, and their psychological engagement at school. There is a need to develop teacher-training programs to help teachers to establish classroom reward-punishment systems with the consideration of social justice, to communicate with students through an unbiased approach, and to increase student participation in the important decision making of the whole class. PMID:29875726

Students’ oral involvement in the Chinese university classroom: A comparison between classes of Chinese and international students

OpenAIRE

Muhammad Abid Malik; Guoyuan Sang

2017-01-01

The current research investigates the notion that Chinese students are orally less involved in the classroom as compared to international students. Most of the previous research on this topic focuses on the Chinese students in English language classes or those studying in other countries where the language barrier and foreign culture might influence such behaviour. Using observations, this research compares two Chinese and two international classes in a Chinese university to investigate this ...

Students' motivation toward laboratory work in physiology teaching.

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Dohn, Niels Bonderup; Fago, Angela; Overgaard, Johannes; Madsen, Peter Teglberg; Malte, Hans

2016-09-01

The laboratory has been given a central role in physiology education, and teachers report that it is motivating for students to undertake experimental work on live animals or measuring physiological responses on the students themselves. Since motivation is a critical variable for academic learning and achievement, then we must concern ourselves with questions that examine how students engage in laboratory work and persist at such activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how laboratory work influences student motivation in physiology. We administered the Lab Motivation Scale to assess our students' levels of interest, willingness to engage (effort), and confidence in understanding (self-efficacy). We also asked students about the role of laboratory work for their own learning and their experience in the physiology laboratory. Our results documented high levels of interest, effort, and self-efficacy among the students. Correlation analyses were performed on the three motivation scales and exam results, yet a significant correlation was only found between self-efficacy in laboratory work and academic performance at the final exam. However, almost all students reported that laboratory work was very important for learning difficult concepts and physiological processes (e.g., action potential), as the hands-on experiences gave a more concrete idea of the learning content and made the content easier to remember. These results have implications for classroom practice as biology students find laboratory exercises highly motivating, despite their different personal interests and subject preferences. This highlights the importance of not replacing laboratory work by other nonpractical approaches, for example, video demonstrations or computer simulations. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Behavioral self-regulation in a physics class

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Stewart, John; DeVore, Seth; Stewart, Gay; Michaluk, Lynnette

2016-06-01

This study examined the regulation of out-of-class time invested in the academic activities associated with a physics class for 20 consecutive semesters. The academic activities of 1676 students were included in the study. Students reported investing a semester average of 6.5 ±2.9 h out of class per week. During weeks not containing an examination, a total of 4.3 ±2.1 h was reported which was divided between 2.5 ±1.2 h working homework and 1.8 ±1.4 h reading. Students reported spending 7.6 ±4.8 h preparing for each in-semester examination. Students showed a significant correlation between the change in time invested in examination preparation (r =-0.12 , p Students also modified their time invested in reading as the length of the textbook changed; however, this modification was not proportional to the size of the change in textbook length. Very little regulation of the time invested in homework was detected either in response to test grades or in response to changes in the length of homework assignments. Patterns of regulation were different for higher performing students than for lower performing students with students receiving a course grade of "C" or "D" demonstrating little change in examination preparation time in response to lower examination grades. This study suggests that homework preparation time is a fixed variable while examination preparation time and reading time are weakly mutable variables.

Small Group Multitasking in Literature Classes

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Baurain, Bradley

2007-01-01

Faced with the challenge of teaching American literature to large, multilevel classes in Vietnam, the writer developed a flexible small group framework called "multitasking". "Multitasking" sets up stable task categories which rotate among small groups from lesson to lesson. This framework enabled students to work cooperatively…

Painting with the Multiple Intelligences: Defining Student Success and Permanence in Art Class

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Taspinar, Seyda Eraslan; Kaya, Ali

2016-01-01

Objectives of the study are to determine the effect of teaching based on multiple intelligence theory (TBMIT) in visual arts class on student success and permanence. Experimental design is used in the study. Study group is composed of students at 8th grade in 2012-2013 educational term at Atatürk Secondary School in Igdir city centre. Experimental…

Assistive technology outcomes in post-secondary students with disabilities: the influence of diagnosis, gender, and class-level.

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Malcolm, Matt P; Roll, Marla C

2017-11-01

This study investigated how outcomes of assistive technology (AT) services for college students with disabilities are influenced by diagnosis, gender and class-level (e.g., Freshman). Students' pre- and post-intervention ratings of their performance and satisfaction of common academic tasks (using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, COPM) were analyzed, as well as students' responses on a survey about AT service provision, use, and preferences. Data from 455 students revealed "learning disability" to be the most prevalent diagnosis (38%), similar numbers of females and males served, and Freshmen (23.1%) as the largest class-level seeking AT services. For COPM data, each two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (grouping variable = diagnosis) revealed that pre-post change scores significantly improved for the entire sample, and that students with a mood disorder experienced the greatest changes compared to other diagnoses. COPM scores significantly and similarly improved for females and males, and across class levels. AT Survey ratings about timeliness of services and independent AT use were significantly lower for students with mobility deficits/pain and neurological damage, respectively. Gender and class-level variables did not significantly impact AT Survey ratings. The study results reveal that features of a college student's diagnosis may influence AT service outcomes, and student-perceptions of AT services ability to use AT. Implications for Rehabilitation College students who are Freshman and/or who have a learning disability are the most prevalent students referred for campus-based assistive technology services. While student ratings of academic task performance significantly increase across diagnostic groupings, these improvements were greatest for those with a mood disorder compared to other diagnostic groups. Service-providers should consider that features of certain diagnoses or disabilities may influence the student?s perception of AT service

Effect of Learning Achievement of the Eye of Productive Training, Prakerin Experience, and Interests in Student Readiness Entering the World of Work

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Dita Nur Faizah

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This study is a quantitative research by using descriptive and ex-post facto. The purpose of this research is to know how: (1 the description of learning achievement, description of internship experience, description of working interest, and description of working readiness; (2 the effect of productive learning achievement, internship experience, and working interest partially on the readiness of work for the students of SMK Negeri 1 Kraksaan Probolinggo. Data collection techniques used are questionnaire and documentation method. The sampling technique used is proportional random sampling. The result of the analysis shows that: (1 student learning achievement of productive, student internship experience, students working interest, and readiness of student work is in good category; (2 there is a negative and not significant influence between learning achievement of productive education and training on job readiness; (3 there is a positive but insignificant influence between internship experience on job readiness; (4 there is a positive but not significant influence between the interest of work to the readiness of class XII business management students in SMK Negeri 1 Kraksaan Probolinggo.

Students' and teachers' perceptions of single-sex and mixed-sex mathematics classes

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Rennie, Léonie J.; Parker, Lesley H.

1997-11-01

This study examines students' perceptions of the learning settings in single-sex and mixed-sex mathematics classes, and teachers' responses to those different classroom contexts. Nearly 300 students in four coeducational secondary schools gave their views of the nature of their participation and interaction in their mathematics classrooms, and data were also obtained from their teachers. There was congruence between students' and teachers' perceptions of the environment in the two kinds of classrooms. Overall, it was perceived that single-sex classrooms provided a more supportive environment for girls, but a rather less supportive environment for boys. Teachers used different strategies with the two kinds of classes and, although many experienced initial difficulty with unruly boys' classes, these problems were overcome. The single-sex environment provided opportunities for teachers to address apparent shortcomings arising from boys' and girls' previous educational experience, which resulted in improved attitudes and performance.

Medical Students Perceive Better Group Learning Processes when Large Classes Are Made to Seem Small

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Hommes, Juliette; Arah, Onyebuchi A.; de Grave, Willem; Schuwirth, Lambert W. T.; Scherpbier, Albert J. J. A.; Bos, Gerard M. J.

2014-01-01

Objective Medical schools struggle with large classes, which might interfere with the effectiveness of learning within small groups due to students being unfamiliar to fellow students. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of making a large class seem small on the students' collaborative learning processes. Design A randomised controlled intervention study was undertaken to make a large class seem small, without the need to reduce the number of students enrolling in the medical programme. The class was divided into subsets: two small subsets (n = 50) as the intervention groups; a control group (n = 102) was mixed with the remaining students (the non-randomised group n∼100) to create one large subset. Setting The undergraduate curriculum of the Maastricht Medical School, applying the Problem-Based Learning principles. In this learning context, students learn mainly in tutorial groups, composed randomly from a large class every 6–10 weeks. Intervention The formal group learning activities were organised within the subsets. Students from the intervention groups met frequently within the formal groups, in contrast to the students from the large subset who hardly enrolled with the same students in formal activities. Main Outcome Measures Three outcome measures assessed students' group learning processes over time: learning within formally organised small groups, learning with other students in the informal context and perceptions of the intervention. Results Formal group learning processes were perceived more positive in the intervention groups from the second study year on, with a mean increase of β = 0.48. Informal group learning activities occurred almost exclusively within the subsets as defined by the intervention from the first week involved in the medical curriculum (E-I indexes>−0.69). Interviews tapped mainly positive effects and negligible negative side effects of the intervention. Conclusion Better group learning processes can be

Strategies for Teaching and Managing Large Classes in University ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Followed by 'automate assessment tasks where possible (e.g. online quizzes)' with (Mean 3.0, SD = .899) (effective assessment practices) and 'evaluating student understanding regularly through Mini quizzes, short test, class work or True/False responses' with (Mean 2.8, SD = .752) (managing and teaching large classes).

The Tragedy of Work: Working Class Heroes in the Italian 21st-century Literature

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Claudio Panella

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The paper aims at exploring how the literary representation of the worker has changed between the end of 20th-century and the beginning of the 21st-century. With the fall of the 20th-century ideologies and raising the fragmentation of labour, texts have emerged in Italian literature which illustrated the tragic social and existential condition of the working class. Among these texts we can find some récits de filiation written by sons and daughters of workers whose health and ideals have been undermined even down to death. These typology of texts let emerged two equally tragic characters: fathers, ill and defeated but still working class heroes and sons, tragically conscious of their roles witnesses-superstites of those ‘denied heroes’. Among the texts being tackled in the paper Il nemico (2009 by Emanuele Tonon, Amianto (2012 by Alberto Prunetti, Il fuoco a mare (2015 by Andrea Bottalico, Ilva Football Club (2016 by Fulvio Colucci and Lorenzo d’Alò

A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of Time Constraints on Student Performance in Accounting Classes

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Morris, David E., Sr.; Scott, John

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects, if any, of time constraints on the success of accounting students completing exams. This study examined how time allowed to take exams affected the grades on examinations in three different accounting classes. Two were sophomore classes and one was a senior accounting class. This limited pilot…

Work-life balance, time and money: identifying the work-life balance priorities of working class workers

OpenAIRE

Warren, Tracey

2017-01-01

This chapter provides an overview of the relative roles played by time and money in debates around work-life balance. It shows how time trumps money in dominant understandings of what ‘work-life’ means and in what parts of our lives are presumed to be in need of balance. Working ‘too many’ hours is seen to be the major challenge for achieving a work-life balance. This is an incomplete account. It is largely about the work-lives of the middle classes and it neglects the priorities of working c...

Why Students Do and Do Not Attend Classes: Myths and Realities.

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Friedman, Paul; Rodriguez, Fred; McComb, Joe

2001-01-01

Explored student characteristics and course characteristics influencing why college students skip class. Found that attendance behavior cannot be easily explained and that the decision to attend is influenced by multiple factors. (EV)

"I'm so Much More Myself Now, Coming Back to Work"--Working Class Mothers, Paid Work and Childcare

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Braun, Annette; Vincent, Carol; Ball, Stephen J.

2008-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which working class mothers negotiate mothering and paid work. Drawing on interviews with 70 families with pre-school children, we examine how caring and working responsibilities are conceptualised and presented in mothers' narratives. Mothers showed a high degree of commitment to paid work and, in contrast to…

Special Learners: Using Picture Books in Music Class to Encourage Participation of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

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Hagedorn, Victoria S.

2004-01-01

Many autistic students think and learn in pictures, not language. Visual representation of tasks, objects, and songs can greatly assist the autistic student. Using picture books in the music class is a popular strategy for many teachers. This article provides a list of books that a teacher has used with success in classes for children with…

Students Write, Then "Sell" Ad Copy to Class.

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Galician, Mary Lou

1986-01-01

Describes a course in commercial copywriting for electronic media in which students must also present orally their copy to the class to drive home two points: (1) the writing has to sell products, and (2) the writer has to sell the spot or campaign to the client or employers. (HTH)

"When You See a Normal Person …": Social Class and Friendship Networks among Teenage Students

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Papapolydorou, Maria

2014-01-01

This paper draws on social capital theory to discuss the way social class plays out in the friendships of teenage students. Based on data from individual interviews and focus groups with 75 students in four London secondary schools, it is suggested that students tend to form friendships with people who belong to the same social-class background as…

Workplace Policies and Mental Health among Working-Class, New Parents

OpenAIRE

Perry-Jenkins, Maureen; Smith, JuliAnna Z.; Wadsworth, Lauren Page; Halpern, Hillary Paul

2016-01-01

Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in working-class, employed parents, creating a gap in our knowledge of work-family issues across social class levels. The current U.S. study addresses this gap by employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how workplace policies and parental leave benefits predicted parents' depressive symptoms and anxiety in a sample of 125, low-income, dual-earner couples interviewed across the transition to...

Students' motivation to study Chinese recreational gymnastics classes wushu

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O.V. Maksimuk

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to identify students' motivation to improving gymnastics lessons Chinese Wushu. Material : this survey was attended by 30 students from different countries enrolled in a language course at the Shanghai University of Sport. The methodology SAN (health, activity and mood. Results : the positive changes identified psycho-emotional state students. There is an increase students' motivation to sports activity. Students observed increase differentiated assessment of health (from 3.7 to 6.7 points, activity (from 3.9 points to 6.5 points and mood (from 4.0 points to 6.9 points. 97 % of students were in favor of the use of functional music lessons on differentiated specialized Wushu. Conclusions : presented the program and practical advice on the organization and conduct physical education classes with students using the means of improving gymnastics Chinese Wushu.

Provocative questions in parochial sex education classes: higher incidence in younger students.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan; Breuner, Cora C; Lozano, Paula

2008-10-01

Recent data show US adolescents are engaging in sexual activity at earlier ages; however, little is known about young teens' sexual attitudes and behaviors. Examining teens' questions in sex education classes may provide insight into these attitudes and behaviors. Quasi cohort study Parochial middle school sex education classes 5(th) through 8(th) graders Students' anonymous written questions submitted at the outset of sex education classes between 2003 and 2005. Questions were classified into topic categories. Three additional variables were then coded for each question. Ethics/guidance questions included requests for advice or value judgments. Prohibited questions included the topics homosexuality, abortion, masturbation, and contraception. "Red flag" questions were those that suggested consideration of or engagement in sexual behavior. Among 473 questions submitted by 410 students, the most popular topics for 5(th)/6(th) graders were pregnancy and puberty, and for 7(th)/8(th) graders puberty and menstruation. 41 questions (8.6%) were prohibited. 29 questions (6.2%) asked about ethics/guidance. 18 questions (3.81%) were coded as red flag questions. A chi-square analysis showed that 5(th)/6(th) graders asked more questions in the ethics/guidance (8.3% versus 3.64%) and red flag question categories (5.53% versus 1.82%) (P < 0.05) than 7(th)/8(th) graders. Although provocative questions represent a minority of these middle students' queries, these requests suggest the urgency of providing appropriate guidance to young teens, given the risks of early sexual activity. The role of school education programs, physicians and parents in addressing questions of this sort should be considered.

Learning styles differences among engineering students of daytime and evening classes programs

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Marco Antonio DÍAZ DÍAZ

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this exploratory research was to identify if there were any differences in the student’s learning styles of three engineering academic programs from daytime and evening classes. The motivation aroused from the observation that the academic performance of these two populations, in response to equally demanding academic programs, was equivalent, despite having far less demanding requirements for the acceptance in the evening class program. The results of this research showed no relevant differences in the learning styles of the students of the two programs, giving rise to more questions than answers, mainly regarding the motivations of the evening class students and the academic requirements for the acceptance in a tertiary institution. 

The application of individual approach in how to conduct aerobics classes with students of different levels of preparedness.

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Barybina L.N.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to develop a system of classes in aerobics in high school with an individual approach. On this subject has been analyzed about 15 references. 105 students took part in an experiment. The technique, which combines fitness aerobics and step aerobics. The technique allows to take into account the physical capacity, functional differences, the level of preparedness and dealing with their needs, as well as to use an individual approach in the selection of means and methods of physical education. We propose the organization of activities in which the hall can simultaneously engage up to 5-6 subgroups: students with low fitness and low levels of coordination abilities, students with an average level of physical fitness and low levels of coordination abilities, students with high levels of physical fitness and low levels of coordination abilities, students with an average level of physical fitness and a high level of coordination abilities, students with high levels of physical fitness and coordination abilities.

High school students' work engagement in practical teaching

OpenAIRE

Milanović-Dobrota Biljana Z.; Radić-Šestić Marina N.

2017-01-01

The current interest in introducing the dual education system into Serbian secondary education has drawn our attention to the question of students' self-perception in the process of practical teaching. The idea that underpins this paper is the supposition that students are affectively engaged with the work activities they perform. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli et al., 2002) has been used for assessing students' work engagement in practical teaching. A study was conducted...

Group Work, Students' Reading Ability, And Motivation

OpenAIRE

Wahidah, Farah Sukmawati

2014-01-01

Teachers must be able to cooperate with their students in the class to make the teaching and learning activities enjoyable. A good teacher has to use appropriate strategies to make his or her students fluent readers. Teachers also have to make students feel comfortable so that they can achieve the objective of the teaching and learning activities. Responding to the problems and considering the factors causing them, the researcher taught that the best way to improve the students' reading abili...

Flipped-learning course design and evaluation through student self-assessment in a predental science class.

Science.gov (United States)

Ihm, Jungjoon; Choi, Hyoseon; Roh, Sangho

2017-06-01

This study explores how to design a flipped classroom for a predental science course and evaluate its course through student self-assessment in order to provide practical implications for flipped learning in an undergraduate level. Second- and third-year predental students in the Seoul National University School of Dentistry enrolled in Biodiversity and Global Environment, a 15-week, three-credit course based on a flipped learning model. At the end of the course, the students were asked to rate their self-directed learning, attitude toward social media, discussion skills, learning readiness, and class satisfaction. Out of the 82 predental students, 61 (74.3%) answered the survey. Pearson correlation and multivariate regression analyses were employed to examine the relationship between the self-rated measurements and the performance scores. The majority of the students felt somewhat more prepared than the medium level before the class (mean score of 3.17 out of 5.00), whereas they expressed relatively low preference concerning social media use and attitude (mean score of 2.49). Thus, it was found that learning readiness was significantly associated with both discussion skills and class satisfaction. In particular, multivariate regression analysis confirmed that learning readiness had a significant influence on learning outcomes. This study offered insights into how to design a flipped learning course in terms of predental students' preference and their learning readiness. Although learning success in a flipped classroom depends on the students' self-perceived level of preparedness, much still remains to be achieved in order to apply social media benefits in a flipped learning context.

Injuries to primary school pupils and secondary school students during physical education classes and in their leisure time.

Science.gov (United States)

Videmsek, Mateja; Karpljuk, Damir; Mlinar, Suzana; Mesko, Maja; Stihec, Joze

2010-09-01

The study aimed to establish the frequency of injuries in primary and secondary schools during leisure time and physical education classes in school as well as in group and individual sports. The sample included 2842 pupils from nine primary schools and 1235 students from five secondary schools in Slovenia. The data were processed with the SPSS statistical software package and the frequencies and Crosstabs were calculated. The results showed that substantially more pupils and students were injured in their leisure time than during physical education classes. Girls were more frequently injured in group and individual sports practiced during physical education classes and in individual sports practiced in their leisure time, whereas boys suffered more injuries in group sports practiced in their leisure time. As regards group sports, pupils and students were most frequently injured while playing football in their leisure time whereas, during physical education classes, they suffered most injuries in volleyball, followed closely by basketball and football; as regards individual sports, pupils and students were most frequently injured while cycling and rollerblading in their leisure time, whereas during physical education classes they suffered most injuries in athletics.

Working with artistically gifted students

OpenAIRE

Dedukić, Sanja

2014-01-01

The thesis deals with the problem of detection, identification and the educational work of art gifted students. It is very important that these students are detected early and regarded as a separate group that has exceptional potential in the field of art and are thusly entitled to individualized adaptation within the primary education program. Namely, when working with gifted students, teachers are expected to utilize different forms of work in the classroom, which will encourage such studen...

THE RELATIONSHIP OF MBTI AND STUDENT GPA SCORE IN BINUS MANAGEMENT CLASS 2015

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Son Wandrial

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This article identified the personality type of students by using MBTI models. There are 16 personality types in the MBTI. The method applied was the MBTI approach where the type and composition of the questionsrelated to the MBTI were taken from the Daft’s book. Questionnaires were distributed through discussion forum Binusmaya to all students in three classes that the writer taught. The questionnaires were distributed throughdiscussion forums, and there were about 158 students, but only 143 students who returned it. There were 41 male students and 102 female students. The result shows that the majority of students have approximately 51,04% introvert type and 58,04 % of students have the sensing type. The students with GPA more than 3,5 are ISFJ type.

WWC Review of the Report "Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap: A Difference-Education Intervention Improves First-Generation Students' Academic Performance and All Students' College Transition." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

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What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

2014-01-01

For the 2014 study, "Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap: A Difference-Education Intervention Improves First-Generation Students' Academic Performance and All Students' College Transition," researchers investigated the impact of attending a moderated panel on incoming freshmen's adjustment to college. The panel featured…

High school students' work engagement in practical teaching

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Milanović-Dobrota Biljana Z.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The current interest in introducing the dual education system into Serbian secondary education has drawn our attention to the question of students' self-perception in the process of practical teaching. The idea that underpins this paper is the supposition that students are affectively engaged with the work activities they perform. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES (Schaufeli et al., 2002 has been used for assessing students' work engagement in practical teaching. A study was conducted to examine the differences between high school students with mild intellectual disabilities and those with typical development with regard to aspects of work engagement defined as Energy, Commitment and Absorption. The sample was comprised of 248 students of vocational high schools in Serbia of both genders, of whom 111 with intellectual disabilities and 137 with typical development. The findings indicate that students with mild intellectual disabilities tend to rate their engagement in practical teaching more positively (t=7,457; p=0,001 than students with typical development. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the pedagogical implications of these findings and also outlines the limitations of the study, thus pointing the way for future research on this or related issues.

Strategies for increasing student knowledge and understanding about conflict minerals in a mineralogy class

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Cook, G. W.

2014-12-01

Conflict minerals, including their uses and methods of extraction, are associated with significant societal and environmental issues in today's world. Minerals such as columbite-tantalite (also referred to as COLTAN), wolframite, cassiterite and gold are important in electronics manufacturing and have a wide variety of other usages. Mining practices are frequently unsustainable and have significant impacts on the environment; moreover, in many locations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the epicenter of the conflict mineral trade—major human rights violations are associated with the extraction and production of these minerals. Because conflict minerals represent a relatively new issue, students in geology classes are frequently unfamiliar with the topic and commonly have little understanding of the concerns. In some cases they are completely unaware of the issues. In an introductory mineralogy class at the University of California, San Diego I have introduced a content module into my otherwise traditional curriculum that introduces students to conflict minerals, explains the issues, and delineates the problems our society will face with the continued uses of these natural resources. Most significantly, an assignment has been created and implemented in class that is paired with the content module and is designed to enhance and reinforce student learning. Its goal is to increase awareness of the societal and environmental issues surrounding conflict minerals. Initial results suggest (based on pre and post-tests) that our students have learned significantly from the combination of content, exercise, and assessment and that they are much better informed on the issues of conflict minerals. This model, including the exercise, can be modified and adapted for other introductory classes and learning settings.

Do Thinking Styles Matter for Science Achievement and Attitudes toward Science Class in Male and Female Elementary School Students in Taiwan?

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Wang, Tzu-Ling; Tseng, Yi-Kuan

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of thinking styles on science achievement and attitudes toward science class among Taiwanese elementary school students and to explore the differences between male and female students in their modes of thinking. Participants included 756 sixth-grade students from 28 classes in four elementary…

Flow experiences in everyday classes of Spanish college students: the fit between challenge and skill

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Jordi Escartin

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study is concerned with the flow state as a high intrinsic motivation experience. Following Csikszenmihalyi´s theoretical model (1990, we analyze in which contents within the social psychology subject, students experience more flow. Participants were Spanish college students from a general course on Social Psychology. They completed a diary study during 12 master classes through the academic semester. The results showed that students experienced different states of consciousness in different sessions: relaxation, apathy, flow and anxiety, respectively. These findings provide new insight into the relationship between an academic subject and students, facilitating the creation of new and innovative strategies for learning. The ultimate goal is to modify and improve the dynamics and learning activities for the teaching course, increasing the experience of flow in class (and reducing the levels of anxiety, apathy or relaxation.

Webcasts promote in-class active participation and learning in an engineering elective course

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Freguia, Stefano

2017-09-01

This paper describes the design and outcomes of an educational intervention undertaken to improve the quality of delivery of a fourth-year engineering elective course - Industrial Wastewater and Solid Waste Management at the University of Queensland. The objective was to increase the level of active participation of students in planned active-learning classroom activities, including whole-class discussions and small group project-type work. According to a flipped classroom model, new online material in the form of webcasts was proposed to students before class. Students reacted very positively to the webcasts: the percentage of students viewing the webcast before planned workshop sessions ranged between 80% and 92% over the five weeks of the intervention. Enhanced engagement led also to increased attendance (85-92% at workshop sessions), and remarkable active participation in class (half of observed teams were ∼80% active). Remarkably, team performance as quantified by their report marks linearly correlated with the level of active participation in class.

School Physics Teacher Class Management, Laboratory Practice, Student Engagement, Critical Thinking, Cooperative Learning and Use of Simulations Effects on Student Performance

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Riaz, Muhammad

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how simulations in physics class, class management, laboratory practice, student engagement, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and use of simulations predicted the percentage of students achieving a grade point average of B or higher and their academic performance as reported by teachers in secondary…

INDONESIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TOEFL PREPARATION CLASS

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Siti Masfufah

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This is the report of a pilot study of a dissertation. This study investigated what Indonesian students perceived of the TOEFL Preparation class.  The researcher interviewed 11 students of Economics. The students’ age ranged from 18 – 23 years old.  Seven of them had a job. Three of them were planning to have a job. The other one was a full-time student. This research revealed that the majority of the students were satisfied with the TOEFL Preparation class. The teacher helped them understand English compared to their knowledge before taking the TOEFL class. However, the students suggest that the duration for each meeting should be at least 120 minutes. Beside, the teacher should provide group work activities and homework. In addition, the teacher should come to class on time. Some recommendations of the findings are discussed in this paper.

Sudanese Students' Perceptions of Their Class Activities: Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of My Class Activities--Arabic Language Version

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Pereira, Nielsen; Bakhiet, Salaheldin Farah; Gentry, Marcia; Balhmar, Tahani Abdulrahman; Hakami, Sultan Mohammed

2017-01-01

This study examined the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Arabic version of "My Class Activities" (MCA), an instrument designed to measure students' perceptions of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment in classrooms. Scores of 3,516 Sudanese students in Grades 2 to 8 were used. Confirmatory factor analysis…

Students' Perceptions of Their First Accounting Class: Implications for Instructors

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Abbott, Jean Ingersoll; Palatnik, Barry R.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this action research study is to learn directly from undergraduate students, through focus groups, about their experiences in their first accounting class, especially about the students' knowledge and practice of critical thinking and about which classroom experiences engaged their attention and enhanced learning. The findings show…

Darkness and near work: myopia and its progression in third-year law students.

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Loman, Jane; Quinn, Graham E; Kamoun, Layla; Ying, Gui-Shuang; Maguire, Maureen G; Hudesman, David; Stone, Richard A

2002-05-01

To evaluate myopia prevalence, myopia progression, and various potential myopia risk factors in third-year law students. Cross-sectional study and survey. One hundred seventy-nine third-year law students at the University of Pennsylvania. We administered a questionnaire to assess the prevalence of myopia, myopia progression, and risk factors, including near work, family history, and daily light/dark exposure. We conducted a screening eye examination to ascertain myopia status. Myopia was defined as the mean spherical equivalent of the two eyes of school. (1) prevalence of myopia, (2) progression of myopia. Seventy-nine percent of the class participated (n = 179, two were excluded for amblyopia leaving 177 students). Fifty-eight percent were male, 75% were Caucasian, and the mean age was 27 years. Seventy-nine percent reported parental myopia. The mean amount of near work was 7.4 hours/day; mean sleep was 7.9 hours/day; mean darkness was 5.3 hours/day. Sixty-six percent of the students were myopic. Of 96 participants myopic before law school, myopia increased in 83 (86%) during law school. Among 75 students not myopic at the beginning of law school, 14 (19%) became myopic. The onset of myopia could not be determined for 6 patients. There were trends for higher myopia prevalence among those with a parental myopia history (P = 0.14) and for increased myopia progression among those reporting more daily near work (P = 0.18). Students with 5.6 hours of darkness per day (95% vs. 80%, P = 0.07). To account for possible confounding effects of risk factors with myopia progression, logistic regression with categorization of the continuous exposure variables (hours of near work, sleep, and darkness) above or below median values weakened the near work association (odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 0.5-6.7, P = 0.35) but continued to identify darkness association with daily hours of darkness (odds ratio 4.8, 95% confidence interval 1.0 >/= 23.3, P students with myopia

Re-establishing Class Privilege: The Ideological Uses of Middle and Working-Class Female Characters in Downton Abbey

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Laetitia Kevers

2017-01-01

This paper argues that the British period drama Downton Abbey, which aired between 2010 and 2015 and encountered worldwide success, uses working class and middle-class female characters to promote the aristocracy and conservative ideas, while hiding behind historical accuracy and seemingly progressive patterns of behaviour. Through a close reading of four female characters, I will demonstrate how the series’ author, Julian Fellowes, uses the show to endorse his own political ag...

Participation in Sex Work: Students' Views

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Roberts, Ron; Sanders, Teela; Myers, Ellie; Smith, Debbie

2010-01-01

Increasing evidence points to student involvement in the sex industry. The current study comprised a cross-sectional sample of 315 undergraduates at a London university. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, data were gathered on students' financial and employment circumstances and their views on participation in sex work. Results suggested…

Activities Contributing a Great Deal to the Students' Interactive Skills in Foreign Language Classes

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Asatryan, Susanna

2016-01-01

While teaching speaking it is desired to provide a rich environment in class for meaningful communication to take place. With this aim, various speaking activities can contribute a great deal to students in developing their interactive skills necessary for life. These activities make students active in the learning process and at the same time…

Using In-class Group Exercises to Enhance Lectures and Provide Introductory Physics Students an Opportunity to Perfect Problem Solving Skills through Interactions with Fellow Students

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Trout, Joseph; Bland, Jared

2013-03-01

In this pilot project, one hour of lecture time was replaced with one hour of in-class assignments, which groups of students collaborated on. These in-class assignments consisted of problems or projects selected for the calculus-based introductory physics students The first problem was at a level of difficulty that the majority of the students could complete with a small to moderate amount of difficulty. Each successive problem was increasingly more difficult, the last problem being having a level of difficulty that was beyond the capabilities of the majority of the students and required some instructor intervention. The students were free to choose their own groups. Students were encouraged to interact and help each other understand. The success of the in-class exercises were measured using pre-tests and post-tests. The pre-test and post-test were completed by each student independently. Statistics were also compiled on each student's attendance record and the amount of time spent reading and studying, as reported by the student. Statistics were also completed on the student responses when asked if they had sufficient time to complete the pre-test and post-test and if they would have completed the test with the correct answers if they had more time. The pre-tests and post-tests were not used in the computation of the grades of the students.

Association of Unconscious Race and Social Class Bias With Vignette-Based Clinical Assessments by Medical Students

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Haider, Adil H.; Sexton, Janel; Sriram, N.; Cooper, Lisa A.; Efron, David T.; Swoboda, Sandra; Villegas, Cassandra V.; Haut, Elliott R.; Bonds, Morgan; Pronovost, Peter J.; Lipsett, Pamela A.; Freischlag, Julie A.; Cornwell, Edward E.

2012-01-01

Context Studies involving physicians suggest that unconscious bias may be related to clinical decision making and may predict poor patient-physician interaction. The presence of unconscious race and social class bias and its association with clinical assessments or decision making among medical students is unknown. Objective To estimate unconscious race and social class bias among first-year medical students and investigate its relationship with assessments made during clinical vignettes. Design, Setting, and Participants A secure Web-based survey was administered to 211 medical students entering classes at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, in August 2009 and August 2010. The survey included the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess unconscious preferences, direct questions regarding students’ explicit race and social class preferences, and 8 clinical assessment vignettes focused on pain assessment, informed consent, patient reliability, and patient trust. Adjusting for student demographics, multiple logistic regression was used to determine whether responses to the vignettes were associated with unconscious race or social class preferences. Main Outcome Measures Association of scores on an established IAT for race and a novel IAT for social class with vignette responses. Results Among the 202 students who completed the survey, IAT responses were consistent with an implicit preference toward white persons among 140 students (69%, 95% CI, 61%–75%). Responses were consistent with a preference toward those in the upper class among 174 students (86%, 95% CI, 80%–90%). Assessments generally did not vary by patient race or occupation, and multivariable analyses for all vignettes found no significant relationship between implicit biases and clinical assessments. Regression coefficient for the association between pain assessment and race IAT scores was −0.49 (95% CI, −1.00 to 0.03) and for social class, the coefficient was −0.04 (95% CI

Flipped-Class Pedagogy Enhances Student Metacognition and Collaborative-Learning Strategies in Higher Education but Effect Does Not Persist

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van Vliet, E. A.; Winnips, J. C.; Brouwer, N.

2015-01-01

In flipped-class pedagogy, students prepare themselves at home before lectures, often by watching short video clips of the course contents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of flipped classes on motivation and learning strategies in higher education using a controlled, pre- and posttest approach. The same students were followed…

MathPatch - Raising Retention and Performance in an Intro-geoscience Class by Raising Students' Quantitative Skills

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Baer, E. M.; Whittington, C.; Burn, H.

2008-12-01

The geological sciences are fundamentally quantitative. However, the diversity of students' mathematical preparation and skills makes the successful use of quantitative concepts difficult in introductory level classes. At Highline Community College, we have implemented a one-credit co-requisite course to give students supplemental instruction for quantitative skills used in the course. The course, formally titled "Quantitative Geology," nicknamed "MathPatch," runs parallel to our introductory Physical Geology course. MathPatch teaches the quantitative skills required for the geology class right before they are needed. Thus, students learn only the skills they need and are given opportunities to apply them immediately. Topics include complex-graph reading, unit conversions, large numbers, scientific notation, scale and measurement, estimation, powers of 10, and other fundamental mathematical concepts used in basic geological concepts. Use of this course over the past 8 years has successfully accomplished the goals of increasing students' quantitative skills, success and retention. Students master the quantitative skills to a greater extent than before the course was implemented, and less time is spent covering basic quantitative skills in the classroom. Because the course supports the use of quantitative skills, the large number of faculty that teach Geology 101 are more comfortable in using quantitative analysis, and indeed see it as an expectation of the course at Highline. Also significant, retention in the geology course has increased substantially, from 75% to 85%. Although successful, challenges persist with requiring MathPatch as a supplementary course. One, we have seen enrollments decrease in Geology 101, which may be the result of adding this co-requisite. Students resist mandatory enrollment in the course, although they are not good at evaluating their own need for the course. The logistics utilizing MathPatch in an evening class with fewer and longer

The Conundrum of Social Class: Disparities in Publishing among STEM Students in Undergraduate Research Programs at a Hispanic Majority Institution

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Grineski, Sara; Daniels, Heather; Collins, Timothy; Morales, Danielle X.; Frederick, Angela; Garcia, Marilyn

2018-01-01

Research on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) student development pipeline has largely ignored social class and instead examined inequalities based on gender and race. We investigate the role of social class in undergraduate student research publications. Data come from a sample of 213 undergraduate research participants…

Research and Teaching: A New Tool for Measuring Student Behavioral Engagement in Large University Classes

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Lane, Erin S.; Harris, Sara E.

2015-01-01

The authors developed a classroom observation protocol for quantitatively measuring student engagement in large university classes. The Behavioral Engagement Related to instruction (BERI) protocol can be used to provide timely feedback to instructors as to how they can improve student engagement in their classrooms.

Re-establishing Class Privilege: The Ideological Uses of Middle and Working-Class Female Characters in Downton Abbey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laetitia Kevers

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that the British period drama Downton Abbey, which aired between 2010 and 2015 and encountered worldwide success, uses working class and middle-class female characters to promote the aristocracy and conservative ideas, while hiding behind historical accuracy and seemingly progressive patterns of behaviour. Through a close reading of four female characters, I will demonstrate how the series’ author, Julian Fellowes, uses the show to endorse his own political agenda, as a Conservative member of the House of Lords in the British Parliament.

Flipped-Class Pedagogy Enhances Student Metacognition and Collaborative-Learning Strategies in Higher Education But Effect Does Not Persist

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van Vliet, E. A.; Winnips, J. C.; Brouwer, N.

2015-01-01

In flipped-class pedagogy, students prepare themselves at home before lectures, often by watching short video clips of the course contents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of flipped classes on motivation and learning strategies in higher education using a controlled, pre- and posttest approach. The same students were followed in a traditional course and in a course in which flipped classes were substituted for part of the traditional lectures. On the basis of the validated Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), we found that flipped-class pedagogy enhanced the MSLQ components critical thinking, task value, and peer learning. However, the effects of flipped classes were not long-lasting. We therefore propose repeated use of flipped classes in a curriculum to make effects on metacognition and collaborative-learning strategies sustainable. PMID:26113628

A Comparison of Single-Gender Classes and Traditional, Coeducational Classes on Student Academic Achievement, Discipline Referrals, and Attitudes toward Subjects

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Smith, Debra Messenger

2010-01-01

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in single gender education. Emerging science has proven that boys and girls learn differently. This study compared fifth grade single-gender classes to fifth grade traditional, coeducational classes in the same urban middle school. The following were compared: students' academic achievement;…

Engaging Students: The Next Level of Working on the Work

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Schlechty, Phillip C.

2011-01-01

In Phillip Schlechty's best-selling book "Working on the Work", he outlined a motivational framework for improving student performance by improving the quality of schools designed for students. "Engaging Students" offers a next-step resource in which Schlechty incorporates what he's learned from the field and from the hundreds of workshops he and…

How beauty works. Theoretical mechanisms and two empirical applications on students' evaluation of teaching.

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Wolbring, Tobias; Riordan, Patrick

2016-05-01

Plenty of studies show that the physical appearance of a person affects a variety of outcomes in everyday life. However, due to an incomplete theoretical explication and empirical problems in disentangling different beauty effects, it is unclear which mechanisms are at work. To clarify how beauty works we present explanations from evolutionary theory and expectation states theory and show where both perspectives differ and where interlinkage appears promising. Using students' evaluations of teaching we find observational and experimental evidence for the different causal pathways of physical attractiveness. First, independent raters strongly agree over the physical attractiveness of a person. Second, attractive instructors receive better student ratings. Third, students attend classes of attractive instructors more frequently - even after controlling for teaching quality. Fourth, we find no evidence that attractiveness effects become stronger if rater and ratee are of the opposite sex. Finally, the beauty premium turns into a penalty if an attractive instructor falls short of students' expectations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing General Physical Educators' Teacher Efficacy when Working with All Students

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Umhoefer, Donna; Beyer, Robbi; Vargas, Tiffanye M.

2012-01-01

Since the Public Law 94-142 was enacted in 1975, there has been a push for inclusive classes where students with disabilities are educated along with their peers without disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The general physical education (GPE) teacher is obligated to ensure that all students are successful in their classes.…

"Class-Bucks": A Motivational Tool to Encourage Active Student Participation during Lectures

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de Jager, T.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the influence of an extrinsic motivational tool, "class-bucks," on the possibility of improving first year student-teachers' participation in active learning at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. Research participants (n=289) were divided into four classes and engaged in this…

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, The Working Class & The Contemporary World.

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1987-10-15

Beatles and Rolling Stones groups, the astronaut J. Glenn, Dzh. (sic) Eisenhower and J. Kennedy, M.L. King and the screen actor M. Brando. At the ...JPRS-UWC-87-002 15 October 1987 FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE JPRS Report— Soviet Union THE WORKING CLASS & THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD...MmmKmoN STATEMENT A 19980714 146 mcWAUTtmBPBVmi Soviet Union The Working Class & The Contemporary World No 3, May-June 1987 JPRS-UWC-87-002

Students,Teachers, and Differing Assumptions : Working with Resistance to EAP in an Intensive English Program

OpenAIRE

Stephen, Shrader

2013-01-01

English for academic purposes (EAP)courses provide advanced language study useful for students preparing to study abroad; however, students in Japan, even when likely to study abroad, sometimes resist EAP. This article reports on an activity set designed to unearth students' beliefs about coursework in regular (non-language) classes in the United States. Furthermore, the activities serve as a lead in to a class discussion of the teacher'sundergraduate experiences in the United States. Before ...

News DidacticApproaches in a Health Care Graduation Class

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S.B. Barreto

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Nowadays the educator must focus not only on acquiring cognitive knowledge, but also on other matters and competences (social, political, instrumental ones. This work took placein a private college in Recife and  was had as objectiveto verify the efficiency of the application of ne wsdidactic strategies in graduation classes.This study comprised students subscribed in Medical technology (B andPharmacy   (F/2008. Students were separated in groups regarding their college period and course (B1, B2, F1, F2. The class, divided in two stages, used different didactic strategies to explain its contents: 1st unit: besides the conventionalapproaches (explanatory class, exercises and laboratory classes, new educative activities were included (research practice in the library  and problem solving classes in the laboratory; 2nd unit: conventional approach alone. In the end of each unit, students were evaluated with a theoretical exam (with objective and subjective questions. It was shown that the arithmetic means of the gradesobtained by the 1st unit students  (B1=9,1;  B2=8,8; F1=9,7;  F2=9,5 were greater, in comparison with the 2nd unit ones (B1=7,3;   B2=7,6;  F1=7,6;  F2=8,0. The research and the problem solving classes created multiple interactions opportunities among the group subjects, which may have influenced the results. The total of subjects of each group (B1=60;  B2=34;  F1=50;  F2=35 has also been evaluated, and it was seen that there was no influence of such matter on the obtained results.   Therefore, it may be concluded t hat, the work towards the whole development of the human being demands new didactic approaches and diversification of educationalactivities.

Using a Learning Activity Sequence in Large-Enrollment Physical Geology Classes: Supporting the Needs of Underserved Students While Motivating Interest, Learning, and Success

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Pun, A.; Smith, G. A.

2011-12-01

The learning activity sequence (LAS) strategy is a student-focused pedagogy that emphasizes active classroom learning to promote learning among all students, and in particular, those with diverse backgrounds. Online assessments both set the stage for active learning and help students synthesize material during their learning. UNM is one of only two Carnegie Research University Very High institutions also designated as Hispanic-serving and the only state flagship university that is also a majority-minority undergraduate institution. In 2010 Hispanics comprised 40% of 20,655 undergraduates (and 49% of freshmen), 37% of undergraduates were Pell Grant recipients (the largest proportion of any public flagship research university; J. Blacks Higher Ed., 2009) and 44% of incoming freshmen were first-generation students. To maximize student learning in this environment rich in traditionally underserved students, we designed a LAS for nonmajor physical geology (enrollments 100-160) that integrates in-class instruction with structured out-of-class learning. The LAS has 3 essential parts: Students read before class to acquire knowledge used during in-class collaborative, active-learning activities that build conceptual understanding. Lastly, students review notes and synthesize what they've learned before moving on to the next topic. The model combines online and in-class learning and assessment: Online reading assessments before class; active-learning experiences during class; online learning assessments after class. Class sessions include short lectures, peer instruction "clickers", and small-group problem solving (lecture tutorials). Undergraduate Peer-Learning Facilitators are available during class time to help students with problem solving. Effectiveness of the LAS approach is reflected in three types of measurements. (1) Using the LAS strategy, the overall rate of students earning a grade of C or higher is higher than compared to the average for all large

Middle School Students' Attitudes toward Science, Scientists, Science Teachers and Classes

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Kapici, Hasan Özgür; Akçay, Hakan

2016-01-01

It is an indispensable fact that having a positive attitude towards science is one of the important factors that promotes students for studying in science. The study is a kind of national study that aims to investigate middle school students', from different regions of Turkey, attitudes toward science, scientists and science classes. The study was…

The Effect of Volunteering at a Student-Run Free Healthcare Clinic on Medical Students' Self-Efficacy, Comfortableness, Attitude, and Interest in Working with the Underserved Population and Interest in Primary Care.

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Tran, Kelvin; Kovalskiy, Aleksandr; Desai, Anand; Imran, Amna; Ismail, Rahim; Hernandez, Caridad

2017-02-23

The number of primary care physicians in the United States continues to lag behind the number of uninsured people. There has been a growing demand for medical students to improve their self-efficacy, comfortableness, attitude, and interest in working with the underserved and in primary care. This study aims to discern whether volunteering at a student-run, free healthcare clinic has a positive impact on these five variables of interest or not. A 95-item survey was distributed through Qualtrics Survey Software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) to medical students from the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. They were recruited via emails, Facebook, and in-classroom announcements. Mean responses on a Likert-like scale to different survey items were collected and compared between two study cohorts: Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service (KNIGHTS) Clinic volunteers and non-volunteers. Results from 128 students showed no significant differences in the means between the two cohorts (p-values were not significant). When volunteers were asked the survey item, "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced my attitude towards working with underserved patients," 62% strongly agreed, 26% agreed, 10% were neutral, and 2% disagreed. Based on the results, volunteering at KNIGHTS Clinic may not have a positive impact on the five variables of interest. However, the lack of significance may also be due to certain limitations of this study addressed elsewhere in this paper. With the majority of KNIGHTS Clinic volunteers agreeing that "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced […their] attitude towards working with underserved patients," there may be a positive impact of volunteering on volunteers' attitude towards working with the underserved.

Evaluation of Student-made Blogs in Basicand Advanced Biochemistry Classes

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E. Cubas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Preliminary results of the experience of student-made clinical biochemistry blogs were reported at SBBq-2010 (abstract K-5. Herein, five teaching-semesters and the opinion of former students were evaluated. Since the teaching-semester of 2008-1, Basic Biochemistry (BioBio students should prepare blog-assignments on clinical issues. Students' acceptance was evaluated through 6-point Likert-type questionnaires. Positive responses were those marking 4 to 6. A total of 348 BioBio students from five teaching-semesters answered the questionnaire; 77% of them agreed that preparing blogs was enjoyable, having a positive effect on their formation. Moreover, 81% of students agreed that BioBio blogs are relevant learning tools and 78% believedthat BioBio blogs boosted interest for biochemistry. Moreover, students' acceptance 1 year after taking BioBio was evaluated. Students (n=50 were dividedin (i those who had attended BioBio only, and (ii those who had also taken Advanced Biochemistry, together with blog tutoring. In the first group, 72% agreed that the information acquired during blog elaboration was useful atthe time of interview; 76% judged that blog elaboration boosted interest for the discipline. For thosein the second group evaluations were 100% and 82%, respectively. Results show maintenance of acceptance over 1 year and effective interest for blog-assignment for thosein basic and advanced biochemistry classes.

Observing Pair-Work Task in an English Speaking Class

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Diana Achmad

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on students’ pair-work interactions to develop their speaking skills in an ELT classroom which consisted of international learners. A number of 16 learners of intermediate proficiency with IELTS score band 5.5 were observed. The teacher had paired those he considered among them to be the more competent ones (hereafter, stronger with the less competent ones (hereafter, weaker; therefore, eight pairs were observed during the lesson. The task given to the students was to express ‘Agree and Disagree’ in the context of giving opinions related to social life. Based on the observations, the task was successfully implemented by six pairs; thus, the two others faced some problems. From the first pair, it was seen that the stronger student had intimated the weaker one into speaking during the task. The other pair, who was both of the same native, did not converse in English as expected and mostly used their native language to speak with one another presumably due to respect from the stronger student towards the weaker one. In situations like this, when pair-work becomes unproductive, rotating pairs is recommended to strengthen information sharing and assigning roles to avoid a student from taking over the activity from his or her pair. In conclusion, pairing international learners with mixed speaking proficiency by teachers must be conducted as effectively as possible by initially identifying their ability and learning culture to profoundly expand the students’ language resources.

PhD students share their work

CERN Multimedia

Joannah Caborn Wengler

2012-01-01

Last week, the second Doctoral Student Assembly gave students in the final stages of their PhD at CERN the chance to meet and present their work.   On 9 May, 24 students who are completing their PhD under the CERN Doctoral Student Programme were joined by their CERN supervisors and some of their university supervisors at an event organised by HR and the Technical Students Committee (TSC). After an address by the Director-General Rolf Heuer and short presentations by Ingrid Haug from HR and TSC Chair Stephan Russenschuck, the students presented their work in a poster session. Held in a packed Council Chamber, the event was a great opportunity for the doctoral students to get to know each other and to share their work in fields as diverse as radiation protection, computing, physics and engineering.

Chinese Undergraduate Students' Work Values: The Role of Parental Work Experience and Part-Time Work Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Francis Yue-lok; Tang, Catherine So-kum

2012-01-01

In this study, the authors investigated the association of perceived parental job insecurity and students' part-time work quality on work values among 341 Hong Kong Chinese undergraduate students. Correlation and regression results showed that work values were strongly related to students' part-time work satisfaction and work quality. In…

Speaking L2 in EFL Classes: Performance, Identity and Alterity

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Forman, Ross

2014-01-01

When teachers and students use L2 in Expanding Circle, Asian EFL classes, what kind of interpersonal roles do they perform, and what does this mean for the development of L2-mediated identity? The notion of alterity, or otherness, is used here to analyse the extent to which identity work occurs in EFL classes located in a Thai university context.…

Comparing personality traits of male and female dental students: a study of two freshman classes.

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Gershen, J A; McCreary, C P

1977-10-01

The marked increase in women enrolled in dental school warrants a reassessment of dental student personality profiles. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to compare personality profiles of two first-year dental classes, (2) to compare male and female dental student profiles to their respective norm populations, and (3) to compare male and female dental student personality traits with each other. The Comrey Personality Scales were administered to two first-year dental classes at the University of California at Los Angeles. Between sex and within sex comparisons were made over ten inventory scales. Results indicated that the collective personality profiles of male and female dental students were markedly similar to each other for both classes. These results do not reflect the differences encountered between the sexes in the norm population. It was also noted that the "average" male dental student differed from the male norms on Orderliness versus Lack of Compulsion, Social Conformity versus Rebelliousness, and Emotional Stability versus Neuroticism. In addition, "average" female dental student differed from the female norms on Masculinity versus Femininity.

Science education in a bilingual class: problematising a translational practice

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Ünsal, Zeynep; Jakobson, Britt; Molander, Bengt-Olov; Wickman, Per-Olof

2016-10-01

In this article we examine how bilingual students construe relations between everyday language and the language of science. Studies concerning bilingual students language use in science class have mainly been conducted in settings where both the teacher and the students speak the same minority language. In this study data was collected in a class consisting of students aged 13-14. All students had Turkish as their minority language, whereas the teacher's minority language was Bosnian. The class was observed when they were working with acids and bases. In addition, the students were interviewed in groups. They were asked about how they use their languages during science lessons and then asked to describe and explain scientific phenomena and processes that had been a part of the observed lessons. For the analysis, practical epistemology analysis and the theory of translanguaging were used. The results show how the students' everyday language repertoire may limit their possibilities to make meaning of science. In particular, the teacher's practice of facilitating and supporting students' understanding of science content by relating it to concrete examples took another direction since the everyday words he used were not a part of the students' language repertoire. The study also shows how the students used their minority language as a resource to translate words from Swedish to Turkish in order to proceed with the science activities. However, translating scientific concepts was problematic and led to the students' descriptions of the concepts not being in line with how they are viewed in science. Finally, the study also demonstrates how monolingual exams may limit bilingual students' achievements in science. The study contributes by presenting and discussing circumstances that need to be taken into consideration when planning and conducting science lessons in classes where the teacher and the student do not share the same minority language.

Cloud Computing Technologies in Writing Class: Factors Influencing Students' Learning Experience

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Wang, Jenny

2017-01-01

The proposed interactive online group within the cloud computing technologies as a main contribution of this paper provides easy and simple access to the cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) system and delivers effective educational tools for students and teacher on after-class group writing assignment activities. Therefore, this study…

Class Cuisine: Food in the Foreign Language Class.

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Rauschenberg, Gretchen S.

1984-01-01

Food can both interest students in a foreign culture and motivate them to broaden their interests. Cooking with students can take many forms. The students can cook in class if adequate preparations are made and permission is granted. Students can contribute toward the purchase of food for snacks and meals, and the cost can be kept to the price of…

Relationship between Exposureto Class Size Reductionand Student Achievementin California

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Brian M. Stecher

2003-11-01

Full Text Available The CSR Research Consortium has been evaluating the implementation of the Class Size Reduction initiative in California since 1998. Initial reports documented the implementation of the program and its impact on the teacher workforce, the teaching of mathematics and Language Arts, parental involvement and student achievement. This study examines the relationship between student achievement and the number of years students have been exposed to CSR in grades K-3. The analysis was conducted at the grade level within schools using student achievement data collected in 1998-2001. Archival data collected by the state were used to establish CSR participation by grade for each school in the state. Most students had one of two patterns of exposure to CSR, which differed by only one year during grade K-3. The analysis found no strong association between achievement and exposure to CSR for these groups, after controlling for pre-existing differences in the groups.

Causality: School Libraries and Student Success (CLASS). White Paper

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American Association of School Librarians, 2014

2014-01-01

On April 11 and 12, 2014, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) held "Causality: School Libraries and Student Success" (CLASS), an IMLS-funded national forum. Dr. Thomas Cook, one of the most influential methodologists in education research, and a five member panel of expert scholars and practitioners led 50 established…

Attributions of poverty among social work and non-social work students in Croatia.

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Ljubotina, Olja Druzić; Ljubotina, Damir

2007-10-01

To investigate how students in Croatia perceive causes of poverty and to examine the differences in attributions of poverty between students of social work, economics, and agriculture. The study included 365 participants, students of social work (n=143), economics (n=137), and agriculture (n=82). We used the newly developed Attribution of Poverty Scale, consisting of 4 factors, as follows: individual causes of poverty (eg, lack of skills and capabilities, lack of effort, poor money management, alcohol abuse); micro-environmental causes (eg, poor family, region, single parenthood); structural/societal causes (eg, poor economy, consequences of political transition, war); and fatalistic causes (eg, bad luck, fate, God's will). We also used a questionnaire that measured 5 dimensions of students' personal values: humanistic values, family values, striving for self-actualization, traditional values, and hedonistic values. In both questionnaires, items were rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Students of all three faculties put most emphasis on structural causes of poverty (mean+/-standard deviation=3.54+/-0.76 on a 1-5 scale), followed by environmental (3.18+/-0.60), individual (2.95+/-0.68), and fatalistic causes (1.81+/-0.74). Social work students perceived individual factors as significantly less important causes of poverty (ANOVA, F-value=12.55, Peconomy and political transition as main causes of poverty in Croatia. Individual factors connected with individual's personal characteristics were considered less important, while luck and fate were considered as least important. Students of social work perceived individual causes to be less important than students of agriculture and economics. Students with strong humanistic and traditional values put more emphasis on external sources of poverty.

Engaging Students in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class Using an Academically Focused Social Media Platform

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Gavrin, Andy; Lindell, Rebecca

2017-01-01

There are many reasons for an instructor to consider using social media, particularly in a large introductory course. Improved communications can lessen the sense of isolation some students feel in large classes, and students may be more likely to respond to faculty announcements in a form that is familiar and comfortable. Furthermore, many…

Who influences white working-class boys’ higher education decision-making process? the role of social networks

OpenAIRE

McLellan, Ruth

2013-01-01

The study illuminates the influence of social networks on the HE decision-making process of white working-class boys. The impact of gender, race and social class social characteristics on white working-class boys HE decision-making is assessed. In addition, how white working-class boys define and discuss the membership of their social network, together with the phenomenon of social network influence on white working-class boys’ decision-making about HE at Key Stage 4.The expansive literature ...

Identifying Students' Expectancy-Value Beliefs: A Latent Class Analysis Approach to Analyzing Middle School Students' Science Self-Perceptions

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Phelan, Julia; Ing, Marsha; Nylund-Gibson, Karen; Brown, Richard S.

2017-01-01

This study extends current research by organizing information about students' expectancy-value achievement motivation, in a way that helps parents and teachers identify specific entry points to encourage and support students' science aspirations. This study uses latent class analysis to describe underlying differences in ability beliefs, task…

Evaluating the Intervention of an Ethics' Class in Students' Ethical Decision-Making: A Summative Review

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Walker, Marquita

2013-01-01

This summative evaluation is the result of two years' of data reflecting the impact of an ethics class in terms of students' ethical decision-making. The research compares aggregate responses from scenario-based pre- and post-survey open-ended survey questions designed to measure changes in ethical decision-making by comparing students' cognitive…

Class Size and Student Diversity: Two Sides of the Same Coin. Teacher Voice

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Froese-Germain, Bernie; Riel, Rick; McGahey, Bob

2012-01-01

Among Canadian teacher unions, discussions of class size are increasingly being informed by the importance of considering the diversity of student needs within the classroom (often referred to as class composition). For teachers, both class size and diversity matter. Teachers consistently adapt their teaching to address the individual needs of the…

An Agenda for Research on Work and Class in the Post-socialist World

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morris, Jeremy

2017-01-01

) greater confrontation of the one-sided discourse on class in these societies and the academy itself (a class blindness of research). 2) The value in studying postsocialist societies both comparatively to Global North and South, and as an intermediate positioning for worker exploitation and responses...... in global capitalism. 3) To achieve the first two agenda items a more grounded methodological approach proceeding from the lived experience of class and work is proposed. Current research on social networks, memory studies and personhood, the informal economy, deindustrialization, and the ‘domestication...

Sciencey Girls: Discourses Supporting Working-Class Girls’ to Identify with Science

OpenAIRE

Spela Godec

2018-01-01

Women from working class and some ethnic minority backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in science, particularly in areas such as physical sciences and engineering. Many find it difficult to see science as something that is “for them”, which then has implications for their learning and participation in science. In this paper, I discuss findings from a U.K.-based qualitative study with 15 working-class girls, aged 11 to 13, from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Data were collected over the co...

The control of independent students’ work effectiveness during pathophysiology study

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О. V. Melnikova

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The course of Pathophysiology study includes both auditoria hours (lectures and practical classes and independent work of students. The latter makes up 38% of total hours given for Pathophysiology study. Independent work of students includes the following items: preparation for practical classes, writing reviews on different topics, preparation for current and final computer testing, study of the topics which are not discussed during lectures and practical classes. In order to assimilate the course of Pathophysiology completely students should effectively use their hours given for independent work. Unfortunately, the level of students’ independent individual work is low; it includes only learning of single facts, that is not enough for higher medical education. THE AIM OF STUDY: To propose the method of control of the effectiveness of students’ independent work. The most important part of student’s individual work is preparation for study in auditoria, because it determines the qualitative level of study during practical classes. The student should enter the class not only with the knowledge of basic sciences (Anatomy, Histology, Biochemistry, Normal Physiology etc. but also with the understanding of key items of the topic of the practical class. The problem consists in the following: the teacher can’t check the level of basic knowledge in each student – there is not enough time during practical class for this procedure. In order to increase the effectiveness of individual students’ work a special workbook for the practical classes was developed at the Pathophysiology department. While preparing for practical classes students write down basic items of the topic, refresh some questions from Normal Physiology, Biochemistry and other subjects. In the beginning of the practical class the teacher controls the level of student’s preparation to the topic by checking the fulfillment of tasks in the workbook. It takes a little time, but it

Dosing method of physical activity in aerobics classes for students

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Yu.I. Beliak

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose : reasons for the method of dosing of physical activity in aerobics classes for students. The basis of the method is the evaluation of the metabolic cost of funds used in them. Material : experiment involved the assessment of the pulse response of students to load complexes classical and step aerobics (n = 47, age 20-23 years. In complexes used various factors regulating the intensity: perform combinations of basic steps, involvement of movements with his hands, holding in hands dumbbells weighing 1kg increase in the rate of musical accompaniment, varying heights step platform. Results . on the basis of the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption was determined by the energy cost of each admission control load intensity. This indicator has been used to justify the intensity and duration of multiplicity aerobics. Figure correspond to the level of physical condition and motor activity deficits students. Conclusions : the estimated component of this method of dosing load makes it convenient for use in automated computer programs. Also it can be easily modified to dispense load other types of recreational fitness.

Examining the postural awareness and flexibility changes in physical therapy students who took clinical Pilates class.

Science.gov (United States)

Atilgan, Esra; Tarakci, Devrim; Mutluay, Fatma

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate postural awareness and changes in posture and flexibility of students who took Clinical Pilates class as an elective course at the undergraduate level. The study conducted from 2013-2016 included 98 students who took Clinical Pilates class at the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Turkey. The flexibility levels of the study participants were measured before and after the Clinical Pilates education using finger-to-floor test and modified Schober's test. Observational posture analysis and postural awareness were recorded using the scale prepared by the researchers. The post-education evaluations showed that postural distortions were fixed, and a significant increase in the postural awareness of the students was observed compared with the pre-education period. The results of both modified Schober's test and finger-to-floor test, which were used to measure the flexibility levels, showed a statistically significant increase in post-education scores compared with those of the pre-education period. This study showed that the Clinical Pilates course increased postural awareness and flexibility of physical therapy students and fixed postural distortions. Thus, the inclusion of Clinical Pilates class in the undergraduate education is considered to be important.

Preventing halo bias in grading the work of university students

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John M. Malouff

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Experts have advocated anonymous marking as a means of minimizing bias in subjective student assessment. In the present study, 159 faculty members or teaching assistants across disciplines were randomly assigned (1 to grade a poor oral presentation of a university student, (2 to grade a good oral presentation of the same student, or (3 not to grade any oral presentation of the student. All graders then assessed the same written work by the student. A linear-contrasts analysis showed that, as hypothesized, the graders assigned significantly higher scores to written work following the better oral presentation than following the poor oral presentation, with intermediate scores for the written work of the student whose oral presentation was not seen by the graders. The results provide evidence of a halo effect in that prior experience with a student biased the grading of written work completed by the student. The findings suggest that keeping students anonymous, as in the condition with no knowledge of the student’s performance in the oral presentation, helps prevent bias in grading.

Student Engagement in a Computer Rich Science Classroom

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Hunter, Jeffrey C.

The purpose of this study was to examine the student lived experience when using computers in a rural science classroom. The overarching question the project sought to examine was: How do rural students relate to computers as a learning tool in comparison to a traditional science classroom? Participant data were collected using a pre-study survey, Experience Sampling during class and post-study interviews. Students want to use computers in their classrooms. Students shared that they overwhelmingly (75%) preferred a computer rich classroom to a traditional classroom (25%). Students reported a higher level of engagement in classes that use technology/computers (83%) versus those that do not use computers (17%). A computer rich classroom increased student control and motivation as reflected by a participant who shared; "by using computers I was more motivated to get the work done" (Maggie, April 25, 2014, survey). The researcher explored a rural school environment. Rural populations represent a large number of students and appear to be underrepresented in current research. The participants, tenth grade Biology students, were sampled in a traditional teacher led class without computers for one week followed by a week using computers daily. Data supported that there is a new gap that separates students, a device divide. This divide separates those who have access to devices that are robust enough to do high level class work from those who do not. Although cellular phones have reduced the number of students who cannot access the Internet, they may have created a false feeling that access to a computer is no longer necessary at home. As this study shows, although most students have Internet access, fewer have access to a device that enables them to complete rigorous class work at home. Participants received little or no training at school in proper, safe use of a computer and the Internet. It is clear that the majorities of students are self-taught or receive guidance

Role-playing in the problem-based learning class.

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Chan, Zenobia C Y

2012-01-01

Learning and teaching have been conceptualized and executed in many styles, such as self-learning, peer learning, and interaction between the learner and mentor. Today, openness to alternative ideas and embracing innovative approaches in nursing education are encouraged in order to meet students' learning interests and needs, and to address ever-changing healthcare requests. Problem-based learning has been widely adopted in nursing education, with various positive effects on students' learning, such as motivated learning, team work, problem-solving skills and critical thinking. Role-plays have been demonstrated as an effective learning strategy that includes an active and experiential feature that facilitates students' autonomy in their health-related learning. However, there is a lack of discussion of whether and how role-play can be used in problem-based learning (PBL). This paper shows the development of a classroom-based innovation using role-play in the PBL class for higher diploma year-one nurse students (a total of 20 students, five per group). This paper consists of five sections: a) the literature on PBL and nurse education, and role-plays as the innovation; b) the PBL case scenario with the illustration of the two role-play scripts, c) student evaluation on role-play in the PBL class; d) discussions on both achievements and limitations of this innovation, and e) the conclusion. It is hoped that this paper will be an example to other nurse educators who are keen on exploring interactive and student-driven learning and teaching strategies in the PBL class. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Qualitative Study of the Dislocated Working Class

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Fouad, Nadya A.; Cotter, Elizabeth W.; Carter, Laura; Bernfeld, Steven; Gray, India; Liu, Jane P.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study examines factors that influence the career decisions of dislocated workers. The research focuses on individuals identified as working class, as this group has been relatively ignored in past research compared to individuals from higher socioeconomic statuses. Participants include 13 individuals (10 females and 3 males)…

Cheap and Effective: The Impact of Student-Led Recitation Classes on Learning Outcomes in Introductory Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Wendy A.; Ward, Kevin; Folsom, Justin; Borrenpohl, Teresa; Mumford, Sophie; Pershin, Zach; Carriere, Danielle; Smart, Heather

2013-01-01

The authors examine the impacts of enrollment in a voluntary one-credit recitation class for ECON 101 students, focusing on course grades, course retention, and outcomes in later economics courses. The recitation classes were taught by undergraduate peer leaders with experience in upper-level microeconomics. Instead of being paid, the peer leaders…

Examining the Relations between Subjective Social Class, Academics, and Well-Being in First-Generation College Student Veterans

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Colbow, Alexander James

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relations between aspects of subjective social class, academic performance, and subjective wellbeing in first-generation and veteran students. In recent years, both student veterans and first-generation students have become topics of interest for universities, counselors, and researchers, as they are…

Use of a Social Annotation Platform for Pre-Class Reading Assignments in a Flipped Introductory Physics Class

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Kelly Miller

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we illustrate the successful implementation of pre-class reading assignments through a social learning platform that allows students to discuss the reading online with their classmates. We show how the platform can be used to understand how students are reading before class. We find that, with this platform, students spend an above average amount of time reading (compared to that reported in the literature and that most students complete their reading assignments before class. We identify specific reading behaviors that are predictive of in-class exam performance. We also demonstrate ways that the platform promotes active reading strategies and produces high-quality learning interactions between students outside class. Finally, we compare the exam performance of two cohorts of students, where the only difference between them is the use of the platform; we show that students do significantly better on exams when using the platform.

Flipped-learning course design and evaluation through student self-assessment in a predental science class

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Jungjoon Ihm

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose This study explores how to design a flipped classroom for a predental science course and evaluate its course through student self-assessment in order to provide practical implications for flipped learning in an undergraduate level. Methods Second- and third-year predental students in the Seoul National University School of Dentistry enrolled in Biodiversity and Global Environment, a 15-week, three-credit course based on a flipped learning model. At the end of the course, the students were asked to rate their self-directed learning, attitude toward social media, discussion skills, learning readiness, and class satisfaction. Out of the 82 predental students, 61 (74.3% answered the survey. Pearson correlation and multivariate regression analyses were employed to examine the relationship between the self-rated measurements and the performance scores. Results The majority of the students felt somewhat more prepared than the medium level before the class (mean score of 3.17 out of 5.00, whereas they expressed relatively low preference concerning social media use and attitude (mean score of 2.49. Thus, it was found that learning readiness was significantly associated with both discussion skills and class satisfaction. In particular, multivariate regression analysis confirmed that learning readiness had a significant influence on learning outcomes. Conclusion This study offered insights into how to design a flipped learning course in terms of predental students’ preference and their learning readiness. Although learning success in a flipped classroom depends on the students’ self-perceived level of preparedness, much still remains to be achieved in order to apply social media benefits in a flipped learning context.

Reaching the Next Stephen Hawking: Five Ways to Help Students with Disabilities in Advanced Placement Science Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Lori A.; Potts, Elizabeth A.; Linz, Ed

2013-01-01

As the federal government encourages all students to attempt advanced math and science courses, more students with disabilities are enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) science classes. AP science teachers can better serve these students by understanding the various types of disabilities (whether physical, learning, emotional, or behavioral),…

Student Satisfaction with EFL Speaking Classes: Relating Speaking Self-Efficacy and Skills Achievement

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Asakereh, Ahmad; Dehghannezhad, Maliheh

2015-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between student satisfaction with speaking classes, speaking skills self-efficacy beliefs, and speaking skills achievement. To this end, one hundred Iranian EFL undergraduate students filled out two questionnaires; a research-made and pilot-tested questionnaire for student satisfaction with speaking…

The Value of Peer Feedback Opportunities for Students in Writing Intensive Classes

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Kennette, Lynne N.; Frank, Nichole M.

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to examine the usefulness of peer feedback on APA-style research papers in a writing-intensive class. Subsequent to APA training, students were asked to review and provide feedback on a classmate's APA-style research report for both content and formatting. Performance on this research report was then compared to…

Economic inequality, working-class power, social capital, and cause-specific mortality in wealthy countries.

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Muntaner, Carles; Lynch, John W; Hillemeier, Marianne; Lee, Ju Hee; David, Richard; Benach, Joan; Borrell, Carme

2002-01-01

This study tests two propositions from Navarro's critique of the social capital literature: that social capital's importance has been exaggerated and that class-related political factors, absent from social epidemiology and public health, might be key determinants of population health. The authors estimate cross-sectional associations between economic inequality, working-class power, and social capital and life expectancy, self-rated health, low birth weight, and age- and cause-specific mortality in 16 wealthy countries. Of all the health outcomes, the five variables related to birth and infant survival and nonintentional injuries had the most consistent association with economic inequality and working-class power (in particular with strength of the welfare state) and, less so, with social capital indicators. Rates of low birth weight and infant deaths from all causes were lower in countries with more "left" (e.g., socialist, social democratic, labor) votes, more left members of parliament, more years of social democratic government, more women in government, and various indicators of strength of the welfare state, as well as low economic inequality, as measured in a variety of ways. Similar associations were observed for injury mortality, underscoring the crucial role of unions and labor parties in promoting workplace safety. Overall, social capital shows weaker associations with population health indicators than do economic inequality and working-class power. The popularity of social capital and exclusion of class-related political and welfare state indicators does not seem to be justified on empirical grounds.

Investigating the Jack the Ripper Case: Engaging Students in a Criminal Investigations Class through Active Learning

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Gutierrez, Daniel; Kazmi, Syed

2010-01-01

The present study examines the utilization of a class project involving the Jack the Ripper murders. Students enrolled in a criminal investigations class were required to investigate the five canonical murders associated with the infamous serial killer known as Jack the Ripper and the murders that occurred in London during 1888. This paper…

Mobbing of Working Students

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Alessandra Rodrigues Jacoby

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Workplace mobbing has become a common topic. Taking into account the increasing reports of this act, this study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of mobbing in relation to university students who work and also ascertaining the most frequent biosociodemographic and work characteristics of the group of workers who were mobbed. The sample was composed of 457 working students living in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and usedas instruments a Biosociodemographic and Employment questionnaire and the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ. It could be observed that 89.3% of the students had a mobbing score according to the NAQ – objective measure. As per the subjective measure, 11.2% of the participants stated to having beenmobbed. High rates of the practice of hostile acts in the workplace can be noted, but these are often viewed as mundane and normal acts in the workplace. In conclusion, it is necessary to seek alternatives in order to overcome this problem, which already affects a significant number of workers.

Describing the Cognitive Level of Professor Discourse and Student Cognition in College of Agriculture Class Sessions

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Ewing, John C.; Whittington, M. Susie

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the cognitive level of professor discourse and student cognition during selected college of agriculture class sessions. Twenty-one undergraduate class sessions were videotaped in 12 professors' courses. Results were interpreted to show that professors' discourse was mostly (62%) at the knowledge and…

The Greatest Learning Return on Your Pedagogical Investment: Alignment, Assessment or In-Class Instruction?

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Emily A; Young, Craig; Keetch, Jared; Larsen, Skylar; Mollner, Brayden