Instructional strategies for online introductory college physics based on learning styles

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Ekwue, Eleazer U.

The practical nature of physics and its reliance on mathematical presentations and problem solving pose a challenge toward presentation of the course in an online environment for effective learning experience. Most first-time introductory college physics students fail to grasp the basic concepts of the course and the problem solving skills if the instructional strategy used to deliver the course is not compatible with the learners' preferred learning styles. This study investigates the effect of four instructional strategies based on four learning styles (listening, reading, iconic, and direct-experience) to improve learning for introductory college physics in an online environment. Learning styles of 146 participants were determined with Canfield Learning Style inventory. Of the 85 learners who completed the study, research results showed a statistically significant increase in learning performance following the online instruction in all four learning style groups. No statistically significant differences in learning were found among the four groups. However, greater significant academic improvement was found among learners with iconic and direct-experience modes of learning. Learners in all four groups expressed that the design of the unit presentation to match their individual learning styles contributed most to their learning experience. They were satisfied with learning a new physics concept online that, in their opinion, is either comparable or better than an instructor-led classroom experience. Findings from this study suggest that learners' performance and satisfaction in an online introductory physics course could be improved by using instructional designs that are tailored to learners' preferred ways of learning. It could contribute toward the challenge of providing viable online physics instruction in colleges and universities.

On the effect of self-motivation instruction on the language learners belief on autonomy

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Seyyed Taher Alavi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Zoltán Dörnyei (2005 proposed a new form of motivation which is aiming at equipping the learners with a lifelong approach to motivation which is self-induced by the learner and it is not needed for any extrinsic mediation, having understood how to keep yourself motivated. This study was an attempt to find out the effect of self-motivation strategies instruction on the learners belief on learner autonomy in L2 learning. To find out the possible effect of our independent variable we selected one intermediate level class in grade 2 (25 male in high school out of the whole population of high school students in west Azerbaijan, Iran via availability sampling. Having ensured for the homogeneity of the class members’ English proficiency through Nelson test, we gave them a questionnaire on the learner’s belief on autonomy in learning L2 to answer. Then within two months, in a separate class the students were given instructions on how to employ self-motivation strategies while learning English. After two months of instruction, they were given the same questionnaire again to get to know the possible effect of our independent variable. Having analyzed the obtained data in SPSS software, the results showed that our hypothesis was rejected and our null hypothesis was verified.

Examination of instructional strategies: Secondary science teachers of mainstreamed English language learners in two high schools in southern New England

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Yangambi, Matthieu Wakalewae

2005-12-01

Increasingly, English Language Learners (ELLs) are mainstreamed in science classes. As a result, science teachers must assume responsibility for these students' education. Currently, state tests show a wide performance gap between ELLs and non-ELLs in science and other content area courses. For instance, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) shows a two years average performance of 6% for ELLs and 33% for non-ELLs in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology, a 27% performance gap (Lachat, 2000). The use of research based effective teaching strategies for ELLs is indispensable in order to meet ELLs' learning needs (Jarret, 1999). The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist between ELLs and non-ELLs regarding instructional strategies that secondary science teachers employ. Four areas were examined: instructional strategies mainstreamed ELLs and non-ELLs report as being most frequently employed by their science teachers, instructional strategies ELLs and non-ELLs consider most effective in their learning, the existing differences between ELLs and non-ELLs in the rating of effectiveness of instructional strategies their teachers currently practice, and factors impacting ELLs and non-ELLs' performance on high-stakes tests. This study was conducted in two urban high schools in Southern New England. The sample (N = 71) was based on the non-probability sampling technique known as convenience sampling from students registered in science classes. The questionnaire was designed based on research-based effective teaching strategies (Burnette, 1999; Ortiz, 1997), using a Likert-type scale. Several findings were of importance. First, ELLs and non-ELLs reported similar frequency of use of effective instructional strategies by teachers. However, ELLs and non-ELLs identified different preferences for strategies. Whereas non-ELLs preferred connecting learning to real life situations, ELLs rated that strategy as least

Instructional principles used to teach critical comprehension skills to a Grade 4 learner

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Suzanne Beck

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The current approach to reading comprehension instruction is not producing the desired outcomes. Provincial, national and international tests indicate that more than half of South African learners cannot read, understand and answer basic comprehension questions. This research project was informed by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. A case study was conducted with a ten-year old Grade 4 boy who experienced difficulty with understanding comprehension questions. A six-week intervention was designed to improve his comprehension abilities and to identify instructional principles that were appropriate for him. Interviews and observations were conducted and inductively analysed. Findings showed that the learner was well equipped to retrieve explicitly stated information but struggled with higher-order level questions such as drawing inferences or evaluating content. Certain instructional practices were more favourable than others when teaching reading strategies.

Roles of Working Memory Performance and Instructional Strategy in Complex Cognitive Task Performance

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Cevik, V.; Altun, A.

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate how working memory (WM) performances and instructional strategy choices affect learners' complex cognitive task performance in online environments. Three different e-learning environments were designed based on Merrill's (2006a) model of instructional strategies. The lack of experimental research on his framework is…

Personalized Integrated Educational System: Technology Functions for the Learner- Centered Paradigm of Education

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Reigeluth, Charles M.; Aslan, Sinem; Chen, Zengguan; Dutta, Pratima; Huh, Yeol; Lee, Dabae; Lin, Chun-Yi; Lu, Ya-Huei; Min, Mina; Tan, Verily; Watson, Sunnie Lee; Watson, William R.

2015-01-01

The learner-centered paradigm of instruction differs in such fundamental ways from the teacher-centered paradigm that it requires technology to serve very different functions. In 2006, a research team at Indiana University began to work on identifying those functions and published their results in 2008. Subsequently, the team elaborated and…

Promising Instructional Practices for English Language Learners

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Prince, Johanna

2018-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand how teachers, working with English Language Learners (ELLs), expanded their knowledge and instructional practices as they implemented a one-to-one iPad® program. Background: English Language Learners experience linguistic, cultural, and cognitive shifts that can be…

The Effect of Flipped Model of Instruction on EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension: Learners' Attitudes in Focus

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Karimi, Mehrnoosh; Hamzavi, Raouf

2017-01-01

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of flipped model of instruction on EFL learners' reading comprehension ability. Moreover, this study aimed at identifying EFL students' attitudes toward flipped model of instruction. To this end, 60 EFL learners studying at an accredited private language institute in Isfahan were first…

The Impact of Listening Strategy Training on the Meta-Cognitive Listening Strategies Awareness of Different Learner Types

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Zarrabi, Fatemeh

2016-01-01

The present study investigated the effectiveness of listening strategy instruction on the metacognitive listening strategies awareness of different EFL learner types (LTs). To achieve this goal, 150 EFL students took part in the study and were taught based on a guided lesson plan regarding listening strategies and a pre-test/post-test design was…

The Effect of Presentation Strategy on Reading Comprehension of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

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Hooshang Khoshsima

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The present experimental study primarily aimed at examining the effect of presentation strategy on reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To determine the effect of this strategy, 61 students who enrolled in English Language Center of Chabahar Maritime University were initially selected and then divided randomly into two classes one as an experimental group and the other one as the control group. The homogeneity of their proficiency level was established via the administration of a TOEFL (the PBT proficiency test. A reading comprehension test as pre-test administered to the subjects of both groups one week before the initiation of the study. The experimental group used the strategy three sessions each week for ten weeks, while the control group was trained based on the ordinary approaches of teaching reading comprehension. Presentation strategy was worked for every two weeks during the experiment and then at the end of each two-week instruction, an immediate posttest was administered according to the strategy worked. At the end of the study, a post-test was administered to both groups. The statistical techniques being applied were Paired Sample t-test and Independent Sample t-test. The results of the study revealed that presentation strategy had significant effect on promoting reading comprehension of intermediate EFL learners.

Primary Trait Analysis to Assess a Learner-Centered, Upper-Level Mathematics Course

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Alsardary, Salar; Pontiggia, Laura; Hamid, Mohammed; Blumberg, Phyllis

2011-01-01

This study presents a primary trait analysis of a learner-centered, discrete mathematics course based on student-to-student instruction. The authors developed a scoring rubric for the primary traits: conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, application of understanding, and mathematical communication skills. Eleven students took an exam…

Second foreign language learning strategies and their variations across language proficiency levels among Iranian EFL learners

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Pazhakh, A

2006-07-01

Full Text Available The present study has attempted to determine weather there is any relationship between language learning strategies employed by language learners, and if so what relationship exists between them. Furthermore, it has tried to investigate what effective and useful strategies the learners employ while learning English as a foreign language correspondent with their proficiency levels. A simulated TOEFL (REA, 1993 test was initially administered to classify the learners into three classes of proficiency levels. Oxford‟s Strategy Inventory, SILL, (Oxford, 1990 was used to determine the frequency of the language learning strategies applied by learners. The results of this study provide confirmation of previous research findings concerning the direct relationship between language learning strategies and language proficiency level, and represent the types of the strategies adopted by advanced, intermediate and elementary language learners. The implications of this study are to suggest both the metacognitive compensatory strategies, the most frequent strategies employed by advanced learners be instructed to the language learners in order to upgrade their proficiency level.

Presentation Time Concerning System-Paced Multimedia Instructions and the Superiority of Learner Pacing

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Stiller, Klaus D.; Petzold, Kirstin; Zinnbauer, Peter

2011-01-01

The superiority of learner-paced over system-paced instructions was demonstrated in multiple experiments. In these experiments, the system-paced presentations were highly speeded, causing cognitive overload, while the learner-paced instructions allowed adjustments of the presentational flow to the learner's needs by pacing facilities, mostly…

Flipped Instruction with English Language Learners at a Newcomer High School

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Graziano, Kevin J.; Hall, John D.

2017-01-01

Research on flipped instruction with English Language Learners (ELLs) is sparse. Data-driven flipped research conducted with ELLs primarily involves adult learners attending a college or university. This study examined the academic performance of secondary ELLs who received flipped instruction in an algebra course at a newcomer school compared to…

Examining learner-centered training with teen volunteer staff at an aquarium

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Bautista, Raelene M.

This research project examined the effects of a training program that focused on helping youth volunteers create a learner-centered interaction at an Aquarium. This study explored whether this learner centered training resulted in an increased ability to identify learner-centered engagement as well as reported changes in practice. Most research on training programs and professional development, that introduces learner-centered strategies examines adult teachers working in formal environments. This study examined youth volunteer staff in an informal science institution that participated in a weekly one-hour training for four weeks during their eight week long summer volunteer program. The data showed that some of topics introduced in the learner centered training, such as the importance of visitors' prior knowledge and the use of objects, were identified more often as good practice after the training. In addition, participants seemed to hold on to some of their original perceptions of good practices, such as providing positive reinforcement and modifying their physical posture to make the visitors feel comfortable. The investigation also revealed that conversation patterns changed in some participants' practice as a result of the training.

Breaking the Cycle: Future Faculty Begin Teaching with Learner-Centered Strategies after Professional Development

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Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L.; Henkel, Timothy P.; Middlemis Maher, Jessica; Momsen, Jennifer L.; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A.

2015-01-01

The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development “best practices” and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which postdoctoral fellows (i.e., future biology faculty) believed in and implemented evidence-based pedagogies after completion of a 2-yr professional development program, Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV). Postdocs (PDs) attended a 2-yr training program during which they completed self-report assessments of their beliefs about teaching and gains in pedagogical knowledge and experience, and they provided copies of class assessments and video recordings of their teaching. The PDs reported greater use of learner-centered compared with teacher-centered strategies. These data were consistent with the results of expert reviews of teaching videos. The majority of PDs (86%) received video ratings that documented active engagement of students and implementation of learner-centered classrooms. Despite practice of higher-level cognition in class sessions, the items used by the PDs on their assessments of learning focused on lower-level cognitive skills. We attributed the high success of the FIRST IV program to our focus on inexperienced teachers, an iterative process of teaching practice and reflection, and development of and teaching a full course. PMID:26033870

Effects of Listening Strategy Instruction on News Videotext Comprehension

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Cross, Jeremy

2009-01-01

Developments in broadcast and multimedia technology have generated a readily available and vast supply of videotexts for use in second and foreign language learning contexts. However, without pedagogical direction learners are unlikely to be able to deal with the complexities of this authentic listening resource, and strategy instruction may be…

EFL Learners' Self-Perceived Strategy Use across Various Intelligence Types: A Case Study

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Tahriri, Abdorreza; Divsar, Hoda

2011-01-01

Increasing attention paid to learner-centered pedagogy in recent years has highlighted the examination of intelligence and language learning strategies (LLSs) among others. This study explores EFL learners' perceived use of language learning strategies across various intelligence types as reflected in Gardner's 1983 Multiple Intelligences Theory.…

Second Language Listening Instruction: Comparing a Strategies-Based Approach with an Interactive, Strategies/Bottom-Up Skills Approach

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Yeldham, Michael

2016-01-01

This quasi-experimental study compared a strategies approach to second language listening instruction with an interactive approach, one combining a roughly equal balance of strategies and bottom-up skills. The participants were lower-intermediate-level Taiwanese university EFL learners, who were taught for 22 hours over one and a half semesters.…

Educating English Language Learners: Instructional Approaches and Teacher Collaboration in Philadelphia Public Schools. PERC Research Brief

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Reumann-Moore, Rebecca; Rowland, Jeannette; Hughes, Rosemary; Lin, Joshua

2016-01-01

Districts, charter management organizations, and individual schools can learn a great deal from each other about strategies for creating robust and supportive learning environments for English Language Learners (ELLS). This brief highlights key findings about how Philadelphia public schools were crafting instructional approaches to serve their…

Toward a Tripartite Model of L2 Reading Strategy Use, Motivations, and Learner Beliefs

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Matsumoto, Hiroyuki; Hiromori, Tomohito; Nakayama, Akira

2013-01-01

The present study proposes a tripartite model of L2 reading strategy use, reading motivations, and general learner beliefs by examining the relationships among them in an L2 context. Reading strategy instruction was performed for 360 first-year university students enrolled in a reading-based course, in expectation of affecting their motivations…

Technologies for learner-centered feedback

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Jane Costello

2013-09-01

Full Text Available As the number, type, and use of technologies to support learning increases, so do the opportunities for using these technologies for feedback. Learner-centered feedback is a core to the teaching-learning process. It is related to assessment in describing how learners perform in their learning, their gain in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Feedback, types of feedback, guidelines for effective learner-centered feedback, and feedback’s relationship to assessment are presented. Methods of providing feedback, for example, automated, audio scribe pens, digital audio, etc., and the related technologies are described. Technologies that allow instructors to make informed decisions about the use of various methods for feedback are discussed.

EFL Learners' Use of Direct Strategies in Competitive and Cooperative Learning Contexts

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Zarei, Abbas Ali; Layeq, Hamide

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of competitive and cooperative teaching techniques on Iranian adult EFL learners' use of direct strategies. To this end, a sample of 88 non-English major university students at Sohrevardi Nonprofit College in Qazvin were assigned to two groups, and each group received instruction under one of the treatment…

Effect of Balanced Math Instruction on Math Performance of Grade 1 and Grade 2 English Language Learners

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Cavanaugh, Gary Scott

2017-01-01

Research affirmed that instructional strategies that promote English Language Learners' (ELLs) Academic Language Proficiency (ALP) are essential in the primary grades for ELLs to succeed in school. This quantitative causal-comparative study relied on the premise of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and addressed to what extent Balanced Math…

Metacognitive Strategies to Chinese College English Learners: A Real Gold or Only with a Golden Cover

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Gao, Li

2013-01-01

With the advent of computer-assisted autonomous learning, English listening has become more challenging to Chinese college English learners. Metacognitive strategies, often adopted in process-based approach emphasizes more on the listening process. This paper discusses the feasibility of metacognitive strategies in English listening instruction in…

Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning: A Case Study

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Mamta Saxena

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The shift to technology-mediated modes of instructional delivery and increased global connectivity has led to a rise in globalized e-learning programs. Educational institutions face multiple challenges as they seek to design effective, engaging, and culturally competent instruction for an increasingly diverse learner population. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies for expanding learner analysis within the instructional design process to better address cultural influences on learning. A case study approach leveraged the experience of practicing instructional designers to build a framework for culturally competent learner analysis.The study discussed the related challenges and recommended strategies to improve the effectiveness of cross-cultural learner analysis. Based on the findings, a framework for conducting cross-cultural learner analysis to guide the cultural analysis of diverse learners was proposed. The study identified the most critical factors in improving cross-cultural learner analysis as the judicious use of existing research on cross-cultural theories and joint deliberation on the part of all the participants from the management to the learners. Several strategies for guiding and improving the cultural inquiry process were summarized. Barriers and solutions for the requirements are also discussed.

The assessment of instructional leadership as an aspect to improve learner achievement.

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

M.Ed. The school effectiveness studies that began appearing in the 1970's have suggested that leadership in schools with improving learner achievement differed from leadership in schools with declining learner achievement. The difference was mainly due to the fact that principals of schools that were improving were seen to be instructional leaders who are focused on the implementation of effective instructional programmes (Sybouts and Wendel, 1994: 19). The research by Hallinger and Heck t...

Supporting learner-centered technology integration through situated mentoring

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Rosenberg, Marian Goode

Situated mentoring was used as a professional development method to help 11 high school science teachers integrate learner-centered technology. The teachers' learner-centered technology beliefs and practices as well as their perception of barriers to learner-centered technology integration were explored before and after participating in the mentoring program. In addition, the participants' thoughts about the effectiveness of various components of the mentoring program were analyzed along with the mentor's observations of their practices. Situated mentoring can be effective for supporting learner-centered technology integration, in particular decreasing the barriers teachers experience. Goal setting, collaborative planning, reflection, and onsite just-in-time support were thought to be the most valuable components of the mentoring program.

Breaking the cycle: future faculty begin teaching with learner-centered strategies after professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebert-May, Diane; Derting, Terry L; Henkel, Timothy P; Middlemis Maher, Jessica; Momsen, Jennifer L; Arnold, Bryan; Passmore, Heather A

2015-01-01

The availability of reliable evidence for teaching practices after professional development is limited across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, making the identification of professional development "best practices" and effective models for change difficult. We aimed to determine the extent to which postdoctoral fellows (i.e., future biology faculty) believed in and implemented evidence-based pedagogies after completion of a 2-yr professional development program, Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV). Postdocs (PDs) attended a 2-yr training program during which they completed self-report assessments of their beliefs about teaching and gains in pedagogical knowledge and experience, and they provided copies of class assessments and video recordings of their teaching. The PDs reported greater use of learner-centered compared with teacher-centered strategies. These data were consistent with the results of expert reviews of teaching videos. The majority of PDs (86%) received video ratings that documented active engagement of students and implementation of learner-centered classrooms. Despite practice of higher-level cognition in class sessions, the items used by the PDs on their assessments of learning focused on lower-level cognitive skills. We attributed the high success of the FIRST IV program to our focus on inexperienced teachers, an iterative process of teaching practice and reflection, and development of and teaching a full course. © 2015 D. Ebert-May et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 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).

Modifying Dialogical Strategy in Asynchronous Critical Discussions for Cross-Strait Chinese Learners

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Jean Yiching Chiu

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this global era, critical thinking has become crucial for educators and learners. The purpose of this research was to explore how modifying a dialogical strategy in asynchronous online discussion forums impacted Chinese learners’ critical thinking. Due to the Chinese cultural impact of social harmony, the majority of learners tend to maintain silent and avoid critical discussions in instructional settings. The author deployed an affectively supportive model in a modified dialogical strategy to structure Chinese EFL learners’ asynchronous critical postings by probing and questioning while requiring labeling of each cross-referencing posting as Agree/Disagree/Challenge/New Perspective. The participants were two cohorts of similar cultural background but under different political systems in China and Taiwan, here engaged together in cultural interactions. This study employed two research methods: standardized critical thinking tests, and focus groups. Findings reveal that learners in both cohorts indicated some improvement in their critical thinking skills. Nevertheless, there remain affective and cultural issues. Future studies are thus recommended to further investigate the potential of an adaptive model to engage critical discussions with English native speakers and optimize critical thinking for Chinese learners in an EFL environment.

Technologies for Learner-Centered Feedback

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Costello, Jane; Crane, Daph

2013-01-01

As the number, type, and use of technologies to support learning increases, so do the opportunities for using these technologies for feedback. Learner-centered feedback is a core to the teaching-learning process. It is related to assessment in describing how learners perform in their learning, their gain in knowledge, skills, and attitudes.…

Learner Resistance to English-Medium Instruction Practices: A Qualitative Case Study

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Huang, Yi-Ping

2018-01-01

The internationalization of higher education has resulted in the growth of English-medium instruction (EMI) practices and research. The existing EMI research has documented learners' favorable attitudes toward EMI but not necessarily its practices. Learners' dissatisfaction has not been viewed as a form of resistance. Through the notion of learner…

Does the Visual Appeal of Instructional Media Affect Learners' Motivation toward Learning?

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Tomita, Kei

2018-01-01

While authors like Mayer (2009) suggest that designers should avoid using visuals for the purpose of attracting learners' interests, some scholars suggest that visuals could influence learners' emotions. In this study the author investigated whether the perception of the visual appeal of instructional handouts affects learners' self-reported…

A Methodological Alternative to Media Comparison Studies: Linking Information Utilization Strategies and Instructional Approach in Hypermedia Learning

OpenAIRE

Catrambone, Richard; Gerjets, Peter; Scheiter, Katharina; Vollmann, Brigitte

2006-01-01

Literature reviews on hypermedia learning have yet failed to show consistent positive effects of learner-controlled nonlinear information access. We argue that a possible reason for this lack of evidence in favor of hypermedia learning results from the fact that not sufficient attention is paid to the strategies of information utilization learners deploy. The few studies that do analyze these strategies fail to link them to an instructional approach, which hampers a deeper interpretation of s...

Language Learner Strategies for Building EFL Learners’ Autonomy

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Hooshang Khoshsima

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The critical discussions and matters in enhancing students’ learning performance, knowledge, and language proficiency have received a remarkable degree of attention in educational contexts. This study was undertaken to encourage learners to build the required competence in the foreign language by utilizing learning strategies so that they could become autonomous learners. Language learners' learning difficulties while learning a foreign language were identified in this study. With regard to problems which language learners faced in learning a foreign language, the teachers are able to recognize and to utilize appropriate language learning strategies in order to develop autonomy in learners who conceptualize and use those strategies in the foreign language. The research design adopted for the present study was survey method. The data for the study were collected with the use of a questionnaire. This questionnaire was administered to a total of 60 EFL learners who were selected from a university in Iran. It was used to assess learners’ awareness and perceived use of strategies and to provide data on their best utilized strategies. Results have been driven through statistical analysis. The analyzed data reveal the students’ styles and assist teachers to take part in shifting the strategies and heighten language learners' autonomy. The findings support the claim that knowing and making language learners aware of the most appropriate strategy would assist learners to improve their autonomy and to enhance their learning.

Strategy Instruction in Mathematics.

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Goldman, Susan R.

1989-01-01

Experiments in strategy instruction for mathematics have been conducted using three models (direct instruction, self-instruction, and guided learning) applied to the tasks of computation and word problem solving. Results have implications for effective strategy instruction for learning disabled students. It is recommended that strategy instruction…

Mental Model Progression in Learning the Electron Transport Chain: Effects of Instructional Strategies and Cognitive Flexibility

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Darabi, Aubteen; Hemphill, Jennifer; Nelson, David W.; Boulware, Wilma; Liang, Xinya

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effect of two instructional strategies, segmented and holistic, on the progression over time of learners' mental models toward that of an expert with the moderator of cognitive flexibility. Sixty-four juniors and seniors in a college metabolism course were randomly assigned to one of the two strategies for instruction…

Effect of Instructional vs. Authentic Video Materials on Introvert and Extrovert Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Learning

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Parya Isazadeh

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The study delved into the effect of instructional video materials vs. authentic video materials on vocabulary learning of extrovert and introvert Iranian EFL learners. To this end, Nelson proficiency test was administered to one hundred eighty (n=180 language learners. Considering 1 standard deviation above and below the mean score, one hundred twenty three (n=123 language learners were selected for the study. These participants were distributed into 4 experimental groups (with 25 learners and a control group (with 23 learners. Researcher-made vocabulary pretest and posttest which were designed using the vocabularies from the movies were also administered to the participants. The findings of the study after three weeks of treatment revealed that both authentic video materials and instructional video materials can have positive effect on vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL leaners. This effect, however, is not different among extrovert learners. It was also revealed that introvert EFL learners benefit more from authentic video materials. The findings of the study could be used by material developers or language teachers who may wish to use video materials in their classes. Keywords: Authentic video materials, Instructional video materials, Vocabulary learning, Introversion, Extroversion

A New Comparison of Active Learning Strategies to Traditional Lectures for Teaching College Astronomy

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LoPresto, Michael C.; Slater, Timothy F.

2016-01-01

Although traditional lectures are still the dominant form of undergraduate instruction, there have been relatively few studies comparing various learner-centered and active learning teaching strategies to one another in order to guide professors in making informed instructional decisions. To study the impact of different active learning…

The Effects of Planned Instruction on Iranian L2 Learners' Interlanguage Pragmatic Development

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Maryam Esmaeili

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The most compelling evidence that instruction in L2pragmatics is necessary comes from learners whoselanguage proficiency is advanced but their communicative actsfrequently contain pragmatic errors. The current studyevaluated the impact of explicit instruction on EFL learner'sawareness and production of three speech acts of request,apology, and complaint. It also probed whether learners’language proficiency plays any role in incorporatingpragmatic instruction into the L2 classroom. The instructionlasted for about 12 weeks. Achievement in L2 pragmaticswas assessed based on a pretest-posttest plan usingMultiple-Choice Discourse Comprehension Test (MDCTand Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT. Thesignificant gains made by the experimental groups receivinginstruction support the claim recently made by instructionalpragmatics that explicit instruction does facilitate thedevelopment of pragmatically appropriate use of language.Yet, learners’ level of language proficiency had no significantrole in the incorporation of the instruction. Furthertheoretical issues are also discussed.

Incorporating Vocabulary Instruction in Individual Reading Fluency Interventions with English Language Learners

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Johnston, Lauren E.; Mercer, Sterett H.; Geres-Smith, Rhonda

2018-01-01

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine whether incorporating vocabulary instruction in individual reading fluency interventions for English Language Learners (ELLs) would improve reading comprehension. Two vocabulary instructional procedures were contrasted with a fluency-building only condition in an alternating-treatments design…

Perception, Attitude and Instructional Preferences on Physics in High School Students: An Exploration in an International Setting

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Narayanan, Mini; Gafoor, Abdul

Questionnaire survey explored perception, attitude and instructional preferences with respect to gender and nationality in high school students of India and USA, a sample of 1101 Indian and 458 US students. Descriptive Statistics techniques were adopted for analysis. Male and female students in USA were at the high and low ends of the spectrum, respectively, in perception and attitude. Preference on instructional strategies was found to be independent of nationality, exposed strategies, opting science, class size and facilities. Responses from both countries indicate preference for an integrated instructional strategy that has strong teacher involvement in a student-centered framework. A thoughtful and properly designed instructional strategy could provide sufficient elements in modifying students' epistemological beliefs. Understanding the nature and process of physics along with a better learning outcome is usually not possible by administering student-centered or teacher-centered strategies alone in their purest form. This study provides adequate support in obtaining two equally significant but contrasting goals in Physics Education Research, to gain conceptual development with increased interest and attainment in learners, through integration.

Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures

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Lom, Barbara

2012-01-01

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students who passively receive the information, has been a popular mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the science of teaching and learning indicates that learner-centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges and universities retain lectures as their central instructional method. This article highlights several simple collaborative teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of: reader’s theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and easily modifiable to serve an instructor’s specific pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are described along with specific examples of how each technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to create more active learning experiences. PMID:23494568

Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures.

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Lom, Barbara

2012-01-01

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students who passively receive the information, has been a popular mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the science of teaching and learning indicates that learner-centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges and universities retain lectures as their central instructional method. This article highlights several simple collaborative teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of: reader's theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and easily modifiable to serve an instructor's specific pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are described along with specific examples of how each technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to create more active learning experiences.

Instructional Design as Manipulation of, or Cooperation with, Learners?

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Matthews, Michael T.; Yanchar, Stephen C.

2018-01-01

We present a qualitative study of the tension between manipulative and cooperative approaches to instructional design. We found that our participants struggled to resist manipulative tendencies in their work contexts. More specifically, our findings suggest that our participants sought to design with their learners in mind to foster a more…

Assessment of Language Learners' Strategies: Do They Prefer Learning or Acquisition Strategies?

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Altmisdort, Gonca

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate learning and acquisition strategies used by second/foreign language learners. This study is a comparative investigation of learning and acquisition strategies of successful and less successful language learners. The main question of the study is to investigate if there is a relationship between the learners'…

A Case Study Documenting the Process by Which Biology Instructors Transition from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Teaching

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Marbach-Ad, Gili; Hunt Rietschel, Carly

2016-01-01

In this study, we used a case study approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of the change process of two university instructors who were involved with redesigning a biology course. Given the hesitancy of many biology instructors to adopt evidence-based, learner-centered teaching methods, there is a critical need to understand how biology instructors transition from teacher-centered (i.e., lecture-based) instruction to teaching that focuses on the students. Using the innovation-decision model for change, we explored the motivation, decision-making, and reflective processes of the two instructors through two consecutive, large-enrollment biology course offerings. Our data reveal that the change process is somewhat unpredictable, requiring patience and persistence during inevitable challenges that arise for instructors and students. For example, the change process requires instructors to adopt a teacher-facilitator role as opposed to an expert role, to cover fewer course topics in greater depth, and to give students a degree of control over their own learning. Students must adjust to taking responsibility for their own learning, working collaboratively, and relinquishing the anonymity afforded by lecture-based teaching. We suggest implications for instructors wishing to change their teaching and administrators wishing to encourage adoption of learner-centered teaching at their institutions. PMID:27856550

Using the SIOP Model to Promote the Acquisition of Language and Science Concepts with English Learners

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Echevarria, Jana; Richards-Tutor, Catherine; Canges, Rebecca; Francis, David

2011-01-01

In this article we report findings from research through the Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE), a National Research and Development Center. In our study we examined the efficacy of a model of instruction for English learners, the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)…

Maximing Learning Strategies to Promote Learner Autonomy

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Junaidi Mistar

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Learning a new language is ultimately to be able to communicate with it. Encouraging a sense of responsibility on the part of the learners is crucial for training them to be proficient communicators. As such, understanding the strategies that they employ in acquiring the language skill is important to come to ideas of how to promote learner autonomy. Research recently conducted with three different groups of learners of English at the tertiary education level in Malang indicated that they used metacognitive and social startegies at a high frequency, while memory, cognitive, conpensation, and affective strategies were exercised at a medium frewuency. This finding implies that the learners have acquired some degrees of autonomy because metacognive strategies requires them to independently make plans for their learning activities as well as evaluate the progress, and social strategies requires them to independently enhance communicative interactions with other people. Further actions are then to be taken increase their learning autonomy, that is by intensifying the practice of use of the other four strategy categories, which are not yet applied intensively.

Learning how the electron transport chain works: independent and interactive effects of instructional strategies and learners' characteristics.

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Darabi, Aubteen; Arrastia-Lloyd, Meagan C; Nelson, David W; Liang, Xinya; Farrell, Jennifer

2015-12-01

In order to develop an expert-like mental model of complex systems, causal reasoning is essential. This study examines the differences between forward and backward instructional strategies' in terms of efficiency, students' learning and progression of their mental models of the electronic transport chain in an undergraduate metabolism course (n = 151). Additionally, the participants' cognitive flexibility, prior knowledge, and mental effort in the learning process are also investigated. The data were analyzed using a series of general linear models to compare the strategies. Although the two strategies did not differ significantly in terms of mental model progression and learning outcomes, both groups' mental models progressed significantly. Mental effort and prior knowledge were identified as significant predictors of mental model progression. An interaction between instructional strategy and cognitive flexibility revealed that the backward instruction was more efficient than the conventional (forward) strategy for students with lower cognitive flexibility, whereas the conventional instruction was more efficient for students with higher cognitive flexibility. The results are discussed and suggestions for future research on the possible moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the area of health education are presented.

EMC² = comprehension: A reading strategy instruction framework for all teachers

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Nanda M Klapwijk

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Comprehension is a critical part of the reading process, and yet learners continue to struggle with it and teachers continue to neglect it in their teaching. Many reasons exist for the lack of focus on reading comprehension instruction, but for the most part, teachers simply do not seem to view comprehension as part of the reading process, are not able to teach the concept, and are seemingly not taught to do so during their teacher training years. In addition to this, comprehension continues to be viewed as part of 'language teaching', and is therefore viewed as the so-called 'language teacher's' domain. In support of effective comprehension instruction in the unique, multilingual South African education environment, this article proposes a framework for reading strategy instruction, aimed specifically at teachers. The framework was developed from a research study, and refined through subsequent application in a university course as well as a further study. The framework acknowledges that reading is a multifaceted and complex process, and accordingly, provides sufficient structure for teachers. It further addresses the issue of comprehension instruction through the use of selected reading strategies, designed to be applied by all teachers in all subjects in a flexible and easy manner.

Best Practices for Implementing Inquiry-Based Science Instruction for English Language Learners

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Williams, Erica

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to current information to link literacy and science. Students frequently used literacy skills to gather information and communicate understanding of scientific concepts to others. Science became applicable through the tools associated with literacy. There was a need for instruction that integrated language development with science content. This research focused on revealing the instructional trends of English language learners science teachers in the United Arab Emirates. The researcher introduced the questionnaire surveys in the form of a professional development session. The participants were asked to complete the questionnaire concurrently with the descriptive presentation of each component of the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) model. Completing the SIOP Checklist Survey provided data on the type of constructivist strategies (best practices) teachers were utilizing and to what degree of fidelity the strategies were being implemented. Teachers were encouraged to continue to use these services for curriculum enrichment and as an additional source for future lesson plans. An analysis of the data revealed authentic learning as the most common best practice used with the most fidelity by teachers. The demographic subgroup, teaching location, was the only subgroup to show statistical evidence of an association between teaching location and the use of problem-based learning techniques in the classroom. Among factors that influenced the degree of teacher fidelity, teachers' expectation for student achievement had a moderate degree of association between the use of scaffolding techniques and co-operative learning.

Impact of Training Deep Vocabulary Learning Strategies on Vocabulary Retention of Iranian EFL Learners

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Seyed Javad Es-hagi Sardroud

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Considering the overall tendency of foreign language learners to use mechanical strategies of rote rehearsal in vocabulary learning and their resistance towards use of 'deep' vocabulary learning strategies, namely contextual guessing, Keyword Method, metacognitive strategy, and semantic mapping, this study intended (a to explore what impact the instruction of these deep strategies, on vocabulary retention of 32 post-intermediate adult EFL Iranian learners, (b to determine how the variable of gender influences the vocabulary retention of students after receiving training in these strategies. To this end, on the basis of a strategy-based model of instruction–CALLA (Chamot & O'Malley, 1994, the experimental group received training in using 'deep' vocabulary learning strategies while the control group received only the common method of vocabulary teaching. After the treatment, following factorial design, the performance of the participants in the teacher-made vocabulary test as posttest was analyzed statistically.  The results indicated higher vocabulary retention for the experimental group, and it was revealed that female students were more receptive to strategy training. This study provides evidence for confirmation of 'depth of processing' hypothesis and the emerging theory about the impact of gender on effective strategy teaching and use, and it recommends incorporation of teaching these 'deep' strategies of vocabulary learning into EFL classrooms.

Learner-centered teaching in the college science classroom: a practical guide for teaching assistants, instructors, and professors

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Dominguez, Margaret Z.; Vorndran, Shelby

2014-09-01

The Office of Instruction and Assessment at the University of Arizona currently offers a Certificate in College Teaching Program. The objective of this program is to develop the competencies necessary to teach effectively in higher education today, with an emphasis on learner-centered teaching. This type of teaching methodology has repeatedly shown to have superior effects compared to traditional teacher-centered approaches. The success of this approach has been proven in both short term and long term teaching scenarios. Students must actively participate in class, which allows for the development of depth of understanding, acquisition of critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. As optical science graduate students completing the teaching program certificate, we taught a recitation class for OPTI 370: Photonics and Lasers for two consecutive years. The recitation was an optional 1-hour long session to supplement the course lectures. This recitation received positive feedback and learner-centered teaching was shown to be a successful method for engaging students in science, specifically in optical sciences following an inquiry driven format. This paper is intended as a guide for interactive, multifaceted teaching, due to the fact that there are a variety of learning styles found in every classroom. The techniques outlined can be implemented in many formats: a full course, recitation session, office hours and tutoring. This guide is practical and includes only the most effective and efficient strategies learned while also addressing the challenges faced, such as formulating engaging questions, using wait time and encouraging shy students.

Spanish Instruction in Head Start and Dual Language Learners' Academic Achievement.

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Miller, Elizabeth B

2017-09-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study ( N = 1,141) and the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, 2009 Cohort ( N = 825) were used to investigate whether Spanish instruction in Head Start differentially increased Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners' (DLLs) academic achievement. Although hypothesized that Spanish instruction would be beneficial for DLLs' early literacy and math skills, results from residualized growth models showed there were no such positive associations. Somewhat surprisingly, DLL children instructed in Spanish had higher English receptive vocabulary skills at the end of the Head Start year than those not instructed, with children randomly assigned to Head Start and instructed in Spanish having the highest scores. Policy implications for Head Start-eligible Spanish-speaking DLLs are discussed.

Interface between problem-based learning and a learner-centered paradigm

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Karimi R

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Reza KarimiPacific University School of Pharmacy, Hillsboro, OR, USABackground: Problem-based learning (PBL has made a major shift in support of student learning for many medical school curricula around the world. Since curricular development of PBL in the early 1970s and its growth in the 1980s and 1990s, there have been growing numbers of publications providing positive and negative data in regard to the curricular effectiveness of PBL. The purpose of this study was to explore supportive data for the four core objectives of PBL and to identify an interface between the objectives of PBL and a learner-centered paradigm.Methods: The four core PBL objectives, ie, structuring of knowledge and clinical context, clinical reasoning, self-directed learning, and intrinsic motivation, were used to search MEDLINE, the Education Resources Information Center, the Educator’s Reference Complete, and PsycINFO from January 1969 to January 2011. The literature search was facilitated and narrowed if the published study included the following terms: “problem-based learning”, “medical education”, “traditional curriculum”, and one of the above four PBL objectives.Results: Through a comprehensive search analysis, one can find supportive data for the effectiveness of a PBL curriculum in achieving the four core objectives of PBL. A further analysis of these four objectives suggests that there is an interface between PBL objectives and criteria from a learner-centered paradigm. In addition, this review indicates that promotion of teamwork among students is another interface that exists between PBL and a learner-centered paradigm.Conclusion: The desire of medical schools to enhance student learning and a need to provide an environment where students construct knowledge rather than receive knowledge have encouraged many medical schools to move into a learner-centered paradigm. Implementation of a PBL curriculum can be used as a prevailing starting point to

The Comparative Effect of Collaborative Strategic Reading and Content-Based Instruction on EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

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Mania Nosratinia

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The present study was an attempt to compare the effect of teaching Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR and Content-Based Instruction (CBI on the reading comprehension of English as a Foreign Language (EFL learners. To fullfill this objective, a group of 90 intermediate female EFL learners, within the age range of 17 to 19, took a piloted sample of the PET as a pre-treatment proficiency test. Sixty of them were selected as homogeneous learners and were randomly divided into two experimental groups of CSR and CBI. The CSR group receieved CSR strategy training based on Klingner, Vaughan, and Schumm's model (2001, while the CBI group receieved CBI-based strategy training, using Tsai and Shang's (2010 model. At the end of the training, another piloted PET reading test was administered  as the posttest. The pre-treatment reading scores were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test whose results confirmed the pre-treatment homogeneity of the participants. The post-treatment scores were also analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test whose results indicated no significant difference in the reading posttest levels of CBI and CSR groups, U = 423.5, z = -.401, p = .688, r = -.0517. The article concludes with a discussion on the results and presenting some implications.

Mentorship in Grades 5 through 12 Gifted Vocal Music Programs: Learners' and Educators' Perceptions of Mentorship

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Brown, Jimmy Lee

2017-01-01

Although the implementation of effective instructional practice is paramount to the academic success of gifted music programs in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12), many learners in gifted music programs lack critical thinking skills, self-directed learning, a learner-centered paradigm, and learner-mentor relationship during instruction.…

D4 S4: A Four Dimensions Instructional Strategy for Web-based and Blended Learning

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Hamdy A. ABDELAZIZ,

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Web-based education is facing a paradigm shift under the rapid development of information and communication technology. The new paradigm of learning requires special techniques of course design, special instructional models, and special methods of evaluation. This paper investigates the effectiveness of an adaptive instructional strategy for teaching and learning through the Web and blended learning environments. The central theme of this strategy is that instructional strategies give instructors and students a conceptual as well as a practical mode of delivery from which to teach and learn. Considering and applying new instructional strategy can help instructors to understand the uses of pedagogical content knowledge, as well as to reflect the role of technological content knowledge that can be adapted and/or adopted in teaching in all educational levels and environments. The main objective of this paper was to develop a holonomic instructional strategy for Web-based and blended learning. This strategy is guided by the non-linear and interactive features of learning environments. The strategy is consisted of four dimensions: designing, developing, delving and distributing. In this new instructional strategy, learning is holonomic and adaptive. Learning occurs in an open learning environment, in which instructors are designing a shared vision, developing a sharable e-learning task, delving students’ learning through scaffolding and salvaging students’ knowledge. The expected outcome of this instructional strategy is that each learner will develop a cognitive schema to be used to organize and construct knowledge and meaning in similar context of learning which may increase the generalizability, trustworthiness and transferability of learning. The results of applying this new strategy showed that this strategy is effective on developing both achievement and deep learning levels among a sample of graduate students.

Attention to Orthographic and Phonological Word Forms in Vocabulary Instruction for Kindergarten English Learners

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Vadasy, Patricia F.; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

This study examined benefits of connecting meaning, speech, and print in vocabulary learning for kindergarten English learners. Students screened eligible with limited English proficiency were randomly assigned to two instruction conditions. Both groups received direct instruction in high frequency root words. One condition featured added…

Analyzing the Knowledge Construction and Cognitive Patterns of Blog-Based Instructional Activities Using Four Frequent Interactive Strategies (Problem Solving, Peer Assessment, Role Playing and Peer Tutoring): A Preliminary Study

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Wang, Shu-Ming; Hou, Huei-Tse; Wu, Sheng-Yi

2017-01-01

Instructional strategies can be helpful in facilitating students' knowledge construction and developing advanced cognitive skills. In the context of collaborative learning, instructional strategies as scripts can guide learners to engage in more meaningful interaction. Previous studies have been investigated the benefits of different instructional…

Planning oral narrative tasks: optimizing strategic planning condition through strategy instruction

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André Luís Specht

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of a master thesis, which aimed at investigating the impact of strategic planning instruction on the speech performance of 6 L2 Brazilian learners. The participants, Letras-Inglês students, performed three now-and-there picture-cued narrative tasks under three different conditions: (1 no planning, (2 planning before instruction, and (3 planning after instruction. In addition, the participants filled in post-task questionnaires after the performance of each task, aiming at understanding their opinion on the conditions and tasks. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted in order to examine participants’ oral production and perception, respectively. In general, there was no statistical evidence supporting the impact of instruction on participants’ oral planned performance; however, some statistical results approached significance, which may suggest some positive effects. Qualitative analyses provided positive evidence of the impact of strategic planning instruction on participant perception and their use of strategies during planning time. Moreover, the results of this study can contribute to the fields of Second Language Acquisition and Language Pegadogy.

A Study To Determine Instructors Self-Reported Instructional Strategies Which Foster Science Literacy In An EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Environment

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Noseworthy, Mark Joseph

2011-12-01

This research titled 'A Study to Determine Instructors Self-Reported Instructional Strategies Which Foster Science Literacy in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Environment' is an ethnographic study based on grounded theory principles and research design. The essence of the research was to answer five research questions that would ultimately create a foundation for instructional strategies allowing science instructors to foster science literacy in an EFL environment. The research attempts to conceptualize the research participants' instructional strategies that promote strong science literacy skills. Further to this, consider the complexities that this learning environment inherently offers, where the learning event is occurring in an English environment that is a second language for the learner. The research was designed to generate personal truths that produced common themes as it relates to the five research questions posed in this thesis; what instructional strategies do current post secondary science instructors at one College in Qatar believe foster science literacy in an EFL environment? As well, do science instructors believe that total immersion is the best approach to science literacy in an EFL environment? Is the North American model of teaching/learning science appropriate in this Middle Eastern environment? Are the current modes of teaching/instruction optimizing student's chances of success for science literacy? What do you feel are the greatest challenges for the EFL learner as it relates to science?

Influence of Pre-question and genre-based instructional strategies on reading

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Titi J. Fola-Adebayo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the influence of Pre-question and genre-based instructional strategies on science undergraduates’ achievement in, and attitude to, reading. Using purposive sampling,two specialised universities in Nigeria were selected and stratified sampling was employed in assigning students to research groups based on gender and performance in a verbal ability test. Two hundred and eighty-five students participated in the study. Pre-post randomised block experimental design was used with three experimental groups and one control group. The experimental procedure involving Pre-question, genre-based instruction and a combination of Pre-question and genre-based instructional strategies were used for the experimental groups for four weeks whilst the control group received normal teacher input. Data were collected through a Reading Comprehension Achievement Test and Students’ Attitude Questionnaire. Qualitative data, obtained from videotapes of classroom interactions, were subjected to conversation and interaction analyses and quantitative data were analysed with Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA. The results indicate that although there was no significant main effect of instructional strategy on students’ achievement in reading comprehension, there was significant main effect of instructional strategy on students’ attitude to reading (F(3,231 = 30.9;p <.05. Findings from the qualitative enquiry revealed that female students were more voluble and assertive in their responses probably because of the need to resist male domination whilst male students used discourse strategies to affirm their authority. The study indicated that the combination of pre-question and genre-based approach was the most effective in enhancing the students’ attitude to reading. Reading is one of the most useful of the Language Arts skills which learners need for academic reasons and for lifelong learning. The globalised world demands that the second language

Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades 6-8

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Melanese, Kathy; Chung, Luz; Forbes, Cheryl

2011-01-01

This new addition to Math Solutions "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class series" offers a wealth of lessons and strategies for modifying grades 6-8 instruction. Section I presents an overview of teaching math to English learners: the research, the challenges, the linguistic demands of a math lesson, and specific strategies and…

Treating of Content-Based Instruction to Teach Writing Viewed from EFL Learners' Creativity

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Jaelani, Selamet Riadi

2017-01-01

The objectives of the research are to examine: (1) whether Content-Based Instruction is more effective than Problem-based learning to teach writing to the EFL Learners; (2) whether the EFL Learners having high creativity have better writing than those having low creativity; and (3) whether there is an interaction between teaching methods and EFL…

Reading Strategies Used by Iranian EFL Learners While Reading Academic Texts

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Vida Yousefian

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The major aim of this study was to explore the nature and frequency of the reading strategies used by the EFL learners while reading academic texts. Normally, students tend to read all the information provided in reading materials. This study explores whether learners use reading strategies to assist them in reading comprehension. There was a sample of 45 English language (EFL learners from Islamic Azad University, Falavarjan Branch. The instrument utilized in this study was a survey questionnaire with 30 items including 13 global reading strategies, 8 problem solving strategies and 9 support reading strategies. The survey was going to signify how much EFL learners use each of these strategies while reading academic texts. The findings indicated that the participants used global reading strategies more (44.5% than problem solving strategies (29.0% and support reading strategies (26.5%. The results of the present study will let the instructors improve the reading strategies which are not used by EFL learners frequently. It also helps learners to promote the ability of using reading strategies and utilize the strategies in an appropriate and effective way.

Instructional strategies in science classrooms of specialized secondary schools for the gifted

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Poland, Donna Lorraine

This study examined the extent to which science teachers in Academic Year Governor's Schools were adhering to the national standards for suggested science instruction and providing an appropriate learning environment for gifted learners. The study asked 13 directors, 54 instructors of advanced science courses, and 1190 students of advanced science courses in 13 Academic Year Governor's Schools in Virginia to respond to researcher-developed surveys and to participate in classroom observations. The surveys and classroom observations collected demographic data as well as instructors' and students' perceptions of the use of various instructional strategies related to national science reform and gifted education recommendations. Chi-square analyses were used to ascertain significant differences between instructors' and students' perceptions. Findings indicated that instructors of advanced science classes in secondary schools for the gifted are implementing nationally recognized gifted education and science education instructional strategies with less frequency than desired. Both students and instructors concur that these strategies are being implemented in the classroom setting, and both concur as to the frequency with which the implementation occurs. There was no significant difference between instructors' and students' perceptions of the frequency of implementation of instructional strategies. Unfortunately, there was not a single strategy that students and teachers felt was being implemented on a weekly or daily basis across 90% of the sampled classrooms. Staff development in gifted education was found to be minimal as an ongoing practice. While this study offers some insights into the frequency of strategy usage, the study needs more classroom observations to support findings; an area of needed future research. While this study was conducted at the secondary level, research into instructional practices at the middle school and elementary school gifted science

An Investigation of Pronunciation Learning Strategies of Advanced EFL Learners

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Hismanoglu, Murat

2012-01-01

This paper aims at investigating the kinds of strategies deployed by advanced EFL learners at English Language Teaching Department to learn or improve English pronunciation and revealing whether there are any significant differences between the strategies of successful pronunciation learners and those of unsuccessful pronunciation learners. After…

The Middle School Learner: Instructional Planning for a Transitional Stage

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Brown, James

1978-01-01

Examines Piaget's concrete and formal operational stages of intellectual development in relation to the middle school learner. Presents teaching strategies requiring the learner to use concrete and formal operational forms of thought in dealing with a social studies unit about Quebec. (Author/JK)

Interface between problem-based learning and a learner-centered paradigm.

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Karimi, Reza

2011-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has made a major shift in support of student learning for many medical school curricula around the world. Since curricular development of PBL in the early 1970s and its growth in the 1980s and 1990s, there have been growing numbers of publications providing positive and negative data in regard to the curricular effectiveness of PBL. The purpose of this study was to explore supportive data for the four core objectives of PBL and to identify an interface between the objectives of PBL and a learner-centered paradigm. The four core PBL objectives, ie, structuring of knowledge and clinical context, clinical reasoning, self-directed learning, and intrinsic motivation, were used to search MEDLINE, the Education Resources Information Center, the Educator's Reference Complete, and PsycINFO from January 1969 to January 2011. The literature search was facilitated and narrowed if the published study included the following terms: "problem-based learning", "medical education", "traditional curriculum", and one of the above four PBL objectives. Through a comprehensive search analysis, one can find supportive data for the effectiveness of a PBL curriculum in achieving the four core objectives of PBL. A further analysis of these four objectives suggests that there is an interface between PBL objectives and criteria from a learner-centered paradigm. In addition, this review indicates that promotion of teamwork among students is another interface that exists between PBL and a learner-centered paradigm. The desire of medical schools to enhance student learning and a need to provide an environment where students construct knowledge rather than receive knowledge have encouraged many medical schools to move into a learner-centered paradigm. Implementation of a PBL curriculum can be used as a prevailing starting point to develop not only a learner-centered paradigm, but also to facilitate a smooth curricular transition from a teacher-centered paradigm to a

Fostering learners' interaction with content: A learner-centered mobile device interface

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Abdous, M.

2015-12-01

With the ever-increasing omnipresence of mobile devices in student life, leveraging smart devices to foster students' interaction with course content is critical. Following a learner-centered design iterative approach, we designed a mobile interface that may enable learners to access and interact with online course content efficiently and intuitively. Our design process leveraged recent technologies, such as bootstrap, Google's Material Design, HTML5, and JavaScript to design an intuitive, efficient, and portable mobile interface with a variety of built-in features, including context sensitive bookmarking, searching, progress tracking, captioning, and transcript display. The mobile interface also offers students the ability to ask context-related questions and to complete self-checks as they watch audio/video presentations. Our design process involved ongoing iterative feedback from learners, allowing us to refine and tweak the interface to provide learners with a unified experience across platforms and devices. The innovative combination of technologies built around well-structured and well-designed content seems to provide an effective learning experience to mobile learners. Early feedback indicates a high level of satisfaction with the interface's efficiency, intuitiveness, and robustness from both students and faculty.

The Effect of Semantic Mapping as a Vocabulary Instruction Technique on EFL Learners with Different Perceptual Learning Styles

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Esmaeel Abdollahzadeh

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Traditional and modern vocabulary instruction techniques have been introduced in the past few decades to improve the learners’ performance in reading comprehension. Semantic mapping, which entails drawing learners’ attention to the interrelationships among lexical items through graphic organizers, is claimed to enhance vocabulary learning significantly. However, whether this technique suits all types of learners has not been adequately investigated. This study examines the effectiveness of employing semantic mapping versus traditional approaches in vocabulary instruction to EFL learners with different perceptual modalities. A modified version of Reid’s (1987 perceptual learning style questionnaire was used to determine the learners’ modality types. The results indicate that semantic mapping in comparison to the traditional approaches significantly enhances vocabulary learning of EFL learners. However, although visual learners slightly outperformed other types of learners on the post-test, no significant differences were observed among intermediate learners with different perceptual modalities employing semantic mapping for vocabulary practice.

Investigating the of Explicit Instruction of Apology Speech Act on Pragmatic Development of Iranian EFL Learners

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Shima Rajabi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Learning a foreign language requires students to acquire both grammatical knowledge and socio-pragmatic rules of a language. Pragmatic competence as one of the most difficult aspects of language provides several challenges to L2 learners in the process of learning a foreign language. To overcome this problem, EFL teachers should find the most effective way of teaching pragmatic knowledge to their students. Accordingly, the present study investigated the effect of explicit teaching of apology speech act, as an aspect of pragmatic competence, on the Iranian EFL learners’ appropriate use of the mentioned speech act. In so doing, a total of 73 EFL students at intermediate and advanced levels participated in a pre-posttest design research with experimental and control group. Data were collected using a Discourse Completion Test (DCT. The selection of apologetic situations in DCT was based on two variables of social status and social distance. The results revealed that explicit instruction was a facilitative tool that helped students use the proper apology strategies in different situations. Moreover, it was found that L2 proficiency had a significant influence on overall appropriateness of speech act production. Keywords: Explicit instruction; Apology speech act;   Pragmatic competence; Iranian EFL learners

Reading Strategies That Motivate English as a Second Language Learners: An Examination of English as a Second Language Teacher Perceptions

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Howell, Kristine Nicole

2016-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine teachers' perceptions of motivational literacy instructional strategies for use with English as a second language learners (ESLs). Self-determination theory's basic psychological needs theory and organismic integration theory acted as the lens through which this topic was explored. A Likert-type…

Evaluation of cognitive loads imposed by traditional paper-based and innovative computer-based instructional strategies.

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Khalil, Mohammed K; Mansour, Mahmoud M; Wilhite, Dewey R

2010-01-01

Strategies of presenting instructional information affect the type of cognitive load imposed on the learner's working memory. Effective instruction reduces extraneous (ineffective) cognitive load and promotes germane (effective) cognitive load. Eighty first-year students from two veterinary schools completed a two-section questionnaire that evaluated their perspectives on the educational value of a computer-based instructional program. They compared the difference between cognitive loads imposed by paper-based and computer-based instructional strategies used to teach the anatomy of the canine skeleton. Section I included 17 closed-ended items, rated on a five-point Likert scale, that assessed the use of graphics, content, and the learning process. Section II included a nine-point mental effort rating scale to measure the level of difficulty of instruction; students were asked to indicate the amount of mental effort invested in the learning task using both paper-based and computer-based presentation formats. The closed-ended data were expressed as means and standard deviations. A paired t test with an alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine the overall mean difference between the two presentation formats. Students positively evaluated their experience with the computer-based instructional program with a mean score of 4.69 (SD=0.53) for use of graphics, 4.70 (SD=0.56) for instructional content, and 4.45 (SD=0.67) for the learning process. The mean difference of mental effort (1.50) between the two presentation formats was significant, t=8.26, p≤.0001, df=76, for two-tailed distribution. Consistent with cognitive load theory, innovative computer-based instructional strategies decrease extraneous cognitive load compared with traditional paper-based instructional strategies.

Salience in Second Language Acquisition:Physical form, learner attention, and instructional focus

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Myrna C Cintrón-Valentín

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We consider the role of physical form, prior experience, and form focused instruction (FFI in adult language learning. (1 When presented with competing cues to interpretation, learners are more likely to attend to physically more salient cues in the input. (2 Learned attention is an associative learning phenomenon where prior-learned cues block those that are experienced later. (3 The low salience of morphosyntactic cues can be overcome by FFI, which leads learners to attend cues which might otherwise be ignored. Experiment 1 used eye-tracking to investigate how language background influences learners’ attention to morphological cues, as well as the attentional processes whereby different types of FFI overcome low cue salience, learned attention and blocking. Chinese native speakers (no L1 verb-tense morphology viewed Latin utterances combining lexical and morphological cues to temporality under control conditions (CC and three types of explicit FFI: grammar instruction (VG, verb salience with textual enhancement (VS, and verb pretraining (VP, and their use of these cues was assessed in a comprehension test. CC participants were significantly more sensitive to the adverbs than verb morphology. Instructed participants showed greater sensitivity to the verbs. These results reveal attentional processes whereby learners’ prior linguistic experience can shape their attention toward cues in the input, and whereby FFI helps learners overcome the long-term blocking of verb-tense morphology. Experiment 2 examined the role of modality of input presentation – aural or visual – in L1 English learners’ attentional focus on morphological cues and the effectiveness of different FFI manipulations. CC participants showed greater sensitivity toward the adverb cue. FFI was effective in increasing attention to verb-tense morphology, however, the processing of morphological cues was considerably more difficult under aural presentation. From visual exposure

Investigating Peer Review as an Intentional Learning Strategy to Foster Collaborative Knowledge-Building in Students of Instructional Design

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Brill, Jennifer M.; Hodges, Charles B.

2011-01-01

Peer review has been advocated for as an intentional strategy to support the knowledge and skill attainment of adult learners preparing for professional practice, including those students preparing for instructional design and technology practice. The purposes of this article are to discuss the practical application of peer review as an…

Communicating Grammatically: Evaluating a Learner Strategy Website for Spanish Grammar

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Cohen, Andrew D.; Pinilla-Herrera, Angela; Thompson, Jonathan R.; Witzig, Lance E.

2011-01-01

After a brief introduction to language learner strategies and grammar strategies as a subcategory, it is pointed out that research on the use of grammar strategies by learners of a second language (L2) has been limited. The article then describes the construction of a website with strategies for learning and performing Spanish grammar, with a…

Student-Centered Instruction in a Theoretical Statistics Course

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Bates Prins, Samantha C.

2009-01-01

This paper provides an example of how student-centered instruction can be used in a theoretical statistics class. The author taught a two-semester undergraduate probability and mathematical statistics sequence using primarily teacher-centered instruction in the first semester and primarily student-centered instruction in the second semester. A…

Delivering Instruction to Adult Learners. Revised Edition.

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Cantor, Jeffrey A.

This one-stop guide for trainers and educators of adults in industry, business, or the professions details a results-oriented instructional strategy that is based on the following principles for instructing adults effectively: (1) act as a leader, helper, guide, change agent, coordinator, and facilitator of learning; (2) promote active…

Benchmarking the Degree of Implementation of Learner-Centered Approaches

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Blumberg, Phyllis; Pontiggia, Laura

2011-01-01

We describe an objective way to measure whether curricula, educational programs, and institutions are learner-centered. This technique for benchmarking learner-centeredness uses rubrics to measure courses on 29 components within Weimer's five dimensions. We converted the scores on the rubrics to four-point indices and constructed histograms that…

An Investigation of Learner-Control Variables in Vocabulary Learning Using Traditional Instruction and Two Forms of Computer-Based Instruction.

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Balajthy, Ernest

1988-01-01

Investigates college students' ability to monitor learner-controlled vocabulary instruction when performed in traditional workbook-like tasks and in two different computer-based formats: video game and text game exercises. Suggests that developmental reading students are unable to monitor their own vocabulary development accurately. (MM)

Effect of Instructional vs. Authentic Video Materials on Introvert and Extrovert Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Learning

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Isazadeh, Parya; Makui, Selma Mohammad Zadeh; Ansarian, Loghman

2016-01-01

The study delved into the effect of instructional video materials vs. authentic video materials on vocabulary learning of extrovert and introvert Iranian EFL learners. To this end, Nelson proficiency test was administered to one hundred eighty (n = 180) language learners. Considering 1 standard deviation above and below the mean score, one hundred…

Interactional Strategies Used by Low Level Learners in Public Speaking Class

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Yuli Astutik

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This research article described the interactional strategies used by low learners in public speaking class. A qualitative study on whether or not low learners used the aspects of interactional strategies was the main focus. This paper also aimed to know what aspects mostly used and the factors that cause this problem. Observing and interviewing to six subjects regarding on the use of interactional strategies: exemplification, confirmation checks, comprehension checks, repetition, clarification requests, repetition requests, exemplification requests, and assistance appeal were carried out. Finding indicated that from six low learners, only two who did not apply interactional strategies in all situations. Four students have applied 3 – 4 interactional strategies in the case they were as the speaker. In another side, when they were the listeners, they did not apply the interactional strategies. The result showed that repetition was the interactional strategy mostly used by low learners. Nevertheless, the reason of using it was not proper reason. The further finding indicated some factors cause low learners did not use four interactional strategies such as fluency, grammar, lack of vocabulary and pronunciation in addition to the English practice merely in the formal situation.

Symphony: A case study for exploring and describing design methods and guidelines for learner-centered design

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Quintana, Christopher

Learner-centered design is an evolving software design perspective addressing the needs of learners---a specific audience trying to work in and understand new work practices in which they have a novice or naive understanding. Learner-centered design involves designing software that incorporates work support features (or scaffolding features) informed by social constructivist learning theories. By adopting a constructivist "learning by doing" perspective, scaffolds should support learners so they can mindfully engage in previously inaccessible work activity, which in turn allows those learners to progressively gain a better understanding of the new work. While there is an intuitive notion of "learner-centered design", there is less specific design information for developing learner-centered software. As a result, learner-centered software results from "educated guesses" and ad-hoc design approaches rather than from systematic design methods. Thus there is a need for specific design guidance to facilitate the development of learner-centered tools that help learners see the tasks, terminology, tools, etc. in the new work context and engage in that work. The research in this dissertation provides a more specific base of learner-centered design descriptions, methods, and guidelines to analyze work practices and design and evaluate scaffolds. The research approach involves using the development of Symphony---a scaffolded integrated tool environment for high-school students learning the work of computational science inquiry---as a case study to develop the learner-centered design approach. Symphony incorporates a variety of science tools with process scaffolding to support students in performing complex air pollution investigations. Six ninth-grade students used Symphony to investigate air quality questions for several weeks in an environmental science class. The student testing helped assess the effectiveness of the software scaffolding and in turn, the learner-centered

Teaching science to English Language Learners: Instructional approaches of high school teachers

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Frank, Betty-Vinca N.

Students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) form the fastest growing segment of the American school population. Prompted by the call for scientific literacy for all citizens, science educators too have investigated the intersection of language and science instruction of ELLs. However these studies have typically been conducted with elementary students. Few studies have explored how high school science teachers, particularly those who have not received any special training, approach science instruction of ELLs and what supports them in this endeavor. This was a qualitative case study conducted with five science teachers in one small urban high school that predominantly served ELLs. The purpose of this study was to examine instructional approaches used by teachers to make science accessible to ELLs and the factors that supported or inhibited them in developing their instructional approaches. This goal encompassed the following questions: (a) how teachers viewed science instruction of ELLs, (b) how teachers designed a responsive program to teach science to ELLs, (c) what approaches teachers used for curriculum development and instruction, (d) how teachers developed classroom learning communities to meet the needs of ELLs. Seven instructional strategies and five perceived sources of support emerged as findings of this research. In summary, teachers believed that they needed to make science more accessible for their ELL students while promoting their literacy skills. Teachers provided individualized attention to students to provide relevant support. Teachers engaged their students in various types of active learning lessons in social contexts, where students worked on both hands-on and meaning-making activities and interacted with their peers and teachers. Teachers also created classroom communities and learning spaces where students felt comfortable to seek and give help. Finally, teachers identified several sources of support that influenced their instructional

The World Center for Computing's Pilot Videodisc Project for French Language Instruction.

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Eastmond, J. Nicholls, Jr.; Mosenthal, Richard

1985-01-01

Describes a pilot videodisc project for French language instruction. Unique features include (1) learner control of instruction by a mouse or touch-sensitive screen, (2) extensive cultural interaction, and (3) an elaborate lexicon of word meanings portrayed visually for selected key words. (Author/SED)

Language Learning Strategies of Language e-Learners in Turkey

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Solak, Ekrem; Cakir, Recep

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the use of language learning strategies of e-learners and to understand whether there were any correlations between language learning strategies and academic achievement. Participants of the study were 274?e-learners, 132 males and 142 females, enrolled in an e-learning program from various majors and…

Iranian Female Language Learners' Listening Strategy Preferences in Multimedia Environment

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Shabnam Talebi Eskandari

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Listening skill has been recently paid great attention comparing with the other three language skills since having communication is the first and most essential need. Language learners have been using the three different listening strategies (Cognitive, Meta-cognitive, and Socio-affective to improve their listening skills in multimedia environments in particular. The main focus of this study is to determine the most preferable listening strategies employed in improving listening skills in multimedia environment by female Iranian English language learners. To achieve the goals, thirty female English language learners – twenty to twenty five - out of sixty were selected. In order to collect data IELTS test as pre-test and post-test questionnaire and interview were used. The result indicated that these language learners mainly employed meta-cognitive strategies the most in the multimedia environment. Thus, it is implied that the findings would be beneficial to the classroom practice, guide learners and lecturers as well as syllabus planners and material designers

Reciprocal Teaching and Emotional Intelligence: A Study of Iranian EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

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Izadi, Mehri; Nowrouzi, Hossein

2016-01-01

The present study aimed at exploring the effect of reciprocal reading strategies instruction on reading comprehension of EFL learners. Emotional intelligence, another variable of interest, was assessed to indicate whether it plays a role in learners' comprehension. In a pre- and post-test study, forty-two learners went through a reciprocal reading…

Effects of Faded Scaffolding in Computer-Based Instruction on Learners' Performance, Cognitive Load, and Test Anxiety

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Hao, Shuang

2016-01-01

Scaffolding is a type of instructional support that helps students to complete a learning task that exceeds their current ability. Scaffolding plays an important role in augmenting other instructional approaches, such as problem-based learning, and facilitates gradual shifts of responsibility from the more advanced others to the learner (Belland,…

A Synthesis of Language Learning Strategies: Current Issues, Problems and Claims Made in Learner Strategy Research

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Barjesteh, Hamed; Mukundan, Jayakaran; Vaseghi, Reza

2014-01-01

The current paper presented theoretical assumptions behind language learning strategies (LLS) and an overview of methods used to identify learners' strategies, first, and then summarized what have been reported from large number of descriptive studies of strategies by language learners. Moreover, the paper tried to present the variety of…

An Instructional Theory for the Post-Industrial Age

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Reigeluth, Charles M.

2011-01-01

This article describes instructional theory that supports post-industrial education and training systems--ones that are customized and learner-centered, in which student progress is based on learning rather than time. The author discusses the importance of problem-based instruction (PBI), identifies some problems with PBI, overviews an…

EXPOSING LEARNERS WITH LEARNING STRATEGIES IN STRATEGY TRAING: ONE OF THE WAYS FOR IMPROVING THEIR STUDY SKILL

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Kartika Nuswantara

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Recognizing our own learning strategies is an effective way to help ourselves to self evaluate for what we have done in our own learning. One among other factors leading to a successful learning is due to the effective learning strategies. However, not all learners are aware of what they have been doing in learning, or they even sometimes do not know how to learn. If this is the problem, learning strategy training can be very beneficial for the learners with this problem. Why should be through strategy training? The answer might lie on the fact that strategy is quite amenable to change, and by nature, teachable as well as learneable (Oxford, 1990. In addition, Nuswantara (2008 also found out that the successful learners (i.e. in learning English were triggered by the courage of using various learning strategies, the more varied the learners are willing to try out, the broader the chance for success. Training is the way that can be selected to present to the learners’ various strategies that they can choose and at the same time employ when learning is taken place. Moreover, by means of training, learners are made aware of the strategy, and they can mend their own strategy, as a result, they become more self - directed rather than dependent. This article attempts to frame out from the perspective of how to bring reading strategies that are applicable for handling various reading content texts to the learners, and present the result of a one-group experimental study. Thus, training is prepared for college learners who are inevitably deal with various English content textbooks and the final aim of the training is to improve learners’ study skills. Then, one group experimental study using correlated sample provides some evidences supporting the effectiveness of the training. Specifying on reading strategies, SQ3R that is joined with other learning strategies involving writing activity, annotating a text and paraphrasing/summarizing is exposed to

Listening strategies instruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nogueroles López, Marta

2017-01-01

, who presented similar level of Spanish, needs, educational and cultural background, but did not receive such a training. The listening strategies instruction consisted in integrating the development of listening strategies into a regular course of Spanish as a foreign language. Data referring...

The Effect of Dramatized Instruction on Speaking Ability of Imam Ali University EFL Learners

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Sadegh Khosronejad

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Teaching language as a second or foreign language, undoubtedly, is so demanding and seeking to find methods for facilitating this prominent practice whets the appetite of any practitioner who works in this field. Research shows that using drama in the classroom as a means of teaching helps students learn socially, academically, and developmentally. This study was an attempt to determine the effect of dramatized instruction on the speaking ability of EFL learners of Imam Ali University. Sixty EFL male students at the intermediate level participated in the study. Their age range was 19-22. Two instruments were utilized in this study; pretest, and posttest.  The data were analyzed through t-test. The data analysis indicated that the mean scores of the experimental group students (M = 72.80 were significantly different (3.29>2; df = 58 from the control group students (M = 65.39. In other words, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the posttest significantly. Moreover, the findings indicated that dramatized instruction does have a great effect on the speaking skills. This study supported the idea of effectiveness of dramatized instruction on developing speaking skill and the teachers can help the learners at lower levels promote their speaking skill through dramatized instruction in EFL classes.

A Case Study Documenting the Process by Which Biology Instructors Transition from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Teaching.

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Marbach-Ad, Gili; Hunt Rietschel, Carly

2016-01-01

In this study, we used a case study approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of the change process of two university instructors who were involved with redesigning a biology course. Given the hesitancy of many biology instructors to adopt evidence-based, learner-centered teaching methods, there is a critical need to understand how biology instructors transition from teacher-centered (i.e., lecture-based) instruction to teaching that focuses on the students. Using the innovation-decision model for change, we explored the motivation, decision-making, and reflective processes of the two instructors through two consecutive, large-enrollment biology course offerings. Our data reveal that the change process is somewhat unpredictable, requiring patience and persistence during inevitable challenges that arise for instructors and students. For example, the change process requires instructors to adopt a teacher-facilitator role as opposed to an expert role, to cover fewer course topics in greater depth, and to give students a degree of control over their own learning. Students must adjust to taking responsibility for their own learning, working collaboratively, and relinquishing the anonymity afforded by lecture-based teaching. We suggest implications for instructors wishing to change their teaching and administrators wishing to encourage adoption of learner-centered teaching at their institutions. © 2016 G. Marbach-Ad and C. H. Rietschel. 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).

Why Learner-Centered New Faculty Orientations Matter: Organizational Culture and Faculty Retention

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Scott, Whitney; Lemus, Daisy; Knotts, Greg; Oh, Janet

2016-01-01

A learner-centered New Faculty Orientation (NFO) can be a powerful way to immediately engage new faculty and develop their organizational identification to the institution and its values. Unfortunately, some NFOs do not model a learner-centered philosophy and miss opportunities to establish a collaborative and celebratory tone. In this paper, we…

Effect of Learner-Centered Education on the Academic Outcomes of Minority Groups

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Salinas, Moises F.; Garr, Johanna

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect that learner-centered classrooms and schools have on the academic performance of minority and nonminority groups. A diverse sample of schools at the elementary school level were selected. Teachers were also asked to complete the Assessment of Learner Centered Practices questionnaire, an…

Instructional games: Scientific language use, concept understanding, and attitudinal development of middle school learners

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Mongillo, Geraldine

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the influence of instructional games on middle school learners' use of scientific language, concept understanding, and attitude toward learning science. The rationale for this study stemmed from the lack of research concerning the value of play as an instructional strategy for older learners. Specifically, the study focused on the ways in which 6 average ability 7th grade students demonstrated scientific language and concept use during gameplay. The data were collected for this 6-week study in a southern New Jersey suburban middle school and included audio recordings of the 5 games observed in class, written documents (e.g., student created game questions, self-evaluation forms, pre- and post-assessments, and the final quiz) interviews, and researcher field notes. Data were coded and interpreted borrowing from the framework for scientific literacy developed by Bybee (1997). Based on the findings, the framework was modified to reflect the level of scientific understanding demonstrated by the participants and categorized as: Unacquainted, Nominal, Functional, and Conceptual. Major findings suggested that the participants predominantly achieved the Functional level of scientific literacy (i.e., the ability to adequately and appropriately use scientific language in both written and oral discourse) during games. Further, it was discovered that the participants achieved the Conceptual level of scientific literacy during gameplay. Through games participants were afforded the opportunity to use common, everyday language to explore concepts, promoted through peer collaboration. In games the participants used common language to build understandings that exceeded Nominal or token use of the technical vocabulary and concepts. Additionally, the participants reported through interviews and self-evaluation forms that their attitude (patterns included: Motivation, Interest, Fun, Relief from Boredom, and an Alternate Learning

Impact of Instructional Resources on Mathematics Performance of Learners with Dyscalculia in Integrated Primary Schools, Arusha City, Tanzania

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Yusta, Nyudule; Karugu, Geoffrey; Muthee, Jessica; Tekle, Tesfu

2016-01-01

Learners with dyscalculia in the integrated primary schools in Arusha have been performing poorly in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Thus, the journal sought to investigate the impact of instructional resources on mathematics performance of learners with dyscalculia in integrated primary schools found in Arusha city, Tanzania. The…

Learner Perceptions of Reliance on Captions in EFL Multimedia Listening Comprehension

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Leveridge, Aubrey Neil; Yang, Jie Chi

2014-01-01

Instructional support has been widely discussed as a strategy to optimize student-learning experiences. This study examines instructional support within the context of a multimedia language-learning environment, with the predominant focus on learners' perceptions of captioning support for listening comprehension. The study seeks to answer two…

The Relationship between Learner Autonomy and Vocabulary Learning Strategies in Iranian EFL Learners with Different Language Proficiency Level

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Ebrahim Azimi Mohammad Abadi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Vocabulary learning is incredibly noteworthy to English language acquisition. It is unfeasible for a learner to communicate without the required vocabulary. In high education levels, learners are habitually forced to become autonomous and make conscious effort to learn vocabulary outside of the classroom. Consequently, the autonomy of the learners plays an important role in developing and enhancing their vocabulary. Learner autonomy is a huge assistance for learners in vocabulary learning since it provides the learners with numerous diverse privileges such as independency from teacher. The researcher investigated whether there is any statistically significant relationship between learner autonomy and vocabulary learning strategies use in Iranian EFL learners with different language proficiency levels. To meet the above purpose, a total number of 190 male and female EFL learners participated in this study. The methodology underlying this study was quantitative (thorough the administration of two questionnaires and two language proficiency test – TOEFL for advanced group, and Nelson for intermediate level. The quantitative data was analyzed using a set of correlational analysis revealing a significant positive correlation between learner autonomy and vocabulary learning strategies use in high proficient group, and a significant positive relationship between these two constructs in low proficient group, however not as strong as in the advanced group.

Inclusive college teaching: universal design for instruction and diverse learners

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Joan M. McGuire

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Shifts in enrollment patterns are affecting college classrooms and elements of teaching ranging from options for delivering course materials online to multiple methods of assessing learning. With the enrollment of more diverse college learners comes a call to intentionally design instruction that is more inclusive and responsive to multiple learning styles. The notion of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI is examined from its roots in the architectural field to its application as a model for teaching that anticipates diversity including students with disabilities. Principles of UDI are defined, and pedagogical examples are provided. Several implementation projects based on the UDI concept are described as are preliminary results regarding outcomes. Substantive issues are identified that have bearing on the direction this innovative idea will take over the next several years.

Brain Dominance And Speaking Strategy Use of Iranian EFL Learners

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Nastaran Mireskandari

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated the effect of brain dominance on the use of Language learning speaking strategies. One hundred forty two undergraduate students of Shiraz University, Iran, participated in this study. The Hemispheric Dominance Test (HDT was employed to categorize participants as right-, left- and whole-brain dominant, and a Speaking Strategy Questionnaire was administered to evaluate their use of speaking strategies. The results were analyzed using a one-way between groups analysis of variance (ANOVA to investigate whether there were any significant differences between the three brain dominant groups in their overall use of speaking strategies. A MANOVA was also run to investigate whether the groups had preferences regarding the use of any particular strategy type. Results indicated a statistically significant difference between the whole brain dominant participants and both left brain and right brain dominant learners for using compensation speaking strategies. To teach and learn more effectively, instructors and learners need to better understand and appreciate individual differences and how they can affect the learning process. They could find ways to combine activities that accommodate both left and right brain learners, employing not only the usual linear, verbal model, but also the active, image-rich, visuo-spatial models so that learners would be able to use both hemispheres.

“Mind-Blowing”: Fostering Self-Regulated Learning in Information Literacy Instruction

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Eveline Houtman

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education brings a new emphasis into our instruction on student metacognition and dispositions. In this article I introduce self-regulated learning, a related concept from the field of education; it encompasses metacognition, emotions, motivations and behaviors. I discuss how this concept could be important and helpful in implementing the related elements in the ACRL Framework and draw on the concept to devise strategies and activities that promote students’ self-awareness and learning skills. This focus promotes a more learner-centered approach to teaching. The article also adds to the conversation on developing a self-reflective pedagogical praxis in information literacy instruction.

Gaming used as an informal instructional technique: effects on learner knowledge and satisfaction.

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Webb, Travis P; Simpson, Deborah; Denson, Steven; Duthie, Edmund

2012-01-01

Jeopardy!, Concentration, quiz bowls, and other gaming formats have been incorporated into health sciences classroom and online education. However, there is limited information about the impact of these strategies on learner engagement and outcomes. To address this gap, we hypothesized that gaming would lead to a significant increase in retained short- and long-term medical knowledge with high learner session satisfaction. Using the Jeopardy! game show model as a primary instructional technique to teach geriatrics, 8 PGY2 General Surgery residents were divided into 2 teams and competed to provide the "question" to each stated "answer" during 5 protected block curriculum units (1-h/U). A surgical faculty facilitator acted as the game host and provided feedback and brief elaboration of quiz answers/questions as necessary. Each quiz session contained two 25-question rounds. Paper-based pretests and posttests contained questions related to all core curriculum unit topics with 5 geriatric gaming questions per test. Residents completed the pretests 3 days before the session and a delayed posttest of geriatric topics on average 9.2 weeks (range, 5-12 weeks) after the instructional session. The cumulative average percent correct was compared between pretests and posttests using the Student t test. The residents completed session evaluation forms using Likert scale ratings after each gaming session and each protected curriculum block to assess educational value. A total of 25 identical geriatric preunit and delayed postunit questions were administered across the instructional sessions. The combined pretest average score across all 8 residents was 51.5% for geriatric topics compared with 59.5% (p = 0.12) for all other unit topics. Delayed posttest geriatric scores demonstrated a statistically significant increase in retained medical knowledge with an average of 82.6% (p = 0.02). The difference between delayed posttest geriatric scores and posttest scores of all other unit

Learner-Centered Micro Teaching in Teacher Education

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Kilic, Abdurrahman

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Learner-Centered Micro Teaching (LCMT) on the development of teacher candidates' teaching competencies. To achieve this goal, teacher candidates' teaching behaviors on subject area, planning, teaching process, classroom management, communication, and evaluation have been pre- and…

Taiwanese EFL Learners' Perceived Use of Online Reading Strategies

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Chen, Lisa Wen Chun

2015-01-01

Reading strategies are beneficial to learners' reading comprehension. The strategies can be divided into different categories, such as global reading strategies, problem solving strategies and support strategies. Most previous studies investigated the importance of reading strategies in the paper-based reading. However, relatively few studies…

Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners: A Practical Guide for Teacher Educators

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Nutta, Joyce W., Ed.; Mokhtari, Kouider, Ed.; Strebel, Carine, Ed.

2012-01-01

"Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners" presents a practical, flexible model for infusing English learner (EL) instruction into teacher education courses. The editors outline the key steps involved in this approach--winning faculty support, assessing needs, and developing capacity--and share strategies for avoiding pitfalls. The…

Culturally Responsive Social Skills Instruction for Adolescent Black Males

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Robinson-Ervin, Porsha; Cartledge, Gwendolyn; Keyes, Starr

2011-01-01

The cultural disconnect between black males and the school environment has been correlated with poor academic achievement and high discipline rates for Black males. Instructional strategies that draw upon the learner?s cultural background hold promise as one means for intervention. This paper addresses the social skills needs of black adolescent…

ESL and Content Area Teacher Responses to Discussions on English Language Learner Instruction

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Pawan, Faridah; Craig, Daniel A.

2011-01-01

The current study compares the responses and statements of English as a second language (ESL) and content area teachers in discussions about the instruction of English language learners (ELLs). A study on how these two sets of teachers understand the field is important because commonalities and differences in their opinions may have an impact on…

Instructional Strategy: Administration of Injury Scripts

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Schilling, Jim

2016-01-01

Context: Learning how to form accurate and efficient clinical examinations is a critical factor in becoming a competent athletic training practitioner, and instructional strategies differ for this complex task. Objective: To introduce an instructional strategy consistent with complex learning to encourage improved efficiency by minimizing…

Improving Reading Instruction through Research-Based Instructional Strategies

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Nash, Vickie Lynn

2010-01-01

The diverse population of students in grades 1- 3 at a suburban elementary school has created a challenge for teachers when differentiating instruction in reading. The purpose of this doctoral project study was to explore the lived experiences of these teachers as they have acquired research-based instructional strategies in reading that support…

Thai EFL Learners' Attitudes and Motivation towards Learning English through Content-Based Instruction

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Lai Yuanxing; Aksornjarung, Prachamon

2018-01-01

This study examined EFL learners' attitudes and motivation towards learning English through content-based instruction (CBI) at a university in Thailand. Seventy-one (71) university students, the majority sophomores, answered a 6-point Likert scale questionnaire on attitudes and motivation together with six open-ended questions regarding learning…

Using Concept Mapping to Teach Young EFL Learners Reading Skills

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Teo, Adeline; Shaw, Yun F.; Chen, Jimmy; Wang, Derek

2016-01-01

Many English as a foreign language (EFL) students fail to be effective readers because they lack knowledge of vocabulary and appropriate reading strategies. We believe that teaching proper reading strategies can help second-language learners overcome their reading problems, especially when the instruction begins in elementary school. Effective…

Learning Strategies of the Arab EFL Learners: Finding Correlation with Outcomes

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Al-Ahdal, Arif Ahmed Mohammed Hassan; Al-Ma'amari, Ahmed Ali Hassan

2015-01-01

Socio-psychological research and findings into learner differences led to the emergence of learner strategies research in the last century. With major contributions from the emerging field of Linguistics in the mid 1970s, language learning strategies began to receive considerable attention. It is worth noting that the primary concern of most of…

Meeting the Needs of High School Science Teachers in English Language Learner Instruction

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Cho, Seonhee; McDonnough, Jacqueline T.

2009-08-01

This survey study explored high school science teachers’ challenges and needs specific to their growing English language learning (ELL) student population. Thirty-three science teachers from 6 English as a Second language (ESL)-center high schools in central Virginia participated in the survey. Issues surveyed were (a) strategies used by science teachers to accommodate ELL students’ special needs, (b) challenges they experienced, and (c) support and training necessary for effective ELL instruction. Results suggest that language barriers as well as ELL students’ lack of science foundational knowledge challenged teachers most. Teachers perceived that appropriate instructional materials and pedagogical training was most needed. The findings have implications for science teacher preservice and inservice education in regard to working with language minority students.

The Influence of Chinese Character Handwriting Diagnosis and Remedial Instruction System on Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language

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Hsiao, Hsien-Sheng; Chang, Cheng-Sian; Chen, Chiao-Jia; Wu, Chia-Hou; Lin, Chien-Yu

2015-01-01

This study designed and developed a Chinese character handwriting diagnosis and remedial instruction (CHDRI) system to improve Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners' ability to write Chinese characters. The CFL learners were given two tests based on the CHDRI system. One test focused on Chinese character handwriting to diagnose the CFL…

Work in Progress : Learner-Centered Online Learning Facility

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Pantic, M.; Zwitserloot, R.; De Weerdt, M.M.

2006-01-01

This paper describes a novel, learner-centered technology for authoring web lectures. Besides seamless integration of video and audio feeds, Microsoft PowerPoint slides, and web-pages, the proposed Online Learning Facility (OLF) also facilitates online interactive testing and review of covered

Learner Diversity in Inclusive Classrooms: The Interplay of Language of Instruction, Gender and Disability

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Possi, Mwajabu K.; Milinga, Joseph Reginard

2017-01-01

The research was conducted to look into learner diversity in inclusive classrooms focusing on language of instruction, gender and disability issues, and their implications for education practices. A qualitative research approach was used to obtain data addressing the research problem from two inclusive secondary schools in Dar es Salaam region,…

Equipping Learners with Listening Strategies in English Language Classes

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Seferoglu, Golge; Uzakgoren, Sedef

2004-01-01

This study aimed at investigating beginner level English language learners' perspectives on the listening skill with regard to several dimensions, and to find out the extent to which the learners who have been trained in listening strategies actually use them while listening. The study took place at the English Preparatory School of an English…

Metaliteracy as Pedagogical Framework for Learner-Centered Design in Three MOOC Platforms: Connectivist, Coursera and Canvas

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Kelsey L. O'Brien

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article examines metaliteracy as a pedagogical model that leverages the assets of MOOC platforms to enhance self-regulated and self-empowered learning. Between 2013 and 2015, a collaborative teaching team within the State University of New York (SUNY developed three MOOCs on three different platforms—connectivist, Coursera and Canvas—to engage with learners about metaliteracy. As a reframing of information literacy, metaliteracy envisions the learner as an active and metacognitive producer of digital information in online communities and social media environments (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011; 2014. This team of educators, which constitutes the core of the Metaliteracy Learning Collaborative, used metaliteracy as a lens for applied teaching and learning strategies in the development of a cMOOC and two xMOOCs. The metaliteracy MOOCs pushed against the dominant trends of lecture-based, automated MOOC design towards a more learner-centered pedagogy that aligns with key components of metaliteracy.

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

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

2015-01-01

Critical thinking is often considered an essential learning outcome of institutions in higher education. Previous work has proposed three pedagogical strategies to address this goal: more active, student-centered in-class instruction, assessments which contain higher-order cognitive questions, and greater alignment within a classroom (i.e., high agreement of the cognitive level of learning objectives, assessments, and in-class instruction). Our goals were to determine which of these factors, individually or the interactions therein, contributed most to improvements in university students' critical thinking. We assessed students' higher-order cognitive skills in introductory non-majors biology courses the first and last week of instruction. For each of the fifteen sections observed, we also measured the cognitive level of assessments and learning objectives, evaluated the learner-centeredness of each classroom, and calculated an alignment score for each class. The best model to explain improvements in students' high-order cognitive skills contained the measure of learner-centeredness of the class and pre-quiz scores as a covariate. The cognitive level of assessments, learning objectives, nor alignment explained improvements in students' critical thinking. In accordance with much of the current literature, our findings support that more student-centered classes had greater improvements in student learning. However, more research is needed to clarify the role of assessment and alignment in student learning.

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

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Emily A Holt

Full Text Available Critical thinking is often considered an essential learning outcome of institutions in higher education. Previous work has proposed three pedagogical strategies to address this goal: more active, student-centered in-class instruction, assessments which contain higher-order cognitive questions, and greater alignment within a classroom (i.e., high agreement of the cognitive level of learning objectives, assessments, and in-class instruction. Our goals were to determine which of these factors, individually or the interactions therein, contributed most to improvements in university students' critical thinking. We assessed students' higher-order cognitive skills in introductory non-majors biology courses the first and last week of instruction. For each of the fifteen sections observed, we also measured the cognitive level of assessments and learning objectives, evaluated the learner-centeredness of each classroom, and calculated an alignment score for each class. The best model to explain improvements in students' high-order cognitive skills contained the measure of learner-centeredness of the class and pre-quiz scores as a covariate. The cognitive level of assessments, learning objectives, nor alignment explained improvements in students' critical thinking. In accordance with much of the current literature, our findings support that more student-centered classes had greater improvements in student learning. However, more research is needed to clarify the role of assessment and alignment in student learning.

An Exploration of Hispanic Mothers' Culturally Sustaining Experiences at an Informal Science Center

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Weiland, Ingrid

2015-01-01

Science education reform focuses on learner-centered instruction within contexts that support learners' sociocultural experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic mothers' experiences as accompanying adults at an informal science center within the context of culturally sustaining experiences, which include the fluidity…

The Effect of Metacognitive Listening Strategy Training on EFL Learners’ Listening Sub-skills Performance

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Hassan Dousti

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the impact of metacognitive listening strategy instruction on the listening sub-skills performance of the Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners at the Foreign Language Center, Imam Ali University. The current study has been conducted with 64 participants. They were assigned into two groups randomly, an experimental group (n: 32 and a control group (n: 32. To determine the listening comprehension ability of the participants, a listening comprehension pretest based on the listening sub-skills was administered to the participants before the experiment. Then, the experimental group received an eight-week treatment on metacognitive listening strategies. After the treatment phase, a posttest was given to the participants in both the experimental and control group. The results of the independent t-test showed that there is a statistically significant difference (3.29>2; df = 62 between the posttest scores of the experimental group and the control group. Metacognitive strategy training promoted students’ listening comprehension remarkably; therefore, it should be integrated into the listening instruction programs to help language learners become more effective listeners.

The Effects of Segmentation and Personalization on Superficial and Comprehensive Strategy Instruction in Multimedia Learning Environments

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Doolittle, Peter

2010-01-01

Short, cause-and-effect instructional multimedia tutorials that provide learner control of instructional pace (segmentation) and verbal representations of content in a conversational tone (personalization) have been demonstrated to benefit problem solving transfer. How might a more comprehensive multimedia instructional environment focused on…

A Learner-Centered Molecular Modeling Exercise for Allied Health Majors in a Biochemistry Class

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Fletcher, Terace M.; Ershler, Jeff

2014-01-01

Learner-centered molecular modeling exercises in college science courses can be especially challenging for nonchemistry majors as students typically have a higher degree of anxiety and may not appreciate the relevance of the work. This article describes a learner-centered project given to allied health majors in a Biochemistry course. The project…

Psychomotor skills acquisition of novice learners: a case for contextual learning.

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DeBourgh, Gregory A

2011-01-01

Deficiencies in procedural competency compromise patient safety and the quality of care provided. Educators in prelicensure nursing programs are challenged to design effective instruction to develop psychomotor skills abilities among novice learners. Highly contextualized learning and frequent opportunities for performance rehearsal promote knowledge retention and procedural competence. The author discusses data from an evaluation study that explored students' perceptions of the effectiveness of skills instruction and suggests strategies for curricular integration and effective instruction.

Learning How the Electron Transport Chain Works: Independent and Interactive Effects of Instructional Strategies and Learners' Characteristics

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Darabi, Aubteen; Arrastia-Lloyd, Meagan C.; Nelson, David W.; Liang, Xinya; Farrell, Jennifer

2015-01-01

In order to develop an expert-like mental model of complex systems, causal reasoning is essential. This study examines the differences between forward and backward instructional strategies in terms of efficiency, students' learning and progression of their mental models of the electronic transport chain in an undergraduate metabolism course…

EFL learners’ motivational beliefs and their use of learning strategies

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Sedigheh Najibi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The present study attempted to examine the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL learners’ motivational beliefs and their use of learning strategies. The three components of motivation, i.e. expectancy component, value component and affective component, were examined in relation to metacognitive, cognitive and effort management strategies. Two hundred and fifty seven EFL learners representing different proficiency levels completed the Persian version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ, which consisted of motivation scale and learning strategies scale. The analysis of the effect of proficiency level on motivational beliefs showed a significant effect of proficiency level on test anxiety and extrinsic goal orientation, suggesting that less proficient learners were significantly more anxious and more extrinsically oriented compared to advanced learners of English. It was also found that self-efficacy, control of learning beliefs, intrinsic goal orientation and task value could account for 70% of variations in self-regulated learning (SRL strategies. Based on the findings of this study, several suggestions are made to aid instructors in creating a non-product-oriented approach to learning, which promotes foreign language learners’ learning outcomes.

Reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language learners in a selected school

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Madoda Cekiso

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the reading strategies used by English Second Language learners can help teachers to plan appropriate lessons and apply relevant methods of teaching reading in order to enhance learners’ reading comprehension. The main objective of this study was to investigate the reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL learners and also to establish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender. The respondents (192 were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The study employed a quantitative research method. The study used convenience sampling on a group of 192 Grade 9 learners. The data collected through questionnaires was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS software. The findings revealed that the learners did not employ a wide range of reading strategies. The results further indicated that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of strategy use. Based on the above findings several suggestions were made to help teachers improve their teaching and help learners improve their reading comprehension and also about possible areas for future research.

Virtual science instructional strategies: A set of actual practices as perceived by secondary science educators

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Gillette, Tammy J.

2009-12-01

The purpose of this proposed research study was to identify actual teaching practices/instructional strategies for online science courses. The identification of these teaching practices/instructional strategies could be used to compile a set of teaching practices/instructional strategies for virtual high school and online academy science instructors. This study could assist online science instructors by determining which teaching practices/instructional strategies were preferred for the online teaching environment. The literature reviewed the role of online and face-to-face instructional strategies, then discussed and elaborated on the science instructional strategies used by teachers, specifically at the secondary level. The current literature did not reflect an integration of these areas of study. Therefore, the connectedness of these two types of instructional strategies and the creation of a set of preferred instructional practices for online science instruction was deemed necessary. For the purpose of this study, the researcher designed a survey for face-to-face and online teachers to identify preferred teaching practices, instructional strategies, and types of technology used when teaching high school science students. The survey also requested demographic data information from the faculty members, including years of experience, subject(s) taught, and whether the teacher taught in a traditional classroom or online, to determine if any of those elements affect differences in faculty perceptions with regard to the questions under investigation. The findings from the current study added to the literature by demonstrating the differences and the similarities that exist between online and face-to-face instruction. Both forms of instruction tend to rely on student-centered approaches to teaching. There were many skills that were similar in that both types of instructors tend to focus on implementing the scientific method. The primary difference is the use of

Pursuing Personal Passion: Learner-Centered Research Mentoring.

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Phillips, William R

2018-01-01

New researchers often face difficulty finding and focusing research questions. I describe a new tool for research mentoring, the Pursuing Personal Passion (P3) interview, and a systematic approach to help learners organize their curiosity and develop researchable questions aligned with their personal and professional priorities. The learner-centered P3 research interview parallels the patient-centered clinical interview. This paper reviews experience with 27 research mentees over the years 2009 to 2016, using the P3 approach to identify their initial research topics, classify their underlying passions and track the evolution into their final research questions. These researchers usually identified one of three personal passions that provided lenses to focus their research: problem, person, or process. Initial research topics focused on: problem (24%, 6), person (48%, 12) and process (28%, 7). Final research questions evolved into: problem (20%, 5), person (32%, 8) and process (48%, 12). Identification of the underlying passion can lead researchers who start with one general topic to develop it into very different research questions. Using this P3 approach, mentors can help new researchers focus their interests into researchable questions, successful studies, and organized programs of scholarship.

English learners in the mathematics classroom

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Coggins, Debra S (Susan)

2014-01-01

Research-based strategies to reach English learners - now aligned with the Common Core!Enable your English learners to build higher-level math skills and gain greater fluency in their new language-all while achieving the goals of the Common Core. Now in its second edition, this trusted resource includes:  Mathematics lesson scenarios in every chapter, directly connected to Common Core Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice Instructional approaches that promote participation, hands-on learning, and true comprehension of mathematics concepts that benefit ALL students Sample lessons, visuals, and essential vocabulary that connect mathematical concepts with language development.

Interlingual Transfer of Idioms by Algerian Learners of English.

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Belkacem Benseddik

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Interlingual transfer (i.e. transfer from the mother tongue or any other previously learned language in foreign language learning is a major cognitive strategy that learners fall back on when their linguistic means falls short of achieving their communicative ends. Needless to say, the mother tongue is an additional source for hypothesis formation that the first language learner does not have. The influence of the mother tongue and the pervasiveness of interlingual transfer is indisputable, especially in learning situations where students' exposure to the foreign language is confined to a few hours per week of formal classroom instruction, (for more information see e.g. Mahmoud 2000. Thus, interlingual transfer is a strategy that is readily available to the learners to compensate for the inadequacies when attempting to communicate in the foreign language.

Experiencing conceptual change about teaching: A case study from astronomy

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Bailey, Janelle M.; Nagamine, Kentaro

2012-06-01

Understanding faculty motivations for and barriers to change is an important component of facilitating instructional reform efforts to improve student learning. This case study describes the process of adoption of learner-centered instructional strategies by an astronomy faculty member, Ken, as viewed through the lens of conceptual change. Specifically, we applied the Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model (CRKM) to understand why Ken was willing to change his instructional strategies, what barriers to and supports for change existed, and how he and his students were impacted by this change. Ken's statements and actions represented characteristics consistent with the CRKM. Notably, dissatisfaction, considered the primary motivator in many conceptual change models, was not of high importance in this case. Upon implementing learner-centered strategies, Ken's students performed better on a measure of knowledge about stellar properties, which served to reinforce his motivation to continue with learner-centered methods.

Effects of Cooperative and Individualistic Instructional Strategies On ...

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instructional strategies on students' problem solving abilities in secondary school chemistry ... individualistic instructional strategy and conventional teaching method. ..... solving abilities are best enhanced by cooperative learning environment.

Psychological Approaches to Learner Centered Curriculum in Kerala

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Nath, Baiju K.; Sajitha, P. S.

2010-01-01

The major curricular innovations that have taken place in Kerala secondary education system in recent years is so revolutionary. This paper examines the basic psychological theories of the learner centered curriculum of school education in the state of Kerala. Initially the curriculum was based on the principles of behaviorism. The curriculum then…

Communication Strategies of Adult ESL Learners: A Discourse Perspective.

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Clennell, Charles

1995-01-01

Examines the communication strategies used by adult second-language learners of English when performing contrasting pedagogic tasks. The article suggests that existing descriptions of communication strategies ignore the pragmatic function of such devices in interactive discourse and offers a reclassification that differentiates strategies…

A home-centered instructional communication strategy for severely handicapped children.

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Wulz, S V; Hall, M K; Klein, M D

1983-02-01

Family involvement is an essential element of language intervention with severely handicapped children for several reasons. First, the parent-child interaction is the focus of normal language development, and can be a powerful impetus in language learning for handicapped children. Second, limited generalization and maintenance of skills often occur when they are acquired in environments that do not also teach the appropriate use of skills. Third, parents can be successful intervention agents and may generalize their skills to other interactions with their child. Training conducted in the home must be compatible with that environment: it should involve only those skills that are of immediate use in the home. The Instructional Communication Strategy described herein represents such a program. It is a synthesis of training strategies used with normal and handicapped children, and is applicable regardless of child's level of functioning, age, or handicapping condition. This training model involves considerable modification in the role of speech-language pathologists dealing with the severely handicapped. The professional's skills are best utilized for assessment, program development, monitoring progress, and training specialized skills. The parents provide most of the direct training; however, professionals are also utilized for the child's maximum benefit.

Strategies to Keep the MS 1 and MS 2 Subjects Relevant and Learner-Centered With Selected Courses in Bicol University

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Mercielen R. De Leon

2014-10-01

Full Text Available CHED Memorandum Order 59 series of 1996 mandates the teaching of Philippine History and Rizal to students in the tertiary level as part of the General Education Curriculum. Bicol University lodges upon the General Education Department (GenEd the teaching of the Mandated Subjects. The General Education Department, therefore, faces the challenge of fostering the values of nationalism and cultural heritage, and at the same time, keeping up with the demands of time for global competitiveness, relevance of the subject to economic and social developments, and keeping up with the learner-centered curriculum. Five courses with different interests and specializations (Computer Science, Education, Biology, Philosophy, Physical Education during the school year of 2011- 2012 were subjected to surveys, observation, rubrics and evaluation. This resulted to varied teaching strategies, activities and required output for every course which catered to their distinct interests, skills, and aligned with the required skills of their fields of specialization

Strategies for Improving Learner Metacognition in Health Professional Education.

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Medina, Melissa S; Castleberry, Ashley N; Persky, Adam M

2017-05-01

Metacognition is an essential skill in critical thinking and self-regulated, lifelong learning. It is important for learners to have skills in metacognition because they are used to monitor and regulate reasoning, comprehension, and problem-solving, which are fundamental components/outcomes of pharmacy curricula. Instructors can help learners develop metacognitive skills within the classroom and experiential setting by carefully designing learning activities within courses and the curriculum. These skills are developed through intentional questioning, modeling techniques, and reflection. This article discusses key background literature on metacognition and identifies specific methods and strategies to develop learners' metacognitive skills in both the classroom and experiential settings.

The Effect of Vocabulary Self-Selection Strategy and Input Enhancement Strategy on the Vocabulary Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners

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Masoudi, Golfam

2017-01-01

The present study was designed to investigate empirically the effect of Vocabulary Self-Selection strategy and Input Enhancement strategy on the vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners. After taking a diagnostic pretest, both experimental groups enrolled in two classes. Learners who practiced Vocabulary Self-Selection were allowed to…

Strategies of Learning Speaking Skill by Indonesian Learners of English and Their Contribution to Speaking Proficiency

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Mistar, Junaidi; Umamah, Atik

2014-01-01

This paper was a subset report of a research project on skill-based English learning strategies by Indonesian EFL learners. It focusses on the attempts to reveal: (1) the differences in the use of strategies of learning speaking skill by male and female learners, and (2) the contribution of strategies of learning speaking skill on the learners'…

The Practice of Learner-Centered Method in Upper Primary Schools ...

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Department of Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, Jimma University , Jimma Ethiopia. E-mail: .... teacher used one of the 33 Learner-centered methods or not. .... Sex. No. of teachers in selected schools. Teaching Experience. Male. Female.

"How do I say that?": Using communication principles to enhance medication therapy management instruction.

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Denvir, Paul M; Cardone, Katie E; Parker, Wendy M; Cerulli, Jennifer

2018-02-01

Medication therapy management (MTM) is a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to improving medication use, reducing the risk of adverse events and improving medication adherence. Given the service delivery model and required outputs of MTM services, communication skills are of utmost importance. The objectives of this study were to identify and describe communication principles and instructional practices to enhance MTM training. Drawing on formative assessment data from interviews of both pharmacy educators and alumni, this article identifies and describes communication principles and instructional practices that pharmacy educators can use to enhance MTM training initiatives to develop student communication strategies. Analysis revealed five key communication challenges of MTM service delivery, two communication principles that pharmacy teachers and learners can use to address those challenges, and a range of specific strategies, derived from communication principles, that students can use when challenges emerge. Implications of the analysis for pharmacy educators and researchers are described. Proactive communication training provided during MTM advanced pharmacy practice experiences enabled students to apply the principles and instructional strategies to specific patient interactions during the advanced pharmacy practice experiences and in their post-graduation practice settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring Engineering Faculty Views about Benefits and Costs of Using Student-Centered Strategies

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Eugene Judson

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Dispositions of 286 engineering faculty members were assessed to determine views about three student-centered classroom strategies and how frequently faculty used those strategies. The student-centered classroom strategies examined were: using formative feedback to adjust instruction, integrating real-world applications, and promoting student-to-student discussions during formal class time. The Value, Expectancy, and Cost of Testing Educational Reforms Survey (VECTERS, based on expectancy theory, was designed, tested, and validated for this purpose. Results indicate using strategies, such as formative feedback, are significantly tied to perceived benefits and expectation of success. Using student-centered strategies is inversely related to the perceived cost of implementation – with more frequent users perceiving lower cost of time and materials.

Strategies to address learner aggression in rural South African secondary schools

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Gunam D. Singh

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Managing learner aggression in the school system is central to learners’ academic performance and holistic development. In order to manage learner aggression, it is important to understand the contributory factors and the forms of learner aggression. This article reports on an investigation of factors contributing to learner aggression in rural secondary schools in the Empangeni district of KwaZulu-Natal in order to identify the forms of learner aggression and to establish strategies to manage such aggression in these secondary schools. A qualitative research design was adopted to investigate the phenomenon through an interview process with participants from five rural secondary schools. The findings showed that the factors contributing to learner aggression include family factors, environmental factors and school-related factors whilst the most common forms of learner aggression in schools are verbal aggression, physical aggression and bullying. The article concludes with the role that the school, parents and the Department of Education can play in addressing learner aggression in schools.

The Impact of Differentiated Instructional Materials on English Language Learner (ELL) Students' Comprehension of Science Laboratory Tasks

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Manavathu, Marian; Zhou, George

2012-01-01

Through a qualitative research design, this article investigates the impacts of differentiated laboratory instructional materials on English language learners' (ELLs) laboratory task comprehension. The factors affecting ELLs' science learning experiences are further explored. Data analysis reveals a greater degree of laboratory task comprehension…

Lexical Reiteration in EFL Young Learners' Essays: Does It Relate to the Type of Instruction?

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Llach, Mª Pilar Agustin; Catalan, Rosa M.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether the type of instruction (English as vehicular language and English as a subject) is related to the use of reiteration ties. In the first place, we identified, classified, and counted the number and kind of reiteration ties used by two groups of EFL learners. Secondly, we examined whether…

Reading strategy instruction and teacher change: Implications for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

I report on teacher change in the context of a reading strategy instruction intervention. Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI) was implemented by three teachers, new to the concept, over a period of 15 weeks. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Developing an Instrument for Iranian EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension Problems and Listening Strategies

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Noroozi, Sara Sara; Sim, Tam Shu; Nimehchisalem, Vahid; Zareian, Gholamreza

2014-01-01

In the body of literature on listening strategies to EFL learners, what seems to be lacking is that the focus is on teaching listening strategies to learners with little attention to their listening comprehension problems. No local research has been conducted on the nature of the Iranian tertiary level students' EFL listening comprehension…

Improving Meaningful Use of Accommodations by Multilingual Learners

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Shafer Willner, Lynn; Mokhtari, Kouider

2018-01-01

For more than two decades, accommodations have served as the primary strategy for ensuring the valid participation of multilingual learners (MLLs) in high-stakes summative assessments. Using historical analyses of the evolution of testing accommodation guidelines and related instructional practices, the authors explain how the application of…

Research into Practice: Listening Strategies in an Instructed Classroom Setting

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Graham, Suzanne

2017-01-01

This paper considers research and practice relating to listening in instructed classroom settings, limiting itself to what might be called unidirectional listening (Macaro, Graham & Vanderplank 2007)--in other words, where learners listen to a recording, a TV or radio clip or lecture, but where there is no communication back to the speaker(s).…

A Comparative Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Marine Engineering Students and Iranian EFL Learners

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Davood Mashhadi Heidar

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present study explored the vocabulary learning strategies used by Iranian EFL learners and Marine Engineering (ME students by using the categorization of vocabulary learning strategies proposed by Schmitt (1997. A vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire was administered to 30 EFL learners and 43 ME students. Then, the strategies used by each group were determined and the two groups were compared with each other. It was found that both groups used determination strategies more frequently than social strategies for discovering a new word’s meaning. The most frequently used discovery strategy by both groups was found to be “bilingual dictionary”. The second and third most frequently used strategy for discovery by EFL learners and ME students was found to be “monolingual dictionary” and “guess from textual context”, respectively. It was also revealed that EFL learners used memory strategies more frequently than other strategies for consolidating the meaning of new words and ME students used cognitive strategies the most frequently. Both groups were found to use “verbal repetition” more frequently than all other consolidation strategies. The second most frequently used strategy by EFL learners was “use Englishlanguage media” whilst for ME students they were “written repetition” and “word lists”. The comparison of the strategy use by the participants in the two groups showed no significant difference.

Applying Transition Action Detail Strategy on Written Text of EFL Young Learners

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Yeasy Agustina Sari

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mastering English, as foreign language need a lot of time since it is a continuing process. English foreign language of young learners, however, can’t be mastered by memorizing. The young learners should have strategy, which can be used as the direction of the classroom activites to help the students enhancing of language skill, specially in writting. There were the problem to be solved in this study, namely the students have difficult to construct the written text. The strategies which were used in the learning process were boring. Hence, the researcher tried to solve students’ difficulty in written text through Transition Action Detail Strategy. This study focused on two variables. The independent variable was Transition Action Detail Strategy, meanwhile dependent variable was written text. The researcher used true experimental design which consist of control group and experimental group. The subject of this research was students of young learner at the eight grade of English Course at Payakumbuh. The result revealed that Transition Action Detail Strategy was a good strategy that can influence the students’ narrative text. By using df.70, the writer not found it in the table. Because 70 was higher than 60 and smaller than 120. Then, the results from interpolation by using df.70, it could be known that the critical value of   t-table for the 5% level was 1.990, the critical value of t-table for the 1% level was 2.638. From these all the data analysis, it can be seen that t-observed (4.763 was higher than t-table (5% =1.990, 1% = 2.638. The data confirm that t-observed  is higher than t-table, therefore it can be inferred that Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected. It means that there is significant influence of applying Transition Action Detail Strategy on Wwritten Text of Young learners.   Key words: Transition Action Detail Strategy, Young Learners, English Foreign Language, English  Course.

Instructional Strategies Alternative for Reading Comprehension

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Yajaira del Valle Cadenas Terán

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to expose significantly instruccionales strategic alternatives that help improve the process of reading in college students to be trained holistically, able to make critical decisions, thoughtful and successful in the academic field. The strategies implemented educational event isolated to produce no change is necessary, that are planned and executed in the proper context of the need to ensure a certain extent the instructional success. It is also essential that teachers be the first to appropriate it. This study was conducted with a literature review serves as instructional foundation - strategic. In conclusion the importance of instructional strategies in reading comprehension was determined, since they increase communication skills, provide specific or complex experiences and promote meaningful learning.

Best practices in writing instruction

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Fitzgerald, Jill; MacArthur, Charles A

2014-01-01

An indispensable teacher resource and course text, this book presents evidence-based practices for helping all K-12 students develop their skills as writers. Every chapter draws clear connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Leading authorities describe how to teach the skills and strategies that students need to plan, draft, evaluate, and revise multiple types of texts. Also addressed are ways for teachers to integrate technology into the writing program, use assessment to inform instruction, teach writing in the content areas, and tailor instruction for English language learner

Millennial Instructional Preferences in Post-Secondary Business Programs

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West, Cynthia Elaine

2017-01-01

The purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the instructional preferences of millennial learners and how their instructional preferences affect their choice in post-secondary business programs. The instructional preferences of millennial learners are an important question for post-secondary business programs enrolling learners from…

Mnemonic Instruction in Science and Social Studies for Students with Learning Problems: A Review

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Lubin, Jacqueline; Polloway, Edward A.

2016-01-01

Over the years, mnemonic instruction has been promoted as an effective strategy to teach students with learning problems including learning disabilities (LD) or mild intellectual disability (MID). This paper discusses mnemonic instruction, including types, versatility in use, and effectiveness with struggling learners. Specific emphasis then is…

The Effects of Input-Enhanced Instruction on Iranian EFL Learners' Production of Appropriate and Accurate Suggestions

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Ghavamnia, M.; Eslami-Rasekh, A.; Vahid Dastjerdi, H.

2018-01-01

This study investigates the relative effectiveness of four types of input-enhanced instruction on the development of Iranian EFL learners' production of pragmatically appropriate and grammatically accurate suggestions. Over a 16-week course, input delivered through video clips was enhanced differently in four intact classes: (1) metapragmatic…

The effect of student-centered and teacher-centered instruction with and without conceptual advocacy on biology students' misconceptions, achievement, attitudes toward science, and cognitive retention

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Gallop, Roger Graham

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of student-centered and teacher-centered instructional strategies with and without conceptual advocacy (CA) on ninth-grade biology students' misconceptions (MIS), biology achievement (ACH), attitudes toward science (ATT), and cognitive retention of scientific method and measurement, spontaneous generation, and characteristics of living things. Students were purposively selected using intact classes and assigned to one of four treatment groups (i.e., student-centered instruction without CA, student-centered instruction with CA, teacher-centered instruction with CA, and teacher-centered instruction without CA). A modified quasi-experimental design was used in which students were not matched in the conventional sense but instead, groups were shown to be equivalent on the dependent measure via a pretest. A 5-day treatment implementation period addressed science conceptions under investigation. The treatment period was based on the number of class periods teachers at the target school actually spend teaching the biological concepts under investigation using traditional instruction. At the end of the treatment period, students were posttested using the Concepts in Biology instrument and Science Questionnaire. Eight weeks after the posttest, these instruments were administered again as a delayed posttest to determine cognitive retention of the correct biological conceptions and attitudes toward science. MANCOVA and follow-up univariate ANCOVA results indicated that student-centered instruction without CA (i.e., Group 1) did not have a significant effect on students' MIS, ACH, and ATT (F = .029, p = .8658; F = .002, p =.9688, F = .292, p = .5897, respectively). On the other hand, student-centered instruction with CA (i.e., Group 2) had a significant effect on students' MIS and ACH (F =10.33, p = .0016 and F = 10.17, p = .0017, respectively), but did not on ATT (F = .433, p = .5117). Teacher-centered instruction with

Politeness strategies in written communications: the issue of Iranian EFL learners

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Karimkhanlooei Giti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The approximation of the pragmatic knowledge of English language learners to native speakers has been a realm of concern for the scholars and researchers in applied linguistics. Thus, this research was an endeavor to figure out the association between the proficiency level and politeness strategies and external/internal modifications in written communication skills in the speech act of requests in Iranian English language learners. To this end, a written Discourse Completion Test (DCT, adapted from Rose (1994, including 8 situations was administered to elicit data from Iran Language Institute120 female and male EFL learners, 60 upper-intermediate and 60 intermediate. The data were sorted out using Brown and Levinson’s politeness strategies taxonomy (Brown and Levinson 1987 and external/internal modifications developed by Faerch and Kasper (1989. The written request utterances provided by each participant were analyzed in terms of frequency and types of politeness strategies, namely, positive, negative, bald on record, and off-record as well as external/internal modifications utilized in requests. The Pearson Chi-Square test results revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between upper-intermediate and intermediate learners’ type of politeness strategies and external/internal modifications.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by EAP Learners: The Case of the Students of Social Sciences

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Haghi, Eshrat Bazarmaj; Pasand, Parastou Gholami

2013-01-01

The significance of using language learning strategies in general and vocabulary learning strategies in particular is quite clear to both language learners and language specialists. Being familiar with and making use of a range of different vocabulary learning strategies is a great aid for EAP learners in dealing with unknown words. The present…

Teaching Writing Strategies

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Zaououi,Merbouh

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Developing learners’ writing skills has been of concern for a long time in education. Students studying English in our educational institutions have been found to face problems mainly in writing, making them unable to cope with the institution’s literacy expectations. However, these students may be able to develop writing skills significantly with positive instructional attitudes towards the errors they make and awareness on the teachers’ part of learner problems. That is why they should improve classroom writing instruction to address the serious problem of students writing difficult. Teaching strategies has shown a dramatic effect on the quality of students’ writing. Strategy instruction involves explicitly and systematically teaching steps necessary to use strategies independently. The following table will explain the above ideas.

The Effect of Context on the EFL Learners' Idiom Processing Strategies

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Rohani, Gholamreza; Ketabi, Saeed; Tavakoli, Mansoor

2012-01-01

The present study investigated the effect of context on the strategies the EFL learners utilized to process idioms. To do so, ten Iranian intermediate EFL learners were randomly assigned to two groups who then attended a think-aloud session. The 5 subjects in the first group were exposed to an animated cartoon including 23 unfamiliar idioms while…

The Relationship between Reading Proficiency and Reading Strategy Use: A Study of Adult ESL Learners

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Huang, Jiuhan; Nisbet, Deanna

2014-01-01

This article explores the relationship between reading strategy use and reading proficiency among 121 adult ESL learners. Reading strategy use was measured by the SORS, and reading proficiency was determined by the CASAS Reading Test and BEST Literacy Test. Findings of the study reveal that (a) adult ESL learners are active strategies users; (b)…

Better learning through instructional science: a health literacy case study in "how to teach so learners can learn".

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Freedman, Ariela M; Echt, Katharina V; Cooper, Hannah L F; Miner, Kathleen R; Parker, Ruth

2012-09-01

Health education and behavior change interventions typically pay little attention to the intervention's instructional foundation. Combining the fields of health literacy, cognitive psychology, and adult learning theory, this article provides an integrative scientific approach, called the BEAN (Better Education and iNnovation) model, to creating an instructional foundation based on how individuals acquire knowledge and skills. The article uses a case study example from an adult literacy center's health literacy class to explore how environmental factors and instructional strategies can be applied to health education and behavior change interventions. Data for this case study were derived through 20 hours of classroom observation and qualitative interviews with 21 adult education students and 3 instructors. Results provide practical examples of environmental factors and instructional strategies designed to facilitate learning, such as fostering autonomy, activating prior knowledge, and fostering perspective change. Results also describe the resulting health behavior changes of students attending the health literacy class, such as increased medication adherence and physical activity, improved nutritional habits, and increased question asking of health practitioners. This article serves as a first step to encouraging researchers and educators to consider the importance of drawing on cognitive psychology and theories of adult learning to create a scientifically based instructional foundation for health behavior change programs. Additionally, by drawing on the expertise of adult educators well versed in the science of instructional design, this article also demonstrates that the adult education classroom is an excellent setting for conducting health education and behavior change interventions.

Application of the instructional congruence framework: Developing supplemental materials for English language learners

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Drews, Tina Skjerping

2009-12-01

This dissertation is a study of the instructional congruence framework as it was used to develop and pilot a supplemental science unit on energy and the environment for sixth grade students in Arizona. With the growing linguistic and cultural diversity of children in American schools, congruent materials are more important now than ever before. The supplemental materials were designed by the researcher and underwent a six person, three educator and three engineer, panel review. The revised materials were then piloted in two sixth grade classrooms in the Southwest with high numbers of English language learners. Classroom observation, teacher interviews, and the classroom observation protocol were utilized to understand the fidelity to the instructional congruence framework. The fidelity of implementation of materials was subject to the realities of varied educational contexts. Piloting materials in urban contexts with diverse students involved additional challenges. The results of the study explore the challenges in creating instructionally congruent materials for diverse students in urban contexts. Recommendations are provided for curriculum developers that undertake the task of creating instructionally congruent materials and emphasize the need to devise innovative methods of creation, while understanding that there is no perfect solution. The education community as a whole could benefit from incorporating and synthesizing the instructional congruence framework in order to provide maximum opportunities in science for all students.

Comparative Effect of Memory and Cognitive Strategies Training on EFL Intermediate Learners' Vocabulary Learning

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Banisaeid, Maryam

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to compare the effect of memory and cognitive strategies training on vocabulary learning of intermediate proficiency group of Iranian learners of English as a foreign language. It is to check how memory and cognitive strategies training affect word learning of EFL intermediate learners (N = 60) who were homogenized…

Towards a Person-Centered Model of Instruction: Can An Emphasis on the Personal Enhance Instruction in Cyberspace?

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Miller, Christopher; Mazur, Joan M.

2001-01-01

A person-centered instructional design model was developed for virtual, Web-based environments, based on the work of Carl Rogers. This model attempts to address several issues raised in the literature. A person-centered instructional model is described and contrasted with instructionalist and constructivist approaches. Theoretical and practical…

Case-Based Instruction: Improving Students' Conceptual Understanding through Cases in a Mechanical Engineering Course

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Yadav, Aman; Vinh, Megan; Shaver, Gregory M.; Meckl, Peter; Firebaugh, Stephanie

2014-01-01

Recently, there has been a push within engineering curricula to adopt more learner-centered pedagogies, such as case-based instruction. Case-based instruction has been hypothesized to make the curriculum more relevant and motivating for students by pushing them to integrate the concepts they have learned with other experiences. The current study…

Reading-Strategy Use by English as a Second Language Learners in Online Reading Tasks

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Park, Ho-Ryong; Kim, Deoksoon

2011-01-01

This study investigates adult English language learners' reading-strategy use when they read online texts in hypermedia learning environments. The learners joined the online Independent English Study Group (IESG) and worked both individually and collaboratively. This qualitative case study aims (a) to assess college-level ESL learners' use of…

The Effect of Reading Involvement through Open-Ended Strategy vs. Fill-in- the- Blanks Strategy on Young EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Ability

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Rita Salehi Sepehr

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated the extent to which an instructional framework of integrating strategy instruction (open-ended strategy and fill-in-the blanks strategy with motivation- support affected on reading result for young EFL learners. The central area of exploration included a comparison among three approaches to reading instruction: First, fill-in-the blanks strategy intervention; second, open-ended strategy intervention; and last, a control group which received the conventional reading strategies. The participants were sampled from amongst a group of seventy-seven pre-intermediate EFL learners in a language school in Tehran- Iran based on convenient sampling technique. For the sake of measurement, the researchers administered PET and CELT along with reading strategy based-test to quantify the participants’ current level of knowledge as well as the degree of achievement after treatment. For measurement’s sake, different types of tests such as PET, reading comprehension test (CELT, and reading strategy based- test were employed to quantify the participants’ current level of knowledge as well as the degree of achievement before and after instruction. The result of the present study indicated that the experimental groups had a significant improvement over the control group. Also, the level of learners’ reading engagement during classroom work mediated the instructional effects on reading outcomes. The results of this study can be to the benefit of both EFL and ESL teachers to teach reading comprehension using the student's critical mind as well as critical involvement in the reading tasks.

Collaborative Literacy Work in a High School: Enhancing Teacher Capacity for English Learner Instruction in the Mainstream

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Russell, Felice Atesoglu

2014-01-01

As more English learners (ELs) are included in mainstream content classrooms at the secondary level, the need to understand how teachers collaborate to meet the particular instructional needs of ELs is essential. This paper presents findings from a qualitative case study that investigated the collaborative work that engaged a group of literacy…

Language of Instruction as a Moderator for Transfer of Reading Comprehension Skills among Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners

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Carlo, María S.; Barr, Christopher D.; August, Diane; Calderón, Margarita; Artzi, Lauren

2014-01-01

This three-year longitudinal study investigated the role of language of instruction in moderating the relationships between initial levels of English oral language proficiency and Spanish reading comprehension and growth in English reading comprehension. The study followed Spanish-speaking English language learners in English-only literacy…

Cultural dimensions of learning: Addressing the challenges of multicultural instruction

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Patrick Parrish

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The growing multicultural nature of education and training environments makes it critical that instructors and instructional designers, especially those working in online learning environments, develop skills to deliver culturally sensitive and culturally adaptive instruction. This article explores research into cultural differences to identify those dimensions of culture that are most likely to impact instructional situations. It presents these in the cultural dimensions of learning framework (CDLF, which describes a set of eight cultural parameters regarding social relationships, epistemological beliefs, and temporal perceptions, and illustrates their spectrums of variability as they might be exhibited in instructional situations. The article also explores the literature on instructional design and culture for guidelines on addressing the cross-cultural challenges faced by instructional providers. It suggests that these challenges can be overcome through increased awareness, culturally sensitive communication, modified instructional design processes, and efforts to accommodate the most critical cultural differences. Finally, it describes the use of the CDLF questionnaire as a tool to illuminate the range of preferences existing among learners and to discover the potential range of strategies and tactics that might be useful for a given set of learners.

ESL Learners' Online Research and Comprehension Strategies

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Sain, Noridah; Bown, Andy; Fluck, Andrew; Kebble, Paul

2017-01-01

In order to enhance second language (L2) acquisition, English as a Second Language (ESL) students are encouraged to exploit the abundant information and opportunities for authentic language use afforded by the Internet. This study investigated the online research and comprehension strategies employed by ESL learners in a public university in…

THE EXPLICIT COMPREHENSION-STRATEGY INSTRUCTION: QUESTION-ANSWER RELATIONSHIP VS SELF-QUESTIONING

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Lalu Thohir

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at examining and comparing the effectiveness of the Question-Answer Relationship (QAR and Self-Questioning (SQ strategies in improving the reading ability of the undergraduate students. This study was a quasi-experimental study in which two out of three classes of the third semester students at English department of Mataram University were selected randomly to receive either QAR strategy or SQ strategy instructions for ten weekly meetings. The findings of pre- and posttest with multiple-choice questions revealed that both comprehension strategies were effective in improving the undergraduate students‘ reading ability. The findings from the posttest with multiple-choice questions indicated the students who received SQ strategy instruction scored significantly higher than those students who received QAR strategy instruction. On the other hand, the students who received QAR strategy instruction scored slightly higher than those students who received SQ strategy instruction in the posttest with open-ended questions.

Learner-Centered Pedagogy: Considerations for Application in a Didactic Course

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Moate, Randall M.; Cox, Jane A.

2015-01-01

A learner-centered teaching approach is well known in higher education but has not been fully addressed within counselor education. Instructors who adopt this approach value a collaborative approach to teaching and learning, one that honors students' wisdom and contributions. Teachers create a learning environment encouraging students to actively…

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THE ESPECIAL EMPLOYED LEARNING STRATEGIES DURING EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

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Fateme BEHABADI

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Most of the early studies in the field of language learning strategies focused on identifying the characteristics of good language learners. Identifying and discussing the strategies used by good language learners were considered as a good way to make the learners aware of the notion of language learning strategies. The present study was an attempt to collect and classify the characteristics of representative good language learners, developing English as a foreign /second language in Iran; specifically those who had achieved high scores in the IELTS General Module. And also this study aimed at identifying the characteristics associated with a good language learner in one area: learning strategies. Thirty-four Iranian IELTS candidates receiving 6+ band score were selected to participate in this study. They were interviewed and asked to write down their own reports of the experiences they had in developing their second language. They were asked to report their preferred strategies while studying English as well. They were also requested to fill out the learning strategy and learning style questionnaires. The results of interviews and open ended questions were specifically organized and classified via employing both descriptive and explanatory methods. The learners’ responses to the standardized questionnaires also were analyzed by SPSS system Version 20. The findings of the present study although revealed that there is a high correlation between IELTS scores, strategy taking inventory scores. This revealed that the learners recording high scores in IELTS use appropriate learning strategies.

Integrating Computer-Mediated Communication Strategy Instruction

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McNeil, Levi

2016-01-01

Communication strategies (CSs) play important roles in resolving problematic second language interaction and facilitating language learning. While studies in face-to-face contexts demonstrate the benefits of communication strategy instruction (CSI), there have been few attempts to integrate computer-mediated communication and CSI. The study…

The Impact of Teaching Communication Strategies on EFL Learners' Willingness to Communicate

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Mesgarshahr, Abulfazl; Abdollahzadeh, Esmaeel

2014-01-01

One of the pedagogical implications of the research on the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) might be to propose practical ways of making language learners more willing to communicate in the classroom. This study investigated the impact of teaching communication strategies (CSs) on Iranian EFL learners' WTC. To this end, 8 intact classes were…

The Effect of Modified Collaborative Strategic Reading on EFL Learners' Reading Anxiety

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Shabnam Abbasnezhad

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The present study was an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of reading instructional approach called MCSR- Modified Collaborative Strategic Reading on reducing intermediate EFL learner's reading anxiety. Based on a pretest-posttest design, MCSR was implemented with 64 EFL learners at intermediate level. They received EFL reading instruction according to MCSR over two and a half months. A questionnaire called English as a Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Inventory EFLRAI was group-administered atthepretest and the posttest. Quantitative results indicated that participating students demonstrated significant gains in reducing reading anxiety. This study highlighted our understanding by considering the effectiveness of MCSR program and also it elaborated the effects of using strategies like MCSR in overcoming the big problem of reading anxiety among EFL learners as non-native students. And teachers changed the focus of attention from using traditional methods for teaching the essential skill of reading to modern programs like MCSR in order to remove their students' anxiety and stress in reading.

Instruction of Research-Based Comprehension Strategies in Basal Reading Programs

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Pilonieta, Paola

2010-01-01

Research supports using research-based comprehension strategies; however, comprehension strategy instruction is not highly visible in basal reading programs or classroom instruction, resulting in many students who struggle with comprehension. A content analysis examined which research-based comprehension strategies were presented in five…

Using the Think-Aloud Technique for Determining Different Reading Strategies Used by Iranian EFL Learners

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Bakhshalinezhad, Ladan; Nikou, Farahnaz Reymani; Bonyadi, Alireza

2015-01-01

This study explored the reading strategies used by advanced and intermediate Persian EFL learners in both English and Persian reading comprehension texts. Based on the aims of the study reading comprehension texts were administered to the learners and their reading strategies in both English and Persian reading comprehension texts were examined…

Effects of Direct and Indirect Instructional Strategies on Students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

First Lady

2012-10-27

Oct 27, 2012 ... Counseling, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Phone: +234(0) ... Mathematics using Direct Instructional strategy, while Group B students were taught using ... strategy; significant difference existed between direct and indirect instruction ..... is to ensure individual student's mastery of the subject matter.

Designing Interactive Multimedia Instruction To Enable and Enhance Information Literacy.

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Amidon, Leslie E.

2001-01-01

Addresses key strategies for the design and development of Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI) programs for adult learners, focusing on the removal of learning barriers and the incorporation of information literacy principles. Barriers include financial constraints, socio-economic and social class, communication skills, time constraints,…

English Language Learners in a Digital Classroom

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Prince, Johanna

2017-01-01

English language learners (ELLs) experience linguistic, cultural, and cognitive shifts that can be challenging and at times lead to isolation for ELLs. While education technology may be an instructional resource and engage learners, devices alone do not shift instructional practices or lead to student gains. This case study was performed at an…

ECG Rhythm Analysis with Expert and Learner-Generated Schemas in Novice Learners

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Blissett, Sarah; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo; Sibbald, Matthew

2015-01-01

Although instruction using expert-generated schemas is associated with higher diagnostic performance, implementation is resource intensive. Learner-generated schemas are an alternative, but may be limited by increases in cognitive load. We compared expert- and learner-generated schemas for learning ECG rhythm interpretation on diagnostic accuracy,…

EFL Learners' Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies

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Al-Mekhlafi, Abdo Mohammed

2018-01-01

Reading, a literacy skill, is of great importance to all educational systems. Even in tertiary education, many EFL learners have trouble in reading academic texts in English, as they are often found to be using ineffective reading strategies. A review of relevant literature provides insights into a range of issues relating to the teaching of…

How faculty learn about and implement research-based instructional strategies: The case of Peer Instruction

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Dancy, Melissa; Henderson, Charles; Turpen, Chandra

2016-06-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Preparing and Supporting University Physics Educators.] The lack of knowledge about how to effectively spread and sustain the use of research-based instructional strategies is currently a significant barrier to the improvement of undergraduate physics education. In this paper we address this lack of knowledge by reporting on an interview study of 35 physics faculty, of varying institution types, who were self-reported users of, former users of, or knowledgeable nonusers of the research-based instructional strategy Peer Instruction. Interview questions included in this analysis focused on the faculty's experiences, knowledge, and use of Peer Instruction, along with general questions about current and past teaching methods used by the interviewee. The primary findings include the following: (i) Faculty self-reported user status is an unreliable measure of their actual practice. (ii) Faculty generally modify specific instructional strategies and may modify out essential components. (iii) Faculty are often unaware of the essential features of an instructional strategy they claim to know about or use. (iv) Informal social interactions provide a significant communication channel in the dissemination process, in contrast to the formal avenues of workshops, papers, websites, etc., often promoted by change agents, and (v) experience with research-based strategies as a graduate student or through curriculum development work may be highly impactful. These findings indicate that educational transformation can be better facilitated by improving communication with faculty, supporting effective modification by faculty during implementation, and acknowledging and understanding the large impact of informal social interactions as a mode of dissemination.

Learner characteristics involved in distance learning

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Cernicek, A.T.; Hahn, H.A.

1991-01-01

Distance learning represents a strategy for leveraging resources to solve educational and training needs. Although many distance learning programs have been developed, lessons learned regarding differences between distance learning and traditional education with respect to learner characteristics have not been well documented. Therefore, we conducted a survey of 20 distance learning professionals. The questionnaire was distributed to experts attending the second Distance Learning Conference sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory. This survey not only acquired demographic information from each of the respondents but also identified important distance learning student characteristics. Significant distance learner characteristics, which were revealed statistically and which influence the effectiveness of distance learning, include the following: reading level, student autonomy, and self-motivation. Distance learning cannot become a more useful and effective method of instruction without identifying and recognizing learner characteristics. It will be important to consider these characteristics when designing all distance learning courses. This paper will report specific survey findings and their implications for developing distance learning courses. 9 refs., 6 tabs.

Determining the Effect of Interactive Invention Instructional Strategy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

First Lady

females and 94 males from six colleges of education in South Western. Nigeria which ... learner variables such as gender stereotype in physics and lack of confidence .... strategies provide opportunities for students to work in small interactive.

Multidimensional Learner Model In Intelligent Learning System

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Deliyska, B.; Rozeva, A.

2009-11-01

The learner model in an intelligent learning system (ILS) has to ensure the personalization (individualization) and the adaptability of e-learning in an online learner-centered environment. ILS is a distributed e-learning system whose modules can be independent and located in different nodes (servers) on the Web. This kind of e-learning is achieved through the resources of the Semantic Web and is designed and developed around a course, group of courses or specialty. An essential part of ILS is learner model database which contains structured data about learner profile and temporal status in the learning process of one or more courses. In the paper a learner model position in ILS is considered and a relational database is designed from learner's domain ontology. Multidimensional modeling agent for the source database is designed and resultant learner data cube is presented. Agent's modules are proposed with corresponding algorithms and procedures. Multidimensional (OLAP) analysis guidelines on the resultant learner module for designing dynamic learning strategy have been highlighted.

Comparison of Direct Instruction and Problem Centered Instruction for Army Institutional Training

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2013-04-01

module were assessed. The hypotheses were that (1) both DI and PCI students’ performance overall would benefit from the training, (2) DI students...collaborative, problem-centered instruction,” these results indicate that, in at least some cases, there may be no benefit of problem-centered...Belanich, J. (2006). Videogame -based training success: The impact of student characteristics - Year 2 (Technical Report 1188). Arlington, VA: U. S

Toward a Common Understanding of Research-Based Instructional Strategies

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Goodwin, Deborah; Webb, Mary Ann

2014-01-01

A review of available books, articles and on-line resources which deal with "Research-Based Instructional Strategies" will produce a plethora of materials which promote the effectiveness of these strategies on student achievement. Also, a perusal of classroom instruction and teacher evaluation instruments will reveal that many of the…

Designing Instructional Strategies which Facilitate Learning for Mastery.

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Anderson, Lorin W.; Jones, Beau Fly

The "state of the craft" of instruction within the context of the mastery learning model is discussed. Little has been said in the past about specific instructional strategies that are applicable to particular instructional units or objectives, or to the daily classroom life of teachers. This paper is organized into six major sections. The first…

Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies in Core Chemical Engineering Courses

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Prince, Michael; Borrego, Maura; Henderson, Charles; Cutler, Stephanie; Froyd, Jeff

2013-01-01

Traditional lecturing remains the most prevalent mode of instruction despite overwhelming research showing the increased effectiveness of many alternate instructional strategies. This study examines chemical engineering instructors' awareness and use of 12 such instructional strategies. The study also examines how chemical engineering…

Teacher Learning through Self-Regulation: An Exploratory Study of Alternatively Prepared Teachers' Ability to Plan Differentiated Instruction in an Urban Elementary School

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Tricarico, Katie; Yendol-Hoppey, Diane

2012-01-01

Differentiated Instruction (DI) is an approach that recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of diverse learners and requires the teacher to base instructional accommodations on student strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, teachers use DI strategies to adjust the content, process, or product of instruction depending on student needs. Given the…

A Paradigm Shift in Law Enforcement Training in the Bahamas: Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered

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Hunter-Johnson, Yvonne

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This study focused on determining whether the learning preference of law enforcement officers in the Bahamas was either pedagogical (teacher-centered or andragogical (student-centered. Law enforcement personnel in a Bahamian police department were administered the Student Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ developed by Christian (1982. One hundred and sixty-eight individuals completed the SOQ. Chi square statistics were calculated on the variables of educational level and gender. The preferred learning orientation was primarily andragogical; those with higher education levels tended to have a higher andragogical orientation. There were no differences by gender. As a result of the findings, a three-step approach is proposed to transition the training environment from one that is teacher-centered to one that is learner-centered

Communication Strategies in Primary Schools in Botswana: Interventions Using Cooks, Teacher Aides and Learners

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Mokibelo, Eureka B.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the micro planning activities that schools engage in to address learners' needs to make education work in rural primary schools of Botswana. The national language plan prescribes the use of English and Setswana only as languages of instruction at the primary school level. However, this plan is not practical in some regions…

Instructional Strategies to Support Creativity and Innovation in Education

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Seechaliao, Thapanee

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study focused on the instructional strategies that support creation of creative and innovative education. The sample for this study consisted of 11 experts in the field of instructional strategies that support innovation of education. Among them, five were specialists in design and development of teaching and learning, three…

Strategies for Improving Learner Metacognition in Health Professional Education

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Medina, Melissa S.; Castleberry, Ashley N.

2017-01-01

Metacognition is an essential skill in critical thinking and self-regulated, lifelong learning. It is important for learners to have skills in metacognition because they are used to monitor and regulate reasoning, comprehension, and problem-solving, which are fundamental components/outcomes of pharmacy curricula. Instructors can help learners develop metacognitive skills within the classroom and experiential setting by carefully designing learning activities within courses and the curriculum. These skills are developed through intentional questioning, modeling techniques, and reflection. This article discusses key background literature on metacognition and identifies specific methods and strategies to develop learners’ metacognitive skills in both the classroom and experiential settings. PMID:28630519

Using Dialogic Reading to Enhance Emergent Literacy Skills of Young Dual Language Learners

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Huennekens, Mary Ellen; Xu, Yaoying

2016-01-01

This study examined the effects of an early reading intervention on preschool-age dual language learners' (DLL) early literacy skills. Instruction in phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge was embedded in interactive reading strategies, also known as dialogic reading. A single subject multiple baseline across subjects design was applied to…

Teachers' perceptions of strategy training in reading instruction

OpenAIRE

Sallı, Ayşegül

2002-01-01

Ankara : The Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University, 2002. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2002. Includes bibliographical references leaves 93-97. Reading strategies are processes used by a learner to enhance reading and to overcome comprehension failures. In order to better help students overcome such difficulties, training in reading strategies is necessary. Only with the appropriate ...

Instruction via Web-Based Modules in Early Childhood Personnel Preparation: A Mixed-Methods Study of Effectiveness and Learner Perspectives

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Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Lim, Chih-Ing

2015-01-01

Effective personnel preparation is critical to the development of a high quality early childhood workforce that provides optimal care and education for young children. This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of, and learner perspectives on, instruction via web-based modules within face-to-face early childhood personnel preparation…

Identifying Instructional Strategies Used to Design Mobile Learning in a Corporate Setting

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Jackson-Butler, Uletta

2016-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative embedded multiple case study was to describe what instructional strategies corporate instructional designers were using to design mobile learning and to understand from their experiences which instructional strategies they believed enhance learning. Participants were five instructional designers who were actively…

Constructivist Instructional Practices and Teacher Beliefs Related to Secondary Science Teaching and Learning

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Nelson, Adrienne Fleurette

The purpose of this mixed method research study was to examine the constructivist beliefs and instructional practices of secondary science teachers. The research also explored situations that impacted whether or not student centered instruction occurred. The study revealed science teachers held constructive beliefs pertaining to student questioning of the learning process and student autonomy in interacting with other learners. Teachers held the least constructivist beliefs pertaining to student teacher collaboration on lesson design. Additionally, teacher beliefs and practice were not congruent due to instructional practices being deemed less constructivist than reported. The study found that curricular demands, teacher perceptions about students, inadequate laboratory resources, and the lack of teacher understanding about the components of constructivist instruction inhibited student centered instruction. The results of this study led to six recommendations that can be implemented by school districts in collaboration with science teachers to promote constructivist instruction.

Investigating the Role of Multiple Intelligences in Determining Vocabulary Learning Strategies for L2 Learners

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Sistani, Mahsa; Hashemian, Mahmood

2016-01-01

This study, first, examined whether there was any relationship between Iranian L2 learners' vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs), on the one hand, and their multiple intelligences (MI) types, on the other hand. In so doing, it explored the extent to which MI would predict L2 learners' VLSs. To these ends, 40 L2 learners from Isfahan University of…

Instructional Design of Entrepreneurship Courses: Interview Research of Wyoming BRAVO! Entrepreneurs

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Kolb, Belinda J.

2010-01-01

This qualitative study investigated the opportunity recognition process of Wyoming BRAVO! Entrepreneur (WBE) Award winners or nominees, in order to better inform the learner analysis and organizational strategy components of instructional design, specifically with respect to entrepreneurship courses. This study may be of significance to post…

Effective Teaching Strategies for Predicting Reading Growth in English Language Learners

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Melgarejo, Melina

2017-01-01

The goal of the present study was to examine how effective use of teaching strategies predict reading growth among a sample of English Language Learners. The study specifically examined whether the types of teaching strategies that predict growth in decoding skills also predict growth in comprehension skills. The sample consisted of students in…

Examination of Longitudinal Invariance on a Framework for Observing and Categorizing Instructional Strategies

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Ryoo, Ji Hoon; Tai, Robert H.; Skeeles-Worley, Angela D.

2018-02-01

In longitudinal studies, measurement invariance is required to conduct substantive comparisons over time or across groups. In this study, we examined measurement invariance on a recently developed instrument capturing student preferences for seven instructional strategies related to science learning and career interest. We have labeled these seven instructional strategies as Collaborating, Competing, Caretaking, Creating/Making, Discovering, Performing, and Teaching. A better understanding of student preferences for particular instructional strategies can help educators, researchers, and policy makers deliberately tailor programmatic instructional structure to increase student persistence in the STEM pipeline. However, simply confirming the relationship between student preferences for science instructional strategies and their future career choices at a single time point is not sufficient to clarify our understanding of the relationship between instructional strategies and student persistence in the STEM pipeline, especially since preferences for instructional strategies are understood to vary over time. As such, we sought to develop a measure that invariantly captures student preference over a period of time: the Framework for Observing and Categorizing Instructional Strategies (FOCIS). We administered the FOCIS instrument over four semesters over two middle school grades to 1009 6th graders and 1021 7th graders and confirmed the longitudinal invariance of the FOCIS measure. This confirmation of longitudinal invariance will allow researchers to examine the relationship between student preference for certain instructional strategies and student persistence in the STEM pipeline.

Working memory, strategy knowledge, and strategy instruction in children with reading disabilities.

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Swanson, H Lee; Kehler, Pam; Jerman, Olga

2010-01-01

Two experiments investigated the effects of strategy knowledge and strategy training on the working memory (WM) performance in children (ages 10-11) with and without reading disabilities (RD). Experiment 1 examined the relationship between strategy knowledge (stability of strategy choices) and WM performance as a function of initial, gain (cued), and maintenance conditions. WM performance was significantly improved for both groups under cued conditions; however, the performances of children with RD were inferior to those of children without RD across all memory conditions. Measures of WM capacity rather than strategy stability or processing efficiency best predicted reading comprehension performance. Experiment 2 assessed the effects of strategy training on WM performance by randomly assigning children to strategy instruction or control conditions. Significant improvements in WM performance occurred as a function of training conditions, but the residual WM differences between the reading groups remained. Although the results showed that stable strategy choices, cued performance, and strategy instruction significantly bolstered WM performance in children with RD, their overall WM performance, however, was constrained by capacity limitations.

Innovative Strategies for Empowering Your Students to Become Active, Responsible Learners

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Hufnagel, B.

2011-09-01

The economy continues to sputter along, and the repercussions are now hitting hard at publicly-funded colleges and universities, with enrollment increasing and funding decreasing. Funding agencies are starting to look at retention and completion rates as a way to allocate scarce dollars. Improving these rates is also one way to increase the future stream of tuition; students who can't pass introductory classes like ASTRO101 won't enroll and pay tuition for the next level, and they won't complete their degree. So what can you, a mere professor of astronomy, do? Tired of the "What do you want me to know?" questions? Provide your students with learner-centered structures to help them learn more deeply. Do your students resist active-engagement techniques and hate group work? Share empowerment strategies for helping students become active, responsible learners who can thrive in a learner-centered environment. Do you think that it's wrong for the freshman classes to be over-crowded, yet your sophomore classes don't get enough students or don't even exist? After using the proven curriculum of On Course, college and universities across the country have improved their retention across a wide range of disciplines (http://www.OnCourseWorkshop.com/Data.htm). Experience a sample of the fun and engaging activities developed over two decades to help students (1) accept personal responsibility, (2) discover self motivation, (3) master self-management, (4) use interdependence, (5) gain self-awareness, (6) adopt lifelong learning, (7) develop emotional intelligence, and (8) believe in themselves. Since this is only a one-hour workshop, we will focus on choices one and four: to be successful, students need to see themselves as the primary cause of their outcomes and experiences and to build mutually supportive relationships in our classroom and labs. Outcomes: (1) one ASTRO101 Course-ready activity to help students accept personal responsibility; (2) one ASTRO101 Course

Study of the Index System for Assessing Learner-Centered Online Courses

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Li, Mei

2015-01-01

With the development of e-learning, the quality of web-based courses attracts extensive interest. This paper draws upon the results conducted amongst students enrolled in an online language course at a northern Chinese university. The design of the course aims to create the learner-centered environment: personalized learning environment,…

Creating a Learner-Centered Teaching Environment Using Student Choice in Assignments

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Hanewicz, Cheryl; Platt, Angela; Arendt, Anne

2017-01-01

Learner-centered teaching (LCT) has been found to be a more effective pedagogy for online students, as traditional teaching methods do not work well in online courses. Professors in an upper-level technology management class revised their online introductory course to incorporate cafeteria-style grading. This LCT approach allowed students to…

Urban school leadership for elementary science education: Meeting the needs of English Language Learners

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Alarcon, Maricela H.

Science education reform and state testing accountability call upon principals to become instructional leaders in science. Specifically, elementary school principals must take an active role in science instruction to effectively improve science education for all students including English Language Learners. As such, the research questioned posed in this study centered on How are elementary school principals addressing the academic needs of Latino Spanish-speaking English language learners within science education? This study employed a qualitative research design to identify the factors contributing to the exemplary performance in science, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), for English Language Learner students in three high poverty bilingual elementary schools based on a multiple case study. As part of the data collection process, interviews were conducted with three school principals, three science academic support teachers, and two 5th grade bilingual teachers. Additionally, observations were acquired through school principal shadowing. The findings revealed four attributes necessary for effective instructional leadership in science education. First, Positive School Culture was defined as the core that linked the other three instructional leadership attributes and thus increased their effectiveness. Second, Clear Goals and Expectations were set by making science a priority and ensuring that English language learners were transitioning from Spanish to English instruction by the fifth grade. Third, Critical Resourcing involved hiring a science academic support teacher, securing a science classroom on campus, and purchasing bilingual instructional materials. Fourth, principal led and supported Collaboration in which teachers met to discuss student performance based data in addition to curriculum and instruction. These research findings are vital because by implementing these best practices of elementary school principals, educators

The efficacy of student-centered instruction in supporting science learning.

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Granger, E M; Bevis, T H; Saka, Y; Southerland, S A; Sampson, V; Tate, R L

2012-10-05

Transforming science learning through student-centered instruction that engages students in a variety of scientific practices is central to national science-teaching reform efforts. Our study employed a large-scale, randomized-cluster experimental design to compare the effects of student-centered and teacher-centered approaches on elementary school students' understanding of space-science concepts. Data included measures of student characteristics and learning and teacher characteristics and fidelity to the instructional approach. Results reveal that learning outcomes were higher for students enrolled in classrooms engaging in scientific practices through a student-centered approach; two moderators were identified. A statistical search for potential causal mechanisms for the observed outcomes uncovered two potential mediators: students' understanding of models and evidence and the self-efficacy of teachers.

Remembering Differently: Use of Memory Strategies among Net-Generation ESL Learners

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Shakarami, Alireza; Mardziah, H. Abdullah; Faiz, S. Abdullah; Tan, Bee Hoon

2011-01-01

Net-generation learners are growing up in an era when much of the learning, communication, socializing and ways of working take place through digital means. Living in this digital era may result in different ways of thinking, ways of approaching learning, strategies, and priorities. The Net-Geners therefore, need new skills and new strategies to…

Global Internet Video Classroom: A Technology Supported Learner-Centered Classroom

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Lawrence, Oliver

2010-01-01

The Global Internet Video Classroom (GIVC) Project connected Chicago Civil Rights activists of the 1960s with Cape Town Anti-Apartheid activists of the 1960s in a classroom setting where learners from Cape Town and Chicago engaged activists in conversations about their motivation, principles, and strategies. The project was launched in order to…

The Explicit Instruction of Reading Strategies: Directed Reading Thinking Activity vs. Guided Reading Strategies

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Mohammad Mehdi Yazdani

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Investigating the efficiencies and deficiencies of reading strategies is one of the noticeable issues in the related theory and research in reading comprehension instruction. This study was to examine the impact of Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA and Guided Reading (GR on reading comprehension. Sixty three Iranian students of grade one in Shahed high school in the city of Bojnourd took part in the study. They were assigned in three groups, one control and two experimental groups. The instruction lasted for ten weeks. This study utilized a pretest posttest control group in quantitative quasi- experimental design. The same reading comprehension test was administered as pre-test and post-test. The results were twofold: First, the instruction of learning strategies could foster reading comprehension skill. Second, while the explicit instruction of both strategies could improve the students' reading comprehension skill, Directed Reading Thinking Activity had a more significant positive effect than Guided Reading.

Grade-related differences in strategy use in multidigit division in two instructional settings.

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Hickendorff, Marian; Torbeyns, Joke; Verschaffel, Lieven

2017-11-23

We aimed to investigate upper elementary children's strategy use in the domain of multidigit division in two instructional settings: the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). A cross-sectional sample of 119 Dutch and 122 Flemish fourth to sixth graders solved a varied set of multidigit division problems. With latent class analysis, three distinct strategy profiles were identified: children consistently using number-based strategies, children combining the use of column-based and number-based strategies, and children combining the use of digit-based and number-based strategies. The relation between children's strategy profiles and their instructional setting (country) and grade were generally in line with instructional differences, but large individual differences remained. Furthermore, Dutch children more frequently made adaptive strategy choices and realistic solutions than their Flemish peers. These results complement and refine previous findings on children's strategy use in relation to mathematics instruction. Statement of contribution What is already known? Mathematics education reform emphasizes variety, adaptivity, and insight in arithmetic strategies. Countries have different instructional trajectories for multidigit division. Mixed results on the impact of instruction on children's strategy use in multidigit division. What does this study add? Latent class analysis identified three meaningful strategy profiles in children from grades 4-6. These strategy profiles substantially differed between children. Dutch and Flemish children's strategy use is related to their instructional trajectory. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Developmental Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Strategies for Reading Chinese Texts with and without Pop-Up Dictionary for Beginning Learners of Chinese

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Wang, Jing

2014-01-01

This study is aimed at identifying reading strategies of beginning learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) with and without a pop-up dictionary and at determining if learners retain the reading comprehension gained from using the dictionary. Beginning CFL learners at a Midwestern university answered questions about their reading strategies…

Using Technology-Nested Instructional Strategies to Enhance Student Learning

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Angela Lumpkin, PhD

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Students today expect the use of technology in their classes, rather than have to listen to less-than-engaging lectures. College students are connected electronically and incessant technology consumers. As a result, they may prefer the infusion of technologies to help them learn and enjoy the process of learning, rather than having to listen exclusively to lectures. To investigate this, the authors solicited student perceptions to assess the importance of learning through technology-nested instructional strategies. Student perceptions give direction to and affirm the benefits of instructional strategies that increase student motivation to engage more actively in their learning. Based on quantitative and qualitative responses through action research in multiple courses, students perceive their learning as more engaging and enjoyable when technology-nested instructional strategies are infused into their classes.

Self-Assessment Methods in Writing Instruction: A Conceptual Framework, Successful Practices and Essential Strategies

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Nielsen, Kristen

2014-01-01

Student writing achievement is essential to lifelong learner success, but supporting writing can be challenging for teachers. Several large-scale analyses of publications on writing have called for further study of instructional methods, as the current literature does not sufficiently address the need to support best teaching practices.…

How Instructional Strategies Impact Students' Learning, Motivation, and Learning Strategies in Introductory Geology Courses

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Perkins, D.; Budd, D. A.; Stempien, J. A.; Kraft, K.; Matheney, R. K.; McConnell, D.; Wirth, K. R.; Bykerk-Kauffman, A.

2010-12-01

The Geoscience Affective Research Network (GARNET) quantified the relationship between classroom teaching styles, student learning, and students’ motivations and attitudes for 14 different instructors at 2 community colleges, a private college, and 4 large public universities. Instruction was characterized with the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). The 0-100 scale reflects the span between traditional instructor-centered lecture and interactive, student-centered courses. Every participating instructor was observed at least twice. Student learning was measured using a 15-question concept inventory (CI) focused on geologic time and plate tectonics. Twelve questions were from the Geologic Concept Inventory of Libarkin and Anderson (2005) and 3 questions were added on relative time. Students’ affective domain was measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), 81 questions that define 15 motivation and cognitive subcategories. 1152 students completed both surveys in the 2nd and 14th weeks of their class during the 2008-2010 academic years. RTOP scores ranged from 19 to 87. Learning gains ranged from 18.6% to 47.4% with students learning significantly more from instructors with higher RTOP scores. Learning gains and RTOP positively covary (R2 = 0.67). Adjusting for questions on which students scored high prior to instruction (>90% correct), results in an even stronger relationship (R2 = 0.89). Higher RTOP scores correlate to significant declines in many aspects of student motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic goals, task value, control of learning, and effort regulation). Declines occur mainly in lower and/or middle performing students as measured by grades. The highest performing students only show declines with respect to their control of learning beliefs. Students’ self-efficacy also declines with increasing use of student-student interactions. Higher RTOP scores only exhibit positive correlations to a few aspects of

Re-thinking instructional strategies for enhancing gender equity in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Re-thinking instructional strategies for enhancing gender equity in learning ... instructional mode on the cognitive achievement of boys and girls in primary science. ... Results revealed no statistically significant difference in the achievement of ...

The Effect of Learning Strategies Instruction on the Oral Production Development of English Undergraduate Students from the Federal University of Pará: A Case Study

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Kelly C. M. Gaignoux

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims at investigating how learning strategies instruction may enhance the development of oral production. Instruments used to conduct this case study were field notes, questionnaires, interviews and class audio recordings. Seven female third level undergraduate students of the Curso de Letras of the Federal University of Pará were the subjects of this study. Since the oral production is the main concern of most foreign language learners, this investigation aims at contributing to a better understanding of this issue by suggesting that the explicit learning strategies teaching may conduct to more satisfactory outcomes. Results showed that there were changes in the learning strategies repertoire used by participants.

Applying Universal Instructional Design to Course Websites by Using Course Evaluations

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Carter, Irene; Leslie, Donald; Kwan, Denise

2012-01-01

The authors explore their use of learner-centred teaching strategies and Universal Instructional Design (UID) on course websites. UID is based on universal design, the design of products and environments intended to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008). UID applies universal design to instructional…

The Effect of Group Dynamics-Oriented Instruction on Developing Iranian EFL Learners' Speaking Ability and Willingness to Communicate

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Alikhani, Mohsen; Bagheridoust, Esmaeil

2017-01-01

The study investigated how group-dynamics instruction techniques of adaptable nature can be to the benefit of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners so as to develop and improve their willingness-to-communicate and speaking-ability in the long run. After analyzing the data via ANCOVA and EFA, the researcher selected 108 young Iranian male…

The Three Roots and Papa's Advice. A Puerto Rican Migration Story. A Learner-Centered Model Guide for Teachers.

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Herendeen, Noemi Carrera; Mitchell, Alaire; Dinos, Carmen

This document is part of a series of guides for teachers in which the Division of Bilingual Education of the New York City Board of Education presents a learner-centered model in which the learner sees himself or herself in the story. Learners are able to relive their own experiences or those of their parents or grandparents as they left their own…

Teachers' Beliefs, Perceived Practice and Actual Classroom Practice in Relation to Traditional (Teacher-Centered) and Constructivist (Learner-Centered) Teaching (Note 1)

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Kaymakamoglu, Sibel Ersel

2018-01-01

This study explored the EFL teachers' beliefs, perceived practice and actual classroom practice in relation to Traditional (teacher-centered) and Constructivist (learner-centered) teaching in Cyprus Turkish State Secondary Schools context. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews and structured observations were employed with purposively…

Scientific reasoning during adolescence: The influence of instruction in science knowledge and reasoning strategies

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Linn, M. C.; Clement, C.; Pulos, S.; Sullivan, P.

The mechanism linking instruction in scientific topics and instruction in logical reasoning strategies is not well understood. This study assesses the role of science topic instruction combined with logical reasoning strategy instruction in teaching adolescent students about blood pressure problems. Logical reasoning instruction for this study emphasizes the controlling-variables strategy. Science topic instruction emphasizes variables affecting blood pressure. Subjects receiving logical reasoning instruction link their knowledge of blood pressure variables to their knowledge of controlling variables more effectively than those receiving science topic instruction alone - their specific responses show how they attempt to integrate their understanding.Received: 15 April 1988

Corpus-Aided Business English Collocation Pedagogy: An Empirical Study in Chinese EFL Learners

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Chen, Lidan

2017-01-01

This study reports an empirical study of an explicit instruction of corpus-aided Business English collocations and verifies its effectiveness in improving learners' collocation awareness and learner autonomy, as a result of which is significant improvement of learners' collocation competence. An eight-week instruction in keywords' collocations,…

The Challenges of Listening to Academic Lectures for EAP Learners and the Impact of Metacognition on Academic Lecture Listening Comprehension

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Maryam Rahimirad

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Academic listening skill is an indispensable necessity for English for academic purposes (EAP students in English-medium universities and also critical for their future success in comprehending conference lectures. But due to the specific nature of such academic lectures, nonnative students all too often face challenges in getting a full command of this task. This study investigates the challenges of listening to academic lectures and the impact of related metacognitive strategies on academic lecture listening comprehension on a group of Iranian learners in an EAP workshop. Fifteen academic staff who took part in two intact classes at the University of Qom, Iran, were randomly assigned to treatment (N = 8 and control (N = 7 groups. The treatment group received 16 hr of metacognitive strategy instruction based on the models proposed by Vandergrift during academic listening instruction, while the control group was just exposed to academic lectures with no explicit strategy instruction. The academic listening sections of the British International English Language Testing System (IELTS were utilized to measure the listening comprehension of both groups before and after the treatment. The results of the data analysis determined that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the listening posttest. The interviews before and after the treatment revealed details of challenges in academic lecture comprehension and also shed light on the perception of the learners regarding metacognitive strategy instruction and the frequency of main metacognitive strategies used in comprehending academic lectures.

Instructional Strategies for the Inclusive Music Classroom

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Darrow, Alice-Ann; Adamek, Mary

2018-01-01

While inclusive education is an admirable ideal, it is often difficult to implement. Successful educators have found that employing certain instructional strategies can help meet the needs of students with varying abilities. Inclusive teaching strategies refer to any number of teaching approaches that address the needs of students with a variety…

A Closer Look at Chinese EFL Learners' Test-Wiseness Strategies in Reading Test

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Haiyan, Miao; Rilong, Liu

2016-01-01

This paper reports on an investigation into the relationship of test-takers' use of test-wiseness strategies to Chinese EFL learners' reading test performance. A test-wiseness questionnaire was administered immediately after the final achievement test to probe into how learners thought while completing the reading section of the test. It was found…

Training for Content Teachers of English Language Learners: Using Experiential Learning to Improve Instruction

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Bohon, Leslie L.; McKelvey, Susan; Rhodes, Joan A.; Robnolt, Valerie J.

2017-01-01

Experiential learning theory places experience at the center of learning. Kolb's four-stage cycle of experiential learning suggests that effective learners must engage fully in each stage of the cycle--feeling, reflection, thinking, and action. This research assesses the alignment of Kolb's experiential learning cycle with the week-long Summer…

Reading Strategy Instruction and Teacher Change: Implications for Teacher Training

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Klapwijk, Nanda M.

2012-01-01

I report on teacher change in the context of a reading strategy instruction intervention. Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI) was implemented by three teachers, new to the concept, over a period of 15 weeks. Observations of these teachers showed that a multitude of factors affect the uptake of RSI as part of everyday teaching practice, and that…

Konsistensi Strategi Instruksional Pendidikan Jasmani, Olahraga dan Kesehatan (PJOK dalam Mengontrol Disiplin Peserta Didik [Instructional Strategies for Health, Sport, and Physical Education to Control Student Discipline

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Soleman Wouw

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This research examines instructional strategies for health, sport, and physical education as a means to control student discipline. The research method used is a descriptive qualitative procedure: choosing a topic, determining the focus of the inquiry, conducting a preliminary survey, doing a literature review, developing sub-categories, and developing the instrument. The results of the research are as follows: a to train and shape the attitudes of learners in learning readiness, b to train and establish cooperation between learners, c to form independent attitudes and do not give up easily, d to evaluate the process.  BAHASA INDONESIA ABSTRAK: Berdasarkan pengamatan peneliti pada kelas III B ada keunikan dari kelas ini, yakni kekompakan, kerjasama dan saling menghargai. Kekompakan ditunjukkan dengan datang ke kelas tepat waktu dan menaati peraturan serta prosedur yang ditetapkan. Hal ini dapat terjadi karena strategi instruksional dan peran pendidik dalam menciptakan lingkungan belajar yang kondusif. Oleh karena itu tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah : a Menjelaskan konsistensi strategi instruksional pendidikan jasmani, olahraga dan kesehatan dalam mengontrol disiplin peserta didik. b Menjelaskan manfaat pelaksanaan strategi instruksional pendidikan jasmani, olahraga dan kesehatan dalam mengontrol disiplin peserta didik. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif kualitatif dengan lima kali pengambilan data. Subjek penelitian adalah peserta didik kelas III yang terdiri dari 12 peserta didik. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada 21 Oktober 2015 sampai 13 November 2015. Data dikumpulkan melalui instrument penelitian, lembar angket strategi dan disiplin peserta didik, lembar observasi (ceklist strategi pembelajaran dan penerapan disiplin oleh pendidik, lembar wawancara strategi pembelajaran dan penerapan disiplin oleh pendidik dan dokumentasi strategi pembelajaran dan disiplin peserta didik. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah

The effect of learner's control of self-observation strategies on learning of front crawl.

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Marques, Priscila Garcia; Corrêa, Umberto Cesar

2016-02-01

This study investigated the effect of learner's control of self-observation strategies on motor skill learning. For this purpose, beginner and intermediate learner swimmers practised the front crawl. Seventy college students took part in this experiment. They comprised 40 novice learners, both male (n=19) and female (n=21), with an average age of 20.7 years (±0.44), and 30 intermediate learners, both male (n=17) and female (n=13), with an average age of 21.1 years (±0.86). The design involved a pretest (one day), four acquisition sessions (four days), and a retention test (one day). They were divided into three groups: (1) choice, which could choose to watch a video with their best or overall performance during practise; (2) yoked, which were paired to those of the choice group; and (3) control (did not watch any video). The measures included the performance of front crawl and self-efficacy. The results showed that: (1) beginners who chose a type of observation strategy had superior motor skill learning; (2) for intermediate learners, self-observation promoted better motor learning, regardless of the control of choices; (3) self-observation improved self-efficacy beliefs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Training in Metacognitive Strategies for Students' Vocabulary Improvement by Using Learning Journals (Entrenamiento de estrategias metacognitivas para mejorar vocabulario a través de diarios de aprendizaje)

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Itala

2015-01-01

This study examined the effects of metacognitive strategies to help beginning young learners with difficulties increasing and retaining vocabulary. This was a qualitative study in which participants first went through metacognitive strategy instruction to provide awareness of learning strategies. Following this instruction, students underwent a…

The Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction as an Instructional Tool to Teach Social Stories to Individuals Who Have Been Diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum

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Nanette Edeiken-Cooperman

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI to teach Social Stories as a method of positively affecting the social understanding and behaviors of learners who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. As the diagnosis rate for those with ASD continues to rise along with the practice of including these learners in the general education environment, there is an increasing need to identify evidence-based practices that focus on the acquisition and remediation of social-communication skills, social skills, and social competence. A variety of strategies have been developed and implemented to remediate deficits in these areas. The use of CAI is an approach that has been proven to accommodate both the needs and the visual learning styles of these learners.

Effects of Strategy Instruction in an EFL Reading Comprehension Course: A Case Study

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Sergio Lopera Medina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Strategy instruction is useful in teaching contexts. This paper examines the effects of strategy instruction in an EFL reading comprehension course carried out with 26 undergraduate students at a Colombian university. As a research method, a case study was implemented. There were three instruments with which to collect data: reading comprehension tests, teacher's field notes and self-reflection in class at the strategy instruction phase, and a learning perception questionnaire. Given that students improved in reading comprehension, it would seem that reading strategy instruction is indeed very useful. Also, it was noted that when students applied reading strategies, they became more self-confident and this in turn enhanced their motivation. Finally, when students applied the reading strategy approach, the use of dictionaries decreased considerably.

Using just-in-time teaching and peer instruction in a residency program's core curriculum: enhancing satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuller, Mary C; DaRosa, Debra A; Crandall, Marie L

2015-03-01

To assess use of the combined just-in-time teaching (JiTT) and peer instruction (PI) instructional strategy in a residency program's core curriculum. In 2010-2011, JiTT/PI was piloted in 31 core curriculum sessions taught by 22 faculty in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's general surgery residency program. JiTT/PI required preliminary and categorical residents (n=31) to complete Web-based study questions before weekly specialty topic sessions. Responses were examined by faculty members "just in time" to tailor session content to residents' learning needs. In the sessions, residents answered multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using clickers and engaged in PI. Participants completed surveys assessing their perceptions of JiTT/PI. Videos were coded to assess resident engagement time in JiTT/PI sessions versus prior lecture-based sessions. Responses to topic session MCQs repeated in review sessions were evaluated to study retention. More than 70% of resident survey respondents indicated that JiTT/PI aided in the learning of key points. At least 90% of faculty survey respondents reported positive perceptions of aspects of the JiTT/PI strategy. Resident engagement time for JiTT/PI sessions was significantly greater than for prior lecture-based sessions (z=-2.4, P=.016). Significantly more review session MCQ responses were correct for residents who had attended corresponding JiTT/PI sessions than for residents who had not (chi-square=13.7; df=1; P<.001). JiTT/PI increased learner participation, learner retention, and the amount of learner-centered time. JiTT/PI represents an effective approach for meaningful and active learning in core curriculum sessions.

Using the instructional congruence model to change a science teacher's practices and English language learners' attitudes and achievement in science

Science.gov (United States)

Salame, Hania Moussa

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of adapting the instructional congruence model on the English Language Learners' (ELL) attitudes and achievement in science. Changes in teacher's views and practices were documented. The mixed-method approach was adapted. Data sources were the "Attitude Towards Science" survey, VNOS-C questionnaire, Luykx and Lee (2007) observational instrument, Gee (1997) discussion categories, video recordings, and pre- and post-tests. A science teacher and a class of 24 ELL female students in a charter school participated in this research. The results of this study indicated that student achievement increased significantly and students' attitudes improved in all contexts. At the conclusion of the study, all teacher's views on NOS were reported to be informed, teacher's practices were rated higher, and different classroom interactions increased significantly. The instructional congruence model in science education has been successful in reaching different learners, improving students' attitudes and achievement in science and enhancing teacher's views and practices. This model has significant potential for meeting the challenging goals of reformed science education.

Training in Metacognitive Strategies for Students’ Vocabulary Improvement by Using Learning Journals

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Itala Diaz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effects of metacognitive strategies to help beginning young learners with difficulties increasing and retaining vocabulary. This was a qualitative study in which participants first went through metacognitive strategy instruction to provide awareness of learning strategies. Following this instruction, students underwent a set of five interventions based on the cognitive academic language learning approach instructional model. These interventions, together with journaling progress, were used to train them in the use of the metacognitive strategies planning, monitoring, and evaluating. The findings showed that metacognitive strategy training has positively contributed to vocabulary acquisition skills, as participants were able to raise consciousness about some learning strategies and the use of metacognitive strategies to increase their vocabulary learning.

Computer-based learning: games as an instructional strategy.

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Blake, J; Goodman, J

1999-01-01

Games are a creative teaching strategy that enhances learning and problem solving. Gaming strategies are being used by the authors to make learning interesting, stimulating and fun. This article focuses on the development and implementation of computer games as an instructional strategy. Positive outcomes have resulted from the use of games in the classroom.

A Learner-Centered Spiral Knowledge Approach to Teaching Isotope Geology

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Reid, M. R.

2006-12-01

Aided by the insights I gained by participation in the Arizona Board of Regents Tri-University Collaboration on Learner-Centered Practice, I made major changes to a graduate course in isotope geology (GLG617), including: 1) implementation of a spiral knowledge approach (e.g., Bruner, 1990; Dyar et al., 2004); 2) incorporation of more learner-centered in-class activities; and 3) more explicit emphasis on skills that I regarded as important for success in geochemistry. In the geosciences, the field of isotope geology is now an essential area of inquiry with implications for geologic timescales, climate information, tracing geochemical processes, and biological evolution, to name a few. The traditional approach to teaching isotope geology suffers from the fact that learning tends to be compartmentalized by technique/approach and one subfield (e.g., stable or radiogenic isotopes) is usually favored by appearing earlier in semester. To make learning more integrated, I employed a simplified spiral learning approach so that common principles could be revisited several times over the course of the semester and, in so doing, students' grasp of the fundamental principles could be scaffolded into greater understanding. Other learner-centered changes to the course included more explicit emphasis on helping students become comfortable with interpreting data displayed graphically and explicit emphasis on helping students give and evaluate oral presentations that rely on isotope data. I also developed a detailed grading rubric for the final paper and allowed students to have a draft of their final papers evaluated and graded (guided by Huba and Freed, 2000) A number of cooperative learning activities developed specifically for this course (19 in all) enabled me to gain a better appreciation for students' learning. Activities included pair share, round-robin, small group explorations of techniques and case studies (sometimes as introduction to, sometimes as review of material

Possible Effects of Strategy Instruction on L1 and L2 Reading.

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Salataci, Reyhan; Akyel, Ayse

2002-01-01

Investigates the reading strategies of Turkish English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students in Turkish and English and the possible effects of reading instruction on reading in Turkish and English. Addresses whether strategy instruction in EFL reading effects EFL reading strategies and reading comprehension in English , and whether strategy…

Cultivating Bilingual Learners' Language Arts Knowledge: A Framework for Successful Teaching

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Almaguer, Isela; Esquierdo, J. Joy

2013-01-01

It is essential to support bilingual learners' language and academic development; however, teaching second language learners English has taken precedence over teaching content area knowledge and vocabulary, specifically for language arts. The focus has shifted from content area instruction to primarily second language instruction due to an…

Online Instructors as Thinking Advisors: A Model for Online Learner Adaptation

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Benedetti, Christopher

2015-01-01

This article examines the characteristics and challenges of online instruction and presents a model for improving learner adaptation in an online classroom. Instruction in an online classroom presents many challenges, including learner individualization. Individual differences in learning styles and preferences are often not considered in the…

EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension and Awareness of Metacognitive Strategies: How Are They Related?

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Al-Alwan, Ahmed; Asassfeh, Sahail; Al-Shboul, Yousef

2013-01-01

Metacognitive strategies play an important role in many cognitive activities related to language use in oral communication. This study explored metacognitve listening strategies awareness and its relationship with listening comprehension on a convient sample of 386 tenth-grade EFL learners using two instruments: (a) Metacognition Awareness…

The Impact of Text Structure Reading Strategy Instruction in a Second Language: Benefits across Languages

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Schwartz, Ana Isabel; Mendoza, Laura; Meyer, Bonnie

2017-01-01

The goal of the present study was to examine the efficacy of learning a text structure strategy (TSS) for improving reading comprehension and recall for second language (L2) learners, as well as to test for transfer of the strategy to the native language (L1). University L2 learners of English completed a five-session course on using the TSS to…

Teacher Talk: One Teacher's Reflections during Comprehension Strategies Instruction

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Robertson, Dana A.

2013-01-01

This study examined one tutor's evolving use of particular talk moves during comprehension strategies instruction in a university-based clinical setting. Through engaging in audiotape reflection and transcript analysis with a coach, the tutor made shifts toward more explicit and purposeful strategies instruction, yet did not consistently…

Innovative Strategies for Clinical Microscopy Instruction: Virtual Versus Light Microscopy.

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McDaniel, M Jane; Russell, Gregory B; Crandall, Sonia J

2018-06-01

The purpose of the study was to compare virtual microscopy with light microscopy to determine differences in learning outcomes and learner attitudes in teaching clinical microscopy to physician assistant (PA) students. A prospective, randomized, crossover design study was conducted with a convenience sample of 67 first-year PA students randomized to 2 groups. One group used light microscopes to find microscopic structures, whereas the other group used instructor-directed video streaming of microscopic elements. At the midpoint of the study, the groups switched instructional strategies. Learning outcomes were assessed via posttest after each section of the study, with comparison of final practical examination results to previous cohorts. Attitudes about the 2 educational strategies were assessed through a postcourse questionnaire with a Likert scale. Analysis of the first posttest demonstrated that students in the video-streamed group had significantly better learning outcomes than those in the light microscopy group (P = .004; Cohen's d = 0.74). Analysis of the posttest after crossover showed no differences between the 2 groups (P = .48). Between the 2 posttests, students first assigned to the light microscopy group scored a 6.6 mean point increase (±10.4 SD; p = .0011), whereas students first assigned to the virtual microscopy group scored a 1.3 mean point increase (±7.1 SD; p = .29). The light microscopy group improved more than the virtual microscopy group (P = .019). Analysis of practical examination data revealed higher scores for the study group compared with 5 previous cohorts of first-year students (P virtual microscopy to traditional light microscopy. Virtual microscopy is an effective educational strategy, and students prefer this method when learning to interpret images of clinical specimens.

Helping struggling learners of English as an additional language succeed with interactive multisensory structured strategies

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Schneider, Elke

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Based on cross-linguistic and interdisciplinary research of several decades that bridges learning an additional language with the field of learning differences/disabilities, this article shares research-evidenced practices to effectively address the needs of struggling foreign and second language learners of English in Brazil. These multisensory structured strategies enhance pronunciation, listening, reading and writing skills and strengthen grammar and vocabulary competencies of struggling learners. The selected multisensory structured metacognitive strategies can easily be infused into existing English as a foreign/second language curricula

EMC² = comprehension: A reading strategy instruction framework for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hennie

framework for reading strategy instruction, aimed specifically at teachers. ... interaction among the reader, the strategies the reader employs, the material ... test performance of low-ability groups (Purpura, ... so & Brown, 1992), teachers draw upon a small ... ing, scaffolding and guided practice, with a recom- ...... Measuring.

A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Apology Strategies Employed by Iranian EFL Learners and English Native Speakers

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Elham Abedi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The development of speech-act theory has provided the hearers with a better understanding of what speakers intend to perform in the act of communication. One type of speech act is apologizing. When an action or utterance has resulted in an offense, the offender needs to apologize. In the present study, an attempt was made to compare the apology strategies employed by Iranian EFL learners and those of English native speakers in order to find out the possible differences and similarities. To this end, a discourse completion test (DCT was given to 100 male and female Iranian EFL learners and English native speakers. The respondents were supposed to complete the DCTs based on nine situations, which varied in terms of power between the interlocutors and level of imposition. This study employed Cohen and Olshtain's (1981 model to classify various types of apology strategies. The obtained results revealed some similarities along with some (statistically insignificant differences between EFL learners and American English speakers in terms of their use of apology strategies. Furthermore, it was found that the illocutionary force indicating devices (IFIDs, such as request for forgiveness and an offer of apology were the strategies mostly employed by the Iranian EFL learners while taking on responsibility such as explicit self-blame, and expression of self-deficiency were found to be the strategies mostly used by English native speakers. In terms of gender, the male and female respondents more or less used the same apology strategies in response to the situations. The findings of the present research can be used by language teachers as well as sociolinguists. Keywords: Speech act theory, Speech act of apology, Apology strategies, Iranian EFL learners, English Native speakers, Gender

The Impact of a Strategies-Based Instruction on Iranian EAP Students’ Reading Strategy Use: Developing Strategic EAP Readers

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Seyyed Hossein Kashef

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Underperformance of students in EAP reading comprehension has been an issue of concern for teachers, syllabus designers, and curriculum developers in general and for EAP practitioners in particular. In spite of the fact that considerable efforts have been made to improve reading comprehension of students through strategies instruction over past decades, EAP students however have not benefited much from learning strategies. Thus, this study intended to investigate the impact of a Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI on undergraduate students’ reading strategy use in an EAP context. Taking an instructional model from strategies taxonomy of Oxford (1990; 2001, it was assumed that in contrast to conventional EAP reading methods, SBI would be more effective in encouraging reading strategy use and as a result developing reading comprehension of EAP students through encouraging the use of effective strategies and skills. To do so, 80 freshman undergraduate students were chosen as the participants of this study who were in two intact classes. After administration of a pre-test, treatment (22 sessions, 2 sessions per week, and a post-test, the collected data was analyzed using t-test to examine the effect of the proposed method of instruction. The results of the analysis showed that the teaching intervention had a significant effect on students’ reading strategy use. The findings have implications for teachers encouraging effective reading comprehension instruction through the use of strategies in EAP teaching contexts.

The use of active learning strategies in the instruction of Reactor Physics concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Michael A.

2000-01-01

Each of the Active Learning strategies employed to teach Reactor Physics material has been or promises to be instructionally successful. The Cooperative Group strategy has demonstrated a statistically significant increase in student performance on the unit exam in teaching conceptually difficult, transport and diffusion theory material. However, this result was achieved at the expense of a modest increase in class time. The Tutorial CBI programs have enabled learning equally as well as classroom lectures without the direct intervention of an instructor. Thus, the Tutorials have been successful as homework assignments, releasing classroom time for other instruction. However, the time required for development of these tools was large, on the order of two hundred hours per hour of instruction. The initial introduction of the Case-Based strategy was roughly as effective as the traditional classroom instruction. Case-Based learning could well, after important modifications, perform better than traditional instruction. A larger percentage of the students prefer active learning strategies than prefer traditional lecture presentations. Student preferences for the active strategies were particularly strong when they believed that the strategies helped them learn the material better than they would have by using a lecture format. In some cases, students also preferred the active strategies because they were different from traditional instruction, a change of pace. Some students preferred lectures to CBI instruction, primarily because the CBI did not afford them the opportunity to question the instructor during the presentation

The use of active learning strategies in the instruction of Reactor Physics concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Michael A.

2000-01-01

Each of the Active Learning strategies employed to teach Reactor Physics material has been or promises to be instructionally successful. The Cooperative Group strategy has demonstrated a statistically significant increase in student performance on the unit exam in teaching conceptually difficult, transport and diffusion theory material. However, this result was achieved at the expense of a modest increase in class time. The Tutorial CBI programs have enabled learning equally as well as classroom lectures without the direct intervention of an instructor. Thus, the Tutorials have been successful as homework assignments, releasing classroom time for other instruction. However, the time required for development of these tools was large, on the order of two hundred hours per hour of instruction. The initial introduction of the Case-Based strategy was roughly as effective as the traditional classroom instruction. Case-Based learning could well, after important modifications, perform better than traditional instruction. A larger percentage of the students prefer active learning strategies than prefer traditional lecture presentations. Student preferences for the active strategies were particularly strong when they believed that the strategies helped them learn the material better than they would have by using a lecture format. In some cases, students also preferred the active strategies because they were different from traditional instruction, a change of pace. Some students preferred lectures to CBI instruction, primarily because the CBI did not afford them the opportunity to question the instructor during the presentation.

The Pitfalls of Focusing on Instructional Strategies in Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners

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Molle, Daniella

2013-01-01

For more than a decade, the professional development literature has shown that most teachers are not adequately prepared to teach English learners (ELs)--that holds true for both specialist and mainstream teachers (see, for example, August & Hakuta, 1997; Beykont, 2002). Research that focuses on professional development for teachers of ELs,…

Online Games for Young Learners' Foreign Language Learning

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Butler, Yuko Goto; Someya, Yuumi; Fukuhara, Eiji

2014-01-01

Young learners' use of instructional games in foreign language learning is not yet well understood. Using games that were part of the learning tools for an online assessment, Jido-Eiken, a standardized English proficiency test for young learners in Japan, we examined young learners' game-playing behaviours and the relationship of these behaviours…

Pilot Study on the Feasibility and Indicator Effects of Collaborative Online Projects on Science Learning for English Learners

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Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Walden, Emily

2015-01-01

The 2006 National Science Board called for new strategies and instructional materials for teachers to better serve English Learners' (EL) needs. Bilingual Collaborative Online Projects in science were created to assist ELs' construction of science knowledge, facilitate academic English acquisition, and improve science learning. Two bilingual…

Effects of traditional teaching vs a multisensory instructional package on the science achievement and attitudes of English language learners middle-school students and English-speaking middle-school students

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Crosley, Haver

This research was designed to determine the relative effectiveness of a Multi-sensory Instructional Package (MIP) (Dunn & Dunn, 1992) versus Traditional Teaching (TT) on the science achievement- and attitude-test scores of middle-school English Language Learner (ELL) and English-speaking sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade middle-school students. The dependent variables were students' science- and attitude-test scores. The independent variables were the two instructional strategies, ELL and English-speaking (Non-ELL) status, and three grade levels. The sample consisted of 282 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade ELL and Non-ELL middle-school students. Learning Styles: The Clue to You! (LS: CY) (Burke & Dunn, 1998) was administered to determine learning-style preferences. The control groups were taught sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade science lessons traditionally and the experimental groups were instructed on the same units using MIPs. The Semantic Differential Scale (SDS) (Pizzo, 1981) was administered to reveal attitudinal differences. All three groups experienced both traditional and multi-sensory instruction in all three sub-units. The data subjected to statistical analyses supported the use of an MIP rather than a traditional approach for teaching science content to both ELLs and English-speaking middle-school students. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a positive and significant impact on achievement scores. Furthermore, the students indicated significantly more positive attitudes when instructed with an MIP approach.

Design, Implementation and Analysis of Learner-Centered Guided In-Service Programme for Technical Teacher Education

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Tiia Rüütmann

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The design of learner-centered guided in-service program for technical teacher education has been launched at Estonian Centre for Engineering Pedagogy at Tallinn University of Technology. The aim of the program has been facilitating the initial in-service teaching experience, involving mentoring, peer support and cognitive apprenticeship. The emphasis has been on teaching for knowledge application, including the choice of content and processes, motivation, reflection, problem-solving, choice of educational technology, effective teaching methods, teaching models and strategies ཿ concepts, tools and procedures of the field of engineering, organized in ways enabling teachers to formulate real world problems, apply and solve them. The program has been implemented since 2012 and covers IGIP curriculum requirements. In the present article the designed program is described and analyzed.

Using Relational Reasoning Strategies to Help Improve Clinical Reasoning Practice.

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Dumas, Denis; Torre, Dario M; Durning, Steven J

2018-05-01

Clinical reasoning-the steps up to and including establishing a diagnosis and/or therapy-is a fundamentally important mental process for physicians. Unfortunately, mounting evidence suggests that errors in clinical reasoning lead to substantial problems for medical professionals and patients alike, including suboptimal care, malpractice claims, and rising health care costs. For this reason, cognitive strategies by which clinical reasoning may be improved-and that many expert clinicians are already using-are highly relevant for all medical professionals, educators, and learners.In this Perspective, the authors introduce one group of cognitive strategies-termed relational reasoning strategies-that have been empirically shown, through limited educational and psychological research, to improve the accuracy of learners' reasoning both within and outside of the medical disciplines. The authors contend that relational reasoning strategies may help clinicians to be metacognitive about their own clinical reasoning; such strategies may also be particularly well suited for explicitly organizing clinical reasoning instruction for learners. Because the particular curricular efforts that may improve the relational reasoning of medical students are not known at this point, the authors describe the nature of previous research on relational reasoning strategies to encourage the future design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional interventions for relational reasoning within the medical education literature. The authors also call for continued research on using relational reasoning strategies and their role in clinical practice and medical education, with the long-term goal of improving diagnostic accuracy.

Improve Student Understanding Ability Through Gamification in Instructional Media Based Explicit Instruction

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Firdausi, N.; Prabawa, H. W.; Sutarno, H.

2017-02-01

In an effort to maximize a student’s academic growth, one of the tools available to educators is the explicit instruction. Explicit instruction is marked by a series of support or scaffold, where the students will be guided through the learning process with a clear statement of purpose and a reason for learning new skills, a clear explanation and demonstration of learning targets, supported and practiced with independent feedback until mastery has been achieved. The technology development trend of todays, requires an adjustment in the development of learning object that supports the achievement of explicit instruction targets. This is where the gamification position is. In the role as a pedagogical strategy, the use of gamification preformance study class is still relatively new. Gamification not only use the game elements and game design techniques in non-game contexts, but also to empower and engage learners with the ability of motivation on learning approach and maintains a relaxed atmosphere. With using Reseach and Development methods, this paper presents the integration of technology (which in this case using the concept of gamification) in explicit instruction settings and the impact on the improvement of students’ understanding.

Compensation Still Matters: Language Learning Strategies in Third Millennium ESL Learners

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Shakarami, Alireza; Hajhashemi, Karim; Caltabiano, Nerina J.

2017-01-01

Digital media play enormous roles in much of the learning, communication, socializing, and ways of working for "Net-Generation" learners who are growing up in a wired world. Living in this digital era may require different ways of communicating, thinking, approaching learning, prioritizing strategies, interpersonally communicating, and…

Biotechnology Education: A Multiple Instructional Strategies Approach.

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Dunham, Trey; Wells, John; White, Karissa

2002-01-01

Provides a rationale for inclusion of biotechnology in technology education. Describes an instructional strategy that uses behaviorist, cognitive, and constructivist learning theories in two activities involving photobioreactors and bovine somatotropin (growth hormone). (Contains 39 references.) (SK)

Drawing upon Lessons Learned: Effective Curriculum and Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Gifted Learners

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Swanson, Julie Dingle

2016-01-01

Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program has provided a wealth of knowledge on culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) gifted learners and how to support teachers in their work with CLD students. This study examined five impactful Javits projects through qualitative inquiry centered on how innovative practice takes root or not. Using…

Listening Strategies of L2 Learners with Varied Test Tasks

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Chang, Anna Ching-Shyang

2008-01-01

This article investigates the strategies that EFL students used and how they adjusted these strategies in response to various listening test tasks. The test tasks involved four forms of listening support: previewing questions, repeated input, background information preparation, and vocabulary instruction. Twenty-two participants were enlisted and…

The Effect of Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction on Mastering the Speech Act of Thanking among Iranian Male and Female EFL Learners

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Ghaedrahmat, Mahdi; Alavi Nia, Parviz; Biria, Reza

2016-01-01

This pragmatic study investigated the speech act of thanking as used by non-native speakers of English. The study was an attempt to find whether the pragmatic awareness of Iranian EFL learners could be improved through explicit instruction of the structure of the speech act of "Thanking". In fact, this study aimed to find out if there…

Practicing Learner-Centered Teaching: Pedagogical Design and Assessment of a Second Life Project

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Schiller, Shu Z.

2009-01-01

Guided by the principles of learner-centered teaching methodology, a Second Life project is designed to engage students in active learning of virtual commerce through hands-on experiences and teamwork in a virtual environment. More importantly, an assessment framework is proposed to evaluate the learning objectives and learning process of the…

Processing Instruction: A review of issues

OpenAIRE

Muhlisin Rasuki

2017-01-01

This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI). This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2) learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help learners develop grammatical competence in a target language in ways that foster their comprehension and production skills. The paper starts with outlining...

Development and evaluation of a learner-centered training course on communication skills for baccalaureate nursing students.

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Lau, Ying; Wang, Wenru

2013-12-01

There is no standardized or formal communication skills training in the current nursing curriculum in Macao, China. To develop and evaluate a learner-centered communication skills training course. Both qualitative and quantitative designs were used in two separate stages. A randomized sample and a convenience sample were taken from students on a four-year bachelor's degree program at a public institute in Macao. Stage I consisted of developing a learner-centered communication skills training course using four focus groups (n=32). Stage II evaluated the training's efficacy by comparing communication skills, clinical interaction, interpersonal dysfunction, and social problem-solving abilities using a quasi-experimental longitudinal pre-post design among 62 nursing students. A course evaluation form was also used. Content analysis was used to evaluate the essential themes in order to develop the specific content and teaching strategies of the course. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed significant improvement in all post-training scores for communication ability, content of communication, and handling of communication barriers. According to the mean scores of the course evaluation form, students were generally very satisfied with the course: 6.11 to 6.74 on a scale of 1 to 7. This study showed that the course was effective in improving communication skills, especially in terms of the content and the handling of communication barriers. The course filled an important gap in the training needs of nursing students in Macao. The importance of these findings and their implications for nursing education are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Video Self-Modeling for English Language Learners

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Boisvert, Précille; Rao, Kavita

2015-01-01

Teachers of English language learners (ELLs), expected to address grade-level standards and prepare ELLs for standardized assessments, have the difficult task of designing instruction that meets the range of needs in their classrooms. When these learners have experienced limited or interrupted education, the challenges intensify. Whereas…

Recoding Strategies of German Learners of English as a Foreign Language

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Treutlein, Anke; Schöler, Hermann; Landerl, Karin

2017-01-01

This study investigated whether German learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) acquire additional recoding strategies that they do not need for recoding in the consistent German orthography. Based on the psycholinguistic grain size theory (Ziegler & Goswami, 2005) we expected students with little experience in EFL to use the same…

The Effect of Higher Order Thinking Skill Instruction on EFL Reading Ability

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Nava Nourdad

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This quantitative and quasi-experimental study dealt with the effect of the teaching higher order thinking (HOT on the reading comprehension ability of foreign language learners. Since reading ability plays a crucial role in learners’ education, it is language teachers’ mission to be aware of the useful and beneficial strategies to improve their students’ reading comprehension ability. Considering the fruitful results of applying HOT skills in education, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of their instruction on students’ reading comprehension ability. To achieve the objectives of the study, a group of 236 male and female university students majoring in various fields but all taking General English course was selected by convenience sampling. They were randomly assigned into two groups of control and experimental. PET test was applied to homogenize the participants of the two study groups. The study followed pre-test, treatment, post-test design. While the experimental group followed a nine-session treatment on strategies of HOT, the control group was instructed through conventional method determined by the course book. The results of independent samples t-test revealed the positive effect of teaching HOT skills on improving reading comprehension ability of adult EFL learners. Pedagogical implications of these findings for language learners, language teachers, course book developers, and educational policy makers are discussed.

The Translation of Teachers' Understanding of Gifted Students Into Instructional Strategies for Teaching Science

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Park, Soonhye; Steve Oliver, J.

2009-08-01

This study examined how instructional challenges presented by gifted students shaped teachers’ instructional strategies. This study is a qualitative research grounded in a social constructivist framework. The participants were three high school science teachers who were teaching identified gifted students in both heterogeneously- and homogeneously-grouped classrooms. Major data sources are classroom observations and interviews. Data analysis indicated that these science teachers developed content-specific teaching strategies based on their understanding of gifted students, including: (a) instructional differentiation, e.g., thematic units, (b) variety in instructional mode and/or students’ products, (c) student grouping strategies and peer tutoring, (d) individualized support, (e) strategies to manage challenging questions, (f) strategies to deal with the perfectionism, and (g) psychologically safe classroom environments.

Developing the master learner: applying learning theory to the learner, the teacher, and the learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Daniel J; Englander, Robert; Carraccio, Carol

2013-11-01

As a result of the paradigm shift to a competency-based framework, both self-directed lifelong learning and learner-centeredness have become essential tenets of medical education. In the competency-based framework, learners drive their own educational process, and both learners and teachers share the responsibility for the path and content of learning. This learner-centered emphasis requires each physician to develop and maintain lifelong learning skills, which the authors propose culminate in becoming a "master leaner." To better understand the development of these skills and the attainment of that goal, the authors explore how learning theories inform the development of master learners and how to translate these theories into practical strategies for the learner, the teacher, and the learning environment so as to optimize this development.The authors begin by exploring self-determination theory, which lays the groundwork for understanding the motivation to learn. They next consider the theories of cognitive load and situated cognition, which inform the optimal context and environment for learning. Building from this foundation, the authors consider key educational theories that affect learners' abilities to serve as primary drivers of their learning, including self-directed learning (SDL); the self-assessment skills necessary for SDL; factors affecting self-assessment (self-concept, self-efficacy, illusory superiority, gap filling); and ways to mitigate the inaccuracies of self-assessment (reflection, self-monitoring, external information seeking, and self-directed assessment seeking).For each theory, they suggest practical action steps for the learner, the teacher, and the learning environment in an effort to provide a road map for developing master learners.

Impact of technology-infused interactive learning environments on college professors' instructional decisions and practices

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Kuda Malwathumullage, Chamathca Priyanwada

Recent advancements in instructional technology and interactive learning space designs have transformed how undergraduate classrooms are envisioned and conducted today. Large number of research studies have documented the impact of instructional technology and interactive learning spaces on elevated student learning gains, positive attitudes, and increased student engagement in undergraduate classrooms across nation. These research findings combined with the movement towards student-centered instructional strategies have motivated college professors to explore the unfamiliar territories of instructional technology and interactive learning spaces. Only a limited number of research studies that explored college professors' perspective on instructional technology and interactive learning space use in undergraduate classrooms exist in the education research literature. Since college professors are an essential factor in undergraduate students' academic success, investigating how college professors perceive and utilize instructional technology and interactive learning environments can provide insights into designing effective professional development programs for college professors across undergraduate institutions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate college professors' pedagogical reasoning behind incorporating different types of instructional technologies and teaching strategies to foster student learning in technology-infused interactive learning environments. Furthermore, this study explored the extent to which college professors' instructional decisions and practices are affected by teaching in an interactive learning space along with their overall perception of instructional technology and interactive learning spaces. Four college professors from a large public Midwestern university who taught undergraduate science courses in a classroom based on the 'SCALE-UP model' participated in this study. Major data sources included classroom

One Quarter of California’s Teachers for English Learners Not Fully Certified

OpenAIRE

Rumberger, Russell W.

2003-01-01

Although the passage of Proposition 227 reduced the demand for bilingual teachers, an acute shortage of teachers qualified to deliver needed instructional services to English learners remains. In 1998, prior to the passage of 227, 43 percent of the teachers providing instructional services to English learners were not fully certified to provide those services—33 percent of teachers were in training to provide English language development (ELD) or Specially Designed Academic Instruction in Eng...

The Effect of Communication Strategy Training on the Development of EFL Learners' Strategic Competence and Oral Communicative Ability.

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Rabab'ah, Ghaleb

2016-06-01

This study examines the effect of communication strategy instruction on EFL students' oral communicative ability and their strategic competence. In a 14-week English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course (English Use II) based on Communicative Language Teaching approach, 80 learners were divided into two groups. The strategy training group ([Formula: see text]) received CS training based on a training program designed for the purpose of the present research, whereas the control group ([Formula: see text]) received only the normal communicative course using Click On 3, with no explicit focus on CSs. The communication strategies targeted in the training program included circumlocution (paraphrase), appeal for help, asking for repetition, clarification request, confirmation request, self-repair, and guessing. Pre- and post-test procedures were used to find out the effect of strategy training on language proficiency and CS use. The effect of the training was assessed by three types of data collection: the participants' pre- and post-IELTS speaking test scores, transcription data from the speaking IELTS test, and 'Click On' Exit Test scores. The findings revealed that participants in the strategy training group significantly outperformed the control group in their IELTS speaking test scores. The results of the post-test transcription data also confirmed that the participants in the strategy training group used more CSs, which could be attributed to the CS training program. The findings of the present research have implications for language teachers, and syllabus designers.

Using Cognitive Load Theory to Tailor Instruction to Levels of Accounting Students' Expertise

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Blayney, Paul; Kalyuga, Slava; Sweller, John

2015-01-01

Tailoring of instructional methods to learner levels of expertise may reduce extraneous cognitive load and improve learning. Contemporary technology-based learning environments have the potential to substantially enable learner-adapted instruction. This paper investigates the effects of adaptive instruction based on using the isolated-interactive…

Reading strategy instruction and teacher change: implications for teacher training

OpenAIRE

Klapwijk, Nanda M

2012-01-01

I report on teacher change in the context of a reading strategy instruction intervention. Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI) was implemented by three teachers, new to the concept, over a period of 15 weeks. Observations of these teachers showed that a multitude of factors affect the uptake of RSI as part of everyday teaching practice, and that teachers seem to move through distinct phases in their uptake of RSI. The article focuses on teachers' reaction to RSI and highlights a number of issue...

The Measurement of Instructional Accomplishments.

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Fraley, Lawrence E.; Vargas, Ernest A.

Instructional System Technology in recent years has been characterized by an increase in individualized instruction and the modularization of the curriculum. In traditional systems the learners are forced to take blocks of instruction the size of entire courses and these are much too large. The courses can now be broken down into conceptual…

Young Learner Perspectives on Four Focus-on-Form Tasks

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Shak, Juliana; Gardner, Sheena

2008-01-01

Recent studies suggest that focus-on-form (FonF) instruction has a positive effect on the second language proficiency of young learners. However, few have looked at learner perspectives on different FonF tasks, particularly in those young learners. This study investigates children's attitudes towards four FonF task-types in three Primary 5 English…

The effect of task-based instruction on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners

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Azizeh Chalak

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Developing reading comprehension ability is an important aspect in acquisition of a language. The present study focused on improving reading comprehension ability through Task-based Instruction (TBI. TBI is a methodology that develops from a focus on classroom tasks. The participants of the study were 135 Iranian female students at different levels selected from high schools in Isfahan, Iran, through a quasi-experimental design. The participants were divided into four groups, two control groups (CGs and two experimental groups (EGs. They received a pre-test, the instruction, and a post-test. The participants in EGs were taught through TBI, whereas CGs were exposed to a traditional method. The comparison between CGs and EGs were made through paired sample t-tests. The results revealed that the students in EGs outperformed CGs. The difference between the two grades was also investigated by independent sample t-test. The results showed that students at first-grade outperformed fourth-graders. The findings suggest that using flexible and interactive tasks in English classes improves reading comprehension ability of Iranian EFL learners. This study may have pedagogical implications for practitioners in the field and for syllabus designers to include appropriate tasks in English textbooks.

Orchestrating Semiotic Resources in Explicit Strategy Instruction

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Shanahan, Lynn E.; Flury-Kashmanian, Caroline

2014-01-01

Research and pedagogical information provided to teachers on implementing explicit strategy instruction has primarily focused on teachers' speech, with limited attention to other modes of communication, such as gesture and artefacts. This interpretive case study investigates two teachers' use of different semiotic resources when introducing…

Intelligence moderates the benefits of strategy instructions on memory performance: an adult-lifespan examination.

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Frankenmolen, Nikita L; Altgassen, Mareike; Kessels, Renée; de Waal, Marleen M; Hindriksen, Julie-Anne; Verhoeven, Barbara; Fasotti, Luciano; Scheres, Anouk; Kessels, Roy P C; Oosterman, Joukje M

2017-01-01

Whether older adults can compensate for their associative memory deficit by using memory strategies efficiently might depend on their general cognitive abilities. This study examined the moderating role of an IQ estimate on the beneficial effects of strategy instructions. A total of 142 participants (aged 18-85 years) received either intentional learning or strategy ("sentence generation") instructions during encoding of word pairs. Whereas young adults with a lower IQ benefited from strategy instructions, those with a higher IQ did not, presumably because they already use strategies spontaneously. Older adults showed the opposite effect: following strategy instructions, older adults with a higher IQ showed a strong increase in memory performance (approximately achieving the level of younger adults), whereas older adults with a lower IQ did not, suggesting that they have difficulties implementing the provided strategies. These results highlight the importance of the role of IQ in compensating for the aging-related memory decline.

Promoting Conditional Use of Communication Skills for Learners With Complex Communication Needs: A Tutorial.

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Simacek, Jessica; Reichle, Joe; Byiers, Breanne J; Parker-McGowan, Quannah; Dimian, Adele F; Elmquist, Marianne

2018-05-03

Conditional use of communication skills refers to the ability of a learner to appropriately generalize and discriminate when, where, and how to communicate based on constant variation and shifts in environmental cues. We describe discrimination and generalization challenges encountered by learners with complex communication needs and ways in which these challenges are fostered through traditional communication intervention programming. We address arrangements in instruction that maximize the probability of learners acquiring the conditional use of new vocabulary and the modest instructional technology implemented when planning for generalization. We propose establishing well-discriminated and generalized use of new vocabulary items through the application of a general case instruction framework to communication intervention programming. We provide intervention methodology, including intervention steps for general case instruction, a plethora of functional examples, and graphic displays to assess and intervene to promote conditional use of communication skills for learners with complex communication needs.

Reading Strategies and Reading Diaries for Autonomous Learning in a Turkish Context

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Course, Simla

2017-01-01

This paper reports the findings of an action research that was conducted over the course of two years. The research investigated the role of using reading diaries and strategy instruction with English Language Teaching trainees to foster greater learner autonomy and looked into the language learning strategies used by these students. The findings…

Strategies and Errors in Translating Tourism Brochures: the case of EFL Learners

OpenAIRE

ZAHİRİ, Tahereh; SADEGHİ, Bahador; MALEKİ, Ataollah

2015-01-01

Abstract. Tourism English is a highly specialized discourse with its defining characteristics. In this study, the translation of travel brochures by Iranian EFL learners were studied. The study was carried out to reveal the nature of errors and strategies in Persian translations of English tourism brochures. The errors and strategies in translating travel brochures are under-researched in the tourism literature and similarly there is little discussion of tourism material in translation resear...

The Reading Comprehension Strategies of Second Language Learners: A Spanish-English Study

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Acosta Caballero, Karen Anelice

2012-01-01

Reading comprehension of school-aged students is an important topic of research; however, research on the reading comprehension of adult foreign/second language learners whose first language is English is limited, especially studies investigating the reading comprehension strategies that readers of different proficiency levels use when they…

In Respect to the Cognitive Load Theory: Adjusting Instructional Guidance with Student Expertise.

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Schilling, Jim

2017-01-01

The amount of guidance supplied by educators to students in allied health programs is a factor in student learning. According to the cognitive load theory of learning, without adequate instructional support, novice learners will be overwhelmed and unable to store information, while unnecessary guidance supplied to advanced students will cause extraneous cognitive load on the working memory system. Adjusting instructional guidance for students according to their level of expertise to minimize extraneous cognitive load and optimize working memory storage capacity will enhance learning effectiveness. Novice students presented with complex subject matter require significant guidance during the initial stages, using strategies such as worked examples. As students comprehend information, instructional guidance needs to gradually fade to avoid elevated extraneous cognitive load from the expertise reversal effect. An instructional strategy that utilizes a systemic (fixed) or adjustable (adaptive) tapering of guidance to students in allied health programs depending on their expertise will optimize learning capability.

Teachers' Attitude towards Implementation of Learner-Centered Methodology in Science Education in Kenya

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Ndirangu, Caroline

2017-01-01

This study aims to evaluate teachers' attitude towards implementation of learner-centered methodology in science education in Kenya. The study used a survey design methodology, adopting the purposive, stratified random and simple random sampling procedures and hypothesised that there was no significant relationship between the head teachers'…

COGNITIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES OF NON-ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS ON NOUN STRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shierly Novalita Yappy

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Learning English for non-English department students is not as easy as it seems. Besides, as much as it is necessary to know how successful learners learn, not less important is to know how less successful learners learn. Using think aloud method, this study aims at finding out the cognitive strategies used by the engineering department students in answering incorrectly problems on TOEFL noun structure-the grammar point in which students made the most errors. Findings uncover the students' strategies and reasoning upon which pedagogical implications can be put forth so that more effective and fruitful instruction can be tailored.

Effects of direct instruction and strategy modeling on upper-primary students' writing development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

López, P.; Torrance, M.; Rijlaarsdam, G.; Fidalgo, R.

Strategy-focused instruction is one of the most effective approaches to improve writing skills. It aims to teach developing writers strategies that give them executive control over their writing processes. Programs under this kind of instruction tend to have multiple components that include direct

The Reading Turn-Around: A Five Part Framework for Differentiated Instruction. Practitioners Bookshelf, Language & Literacy Series

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Jones, Stephanie; Clarke, Lane; Enriquez, Grace

2009-01-01

This book demonstrates a five-part framework for teachers, reading specialists, and literacy coaches who want to help their least engaged students become powerful readers. Merging theory and practice, the guide offers successful strategies to reach your "struggling" learners. The authors show how you can "turn-around" your instructional practice,…

Extending Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Racially, Linguistically, and Ability Diverse Learners

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Thorius, Kathleen A. King; Santamaría Graff, Cristina

2018-01-01

This article discusses a research-based reading intervention called peer-assisted learning strategies in reading (PALS) and includes practical suggestions for educators concerned with literacy as a tool to reposition and empower students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities in schools and society. Following a rationale…

Effects of Locus of Control and Learner-Control on Web-Based Language Learning

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Chang, Mei-Mei; Ho, Chiung-Mei

2009-01-01

The study explored the effects of students' locus of control and types of control over instruction on their self-efficacy and performance in a web-based language learning environment. A web-based interactive instructional program focusing on the comprehension of news articles for English language learners was developed in two versions: learner-…

Identifying Strategies that Facilitate EFL Learners' Oral Communication: A Classroom Study Using Multiple Data Collection Procedures

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Nakatani, Yasuo

2010-01-01

This article considers whether the use of specific communication strategies can improve learners' English proficiency in communicative tasks. Japanese college students (n= 62) participated in a 12-week course of English lessons using a communicative approach with strategy training. To investigate the influence of specific strategy use, their…

Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning

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Saxena, Mamta

2010-01-01

The digital shift to technology-mediated modes of instructional delivery and the increased global connectivity has led to the rise in globalized e-learning programs. Educational institutions face multiple challenges as they seek to design effective, engaging and culturally competent instruction for an increasingly diverse learner population. The…

English Language Learners' Strategies for Reading Computer-Based Texts at Home and in School

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Park, Ho-Ryong; Kim, Deoksoon

2016-01-01

This study investigated four elementary-level English language learners' (ELLs') use of strategies for reading computer-based texts at home and in school. The ELLs in this study were in the fourth and fifth grades in a public elementary school. We identify the ELLs' strategies for reading computer-based texts in home and school environments. We…

Constructing Proxy Variables to Measure Adult Learners' Time Management Strategies in LMS

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Jo, Il-Hyun; Kim, Dongho; Yoon, Meehyun

2015-01-01

This study describes the process of constructing proxy variables from recorded log data within a Learning Management System (LMS), which represents adult learners' time management strategies in an online course. Based on previous research, three variables of total login time, login frequency, and regularity of login interval were selected as…

Framework for Instructional Technology: Methods of Implementing Adaptive Training and Education

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

whether instructional environment actually has the time and resources to implement an adaptive strategy. For this reason, in this paper we...referred to as fading. Just as a person healing from a broken leg may go from crutches to a cane to no assistance, ultimately, the learner should be...Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.fossati.us/ papers /ilist-phdthesis.pdf Graesser, A. C., Jeon, M. & Dufty, D. (2008). Agent technologies designed

A Comparison of Interactive Multimedia Instruction Designs Addressing Soldiers Learning Needs

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

animations, and if learners need such cues to support their learning (de Koning et al., 2009). If cues are overused, learners’ attention can be divided...J. P., Paas, F. (2009). Towards a framework for attention cueing in instructional animations: Guidelines for research and design. Educational...information (i.e., contextual content) than familiarization. This design strategy was selected on the basis of discussion with MCoE DOTD, who expressed a

Influence of learning style on instructional multimedia effects on graduate student cognitive and psychomotor performance.

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Smith, A Russell; Cavanaugh, Catherine; Jones, Joyce; Venn, John; Wilson, William

2006-01-01

Learning outcomes may improve in graduate healthcare students when attention is given to individual learning styles. Interactive multimedia is one tool shown to increase success in meeting the needs of diverse learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learning style and type of instruction on physical therapy students' cognitive and psychomotor performance. Participants were obtained by a sample of convenience with students recruited from two physical therapy programs. Twenty-seven students volunteered to participate from Program 1. Twenty-three students volunteered to participate from Program 2. Gregorc learning styles were identified through completion of the Gregorc Style Delineator. Students were randomly assigned to one of two instructional strategies: 1) instructional CD or 2) live demonstration. Differences in cognitive or psychomotor performance following instructional multimedia based on learning style were not demonstrated in this study. Written examination scores improved with both instructional strategies demonstrating no differences between the strategies. Practical examination ankle scores were significantly higher in participants receiving CD instruction than in participants receiving live presentation. Learning style did not significantly affect this improvement. Program 2 performed significantly better on written knee and practical knee and ankle examinations. Learning style had no significant effect on student performance following instruction in clinical skills via interactive multimedia. Future research may include additional measurement instruments assessing other models of learning styles and possible interaction of learning style and instructional strategy on students over longer periods of time, such as a semester or an entire curriculum.

Classroom Preschool Science Learning: The Learner, Instructional Tools, and Peer-Learning Assignments

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Reuter, Jamie M.

The recent decades have seen an increased focus on improving early science education. Goals include helping young children learn about pertinent concepts in science, and fostering early scientific reasoning and inquiry skills (e.g., NRC 2007, 2012, 2015). However, there is still much to learn about what constitutes appropriate frameworks that blend science education with developmentally appropriate learning environments. An important goal for the construction of early science is a better understanding of appropriate learning experiences and expectations for preschool children. This dissertation examines some of these concerns by focusing on three dimensions of science learning in the preschool classroom: (1) the learner; (2) instructional tools and pedagogy; and (3) the social context of learning with peers. In terms of the learner, the dissertation examines some dimensions of preschool children's scientific reasoning skills in the context of potentially relevant, developing general reasoning abilities. As young children undergo rapid cognitive changes during the preschool years, it is important to explore how these may influence scientific thinking. Two features of cognitive functioning have been carefully studied: (1) the demonstration of an epistemic awareness through an emerging theory of mind, and (2) the rapid improvement in executive functioning capacity. Both continue to develop through childhood and adolescence, but changes in early childhood are especially striking and have been neglected as regards their potential role in scientific thinking. The question is whether such skills relate to young children's capacity for scientific thinking. Another goal was to determine whether simple physics diagrams serve as effective instructional tools in supporting preschool children's scientific thinking. Specifically, in activities involving predicting and checking in scientific contexts, the question is whether such diagrams facilitate children's ability to

Task Complexity and Modality: Exploring Learners' Experience from the Perspective of Flow

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Cho, Minyoung

2018-01-01

Despite an increased awareness of language learner performance in task-based instruction, little is known about how learners perceive and respond to different task factors. This study investigates the effects of task complexity and modality on (a) learners' perception of task difficulty, skill, and its balance, and on (b) learners' task…

Learning to Express Gratitude in Mandarin Chinese through Web-Based Instruction

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Yang, Li

2016-01-01

This study explored the effectiveness of a self-access website as a tool to teach expressions of gratitude to learners of Mandarin Chinese. The web-based instruction included explicit instruction on how to express gratitude appropriately in Mandarin and various consciousness-raising exercises/activities. Two groups of learners who differed in…

Applying Instructional Design Strategies and Behavior Theory to Household Disaster Preparedness Training.

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Thomas, Tracy N; Sobelson, Robyn K; Wigington, Corinne J; Davis, Alyson L; Harp, Victoria H; Leander-Griffith, Michelle; Cioffi, Joan P

Interventions and media campaigns promoting household disaster preparedness have produced mixed results in affecting behaviors. In large part, this is due to the limited application of instructional design strategies and behavior theory, such as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). This study describes the development and evaluation of Ready CDC, an intervention designed to increase household disaster preparedness among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workforce. (1) Describe the instructional design strategies employed in the development of Ready CDC and (2) evaluate the intervention's impact on behavior change and factors influencing stage progression for household disaster preparedness behavior. Ready CDC was adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Ready campaign. Offered to CDC staff September 2013-November 2015, it consisted of a preassessment of preparedness attitudes and behaviors, an in-person training, behavioral reinforcement communications, and a 3-month follow-up postassessment. Ready CDC employed well-accepted design strategies, including presenting stimulus material and enhancing transfer of desired behavior. Excluding those in the TTM "maintenance" stage at baseline, this study determined 44% of 208 participants progressed at least 1 stage for developing a written disaster plan. Moreover, assessment of progression by stage found among participants in the "precontemplation" (n = 16), "contemplation" (n = 15), and "preparation" (n = 125) stages at baseline for assembling an emergency kit, 25%, 27%, and 43% moved beyond the "preparation" stage, respectively. Factors influencing stage movement included knowledge, attitudes, and community resiliency but varied depending on baseline stage of change. Employing instructional strategies and behavioral theories in preparedness interventions optimizes the potential for individuals to adopt preparedness behaviors. Study findings suggest that stage movement toward

Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships

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Beaty-O'Ferrall, Mary Ellen; Green, Alan; Hanna, Fred

2010-01-01

Teachers in middle level schools face overwhelming demands and challenges in their classrooms. They are expected to know content and pedagogy, develop engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners, and use a variety of instructional strategies that will boost student achievement while they simultaneously develop positive relationships…

Measuring Nurse Educators' Willingness to Adopt Inclusive Teaching Strategies.

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Levey, Janet A

The purpose of the study was to examine the characteristics and relationships of nurse educators' teaching practices, knowledge, support, and willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies (WillAdITS). Adopting more inclusive teaching strategies based on universal design for instruction is an innovative way for educators to reach today's diverse student body. However, the pedagogy has not diffused into nursing education. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were used for analyzing data from 311 nurse educators in prelicensure and RN to BSN programs. The model explained 44.8 percent of the variance in WillAdITS. The best indicators for this pedagogy were knowledge of universal design for instruction, social system support for inclusive teaching strategies, multiple instructional formats, and years of teaching. Knowing factors influencing the adoption of inclusive teaching strategies can inform schools of nursing of areas needing further development in the preparation of novice to experienced educators to teach diverse learners.

Communication Strategies Used by High School English Language Learners in Multilingual Classrooms

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Spromberg, Sarah

2011-01-01

In this study, twenty-five high school English language learners were observed in their classrooms in a New York City public school while they worked in small groups. All observations were video recorded or done by the researcher while in the classrooms. The videos were then transcribed. Communication strategies that the participants used were…

Instructional strategy effects on the retention and transfer of procedures of different difficulty level

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jelsma, Otto; Pieters, Julius Marie

1989-01-01

In the present study, the effects of two instructional strategies on the retention and transfer of procedures of different difficulty level were investigated. Difficulty level was manipulated by providing a different number of cues during training. The instructional strategies differed with respect

Instructional Style Meets Classroom Design.

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Novelli, Joan

1991-01-01

Nine elementary teachers explain how they design their classrooms to match and support their instructional styles. The teachers focus on whole language programs, student portfolios, science activity set-ups, technology transformation, learning center strategies, and space utilization. (SM)

Processing Instruction: A review of issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhlisin Rasuki

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI. This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2 learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help learners develop grammatical competence in a target language in ways that foster their comprehension and production skills. The paper starts with outlining main characteristics of PI which distinguish it from other types of L2 grammar instruction. Then, a large body of research attempting to investigate the relative efficacy of PI is scrutinized. The paper concludes with a number of important issues that future studies on PI need to address.

The Effects of Implicit and Explicit Instruction on the Academic Interlanguage Pragmatic Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners

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Hamid Reza Iraji

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Pragmatic competence, as one of the main components of communicative competence, ought to be given sufficient attention by the foreign language instructors and students. Recently, a surge of interest in interlanguage pragmatics (ILP has been witnessed. The studies on explicit and implicit instruction on Iranian EFL students’ production of two pragmatic aspects of apology and request have been few. Thus, the aim of this study was exploring the potentially facilitative impacts of explicit and implicit instruction on Iranian EFL students’ production of two pragmatic aspects frequently used in daily conversations, namely the speech acts of apology and request. For this purpose, forty homogenized upper-intermediate Iranian EFL learners were randomly divided into one experimental and one control group. They took part in an English-medium conversation course which lasted for eight sessions in which ILP academic situations were presented to the students of the experimental group in the explicit way, while the control group received the same instruction and materials through the implicit method. Following the treatment, the participants received the same validated academic Multiple-Choice Discourse Completion Test (MDCT of ILP. The results indicated that teaching pragmalinguistic features explicitly could improve the interlanguage pragmatic knowledge of the participants in the experimental group.

The Most Frequent Metacognitive Strategies Used in Reading Comprehension among ESP Learners

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Hooshang Khoshsima

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Reading strategies are plans for solving problems encountered during reading while learners are deeply engage with the text. So, comprehension is not a simple decoding of symbols, but a complex multidimensional process in which the leaner draws on previous schemata applying strategies consciously. In fact, metacognitive strategies are accessible versatile vehicles if the readers are aware and cognizant of their applications. This paper studied the most frequent used strategies by Iranian ESP students. Fifty six students completed 30-item questionnaire of MARSI (2002. It included three strategy categories: Problem Solving strategies (PROB, Global Reading strategies (GLOB, and Support strategies (SUP. Results indicated that students at the highest level perceived PROB strategies up to 58.93%, SUP strategies up to 32.14%, and GLOB strategies up to 30.37%. Ranking the individual strategies represented that the highest used strategies are strategy 8 (overall mean= 3.51, strategy 20 (overall mean=3.52 and strategy 11 (overall mean=3.77. Keywords: ESP, Metacognitive strategies, Problem Solving strategies, Global Reading strategies, Support strategies

Revisiting cognitive and learning styles in computer-assisted instruction: not so useful after all.

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Cook, David A

2012-06-01

In a previous systematic review, the author proposed that adaptation to learners' cognitive and learning styles (CLSs) could improve the efficiency of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). In the present article, he questions that proposition, arguing that CLSs do not make a substantive difference in CAI. To support this argument, the author performed an updated systematic literature search, pooled new findings with those from the previous review, and reinterpreted this evidence with a focus on aptitude-treatment interactions. (An aptitude-treatment interaction occurs when a student with attribute 1 learns better with instructional approach A than with approach B, whereas a student with attribute 2 learns better with instructional approach B).Of 65 analyses reported in 48 studies, only 9 analyses (14%) showed significant interactions between CLS and instructional approach. It seems that aptitude-treatment interactions with CLSs are at best infrequent and small in magnitude. There are several possible explanations for this lack of effect. First, the influence of strong instructional methods likely dominates the impact of CLSs. Second, current methods for assessing CLSs lack validity evidence and are inadequate to accurately characterize the individual learner. Third, theories are vague, and empiric evidence is virtually nonexistent to guide the planning of style-targeted instructional designs. Adaptation to learners' CLSs thus seems unlikely to enhance CAI. The author recommends that educators focus on employing strong instructional methods. Educators might also consider assessing and adapting to learners' prior knowledge or allowing learners to select among alternate instructional approaches.

Fostering EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension: Animation Film Technique

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Torabian, Asefeh; Tajadini, Massoud

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the effect of implementing animation films on developing reading comprehension texts among EFL learners of a language institute in Kerman. For this purpose, two groups of pre-intermediate EFL learners were chosen (30 participants in each group). After three months of instruction, twice a week, 2story books named the…

QoS-based experience-aware adaptation in multimedia e-learning - A learner, is a learner, is a user, is a customer

OpenAIRE

Moebs, Sabine

2011-01-01

One of the challenges for the future of technology-enhanced learning is the retention of learners. On-line learning environments should engage learners and provide an appropriate “Quality of Experience” (QoE). For more than a decade, adaptive hypermedia systems have been used to adapt content and instruction to individual knowledge, goals and preferences in an effort to engage learners. However, even if the content is highly engaging it can be very difficult to achieve good Quality ...

Some Insights into Listening Strategies of Learners of English as a Foreign Language in Vietnam

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Ngo, Nga Thi Hang

2015-01-01

This study investigated listening strategies used by students in different listening tasks and situations in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Thirty EFL students in a university in Vietnam were recruited for the study. The study aimed to explore what listening strategies EFL Vietnamese learners at university level used and why and…

Learners' Perspectives on Authenticity.

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Chavez, Monika M. Th.

A survey investigated the attitudes of second language learners about authentic texts, written and oral, used for language instruction. Respondents were 186 randomly-selected university students of German. The students were administered a 212-item questionnaire (the items are appended) that requested information concerning student demographic…

Listening Strategy Preferences in Multimedia Environment: A Study on Iranian Female Language Learners

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Fini, Lili

2016-01-01

Listening skill has been recently paid great attention comparing with the other three language skills since having communication is the first and most essential need. Language learners have been using the three different listening strategies (Cognitive, Meta-cognitive, and Socio-affective) to improve their listening skills in multimedia…

INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DESIGN (ISD: Theory and Practice in Second Life

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Nil GOKSEL CANBEK

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The considerable changes in distance learning related technologies and Web 2.0 tools direct new immersive platforms to serve on the concept of avatar-driven interactions. In this sense, the immersive learning platforms, like Second Life (SL, embrace innovative forms of network based settings for effective community interactions. SL, as an interactive learning milieu, conducts 3D interactions and active education within the context of Instructional Systems Design (ISD which makes learning experiences efficient for both the tutor and learners on the platform designed on social networking. The platform gives an appropriate service to its users to be part of an instructional application of virtual worlds in where learners become connected though online activities. Within the learning theories existing nowadays, instructional designers, who are working in 3D environment like SL, are using mainly cognitive theory and constructivist strategy of learning. According to cognitive learning theory, people learn in different ways that are individually contextual and new trends in Instructional Design (ID had to address these differences. There are number of already approbated instructional models, which are used widely in the process of creation learning courses for 3D environments. The most frequently used model is ADDIE (Assess–Design–Develop–Implement– Evaluate, and the model PIE (Plan-Integrate–Evaluate, that is relatively new and become increasingly popular as it allows easy integration of technology in the classroom-oriented (virtual or real teaching. Based on the above mentioned concerns, this paper will examine the instructional design models used to create immersive courses within SL. Further, the paper will collect ideas on the instructional tools and technologies used for designing SL courses as these new technologies used in this environment draws heavily on andragogy. The paper will also clarify the obstacles on virtual learning

Effect of differentiated instructional strategies on students' retention ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of differentiated instructional strategies on students' retention in geometry in senior secondary schools was examined. The study employed experimental research design of pretest, posttest control group. The area of this study is Abuja Municipal Area Council, the Federal Capital Territory. The target population ...

Accelerating Literacy for Diverse Learners: Classroom Strategies That Integrate Social/Emotional Engagement and Academic Achievement, K-8. Second Edition

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Herrera, Socorro G.; Kavimandan, Shabina K.; Perez, Della R.; Wessels, Stephanie

2017-01-01

Research indicates that the culturally responsive teaching strategies outlined in this book accelerate literacy, language development, and academic growth for students in grades K-8, particularly for English language learners. Completely revised and updated, this bestselling resource speaks to the social-emotional needs of learners and helps…

English Learners: Reaching the Highest Level of English Literacy.

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Garcia, Gilbert C., Ed.

This collection of papers examines the critical literacy development of English learners, focusing on English reading instruction in an immersion setting, English language development, and cultural issues pertaining to English learners in and out of the classroom. The 16 papers include the following: (1) "Reading and the Bilingual Student: Fact…

More Proficient vs. Less Proficient EFL Learners’ Perceptions of Teachers ‘Motivation Raising Strategies

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Nasrin Yousefi

2022-09-01

Full Text Available Motivation raising strategies are frequently used in English as a Foreign Language (EFL classes; nevertheless, learners’ perceptions of such strategies used by language teachers have not sufficiently been explored. Also, there are not enough studies on differences and similarities between more and less proficient EFL learners regarding this issue. To scrutinize this topic, a groups of more (No=50 and less proficient EFL learners (No=50 participated in this study by completing to a validated, researcher-made questionnaire with a five-point Likert type format. Non-parametric Mann-Whiteny U test was run in the SPSS ver. 23 to check the differences between the two groups. The results of the study verified that, regardless of each individual scale in the utilized questionnaire, overall, the more proficient ones manifested significantly less perceptions on teachers’ motivation raising strategies based on the total estimated mean ranks compared with the less proficient learners.  However, within the surveyed scales, only in the classroom atmosphere scale, the results showed that the less proficient learners were more mindful of teacher strategies for motivation raising. The findings from this study have implications for motivation raising strategy instructions for a language classroom.

Meeting the Needs of Chinese English Language Learners at Writing Centers in America: A Proposed Culturally Responsive Model

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Wang, Peizhen; Machado, Crystal

2015-01-01

This paper describes the ways in which Writing Centers (WC) currently serve English Language Learners (ELL) at American universities. The authors argue that the pedagogy offered at these centers does not always meet the needs of the Chinese ELLs who make up the largest population of ELLs at American universities. The proposed supplemental model…

The Use of Paradoxes as an Instructional Strategy.

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Rastovac, John J.; Slavsky, David B.

1986-01-01

Describes a study in which paradoxes about seasons, hemispheres, and altitude were used to teach concepts in climatology. The misconceptions commonly held about the earth-sun distance relationship were used as an instructional strategy with an experimental group, which outgained the control group on an achievement test. (TW)

Solutions to academic failure: The cognitive and cultural realities ofEnglish as the medium of instruction among black learners

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R. Gamaroff

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In South Africa, black learners who are speakers of Bantu languages have to use a second language, namely English, as the medium of instruction from Std 3 onwards. The differences between English language-culture and Bantu languages-culture(s have generated a host of problems (and pseudo-problems?, where the main problem is academic failure. Three solutions to academic failure are discussed in the light of cultural and cognitive factors in multicultural education: 1. The use of the mother tongue as the exclusive medium of instruction 2. Critical Language Study (CLS and People's English 3. The separation of high ability learners from limited ability learners in the teaching situation. It is emphasised that culture is closely connected to a symbolic system, and thus an understanding of cognitive processes in academic learning requires an understanding of culture, and vice versa. Ultimately, of primary importance in academic study are the cognitive underpinnings of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP developed in the first language. In Suid-Afrika word swart leerders wie se moedertaal een van die Afrika tale is, tans vanaf st. 3 in 'n tweede taal, naamlik Engels, onderrig. As gevolg van die verskille tussen die Engelse taalkultuur en die taalkulture van die A.frika tale het daar 'n groot aantal probleme (en pseudoprobleme? ontstaan, waarvan akademiese mislukking die belangrikste is. Drie oplossings vir hierdie akademiese mislukking word bespreek aan die hand van kulturele en kognitiewe faktore in multikulturele onderwys: 1. Die gebruik van die moedertaal as eksklusiewe medium van onderrig 2. "Critical Language Study" (CLS en "People's English" 3. Die afsonderlike hantering van hoogsbegaafde en minder begaafde leerlinge. Dit moet beklemtoon word dat kultuur nouverwant is aan 'n simbolesisteem. Gevolglik is 'n be grip van die kognitiewe prosesse betrokke by akademiese leer 'n voorvereiste vir 'n be grip van kultuur, en omgekeerd. Vera

Higher order thinking skills competencies required by outcomes-based education from learners

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MM Chabeli

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Outcomes-Based Education (OBE brought about a significant paradigm shift in the education and training of learners in South Africa. OBE requires a shift from focusing on the teacher input (instruction offerings or syllabuses expressed in terms of content, to focusing on learner outcomes. OBE is moving away from ‘transmission’ models to constructivistic, learner-centered models that put emphasis on learning as an active process (Nieburh, 1996:30. Teachers act as facilitators and mediators of learning (Norms and Standards, Government Gazette vol 415, no 20844 of 2000. Facilitators are responsible to create the environment that is conducive for learners to construct their own knowledge, skills and values through interaction (Peters, 2000. The first critical cross-field outcome accepted by the South African Qualification Framework (SAQA is that learners should be able to identify and solve problems by using critical and creative thinking skills. This paper seeks to explore some higher order thinking skills competencies required by OBE from learners such as critical thinking, reflective thinking, creative thinking, dialogic / dialectic thinking, decision making, problem solving and emotional intelligence and their implications in facilitating teaching and learning from the theoretical perspective. The philosophical underpinning of these higher order thinking skills is described to give direction to the study. It is recommended that a study focusing on the assessment of these intellectual concepts be made. The study may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods in nature (Creswell 2005.

Higher order thinking skills competencies required by outcomes-based education from learners.

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Chabeli, M M

2006-08-01

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) brought about a significant paradigm shift in the education and training of learners in South Africa. OBE requires a shift from focusing on the teacher input (instruction offerings or syllabuses expressed in terms of content), to focusing on learner outcomes. OBE is moving away from 'transmission' models to constructivistic, learner-centered models that put emphasis on learning as an active process (Nieburh, 1996:30). Teachers act as facilitators and mediators of learning (Norms and Standards, Government Gazette vol 415, no 20844 of 2000). Facilitators are responsible to create the environment that is conducive for learners to construct their own knowledge, skills and values through interaction (Peters, 2000). The first critical cross-field outcome accepted by the South African Qualification Framework (SAQA) is that learners should be able to identify and solve problems by using critical and creative thinking skills. This paper seeks to explore some higher order thinking skills competencies required by OBE from learners such as critical thinking, reflective thinking, creative thinking, dialogic / dialectic thinking, decision making, problem solving and emotional intelligence and their implications in facilitating teaching and learning from the theoretical perspective. The philosophical underpinning of these higher order thinking skills is described to give direction to the study. It is recommended that a study focusing on the assessment of these intellectual concepts be made. The study may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods in nature (Creswell 2005).

Enhancing The EFL Learners’ Speaking Skill Through Folktales Based Instruction

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Nyoman Mantra Ida Bagus

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This present research was conducted to improve the EFL learners’ speaking skill through the implementation of Folktales Based Instruction. Consequently this study was intended to explore the valuable usefulness of folktales based instruction implemented intensively in EFL classroom. The subject of the present study consisted of 30 EFL adult learners. The study was conducted in two consecutive cycles in which two learning sessions were carried out for each cycle. The t ea ching ses sions were s t rongly focused on the learners’ active engagement in various communicative classroom activities to ensure that the learners gain higher level of speaking ability. The research result showed that the learners’ speaking skill improved significantly in the second cycle compared to the first cycle. The questionnaire result also showed that the learners strongly enjoyed learning speaking through the integration of folktales based instruction.Therefore it is recommended that teachers should consider utilizing folktales based instruction in teaching speaking skill.

Variation in Second Language Learners' Strategies among Non-Native English Speakers from Three Language/Culture Backgrounds

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Ebsworth, Miriam Eisenstein; Tang, Frank Lixing; Razavi, Nikta; Aiello, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

This study explored the effects of cultural and linguistic background, L2 proficiency, and gender on language learning strategies for 263 college-level learners from Chinese, Russian, and Latino backgrounds. Data based on the SILL (Oxford, 2001) revealed that Russian students used significantly more strategies than the Chinese students in three…

Autonomous Learner Model Resource Book

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Betts, George T.; Carey, Robin J.; Kapushion, Blanche M.

2016-01-01

"Autonomous Learner Model Resource Book" includes activities and strategies to support the development of autonomous learners. More than 40 activities are included, all geared to the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development of students. Teachers may use these activities and strategies with the entire class, small groups, or…

A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy; Part I: The Effect of Interactive Instruction

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Prather, E. E.; Rudolph, A. L.; Brissenden, G.; Schlingman, W. M.

2011-09-01

We present the results of a national study on the teaching and learning of astronomy taught in general education, non-science major, introductory astronomy courses (Astro 101). Nearly 4000 students enrolled in 69 sections of Astro 101 taught at 31 institutions completed (pre- and post- instruction) the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) from Fall 2006 to Fall 2007. The classes varied in size from very small (N 4-year colleges and universities. To study how the instruction in different classrooms affected student learning, we developed and administered an Interactivity Assessment Instrument (IAI). This short survey, completed by instructors, allowed us to estimate the fraction of classroom time spent on learner- centered, active-engagement instruction such as Peer Instruction and collaborative tutorials. Pre-instruction LSCI scores were clustered around ˜25% (24 ± 2%), independent of class size and institution type; however, the gains measured varied from about (-)0.07-0.50. The distribution of gain scores indicates that differences were due to instruction in the classroom, not the type of class or institution. Interactivity Assessment Scores (IAS's) ranged from 0%-50%, showing that our IAI was able to distinguish between classes with higher and lower levels of interactivity. A comparison of class-averaged gain score to IAS showed that higher interactivity classes (IAS > 25%) were the only instructional environments capable of reaching the highest gains ( > 0.30). However, the range of gains seen for both groups of classes was quite wide, suggesting that the use of interactive learning strategies is not sufficient by itself to achieve high student gain.

Reading in L2 (English) and L1 (Persian): An Investigation into Reverse Transfer of Reading Strategies

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Talebi, Seyed Hassan

2012-01-01

This study investigates the effect of reading strategies instruction in L2 (English) on raising reading strategies awareness and use and reading ability of Iranian EFL learners in L2 (English) and L1 (Persian) as a result of transfer of reading strategies from L2 to L1. To this purpose, 120 students of intermediate and advanced English proficiency…

Effects of Reading Strategies and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge on Turkish EFL Learners' Text Inferencing Skills

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Çakir, Abdulvahit; Ünaldi, Ihsan; Arslan, Fadime Yalçin; Kiliç, Mehmet

2016-01-01

Within the framework of foreign language teaching and learning, reading strategies, depth of vocabulary knowledge and text inferencing skills have not been researched extensively. This study tries to fill this gap by analyzing the effects of reading strategies used by Turkish EFL learners and their depth of vocabulary knowledge on their text…

Strategies to improve the performance of learners in a nursing college. Part II: Issues pertaining to management, attitudes and values.

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Waterson, E; Harms, E; Qupe, L; Maritz, J; Manning, M; Makobe, K; Chabeli, M

2006-05-01

This article forms part two of a bigger study that was conducted in a nursing college to explore and describe the reasons for the poor performance of learners. Part one of the study dealt with the issues pertaining to education, while this article (part two) seeks to describe issues pertaining to management, attitudes and values that lead to the poor performance of learners in the nursing college under study. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design that was contextual in nature was employed, and three focus groups interviews were conducted. Seven tutors formed one group while other two groups were formed by fourth-year learners following a comprehensive diploma course. All participants voluntarily participated in the study. Data was analyzed using the descriptive method of open coding in accordance with Tesch's protocol (in Creswell, 1994:154-156). Trustworthiness was ensured using the following principles: credibility, conformability, transferability and dependability (Lincoln & Guba 1985:290-326). Findings were categorized into issues pertaining to management, attitudes and values that had an influence on the poor performance of learners as follows: Inadequate resources and study facilities; policies that change frequently; tutors' dissatisfaction with regard to staff development, the lack of involvement by management and lack of management support, staff shortage and maldistribution of staff members; ineffective selection process of learners; inconsistent regulations, and too many of them; policies and procedures resulting in confusion and poor discipline. Attitudes and values: Tutors' lack of motivation and interest, lack of respect by learners and no team work among tutors. Through a conceptualization process and the recommendations by participants, strategies to improve the learners' performance were described. It is recommended that these strategies be submitted to the staff development committee for implementation and future follow-up research be

Exploring Flipped Classroom Effects on Second Language Learners' Cognitive Processing

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Kim, Jeong-eun; Park, Hyunjin; Jang, Mijung; Nam, Hosung

2017-01-01

This study investigated the cognitive effects of the flipped classroom approach in a content-based instructional context by comparing second language learners' discourse in flipped vs. traditional classrooms in terms of (1) participation rate, (2) content of comments, (3) reasoning skills, and (4) interactional patterns. Learners in two intact…

Determining the Main Idea: Instructional Strategies That Work

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Lord, Kathleen M.

2015-01-01

The ability to identify the main idea through close reading of informational text is a higher-level skill students develop in elementary grades as a foundation for the acquisition of other critical skills in later grades. This article provides instructional strategies for this important skill as well as for improving reading comprehension.

Applying Learner-Centered Principles to Teaching Human Behavior in the Social Environment in a Baccalaureate Program

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Karolich, Robert; Ford, Janet

2013-01-01

Changes in the demographics of American undergraduate students must be addressed by changes in delivery of the curriculum. The learner-centered approach to education helps to recognize and integrate student diversity with class exercises and assignments designed to help students meet course learning outcomes. This article applies the American…

Keeping Current. Using BDA Strategies in the Library Media Center

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Keller, Cynthia A.

2005-01-01

This article discusses BDA strategies--reading strategies that "good readers" use before, during, and after reading. These strategies are in conjunction with free reading as well as direct reading instruction by reading specialists and/or teachers. An explanation of "Before Reading Strategies," "During Reading Strategies," and "After Reading…

Using Metacognitive Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension and Solve a Word Problem

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Tomo Djudin

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article describes briefly the theories of metacognition and the impacts of metacognitive skills on learning. The differences between cognitive strategy and metacognitive strategy were mentioned. Some strategies to improve students’ meta cognition skills in the classroom explored as well. Based on the theories, two models of metacognitive strategies instruction for deeply understanding in reading textbook and for finding a solution of words physics problem solving were developed. These models will enable students to be independent and strategic learners.

THE ELUSIVENESS OF LEARNER-CENTRED TEACHING

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Ervin Kovačević

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This research will explore teaching styles of university professors. Teaching style is an umbrella term for teaching decisions made during the entire teaching process – planning, delivery, and evaluation. Contemporary university teachers are advised to adopt the learner-centred teaching style which is assumed to produce remarkable possibilities. In the Fall Semester 2015 fifty-two respondents in different faculties of International University of Sarajevo were surveyed using The Principles of Adult Learning Scale inventory designed by Gary J. Conti. Inventory scores were calculated according to guidelines suggested by the author of the inventory. The scores revealed that majority of respondents strongly supported teacher-centred rather than learner-centred styles of instruction. Scores were analysed on gender lines and across three different faculties, namely: Arts and Social Sciences; Business and Administration; Engineering and Natural Sciences. In all five groups none of the seven teaching style indicators was found to conform with the learner-centred teaching criteria. There was no statistically significant difference between the two genders’ preference for a teaching style. And there was no statistically significant difference between teaching style preference across the three different faculties.The results of this research imply that the learner-centred style of instruction is not frequently implemented. Secondly, the results indicate that the requirements necessary for proper application of the learner-centred teaching style are not easy to meet in current written and unwritten norms. Finally, the results show that traditional teaching styles, which have been preserved in different scientific fields, still predominate in universities.

Strategies to improve the performance of learners in a nursing college. Part I: Issues pertaining to nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Waterson, E; Harms, E; Qupe, L; Maritz, J; Manning, M; Makobe, K; Chabeli, M

2006-05-01

The aim of this contextual, exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study was to describe strategies to improve the performance of learners in a nursing college. The article seeks to deal with factors relating to nursing education that contribute to the poor performance of learners and to outline related strategies to improve the situation. Three focus group interviews were conducted. One group was formed by seven tutors, and the other two groups were formed by fourth-year learners following a four-year comprehensive diploma course. All participants voluntarily took part in the study. Data was analyzed using the descriptive method of open coding by Tesch (in Creswell, 1994:154-156). Trustworthiness was ensured in accordance with Lincoln and Guba's (1985:290-326) principles of credibility, conformability, transferability and dependability. The findings were categorized into issues pertaining to nursing education as follows: curriculum overload; lack of theory and practice integration; teaching and assessment methods that do not promote critical thinking; tutors' lack of skills and experience; inadequate preparation of tutors for lectures; insufficient knowledge of tutors regarding outcomes-based education approach to teaching and learning; inadequate process of remedial teaching; discrepancies between tutors' marking; lack of clinical role-models and high expectations from the affiliated university as regards standards of nursing development programme by the staff development committee of the nursing college under study for implementation. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of the described strategies to improve the learners' performance. It is also recommended that similar studies be conducted or replicated in other nursing colleges to address the problem of poor performance of learners engaged in a four-year comprehensive diploma course.

Perceived Barriers and Strategies to Effective Online Earth and Space Science Instruction

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Pottinger, James E.

2012-01-01

With the continual growth and demand of online courses, higher education institutions are attempting to meet the needs of today's learners by modifying and developing new student centered services and programs. As a result, faculty members are being forced into teaching online, including Earth and Space science faculty. Online Earth and Space…

Teaching strategies to support isiXhosa learners who receive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

how learners acquire learning, there is still a dearth of material on descriptions of current support provided to learners within the theoretical ... schools where the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT) is English and/or Afrikaans (i.e. the learner's second or third .... Languages (IIAL) policy for public comment. This.

Scaffolded instruction: promoting biliteracy for second language learners with language/learning disabilities

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Lorri M. Johnson-Perrodin

1998-04-01

Full Text Available For culturally and linguistically diverse learners, scaffolded instruction is important for not only content learning but for second language learning. In this case study of two bilingual education teachers and their third grade students, we expand the traditional concept of scaffolded instruction (e.g., experts, tools, routines to include Krashen's notion of comprehensible input (1982 as a scaffold for acquiring a second language yielding an effective transfer of first language (L1 academic language development to second language (L2 academic language development. A variety of scaffolds were used as multiple support systems that facilitated the biliteracy learning process for the students. Peer interactions, expert/ novice groupings, and literacy tools and routines were some of the scaffolds used to facilitate biliteracy instruction. Key to transfer from L1 to L2 was the teaching the tools and routines in the students' L1 prior to biliteracy instruction. Considerations for students with language/learning disabilities (LLD were included in this case study. Results suggest that by scaffolding for L2 development using previously acquired knowledge from first language (L1 instruction, students including those with LLD efficiently transferred cognitive academic skills from L1 to L2. Educational implications are discussed. Para alumnos cultural y linguisticamente diversos, la instrucción basada en el andamiaje es importante no unicamente para el contenido del aprendizaje sino para el aprendizaje de un segundo idioma. En este estudio de caso de dos profesores bilingües y sus alumnos de tercer curso, ampliamos el tradicional concepto de instrucción mediante andamiaje (e.g.,expertos, herramientas, rutinas incluyendo la noción de Krashen de entrada comprensiba (1982 como un apoyo para adquirir un segundo lenguaje produciendo un transfer efectivo del primer idioma desarrollado academicamente (L1 al segundo (L2. Una gran variedad de andamiajes fueron

Enrolment Purposes, Instructional Activities, and Perceptions of Attitudinal Learning in a Human Trafficking MOOC

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Watson, Sunnie Lee; Kim, Woori

2016-01-01

This study examines learner enrolment purposes, perceptions on instructional activities and their relationship to learning gains in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for attitudinal change regarding human trafficking. Using an author-developed survey, learners reported their perceptions on instructional activities and learning gains within the…

Using a Study Circle Model to Improve Teacher Confidence and Proficiency in Delivering Pronunciation Instruction in the Classroom

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Echelberger, Andrea; McCurdy, Suzanne Gichrist; Parrish, Betsy

2018-01-01

Adult English language learners are hungry for pronunciation instruction that helps them to "crack the code" of speaking intelligible English (Derwing, 2003). Research indicates benefits of pronunciation instruction with adult learners, yet many teachers believe they lack the knowledge and background to make sound instructional decisions…

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies Trial Edition, Set IV.

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Throgmorton, Larry, Ed.; And Others

Eight games are included in the 24 activities in the Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) Trial Edition Set IV. There are also simulations, crafts, biological techniques, and organism investigations focusing on animal and plant life in the forest, desert, and snow. Designed for small groups of children ages 10 to 15 from schools and…

Chinese English Learners' Strategic Competence.

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Wang, Dianjian; Lai, Hongling; Leslie, Michael

2015-12-01

The present study aims to investigate Chinese English learners' ability to use communication strategies (CSs). The subjects are put in a relatively real English referential communication setting and the analyses of the research data show that Chinese English learners, when encountering problems in foreign language (FL) communication, are characterized by the frequent use of substitution, approximation, circumlocution, literal translation, exemplification, word-coinage, repetition, and the infrequent use of cultural-knowledge and paralinguistic CSs. The rare use of paralinguistic strategies is found to be typical of Chinese English learners. The high frequency of literal translation, one first language (L1)-based strategy in our study sample, suggests that FL learners' use of L1-based CSs may depend more upon the developmental stage of their target language than the typology distance between L1 and the target language. The frequency of repetition reveals one fact that the Chinese English learners lack variety and flexibility in their use of CSs. Based on these findings, it was indicated that learners' use of CSs is influenced by a variety of factors, among which the development stage of their interlanguage and their cultural background are identified as two important factors. Some implications are finally suggested for the English foreign language teaching practice in China.

Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites: 20 Instructional Strategies That Engage the Brain.

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Tate, Marcia L.

This handbook targets teachers as "growers of brain cells," encouraging them to make practical applications of findings from learning style theorists and neuroscientists. It suggests that tactile learners, spatial thinkers, and logical minds alike will become eager students as the strategies are implemented. The handbook offers 20…

The Incidental Acquisition of English Nominal Structures by a Young EFL Learner under Comprehension-based Lessons

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Muhlisin Rasuki

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper reports incidental acquisition of English nominal structures by a young EFL learner under comprehension-based lessons. The learner was exposed to a series of English sentences containing the target structures through listen-and-do activities. These activities required that the learner select different items based on the instructions given by the researcher. The exposure took place between 40 and 60 minutes in total spread over 3 days. In the fourth day, the learner was asked to give instructions (in English to the researcher to select particular items. The learner’s task performance was then transcribed and analyzed using complexity and accuracy measures. The results indicated that comprehension-based lessons were effective in facilitating incidental acquisition the target structures for the learner.

Recommendation strategies for e-learning: preliminary effects of a personal recommender system for lifelong learners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drachsler, Hendrik; Hummel, Hans; Van den Berg, Bert; Eshuis, Jannes; Berlanga, Adriana; Nadolski, Rob; Waterink, Wim; Boers, Nanda; Koper, Rob

2007-01-01

Drachsler, H., Hummel, H. G. K., Van den Berg, B., Eshuis, J., Berlanga, A. J., Nadolski, R. J., Waterink, W., Boers, N., & Koper, R. (2007). Recommendation strategies for e-learning: preliminary effects of personal recommender system for lifelong learners. Unpublished manuscript.

Learning Strategies in Alleviating English Writing Anxiety for English Language Learners (ELLs) with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

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Wu, Chia-Pei; Lin, Huey-Ju

2016-01-01

This study utilized the Oxford Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and an English writing anxiety scale to examine the relationship between learning strategies and English writing anxiety in 102 university-level English language learners (ELLs) with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in a university in Taiwan. Kruskal Wallis Test…

Classroom Management Strategies to Address the Needs of Sudanese Refugee Learners: Support Document--Methodology and Literature Review

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Burgoyne, Ursula; Hull, Oksana

2007-01-01

This document presents the methodology and literature review for the research report "Classroom Management Strategies to Address the Needs of Sudanese Refugee Learners" (ED499673), which examined the extent to which English language, literacy and numeracy teachers used classroom management strategies to meet the needs of adult Sudanese…

Quality indicators for learner-centered postgraduate medical e-learning

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de Leeuw, Robert A; Westerman, Michiel; Scheele, Fedde

2017-01-01

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify the needs and expectations of learners and educational experts in postgraduate medical e-learning, and to contribute to the current literature. Methods: We performed four focus-group discussions with e-learning end-users (learners) and

The Comparative Effect of Teaching Concept Mapping in Reading on Extrovert and Introvert EFL Learners' Self-Regulation

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Mania Nosratinia

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The present study attempted to compare the effect of teaching concept mapping in reading on extrovert and introvert English as a Foreign Language (EFL learners' Self-Regulation (SR. The participants were 60 female EFL learners at the intermediate level of English language proficiency, between 18 and 20 (Mage = 19. The Preliminary English Test was employed in order to select homogeneous participants in terms of English language proficiency level, followed by administering Eysenck's Personality Inventory (1985. The language-wise homogeneous introvert (n = 30 and extrovert (n = 30 participants were assigned randomly into two experimental groups of 30. To identify the pre-treatment and post-treatment levels of participants' SR, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (1991 was administered twice. The two groups were instructed using the same material and implementing Harris and Graham’s (1996 concept mapping instruction model. The analysis of the scores using an Independent-Samples t-Test revealed that extrovert participants exhibited a significantly higher SR level as a result of being exposed to concept mapping. The study concludes with a discussion on the obtained results and the probable reasons leading to them, followed by presenting some implications for EFL teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.

Instructional Strategies Used to Improve Students' Comfort and Skill in Addressing the Occupational Therapy Process

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Knecht-Sabres, Lisa Jean; Egan, Brad E.; Wallingford, Minetta S.; Kovic, Mark

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an intentional blending of instructional strategies in an occupational therapy (OT) entry-level master's course. The OT Adult Practice course uses case-based instructional strategies, clinical skills labs, and standardized patient experiences in a dovetailed approach across three…

Teachers' Perceptions of Curriculum Modification for Students Who Are Gifted.

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Ehlers, Kristy; Montgomery, Diane

Differentiating instruction for diverse learners means planning and implementing curriculum based on each student's level of readiness. Appropriate curriculum development for gifted and talented students involves differentiation of content, teaching and learning strategies, and student products in a student-centered environment. A study used Q…

Instructional Design-Based Research on Problem Solving Strategies

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Emre-Akdogan, Elçin; Argün, Ziya

2016-01-01

The main goal of this study is to find out the effect of the instructional design method on the enhancement of problem solving abilities of students. Teaching sessions were applied to ten students who are in 11th grade, to teach them problem solving strategies which are working backwards, finding pattern, adopting a different point of view,…

Processing Instruction: A Review of Issues

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Rasuki, Muhlisin

2017-01-01

This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI). This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2) learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help…

Using tracking software for writing instruction

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Sane M. Yagi

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Writing is a complex skill that is hard to teach. Although the written product is what is often evaluated in the context of language teaching, the process of giving thought to linguistic form is fascinating. For almost forty years, language teachers have found it more effective to help learners in the writing process than in the written product; it is there that they could find sources of writing problems. Despite all controversy evoked by post-process approaches with respect to process writing, information technology has lately offered tools that can shed new light on how writing takes place. Software that can record keyboard, mouse, and screen activities is capable of unraveling mysteries of the writing process. Technology has given teachers and learners the option of examining the writing process as it unfolds, enabling them to diagnose strategy as well as wording problems, thus empowering teachers to guide learners individually in how to think about each of their trouble spots in the context of a specific product of writing. With these advances in information technology, metacognitive awareness and strategy training begin to acquire new dimensions of meaning. Technology lays open aspects of the writing process, offering unprecedented insight into creative text production as well. This paper attempts to explain how tracking software can influence writing instruction. It briefly examines the process and post-process approaches to assess their viability, explains the concept of tracking software, proposes methodology needed for the adoption of this technology, and then discusses the pedagogical implications of these issues.

The Effect of Problem Solving Task on Critical Reading of Intermediate EFL Learners in Iranian Context

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Masoud Khalili Sabet

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The attempt in this study is to investigate the effect of teaching critical thinking through problem solving on  reading comprehension performance of EFL intermediate learners. In so doing, forty including twenty male and twenty female intermediate students studying English in an institute in Ardabil, Iran, were selected based on their scores on Preliminary English Test and assigned into control and experimental groups. Afterwards, the sample TOEFL reading comprehension pre-test was administered to both of these groups to ensure homogeneity. The learners in experimental group were taught through problem solving instruction and the learners in control group were taught through traditional method of instructing reading comprehension. After ten sessions of instruction, the same sample TOEFL reading comprehension as post-test was given to the learners to measure the possible differences between pre-test and post-test. The finding revealed teaching problem solving had statistically significant effect on EFL learners reading comprehension performance. Conclusion can be drawn to confirm that teaching critical thinking through problem solving bring better understanding of the text.

The Effect of a Course Management System (CMS)-Supported Strategy Instruction on EFL Reading Comprehension and Strategy Use

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Tsai, Yea-Ru; Talley, Paul C.

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the effect of a Moodle-supported strategy instruction on both reading comprehension and strategy use among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. Specific reading strategy training was first integrated into a Moodle system, which included reading exercises on problem identification, monitoring comprehension,…

An investigation of mathematics and science instruction in English and Spanish for English language learners

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Rodriguez-Esquivel, Marina

The contextual demands of language in content area are difficult for ELLS. Content in the native language furthers students' academic development and native language skills, while they are learning English. Content in English integrates pedagogical strategies for English acquisition with subject area instruction. The following models of curriculum content are provided in most Miami Dade County Public Schools: (a) mathematics instruction in the native language with science instruction in English or (b) science instruction in the native language with mathematics instruction in English. The purpose of this study was to investigate which model of instruction is more contextually supportive for mathematics and science achievement. A pretest and posttest, nonequivalent group design was used with 94 fifth grade ELLs who received instruction in curriculum model (a) or (b). This allowed for statistical analysis that detected a difference in the means of .5 standard deviations with a power of .80 at the .05 level of significance. Pretreatment and post-treatment assessments of mathematics, reading, and science achievement were obtained through the administration of Aprenda-Segunda Edicion and the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test. The results indicated that students receiving mathematics in English and Science in Spanish scored higher on achievement tests in both Mathematics and Science than the students who received Mathematics in Spanish and Science in English. In addition, the mean score of students on the FCAT mathematics examination was higher than their mean score on the FCAT science examination regardless of the language of instruction.

Value Innovation in Learner-Centered Design. How to Develop Valuable Learning Tools.

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Henning Breuer

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper shows how to address technological, cultural and social transformations with empirically grounded innovation. Areas in transition such as higher education and learning techniques today bring about new needs and opportunities for innovative tools and services. But how do we find these tools? The paper argues for using a strategy of (user value innovation that creatively combines ethnographic methods with strategic industry analysis. By focusing on unmet and emerging needs ethnographic research identifies learner values, needs and challenges but does not determine solutions. Blue-ocean strategy tools can identify new opportunities that alter existing offerings but give weak guidance on what will be most relevant to users. The triangulation of both is illustrated through an innovation project in higher education.

Qualitative development of eLearning environments through a learner relationship management methodology

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Fattaneh Taghiyareh

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Due to paramount importance of knowledge, life-long learning, globalization, and mobility; eLearning as an information technology application has faced rapid growth in recent years. Disseminated war for talent enforces providers of eLearning products to identify technological gaps of learning and provide personalized services for customers of this industry. As we may know, designing customer-centered environments and managing end-user relations are the most effective elements in the market gain, due to the importance of customer satisfaction. The special features of eLearning systems with respect to their centers and users make them appropriate realms for applying a Customer Relationship Management (CRM methodology. Learner Relationship Management (LRM, which is more specialized than CRM in eLearning context, plays a significant role in improving quality of services, enhancing learners’ satisfaction and retention, keeping them, and recruitment new users. LRM provides an integrated infrastructure for eLearning systems and helps them to analyse learners’ capabilities and find the best match to overcome the turbulent environment and tight competition. Also, by improving the service quality and enhancing teaching and learning flows, LRM offers personalized instructions to learners.

Use of Communication Strategies by Tourism-Oriented EFL Learners in Relation to Gender and Perceived Language Ability

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Zhao, Tao; Intaraprasert, Channarong

2013-01-01

This study was intended to explore the relationship of gender, perceived language ability with communication strategy use by tourism-oriented EFL learners studying at the universities in the Southwest China to improve and maintain their oral communication in English. The Communication Strategy Questionnaire was used for data collection, and the…

Variation in Second Language Learners' Strategies among Non-Native English Speakers from Three Language/Culture Backgrounds

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Ebsworth, Miriam Eisenstein; Tang, Frank Lixing; Razavi, Nikta; Aiello, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

This study explored the effects of cultural and linguistic background, L2 proficiency, and gender on language learning strategies for 263 college-level learners from Chinese, Russian, and Latino backgrounds. Data based on the SILL (Oxford, 2001) revealed that Russian students used significantly more strategies than the Chinese students in three…

Effects of multiple intelligences instruction strategy on students achievement levels and attitudes towards English Lesson

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Gokhan Bas

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research was to investigate the effects of multiple intelligences instruction strategy and traditional instructionalenvironment on students’ achievement and their attitude towards English lesson. The research was carried out in 2009 – 2010education-instruction year in Karatli Sehit Sahin Yilmaz Elementary School, Nigde, Turkey. Totally 60 students in two differentclasses in the 4th grade of this school participated in the study. In this study, an experimental method with a control group hasbeen used in order to find out the difference between the students who were taught by multiple intelligences instructionstrategy in the experiment group and the students who were taught by traditional instructional methods in the control group.The results of the research showed a significant difference between the attitude scores of the experiment group and thecontrol group. It was also found out that the multiple intelligences instruction strategy activities were more effective in thepositive development of the students’ attitudes. At the end of the research, it is revealed that the students who are educatedby multiple intelligences instruction strategy are more successful and have a higher motivation level than the students who areeducated by the traditional instructional methods.

Use and Impact of English-Language Learner Assessment in Arizona

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Lawton, Stephen B.

2009-01-01

The Arizona English-Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) is the backbone of Arizona's new English-language learner (ELL) policy in that it is used to assess students' English-language proficiency in order to place them into groups for English-language instruction and to determine when they have become proficient in English. This paper evaluates a…

Washback to the Learner: Learner and Teacher Perspectives on IELTS Preparation Course Expectations and Outcomes

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Green, Anthony

2006-01-01

The washback effect of tests on teaching has attracted considerable attention over recent years, but the critical question of how this translates into washback on learning remains under-explored. To address this issue, questionnaires relating to academic writing instruction were distributed to 108 learners from mainland China preparing for…

Learning from Errors in Dual Vocational Education: Video-Enhanced Instructional Strategies

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Cattaneo, Alberto A. P.; Boldrini, Elena

2017-01-01

Purpose: Starting from the identification of some theoretically driven instructional principles, this paper presents a set of empirical cases based on strategies to learn from errors. The purpose of this paper is to provide first evidence about the feasibility and the effectiveness for learning of video-enhanced error-based strategies in…

An evaluation of instructional strategies used in hiv/aids preventive ...

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AIDS instructional strategies on JSS and SSS Students' knowledge, attitude and intentions about future sexual behaviour. Construct validity of the 12-item attitude scale was tested using factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was utilised to determine ...

Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning: A Case Study

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Saxena, Mamta

2011-01-01

The shift to technology-mediated modes of instructional delivery and increased global connectivity has led to the rise in globalized e-learning programs. Educational institutions face multiple challenges as they seek to design effective, engaging, and culturally competent instruction for an increasingly diverse learner population. The purpose of…

Effects of Direct and Indirect Instructional Strategies on Students ...

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This is a quasi experimental research designed to determine the effects of Direct and Indirect instructional strategies on Mathematics achievement among junior secondary school students. The population consisted of students in a Public Secondary School in Owerri, Imo State. A sample of 102 students from two (2) intact ...

Learner-Generated Noticing Behavior by Novice Learners: Tracing the Effects of Learners' L1 on Their Emerging L2

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Park, Eun Sung

2013-01-01

This study examines novice learners' self-generated input noticing approaches and strategies. It is motivated by previous research on input enhancement which yielded insights that learners are naturally prone to notice certain aspects of L2 input on their own without any external means to channel their attention. Two L1 groups (Japanese and…

Advanced Heritage Learners of Spanish: A Sociolinguistic Profile for Pedagogical Purposes

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Alarcon, Irma

2010-01-01

This article reports on an extensive survey administered to advanced heritage language (HL) learners to examine their language behaviors, attitudes, and backgrounds. To date, there have been no detailed categorizations of advanced HL learners to guide classroom instruction and curriculum design. Thus the present study is a first attempt to fill…

Use of Research-Based Instructional Strategies: How to Avoid Faculty Quitting

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Wieman, Carl; Deslauriers, Louis; Gilley, Brett

2013-01-01

We have examined the teaching practices of faculty members who adopted research-based instructional strategies (RBIS) as part of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Of the 70 that adopted such strategies with the support of the CWSEI program, only one subsequently stopped using these…

Exploring the Oral Communication Strategies Used by Turkish EFL Learners: A Mixed Methods Study

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Demir, Yusuf; Mutlu, Gülçin; Sisman, Yavuz Selim

2018-01-01

This study set out with a threefold purpose: to examine (1) the oral communication strategies (CSs) employed by tertiary-level Turkish EFL learners, (2) the use of CSs based on exposure to English through audio-visual tools, university subject domain and gender differences, (3) the correlation between use of CSs and oral proficiency scores. To…

Shufflegolf: Teaching Golf Strategies and Etiquette to Young Children and Learners with Intellectual Disabilities

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Kozub, Francis M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to share a unique curricular idea with physical educators interested about adding golf concepts to their curriculum. The focus is on a modified golf game that helps teach tactics, strategies, rules, and etiquette to young learners and those with intellectual disabilities. The specific content for this unit focuses on…

Models of the Learner in Computer-Assisted Instruction

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1975-12-01

De ~.elopment Center San Diego, California 92152 !4" N il 0 ’U ’ UNCI.ASbp kW ILL SECURITY CLASSIVICATION OF TNO;S PAA;E 11%.. Daea t,,i...d) fREAD...and computer programaing . Advo.itional efforts are being, made to extend this approach to less formal subiect matter such as South American geography...Laubsch’s call for a time-dependent forgetting process. Despite the inclusion of a forgetting process, presentation strategies based on the family of

Reading Strategies to Support Home-to-School Connections Used by Teachers of English Language Learners

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Mendoza, Socorro

2016-01-01

This particularistic qualitative case study design examined reading strategies, approaches, and resources teachers of ELL (English Language Learner) students in kindergarten through third grade use to support reading development and promote the home to school connection regarding literacy proficiency. The purpose of this study was to examine…

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BILINGUAL INSTRUCTION AND LEARNERS’ PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE CONTEXT

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Huma Imran Khan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The prime purpose of this study was to explore a correlation between bilingual instruction in an ESL class and the class performance of the ESL learners at the secondary level. Quantitative research method was used to evaluate the test performance of 60 ESL learners divided into two groups: One was the controlled group (which was given instructions in L2 only and the other was the treatment group (which was given instructions in both L1 and L2 in Public School settings. Apart from the students, 15 language teachers’ feedback upon their perceptions of L1 usage in L2 classrooms was taken by using the Likert scale feedback forms. The results confirmed that the instructions given bilingually are directly associated to improved learner outcomes and teachers’ responses for the usage of L1 in classrooms showed a strong positive response.

Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Second Edition

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Dean, Ceri B.; Stone, BJ; Hubbell, Elizabeth; Pitler, Howard

2012-01-01

First published in 2001, "Classroom Instruction That Works" revolutionized teaching by linking classroom strategies to evidence of increased student learning. Now this landmark guide has been reenergized and reorganized for today's classroom with new evidence-based insights and a refined framework that strengthens instructional planning. Whether…

Teaching Who You Are: Connecting Teachers' Civic Education Ideology to Instructional Strategies

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Knowles, Ryan T.

2018-01-01

This quantitative study uses survey data to test connections between 735 teachers' civic education ideology (CivID) and their self-reported instructional practices. Analysis demonstrates teachers' beliefs in relation to conservative, liberal, and critical civic education ideology as well as preference for instructional strategies, such as…

Can pluralistic approaches based upon unknown languages enhance learner engagement and lead to active social inclusion?

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Dahm, Rebecca

2017-08-01

One way to foster active social inclusion is to enable students to develop a positive attitude to "foreignness". Creating a situation where mainstream students are less wary of foreign languages and cultures, and where newcomers feel their linguistic background is being valued, provides favourable conditions for the inclusion of these newcomers in the classroom and in society. However, language classrooms in French schools rarely take any previously acquired linguistic knowledge into account, thus unconsciously contributing to the rift between multilingual learners (e.g. 1st- and 2nd-generation immigrant children, refugees, children of parents with different mother tongues) and French learners. Native French learners' first experience of learning another language is usually when English is added as a subject to their curriculum in primary school. In some schools in France, English lessons now include the simulation of multilingual situations, designed in particular for the French "quasi-monolingual" students to lose their fear of unknown languages and "foreignness" in general. But the overall aim is to help both groups of learners become aware of the positive impact of multilingualism on cognitive abilities. However, to achieve long-term effects, this awareness-raising needs to be accompanied by maximum engagement on the part of the students. This article explores an instructional strategy termed Pluralistic Approaches based upon Unknown Languages (PAUL), which was designed to develop learning strategies of quasi-monolingual students in particular and to increase learner engagement more generally. The results of a small-scale PAUL study discussed by the author seem to confirm an increase in learner engagement leading to an enhancement of learning outcomes. Moreover, PAUL seems indeed suitable for helping to prepare the ground for social inclusion.

Empirical Studies on English Vocabulary Learning Strategies in Mainland China over the Past Two Decades

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Zhongxin Dai

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Wen and Wang (2004 reviewed the empirical studies over the past two decades (from 1984 to 2003 on learning strategies that Chinese EFL learners used. This article, following their methodological framework, reviews about 45 empirical studies on Chinese EFL learners’ English vocabulary learning strategies, conducted by Mainland Chinese scholars over the past two decades. The review shows that more than half of the Chinese scholars are interested in questionnaire investigation of EFL learners’ preferences for vocabulary learning. The reports of the questionnaire investigations indicate that most Chinese EFL learners prefer rote learning of vocabulary to learning vocabulary in context or through language use. The experimental studies suggest that strategies-based instruction results in the learners’ vocabulary achievement. Cognitive and metacognitive strategies are the two groups of strategies that Chinese researchers show particular interest in.

Reading strategy instruction and teacher change: implications for teacher training

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Nanda M Klapwijk

2012-01-01

Full Text Available I report on teacher change in the context of a reading strategy instruction intervention. Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI was implemented by three teachers, new to the concept, over a period of 15 weeks. Observations of these teachers showed that a multitude of factors affect the uptake of RSI as part of everyday teaching practice, and that teachers seem to move through distinct phases in their uptake of RSI. The article focuses on teachers' reaction to RSI and highlights a number of issues that are important to the implementation of RSI, not the least of which is that a clear need exists for changes to in-service teacher training and support and pre-service teacher training. In an effort to address these training issues the article contains specific recommendations for pre-service teacher training in particular.

Flute Teachers’ One-to-One Instructional Strategies at Individual Teaching Stages in Music School

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Ana Kavčič Pucihar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on one-to-one studio based instrumental instruction in music schools. Some novelties in the music school woodwind curricula are presented within various contexts. Teacher – student relationship, their interactions, and knowledge transfer are essential in individual instrumental instruction. The learning process is systematically structured within six teaching stages, ranging from new content presentation to learning reviews. We examined music school flute teachers’ beliefs (N=78 about teaching stages in individual studio based instruction. We researched their new content teaching strategies, guided practice and reinforcement, feedback, homework monitoring strategies, formative review and assessment within music studio academic year.

How Faculty Learn about and Implement Research-Based Instructional Strategies: The Case of Peer Instruction

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Dancy, Melissa; Henderson, Charles; Turpen, Chandra

2016-01-01

The lack of knowledge about how to effectively spread and sustain the use of research-based instructional strategies is currently a significant barrier to the improvement of undergraduate physics education. In this paper we address this lack of knowledge by reporting on an interview study of 35 physics faculty, of varying institution types, who…

A Study of the Motivational Patterns of Learners of English for Academic and Professional Purposes

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Abrar-ul-Hassan, Shahid

2014-01-01

Learner motivation is considered a vital factor in second language instruction. An analysis of motivation types and degrees can reveal learners' expectations and learning objectives. The present study analyzes the motivational patterns of a group of English for academic and professional purposes (EAPP) learners while focusing on types and degrees…

Does reading strategy instruction improve students’ comprehension?

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Oyetunji, Christianah Oluwatoyin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the effect of reading strategy instruction on Second Language (L2 students’ reading comprehension in a Botswana College of Education. The intervention programme was implemented based on the observation that some trainee teachers failed to improve on their L2 proficiency after spending a year in the L2 classroom. Prior to the intervention, difficulty in reading and comprehending had been identified as one of the contributing factors to their failure to improve on their proficiency level. A reading comprehension test was used to collect data from participants who were trainee teachers at a College of Education in Botswana before and after the intervention. The six-week intervention programme focused on seven reading strategies, namely the use of background knowledge, self-questioning, inferencing, rereading, drawing conclusions, identifying main ideas and summarising. The findings suggest that strategy training can increase L2 students’ reading comprehension. Based on the findings, it is recommended that strategy training be introduced into the L2 syllabus of the primary school teacher trainees in all Botswana Colleges of Education.

Research Timeline: Form-Focused Instruction and Second Language Acquisition

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Nassaji, Hossein

2016-01-01

This article provides a timeline of research on form-focused instruction (FFI). Over the past 40 years, research on the role of instruction has undergone many changes. Much of the early research concentrated on determining whether formal instruction makes any difference in the development of learner language. This question was motivated in part by…

Multimedia Listening Comprehension: Metacognitive Instruction or Metacognitive Instruction through Dialogic Interaction

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Bozorgian, Hossein; Alamdari, Ebrahim Fakhri

2018-01-01

This study is an attempt to investigate the effect of metacognitive instruction through dialogic interaction in a joint activity on advanced Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' multimedia listening and their metacognitive awareness in listening comprehension. The data were collected through (N = 180) male and female Iranian…

Devices and Desires: Integrative Strategy Instruction from a Motivational Perspective.

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Vauras, Marja; And Others

1993-01-01

This critique of Edwin Ellis's Integrative Strategy Instruction model comments that analyses are needed concerning the mutual social adaptations of differently disposed (cognitively, motivationally, and emotionally) students with learning disabilities and teachers within the social frames of learning environments. (JDD)

Learner Differences among Children Learning a Foreign Language: Language Anxiety, Strategy Use, and Multiple Intelligences

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Liu, Hui-ju; Chen, Ting-Han

2014-01-01

This study mainly investigates language anxiety and its relationship to the use of learning strategies and multiple intelligences among young learners in an EFL educational context. The participants were composed of 212 fifth- and sixth-graders from elementary schools in central Taiwan. Findings indicated that most participants generally…

Technology-Based Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners

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White, Erin L.; Gillard, Sharlett

2011-01-01

There is a growing need to implement an alternative and viable solution in U.S. K-12 schools that will address the ever-growing gap that the rapidly growing English language learner (ELL) population presents. This article examines various technology-based solutions, and their potential impact. The systematic implementation of these…

Unpacking the Discrepancy between Learner and Teacher Beliefs: What Should Be the Role of Grammar in Language Classes?

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Hos, Rabia; Kekec, Mustafa

2015-01-01

Learner and teacher beliefs play an important role in second language (L2) learning. Furthermore, the role of grammar instruction and error correction in the L2 classroom is a topic that is still debated in the literature. This study explored the beliefs of EFL learners and teachers regarding the controversial role of grammar instruction and error…

A Case Study of Key Stakeholders' Perceptions of the Learning Center's Effectiveness for English Learners at a District in Central California

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Nava, Norma Leticia

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored stakeholders' (administrators, teachers, and parents) perspectives of English learners in the learning center, a response to intervention model, at a school district in Central California. Research existed concerning the yearly academic growth of students in a learning center, but there was a lack of knowledge about…

Effectiveness of Adaptive Assessment versus Learner Control in a Multimedia Learning System

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Chen, Ching-Huei; Chang, Shu-Wei

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of adaptive assessment versus learner control in a multimedia learning system designed to help secondary students learn science. Unlike other systems, this paper presents a workflow of adaptive assessment following instructional materials that better align with learners' cognitive…

Evaluating the Use of Instructional Coaching as a Tool to Improve Teacher Instructional Strategies at a Title 1 Middle School: An Action Research Study

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Learmond, Karen W.

2017-01-01

This action research study focused on the use of an instructional coaching model to support teachers in the use of Marzano's nine research-based instructional strategies at a low performing Title 1 middle school. The intervention was carried out over five and a half -month period and was aimed at improving teachers' classroom instruction. The…

Toward a Unified Modeling of Learner's Growth Process and Flow Theory

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Challco, Geiser C.; Andrade, Fernando R. H.; Borges, Simone S.; Bittencourt, Ig I.; Isotani, Seiji

2016-01-01

Flow is the affective state in which a learner is so engaged and involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. In this sense, to help students in the skill development and knowledge acquisition (referred to as learners' growth process) under optimal conditions, the instructional designers should create learning scenarios that favor…

Matching Learning Style to Instructional Method: Effects on Comprehension

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Rogowsky, Beth A.; Calhoun, Barbara M.; Tallal, Paula

2015-01-01

While it is hypothesized that providing instruction based on individuals' preferred learning styles improves learning (i.e., reading for visual learners and listening for auditory learners, also referred to as the "meshing hypothesis"), after a critical review of the literature Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork (2008) concluded that…

The Effect of Collaborative Strategic Reading on Grade Six Students’ Reading Achievement

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Siti Tamah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the language skills to master by Indonesian EFL learners is reading. In order to assist learners comprehend reading texts, teachers are challenged to apply various teaching strategies. As this paper focuses on teaching reading, two teaching strategies dealing with reading instruction are compared. To be specific, in this paper the writers conduct a study to find the difference between Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR and teacher-centered teaching strategy (by applying skimming and scanning. This study was a quasi experimental, which was conducted upon the sixth graders of an elementary school. The finding showed that reading achievements of the students who are taught using CSR and teacher-centered teaching strategy are not significantly different. Nevertheless, this study using Cohen’s d formula finds that CSR gave a small effect on students’ reading achievement.

Cognitive Strategy Instruction for Teaching Word Problems to Primary-Level Struggling Students

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Pfannenstiel, Kathleen Hughes; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Bryant, Brian R.; Porterfield, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Students with mathematics difficulties and learning disabilities (LD) typically struggle with solving word problems. These students often lack knowledge about efficient, cognitive strategies to utilize when solving word problems. Cognitive strategy instruction has been shown to be effective in teaching struggling students how to solve word…

Students' Understanding of Dictionary Entries: A Study with Respect to Four Learners' Dictionaries.

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Jana, Abhra; Amritavalli, Vijaya; Amritavalli, R.

2003-01-01

Investigates the effects of definitional information in the form of dictionary entries, on second language learners' vocabulary learning in an instructed setting. Indian students (Native Hindi speakers) of English received monolingual English dictionary entries of five previously unknown words from four different learner's dictionaries. Results…

Examining the Role of Web 2.0 Tools in Supporting Problem Solving during Case-Based Instruction

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Koehler, Adrie A.; Newby, Timothy J.; Ertmer, Peggy A.

2017-01-01

As learners solve complex problems, such as the ones present in case narratives, they need instructional support. Potentially, Web 2.0 applications can be useful to learners during case-based instruction (CBI), as their affordances offer creative and collaborative opportunities. However, there is limited research available on how the affordances…