WorldWideScience

Sample records for videotaped classroom lessons

  1. The TIMSS Videotape Classroom Study: Methods and Findings from an Exploratory Research Project on Eighth-Grade Mathematics Instruction in Germany, Japan, and the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stigler, James W.; Gonzales, Patrick; Kawanaka, Takako; Knoll, Steffen; Serrano, Ana

    1999-01-01

    Describes the methods and preliminary findings of the Videotape Classroom Study, a video survey of eighth-grade mathematics lessons in Germany, Japan, and the United States. Part of the Third International Mathematics and Science study, this research project is the first study of videotaped records from national probability samples. (SLD)

  2. The TIMSS Videotape Classroom Study: Methods and Findings from an Exploratory Research Project on Eighth-Grade Mathematics Instruction in Germany, Japan, and the United States. A Research and Development Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stigler, James W.; Gonzales, Patrick; Kwanaka, Takako; Knoll, Steffen; Serrano, Ana

    This report presents the methods and preliminary findings of the Videotape Classroom Study, a video study of eighth-grade mathematics lessons in Germany, Japan, and the United States. This exploratory research project is part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The study included 231 eighth-grade mathematics…

  3. Science Students' Classroom Discourse: Tasha's Umwelt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, Jenny

    2012-04-01

    Over the past twenty-five years researchers have been concerned with understanding the science student. The need for such research is still grounded in contemporary issues including providing opportunities for all students to develop scientific literacy and the failure of school science to connect with student's lives, interests and personal identities. The research reported here is unusual in its use of discourse analysis in social psychology to contribute to an understanding of the way students make meaning in secondary school science. Data constructed for the study was drawn from videotapes of nine consecutive lessons in a year-seven science classroom in Melbourne, post-lesson video-stimulated interviews with students and the teacher, classroom observation and the students' written work. The classroom videotapes were recorded using four cameras and seven audio tracks by the International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne. Student talk within and about their science lessons was analysed from a discursive perspective. Classroom episodes in which students expressed their sense of personal identity and agency, knowledge, attitude or emotion in relation to science were identified for detailed analysis of the function of the discourse used by students, and in particular the way students were positioned by others or positioned themselves. This article presents the discursive Umwelt or life-space of one middle years science student, Tasha. Her case is used here to highlight the complex social process of meaning making in science classrooms and the need to attend to local moral orders of rights and duties in research on student language use, identity and learning in science.

  4. A Lesson in Classroom Size Reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hymon, Steve

    1997-01-01

    The goal of California's classroom size reduction (CSR) program is to have 20 or fewer students in kindergarten through grade 3 classrooms. Districts receive $650 for each student in a reduced classroom. Describes how districts implemented the plan and offers five lessons from struggles and successes with CSR. A table displays average elementary…

  5. The attitudes of classroom teacher candidates towards physical education lesson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gönül Tekkurşun Demir

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: It is aimed to determine the attitudes of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classroom teacher candidates towards the physical education lesson according to various variables. Material and Methods: For the current study, the screening method, one of the quantitative research models, was used. The research consists of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade, totally164 university students, 106 (%64,6 females, 58 (%35,4 males, attending Uşak University, Classroom Teaching Program in 2016-2017 academic year. The first-grade students were not included in this research, because the physical education and play teaching lessons are given to classroom student candidates in the second-grade at Uşak University, Classroom Teaching Program. “Personal information form" and “Physical Education Lesson Attitude Scale for Classroom Teacher Candidates" were used as data collection tools. Before analysis, the data were evaluated using the values of Skewness and Skewness (normal distribution of the data and Levene (equality of variance tests. In the analysis of the data; frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation; t-test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation test were used. Results: When examined the total score of the teacher candidates obtained from Physical Education Lesson Attitude Scale for Classroom Teacher Candidates and age variable by the Pearson Moment Correlation analysis, it was found that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between the received scores at low level. It was determined that the attitudes of the classroom teacher candidates towards the physical education lessons did not show any significant difference according to the gender variable, but there was a significant difference when examined their class levels. While no significant difference was found in the attitudes of the classroom teacher candidates, who played and did not play sports in their past life, towards physical education lessons, no significant difference was found

  6. Do Lessons in Nature Boost Subsequent Classroom Engagement? Refueling Students in Flight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Kuo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Teachers wishing to offer lessons in nature may hold back for fear of leaving students keyed up and unable to concentrate in subsequent, indoor lessons. This study tested the hypothesis that lessons in nature have positive—not negative—aftereffects on subsequent classroom engagement. Using carefully matched pairs of lessons (one in a relatively natural outdoor setting and one indoors, we observed subsequent classroom engagement during an indoor instructional period, replicating these comparisons over 10 different topics and weeks in the school year, in each of two third grade classrooms. Pairs were roughly balanced in how often the outdoor lesson preceded or followed the classroom lesson. Classroom engagement was significantly better after lessons in nature than after their matched counterparts for four of the five measures developed for this study: teacher ratings; third-party tallies of “redirects” (the number of times the teacher stopped instruction to direct student attention back onto the task at hand; independent, photo-based ratings made blind to condition; and a composite index each showed a nature advantage; student ratings did not. This nature advantage held across different teachers and held equally over the initial and final 5 weeks of lessons. And the magnitude of the advantage was large. In 48 out of 100 paired comparisons, the nature lesson was a full standard deviation better than its classroom counterpart; in 20 of the 48, the nature lesson was over two standard deviations better. The rate of “redirects” was cut almost in half after a lesson in nature, allowing teachers to teach for longer periods uninterrupted. Because the pairs of lessons were matched on teacher, class (students and classroom, topic, teaching style, week of the semester, and time of day, the advantage of the nature-based lessons could not be attributed to any of these factors. It appears that, far from leaving students too keyed up to concentrate

  7. Some lessons in mathematics: a comparison of mathematics teaching in Japan and America

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, Keith

    1997-01-01

    As part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a representative sample of Year 9 classrooms in Japan and the United States were video-taped. Analysis of this data is enabling comparisons to be made of the teaching methods typically employed in these two countries. Findings suggest that while the typical US lesson emphasised skill acquisition, the typical Japanese lesson focused on the solving of complex problems through pupil exploration and presentation.

  8. Refining MARGINS Mini-Lessons Using Classroom Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iverson, E. A.; Manduca, C. A.; McDaris, J. R.; Lee, S.

    2009-12-01

    One of the challenges that we face in developing teaching materials or activities from research findings is testing the materials to determine that they work as intended. Traditionally faculty develop material for their own class, notice what worked and didn’t, and improve them the next year. However, as we move to a community process of creating and sharing teaching materials, a community-based process for testing materials is appropriate. The MARGINS project has piloted such a process for testing teaching materials and activities developed as part of its mini-lesson project (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/index.html). Building on prior work developing mechanisms for community review of teaching resources (e.g. Kastens, 2002; Hancock and Manduca, 2005; Mayhew and Hall, 2007), the MARGINS evaluation team developed a structured classroom observation protocol. The goals of field testing are to a) gather structured, consistent feedback for the lesson authors based on classroom use; b) guide reviewers of these lessons to reflect on research-based educational practice as a framework for their comments; c) collect information on the data and observations that the reviewer used to underpin their review; d) determine which mini-lessons are ready to be made widely available on the website. The protocol guides faculty observations on why they used the activity, the effectiveness of the activity in their classroom, the success of the activity in leading to the desired learning, and what other faculty need to successfully use the activity. Available online (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/protocol.html), the protocol can be downloaded and completed during instruction with the activity. In order to encourage review of mini-lessons using the protocol, a workshop focused on review and revision of activities was held in May 2009. In preparation for the workshop, 13 of the 28 participants chose to field test a mini-lesson prior to the workshop and reported that they found this

  9. Simulating classroom lessons : an agent-based attempt

    OpenAIRE

    Ingram, Fred; Brooks, Roger John

    2018-01-01

    This is an interim report on a project to construct an agent-based simulation that reproduces some of the interactions between students and their teacher in classroom lessons. In a pilot study, the activities of 67 students and 7 teachers during 40 lessons were recorded using a data collection instrument that currently captures 17 student states and 15 teacher states. These data enabled various conceptual models to be explored, providing empirical values and distributions for the model parame...

  10. Situated Motivation: A Framework for how EFL Learners are Motivated in the Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Truong Sa Nguyen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In arguing, that defining and categorizing motivation are less practical and applicable to language teaching than examining how learners are motivated in their class, this study investigated sources of motivation of 10 learners studying English as a compulsory subject at IUH University in Vietnam in 2013. The study aimed at answering the two main research questions- a how are the EFL learners motivated in class? and b what is the most applicable framework of motivation to classroom language teaching? Classroom Observation and Stimulated Interview were adopted as data collection techniques. Twelve different lessons were video-taped in about 21 hours in total and over 30 hours of interviews were recorded. Content Analysis procedure was used to code motivational sources. The five groups of coded motivational sources included- the teacher, the classmates, the syllabus, classroom activities, and mood or tone of each lesson. It was observed that the learners’ motivation is closely situated in the classroom context, and therefore, Situated Motivation should be adopted as a framework to bridge the gap between motive frameworks and motivational strategies in language teaching, and for teachers to consider while planning and executing their lessons.

  11. "Lesson Study" as Professional Culture in Japanese Schools: An Historical Perspective on Elementary Classroom Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arani, Mohammad Reza Sarkar; Keisuke, Fukaya; Lassegard, James P.

    2010-01-01

    This research examines "lesson study" as a traditional model of creating professional knowledge in schools. "Lesson study," typically defined as teachers' classroom based collaborative research, has a long history in Japan as a shared professional culture with potential for enhancing learning, enriching classroom activities and…

  12. Classrooms with Growing Room. Playing Smart: Enrichment in the Home. Lessons without Limits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanevsky, Lannie

    Three papers by the same author address: (1) educational methods for gifted children in the regular classroom; (2) principles of enriching the gifted child's development in the home; and (3) modifying lessons to optimally challenge gifted students. The first paper is titled, "Classrooms with Growing Room." It stresses the need for gifted children…

  13. Mobile Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Lessons: A Comparative Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furió, D.; Juan, M.-C.; Seguí, I.; Vivó, R.

    2015-01-01

    Different methods can be used for learning, and they can be compared in several aspects, especially those related to learning outcomes. In this paper, we present a study in order to compare the learning effectiveness and satisfaction of children using an iPhone game for learning the water cycle vs. the traditional classroom lesson. The iPhone game…

  14. Graduate students teaching elementary earth science through interactive classroom lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caswell, T. E.; Goudge, T. A.; Jawin, E. R.; Robinson, F.

    2014-12-01

    Since 2005, graduate students in the Brown University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Studies have volunteered to teach science to second-grade students at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Providence, RI. Initially developed to bring science into classrooms where it was not explicitly included in the curriculum, the graduate student-run program today incorporates the Providence Public Schools Grade 2 science curriculum into weekly, interactive sessions that engage the students in hypothesis-driven science. We will describe the program structure, its integration into the Providence Public Schools curriculum, and 3 example lessons relevant to geology. Lessons are structured to develop the students' ability to share and incorporate others' ideas through written and oral communication. The volunteers explain the basics of the topic and engage the students with introductory questions. The students use this knowledge to develop a hypothesis about the upcoming experiment, recording it in their "Science Notebooks." The students record their observations during the demonstration and discuss the results as a group. The process culminates in the students using their own words to summarize what they learned. Activities of particular interest to educators in geoscience are called "Volcanoes!", "The "Liquid Race," and "Phases of the Moon." The "Volcanoes!" lesson explores explosive vs. effusive volcanism using two simulated volcanoes: one explosive, using Mentos and Diet Coke, and one effusive, using vinegar and baking soda (in model volcanoes that the students construct in teams). In "Liquid Race," which explores viscosity and can be integrated into the "Volcanoes!" lesson, the students connect viscosity to flow speed by racing liquids down a ramp. "Phases of the Moon" teaches the students why the Moon has phases, using ball and stick models, and the terminology of the lunar phases using cream-filled cookies (e.g., Oreos). These lessons, among many others

  15. Arctic research in the classroom: A teacher's experiences translated into data driven lesson plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendrick, E. O.; Deegan, L.

    2011-12-01

    Incorporating research into high school science classrooms can promote critical thinking skills and provide a link between students and the scientific community. Basic science concepts become more relevant to students when taught in the context of research. A vital component of incorporating current research into classroom lessons is involving high school teachers in authentic research. The National Science Foundation sponsored Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program has inspired me to bring research to my classroom, communicate the importance of research in the classroom to other teachers and create lasting connections between students and the research community. Through my experiences as an RET at Toolik Field Station in Alaska, I have created several hands-on lessons and laboratory activities that are based on current arctic research and climate change. Each lesson uses arctic research as a theme for exemplifying basic biology concepts as well as increasing awareness of current topics such as climate change. For instance, data collected on the Kuparuk River will be incorporated into classroom activities that teach concepts such as primary production, trophic levels in a food chain and nutrient cycling within an ecosystem. Students will not only understand the biological concepts but also recognize the ecological implications of the research being conducted in the arctic. By using my experience in arctic research as a template, my students will gain a deeper understanding of the scientific process. I hope to create a crucial link of information between the science community and science education in public schools.

  16. Shaping Learner Contributions in an EFL Classroom: Implications for L2 Classroom Interactional Competence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Can Daskin, Nilüfer

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the interactional patterns for shaping learner contributions in an EFL classroom with reference to Walsh's classroom interactional competence (CIC). In doing so, an EFL class at an English preparatory school in a Turkish state university was both videotaped and audiotaped in the course of six classroom hours. Conversation…

  17. Connecting polar research to NGSS STEM classroom lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinker, R.; Kast, D.

    2016-12-01

    Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to bring consistent, rigorous science teaching across the United States. Topics are categorized as Performance Expectations (PE), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCC), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEP). NGSS includes a focus on environmental science and climate change across grade levels. Earth and planetary sciences are required at the high school level. Integrating polar science lessons into NGSS classrooms brings relevant, rigorous climate change curriculum across grade levels. Polar science provides opportunities for students to use current data during lessons, conduct their own field work, and collaborate with scientists. Polar science provides a framework of learning that is novel to most students. Inquiry and engagement are high with polar science lessons. Phenomenon related to polar science provide an excellent tool for science teachers to use to engage students in a lesson, stimulate inquiry, and promote critical thinking. When taught effectively, students see the connections between their community, polar regions and climate change, regardless of where on the planet students live. This presentation describes examples of how to effectively implement NGSS lessons by incorporating polar science lessons and field research. Examples of introductory phenomenon and aligned PEs, CCCs, DCIs, and SEPs are given. Suggested student activities, assessments, examples of student work, student research, labs, and PolarTREC fieldwork, use of current science data, and connections to scientists in the field are provided. The goals of the presentation are to give teachers a blueprint to follow when implementing NGSS lessons, and give scientists an understanding of the basics of NGSS so they may be better able to relate their work to U.S. science education and be more effective communicators of their science findings.

  18. Classroom communication in lessons of educational science and psychology at secondary school

    OpenAIRE

    Šimáková, Monika

    2017-01-01

    This bachelor thesis deals with classroom communication during pedagogy and psychology lessons at high schools. The aim of the thesis is to describe classroom communication in the observed subjects in a complex way and to give the reader a realistic idea about the communication between the teachers and their students during instruction. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and an empirical part. The theoretical part focuses on pedagogical communication itself, which is a key term in class...

  19. Darwin's Revolution in Thought: An Illustrated Lecture. Teaching Guide and Videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, Stephen Jay

    "Darwin's Revolution in Thought" is Stephen Jay Gould's definitive treatise on Charles Darwin. This 50-minute classroom edition videotaped lecture is structured in the form of a paradox and three riddles about Darwin's life. Each is designed to shed light on one of the key features of the theory of natural selection, its philosophical…

  20. An Action Research Study: Using Classroom Guidance Lessons to Teach Middle School Students about Sexual Harassment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Rebecca C.

    2006-01-01

    This article describes a three-part classroom guidance lesson that teaches middle school students the definition of sexual harassment, the difference between flirting and sexual harassment, and the harmful effects of sexual harassment. An action research study evaluated the effectiveness of the lessons in decreasing referrals for sexual harassment…

  1. Revitalising Mathematics Classroom Teaching through Lesson Study (LS): A Malaysian Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Chap Sam; Kor, Liew Kee; Chia, Hui Min

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses how implementation of Lesson Study (LS) has brought about evolving changes in the quality of mathematics classroom teaching in one Chinese primary school. The Japanese model of LS was adapted as a teacher professional development to improve mathematics teachers' teaching practices. The LS group consisted of five mathematics…

  2. Exploring How Second Grade Elementary Teachers Translate Their Nature of Science Views into Classroom Practice After a Graduate Level Nature of Science Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deniz, Hasan; Adibelli, Elif

    2015-12-01

    The main purpose of this study was to explore the factors mediating the translation of second grade teachers' nature of science (NOS) views into classroom practice after completing a graduate level NOS course. Four second grade in-service elementary teachers comprised the sample of this study. Data were collected from several sources during the course of this study. The primary data sources were (a) assessment of the elementary teachers' NOS views before and after the graduate level NOS course using the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire Version B (VNOS-B) (Lederman et al., 2002) coupled with interviews, and (b) a classroom observation and videotaped recording of the elementary teachers' best NOS lessons coupled with interview. We identified three distinct but related factors that mediated the translation of NOS views into classroom practice: the teachers' perspectives about the developmental appropriateness of the NOS aspect, the teachers' selection of target NOS aspects, and the relative importance placed by teachers on each NOS aspect.

  3. Children’s Democratic Experiences in a Collective Writing Process – Analysing Classroom Interaction in Terms of Deliberation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Hultin

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is twofold: firstly, it aims to explore the interactional conditions in terms of democratic qualities constituted in collective writing in a primary school classroom; and secondly, it aims to examine whether a set of deliberative criteria is fruitful as an analytical tool when studying classroom interaction. Theoretically, I turn to New Literacy Studies for understanding the writing classroom as a literacy practice and the actual (collective writing as literacy events. The study has an ethnographic approach in which classroom observations were conducted during a collective writing process involving six nine-year-old children and their teacher. The observations included, two lessons, divided into 3 hours, which were observed, videotaped, and transcribed. The teacher had planned for a strict interactional or didactical order during the collective writing in which the children were to respond individually. However, the children responded in a different manner by starting a vivid dialogue in which they negotiated both the form and the content of the story. The analysis shows some deliberative qualities in this classroom interaction, while some other qualities were not evident. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the set of deliberative criteria was useful in visualizing both existing deliberative qualities in the interaction and the potential for developing such qualities.

  4. Interpersonal Interactions in Instrumental Lessons: Teacher/Student Verbal and Non-Verbal Behaviours

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhukov, Katie

    2013-01-01

    This study examined verbal and non-verbal teacher/student interpersonal interactions in higher education instrumental music lessons. Twenty-four lessons were videotaped and teacher/student behaviours were analysed using a researcher-designed instrument. The findings indicate predominance of student and teacher joke among the verbal behaviours with…

  5. Breathing Life into Engineering: A Lesson Study Life Science Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Maria; Yang, Li-Ling; Briggs, May; Hession, Alicia; Koussa, Anita; Wagoner, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    A fifth grade life science lesson was implemented through a lesson study approach in two fifth grade classrooms. The research lesson was designed by a team of four elementary school teachers with the goal of emphasizing engineering practices consistent with the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) (Achieve Inc. 2013). The fifth…

  6. Talking about history: discussions in a middle school inclusive classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okolo, Cynthia M; Ferretti, Ralph P; MacArthur, Charles A

    2007-01-01

    In this study, we examined the nature of whole-class discussion and teachers' instruction during discussion about historical topics in one inclusive, middle-grade classroom. We videotaped and analyzed 4 lessons to determine the nature of discussion sequences, rates of participation, and instructional challenges encountered by the teacher and students. We triangulated our analysis of observational data with teacher interviews. The results showed high rates of student participation, with no differences between students with and without disabilities. The teacher initiated and controlled the discussion, and nearly all student responses were from teacher to student rather than from student to student. The teacher encountered three challenges in developing students' understanding, and we identify specific practices she used to address these challenges. Based on students' response to measures administered by project staff and on their scores on statewide tests, this teacher's practices seemed to be highly effective.

  7. Classroom Management and Lesson Planning(4)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    Lesson PlanningTask 1As teachers,we all need to plan our lessons before we teach.Make a list of things that you think need tobe included in a lesson plan.Then compare and discuss your list with another teacher.Also think about reasonswhy we need to plan our lessons.

  8. Classroom Management and Lesson Planning(4)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    @@ Lesson Planning Task 1 As teachers,we all need to plan our lessons before we teach.Make a list of things that you think need to be included in a lesson plan.Then compare and discuss your list with another teacher.Also think about reasons why we need to plan our lessons.

  9. Characterizing Mathematics Teaching Research Specialists' Mentoring in the Context of Chinese Lesson Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Feishi; Gu, Lingyuan

    2016-01-01

    This study examines how mathematics teaching research specialists mentor practicing teachers during post-lesson debriefs of a lesson study in China. Based on a systematic, fine-grained analysis of 107 h of videotaped mentoring meetings of 20 groups of teachers and teaching research specialists from different elementary schools, this study reveals…

  10. A cross-cultural comparison of biology lessons between China and Germany: a video study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Neuhaus, Birgit Jana

    2017-08-01

    Given the globalization of science education and the different cultures between China and Germany, we tried to compare and explain the differences on teacher questions and real life instances in biology lessons between the two countries from a culture-related perspective. 22 biology teachers from China and 21 biology teachers from Germany participated in this study. Each teacher was videotaped for one lesson on the unit blood and circulatory system. Before the teaching unit, students' prior knowledge was tested with a pretest. After the teaching unit, students' content knowledge was tested with a posttest. The aim of the knowledge tests here was for the better selection of the four samples for qualitative comparison in the two countries. The quantitative analysis showed that more lower-order teacher questions and more real life instances that were introduced after learning relevant concepts were in Chinese lessons than in German lessons. There were no significant differences in the frequency of higher-order questions or real life instances that were introduced before learning concepts. Qualitative analysis showed that both German teachers guided students to analyze the reasoning process of Landsteiner experiment, but nor Chinese teachers did that. The findings reflected the subtle influence of culture on classroom teaching. Relatively, Chinese biology teachers focused more on learning content and the application of the content in real life; German biology teachers emphasized more on invoking students' reasoning and divergent thinking.

  11. Improving Instruction through a Videotape Library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batesky, James

    1979-01-01

    Videotape and a videotape library can be used to expand the quality of instruction of a physical education program by allowing greater diversity of material taught and increased use of professionals and experts in various sports. (JMF)

  12. Factors Affecting the Implementation of Argument in the Elementary Science Classroom. A Longitudinal Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Anita M.; Hand, Brian

    2009-01-01

    This longitudinal case study describes the factors that affect an experienced teacher’s attempt to shift her pedagogical practices in order to implement embedded elements of argument into her science classroom. Research data was accumulated over 2 years through video recordings of science classes. The Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol (RTOP) is an instrument designed to quantify changes in classroom environments as related to reform as defined by the National Research Council ( National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1996b) and the National Research Council ( Fulfilling the promise: Biology education in the nation’s schools, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990) and was used to analyze videotaped science lessons. Analysis of the data shows that there was a significant shift in the areas of teacher questioning, and student voice. Several levels of subsequent analysis were completed related to teacher questioning and student voice. The data suggests a relationship between these areas and the implementation of scientific argument. Results indicate that the teacher moved from a traditional, teacher-centered, didactic teaching style to instructional practices that allowed the focus and direction of the lesson to be affected by student voice. This was accomplished by a change in teacher questioning that included a shift from factual recall to more divergent questioning patterns allowing for increased student voice. As student voice increased, students began to investigate ideas, make statements or claims and to support these claims with strong evidence. Finally, students were observed refuting claims in the form of rebuttals. This study informs professional development related to experienced teachers in that it highlights pedagogical issues involved in implementing embedded elements of argument in the elementary classroom.

  13. Instructional Quality Features in Videotaped Biology Lessons: Content-Independent Description of Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorfner, Tobias; Förtsch, Christian; Boone, William; Neuhaus, Birgit J.

    2017-09-01

    A number of studies on single instructional quality features have been reported for mathematics and science instruction. For summarizing single instructional quality features, researchers have created a model of three basic dimensions (classroom management, supportive climate, and cognitive activation) of instructional quality mainly through observing mathematics instruction. Considering this model as valid for all subjects and as usable for describing instruction, we used it in this study which aimed to analyze characteristics of instructional quality in biology lessons of high-achieving and low-achieving classes, independently of content. Therefore, we used the data of three different previous video studies of biology instruction conducted in Germany. From each video study, we selected three high-achieving and three low-achieving classes (N = 18 teachers; 35 videos) for our multiple-case study, in which conspicuous characteristics of instructional quality features were qualitatively identified and qualitatively analyzed. The amount of these characteristics was counted in a quantitative way in all the videos. The characteristics we found could be categorized using the model of three basic dimensions of instructional quality despite some subject-specific differences for biology instruction. Our results revealed that many more characteristics were observable in high-achieving classes than in low-achieving classes. Thus, we believe that this model could be used to describe biology instruction independently of the content. We also make the claims about the qualities for biology instruction—working with concentration in a content-structured environment, getting challenged in higher order thinking, and getting praised for performance—that could have positive influence on students' achievement.

  14. "Yes! Animation Is Possible with Your Videotape Recorder!"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martino, Alfreda; Martin, Ron

    1987-01-01

    Describes a project in which students are involved in producing an animated videotape recording and discusses the advantages of modern videotape equipment over other film media. An outline of the process covers materials used, storyboard and artwork production, videotaping procedures, and audio dubbing. (CLB)

  15. Bringing authentic service learning to the classroom: benefits and lessons learned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamberlain, Leslie C.

    2016-06-01

    Project-based learning, which has gained significant attention within K-12 education, provides rich hands-on experiences for students. Bringing an element of service to the projects allow students to engage in a local or global community, providing an abundance of benefits to the students’ learning. For example, service projects build confidence, increase motivation, and exercise problem-solving and communication skills in addition to developing a deep understanding of content. I will present lessons I have learned through four years of providing service learning opportunities in my classroom. I share ideas for astronomy projects, tips for connecting and listening to a community, and helpful guidelines to hold students accountable in order to ensure a productive and educational project.

  16. Classroom management at the university level: lessons from a former high school earth science teacher

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazar, C.

    2009-12-01

    Just a few days before my career as a fledgling science teacher began in a large public high school in New York City, a mentor suggested I might get some ideas about how to run a classroom from a book called The First Days Of School by Harry Wong. Although the book seemed to concentrate more on elementary students, I found that many of the principles in the book worked well for high school students. Even as I have begun to teach at the university level, many of Wong’s themes have persisted in my teaching style. Wong’s central thesis is that for learning to occur, a teacher must create the proper environment. In education jargon, a good climate for learning is generated via classroom management, an array of methods used by elementary and secondary school teachers to provide structure and routine to a class period via a seamless flow of complementary activities. Many college professors would likely consider classroom management to be chiefly a set of rules to maintain discipline and order among an otherwise unruly herd of schoolchildren, and therefore not a useful concept for mature university students. However, classroom management is much deeper than mere rules for behavior; it is an approach to instructional design that considers the classroom experience holistically. A typical professorial management style is to lecture for an hour or so and ask students to demonstrate learning via examinations several times in a semester. In contrast, a good high school teacher will manage a class from bell-to-bell to create a natural order and flow to a given lesson. In this presentation, I will argue for an approach to college lesson design similar to the classroom management style commonly employed by high school and elementary school teachers. I will suggest some simple, practical techniques learned during my high school experience that work just as well in college: warm-up and practice problems, time management, group activities, bulletin boards, learning environment

  17. Create positive contraceptive images for strongest impact in single lesson.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-05-01

    Health educators attempting to deliver contraceptive information to adolescents in the classroom must seek ways to make a major impact in a very short period of time. A Planned Parenthood professional from New Jersey has developed a single-shot birth control lesson that, rather than presenting the pros and cons of various contraceptive methods, has teenagers identify themselves as at high, low, or no risk of pregnancy. Students estimate the number of classmates who are in each category and then assess whether they personally are at risk of an unintended pregnancy. In general, teens overestimate the number of classmates who are sexually active. This approach seems to make the ensuing discussion of contraceptive methods more meaningful. This discussion presents the condom and foam, the sponge, and visiting a family planning clinic. After this 40 minute presentation, fewer adolescents report being afraid of contraceptive side effects; they also have more knowledge about the efficacy and availability of different methods. A lesson in preparation is centered around a videotape entitled "Swept Away is Not Okay." It shows a teen couple going to a family planning clinic before they ever have intercourse. This strategy of encouraging adolescents to seek contraception before sexual involvement begins is considered more realistic than pressuring teens to abstain from sex. School officials and teachers have been receptive to this educational approach, viewing it as presenting important public health information.

  18. Instructional Uses of Videotape: A Symposium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Harold E.; And Others

    This collection of seven articles for the college teacher of speech relates specific ways that videotape has been used in training teachers and in teaching the fundamentals of speech, advanced public speaking, and discussion. Included are articles by (1) Harold E. Nelson, who explains how videotape is used in college speech classes to aid in…

  19. Laboratories and Demonstrations in Child Development with Unedited Videotapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Debra Ann

    1986-01-01

    Multipurpose demonstrations of child development are easy to produce by videotaping children while they interact with parents, siblings, or friends. Unlike commercial films, videotapes without narration allow students to formulate and test their own research questions. This article describes how to use unedited videotapes for laboratories in…

  20. Evaluating risk communication about fish consumption advisories: efficacy of a brochure versus a classroom lesson in Spanish and English.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Joanna; McDermott, Melanie Hughes; Chess, Caron; Bochenek, Eleanor; Perez-Lugo, Marla; Pflugh, Kerry Kirk

    2003-08-01

    Presentation format can influence the way target audiences understand risk-related information. Brochures or fish fact sheets are the methods traditionally used by state agencies to inform the public about fish consumption advisories and the risks from consuming fish. This study examines the efficacy of presenting information about the risks from consuming contaminated fish and shellfish in two different formats: a brochure and classroom presentation. The two instruments were developed and tested in Spanish and English, reflecting the local ethnic composition in the Newark Bay Complex. The instruments were tested on women of child-bearing age at the Women, Infants, and Children Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Detailed diagrams were used in both presentations, including contaminated fish species, fish preparation methods, and food chain bioaccumulation and transmission to the fetus. There were few language-related differences in the efficacy of the classroom lesson, and the main ideas were understood by both groups. Where there were significant differences in understanding about the risks from consuming fish or crabs from the contaminated waters of Newark Bay, in all cases the women exposed to the classroom lesson had a better understanding than those who read the brochure. Ninety-six percent of the women who heard the lesson understood that it was unsafe to eat fish from the port, compared to 72% of those reading the brochure. Both formats succeeded in imparting information to most women about the area under advisories, the fish species under advisories, and transmission of toxins to the fetus. Information on fish preparation was recalled less clearly, partly because women were asked to relate methods to reduce the risk from consuming fish from 11 presented, and most recalled only two or three of the list. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting short classes to women of child-bearing age are discussed.

  1. Absence, Deviance and Unattainable Ideals--Discourses on Vegetarianism in the Swedish School Subject Home and Consumer Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohm, Ingela; Lindblom, Cecilia; Åbacka, Gun; Bengs, Carita; Hörnell, Agneta

    2016-01-01

    Objective: This study aimed to describe Discourses on vegetarian food in the Swedish school subject Home and Consumer Studies. Design: The study involved the observation of naturally occurring classroom talk, with audio recording and in some cases video-taping. Setting: The study was conducted during Home and Consumer Studies lessons in five…

  2. What Can You Learn about Writing in School?: A Case Study in an Elementary Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florio, Susan; And Others

    A two-year study investigated writing in the elementary school. Data collected included field notes from observation of a second/third grade classroom, videotapes of selected classroom activities, weekly journals kept by the teacher reflecting her thoughts on teaching in general and on writing in particular, interviews with the teacher about the…

  3. Professional Vision of Classroom Management and Learning Support in Science Classrooms--Does Professional Vision Differ across General and Content-Specific Classroom Interactions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffensky, Mirjam; Gold, Bernadette; Holdynski, Manfred; Möller, Kornelia

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigates the internal structure of professional vision of in-service teachers and student teachers with respect to classroom management and learning support in primary science lessons. Classroom management (including monitoring, managing momentum, and rules and routines) and learning support (including cognitive activation…

  4. The influence of an inquiry professional development program on secondary science teachers' conceptions and use of inquiry teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotter, Christine

    2005-11-01

    This research investigated nine secondary science teachers' conceptions and use of inquiry teaching throughout a year-long professional development program. The professional development program consisted of a two-week summer inquiry institute and research experience in university scientists' laboratories, as well as three academic year workshops. Teachers' conceptions of inquiry teaching were established through both qualitative interviews and a quantitative instrument given before and after the summer institute and again at the end of the academic year. Videotapes of all nine teachers presenting inquiry lessons in their own classrooms were evaluated using an observation protocol that measured the teachers' degree of reform teaching. Three of the teachers were chosen for an in-depth case study of their classroom teaching practices. Data collected from each of the case study teachers included videotapes from classroom observations, responses to an inquiry survey, and transcripts from two additional qualitative interviews. Students' responses to their teachers' use of inquiry teaching were also investigated in the case study classrooms. Through their participation in the professional development experience, the teachers gained a deeper understanding of how to implement inquiry practices in their classrooms. The teachers gained confidence and practice with inquiry methods through developing and presenting their institute-developed inquiry lessons, through observing other teachers' lessons, and participating as students in the workshop inquiry activities. Data analysis revealed that the teachers' knowledge of inquiry was necessary but not sufficient for their implementation of inquiry teaching practices. The teachers' conceptions of science, their students, effective teaching practices, and the purpose of education were found to have a direct effect on the type and amount of inquiry instruction performed in the high school classrooms. The research findings suggest that

  5. A Relevant Lesson: Hitler Goes to the Mall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerwin, David

    2003-01-01

    A "Motivation" eliciting the "Aim" of each lesson initiates each lesson in the orthodox "developmental lesson-plan" that has dominated classroom instruction in NYC public schools for at least the past half-century. An action-research study of 38 lesson-plans (over 5 each from 5 teachers) drawn from student-teaching…

  6. Development of short Indonesian lesson plan to improve teacher performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yulianto, B.; Kamidjan; Ahmadi, A.; Asteria, P. V.

    2018-01-01

    The developmental research was motivated by the results of preliminary study through interviews, which revealed almost all of the teachers did not create lesson plan themselves. As a result of this load, the performance of the real learning in the classroom becomes inadequate. Moreover, when lesson plan was not made by teachers themselves, the learning process becomes ineffective. Therefore, this study designed to develop a prototype of the short lesson plan, in particular, Indonesian language teaching, and to investigate its effectiveness. The participants in the study were teachers who were trained through lesson study group to design short model’s lesson plan. Questionnaires and open-ended questions were used, and the quantitative and qualitative data obtained were analyzed accordingly. The analysis of the quantitative data, aided with SPSS, were frequency, percentage, and means, whereas the qualitative data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the teachers liked the model, and they were willing to design their own lesson plan. The observation data revealed that the classroom learning process became more interactive, and classroom atmosphere was more engaging and natural because the teachers did not stick to the lesson plan made by other teachers.

  7. Investigating the Impact of NGSS-Aligned Professional Development on PreK-3 Teachers' Science Content Knowledge and Pedagogy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuttle, Nicole; Kaderavek, Joan N.; Molitor, Scott; Czerniak, Charlene M.; Johnson-Whitt, Eugenia; Bloomquist, Debra; Namatovu, Winnifred; Wilson, Grant

    2016-11-01

    This pilot study investigates the impact of a 2-week professional development Summer Institute on PK-3 teachers' knowledge and practices. This Summer Institute is a component of [program], a large-scale early-childhood science project that aims to transform PK-3 science teaching. The mixed-methods study examined concept maps, lesson plans, and classroom observations to measure possible changes in PK-3 teachers' science content knowledge and classroom practice from 11 teachers who attended the 2014 Summer Institute. Analysis of the concept maps demonstrated statistically significant growth in teachers' science content knowledge. Analysis of teachers' lesson plans demonstrated that the teachers could design high quality science inquiry lessons aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards following the professional development. Finally, examination of teachers' pre- and post-Summer Institute videotaped inquiry lessons showed evidence that teachers were incorporating new inquiry practices into their teaching, especially regarding classroom discourse. Our results suggest that an immersive inquiry experience is effective at beginning a shift towards reform-aligned science and engineering instruction but that early elementary educators require additional support for full mastery.

  8. Analysing the Integration of Engineering in Science Lessons with the Engineering-Infused Lesson Rubric

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterman, Karen; Daugherty, Jenny L.; Custer, Rodney L.; Ross, Julia M.

    2017-01-01

    Science teachers are being called on to incorporate engineering practices into their classrooms. This study explores whether the Engineering-Infused Lesson Rubric, a new rubric designed to target best practices in engineering education, could be used to evaluate the extent to which engineering is infused into online science lessons. Eighty lessons…

  9. Classroom Talk for Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Mikyung Kim; Crosson, Amy C.; Resnick, Lauren B.

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the quality of classroom talk and its relation to academic rigor in reading-comprehension lessons. Additionally, the study aimed to characterize effective questions to support rigorous reading comprehension lessons. The data for this study included 21 reading-comprehension lessons in several elementary and middle schools from…

  10. Mapping Science in Discourse-based Inquiry Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeneayhu, Demeke Gesesse

    Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how discourse-based inquiry science lessons provided opportunities for students to develop a network of semantic relations among core ideas and concepts in science. It was a naturalistic inquiry classroom lessons observation study on three science teachers--- a middle school science teacher and two high school physics teachers in an urban school district located in the Western New York region. Discourse and thematic analysis drawn from the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics were utilized as guiding framework and analysis tools. Analysis of the pre-observation and post-observation interviews of the participant teachers revealed that all of the three teachers participated in at least one inquiry-based science teaching teacher professional development program and they all thought their classroom teaching practice was inquiry-based. Analysis of their classroom lesson videos that each participant teacher taught on a specific science topic revealed that the middle school teacher was found to be a traditional teacher-dominated classroom whereas the two high school physics teachers' classroom teaching approach was found to be discourse-based inquiry. One of the physics teachers who taught on a topic of Magnetic Interaction used relatively structured and guided-inquiry classroom investigations. The other physics teacher who taught on a topic of Color Mixing utilized open-ended classroom investigations where the students planned and executed the series of classroom science investigations with minimal guidance from the teacher. The traditional teacher-based classroom communicative pattern was found to be dominated by Triadic Dialogue and most of the science thematics were jointly developed by the teacher and the students, but the students' role was limited to providing responses to the teacher's series questions. In the guided-inquiry classroom, the common communicative pattern was found to be True Dialogue and most

  11. Empirical development of brief smoking prevention videotapes which target African-American adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sussman, S; Parker, V C; Lopes, C; Crippens, D L; Elder, P; Scholl, D

    1995-07-01

    Two studies are described which provide evaluations for two brief videotapes developed as supplemental materials in the prevention of tobacco use among African-American adolescents. One videotape (the "soap opera") provides a more general audience-oriented presentation of prevention material and it was filmed primarily at a shopping mall, whereas the other videotape (the "rap") provides a "hip-hop generation" presentation, and it was filmed primarily at an outdoor hangout. The first study compared the two videotapes against each other. The second study compared the two videotapes combined in the same presentation, controlling for order of presentation, against a discussion group control. The results of the two studies indicated few differences in receptivity to the two videotapes among primarily African-American and Latino young adolescents. The rap videotape was rated as more accurate in its depiction of the African-American lifestyle, although both videotapes were equally liked. When shown together, the videotapes were not found to be superior in decreasing behavioral intention to smoke compared to a discussion group control. No change in trial of smoking was observed within or across conditions measured over a pre-post summer interval. These data suggest that "culturally sensitive" videotapes have no more of a short-term effect on youth than do other types of brief interventions which involve minority implementers.

  12. Climate change in the classroom: Reaching out to middle school students through science and math suitcase lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobo, A. C.; Collay, R.; Harris, R. N.; de Silva, L.

    2011-12-01

    We have formed a link between the Increasing Diversity in Earth Sciences (IDES) program with the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program, both at Oregon State University. The IDES mission is to strengthen the understanding of Earth Sciences and their relevance to society among broad and diverse segments of the population and the SMILE mission is to provide science and math enrichment for underrepresented and other educationally underserved students in grades 4-12. Traditionally, underserved schools do not have enough time or resources to spend on science and mathematics. Furthermore, numerous budget cuts in many Oregon school districts have negatively impacted math and science cirriculum. To combat this trend we have designed suitcase lessons in climate change that can be carried to a number of classrooms. These lesson plans are scientifically rich and economically attractive. These lessons are designed to engage students in math and science through climate change presentations, group discussions, and hands-on activities. Over the past year we have familiarized ourselves with the academic ability of sixth and seventh graders through in-class observation in Salem Oregon. One of the suit case lessons we developed focuses on climate change by exploring the plight of polar bears in the face of diminishing sea ice. Our presentation will report the results of this activity.

  13. Supporting teachers' technology integration in lesson plans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, Noortje

    2017-01-01

    Lesson planning offers rich opportunities for teachers to consider and implement technology in the classroom. This dissertation investigated the design and effectiveness of supplementary information to assist pre-service teachers during the lesson planning process. Based on the Technological,

  14. Japanese lesson study in mathematics its impact, diversity and potential for educational improvement

    CERN Document Server

    Isoda, Masami; Stephens, Max

    2007-01-01

    In Before It''s Too Late: A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (2000) in the US, the authors quote from James Stigler''s conclusions from various videotape research studies of mathematics teaching: "The key to long-term improvement [in teaching] is to figure out how to generate, accumulate, and share professional knowledge". Japanese Lesson Study has proved to be one successful means. This book supports the growing movement of lesson study to improve the quality of mathematics education from the original viewpoints of Japanese educators who have been engaging in lesson study in mathematics for professional development and curriculum implementation. This book also illustrates several projects related to lesson study in other countries.

  15. All about Mammals. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    In this videotape, students learn more about the characteristics of common warm-blooded mammals and what makes them different from other animals. Children also find out how humans are more advanced in structure than other mammals, but how they still share the same basic traits. This videotape correlates to the following National Science Education…

  16. Master's degree in nuclear engineering by videotaped courses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corradini, M.L.; Vogelsang, W.F.

    1991-01-01

    In 1986, a group of northern midwest utilities met with faculty from the nuclear engineering department at the University of Wisconsin (UW) to discuss the possibility of offering graduate courses by videotape for academic credit and earning a master's degree. Four years later, two utility employees from Northern States Power (NSP) and Wisconsin Electric Power Companies (WEPCO) graduated from the University of Wisconsin with master's degrees earned entirely by taking videotape graduate courses at their individual nuclear power plant sites. Within these 4 years, more than a dozen videotaped graduate courses were developed by the faculty of the department in a formalized master's degree program in nuclear engineering and engineering physics. This paper outlines the program's development and its current features

  17. Understanding children's science identity through classroom interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mijung

    2018-01-01

    Research shows that various stereotypes about science and science learning, such as science being filled with hard and dry content, laboratory experiments, and male-dominated work environments, have resulted in feelings of distance from science in students' minds. This study explores children's experiences of science learning and science identity. It asks how children conceive of doing science like scientists and how they develop views of science beyond the stereotypes. This study employs positioning theory to examine how children and their teacher position themselves in science learning contexts and develop science identity through classroom interactions. Fifteen students in grades 4-6 science classrooms in Western Canada participated in this study. Classroom activities and interactions were videotaped, transcribed, and analysed to examine how the teacher and students position each other as scientists in the classroom. A descriptive explanatory case analysis showed how the teacher's positioning acted to develop students' science identity with responsibilities of knowledge seeking, perseverance, and excitement about science.

  18. [Economics] Introductory Lesson (Begin Day One). Lesson Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Roland

    This introductory lesson on teaching economics concepts contains sections on the following: purpose; objectives; time; materials needed; and step-by-step classroom procedures. The focus is on the economic problem of scarcity and opportunity costs. Attached is an original skit, "There's no such thing as a free lunch," and a chart that…

  19. Augmenting Classroom Practices with QR Codes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorne, Tristan

    2016-01-01

    The use of mobile devices in the language classroom can help accomplish innumerable learning objectives, yet many teachers regard smartphones and tablets as obstacles to lesson goals. However, as portable technology continues to infiltrate classroom boundaries, it is becoming increasingly clear that educators should find ways to take advantage of…

  20. Effective Lesson Planning: Field Trips in the Science Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rieger, C. R.

    2010-10-01

    Science field trips can positively impact and motivate students. However, if a field trip is not executed properly, with appropriate preparation and follow-up reinforcement, it can result in a loss of valuable educational time and promote misconceptions in the students. This study was undertaken to determine if a classroom lesson before an out-of-the-classroom activity would affect learner gain more or less than a lesson after the activity. The study was based on the immersive theater movie ``Earth's Wild Ride'' coupled with a teacher-led Power Point lesson. The participants in the study were students in a sixth grade physical science class. The order of lessons showed no detectable effect on final learner outcomes. Based on pre- and post-testing, improvement in mean learning gain came from the teacher-led lesson independent of the movie. The visit to the immersive theater, however, had significant positive effects that did not show up in the quantitative results of the testing.

  1. The Brainbow Connection: Supplementing the Romance of Classroom Color Computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Hugh

    1982-01-01

    Discusses the role and use of color in instructional computing. Suggests teachers consider: (1) how color symbolically represents content and reinforces organization of lessons; (2) how color enhances a lesson's style and short/long-term memory; and (3) cost of classroom color computer assisted lessons. (Author/JN)

  2. Constructivism in Practice: an Exploratory Study of Teaching Patterns and Student Motivation in Physics Classrooms in Finland, Germany and Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beerenwinkel, Anne; von Arx, Matthias

    2017-04-01

    For the last three decades, moderate constructivism has become an increasingly prominent perspective in science education. Researchers have defined characteristics of constructivist-oriented science classrooms, but the implementation of such science teaching in daily classroom practice seems difficult. Against this background, we conducted a sub-study within the tri-national research project Quality of Instruction in Physics (QuIP) analysing 60 videotaped physics classes involving a large sample of students ( N = 1192) from Finland, Germany and Switzerland in order to investigate the kinds of constructivist components and teaching patterns that can be found in regular classrooms without any intervention. We applied a newly developed coding scheme to capture constructivist facets of science teaching and conducted principal component and cluster analyses to explore which components and patterns were most prominent in the classes observed. Two underlying components were found, resulting in two scales—Structured Knowledge Acquisition and Fostering Autonomy—which describe key aspects of constructivist teaching. Only the first scale was rather well established in the lessons investigated. Classes were clustered based on these scales. The analysis of the different clusters suggested that teaching physics in a structured way combined with fostering students' autonomy contributes to students' motivation. However, our regression models indicated that content knowledge is a more important predictor for students' motivation, and there was no homogeneous pattern for all gender- and country-specific subgroups investigated. The results are discussed in light of recent discussions on the feasibility of constructivism in practice.

  3. Periscope: Looking into Learning in Best-Practices Physics Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherr, Rachel E.; Goertzen, Renee Michelle

    2018-02-01

    Periscope is a set of lessons to support learning assistants, teaching assistants, and faculty in learning to notice and interpret classroom events the way an accomplished teacher does. Periscope lessons are centered on video episodes from a variety of best-practices university physics classrooms. By observing, discussing, and reflecting on teaching situations similar to their own, instructors practice applying lessons learned about teaching to actual teaching situations and develop their pedagogical content knowledge. Instructors also get a view of other institutions' transformed courses, which can support and expand the vision of their own instructional improvement and support the transfer of course developments among faculty. Periscope is available for free to educators at http://physport.org/periscope.

  4. Legal IEPs: A Common Sense Approach with Barbara Bateman. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA. Div. for Learning Disabilities.

    In this 2-hour videotape workshop designed for teachers, administrators, parents, and others, Dr. Barbara Bateman answers many key questions that have been raised about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) since the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the 1999 regulations. The videotape reviews the…

  5. Analysing the integration of engineering in science lessons with the Engineering-Infused Lesson Rubric

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterman, Karen; Daugherty, Jenny L.; Custer, Rodney L.; Ross, Julia M.

    2017-09-01

    Science teachers are being called on to incorporate engineering practices into their classrooms. This study explores whether the Engineering-Infused Lesson Rubric, a new rubric designed to target best practices in engineering education, could be used to evaluate the extent to which engineering is infused into online science lessons. Eighty lessons were selected at random from three online repositories, and coded with the rubric. Overall results documented the strengths of existing lessons, as well as many components that teachers might strengthen. In addition, a subset of characteristics was found to distinguish lessons with the highest level of engineering infusion. Findings are discussed in relation to the potential of the rubric to help teachers use research evidence-informed practice generally, and in relation to the new content demands of the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards, in particular.

  6. The Level and Quality of Accountability Talk in the Science Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motlhabane, Abraham

    2016-01-01

    Teachers are actively encouraged to plan their lessons such that there is maximum classroom talk, namely accountability talk. However, many lessons do not display sufficient accountability talk. This study attempted to better understand the level and quality of accountability talk in six science lessons. The study aimed to provide teachers with…

  7. How to Analyze Routines in Teachers' Thinking Processes during Lesson Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bromme, Rainer

    A justification for the study of teachers' routines, as they affect the preparation of lesson plans, prefaces this paper on teachers' thought processes during lesson planning. In focusing on the importance of research into teachers' routines, it is pointed out that lesson preparation and classroom routines permit teachers to direct attention to…

  8. Teaching and learning in the international classroom: quality principles and lessons learned from the IntlUni project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Karen M.; Cozart, Stacey Marie

    2015-01-01

    , and expectations about the teaching and learning processes and outcomes. Certainly, many teachers in these settings are meeting the challenges of this diversity, and some are leveraging it to improve student learning and intercultural competence. Nevertheless, the work of IntlUni, an Erasmus Academic Network (2012......As higher education in Europe becomes increasingly internationalized, many higher education institutions are facing new diversity issues as well as opportunities arising from educational settings where students and teachers often have different first languages, cultural backgrounds...... of principles for quality teaching and learning in the international classroom, developed by the network, as well as a number of the important lessons learned...

  9. Effect of a Specialized Classroom Counseling Intervention on Increasing Self-Efficacy among First-Grade Rural Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhoshi, Gerta; Duncan, Kelly; Erford, Bradley T.

    2018-01-01

    This preliminary research examined the effectiveness of a classroom counseling intervention on student self-efficacy development. Five first-grade classrooms in a rural school with high rates of economic disparity were randomly assigned to either a set of 12 specialized lessons emphasizing self-efficacy or lessons from the existing core…

  10. Constraints on communication in classrooms for the deaf.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, T J; Reich, C F

    1993-03-01

    One explanation for the relatively low scholastic achievement of deaf students is the character of communication in the classroom. Unlike aural communication methods, line-of-sight methods share the limitation that the receiver of the message must look at the sender. To assess the magnitude of this constraint, we measured the amount of time signers were looked at by potential receivers in typical secondary school classes for the deaf. Videotaped segments indicated that on average the messages sent by teachers and students were seen less than half the time. Students frequently engaged in collateral conversations. The constraints of line-of-sight communication are profound and should be addressed by teaching techniques, classroom layout, and possibly, the use of computer-communication technology.

  11. Preservice teachers' use of lesson study in teaching nature of science

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDowell, Amy Virginia

    The purpose of this study was to explore preservice teachers' lived experiences in a lesson study focused on teaching and learning nature of science (NOS). The body of knowledge about shifting pre- and in-service novice NOS understandings is substantial. The focus of science education research is now exploring ways to move these informed NOS understandings into classroom practice (Abd-El-Khalick & Lederman, 2000b). The research questions guiding the study were (a) how do preservice teachers' understandings of NOS shift as a result of the lesson study experience?, and (b) how does the reflective practice that occurs in lesson study influence preservice teachers' transition of NOS tenets into classroom practice? The participants in this study represented a sample of graduate preservice teachers, who were part of a middle and secondary science teaching alternative certification program in a southeastern university. In the first summer semester of this certification program, the participants were immersed in reform based science instruction; a section of which included NOS teachings (INTASC, 2002). In the following semester, participants were placed in a practicum setting; where the exploration of the preservice teachers' teaching of NOS was supported through the modified lesson study framework. Data sources included the Views on Nature of Science-Form B (VNOS-b), interviews, and lesson study portfolios. Analysis of NOS understandings was guided by instruments found in literature associated with the VNOS-b (Lederman et al., 2002) and reflection (Ward & McCotter, 2004). Results showed successful transfer of NOS into classroom practice using the modified lesson study framework, with less success in the deepening of participants' NOS understandings. Of particular significance was that results indicated a deepening of NOS pedagogical content knowledge for those participants functioning at higher levels of reflection. The study's results contributes to two knowledge bases

  12. Cloning in the classroom: an example of the didactical use of popularization of science text

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel Martins

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a science lesson in which different texts,such as newspapers, popular science magazines and textbooks were used as didactic resources. Our theoretical framework explores the relevance of communicative approaches to teaching and discusses the relationships between text and discourse. Data were collected through videotapes of a Biology lesson about cloning in an adult education class in Brazil. The analyses focussed on the teacher’s discursive re-elaborations and revealed a variety of roles played by a popular science text in a science lesson, such as motivation and lesson structuring, as well as, helpingorganise explanations, fostering debate, broadening reading practices and establishing relationships between scientific and everyday contexts. Amongst the discursive re-elaborations observed are strategies for adaptation of originals, the emphasis on reading activities and joint use of popular science texts and textbooks.

  13. Breaststroke learning through the use of videotape feedback

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcela de Castro Ferracioli

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2013v15n2p204 People from all age groups and social backgrounds have always sought to learn swimming. However, the swimming learning process is usually considered repetitive and tiring, requiring the teacher to use methods that motivate students to join the practice without ignoring the need for improvement in their performance. This study assessed motivation during a breaststroke learning process in students who received videotape feedback, verbal feedback, and who did not receive any feedback during practice. Thirty seven swimming inexperienced students were divided into three groups: Video (n=13, which received videotape feedback; Verbal (n=15, which received verbal feedback; and Control (n=9, which did not receive any feedback during experimental phases (pre-test, acquisition (5 days, post-test and retention. Participants completed a questionnaire based on Likert scale for motivation assessment. Scores were given to their performance by a swimming teacher to assess breaststroke learning during each experimental phase. Results of motivation assessment showed that students who received feedback (videotape or verbal felt more motivated during practice than those who did not receive any feedback. Regarding the breaststroke learning, all participants improved their performance along experimental phases, but, during the retention one, Verbal group’s performance was considered superior to the Control group’s performance. This study concluded that the use of videotape and verbal feedback has motivational results on breaststroke learning, and that it is effective in the learning process.

  14. Vicarious Desensitization of Test Anxiety Through Observation of Video-taped Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Jay

    1972-01-01

    Procedural variations were compared for a vicarious group treatment of test anxiety involving observation of videotapes depicting systematic desensitization of a model. The theoretical implications of the present study and the feasibility of using videotaped materials to treat test anxiety and other avoidance responses in school settings are…

  15. Learning from Lessons: studying the structure and construction of mathematics teacher knowledge in Australia, China and Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Man Ching Esther; Clarke, David J.; Clarke, Doug M.; Roche, Anne; Cao, Yiming; Peter-Koop, Andrea

    2018-03-01

    The major premise of this project is that teachers learn from the act of teaching a lesson. Rather than asking "What must a teacher already know in order to practice effectively?", this project asks "What might a teacher learn through their activities in the classroom and how might this learning be optimised?" In this project, controlled conditions are created utilising purposefully designed and trialled lesson plans to investigate the process of teacher knowledge construction, with teacher selective attention proposed as a key mediating variable. In order to investigate teacher learning through classroom practice, the project addresses the following questions: To what classroom objects, actions and events do teachers attend and with what consequence for their learning? Do teachers in different countries attend to different classroom events and consequently derive different learning benefits from teaching a lesson? This international project combines focused case studies with an online survey of mathematics teachers' selective attention and consequent learning in Australia, China and Germany. Data include the teacher's adaptation of a pre-designed lesson, the teacher's actions during the lesson, the teacher's reflective thoughts about the lesson and, most importantly, the consequences for the planning and delivery of a second lesson. The combination of fine-grained, culturally situated case studies and large-scale online survey provides mutually informing benefits from each research approach. The research design, so constituted, offers the means to a new and scalable vision of teacher learning and its promotion.

  16. Tracing Growth of Teachers' Classroom Interactions with Representations of Functions in the Connected Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morton, Brian Lee

    The purpose of this study is to create an empirically based theoretic model of change of the use and treatment of representations of functions with the use of Connected Classroom Technology (CCT) using data previously collected for the Classroom Connectivity in Promoting Mathematics and Science Achievement (CCMS) project. Qualitative analysis of videotapes of three algebra teachers' instruction focused on different categories thought to influence teaching representations with technology: representations, discourse, technology, and decisions. Models for rating teachers low, medium, or high for each of these categories were created using a priori codes and grounded methodology. A cross case analysis was conducted after the completion of the case studies by comparing and contrasting the three cases. Data revealed that teachers' decisions shifted to incorporate the difference in student ideas/representations made visible by the CCT into their instruction and ultimately altered their orientation to mathematics teaching. The shift in orientation seemed to lead to the teachers' growth with regards to representations, discourse, and technology.

  17. Internet Roadside Cafe #6. [Videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Library Association Video/Library Video Network, Towson, MD.

    This 30-minute videotape takes an in-depth look at World Wide Web business transactions, potential risks, client privacy and security issues by asking businesses and consumers how they do business on the Internet. Also featured in the program is advice about choosing a secure password, the use of credit cards for Web purchasing and a review of…

  18. An Investigation of the Use of the ‘Flipped Classroom’ Pedagogy in Secondary English Language Classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi Cheung Ruby Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose\t: To examine the use of a flipped classroom in the English Language subject in secondary classrooms in Hong Kong. Background:\tThe research questions addressed were: (1 What are teachers’ perceptions towards the flipped classroom pedagogy? (2 How can teachers transfer their flipped classroom experiences to teaching other classes/subjects? (3 What are students’ perceptions towards the flipped classroom pedagogy? (4 How can students transfer their flipped classroom experiences to studying other subjects? (5 Will students have significant gain in the knowledge of the lesson topic trialled in this study? Methodology: A total of 57 students from two Secondary 2 classes in a Band 3 secondary school together with two teachers teaching these two classes were involved in this study. Both quantitative and quantitative data analyses were conducted. Contribution: Regarding whether the flipped classroom pedagogy can help students gain significantly in their knowledge of a lesson topic, only one class of students gained statistically significantly in the subject knowledge but not for another class. Findings: Students in general were positive about the flipped classroom. On the other hand, although the teachers considered that the flipped classroom pedagogy was creative, they thought it may only be useful for teaching English grammar. Recommendations for Practitioners: Teachers thought that flipping a classroom may only be useful for more motivated students, and the extra workload of finding or making suitable pre-lesson online videos is the main concern for teachers. Recommendations for Researchers: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses should be conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a flipped classroom on students’ language learning. Impact on Society\t: Teachers and students can transfer their flipped classroom experiences in English Language to teaching and studying other subjects. Future Research:\tMore classes should be

  19. Student and Teacher Interventions: A Framework for Analysing Mathematical Discourse in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drageset, Ove Gunnar

    2015-01-01

    Mathematical discourse in the classroom has been conceptualised in several ways, from relatively general patterns such as initiation-response-evaluation (Cazden in "Classroom discourse: the language of teaching and learning," Heinemann, London, 1988; Mehan in "Learning lessons: social organization in the classroom." Cambridge,…

  20. Library orientation on videotape: production planning and administrative support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shedlock, J; Tawyea, E W

    1989-01-01

    New student-faculty-staff orientation is an important public service in a medical library and demands creativity, imagination, teaching skill, coordination, and cooperation on the part of public services staff. The Northwestern University Medical Library (NUML) implemented a video production service in the spring of 1986 and used the new service to produce an orientation videotape for incoming students, new faculty, and medical center staff. Planning is an important function in video production, and the various phases of outlining topics, drafting scripts, matching video sequences, and actual taping of video, voice, and music are described. The NUML orientation videotape demonstrates how reference and audiovisual services merge talent and skills to benefit the library user. Videotape production, however, cannot happen in a vacuum of good intentions and high ideals. This paper also presents the management support and cost analysis needed to make video production services a reality for use by public service departments.

  1. Constructing Informal Experiences in the Elementary General Music Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hewitt, Donna

    2018-01-01

    Children often spontaneously yet purposefully sing songs or create rhythms outside the formal classroom setting to reflect the ways in which they naturally engage with music. Researchers have studied these informal music learning practices to incorporate these experiences into the classroom to offer lessons that are engaging and better reflective…

  2. The Paper Airplane Challenge: A Market Economy Simulation. Lesson Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Kimberly

    This lesson plan features a classroom simulation that helps students understand the characteristics of a market economic system. The lesson plan states a purpose; cites student objectives; suggests a time duration; lists materials needed; and details a step-by-step teaching procedure. The "Paper Airplane Challenge" handout is attached. (BT)

  3. The Media and Controlled Substances; Anti-Drug Legislation. Lesson Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laverdure, Sharon

    1991-01-01

    Provides two lesson plans for classroom use. Focuses on media influence on the use of alcohol and tobacco and on regulatory laws and their effect on drug use. Identifies connections that can be made to textbooks and magazine articles, as well as suggestions for opening, developing, and concluding each lesson. (DK)

  4. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Lesson with Interdisciplinary Connections for Middle-Level Music Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Early, Mary Frances; Terry, Cynthia

    This lesson begins with a very brief biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. The lesson identifies its educational objectives; addresses National Standards for Music Education; lists materials needed; details six step-by-step classroom procedures for lesson implementation; and provides curriculum connections for language arts, visual art, physical…

  5. "O Mundo da Lingua Portuguesa," a Supplementary Cultural Lesson.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, James H.

    The text of a classroom lesson on the distribution and use of the Portuguese language in African countries, written in Portuguese and containing an explanation of and practice in using the definite article with African place names, is presented. The lesson is accompanied by vocabulary notes in the margin, a list of questions on the text, and a mpa…

  6. Disclosing Information about Epilepsy and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: The Effect on Teachers' Understanding of Classroom Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wodrich, David L.

    2005-01-01

    In an analog study, 122 continuing education and preservice teachers rated potential sources of one of two students' classroom problems. One student's behavior, described in a cumulative folder and a videotaped teacher/school psychologist conference, matched the symptoms of epilepsy, the other matched the symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus.…

  7. Incorporating Remote Robotic Telescopes into an Elementary Classroom Setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharp, Zoe; Hock, Emily

    2016-03-01

    As Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are implemented across the nation, engaging and content-specific lessons are becoming an important addition to elementary classrooms. This paper demonstrate how effective hands-on teaching tactics, authentic learning, scientifically significant data, and research in the elementary realm can aid students in selfdiscovery about astronomy and uncover what it is to be a researcher and scientist. It also outlines an effective, engaging, and integrated classroom unit that is usable in both the scientific community and elementary schools. The lesson unit consists of NGSS science and engineering practices and performance expectations as well as California Common Core Standards (CCSS).

  8. Use of the Outdoor Classroom and Nature-Study to Support Science and Literacy Learning: A Narrative Case Study of a Third-Grade Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eick, Charles J.

    2012-01-01

    A case study of an exemplary third grade teacher's use of the outdoor classroom for meeting both state science and language arts standards is described. Data from the researcher's field journal, teacher lesson plans, and teacher interviews document how this teacher used nature-study to bridge outdoor classroom experiences with the state science…

  9. Adding Feminist Therapy to Videotape Demonstrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konrad, Jennifer L.; Yoder, Janice D.

    2000-01-01

    Provides directions for presenting a 32-minute series of four videotape segments that highlights the fundamental features of four approaches to psychotherapy, extending its reach to include a feminist perspective. Describes the approaches and included segments. Reports that students' comments demonstrate that the video sequence provided a helpful…

  10. Analysis of Participant Reactivity in Dyads Performing a Videotaped Conflict-Management Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semeniuk, Yulia Y; Riesch, Susan K

    2011-01-01

    Videotaping is used frequently in nursing research. A threat to the validity of videotaping is participant reactivity, that is, being recorded by a camera may influence the behavior of interest. This paper's purpose is to report how youth ages 10 to 14 years old and their parent viewed participation in a videotaped conflict-management task. Five dyads, who were part of a randomized clinical trial testing an intervention to promote parent-child communication, participated in a structured interview. All parents were mothers. Youth were eighth graders. Three were boys and two were girls. Findings indicated that (a) dyads felt that the videotaped interaction had a progression of feeling unnatural in the beginning to feeling natural toward the end, (b) dyads found it relatively easy to choose a topic of discussion, and (c) dyads felt that the discussions were meaningful. Based on these data, recommendations for researchers to reduce participant reactivity are provided.

  11. Galileo's 'Jumping-Hill' Experiment in the Classroom--A Constructivist's Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubli, Fritz

    2001-01-01

    Uses Galileo's 'jumping-hill' experiment as an historical element to improve science teaching in the classroom. Illustrates that the experiment can stimulate an animated discussion in the classroom, even if precise historic circumstances are not mentioned. The historical dimensions bring some color into the lesson, which increases attention. (SAH)

  12. Students' beliefs, attitudes, and conceptual change in a traditional and a constructivistic high school physics classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, April Dean

    In this study, the relationships between student beliefs about the nature of science, student attitudes, and conceptual change about the nature of forces were investigated within a traditional and within a constructivistic high school physics classroom. Students in both classrooms were honors students taking a first year high school physics course and were primarily white and middle to upper SES. Students in the traditional classroom were all high ability juniors, and physics instruction was integrated with pre-calculus. Students in the constructivistic classroom were a mixture of juniors and seniors. Due to the interrelated nature of these factors and the complexity of their interactions, a naturalistic inquiry design was chosen. The data sources included videotape of 7-9 weeks of instruction; analysis of the videotapes using the Secondary Teacher Analysis Matrix (Gallagher & Parker, 1995); field notes; pretest/posttest assessment with the Force Concept Inventory (Hestenes, Wells, & Swackhammer, 1992); student responses from the Views on Science-Technology-Society questionnaire (Aikenhead & Ryan, 1992), the Questionnaire for the Assessment of a Science Course (Chiappetta, 1995), and the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (Taylor, Fraser, & White, 1994); student interviews; and teacher interviews. In the traditional classroom, (a) students did not think that physics was relevant to everyday experiences; (b) high conceptual change students were more likely to have an angular world view (Cobern, 1993) and have views more similar to the teacher's about the nature of science; and (c) high conceptual change students were able to develop an internally consistent understanding of the content; however, that content appeared to be isolated knowledge in some students. In the constructivistic classroom, (a) students saw physics as relevant and useful; (b) there was no difference in world view or agreement with the teacher's views on the nature of science between high

  13. From Mouth to Hand: Obstacles in Rendering Verbal Events Faithfully into Standard Orthography. The Classroom Interaction Project Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hays, Harriet Nutt

    This paper reports the initial phase of a series of experiments conducted on a large number of videotapes made for the purpose of analyzing public-school classroom interaction. The experiments originally aimed to preduct the most reliable, efficient and economic way of producing transcriptions which are sufficiently representative of the verbal…

  14. Professional growth in adaptive teaching competence as a result of Lesson Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schipper, Tijmen; Goei, Sui Lin; de Vries, Siebrich; van Veen, Klaas

    2017-01-01

    Since classrooms have become more diverse, professional development on adaptive teaching seems critically important, yet turns out to be complex. Lesson Study may address this issue due to its explicit focus on student learning. In total, 22 Lesson Study participants from" different school contexts

  15. Professional growth in adaptive teaching competence as a result of Lesson Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tijmen Schipper; Sui Lin Goei; Klaas Veen; Siebrich Vries

    2017-01-01

    Since classrooms have become more diverse, professional development on adaptive teaching seems critically important, yet turns out to be complex. Lesson Study may address this issue due to its explicit focus on student learning. In total, 22 Lesson Study participants from different school contexts

  16. Energy matters: An investigation of drama pedagogy in the science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alrutz, Megan

    The purpose of this study is to explore and document how informal and improvisational drama techniques affect student learning in the science classroom. While implementing a drama-based science unit, I examined multiple notions of learning, including, but not limited to, traditional notions of achievement, student understanding, student participation in the science classroom, and student engagement with, and knowledge of, science content. Employing an interpretivist research methodology, as outlined by Fredrick Erickson for qualitative analysis in the classroom, I collected data through personal observations; student and teacher interviews; written, artistic and performed class work; video-recorded class work; written tests; and questionnaires. In analyzing the data, I found strong support for student engagement during drama-based science instruction. The drama-based lessons provided structures that drew students into lessons, created enthusiasm for the science curriculum, and encouraged meaningful engagement with, and connections to, the science content, including the application and synthesis of science concepts and skills. By making student contributions essential to each of the lessons, and by challenging students to justify, explain, and clarify their understandings within a dramatic scenario, the classroom facilitators created a conducive learning environment that included both support for student ideas and intellectual rigor. The integration of drama-based pedagogy most affected student access to science learning and content. Students' participation levels, as well as their interest in both science and drama, increased during this drama-based science unit. In addition, the drama-based lessons accommodated multiple learning styles and interests, improving students' access to science content and perceptions of their learning experience and abilities. Finally, while the drama-based science lessons provided multiple opportunities for solidifying understanding of

  17. Gender Inequality in Biology Classes in China and Its Effects on Students' Short-Term Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Neuhaus, Birgit

    2014-07-01

    This study investigated gender inequality in biology lessons and analysed the effects of the observed inequality on students' short-term knowledge achievement, situational interest and students' evaluation of teaching (SET). Twenty-two biology teachers and 803 7th-grade students from rural and urban classrooms in China participated in the study. Each teacher was videotaped for 1 lesson on the topic blood and circulatory system. Before and after the lessons, the students completed tests and questionnaires. Chi-square analysis was conducted to compare the boys' and girls' participation rates of answering teachers' questions in the lessons. The findings revealed that in the urban classrooms the boys had a significantly higher rate of participation than did the girls, and hence also a higher situational interest. However, no such gender inequity was found among the rural students. The study also revealed that urban students answered more complicated questions compared with the rural students in general. The findings of this study suggest that the teachers should try to balance boys' and girls' participation and involve more students in answering questions in their lessons. The study also raises questions about long-term effects of students' participation in answering teachers' questions on their outcomes-knowledge achievement, situational interest and SET.

  18. Revisiting Classroom Routines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Gloria Lodato

    2016-01-01

    Most co-teachers agree that there just isn't enough time for co-teachers to appropriately and effectively preplan every aspect of every activity in every lesson. This lack of time leads co-teachers to turn to models that fail to maximize the benefits of a two-teacher classroom. Wilson suggests that if co-teachers use their limited planning time to…

  19. Layers of Experience: Forms of Representation in a Waldorf School Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, David W.

    2000-01-01

    Examines why a sixth-grade teacher in a Waldorf classroom selected the particular forms of representation for the lessons in a thematic unit. States that the teacher represented the lessons in ways that would bring about experiences, feelings, and imagination (such as story telling, visual arts, and singing.) (CMK)

  20. SciNews: Incorporating Science Current Events in 21st Century Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiMaggio, E.

    2011-12-01

    Middle school students are instructed with the aid of textbooks, lectures, and activities to teach topics that satisfy state standards. However, teaching materials created to convey standard-aligned science concepts often leave students asking how the content relates to their lives and why they should be learning it. Conveying relevance is important for student learning and retention, especially in science where abstract concepts can often be incorrectly perceived as irrelevant. One way to create an educational link between classroom content and everyday life is through the use of scientific current events. Students read, hear, and watch media coverage of natural events (such as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan), but do not necessarily relate the scientific information from media sources to classroom studies. Taking advantage of these brief 'teachable moments'--when student interest is high--provides a valuable opportunity to make classroom-to-everyday life associations and to incorporate inquiry based learning. To address this need, I create pre-packaged current event materials for middle to high school teachers that align to state standards, and which are short, effective, and easy to implement in the classroom. Each lesson takes approximately 15-30 minutes to implement, allowing teachers time to facilitate brief but meaningful discussions. I assemble materials within approximately one week of the regional or global science event, consisting of short slide shows, maps, videos, pictures, and real-time data. I use a listserv to send biweekly emails to subscribed instructors containing the current event topic and a link to download the materials. All materials are hosted on the Arizona State University Education Outreach SciNews website (http://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resources) and are archived. Currently, 285 educators subscribe to the SciNews listserv, representing 36 states and 19 countries. In order to assess the effectiveness and usefulness of Sci

  1. Lessons that Bear Repeating and Repeating that Bears Lessons: An Interdisciplinary Unit on Principles of Minimalism in Modern Music, Art, and Poetry (Grades 4-8)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smigel, Eric; McDonald, Nan L.

    2012-01-01

    This theory-to-practice article focuses on interdisciplinary classroom activities based on principles of minimalism in modern music, art, and poetry. A lesson sequence was designed for an inner-city Grades 4 and 5 general classroom of English language learners, where the unit was taught, assessed, and documented by the authors. Included in the…

  2. Journey to Planet Earth: The Urban Explosion. The Public Television Series. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999

    This videotape attempts to show students how the uncontrolled development of the world's major cities has led to a series of problems such as air pollution, water pollution, limited room for waste disposal, housing shortages, and loss of farmland. The videotape profiles four mega-cities: Mexico City, Shanghai, Istanbul, and New York City. Students…

  3. The Activity Structure of Lesson Segments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Robert B.; Anderson, Lorin W.

    1987-01-01

    Approaches classroom instruction and teacher effectiveness by conceptualizing the physical milieu shaping teacher-student interactions. Lessons are viewed as a series of segments with three components (purpose, activity format, and assignment) that help characterize the instructional environment. Scripts are suggested to help regulate activity…

  4. Teaching Pragmatic Particles in the LCTL Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faizah Sari

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The success and effectiveness of teaching the LCTL class-room depend on the LCTL research. The study investigated the into-nation contours of seven Indonesian pragmatic particles (kan, ya, kok, lho, dong, deh, and sih to review the functions of the particles. Vide-otaped data of naturally occurring conversations by native speakers of Indonesian were collected. Results indicated the number of into-nation contours for the Indonesian pragmatic particles used by the speakers to organize information (for example, to extend common ground and mark shared knowledge and to convey the speaker’s ex-pression (for example, surprise and emphasis. The particle contour analysis forms a natural link between grammatical and interactional competence and bears an important LCTL pedagogical consequence in terms of both improving teaching materials and bringing the cul-ture closer to the learner. Based on the findings, four strategies in teaching the LCTL classroom are recommended.

  5. Teaching and Learning Science in Authoritative Classrooms: Teachers' Power and Students' Approval in Korean Elementary Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jeong-A.; Kim, Chan-Jong

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to understand interactions in Korean elementary science classrooms, which are heavily influenced by Confucianism. Ethnographic observations of two elementary science teachers' classrooms in Korea are provided. Their classes are fairly traditional teaching, which mean teacher-centered interactions are dominant. To understand the power and approval in science classroom discourse, we have adopted Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Based on CDA, form and function analysis was adopted. After the form and function analysis, all episodes were analyzed in terms of social distance. The results showed that both teachers exercised their power while teaching. However, their classes were quite different in terms of getting approval by students. When a teacher got students' approval, he could conduct the science lesson more effectively. This study highlights the importance of getting approval by students in Korean science classrooms.

  6. Disassembling the Classroom--An Ethnographic Approach to the Materiality of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roehl, Tobias

    2012-01-01

    The ethnography of education is challenged by the materiality of the classroom. Ethnographic accounts of school lessons mostly highlight language and interaction and offer no suitable methodology for researching objects and their role in the classroom. Moreover, objects are part of complex and interwoven assemblages involving human actors,…

  7. Learning to Estimate Slide Comprehension in Classrooms with Support Vector Machines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pattanasri, N.; Mukunoki, M.; Minoh, M.

    2012-01-01

    Comprehension assessment is an essential tool in classroom learning. However, the judgment often relies on experience of an instructor who makes observation of students' behavior during the lessons. We argue that students should report their own comprehension explicitly in a classroom. With students' comprehension made available at the slide…

  8. Effects of Lesson Study on Science Teacher Candidates' Teaching Efficacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pektas, Murat

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the lesson study process on science teacher candidates' teaching in terms of lesson plan content, pedagogy and classroom management based on expert, peer and self-evaluations. The participants of this case study consisted of 16 teacher candidates in elementary science education in their…

  9. Enabling the Use of Authentic Scientific Data in the Classroom--Lessons Learned from the AccessData and Data Services Workshops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynds, S. E.; Buhr, S. M.; Ledley, T. S.

    2007-12-01

    Enabling the Use of Authentic Scientific Data in the Classroom--Lessons Learned from the AccessData and Data Services Workshops Since 2004, the annual AccessData and DLESE Data Services workshops have gathered scientists, data managers, technology specialists, teachers, and curriculum developers to work together creating classroom- ready scientific data modules. Teams of five (one participant from each of the five professions) develop topic- specific online educational units of the Earth Exploration Toolbook (serc.carleton.edu/eet/). Educators from middle schools through undergraduate colleges have been represented, as have scientific data professionals from many organizations across the United States. Extensive evaluation has been included in the design of each workshop. The evaluation results have been used each year to improve subsequent workshops. In addition to refining the format and process of the workshop itself, evaluation data collected reveal attendees' experiences using scientific data for educational purposes. Workshop attendees greatly value the opportunity to network with those of other professional roles in developing a real-world education project using scientific data. Educators appreciate the opportunity to work directly with scientists and technology specialists, while researchers and those in technical fields value the classroom expertise of the educators. Attendees' data use experiences are explored every year. Although bandwidth and connectivity were problems for data use in 2004, that has become much less common over time. The most common barriers to data use cited now are discoverability, data format problems, incomplete data sets, and poor documentation. Most attendees agree that the most useful types of online documentation and user support for scientific data are step-by-step instructions, examples, tutorials, and reference manuals. Satellite imagery and weather data were the most commonly used types of data, and these were often

  10. Developing Student Autonomy in the One-to-One Music Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPhail, Graham J.

    2013-01-01

    As a practitioner in both the classroom and in the instrumental studio, I am interested in how one educational context might inform the other. Within an action research paradigm, I gave a violin lesson in front of colleagues as a means to gain feedback and to open up discussion on the concept of student autonomy within the one-to-one lesson. The…

  11. How To Dance through Time. Volume V: Victorian Era Couple Dances. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teten, Carol

    This 55-minute VHS videotape is the fifth in a series of "How To Dance Through Time" videos. It continues the tradition of the romance of the mid-19th century couple dances, focusing on Victorian era couple dances. The videotape offers 35 variations of the renowned 19th century couple dances, including the waltz, the polka, the galop,…

  12. To What Extent Does 'Flipping' Make Lessons Effective in a Multimedia Production Class?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jaeho; Lee, Youngju

    2018-01-01

    This study examines the effects of a flipped classroom in a technology integration course for pre-service teachers. In total, 79 students were randomly assigned into a flipped classroom or a traditional classroom group and given three multimedia production tasks. Students in the flipped group reviewed an e-book for lessons on multimedia…

  13. Smiles count but minutes matter: responses to classroom exercise breaks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howie, Erin K; Newman-Norlund, Roger D; Pate, Russell R

    2014-09-01

    To determine the subjective responses of teachers and students to classroom exercise breaks, and how responses varied by duration. This mixed-methods experimental study included focus groups with teachers (N = 8) and 4(th)- and 5(th)-grade students (N = 96). Students participated in 5-, 10-, and 20-minute exercise breaks and 10 minutes of sedentary activity. In an additional exploratory analysis, video-tapes of each condition were coded and compared for positive affect. Students and teachers discussed multiple benefits, but teachers discussed barriers to implementing regular breaks of 5-minutes or more. Students exhibited higher positive affect during each exercise condition. Classroom exercise breaks are an enjoyable way to increase physical activity, but additional support may be needed to encourage teachers to implement breaks of 5 minutes or longer.

  14. Adobe Photoshop CS6 digital classroom

    CERN Document Server

    Smith, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    A complete training package on the newest version of Photoshop! The Digital Classroom series combines a full-color book with a full-featured DVD, resulting in a complete training package written by expert instructors. Photoshop is the industry standard for image editing, and this guide gets photographers, commercial designers, web developers, fine artists, and serious hobbyists up to speed on the newest version. It includes 13 self-paced lessons that allow you to progress at your own speed, with complete lesson files and tutorials on the DVD. Topics include Camera RAW, masks and la

  15. For Sale: Your Lesson Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, Kim

    2016-01-01

    The last several years has seen an increasingly popular trend of teachers buying and selling their lesson plans and other self-created classroom materials in online marketplaces. The leader in this space is a website called Teachers Pay Teachers, which boasts 3.8 million active users. In this article, the author examines why these sites became…

  16. The application of micro-lesson in optics teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Suzhen; Mao, Xuefeng; Lu, Yongle; Wang, Yan; Luo, Yuan

    2017-08-01

    In order to improve students' ability on self-study, this paper discusses the application of micro-lesson as a supplementary way in the course of optics teaching. Both geometric optics and wave optics require a lot of demos, fortunately, micro-lesson just meets this requirement. Nowadays, college education focuses on quality education, so the new nurture scheme of most universities shortened the class hours. However, the development of students and the social needs also require students to have a solid foundation. The effective way to solve this contradiction is to improve the efficiency of classroom teaching and provide the repeatable learning form, micro-lesson.

  17. Begin with Love[R]. The First Three Months: Connecting with Your Child. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    CIVITAS Initiative, Chicago, IL.

    Hosted by Oprah Winfrey and featuring Dr. Kyle Pruett, this videotape focuses on new parents' relationship with their infant in the first 3 months of life. The 30-minute videotape begins with footage of infants during the newborn period and depicts parents talking about their emotional response to their infant's birth. The video focuses on…

  18. Pedagogy and second language learning: Lessons learned from Intensive French

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joan Netten

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Through research and classroom observation undertaken while conceptualizing and implementing the Intensive French program in Canada, many new insights were gained into the development of communication skills in a classroom situation. Five lessons learned about the development of spontaneous oral communication are presented in this article: the ineffectiveness of core French in primary school; the minimum number of intensive hours necessary to develop spontaneous oral communication; the need to develop implicit competence rather than explicit knowledge; the distinction between accuracy as knowledge and accuracy as skill; and the importance of teaching strategies focusing on language use. These lessons have implications for our understanding of how oral competence in an L2 develops and for the improvement of communicative language pedagogy.

  19. Community and inquiry: journey of a science teacher

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Jennifer; Welsh, Kate Muir

    2009-09-01

    In this case study, we examine a teacher's journey, including reflections on teaching science, everyday classroom interaction, and their intertwined relationship. The teacher's reflections include an awareness of being "a White middle-class born and raised teacher teaching other peoples' children." This awareness was enacted in the science classroom and emerges through approaches to inquiry . Our interest in Ms. Cook's journey grew out of discussions, including both informal and semi-structured interviews, in two research projects over a three-year period. Our interest was further piqued as we analyzed videotaped classroom interaction during science lessons and discovered connections between Ms. Cook's reflections and classroom interaction. In this article, we illustrate ways that her journey emerges as a conscientization. This, at least in part, shapes classroom interaction, which then again shapes her conscientization in a recursive, dynamic relationship. We examine her reflections on her "hegemonic (cultural and socio-economic) practices" and consider how these reflections help her reconsider such practices through analysis of classroom interaction. Analyses lead us to considering the importance of inquiry within this classroom community.

  20. Lesson Exemplars in Electricity and Students’ Epistemological Beliefs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vergel P. Mirana

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The study evaluated the effects of a developed lesson exemplars in electricity integrating computer simulations and constructivist approach on students' Epistemological Beliefs. Specifically, it sought to determine how computer simulations, constructivist approach and Formativ e Assessment Classroom Technique (FACT can be integrated in the lesson exemplars in electricity; and evaluate the effects of the developed lesson exemplars in the students’ Epistemological Beliefs. The investigation employed the pre - experimental single - gr oup pretest and posttest study using the Epistemological Beliefs Assessment in Physical Sciences (EBAPS questionnaire. The study was conducted among seventy - two (72 Grade 10 students of a laboratory high school from a state university in the Philippines. They were taught using Physics Educational Technology (PhET and other web - based simulations, constructivist approach, and formative assessment classroom technique. The results revealed that the over - all Epistemological Beliefs of the students did not cha nge significantly; only along Nature of Knowing and Learning and Real - Life Applicability. Generally, utilizing computer simulations and applying constructivist approach did not alter students' epistemological beliefs in its entirety. However, it can be en gaging and effective in promoting students’ understanding of Physics.

  1. Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE): Enhancing Scientific Communication by Bringing STEM Research into the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, D.; Radencic, S.; Funderburk, W. K.; Walker, R. M.; Jackson, B. S.; Dawkins, K. S.; Schmitz, D.; Bruce, L. M.; McNeal, K.

    2014-12-01

    INSPIRE, a five-year partnership between Mississippi State University and three local school districts, is designed to strengthen the communication skills of graduate Fellows in geosciences, physics, astronomy, chemistry, and engineering as they incorporate their research into inquiry-based lessons in 7th - 12th grade science and math classrooms. All lesson plans designed and taught by the graduate Fellows must include one or more connections to their research, and these connections must be demonstrated to the students during the lessons. International research partnerships with Australia, the Bahamas, England, and Poland provide valuable opportunities for graduate Fellows to conduct field work abroad and allow our partner teachers to have authentic research experiences that they can bring back to their classrooms. Program effectiveness has been examined using pre- and post-year attitudinal surveys, formal lesson plan documents, Fellow and teacher journals, focus group meetings with a project evaluator, and direct observation of Fellow-led classroom activities. Analyses of data gathered during the past four years of the partnership will be presented that examine the diversity in approaches taken by Fellows to communicate big ideas, changes in the ability of Fellows to find connections between their research and classroom lessons while keeping them aligned with state and national standards, and the quality of the mentorship provided to the Fellows by our partner teachers. INSPIRE is funded by the Graduate K-12 (GK-12) STEM Fellowship Program of the National Science Foundation (Award No. DGE-0947419).

  2. Preliminary Lessons about Supporting Participation and Learning in Inclusive Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morningstar, Mary E.; Shogren, Karrie A.; Lee, Hyunjoo; Born, Kiara

    2015-01-01

    This descriptive study examined observational data collected in inclusive classrooms from six schools that were operating schoolwide inclusive policies and practices. Illustrative evidence of classroom practices supporting learning and participation of all students, including students with significant disabilities, adds to an understanding of…

  3. Implementation of lesson study in physics teaching by group of teachers in Solok West Sumatera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurnetti, Y.

    2018-04-01

    This article based of collaborative classroom action research with science teachers group or MGMP at Solok West Sumatera; based on their willingness to implementation of lesson study by this group. The study started by discussing some problems according to the implementation of the lesson study, establishing the teaching materials, developing learning tools, defining the model teachers, conducting classroom activities, and reflecting by discussions. The preparation of this study includes some learning material according to temperature and heat; the observation form that led by observer teachers; teachers’s model impression and open questionnaire implementation of lesson study that applied to the students and teachers. This research got some information about the strengths and weaknesses of learning using lesson study from the students involved. To conclude, the implementation of lesson study should be able to support the principle of collaborative in learning. The challenge of this study is how to make a condition to gather some teachers in one school at a certain time because they have the schedule at their own school.

  4. Space Science in Action: Earth's Atmosphere [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999

    In this videotape recording, students learn about the layers of the atmosphere and why each is important to the survival of life on the planet. Students discover why the atmosphere is responsible for weather and see how special aircraft actually fly into hurricanes. Students build their own working barometer in a hands-on activity. Contents…

  5. Turkish preservice science teachers' socioscientific issues-based teaching practices in middle school science classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genel, Abdulkadir; Sami Topçu, Mustafa

    2016-01-01

    Background: Despite a growing body of research and curriculum reforms including socioscientific issues (SSI) across the world, how preservice science teachers (PST) or in-service science teachers can teach SSI in science classrooms needs further inquiry. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the abilities of PSTs to teach SSI in middle school science classrooms, and the research question that guided the present study is: How can we characterize Turkish PSTs' SSI-based teaching practices in middle school science classrooms (ages 11-14)? Sample: In order to address the research question of this study, we explored 10 Turkish PSTs' SSI-based teaching practices in middle school science classrooms. A purposeful sampling strategy was used, thus, PSTs were specifically chosen because they were ideal candidates to teach SSI and to integrate SSI into the science curricula since they were seniors in the science education program who had to take the field experience courses. Design and method: The participants' SSI teaching practices were characterized in light of qualitative research approach. SSI-based teaching practices were analyzed, and the transcripts of all videotape recordings were coded by two researchers. Results: The current data analysis describes Turkish PSTs' SSI-based teaching practices under five main categories: media, argumentation, SSI selection and presentation, risk analysis, and moral perspective. Most of PSTs did not use media resources in their lesson and none of them considered moral perspective in their teaching. While the risk analyses were very simple and superficial, the arguments developed in the classrooms generally remained at a simple level. PSTs did not think SSI as a central topic and discussed these issues in a very limited time and at the end of the class period. Conclusions: The findings of this study manifest the need of the reforms in science education programs. The present study provides evidence that moral, media

  6. An Assessment of Need for Instructional Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers Using Interactive Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Amanda

    Numerous studies on the impact of interactive lessons on student learning have been conducted, but there has been a lack of professional development (PD) programs at a middle school focusing on ways to incorporate interactive lessons into the science classroom setting. The purpose of this case study was to examine the instructional practices of science teachers to determine whether the need for an interactive lessons approach to teaching students exists. This qualitative case study focused on teachers' perceptions and pedagogy to determine whether the need to use interactive lessons to meet the needs of all students is present. The research question focused on identifying current practices and determining whether a need for interactive lessons is present. Qualitative data were gathered from science teachers at the school through interviews, lesson plans, and observations, all of which were subsequently coded using an interpretative analysis. The results indicated the need for a professional development (PD) program centered on interactive science lessons. Upon completion of the qualitative study, a detailed PD program has been proposed to increase the instructional practices of science teachers to incorporate interactive lessons within the science classroom. Implications for positive social change include improved teaching strategies and lessons that are more student-centered resulting in better understanding and comprehension, as well as performance on state-mandated tests.

  7. Bards and Beatles: Connecting Spontaneity to Structure in Lesson Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Mitch

    1991-01-01

    Describes how one teacher provides minimally structured lessons that encourage senior high school students to carry their learning beyond the classroom. Describes units on business communication, research, British literature, and independent reading. (MG)

  8. An accomplished teacher's use of scaffolding during a second-grade unit on designing games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Weiyun; Rovegno, Inez; Cone, Stephen L; Cone, Theresa P

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe how an accomplished teacher taught second-grade students to design games that integrated movement and mathematics content. The participants were one physical education teacher; a classroom teacher, and an intact class of 20 second-grade students. Qualitative data were gathered through videotaping of all lessons, descriptions of 20 children's responses to all lesson segments, and interviews with all participants. In keeping with constructivist principles, the teacher used a progression of tasks and multiple instructional techniques to scaffold the design process allowing children to design games that were meaningful to them. Contrary to descriptions of scaffolding fading across a unit, in this study the scaffolding was a function of the interaction between learners' needs and task content.

  9. Construction of Tasks in Order to Develop and Promote Classroom Communication in Mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olteanu, Lucian

    2015-01-01

    In this article, the focus is on task construction and the importance of this process to develop and promote classroom communication in mathematics. The students' tests, examination of students' mathematical work, the teachers' lesson plans, and reports of the lessons' instructions are the basic data for this article. The analysis indicated that…

  10. Teacher and student perspectives on motivation within the high school science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickens, Melanie Turnure

    The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and student perspectives on the motivation of high school science students and to explore specific motivational strategies used by teachers as they attempt to enhance student motivation. Four science teachers took part in an initial audio-taped interview, classroom observations with debriefing conversations, and a final audio-taped interview to discuss findings and allow member checking for data triangulation and interpretation. Participating teachers also took part in a final focus group interview. Student participants from each teacher's class were given a Likert style anonymous survey on their views about motivation and learning, motivation in science class, and specific motivational strategies that emerged in their current science class. This study focused on effective teaching strategies for motivation commonly used by the four teachers and on specific teaching strategies used by two of these four teachers in different tracks of science classes. The intent was to determine not only what strategies worked well for all types of science classes, but also what specific motivational approaches were being used in high and low tracked science classes and the similarities and differences between them. This approach provided insight into the differences in motivating tracked students, with the hope that other educators in specific tracks might use such pedagogies to improve motivation in their own science classrooms. Results from this study showed that science teachers effectively motivate their students in the following ways: Questioning students to engage them in the lesson, exhibiting enthusiasm in lesson presentations, promoting a non-threatening environment, incorporating hands-on activities to help learn the lesson concepts, using a variety of activities, believing that students can achieve, and building caring relationships in the classroom. Specific to the higher tracked classroom, effective motivational

  11. Collaborative Repair in EFL Classroom Talk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iles, Zara

    1996-01-01

    Drawing data from audiotaped lessons with 10 native-speaker English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers and 12 EFL learners of varied linguistic backgrounds, a study explored some of the ways in which classroom talk by learners is collaboratively built to repair errors, misunderstandings, and non-communication. Focus is on both explicit and…

  12. Qualitative Data Collection and Interpretation: A Turkish Social Studies Lesson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilman Grammes

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The classroom with its teaching-learning dynamics creates a kind of “embryonic society” in which the micro-policies of collective social knowledge construction and meaning can be re-constructed; therefore, it can be considered as a kind of “mirror” of political culture. Thus, comparative lesson research, which requires indepth classroom observation, has been getting much attention among educational community. On the other hand, there have not been done many studies that represent social studies and civics in particular, in this research tradition. Naturally, this research tradition is based on qualitative research paradigm. Likewise, qualitative research tradition has been getting increasing attention among educational community. Thus, the first purpose of this article is to explain all documentation and pre-interpretation process of this lesson so that it can provide an example for qualitative researchers. The second purpose of this article is to provide an example lesson of political education from Turkey so that educators worldwide can compare one example of social studies education practice in Turkey and with their countries.

  13. Space Science in Action: Space Exploration [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999

    In this videotape recording, students learn about the human quest to discover what is out in space. Students see the challenges and benefits of space exploration including the development of rocket science, a look back at the space race, and a history of manned space travel. A special section on the Saturn V rocket gives students insight into the…

  14. Educators Using Information Technology. GIS Video Series. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    A M Productions Inc., Vancouver (British Columbia).

    This 57-minute videotape covers the "Florida Educators Using Information Technology" session of the "Eco-Informa '96" conference. Two speakers presented examples of environmental educators using information technology. The first speaker, Brenda Maxwell, is the Director and Developer of the Florida Science Institute based at…

  15. Dramatics in the Classroom: Making Lessons Come Alive. Fastback 70.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Elizabeth Flory

    The contents of this booklet focus on effective techniques for using dramatics in the classroom and are based on the premise that drama can integrate all skills and help to avoid fragmentation in learning. Chapters discuss motivating the dreamers in the classroom, curriculum dramatics--eclectic teaching, training the teacher, transforming the…

  16. Exploring the Amount and Type of Writing Instruction during Language Arts Instruction in Kindergarten Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puranik, Cynthia S.; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Sidler, Jessica Folsom; Greulich, Luana

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this exploratory investigation was to examine the nature of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms and to describe student writing outcomes at the end of the school year. Participants for this study included 21 teachers and 238 kindergarten children from nine schools. Classroom teachers were videotaped once each in the fall and winter during the 90 minute instructional block for reading and language arts to examine time allocation and the types of writing instructional practices taking place in the kindergarten classrooms. Classroom observation of writing was divided into student-practice variables (activities in which students were observed practicing writing or writing independently) and teacher-instruction variables (activities in which the teacher was observed providing direct writing instruction). In addition, participants completed handwriting fluency, spelling, and writing tasks. Large variability was observed in the amount of writing instruction occurring in the classroom, the amount of time kindergarten teachers spent on writing and in the amount of time students spent writing. Marked variability was also observed in classroom practices both within and across schools and this fact was reflected in the large variability noted in kindergartners’ writing performance. PMID:24578591

  17. Exploring the Amount and Type of Writing Instruction during Language Arts Instruction in Kindergarten Classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puranik, Cynthia S; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Sidler, Jessica Folsom; Greulich, Luana

    2014-02-01

    The objective of this exploratory investigation was to examine the nature of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms and to describe student writing outcomes at the end of the school year. Participants for this study included 21 teachers and 238 kindergarten children from nine schools. Classroom teachers were videotaped once each in the fall and winter during the 90 minute instructional block for reading and language arts to examine time allocation and the types of writing instructional practices taking place in the kindergarten classrooms. Classroom observation of writing was divided into student-practice variables (activities in which students were observed practicing writing or writing independently) and teacher-instruction variables (activities in which the teacher was observed providing direct writing instruction). In addition, participants completed handwriting fluency, spelling, and writing tasks. Large variability was observed in the amount of writing instruction occurring in the classroom, the amount of time kindergarten teachers spent on writing and in the amount of time students spent writing. Marked variability was also observed in classroom practices both within and across schools and this fact was reflected in the large variability noted in kindergartners' writing performance.

  18. The use of high impact practices (HIPs) on chemistry lesson design and implementation by pre-service teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamrat, Suthida; Apichatyotin, Nattaya; Puakanokhirun, Kittaporn

    2018-01-01

    The quality of lesson design is essential to learning effectiveness. Research shows some characteristics of lessons have strong effect on learning which were grouped into "High Impact Practices or HIPs. This research aims to examine the use of HIPs on chemistry lesson design as a part of Teaching Science Strand in Chemistry Concepts course. At the first round of lesson design and implementing in classroom, 14 chemistry pre-services teachers freely selected topics, designed and implemented on their own ideas. The lessons have been reflected by instructors and their peers. High Impact Practices were overtly used as the conceptual framework along with the After-Action Review and Reflection (AARR). The selected High Impact practice in this study consisted of 6 elements: well-designed lesson, vary cognitive demand/academic challenge, students center approach, opportunity of students to reflect by discussion or writing, the assignment of project based learning or task, and the lesson reflects pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The second round, pre-service teachers were encouraged to explicitly used 6 High Impact Practices in cooperated with literature review specified on focused concepts for bettering designed and implemented lessons. The data were collected from 28 lesson plans and 28 classroom observations to compare and discuss between the first and second lesson and implementation. The results indicated that High Impact Practices effect on the quality of delivered lesson. However, there are some elements that vary on changes which were detailed and discussed in this research article.

  19. Use of Videotape Feedback with Severely Disturbed Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michel, Jane; Blitstein, Sheldon

    1979-01-01

    Summarizes the design and effects of a group therapy project using videotape feedback with seriously disturbed adolescents. Offers anecdotal evidence that the feedback facilitated the correction of the participants' distorted body images, low self-esteem, lack of capacity for self-observation, and poor peer relationships. (SS)

  20. Using Selective Redundancy and Testing to Optimize Learning from Multimedia Lessons

    OpenAIRE

    Yue, Carole Leigh

    2014-01-01

    Multimedia learning refers to learning from a combination of words and images. In the present dissertation, a multimedia lesson is defined as an animated, narrated educational video that depicts a scientific process--a format of instructional material becoming increasingly common in online, hybrid, and traditional classrooms. The overarching goal of the present research was to investigate how to optimize learning from multimedia lessons using two related theories of multimedia learning (the...

  1. Working alongside Teachers in Their Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Sukhjit; Ollerton, Mike; Plant, Sarah Jayne

    2012-01-01

    Playing games in the mathematics classroom has seemingly become unfashionable. Is it that games suddenly are regarded as "lacking in purpose"? Maybe games are seen as incompatible with the "lesson plan and objectives"? Or is it that games and learning are not two words that are expected to appear in the same sentence? Prepare for the mythology…

  2. Teaching Idiomatic Expressions: A Comparison of Two Instructional Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rittenhouse, Robert K.; Kenyon, Patricia L.

    1990-01-01

    Twenty hearing-impaired adolescents were taught idiomatic expressions using captioned videotape presentations followed by classroom discussion, or by extended classroom discussions. Improvement in understanding idioms was significantly greater under the videotape method. (Author/JDD)

  3. A case study of epistemic order in mathematics classroom dialogue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth Ruthven

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available We define epistemic order as the way in which the exchange and development of knowledge takes place in the classroom, breaking this down into a system of three components: epistemic initiative relating to who sets the agenda in classroom dialogue, and how; epistemic appraisal relating to who judges contributions to classroom dialogue, and how; and epistemic framing relating to the terms in which development and exchange of knowledge are represented, particularly in reflexive talk. These components are operationalised in terms of various types of structural and semantic analysis of dialogue. It is shown that a lesson segment displays a multi-layered epistemic order differing from that of conventional classroom recitation.

  4. All about Amphibians. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This videotape teaches children about their favorite amphibious creatures, as well as amphibians' nearest cousins--toads, newts, and salamanders. Young students discover how these amazing creatures can live both in and out of water, learn about the amphibious life cycle, and compare the differences between amphibians and reptiles. This videotape…

  5. Technology Is the Answer, But What Was the Question? Audiotape vs. Videotape for Individualized Instruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabachnick, Barbara Gerson; And Others

    1978-01-01

    In an evaluation of supplementary learning aids students were assigned to one of four learning conditions: (1) videotape plus worksheet, (2) audiotape plus worksheet, (3) combination of audio- and videotape plus worksheet, and (4) worksheet only. Results reported include test scores and ratings of helpfulness, as well as student preferences and…

  6. "Boss of the United States" Kindergarteners' Concept of Voting: Five Scaffolded Lessons that Build Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulrey, Betty C.; Ackerman, Ann T.; Howson, Patricia H.

    2012-01-01

    In any U.S. presidential election year, classroom teachers integrate lessons into their curriculum that help students understand their privileges, responsibilities, and rights as good citizens. Teaching about the electoral process and voting in primary classrooms is one way to build a foundation that promotes civic engagement. In this article, the…

  7. Exploring the Classroom Practices That May Enable a Compassionate Approach to Financial Literacy Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blue, Levon Ellen; O'Brien, Mia; Makar, Katie

    2018-01-01

    From an early age, children are faced with financial dilemmas and are expected to make effective financial decisions about money. In this paper, we explore the classroom practices that may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education. We observed an inquiry-based mathematics lesson in a Year 4 primary school classroom. The…

  8. Standing Classrooms: Research and Lessons Learned from Around the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinckson, Erica; Salmon, Jo; Benden, Mark; Clemes, Stacey A; Sudholz, Bronwyn; Barber, Sally E; Aminian, Saeideh; Ridgers, Nicola D

    2016-07-01

    Children spend between 50 and 70 % of their time sitting while at school. Independent of physical activity levels, prolonged sitting is associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. While there is mixed evidence of health associations among children and adolescents, public health guidelines in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada now recommend young people should break up long periods of sitting as frequently as possible. A potentially effective approach for reducing and breaking up sitting throughout the day is changing the classroom environment. This paper presents an overview of a relatively new area of research designed to reduce youth sitting time while at school by changing the classroom environment (n = 13 studies). Environmental changes included placement of height-adjustable or stand-biased standing desks/workstations with stools, chairs, exercise balls, bean bags or mats in the classroom. These 13 published studies suggest that irrespective of the approach, youth sitting time was reduced by between ~44 and 60 min/day and standing time was increased by between 18 and 55 min/day during classroom time at school. Other benefits include increased energy expenditure and the potential for improved management of students' behaviour in the classroom. However, few large trials have been conducted, and there remains little evidence regarding the impact on children's learning and academic achievement. Nevertheless, with an increasing demand placed on schools and teachers regarding students' learning outcomes, strategies that integrate moving throughout the school day and that potentially enhance the learning experience and future health outcomes for young people warrant further exploration.

  9. ELPSA AS A LESSON DESIGN FRAMEWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom Lowrie

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper offers a framework for mathematics lesson design that is consistent with the way we learn about, and discover, most things in life. In addition, the framework provides a structure for identifying how mathematical concepts and understanding are acquired and developed. This framework is called ELPSA and represents five learning components, namely: Experience, Language, Pictorial, Symbolic and Applications. This framework has been used in developing lessons and teacher professional programs in Indonesia since 2012 in cooperation with the World Bank. This paper describes the theory that underlines the framework in general and in relation to each inter-connected component. Two explicit learning sequences for classroom practice are described, associated with Pythagoras theorem and probability. This paper then concludes with recommendations for using ELPSA in various institutional contexts.Keywords: ELPSA, lesson design framework, Pythagoras theorem, probability DOI: dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.62.77

  10. A dynamic discourse approach to classroom research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bannink, A.; Van Dam, J.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper we propose a theoretical reassessment of the discourse-analytic tools that are used in classroom research and of the data that are addressed. To that end we present in-depth analyses of 1) an IRE structure in a first English (EFL) lesson in a Dutch secondary school; 2) episodes from

  11. Tips & Techniques: Storytelling with Puppets and Props. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002

    On this 20-minute videotape, two accomplished storytellers share their expertise on using puppets and props to enhance the art of storytelling. Schroeder Cherry uses several types of puppets to tell his educational story about the Underground Railroad, while Karen Quinn-Wisniewski entertains her audience of young children with classic fables,…

  12. All about Reptiles. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    Dinosaurs may be extinct, but reptiles are distant cousins to the beasts that once walked the earth. From snakes and lizards to iguanas and tuataras, children learn what factors make them different from other animals. In this videotape, students explore the mysterious, often misunderstood, world of reptiles and learn about their characteristics…

  13. ASSESSING LISTENING IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristanti Ayuanita

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The importance of listening in language learning can hardly be overestimated. In classrooms, students always do more listening than speaking. Listening competence is universally “larger” than other competence. Listening is not a oneway street. It is not merely the process of a unidirectional receiving of audible symbols one facet – the first step – 0f listening comprehension is the psychomotor process of receiving sound waves through the ear and transmitting nerve impulses to the brain. Every classroom lesson involves some form of assessment, whether it is in the form of informal, unplanned, and intuitive teacher processing and feedback, or in formal, prepared, scored tests.

  14. Utilizing Multimedia Database Access: Teaching Strategies Using the iPad in the Dance Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostashewski, Nathaniel; Reid, Doug; Ostashewski, Marcia

    2016-01-01

    This article presents action research that identified iPad tablet technology-supported teaching strategies in a dance classroom context. Dance classrooms use instructor-accessed music as a regular element of lessons, but video is both challenging and time-consuming to produce or display. The results of this study highlight how the Apple iPad…

  15. The Impact and Feasibility of Introducing Height-Adjustable Desks on Adolescents’ Sitting in a Secondary School Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rick Baldock

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Children spend over 60% of their school day sitting; much of this occurs in the classroom. Emerging research has examined the impact of environmental interventions on classroom sitting. While this research is promising, it has predominantly focused on the primary school setting. This study examined the impact and feasibility of height-adjustable desks on time spent sitting/standing during classroom lessons in a secondary school. Traditional desks in a Melbourne secondary school classroom were replaced with 27 height-adjustable desks (intervention classroom. Forty-three adolescents (51% male; mean age 13.7 ± 1.4 years from Grades 7, 9 and 10 wore an inclinometer and accelerometer for schooldays and completed a survey after using the desks during lessons for seven weeks. Ten teachers (50% male completed a survey. Time spent sitting, standing, and the length of sitting bouts were compared between periods when adolescents were in the intervention classroom versus traditional classrooms (matched on teacher and subject. Compared to the traditional classroom, adolescents spent 25% less time sitting and 24% more time standing in the intervention classroom (effect size > 0.8, and had a greater frequency of short sitting bouts and fewer longer bouts. The majority of teachers (71% and students (70% reported wanting to continue to use the height-adjustable desks. When standing during lessons, adolescents reported working well (69%; however, a third reported difficulties paying attention (28% and becoming distracted (36%. Few teachers reported negative influences on adolescents’ ability to work (14% and concentrate (14%. Half the adolescents reported leg, or back pain with standing. Introducing height-adjustable desks resulted in lower levels of sitting compared with traditional classrooms, was acceptable and had some adverse effects on concentration and discomfort. The study provides preliminary evidence that height-adjustable desks may help reduce

  16. Makiguchian pedagogy in the middle school science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagan, Iris Teresa

    In an atmosphere of multi-culturism and the increasing need for innovative methods for science teaching, investigating educators from different parts of the world is well regarded. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871--1944) was a prescient thinker who foreshadowed many of the modern social constructivist ideals of teaching before they became formalized in Western thought. He believed in the harmonious balance between an individual and society as the only viable goal of education. With this in mind, he introduced the concepts of "evaluation," "cognition" and "value creation" that embody this balance. "Cognition" is associated with "truth" and "evaluation" is involved with the subject-object relationship. Moreover, Makiguchian pedagogy's concept of "value creation" offers a sociological and philosophical basis for "classroom inclusion." Additionally, Makiguchian pedagogy is compared to John Dewey's philosophy as well as the educational philosophy expressed in The National Science Standards. In this teacher participant study, classroom observational data showed that several dimensions of Makiguchian pedagogical practice occurred conjointly with relatively high frequencies. These included frequent occurrences of interactional conversation between students and teacher merged within a context of expressions of personal and collective values, social contextual references, valuing and personal evaluative statements, and episodic information that the students contributed from personal experiences relevant to the science topics. Additionally, Likert-type questionnaire data collected from the students who experienced the Makiguchian lessons, and observational data from professional colleagues who viewed video taped records of the lessons, provided additional corroborative evidence supporting the researcher's findings. A content analysis of lesson plans containing Makiguchian principles of teaching and learning in relation to the ensuing classroom performance of the teacher showed a

  17. Critical Thinking through Writing: Expressing Scientific Thought and Process in a Deaf Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjarrez, Leslie

    Within Deaf classrooms there is often a disconnect between academic areas and writing curriculums that develop in both common and academic language, where often classrooms focus solely on writing as a skill rather than as a method for producing language through an academic area. This work focuses on the development of academic language in ASL and English print of science. The curriculum is written to be implemented as a bilingual academic curriculum to support Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in various self contained classroom settings. Lessons are conducted in three Units, A B and C. Unit A focuses on research, thought and writing of preparatory materials in small groups. Unit B is comprised of procedural lessons on conducting x experiments and the evaluation of those experiments through mathematics. Unit C is a group of lessons that ties together Units A and B through writing and peer teaching as a method of concluding the work and presenting information in an effective manner. The success of the project was evaluated on the basis of student work, rubrics, and final works from the students. The results showed promise in aspects of Critical Thinking, writing development, and expression of new concepts in both ASL and English.

  18. All about Dinosaurs. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    Dinosaurs were the rulers of the land 65 million years ago. In this videotape, children learn more about the different kinds of dinosaurs by viewing vivid illustrations and fossil discoveries. Students compare the dinosaurs to their modern kin--snakes, lizards, and crocodiles. Students also listen to different theories to try to answer the big…

  19. Interrater reliability of videotaped observational gait-analysis assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eastlack, M E; Arvidson, J; Snyder-Mackler, L; Danoff, J V; McGarvey, C L

    1991-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the interrater reliability of videotaped observational gait-analysis (VOGA) assessments. Fifty-four licensed physical therapists with varying amounts of clinical experience served as raters. Three patients with rheumatoid arthritis who demonstrated an abnormal gait pattern served as subjects for the videotape. The raters analyzed each patient's most severely involved knee during the four subphases of stance for the kinematic variables of knee flexion and genu valgum. Raters were asked to determine whether these variables were inadequate, normal, or excessive. The temporospatial variables analyzed throughout the entire gait cycle were cadence, step length, stride length, stance time, and step width. Generalized kappa coefficients ranged from .11 to .52. Intraclass correlation coefficients (2,1) and (3,1) were slightly higher. Our results indicate that physical therapists' VOGA assessments are only slightly to moderately reliable and that improved interrater reliability of the assessments of physical therapists utilizing this technique is needed. Our data suggest that there is a need for greater standardization of gait-analysis training.

  20. Advertisements: An Overlooked Resource in the Foreign Language Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deutsch, Rena

    The use of newspaper and magazine advertisements for teaching foreign language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, grammar, pronunciation, and culture is encouraged and discussed. Suggested lessons and classroom activities are presented in four categories: vocabulary, grammatical rules…

  1. PROMOTING ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (TPD THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF LESSON STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanuarti Apsari

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper sheds some lights on the practice of lesson study conducted in higher education level in relations to teacher professional development. This study employed an explorative research design which involved a team of three English teachers of STKIP Siliwangi and one class of English Department. The team was involved in jointly designing, teaching, researching, refining a research lesson. The research was conducted in three cycles, in which each cycle was evaluated. The data were collected through two instruments: classroom observation and teachers’ reflective notes. The result revealed that the practice of lesson study can create multiple pathways for teaching improvement, especially in terms of collaborative activities done by teachers involved in the lesson study team. The result also revealed that the practice of lesson study the practice of lesson study can improve not only students’ academic skills, but also students’ social skills.

  2. Teaching through Mnemonics in Elementary School Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waite-McGough, Arianne

    2012-01-01

    Mnemonics and songs are used to help students excel and build are their knowledge in all content areas. This method of teaching and reinforcement of information helps students to commit new information to memory and continue to use this material throughout their lives. Using mnemonics is a lessons way to teach and make the classroom a unique…

  3. Using Classroom Recordings in Educational History Research. An East German Civics Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jehle, May; Blessing, Benita

    2014-01-01

    Students learned in civics lessons in the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) that their socialist society uniquely guaranteed all individuals the right to work, and that, as good socialists, they had the duty to take on socially meaningful work. Using the example of a video recording of an East German civics lesson and its…

  4. Digital Technologies in Mathematics Classrooms: Barriers, Lessons and Focus on Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacristán, Ana Isabel

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, drawing from data from several experiences and studies in which I have been involved in Mexico, I reflect on the constraints and inertia of classroom cultures, and the barriers to successful, meaningful and transformative technology integration in mathematics classroom. I focus on teachers as key players for this integration,…

  5. Good Morning, Good Night. A Day on the Farm. A Live Action Video for Preschoolers [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bo Peep Productions, Eureka, MT.

    Some preschool teachers have expressed concern regarding the lack of science instructional material for students age 2 through the preschool years. This videotape was developed to help fill this chasm in our educational system. The videotape provides activities from children's' daily routines, such as eating, playing, and sleeping. It also…

  6. Examining the Effect of Lesson Study on Prospective Primary Teachers’ Knowledge of Lesson Planning [Ders İmecesinin Sınıf Öğretmeni Adaylarının Matematik Dersini Planlama Bilgilerine Etkisinin İncelenmesi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Müjgan Baki

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This article reflects a special part of a research conducted to examine the effect of lesson study on prospective classroom teachers’ mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK. In this article, the special part consists of prospective teachers’ knowledge of lesson planning including a mastery of planning an affective lesson taking into account student’s current knowledge, understanding and difficulties within mathematics. Therefore, the research question is how lesson study practices affect prospective classroom teachers’ knowledge of lesson planning as a sub component of MPCK. The research is conducted with 12 prospective classroom teachers, six of them have already assisted to lesson study and the others have not. Data collection tools consist of video records, class observations, field notes, interviews and lesson plans prepared and used by prospective teachers participated in lesson study. Findings indicated that the prospective classroom teachers who participated in lesson study improved their knowledge in terms of planning an affective lesson taking student’s current knowledge and understanding into consideration. They appeared to be aware of selecting and ordering appropriate activities related to the actual objectives of the mathematical topics. They also appeared to be better in lesson organization and lesson presentation comparing to the other group of prospective teachers who did not participated in lesson study. [Bu makale, Öğretmenlik Uygulaması derslerinde uygulanan ders imecesi modelinin sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının alanı öğretme bilgilerine etkisini izlemek amacıyla yapılan bir araştırmanın bir bölümünü yansıtmaktadır. Makalede alanı öğretme bilgisinin alt bileşenlerinden olan öğrenme-öğretme sürecini planlama boyutuna odaklanılarak ‘Ders imecesi uygulaması, sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının öğrenme öğretme sürecini planlama bilgilerinin gelişimini nasıl etkilemektedir

  7. Mathematics teachers’ reflective practice within the context of adapted lesson study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Posthuma

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available There seems to be paucity of research in South Africa on mathematics teachers’ reflective practice. In order to study this phenomenon, the context of lesson study (in an adapted form was introduced to five mathematics teachers in a rural school in the Free State. The purpose was to investigate their reflective practice whilst they collaboratively planned mathematics lessons and reflected on the teaching of the lessons. Data were obtained through interviews, video-recorded lesson observations, field notes taken during the lesson study group meetings and document analyses (lesson plans and reflective writings. The adapted lesson study context provided a safe space for teachers to reflect on their teaching and they reported an increase in self-knowledge and finding new ways of teaching mathematics to learners. This finding has some potential value for planning professional learning programmes in which teachers are encouraged to talk about their classroom experiences, share their joys and challenges with one another and strive to build a community of reflective practitioners to enhance their learners’ understanding of mathematics.

  8. Polytechnic Students? Perceptions of Youtube Usage in the English Oral Communication Classroom

    OpenAIRE

    Gunadevi K. Jeevi Subramaniam; Fathimah Pathma Abdullah; Raja Nor Safinas Raja Harun

    2013-01-01

    A new creative classroom technique to promote learning environment in English oral communication lesson is important. Integrating and adopting multimedia and web technologies can motivate and engage the new generation learners. YouTube usage in the English oral communication classroom is one of the strategies which will have more flexible, effective instructional materials to the learners in making the students involve in active communication. The inclusion of multimedia technologies into the...

  9. The Ulwazi Concept: Virtual interactive and collaborative classrooms of the Future

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Beyers, R

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available The Ulwazi concept is based on the digital inclusion of geographically separated classrooms being linked by broadband radio connections to enable virtual interactive and collaborative lessons using SMART technologies. What started out as a simple...

  10. Classroom Practices in Early Foreign Language Teaching in Denmark: On the Role of Quantity and Quality of Exposure to English inside the Classroom

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    aus der Wieschen, Maria Vanessa

    2017-01-01

    , the other half consists of the first generation of Danish Young Learners starting English lessons in the 1st grade. Data in the form of multiple-choice English tests and video-recordings of classroom interaction was collected during the Young Learners’ first two years of instructed English lessons. Against...... the onset of English classes in Danish primary schools was lowered from 3rd to 1st grade. The participants in the studies conducted in this thesis are 264 Danish Young Learners. About half of these students have started learning English in the 3rd grade, as it was usual before the 2014 school reform...... this background, my thesis investigates the role of classroom practices in early English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching by posing the following research questions: • Will there be differences between earlier (age 7) and later (age 9) starters of English language learning in their rate of learning and short...

  11. All about Fish. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    There is a completely new world to discover in the oceans, lakes, and rivers--a world filled with an amazing variety of fish. While all fish live and breathe underwater, each type looks very different and develops its own unique living habits. In this videotape, students learn more about the body structures of fish as well as how they reproduce…

  12. "Please Stop Whipping Me": Writing about Race and Racism in an Early Childhood Social Studies Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husband, Terry

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this critical action research study is to examine how critical literacy, when used in the social studies classroom, can open up spaces where children construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct superficial notions of race and racism in an early childhood classroom. A nine lesson unit on African American history was developed and…

  13. TEACHER-STUDENTS DISCOURSE IN ENGLISH TEACHING AT HIGH SCHOOL (CLASSROOM DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alamsyah Harahap

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available English classroom's process of teaching and learning is an important aspect of successful English teaching and learning. The analysis of classroom discourse is a very important form which the classroom process research has taken place. The present study focuses on SMA (high school English classroom discourse. The microethnography of Spradley was the research method deployed. Through a detailed description and analysis of the collected data referring to Sinclair and Coulthard’s classroom discourse analysis model, the problem of patterns of the classroom discourse is made clear. On the basis of the discourse patterns' problem found, a few strategies for high school English teachers are put forward through the teacher training in order to improve English teaching and learning at high school in Indonesia. The research results showed that teacher talk highly dominated the English classroom discourse; 94% of teacher-students talk. IRF Model of Sinclair and Coulthard was not found in the English classroom (only IF pattern and no lesson achieved.

  14. Digital exploration via Skype: connecting your classroom with the experts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Rachel

    2014-05-01

    This presentation describes experiences of using Skype in the classroom to connect learners with scientists and explorers all over the world in order to deepen learners' knowledge and understanding of course material, develop their enquiry skills, and broaden their perspectives on life beyond the classroom walls. In a session organised by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) in partnership with Digital Explorer, twenty-five Perth High School students who were studying coral reefs took part in an exciting live Skype chat with researchers on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Students spoke to a marine biologist and a geographer who were on-board their research vessel some 15,000km away. They learned about the Catlin Survey's cutting-edge research, which was set up to study conditions on the reef, take 50,000 images, and create a baseline for future comparisons. In addition, the scientists aimed to develop an underwater equivalent of Google Streetview, called Seaview, which will allow people everywhere to engage with this incredible ecosystem. We heard about the divers' encounter with Tiger sharks earlier that same day, and had a tour of the research vessel, as well as asking the experts questions about their research findings and career paths. Feedback from the students was extremely positive, and it was clear that the experience had greatly enhanced their studies. For myself and the other teachers involved, it was an exciting (and surreal!) experience, and helped to update our knowledge of our subjects. Between July and December 2013 I volunteered as Community Manager for Digital Explorer in their partnership with Skype in the classroom. Digital Explorer is an educational social enterprise dedicated to engaging young people in global issues, and preparing them to tackle environmental and technological changes in the 21st century. We offered seventeen lessons as part of Skype in the classroom's Exploring Oceans event in October and November, which aimed to

  15. Usefulness of Videotape Instruction in an Academic Department of Neurology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, David M.; Kaufman, Rita G.

    1983-01-01

    Videotape instruction produced better performance in identification in only certain areas in a neurology clerkship: neuropsychologic phenomena, disorders with subtle or unique movements, and seizures. The choice and cost of equipment and some professional assurances are discussed. (Author/MLW)

  16. Potential Lessons for Teaching in Multilingual Mathematics Classrooms in Australia and Southeast Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarkson, Philip C.

    2009-01-01

    Multilingual classrooms are the normal learning contexts for most children throughout the world. However not all such contexts are identical. This distinction is not always made in the literature. In this paper the multilingual context for classrooms in many urban classrooms in Australia is described before exploring a possible model that might be…

  17. Changes in Teachers' Beliefs and Classroom Practices Concerning Inquiry-Based Instruction Following a Year-Long RET-PLC Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Rommel J.; Damico, Julie B.

    2015-01-01

    This mixed-methods study examines how engaging science teachers in a summer Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) followed by an academic-year Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on translating teacher research experiences to inquiry-based classroom lessons might facilitate changes in their beliefs and classroom practices regarding…

  18. Do Students Learn More from a Flip? An Exploration of the Efficacy of Flipped and Traditional Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSantis, Joshua; Van Curen, Rebecca; Putsch, Jake; Metzger, Justin

    2015-01-01

    Flipped lesson planning, as popularized by Bergman & Sams (2012a), has been viewed by many as a revolutionary pedagogy, tailor-made for the twenty-first century classroom. Enthusiasm for flipped lesson planning has out-paced the collection of data that might determine its effectiveness. This paper presents the results of a study that compared…

  19. Power Play: Rethinking Roles in the Art Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffington, Melanie L.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes how art teachers can work toward changing the power dynamics in their classrooms by using a student centered approach, as demonstrated by an example lesson about contemporary painter Kehinde Wiley. As the class unpacked the idea of power prevalent in Wiley's portraits, the students gave relevant examples of how power…

  20. The impact of technology on the enactment of inquiry in a technology enthusiast's sixth grade science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waight, Noemi; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad

    2007-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of the use of computer technology on the enactment of inquiry in a sixth grade science classroom. Participants were 42 students (38% female) enrolled in two sections of the classroom and taught by a technology-enthusiast instructor. Data were collected over the course of 4 months during which several inquiry activities were completed, some of which were supported with the use of technology. Non-participant observation, classroom videotaping, and semi-structured and critical-incident interviews were used to collect data. The results indicated that the technology in use worked to restrict rather than promote inquiry in the participant classroom. In the presence of computers, group activities became more structured with a focus on sharing tasks and accounting for individual responsibility, and less time was dedicated to group discourse with a marked decrease in critical, meaning-making discourse. The views and beliefs of teachers and students in relation to their specific contexts moderate the potential of technology in supporting inquiry teaching and learning and should be factored both in teacher training and attempts to integrate technology in science teaching.

  1. Factors Influencing Science Content Accuracy in Elementary Inquiry Science Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowicki, Barbara L.; Sullivan-Watts, Barbara; Shim, Minsuk K.; Young, Betty; Pockalny, Robert

    2013-06-01

    Elementary teachers face increasing demands to engage children in authentic science process and argument while simultaneously preparing them with knowledge of science facts, vocabulary, and concepts. This reform is particularly challenging due to concerns that elementary teachers lack adequate science background to teach science accurately. This study examined 81 in-classroom inquiry science lessons for preservice education majors and their cooperating teachers to determine the accuracy of the science content delivered in elementary classrooms. Our results showed that 74 % of experienced teachers and 50 % of student teachers presented science lessons with greater than 90 % accuracy. Eleven of the 81 lessons (9 preservice, 2 cooperating teachers) failed to deliver accurate science content to the class. Science content accuracy was highly correlated with the use of kit-based resources supported with professional development, a preference for teaching science, and grade level. There was no correlation between the accuracy of science content and some common measures of teacher content knowledge (i.e., number of college science courses, science grades, or scores on a general science content test). Our study concluded that when provided with high quality curricular materials and targeted professional development, elementary teachers learn needed science content and present it accurately to their students.

  2. The value of storytelling in the science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isabelle, Aaron David

    The "traditional science classroom" asks students, "What do we know in science?," and ignores the question, "How do we know what we know?" The purpose of this research is to combine the powerful structure of narrative with the history of science in junior high school science classrooms. This study investigates whether history-of-science-based stories have advantages over traditional, lecture-style presentations. The storytelling approach aims to present science concepts in a meaningful and memorable context and in a coherent and connected manner. The research program employed parallel curricula: science concepts were taught through novel stories and through lectures, at different times, to eight different groups of seventh and eighth grade students at Holy Name Junior High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. Students were assessed with pre- and post-tests and through individual interviews: Before, immediately after, and two weeks after the lessons, students were given short-answer questionnaires. Two weeks after each lesson, individual interviews were also conducted with a sampling of the students. The questionnaires were coded according to a clear set of written standards and the interviews were transformed into concept maps. Student learning and retention levels, gender differences, and alternate conceptions were quantitatively analyzed. The results reveal that the students who were taught through stories learned the science concepts, on the average, 21% better and retained close to 48% more than the students who were taught through traditional lessons. Fewer alternate conceptions were expressed after story lessons than after lectures. Investigation of gender differences in learning science through the two methods revealed that boys profited more than girls did from the story lessons. The union of narrative with the history of science in the form of story lessons seems natural since the spatiotemporal structure of a narrative mirrors the unfolding of actions in

  3. Doing Things. A Live Action Video for Preschoolers [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bo Peep Productions, Eureka, MT.

    Some preschool teachers have expressed concern regarding the lack of science instructional material for students age 2 through the preschool years. This videotape was developed to help fill this chasm in our educational system. It contains activities from students' everyday life such as eating, washing, and playing. These daily processes are then…

  4. Stereotype Threat Effects on Learning From a Cognitively Demanding Mathematics Lesson.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, Emily McLaughlin; Simms, Nina; Begolli, Kreshnik N; Richland, Lindsey E

    2018-03-01

    Stereotype threat-a situational context in which individuals are concerned about confirming a negative stereotype-is often shown to impact test performance, with one hypothesized mechanism being that cognitive resources are temporarily co-opted by intrusive thoughts and worries, leading individuals to underperform despite high content knowledge and ability (see Schmader & Beilock, ). We test here whether stereotype threat may also impact initial student learning and knowledge formation when experienced prior to instruction. Predominantly African American fifth-grade students provided either their race or the date before a videotaped, conceptually demanding mathematics lesson. Students who gave their race retained less learning over time, enjoyed the lesson less, reported a diminished desire to learn more, and were less likely to choose to engage in an optional math activity. The detrimental impact was greatest among students with high baseline cognitive resources. While stereotype threat has been well documented to harm test performance, the finding that effects extend to initial learning suggests that stereotype threat's contribution to achievement gaps may be greatly underestimated. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  5. Lab-on-a-Chip: Frontier Science in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wietsma, Jan Jaap; van der Veen, Jan T.; Buesink, Wilfred; van den Berg, Albert; Odijk, Mathieu

    2018-01-01

    Lab-on-a-chip technology is brought into the classroom through development of a lesson series with hands-on practicals. Students can discover the principles of microfluidics with different practicals covering laminar flow, micromixing, and droplet generation, as well as trapping and counting beads. A quite affordable novel production technique…

  6. Promoting Creativity in the Middle Grades Language Arts Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batchelor, Katherine E.; Bintz, William P.

    2013-01-01

    Middle level educators around the country aim to create a classroom environment and a way of teaching that is developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable for every student. One way to ensure this is to include instruction that promotes creativity. This article offers guiding principles and shares instructional lessons that…

  7. The Interactional Architecture of the Language Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Seedhouse

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available This article provides a summary of some of the key ideas of Seedhouse (2004. The study applies Conversation Analysis (CA methodology to an extensive and varied database of language lessons from around the world and attempts to answer the question ‘How is L2 classroom interaction organised?’ The main thesis is that there is a reflexive relationship between pedagogy and interaction in the L2 classroom. This means that there is a two-way, mutually dependent relationship. Furthermore, this relationship is the foundation of the organisation of interaction in L2 classrooms. The omnipresent and unique feature of the L2 classroom is this reflexive relationship between pedagogy and interaction. So whoever is taking part in L2 classroom interaction and whatever the particular activity during which the interactants are speaking the L2, they are always displaying to one another their analyses of the current state of the evolving relationship between pedagogy and interaction and acting on the basis of these analyses. So interaction in the L2 classroom is based on the relationship between pedagogy and interaction. Interactants are constantly analysing this relationship and displaying their analyses in their talk. An example of data analysis is provided, including discussion of socially distributed cognition and learning.

  8. `Just Be Quiet and Listen to Exactly What He's Saying': Conceptualising power relations in inquiry-oriented classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnelly, Dermot Francis; McGarr, Oliver; O'Reilly, John

    2014-08-01

    Interest in inquiry-based science education (IBSE) often pays little heed to the complex power relations that exist within classrooms. A common obstacle to inquiry is that it strongly diverges from current classroom culture and hence, is outside the sphere of teachers' and students' experiences. Teachers and students bring expectations to the classroom that are entrenched in traditional practices and influenced by dynamics of power that exist within all teacher-student relationships. This study, which emerged during a wider study of the use of a Virtual Chemistry Lab in supporting IBSE, explores how classroom discourse constructs and maintains power relations that either stifle or facilitate inquiry-based approaches in two science lessons. Research methods included teacher interviews, student focus groups, video-recorded lessons, and student self-assessments. Findings indicate distinctive features of power inside the classroom that impact on inquiry-based instruction, such as predominant teacher monitoring on task completion over task understanding, lack of student engagement in ownership of scientific ideas, and prevailing norms of what effective teacher questioning is. We discuss implications for IBSE change efforts, highlighting that well-established power relations currently represent an important limiting factor in the capacity of teachers' IBSE implementation.

  9. Synchronization as a Classroom Dynamic: A Practitioner's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, Alexis

    2013-01-01

    While carefully plotted lesson plans are invaluable in a classroom, tuning into the flow of the moment is just as essential. My experience has shown me that the most effective teaching happens when everyone in the room is in synch with one another. Teaching requires intuiting what each student is experiencing individually and adjusting in order to…

  10. Swedish Upper Secondary Students' Perspectives on the Typical Mathematics Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Paul; Larson, Niclas

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a group interview study of Swedish upper secondary students' perspectives on the typical mathematics lesson. Students, from four demographically different schools, constructed a collective synthesis of their many years' experience of mathematics classrooms. Transcriptions were subjected to a constant comparison analysis, which…

  11. Evaluating first-year nursing students' ability to self-assess psychomotor skills using videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Wilda Ellen; Rush, Kathy; Wright, Marjorie

    2009-01-01

    Developing confidence in self-assessment is an important skill in becoming a self-regulated learner. This article describes the process undertaken by a group of educators of incorporating self-assessment in combination with psychomotor skill development with freshman students. Students were videotaped performing a wound-dressing change; the videotaping was immediately followed by a self-assessment of their performance using a faculty-generated checklist. Comparison of faculty and student ratings revealed the tendency for students to overrate their performance and identified discordance between students and faculty on several steps of the procedure. These evaluation findings are discussed and future directions explored.

  12. Me & Isaac Newton. [Videotape and] KIDSNET Guide for Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001

    This videotape records the stories of 7 scientists, 3 women and 4 men who range in age from 33 to 81. Beginning with their earliest scientific questions and including their most personal ponderings, the scientists reveal their histories and professional obligations to affect the world. Director Michael Apted allows the personal adventures of the…

  13. All about Food Chains. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    Whether animals are herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores, each one is part of an eternal food chain that carries on from one generation to the next. In this videotape, students learn more about terms like "predator,""pre-consumer" and "producer," as well as the cycles of food chains and food webs and how they support…

  14. Childhood videotaped social and neuromotor precursors of schizophrenia: a prospective investigation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schiffman, Jason; Walker, Elaine; Ekstrøm, Morten

    2004-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The authors examined videotaped behaviors of children who developed schizophrenia as adults and of comparison subjects to disclose possible social and neuromotor deficits foreshadowing later development of schizophrenia. METHOD: In 1972, a sample of 265 11-13-year-old Danish children...... were filmed under standardized conditions while they were eating lunch. The examination was part of a larger study investigating early signs of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Many of the subjects had a parent with schizophrenia, leaving them at high risk for developing a schizophrenia spectrum...... disorder. In 1991, adult psychiatric outcome data were obtained for 91.3% (N=242). This study systematically analyzed the videotapes to determine whether the children who developed schizophrenia as adults evidenced greater social and/or neuromotor deficits than children who did not develop a psychiatric...

  15. Learning with and about Advertising in Chemistry Education with a Lesson Plan on Natural Cosmetics--A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belova, Nadja; Eilks, Ingo

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a case study on the chemistry behind natural cosmetics in five chemistry learning groups (grades 7-11, age range 13-17) in a German comprehensive school. The lesson plan intends to promote critical media literacy in the chemistry classroom and specifically emphasizes learning with and about advertising. The lessons of four…

  16. A Technology Leader's Role in Initiating a Flipped Classroom in a High School Math Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caverly, Gregg

    2017-01-01

    A mixed methods study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a flipped classroom in a high school discrete mathematics course. In the flipped classroom, students watched videos of the teacher's lesson for homework while completing problems during class. Two sections of the course were involved in the study, with one group receiving the…

  17. All about Animal Adaptations. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    Animals change to better adapt to their environment. Over long periods of time, nature helps the animals adapt by changing their body shape and color as well as adjusting their methods of getting and eating food, defending themselves, and caring for their young. In this videotape, students learn what changes different animals go through in order…

  18. ELPSA as A Lesson Design Framework

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom Lowrie

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper offers a framework for mathematics lesson design that is consistent with the way we learn about, and discover, most things in life. In addition, the framework provides a structure for identifying how mathematical concepts and understanding are acquired and developed. This framework is called ELPSA and represents five learning components, namely: Experience, Language, Pictorial, Symbolic and Applications. This framework has been used in developing lessons and teacher professional programs in Indonesia since 2012 in cooperation with the World Bank. This paper describes the theory that underlines the framework in general and in relation to each inter-connected component. Two explicit learning sequences for classroom practice are described, associated with Pythagoras theorem and probability. This paper then concludes with recommendations for using ELPSA in various institutional contexts.

  19. Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  20. How Junior High School English Teachers in Bengkulu City Utilise Published Textbooks in the Classroom: A Classroom Observation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Safnil Safnil

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to find out: (1 how the junior high school English teachers in Bengkulu city exploited the commercially published textbooks for classroom use; (2 if there was a difference in the way the experienced and the inexperienced English language teachers exploited the commercially published textbooks in the classroom; and (3 whether the teachers adapted textbooks or produced their own materials for classroom use. Twelve English teachers (6 experienced and 6 inexperienced teachers from four different junior high schools or SMPs (2 favourite and 2 non-favourite in Bengkulu city were the participants in this study. Data were obtained through a questionnaire, classroom observations, and sample lesson plans. The results of the study revealed that: first, the junior high school English language teachers (ET and IT; (1 used the commercially prescribed textbooks to a large extent; (2 there was not much difference between the way experienced teachers and inexperienced teachers exploited the textbooks; (3 both groups of teachers adapted the textbooks or produced their own teaching materials.

  1. Characterization of mathematics instructional practises for prospective elementary teachers with varying levels of self-efficacy in classroom management and mathematics teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Carrie W.; Walkowiak, Temple A.; Nietfeld, John L.

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between prospective teachers' (PTs) instructional practises and their efficacy beliefs in classroom management and mathematics teaching. A sequential, explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. Results from efficacy surveys, implemented with 54 PTs were linked to a sample of teachers' instructional practises during the qualitative phase. In this phase, video-recorded lessons were analysed based on tasks, representations, discourse, and classroom management. Findings indicate that PTs with higher levels of mathematics teaching efficacy taught lessons characterised by tasks of higher cognitive demand, extended student explanations, student-to-student discourse, and explicit connections between representations. Classroom management efficacy seems to bear influence on the utilised grouping structures. These findings support explicit attention to PTs' mathematics teaching and classroom management efficacy throughout teacher preparation and a need for formative feedback to inform development of beliefs about teaching practises.

  2. Genre-Based Teaching and Assessment in Secondary English Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Icy

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates how genre can be used as an organisational principle to interweave teaching and assessment in the L2 school context. Relying on data from interviews and lesson observations gathered from two Secondary 1 (that is, Grade 7) Hong Kong classrooms, the study sought to discover how teachers implemented genre-based teaching and…

  3. Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms: Teaching Practices of Student Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ping

    2016-01-01

    This study examines how and why student teachers integrated technology to enhance instruction in elementary classrooms. The participants were 31 student teachers who completed an assignment of eight weeks. Multiple data sets including observation notes of 347 lessons were obtained from three key groups for data triangulation. Results reveal that…

  4. Improving the primary school science learning unit about force and motion through lesson study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phaikhumnam, Wuttichai; Yuenyong, Chokchai

    2018-01-01

    The study aimed to develop primary school science lesson plan based on inquiry cycle (5Es) through lesson study. The study focused on the development of 4 primary school science lesson plans of force and motion for Grade 3 students in KKU Demonstration Primary School (Suksasart), first semester of 2015 academic year. The methodology is mixed method. The Inthaprasitha (2010) lesson study cycle was implemented in group of KKU Demonstration Primary School. Instruments of reflection of lesson plan developing included participant observation, meeting and reflection report, lesson plan and other document. The instruments of examining students' learning include classroom observation and achievement test. Data was categorized from these instruments to find the issues of changing and improving the good lesson plan of Thai primary school science learning. The findings revealed that teachers could develop the lesson plans through lesson study. The issues of changing and improving were disused by considering on engaging students related to societal issues, students' prior knowledge, scientific concepts for primary school students, and what they learned from their changing. It indicated that the Lesson Study allowed primary school science teachers to share ideas and develop ideas to improve the lesson. The study may have implications for Thai science teacher education through Lesson Study.

  5. Classroom interactions: exploring the practices of high- and low-expectation teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubie-Davies, Christine M

    2007-06-01

    Early research exploring teacher expectations concentrated on the dyadic classroom interactions of teachers with individual students. More recent studies have shown whole class factors to have more significance in portraying teachers' expectations. Recently teachers having high or low expectations for all their students have been identified. The aim of the current investigation was to explore whether the classroom exchanges of high- and low-expectation teachers differed substantially and might be considered a mechanism for teachers' expectations. The participants were 12 primary school teachers from eight schools who had been identified as having expectations for their students' learning that were either significantly above or below the children's achievement level. The teachers formed three groups called high-expectation, low-expectation and average-progress teachers. The participants were observed twice in the academic year during half-hour reading lessons. Two people observed each lesson, one completing a structured observation protocol and the other a running record and audiotape. In contrast to the average progress and low expectation teachers, the high-expectation teachers spent more time providing a framework for students' learning, provided their students with more feedback, questioned their students using more higher-order questions, and managed their students' behaviour more positively. There appear to be important differences in the classroom environments for the students of high-expectation, average-progress and low-expectation teachers. The differences apply to both the instructional and socioemotional environments of the classroom. Such disparities may act as mechanisms for teacher expectation effects.

  6. Teachers beliefs and technology use in kindergarten and elementary classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majedah Fawzi Abu Al Rub

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available With the increased availability of technology in today’s schools, concerns arise over whether teachers are effectively incorporating technology tools into their instruction in order to advance student learning and engagement. This project was designed to examine the types of educational technology practices that kindergarten and elementary teachers in Denver, Colorado, USA, implement in their classrooms and their beliefs concerning the implementation of educational technology in their classrooms. Teacher participants were interviewed to evaluate the types of technology they utilize in their lessons and their beliefs concerning the implementation of technology. The researcher found that teacher participants integrate a variety of technology into their classrooms. The results also showed that the participants are committed to utilize technology because they strongly believe that it benefits students. However, the results showed that there is a distinct difference concerning how technology is utilized in the classroom among the participants.

  7. Learning within Context: Exploring Lesson Study as an Aid in Enhancing Teachers' Implementations, Conceptions, and Perceptions of the Mathematics Teaching Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prince, Kyle

    2016-01-01

    With traditional teaching methods pervasive in the U.S., it is crucial that mathematics teacher educators and professional development leaders understand what methods result in authentic changes in classroom instruction. Lesson study presents a promising approach to developing reform-oriented instruction, as it is situated within the classroom,…

  8. Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Technology and Multiliteracy Within the Inclusive Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie K. Corkett

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The increased use of technology in today’s schools has created new possibilities for pre-service teachers and their students. Rather than limiting the use of technology based on student ability, it is now possible for pre-service teachers to develop integrated multiliteracy lessons that integrate technology and enhance student learning. Technology in the form of apps for iPads, iPods, and desktop computers enable teachers to achieve this goal; however, pre-service teacher’s perceptions of technology and teacher self-efficacy in relation to technology may influence whether technology is integrated into their lessons. This paper examines 144 primary/junior pre-service teacher’s self-efficacy and perceptions of technology before and after developing an app based m ultiliteracy lesson plan. Findings suggest that new teachers were more comfortable with the idea of integrating technology into their lessons after researching and completing a lesson plan focusing on the use of apps within an inclusive classroom.

  9. Improving Instruction in the Mathematics Methods Classroom through Action Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostofo, Jameel; Zambo, Ron

    2015-01-01

    There is a continuing emphasis in the United States on improving students' mathematical abilities, and one approach is to better prepare teachers. To investigate the potential usefulness of Lesson Study to better prepare teachers, one author set out to conduct action research on his classroom practice. Specifically, he sought to determine whether…

  10. Generating Testable Questions in the Science Classroom: The BDC Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, ChingMei; Chen, Shu-Bi Shu-Bi; Chang, Wen-Hua

    2015-01-01

    Guiding students to generate testable scientific questions is essential in the inquiry classroom, but it is not easy. The purpose of the BDC ("Big Idea, Divergent Thinking, and Convergent Thinking") instructional model is to to scaffold students' inquiry learning. We illustrate the use of this model with an example lesson, designed…

  11. Rainstorm Activities for Early Childhood Music Lessons Inspired by Teachable Moments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Harrison Grant

    2016-01-01

    Activities that focus on already familiar concepts are good starting points when designing early childhood music lessons. The author uses teachable moments, a spider in the classroom and a rainstorm, to design interdisciplinary preschool group activities that teach music, math, and science concepts. Dynamics and tempo are the music concepts that…

  12. Multicultural science education in Lesotho high school biology classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nthathakane, Malefu Christina

    2001-12-01

    This study investigated how Basotho high school biology students responded to a multicultural science education (MCSE) approach. Students' home language---Sesotho---and cultural experiences were integrated into the teaching of a unit on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) abuse. The focus was on students whose cultural background is African and who are English second language users. The study was conducted in three high school biology classrooms in Lesotho where the ATOD unit was taught using MCSE. A fourth biology classroom was observed for comparison purposes. In this classroom the regular biology teacher taught ATOD using typical instructional strategies. The study was framed by the general question: How does a multicultural science education approach affect Basotho high school biology students? More specifically: How does the use of Sesotho (or code-switching between Sesotho and English) and integration of Basotho students' cultural knowledge and experiences with respect to ATOD affect students' learning? In particular how does the approach affect students' participation and academic performance? A qualitative research method was used in this study. Data were drawn from a number of different sources and analyzed inductively. The data sources included field-notes, transcripts of ATOD lessons, research assistant lesson observation notes and interviews, regular biology teachers' interviews and notes from observing a few of their lessons, students' interviews and pre and posttest scripts, and other school documents that recorded students' performance throughout the year. Using the students' home language---Sesotho---was beneficial in that it enabled them to share ideas, communicate better and understand each other, the teacher and the material that was taught. Integrating students' cultural and everyday experiences was beneficial because it enabled students to anchor the new ATOD ideas in what was familiar and helped them find the relevance of the unit by

  13. Using Storytelling to Teach Vocabulary in Language Lessons: Does It Work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsch, Claudine

    2016-01-01

    It has long been claimed that stories are a powerful tool for language learning. Storytelling is often used as a discrete pedagogical approach in primary modern foreign language (MFL) lessons in England. There has, however, been little investigation into how storytelling might impact on vocabulary learning in the primary classroom. This article…

  14. Lessons in Culture: Oral Storytelling in a Literature Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Railton, Nikki

    2015-01-01

    This essay charts the experiences of a group of Year 10 students studying literature together. I challenge the current educational thinking that the literature classroom should consist exclusively of a set of canonised texts handed down from teacher to student. Instead I consider the importance of ensuring students have space to explore themselves…

  15. Biology Teachers Designing Context-Based Lessons for Their Classroom Practice--The Importance of Rules-of-Thumb

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieringa, Nienke; Janssen, Fred J. J. M.; Van Driel, Jan H.

    2011-01-01

    In science education in the Netherlands new, context-based, curricula are being developed. As in any innovation, the outcome will largely depend on the teachers who design and implement lessons. Central to the study presented here is the idea that teachers, when designing lessons, use rules-of-thumb: notions of what a lesson should look like if…

  16. Fish. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. There are many types of fish that live in oceans, lakes, and streams. Students learn about fish characteristics and environmental habitats,…

  17. Reptiles. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. The ancestors of reptiles date back to the dinosaurs. After the dinosaurs died out, it was one of the best-adapted species that survived and…

  18. The Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Prevention Videotapes with Mexican American Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polansky, Joan M.; Buki, Lydia P.; Horan, John J.; Ceperich, Sherry Dyche; Burows, Deborah Dyer

    1999-01-01

    The effectiveness of three substance-abuse-prevention videotapes derived from contrasting theoretical frameworks was evaluated using 312 rural Mexican-American students in grades seven through eight. The assertion-training video produced higher levels of assertiveness among ninth-graders; the others had no impact. Discusses the importance of…

  19. [The scientific videotape with digital processing in surgery. The new opportunities offered surgery for videotape recording and postprocessing with the use of information and digital technologies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picardi, N

    1999-01-01

    The facility of the tape recording of a surgical operation, by means of simple manageable apparatuses and at low costs, especially in comparison with the former cinematography, makes it possible for all surgeons to record their own operative activity. Therefore at present the demonstration in video of surgical interventions is very common, but very often the video-tapes show surgical events only in straight chronological succession, as for facts of chronicle news. The simplification of the otherwise sophisticated digital technology of informatics elaboration of images makes more convenient and advisable to assemble the more meaningful sequences for a final product of higher scientific value. The digital technology gives at the best its contribution during the phase of post-production of the video-tape, where the surgeon himself can assemble an end product of more value because aimed to a scientific and rational communication. Thanks to such an elaboration the video-tape can aim not simply to become a good documentary, but also to achieve an educational purpose or becomes a truly scientific film. The initial video will be recorded following a specific project, the script, foreseeing and programming what has to be demonstrated of the surgical operation, establishing therefore in advance the most important steps of the intervention. The sequences recorded will then be assembled not necessarily in a chronological succession but integrating the moving images with static pictures, as drawings, schemes, tables, aside the picture-in picture technique, and besides the vocal descriptive comment. The cinema language has accustomed us to a series of passages among the different sequences as fading, cross-over, "flash-back", aiming to stimulate the psychological associative powers and encourage those critical. The video-tape can be opportunely shortened, paying attention to show only the essential phases of the operation for demonstrate only the core of the problem and utilize

  20. Cosmic Times: Astronomy History and Science for the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lochner, James C.; Mattson, B.

    2008-05-01

    Cosmic Times is a series of curriculum support materials and classroom activities for upper middle school and high school students which teach the nature of science by exploring the history of our understanding of the universe during the past 100 years. Starting with the confirmation of Einstein's theory of gravity in 1919 to the current conundrum posed by the discovery of dark energy, Cosmic Times examines the discoveries, the theories, and the people involved in this changing [understanding] of the universe. Cosmic Times takes the form of 6 posters, each resembling the front page of a newspaper from a particular time in this history with articles describing the discoveries. Each poster is accompanied by 4-5 classroom lessons which enable students to examine the science concepts behind the discoveries, develop techniques to improve science literacy, and investigate the nature of science using historical examples. Cosmic Times directly connects with the IYA theme of Astronomy in the Classroom, as well as the general theme of the impact of astronomy history. Cosmic Times has been developed with a freelance writer to write the articles for the posters, a group of teachers to develop the lessons, and evaluator to provide testing of the materials with a group of rural teachers in underserved communities. This poster presentation previews the Cosmic Times materials, which are posted on http://cosmictimes.gsfc.nasa.gov/ as they become available. Cosmic Times is funded in part via a NASA IDEAS grant.

  1. Patterns of interactions at grade 5 classroom in learning the topic of statistics viewed from cognitive load theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setianingsih, R.

    2018-01-01

    The nature of interactions that occurs among teacher, students, learning sources, and learning environment creates different settings to enhance learning. Any setting created by a teacher is affected by 3 (three) types of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load. This study is qualitative in nature, aims to analyse the patterns of interaction that are constituted in mathematics instructions by taking into account the cognitive load theory. The subjects of this study are 21 fifth-grade students who learn mathematics in small groups and whole-class interactive lessons. The data were collected through classroom observations which were videotaped, while field notes were also taken. The data analysis revealed that students engaged in productive interaction and inquiry while they were learning mathematics in small groups or in whole class setting, in which there was a different type of cognitive load that dominantly affecting the learning processes at each setting. During learning mathematics in whole class setting, the most frequently found interaction patterns were to discuss and compare solution based on self-developed models, followed by expressing opinions. This is consistent with the principles of mathematics learning, which gives students wide opportunities to construct mathematical knowledge through individual learning, learning in small groups as well as learning in whole class settings. It means that by participating in interactive learning, the students are habitually engaged in productive interactions and high level of mathematical thinking.

  2. From the Bandstand to the Classroom: Thinking and Playing Grooves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baxter, Marsha; Santantasio, Christopher

    2012-01-01

    In this article, narratives of a salsa concert and a lesson with a Native American flute performer provide openings for exploring grooves and their application in the music classroom. The term "groove" is examined, along with some non-Western ideas about time as represented in the music of the West African Kpelle people. A sixth-grade…

  3. Differentiated Instruction at Work. Reinforcing the Art of Classroom Observation through the Creation of a Checklist for Beginning and Pre-Service Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subban, Pearl; Round, Penny

    2015-01-01

    Professional experience is viewed as integral to shaping philosophy and acquiring skills in the area of classroom teaching. Classrooms are complex places, with educators implementing differentiated strategies to cater for student diversity. Pre-service teachers who observe these lessons often miss the intuitive practices, as there is much to…

  4. Effects of Technology-Based Teacher Training and Teacher-Led Classroom Implementation on Learning Reading Comprehension Strategies

    OpenAIRE

    Graves, Michael; Sales, Gregory C.; Lawrenz, Frances; Robelia, Beth; Richardson, Jayson W.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of a professionally developed comprehensive reading comprehension strategies program when compared to traditional reading comprehension instruction presented to 865 fourth and fifth graders (682 with full data sets) in 34 classrooms in the United States. The treatment included a strong, technology-based teacher training component as well as highly motivational materials for 53 classroom-delivered student lessons. The research design was a randomized tria...

  5. Once is not enough : Establishing reliability criteria for teacher evaluation based on classroom observations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Lans, Rikkert; van de Grift, Wim; van Veen, Klaas

    2016-01-01

    Classroom observation is the most implemented method to evaluate teaching. To ensure reliability, researchers often train observers extensively. However, schools have limited resources to train observers and often lesson observation is performed by limitedly trained or untrained colleagues. In this

  6. Incorporating climate change and technology into the science classroom: Lessons from my year as a GK-12 Fellow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abramoff, R. Z.

    2012-12-01

    Climate change is not included in the K-8 science standards in Massachusetts; as a result, students learn what climate is, but not how human activities affect it. Starting in 2010, Boston University launched the GK-12 GLACIER program, funded with 2.9M from the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the program is to incorporate the fundamentals of climate change into the K-12 curriculum, focusing on grades 5-8 when quantitative science enters the curriculum. Graduate students are partnered with teachers in Boston public schools for 10 hours a week of teaching with additional curriculum development. I will focus on the curriculum that I developed as a part of this program for the 5th grade science class at The Curley School in Jamaica Plain, MA, where I worked with Grades 3-5, ESL, and PACE autism program science teacher, Stephanie Selznick. The Curley School is an ethnically and economically diverse Boston public school with about 800 students and an 83% minority population. At the Curley, I taught two full days a week, meeting with all of the 5th grade classes and some of the 4th grade classes of all academic levels. The lessons that I created were designed to fit into the state standards and enrich student understanding plant ecology and earth science, as well as develop their capacity to design experiments and use technology. These include Question of the Day, Digital Field Guide to the Outdoor Classroom, Phototropism, Solar System Weather Report, Soil and Water, Local Landforms, and the Earth as a Closed System Unit for which materials and lesson plans are available on my website. Our secondary goals were to improve tech literacy at Curley. Due to funding restrictions, there were few technology resources available to the students at the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year. To improve technology resources at Curley, I organized a fundraiser at Boston University, selling donated items from graduate students and faculty; the 1000 raised was used to supply

  7. Exploring the classroom practices that may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blue, Levon Ellen; O'Brien, Mia; Makar, Katie

    2018-06-01

    From an early age, children are faced with financial dilemmas and are expected to make effective financial decisions about money. In this paper, we explore the classroom practices that may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education. We observed an inquiry-based mathematics lesson in a Year 4 primary school classroom. The financial maths task asked students to decide on the best fundraising option for the school. We used the theory of practice architectures to analyse the interactions in the classroom in order to understand what may have enabled and constrained classroom practices. We found that classroom practices such as engaging with peers through positive and collaborative learning opportunities, making ethical, social and mathematical connections of the task, and considering the impact of financial decisions on others may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education.

  8. Exploring the classroom practices that may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blue, Levon Ellen; O'Brien, Mia; Makar, Katie

    2017-08-01

    From an early age, children are faced with financial dilemmas and are expected to make effective financial decisions about money. In this paper, we explore the classroom practices that may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education. We observed an inquiry-based mathematics lesson in a Year 4 primary school classroom. The financial maths task asked students to decide on the best fundraising option for the school. We used the theory of practice architectures to analyse the interactions in the classroom in order to understand what may have enabled and constrained classroom practices. We found that classroom practices such as engaging with peers through positive and collaborative learning opportunities, making ethical, social and mathematical connections of the task, and considering the impact of financial decisions on others may enable a compassionate approach to financial literacy education.

  9. The Classroom Chefs: A Children's Picture Cookbook for Nutrition Education. Teachers Manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minter, Margaret; And Others

    This teacher's manual presents lesson plans and recipes designed for use with preschool children, discusses the need for early nutrition education, and offers suggestions for conducting cooking activities in the classroom. Specific ideas are provided to involve handicapped children in cooking experiences. Nutrition education in the preschool is…

  10. Classroom Temperature, Clothing and Thermal Comfort -- A Study of Secondary School Children in Summertime. Building Research Establishment Current Paper 22/74.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphreys, M. A.

    1974-01-01

    This article describes a study of summertime classroom temperature and its relationship to the clothing worn by English secondary school children. Data on classroom temperatures and children's clothing were recorded during one summer for a total of 987 lessons. Analysis of the data showed that the strong clothing-temperature correlation could be…

  11. From the School Newsroom to the Courtroom. Lessons on the Hazelwood Case and Free Expression Policy Making in the Public Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenblum, Warren; And Others

    The purpose of this lesson packet is to raise issues about student rights of free expression in public schools. Included are preparatory reading material and two classroom simulation activities. The lessons are based on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, in which a Missouri high school principal and school district were sued by…

  12. Photocopying and Videotaping for Educational Purposes: The Doctrine of Fair Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flygare, Thomas J.

    1984-01-01

    Photocopying guidelines of the 1976 amendments to the Copyright Act have been further legitimized by a 1982 settlement involving New York University. Important recent developments concerning videotape copyrights include the 1981 guidelines of the House Judiciary Committee and the 1984 United States Supreme Court case, "Sony Corporation v.…

  13. Lessons in Pop: Does Pop Culture Belong in the Classroom?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Caralee

    2011-01-01

    Many teachers are finding that weaving in examples from current movies, television, music, and popular fiction makes their lessons come alive for students. A clip from "The Daily Show" or rap lyrics can be vehicles to talk about politics and poetry. Pop culture is what students talk about in the hallways, so why not harness that interest and…

  14. How Can We Make Computing Lessons More Inclusive?

    OpenAIRE

    Shelton , Chris

    2017-01-01

    Part 3: Computer Science Education and Its Future Focus and Development; International audience; Whilst there is a substantial body of research that shows how Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) can support schools and teachers to make their classrooms more inclusive, there is a need for more evidence describing how best to ensure that the teaching of computing itself is inclusive. This paper reports on a literature review of inclusive education in school computing lessons. It ...

  15. High/Scope Preschool Key Experiences: Language and Literacy. [with]Curriculum Videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkman, Nancy A.

    During the preschool years, children experience great strides in their ability to use language. This booklet and companion videotape help teachers and parents recognize and support six High/Scope key experiences in language and literacy: (1) talking with others about personally meaningful experiences; (2) describing objects, events, and relations;…

  16. Brief Report: Recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorder before One Year of Age: A Retrospective Study Based on Home Videotapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Emily; Dawson, Geraldine; Osterling, Julie; Dinno, Nuhad

    2000-01-01

    This retrospective study compared videotape footage at 8-10 months of 15 children later known to have autism spectrum disorder and videotapes of 15 same-age children with typical development. The strongest finding was that infants with early onset autism were much less likely to orient when their name was called than typically developing infants.…

  17. The Effect of Knowledge Linking Levels in Biology Lessons upon Students' Knowledge Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadouh, Julia; Liu, Ning; Sandmann, Angela; Neuhaus, Birgit J.

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge structure is an important aspect for defining students' competency in biology learning, but how knowledge structure is influenced by the teaching process in naturalistic biology classroom settings has scarcely been empirically investigated. In this study, 49 biology lessons in the teaching unit "blood and circulatory system" in…

  18. Educational Technology and the Restructuring Movement: Lessons from Research on Computers in Classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kell, Diane; And Others

    This paper presents findings from a recently completed study of the use of computers in primary classrooms as one source of evidence concerning the role technology can play in school restructuring efforts. The sites for the study were selected by Apple Computer, Inc. in the spring of 1988 and included 43 classrooms in 10 schools in 6 large, mostly…

  19. The key factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Derek

    2018-01-01

    Individual interest in school science lessons can be defined as a relatively stable and enduring personal emotion comprising affective and behavioural reactions to events in the regular science lessons at school. Little research has compared the importance of different factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons. The present study aimed to address this gap, using a mixed methods design. Qualitative interview data were collected from 60 Hong Kong junior secondary school students, who were asked to describe the nature of their interest in science lessons and the factors to which they attribute this. Teacher interviews, parent interviews, and classroom observations were conducted to triangulate student interview data. Five factors affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons were identified: situational influences in science lessons, individual interest in science, science self-concept, grade level, and gender. Quantitative data were then collected from 591 students using a questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was applied to test a hypothesised model, which provided an acceptable fit to the student data. The strongest factor affecting students' individual interest in school science lessons was science self-concept, followed by individual interest in science and situational influences in science lessons. Grade level and gender were found to be nonsignificant factors. These findings suggest that teachers should pay special attention to the association between academic self-concept and interest if they want to motivate students to learn science at school.

  20. Deborah Tannen: He Said, She Said--Gender, Language, & Communication [and] Deborah Tannen: In Depth. Part 2. [Videotapes and Teaching Guide].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tannen, Deborah

    These curriculum-related materials include two videotapes and a 36-page teaching guide. The first videotape, "Deborah Tannen: He Said, She Said," with a running time of 50 minutes discusses: boys and girls, status and connection, directness and indirectness, public talk and private talk, ritual opposition, and conversational style, and a…

  1. Understanding IDEA 1997 and the 1999 Regulations with Barbara Bateman. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA. Div. for Learning Disabilities.

    The United States Congress amended the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 to reflect changes in the special education field over the previous twenty years. In this 2-hour videotape recording designed for teachers, administrators, parents, and others, Dr. Barbara Bateman presents her insights about changes in IDEA law and…

  2. CORRECTIVE FEEDBACKS INTERACTION IN CLT-ADOPTED CLASSROOMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayu Liskinasih

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This case study aimed to examine corrective feedback (CF pattern in the interactions of Indonesian EFL (English as Foreign Language classrooms (a speaking and a grammar classrooms which adopt CLT (Communicative Language Teaching. Two lecturers and twenty undergraduate English department students of an A-class university in Indonesia were involved as research participants. The findings revealed that the lecturers employed all types of CF to treat all types of errors. Explicit corrections were dominant in Speaking class as well as other explicit CF; whereas reformulations and prompt were equally distributed. Elicitation was dominant in Grammar class as well as other prompts; meanwhile, explicit and implicit CFs had similar proportion. The lecturers’ preferences were based on their beliefs on how their students learn foreign language and some factors such as the importance of CF to the instructional focus of the lesson, the possibility to generate student’s uptake, and also their empathetic values about students’ current language development. It was concluded that the provisions of CF in EFL classrooms reflect the application of CLT.

  3. Exploring the use of lesson study with six Canadian middle-school science teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridges, Terry James

    , observing colleagues teach, time to collaborate, plan, and reflect, teaching the same lesson to two classes, more intentional teaching, and increasing social interactions. Teacher challenges included: teacher unfamiliarity with the students being taught, time spent taking part in lesson study, teachers in the role of observers, and impact of observers and videotaping on students and teachers during lesson enactments.

  4. Building Bridges: A Peace Corps Classroom Guide to Cross-Cultural Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronhime, Raquel; Bennhold-Samaan, Laurette; Coratti, Nancy; Lazar, Cori; Flaccus, Trisha Tumulty; McGinnis, J. Randy; Scammahorn, Emmy; Soderstrom, Robert; Storti, Craig; Williams, Krystal

    2010-01-01

    The lessons presented in this book will: (1) Help students better understand their own culture and how it has shaped them; (2) Help students begin to understand the perspectives of other cultures, leading to increased respect for those who are different from them--in the classroom and worldwide; and (3) Provide an increased awareness of the value…

  5. The first English (EFL) lesson : Initial settings or the emergence of a playful classroom culture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dam, J.; Bannink, A.; Bell, N.

    2017-01-01

    This discourse-based micro-ethnographic study scrutinizes the various forms of play that are a recurrent and salient feature of a first English (EFL) lesson in a Dutch secondary school context. In the first part of the lesson collective speaking formats associated with cultural games and routines in

  6. The effect of shift-problem lessons in the mathematics classroom

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Palha, S.; Dekker, Rijkje; Gravemeijer, K.P.E.

    2015-01-01

    It remains difficult to foster problem-solving and mathematical-reasoning capabilities in classrooms where students and teachers are accustomed to the more traditional forms of education. Several studies suggest that this difficulty might be related to the kind of knowledge students acquire in such

  7. Opportunities for Inquiry Science in Montessori Classrooms: Learning from a Culture of Interest, Communication, and Explanation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinke, Carol R.; Gimbel, Steven J.; Haskell, Sophie

    2013-08-01

    Although classroom inquiry is the primary pedagogy of science education, it has often been difficult to implement within conventional classroom cultures. This study turned to the alternatively structured Montessori learning environment to better understand the ways in which it fosters the essential elements of classroom inquiry, as defined by prominent policy documents. Specifically, we examined the opportunities present in Montessori classrooms for students to develop an interest in the natural world, generate explanations in science, and communicate about science. Using ethnographic research methods in four Montessori classrooms at the primary and elementary levels, this research captured a range of scientific learning opportunities. The study found that the Montessori learning environment provided opportunities for students to develop enduring interests in scientific topics and communicate about science in various ways. The data also indicated that explanation was largely teacher-driven in the Montessori classroom culture. This study offers lessons for both conventional and Montessori classrooms and suggests further research that bridges educational contexts.

  8. Differentiation practices in grade 2 and 3 : Variations in teacher behavior in mathematics and reading comprehension lessons

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ritzema, Evelien S.; Deunk, Marjolein I.; Bosker, Roel J.

    2016-01-01

    This study focused on the differentiation practices of second- and third-grade teachers in mathematics and reading comprehension lessons. Preconditions for differentiation, classroom organization, and how teachers dealt with students of different ability levels were investigated through

  9. Animal Interdependency. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. No organism on Earth can exist independently. Students find out more about animal relationships such as predator/prey relationships and…

  10. A controlled evaluation of an eating disorders primary prevention videotape using the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Withers, Giselle F; Twigg, Kylie; Wertheim, Eleanor H; Paxton, Susan J

    2002-11-01

    The aim was to extend findings related to a previously reported eating disorders prevention program by comparing treatment and control groups, adding a follow-up, and examining whether receiver characteristics, personal relevance and need for cognition (NFC), could predict attitude change in early adolescent girls. Grade 7 girls were either shown a brief prevention videotape on dieting and body image (n = 104) or given no intervention (n = 114). All girls completed pre-, post- and 1-month follow-up questionnaires. The intervention group resulted in significantly more positive changes in attitude and knowledge at post-intervention, but only in knowledge at follow-up. There was no strong evidence that pre-intervention characteristics of recipients predicted responses to the videotape intervention when changes were compared to the control group. This prevention videotape appeared to have positive immediate effects, but additional intervention (e.g., booster sessions) may be required for longer-term change. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.

  11. Literacy learning in secondary school science classrooms: A cross-case analysis of three qualitative studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Deborah R.; O'Brien, David G.; Moje, Elizabeth B.; Stewart, Roger A.

    The purpose of this cross-case analysis is to illustrate how and why literacy was incorporated into science teaching and learning in three secondary classrooms. Research questions guiding the analysis include: (a) How were literacy events shaped by the teachers' philosophies about teaching science content and teaching students? and (b) How was literacy (reading, writing, and oral language) structured by the teachers and manifested in science lessons? The methodology of ethnography and the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism were employed in the three studies on which the cross-case analysis was based. The researchers assumed the role of participant observers, collecting data over the period of 1 year in each of the three classrooms. Data, in the form of fieldnotes, interviews, and artifacts, were collected. In each study, data were analyzed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to determine patterns in the teachers' beliefs about learning and how these influenced their choice of literacy activities. The cross-case analysis was conducted to determine patterns across the three teachers and their classrooms. The findings from this analysis are used to compare how the teachers' philosophies of teaching science and their beliefs about how students learn influenced their use of literacy practices during lessons. Specifically, each teacher's use of literacy activities varied based on his or her beliefs about teaching science concepts. Furthermore, reading, writing, and oral language were important vehicles to learning science concepts within daily classroom activities in the three classrooms.Received: 1 April 1993; Revised: 30 August 1993;

  12. "Poetry Does Really Educate": An Interview with Spoken Word Poet Luka Lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xerri, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Spoken word poetry is a means of engaging young people with a genre that has often been much maligned in classrooms all over the world. This interview with the Australian spoken word poet Luka Lesson explores issues that are of pressing concern to poetry education. These include the idea that engagement with poetry in schools can be enhanced by…

  13. Cognitive Modification as Intervention for Increasing Basic Skills in Classroom Planning and Teaching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunal, Dennis W.

    One formal operational schema, hypothetical-deductive reasoning, is seen as most important to effective decisionmaking in planning and carrying out classroom lessons. While it is clear that formal thought schema are widely used in teaching, it is also understood that these reasoning schema are themselves dependent upon the more fundamental…

  14. Making Space for the Act of Making: Creativity in the Engineering Design Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasky, Dorothea; Yoon, Susan A.

    2011-01-01

    Creativity continues to be an important goal for 21st century learning. However, teachers often have difficulties fostering creativity in their classrooms. Current creativity research suggests that the act of making can enhance the teaching of creativity. Hands-on engineering design lessons are ideal contexts for studying this effect. Through…

  15. Animal Classification. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. They learn what the terms "kingdom", "phylum", and "order" mean, and discover how the 3.5 million-plus organisms found on Earth fit into…

  16. Learning from avatars: Learning assistants practice physics pedagogy in a classroom simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chini, Jacquelyn J.; Straub, Carrie L.; Thomas, Kevin H.

    2016-06-01

    [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Preparing and Supporting University Physics Educators.] Undergraduate students are increasingly being used to support course transformations that incorporate research-based instructional strategies. While such students are typically selected based on strong content knowledge and possible interest in teaching, they often do not have previous pedagogical training. The current training models make use of real students or classmates role playing as students as the test subjects. We present a new environment for facilitating the practice of physics pedagogy skills, a highly immersive mixed-reality classroom simulator, and assess its effectiveness for undergraduate physics learning assistants (LAs). LAs prepared, taught, and reflected on a lesson about motion graphs for five highly interactive computer generated student avatars in the mixed-reality classroom simulator. To assess the effectiveness of the simulator for this population, we analyzed the pedagogical skills LAs intended to practice and exhibited during their lessons and explored LAs' descriptions of their experiences with the simulator. Our results indicate that the classroom simulator created a safe, effective environment for LAs to practice a variety of skills, such as questioning styles and wait time. Additionally, our analysis revealed areas for improvement in our preparation of LAs and use of the simulator. We conclude with a summary of research questions this environment could facilitate.

  17. A survey of acoustic conditions and noise levels in secondary school classrooms in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shield, Bridget; Conetta, Robert; Dockrell, Julie; Connolly, Daniel; Cox, Trevor; Mydlarz, Charles

    2015-01-01

    An acoustic survey of secondary schools in England has been undertaken. Room acoustic parameters and background noise levels were measured in 185 unoccupied spaces in 13 schools to provide information on the typical acoustic environment of secondary schools. The unoccupied acoustic and noise data were correlated with various physical characteristics of the spaces. Room height and the amount of glazing were related to the unoccupied reverberation time and therefore need to be controlled to reduce reverberation to suitable levels for teaching and learning. Further analysis of the unoccupied data showed that the introduction of legislation relating to school acoustics in England and Wales in 2003 approximately doubled the number of school spaces complying with current standards. Noise levels were also measured during 274 lessons to examine typical levels generated during teaching activities in secondary schools and to investigate the influence of acoustic design on working noise levels in the classroom. Comparison of unoccupied and occupied data showed that unoccupied acoustic conditions affect the noise levels occurring during lessons. They were also related to the time spent in disruption to the lessons (e.g., students talking or shouting) and so may also have an impact upon student behavior in the classroom.

  18. Shifting more than the goal posts: developing classroom norms of inquiry-based learning in mathematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makar, Katie; Fielding-Wells, Jill

    2018-03-01

    The 3-year study described in this paper aims to create new knowledge about inquiry norms in primary mathematics classrooms. Mathematical inquiry addresses complex problems that contain ambiguities, yet classroom environments often do not adopt norms that promote curiosity, risk-taking and negotiation needed to productively engage with complex problems. Little is known about how teachers and students initiate, develop and maintain norms of mathematical inquiry in primary classrooms. The research question guiding this study is, "How do classroom norms develop that facilitate student learning in primary classrooms which practice mathematical inquiry?" The project will (1) analyse a video archive of inquiry lessons to identify signature practices that enhance productive classroom norms of mathematical inquiry and facilitate learning, (2) engage expert inquiry teachers to collaborate to identify and design strategies for assisting teachers to develop and sustain norms over time that are conducive to mathematical inquiry and (3) support and study teachers new to mathematical inquiry adopting these practices in their classrooms. Anticipated outcomes include identification and illustration of classroom norms of mathematical inquiry, signature practices linked to these norms and case studies of primary teachers' progressive development of classroom norms of mathematical inquiry and how they facilitate learning.

  19. Using the CLEAN educational resource collection for building three-dimensional lessons to teach the climate system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gold, A. U.; Sullivan, S. M.; Manning, C. L. B.; Ledley, T. S.; Youngman, E.; Taylor, J.; Niepold, F., III; Kirk, K.; Lockwood, J.; Bruckner, M. Z.; Fox, S.

    2017-12-01

    The impacts of climate change are a critical societal challenge of the 21st century. Educating students about the globally connected climate system is key in supporting the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies. Systems thinking is required for students to understand the complex, dynamic climate systems and the role that humans play within them. The interdisciplinary nature of climate science challenges educators, who often don't have formal training in climate science, to identify resources that are scientifically accurate before weaving them together into units that teach about the climate system. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) supports this work by providing over 700 peer-reviewed, classroom-ready resources on climate and energy topics. The resource collection itself provide only limited instructional guidance, so educators need to weave the resources together to build multi-dimensional lessons that develop systems thinking skills. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science standards encourage educators to teach science in a 3-dimensional approach that trains students in systems thinking. The CLEAN project strives to help educators design NGSS-style, three-dimensional lessons about the climate system. Two approaches are currently being modeled on the CLEAN web portal. The first is described in the CLEAN NGSS "Get Started Guide" which follows a step-by-step process starting with the Disciplinary Core Idea and then interweaves the Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCC) and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) based on the teaching strategy chosen for the lesson or unit topic. The second model uses a climate topic as a starting place and the SEP as the guide through a four-step lesson sequence called "Earth Systems Investigations". Both models use CLEAN reviewed lessons as the core activity but provide the necessary framework for classroom implementation. Sample lessons that were developed following these two

  20. Process of Argumentation in High School Biology Class: A Qualitative Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramli, M.; Rakhmawati, E.; Hendarto, P.; Winarni

    2017-02-01

    Argumentation skill can be nurtured by designing a lesson in which students are provided with the opportunity to argue. This research aims to analyse argumentation process in biology class. The participants were students of three biology classes from different high schools in Surakarta Indonesia. One of the classroom was taught by a student teacher, and the rest were instructed by the assigned teachers. Through a classroom observation, oral activities were noted, audio-recorded and video-taped. Coding was done based on the existence of claiming-reasoning-evidence (CRE) process by McNeill and Krajcik. Data was analysed qualitatively focusing on the role of teachers to initiate questioning to support argumentation process. The lesson design of three were also analysed. The result shows that pedagogical skill of teachers to support argumentation process, such as skill to ask, answer, and respond to students’ question and statements need to be trained intensively. Most of the argumentation found were only claiming, without reasoning and evidence. Teachers have to change the routine of mostly posing open-ended questions to students, and giving directly a correct answer to students’ questions. Knowledge and skills to encourage student to follow inquiry-based learning have to be acquired by teachers.

  1. Methods and results of implementing a commercially available videotaped health physics training program in a multi-disciplined DOE facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Neal, B.L.

    1979-01-01

    Sandia, a prime contractor for DOE, is a multi-disciplined research and development laboratory. Its various activities include the operations of two nuclear reactors, several multi-kilocurie gamma irradiation facilities, a transuranic hot cell facility, various and numerous particle accelerators and x-ray generators, and many other areas involving employees working with or around radioactive materials or radiation producing machines. Since March 1979, Sandia has conducted a formalized basic radiation safety training program using a commercially available videotaped training package. The videotapes are generic in nature and are accompanied with hard copy text material, vu-graphs, quizzes, and an instructor's guide. Sandia's overall training program and the methods, results, and problem areas of implementing an off the shelf, commercially available videotaped training program are described. Results are summarized using an instructor/course/student evaluation form

  2. Presenting Social Issues with Videotape [and] Teaming Up to Take a Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agosta, Diana; Jackson, Dick

    1991-01-01

    Two articles discuss the use of media in schools. One describes the use of videotapes to present social issues; the second describes the use of an integrated learning system with ninth and tenth grade at-risk students to improve their rate of attendance, academic achievement, and self-esteem. (LRW)

  3. PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI PEDAGOGIK GURU DAN KEMAMPUAN AKADEMIK SISWA MELALUI LESSON STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eka Andriani

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to improve teachers' pedagogical competence and academic achievement of students through lesson study based learning. The design of this study is classroom action research method of observation and written tests. The data were analyzed by quantitative descriptive. The research was conducted on a geography teacher and students of class XI social science programe specialization courses in high school. The results showed an increase pedagogical competence of teachers of the first cycle to the second cycle. This can be seen from the ability of teachers prepare lesson plans and implementing learning. Based learning lesson study also impact on improving the academic skills of students in the form of activity and learning outcomes. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kompetensi pedagogik guru dan prestasi akademik siswa melalui pembelajaran berbasis lesson study. Rancangan penelitian ini adalah penelitian tindakan kelas dengan metode observasi dan tes tertulis. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif kuantitatif. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada guru Geografi dan siswa kelas XI program peminatan ilmu sosial di SMA. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya peningkatan kompetensi pedagogik guru dari siklus I ke siklus II. Hal ini bisa dilihat dari kemampuan guru menyusun RPP dan melaksanakan pembelajaran. Pembelajaran berbasis lesson study juga berdampak pada peningkatan kemampuan akademis siswa berupa aktivitas dan hasil belajar.

  4. All about Endangered and Extinct Animals. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    While there are thousands of different animals in the world, some have been extinct for many years and others are on the verge of extinction. In this videotape, students learn about the natural and man-made factors that lead to the endangerment and extinction of animals. Children find out why it is essential for people to help all forms of…

  5. Food Chains. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. The food chain provides a clear example of how life continues year after year. Students learn how the cycle of energy starts with the sun,…

  6. A Lesson Plan Incorporating Collaborative Strategic Reading

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    陈江萍

    2017-01-01

    This essay is going to have an in-depth analysis of the Collaborative Strategic Reading, a four-step reading comprehen-sion strategy popular in the Western classrooms. It will start with some brief introduction about this instructional approach in company with its theoretical rationale and research evidence for its effectiveness of improving learners 'reading competence. Fo-cused on the previewing skill, the first step of the reading instruction, a modified lesson plan is designed in the Chinese high school setting, followed by justification of the major elements of the plan, and some practical implications.

  7. A Lesson Plan Incorporating Collaborative Strategic Reading

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    陈江萍

    2017-01-01

    This essay is going to have an in-depth analysis of the Collaborative Strategic Reading, a four-step reading comprehen?sion strategy popular in the Western classrooms. It will start with some brief introduction about this instructional approach in company with its theoretical rationale and research evidence for its effectiveness of improving learners 'reading competence. Fo?cused on the previewing skill, the first step of the reading instruction, a modified lesson plan is designed in the Chinese high school setting, followed by justification of the major elements of the plan, and some practical implications.

  8. Gathering the Dreamers: The Transformation Process to a Learner-Centered School. The Reinventing School Series. Part Two and Viewing Guide. Videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burrello, Leonard C.; DiLaura, Nancy

    This videotape and viewing guide present an emerging learner-centered paradigm of teaching and learning and answer questions of why and how a staff changes its practices. The viewing guide describes the elementary school in the videotape, noting the full inclusion of 50 students identified as disabled, the team approach in which teachers are…

  9. Developing biology teachers' pedagogical content knowledge through learning study: the case of teaching human evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bravo, Paulina; Cofré, Hernán

    2016-11-01

    This work explores how pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) on evolution was modified by two biology teachers who participated in a professional development programme (PDP) that included a subsequent follow-up in the classroom. The PDP spanned a semester and included activities such as content updates, collaborative lesson planning, and the presentation of planned lessons. In the follow-up part, the lessons were videotaped and analysed, identifying strategies, activities, and conditions based on student learning about the theory of evolution. Data were collected in the first round with an interview before the training process, identifying these teachers' initial content representation (CoRe) for evolution. Then, a group interview was conducted after the lessons, and, finally, an interview of stimulated recall with each teacher was conducted regarding the subject taught to allow teachers to reflect on their practice (final CoRe). This information was analysed by the teachers and the researchers, reflecting on the components of the PCK, possible changes, and the rationale behind their actions. The results show that teachers changed their beliefs and knowledge about the best methods and strategies to teach evolution, and about students' learning obstacles and misconceptions on evolution. They realised how a review of their own practices promotes this transformation.

  10. Implementing the Flipped Classroom Model in the Teaching of History

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siti Waznah Abdul Latif

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the effectiveness in implementing the Flipped Classroom model in teaching History and to identify the students’ perceptions using this approach towards their learning. The chosen History topic was on ‘James Brooke’s activities in Sarawak in the 1840s’. The sample consisted of twelve students from two Year 9 classes in one of the secondary schools in Brunei Darussalam. In adopting the Flipped Classroom approach, the students were required to watch a video lesson outside the classroom setting. To measure its effectiveness, a test instrument was used, and five students were interviewed. The findings revealed that the utilisation of this instructional method was effective in teaching History, as there were improvements in the students’ test results. The analyses of the students’ perceptions using this approach revealed that while some students believed that it helped them improve in their communication and writing skills, others did not perceive it effective for their learning.

  11. “Don’t Tell My Father”: Important Lessons Learned Through EFL Classroom Small Talk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela Ayala González

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available All too often phatic communion is neglected in the English as a foreign language classroom or relegated to the level of formulaic language which merits little or no attention. In this article we argue that phatic communion plays an important role in establishing, developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships between teacher and learners which can be seen in terms of solidarity and supportiveness. Furthermore, small talk offers one of the few opportunities for students to engage in meaningful communicative interaction in the English as a foreign language classroom which is largely characterised by non-authentic language activities. Using classroom data, we attempt to show that teachers and students actively look for ways to enhance personal relationships as they boost the face of other interactants.

  12. High/Scope Preschool Key Experiences: Initiative and Social Relations. [with] Curriculum Videotape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graves, Michelle

    As preschoolers develop the ability to carry out their ideas and play alone and with others, they are developing the foundation for social competence. This booklet and a companion videotape help teachers and parents recognize and support nine High/Scope key experiences in initiative and social relations: (1) making and expressing choices, plans,…

  13. Marine & Other Invertebrates. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. Invertebrate animals include a vast array of spineless creatures. In this video, students discover marine lifeforms such as jellyfish,…

  14. The use of videos and classroom artefacts in professional development of teachers and teacher educators in Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Widjaja, Wanty; Dolk, Maarten

    2015-01-01

    This study is grounded on adaptations of Realistic Mathematics Education, Lesson Study and design-based research in Indonesian classroom contexts. Design-based research has gained currency in educational research over the past decade due to its strength to bridge the divide between theoretical

  15. The Effects of a Flipped Classroom Model of Instruction on Students' Performance and Attitudes Towards Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olakanmi, Eunice Eyitayo

    2017-02-01

    This study establishes the effects of a flipped classroom model of instruction on academic performance and attitudes of 66 first-year secondary school students towards chemistry. A pre-test and post-test experimental design was employed to assign students randomly into either the experimental or control group. In order to assess the suitability of using flipped model of instruction, students were divided in two groups. For the first group called the experimental group, a "flipped classroom" was used in which the students were given video lessons and reading materials, before the class to be revised at home. On the other hand, the second group followed traditional methodology, and it was used as control. The rate of reaction knowledge test and the chemistry attitude scale were administered. In addition, the researcher documented classroom observations, experiences, thoughts and insights regarding the intervention in a journal on a daily basis in order to enrich the data. Students were interviewed at the end of the research in order to enrich the qualitative data also. Findings from this study reveal that the flipped instruction model facilitates a shift in students' conceptual understanding of the rate of chemical reaction significantly more than the control condition. Positive significant differences were found on all assessments with the flipped class students performing higher on average. Students in the flipped classroom model condition benefited by preparing for the lesson before the classes and had the opportunity to interact with peers and the teacher during the learning processes in the classroom. The findings support the notion that teachers should be trained or retrained on how to incorporate the flipped classroom model into their teaching and learning processes because it encourages students to be directly involved and active in the learning.

  16. Elementary science teachers' integration of engineering design into science instruction: results from a randomised controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeng, Jennifer L.; Whitworth, Brooke A.; Gonczi, Amanda L.; Navy, Shannon L.; Wheeler, Lindsay B.

    2017-07-01

    This randomised controlled trial used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the frequency and how elementary teachers integrated engineering design (ED) principles into their science instruction following professional development (PD). The ED components of the PD were aligned with Cunningham and Carlsen's [(2014). Teaching engineering practices. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25, 197-210] guidelines for ED PD and promoted inclusion of ED within science teaching. The treatment group included 219 teachers from 83 schools. Participants in the control group included 145 teachers from 60 schools in a mid-Atlantic state. Data sources, including lesson overviews and videotaped classroom observations, were analysed quantitatively to determine the frequency of ED integration and qualitatively to describe how teachers incorporated ED into instruction after attending the PD. Results indicated more participants who attended the PD (55%) incorporated ED into instruction compared with the control participants (24%), χ2(1, n = 401) = 33.225, p .05) through ED lessons. In ED lessons, students typically conducted research and created and tested initial designs. The results suggest the PD supported teachers in implementing ED into their science instruction and support the efficacy of using Cunningham and Carlsen's (2014) guidelines to inform ED PD design.

  17. Overcoming Constraints of Building Successful Partnerships Incorporating STEM Research Into K-12 Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.; Hare, D.

    2011-12-01

    The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE is currently in its second year of partnering ten graduate students from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to increase inquiry and technology experiences in science and math while enhancing graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in the classrooms. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach throughout the local community. Numerous challenges were met during the formation of the program as well as throughout the first year in which the project management team worked together to find solutions ensuring that INSPIRE maintained successful partnerships for all involved. Proposed solutions of the following key components were identified by INSPIRE through the development, implementation, and continuous evaluation (internal and external) of the first year of the program as areas that can pose challenges to the construction of strong relationships between STEM research and K-12 classrooms: initializing the partnerships with the K-12 classrooms and STEM graduate fields at the university; maintaining strong partnerships; providing appropriate training and support; developing sound

  18. Acoustics and sociolinguistics: Patterns of communication in hearing impairing classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKellin, William; Shahin, Kimary; Jamieson, Janet; Hodgson, Murray; Pichora-Fuller, Kathleen

    2005-04-01

    In elementary school classes, noise during student led activities is often taken as evidence of successful interaction and learning. In this complex social environment of elementary school classrooms, acquisition of complex language and social skills-the focus of activities in early education-is expected to take place in hearing-hostile environments. Communication and language processing in these contexts requires interactive strategies, discourse forms, and syntactic structures different from the educationally desired forms used in acoustically advantageous environments. Recordings were made of the interaction of groups of students in grades 1-3, 5, and 7 during collaborative group work in their regular classrooms. Each student wore microphones at the ear level and head-mounted video cameras. Each group as a whole was also audio- and videotaped and noise level readings were recorded. Analysis of the acoustical and phonological properties of language heard by each student has demonstrated that the language variety used in these noisy and reverberant settings is similar to that of individuals with hearing impairments. This paper reports similarities between the syntactic structures and pragmatic strategies used by hearing impaired children and normally hearing children in noisy contexts. [Work supported by Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia.

  19. Leveraging Current Initiatives to Bring Earth and Space Science into Elementary and Early Childhood Classrooms: NGSS in the Context of the Classroom Technology Push

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacheco-Guffrey, H. A.

    2016-12-01

    Classroom teachers face many challenges today such as new standards, the moving targets of high stakes tests and teacher evaluations, inconsistent/insufficient access to resources and evolving education policies. Science education in the K-5 context is even more complex. NGSS can be intimidating, especially to K-5 educators with little science background. High stakes science tests are slow to catch up with newly drafted state level science standards, leaving teachers unsure about what to change and when to implement updated standards. Amid all this change, many schools are also piloting new technology programs. Though exciting, tech initiatives can also be overwhelming to teachers who are already overburdened. A practical way to support teachers in science while remaining mindful of these stressors is to design and share resources that leverage other K-5 school initiatives. This is often done by integrating writing or math into science learning to meet Common Core requirements. This presentation will suggest a method for bringing Earth and space science learning into elementary / early childhood classrooms by utilizing the current push for tablet technology. The goal is to make science integration reasonable by linking it to technology programs that are in their early stages. The roles and uses of K-5 Earth and space science apps will be examined in this presentation. These apps will be linked to NGSS standards as well as to the science and engineering practices. To complement the app resources, two support frameworks will also be shared. They are designed to help educators consider new technologies in the context of their own classrooms and lessons. The SAMR Model (Puentadura, 2012) is a conceptual framework that helps teachers think critically about the means and purposes of integrating technology into existing lessons. A practical framework created by the author will also be shared. It is designed to help teachers identify and address the important logistical

  20. Aesthetic Inquiry into Chinese University Student Fatherly Life Lessons: "Roots" and Their Implications for Educational Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Laura Blythe

    2017-01-01

    Globally, teachers are trained to educate and assess children through matrices based on comparative competition, a practice that thrives on ranking. In an era of glocalization, how might educational systems cultivate classroom connections embracing diverse student gifts? This arts-based narrative inquiry explores fatherly life lessons of 17…

  1. Endangered & Extinct Animals. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. Due to environmental factors and human interference, many of Earth's creatures have ceased to exist or are on the verge of extinction. In…

  2. Insects & Other Arthropods. Animal Life in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000

    This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. They also learn that there are more species of insects than any other animal class in the world. Insects are incredible creatures with many…

  3. Microteaching Lesson Study: An Approach to Prepare Teacher Candidates to Teach Science through Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, George; Xu, Judy

    2017-01-01

    Inquiry-based teaching has become the most recommended approach in science education for a few decades; however, it is not a common practice yet in k-12 school classrooms. In order to prepare future teachers to teach science through inquiry, a Microteaching Lesson Study (MLS) approach was employed in our science methods courses. Instead of asking…

  4. The Algebra Teacher's Guide to Reteaching Essential Concepts and Skills 150 Mini-Lessons for Correcting Common Mistakes

    CERN Document Server

    Muschla, Judith A; Muschla, Erin

    2011-01-01

    Easy to apply lessons for reteaching difficult algebra concepts Many students have trouble grasping algebra. In this book, bestselling authors Judith, Gary, and Erin Muschla offer help for math teachers who must instruct their students (even those who are struggling) about the complexities of algebra. In simple terms, the authors outline 150 classroom-tested lessons, focused on those concepts often most difficult to understand, in terms that are designed to help all students unravel the mysteries of algebra. Also included are reproducible worksheets that will assist teachers in reviewing and r

  5. Learning with and by Language: Bilingual Teaching Strategies for the Monolingual Language-Aware Geography Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morawski, Michael; Budke, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    Geography lessons center on a language-based product with socially relevant geographic content. The subject of geography in secondary schools in Germany faces three major challenges that make a stronger focus on language in the monolingual geography classroom necessary. First, more than 30 percent of German pupils in secondary schools have a…

  6. Literacy Lessons in One Language Arts Sixth-Grade Classroom: The Year of the Guinea Pigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radcliffe, Barbara J.

    2015-01-01

    All classrooms are active social systems; the middle school classroom involves complex interactions between and among peers as well as between students and teachers. In the elementary years, attention is often given to nurturing students and fostering relationships, yet when young adolescents transition to the middle school, a focus on control and…

  7. Dancetime! 500 Years of Social Dance. Volume II: 20th Century. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teten, Carol

    This 50-minute VHS videotape is the second in a 2-volume series that presents 500 years of social dance, music, and fashion. It features dance and music of the 20th century, including; 1910s: animal dances, castle walk, apache, and tango; 1920s: black bottom and charleston; 1930s: marathon, movie musicals, big apple, and jitterbug; 1940s: rumba;…

  8. Microdevelopment during an activity-based science lesson

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parziale, Jim

    1997-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the microdevelopment of task-related skills during a classroom science activity. Pairs of fifth and pairs of seventh grade students were videotaped as they constructed marshmallow and toothpick bridges. A skill theory based system of analysis was developed and used to detect the construction of new understandings. Patterns of change observed in these understandings were used to infer three means of self-construction: shifts of focus, bridging mechanisms and distributed cognition. Shift of focus is a mechanism used by students to efficiently explore a web of possibilities, collect ideas and make observations for later coordination as new understandings. Bridging mechanisms are partially built conversational structures that scaffolded the construction of higher level thinking structures. Students used the distributed cognition mechanism to test the adaptiveness of their design ideas without the need to fully coordinate an understandings of these designs. An integrated model of these three mechanisms is proposed specific to this task. This model describes how these mechanisms spontaneously emerged and interacted to support the construction of mental representations.

  9. Using Flipped Classroom Approach to Explore Deep Learning in Large Classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda Danker

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This project used two Flipped Classroom approaches to stimulate deep learning in large classrooms during the teaching of a film module as part of a Diploma in Performing Arts course at Sunway University, Malaysia. The flipped classes utilized either a blended learning approach where students first watched online lectures as homework, and then completed their assignments and practical work in class; or utilized a guided inquiry approach at the beginning of class using this same process. During the class the lecturers were present to help the students, and in addition, the students were advantaged by being able to help one another. The in-class learning activities also included inquiry-based learning, active learning, and peer-learning. This project used an action research approach to improve the in-class instructional design progressively to achieve its impact of deep learning among the students. The in-class learning activities that was included in the later flipped classes merged aspects of blended learning with an inquiry-based learning cycle which focused on the exploration of concepts. Data was gathered from questionnaires filled out by the students and from short interviews with the students, as well as from the teacher’s reflective journals. The findings verified that the flipped classrooms were able to remodel large lecture classes into active-learning classes. The results also support the possibility of individualised learning for the students as being high as a result of the teacher’s ability to provide one-on-one tutoring through technology-infused lessons. It is imperative that the in-class learning activities are purposefully designed as the inclusion of the exploratory learning through guided inquiry-based activities in the flipped classes was a successful way to engage students on a deeper level and increased the students’ curiosity and engaged them to develop higher-order thinking skills. This project also concluded that

  10. Evaluation of two videotape instruction programmes on how to break bad news--for Cantonese-speaking medical students in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betson, C L; Fielding, R; Wong, G; Chung, S F; Nestel, D F

    1997-12-01

    To evaluate a culture-specific videotape on how to 'break bad news' and another videotape produced by a western university, and to determine if the language of presentation influenced the students' perceived abilities to execute basic skills. Third year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong. Longitudinal study with experimental design. Two instructional tapes on breaking bad news; one using Chinese speaking role models and one using English. In both groups, self-efficacy summed scores increased from 26.8 (95% CI = 25.9-27.7) at the pre-test to 29.0 (95% CI = 28.4-29.6). The biggest changes occurred in perceived self-efficacy regarding specific skills. However, students using the Chinese tape rated skills as more useful than those using the English tape. The videotapes were useful in teaching communication skills. Culturally relevant audiovisual materials were more effective.

  11. Analysis of scientific argumentation in two physical chemistry classrooms using the POGIL approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Alena C.

    The benefits of facilitating argumentation in science education have been well reported (Jimenez-Aleixandre & Erduran, 2007). Engaging in argumentation has shown to model authentic scientific inquiry as well as promote development of content knowledge. However, less emphasis has been placed on facilitating argumentation in upper level undergraduate courses, though it is important for evaluating undergraduate curricula to characterize upper level students' scientific reasoning. This work considers two implementations of the POGIL physical chemistry curriculum and evaluates the classroom argumentation. The researchers aimed to consider the content of the arguments and dialectical features characteristic of socially constructed arguments (Nielson, 2013). To do this, whole class sessions were videotaped and Toulmin's Argument Pattern (TAP) was used to identify the arguments generated during the class (Erduran, Simon, & Osborne, 2004). A learning progression on chemical thinking (Sevian & Talanquer, 2014) was used as a domain-specific measure of argument quality. Results show differences in argumentation between and across both classrooms that can be explained by analysis of instructor facilitation and the POGIL curriculum. The results from this work will be used to make recommendations for instructor facilitation of argumentation and reform of the POGIL curriculum.

  12. The effect of technology on learner attention and achievement in the classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G Bester

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of technology on attention and achievement within a classroom context, taking motivation and concentration into account as well. Lessons in Geography, English and Mathematics were presented to an experimental and a control group consisting of 23 and 22 Grade 8 learners, respectively. Technology was implemented for the experimental group but not for the control group. Significant differences were found between the average achievements of a group of learners, exposed to technology during a lesson, compared to a group not exposed to technology. Significant differences were also found between the average attention of a group of learners, exposed to technology during a lesson, compared to a group not exposed to technology. A high positive relationship was obtained between motivation and concentration and moderate to high positive correlations were obtained between attention, concentration and motivation, taken jointly as independent variables and achievement as the dependent variable.

  13. Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) Brining STEM Research to 7th-12th Grade Science and Math Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.

    2012-12-01

    The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE currently in its third year of partnering ten graduate students each year from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering, Physics and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to enhance graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in science and math classrooms for grades 7-12 through inquiry experiences. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that include an aspect of their STEM research, including the technologies that they may utilize to conduct their STEM research. The plans are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms and total over 300 lesson activities to date. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach of incorporating STEM research into activities for K-12 students throughout the local community. Examples of STEM research connections to classroom topics related to earth and ocean science include activities using GPS with GIS for triangulation and measurement of area in geometry; biogeochemical response to oil spills compared to organism digestive system; hydrogeology water quality monitoring and GIS images used as a determinant for habitat suitability in area water; interactions of acids and bases in the Earth's environments and surfaces; and the importance of electrical circuitry in an electrode used in

  14. Group work in the English language curriculum sociocultural and ecological perspectives on second language classroom learning

    CERN Document Server

    Chappell, P

    2014-01-01

    This book explores how using small groups in second language classrooms supports language learning. Chappell's experience as a language teacher equips him to present a clear, evidence-based argument for the powerful influence group work has upon the opportunities for learning, and how it should therefore be an integral part of language lessons.

  15. History Classroom Interactions and the Transmission of the Recent Memory of Human Rights Violations in Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oteíza, Teresa; Henríquez, Rodrigo; Pinuer, Claudio

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to examine history classroom interactions in Chilean secondary schools in relation to the transmission of historical memories of human rights violations committed by Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship from 1973 to 1990. Corpora of this research are comprised of history lessons filmed in the two types of public schools…

  16. The Adoption of Variation Theory in the Classroom: Effect on Students' Algebraic Achievement and Motivation to Learn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ting, Jing Jing; Tarmizi, Rohani Tarmizi; Bakar, Kamariah Abu; Aralas, Dalia

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Analysis of lessons held in East Asia regions that perform well in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies such as; South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, demonstrated teachers in mathematics classroom enacted features of the content systematically with consideration of variation within students' capabilities. Recent…

  17. Chemistry Games in the Classroom: A Pilot Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Stojanovska

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study a game-based learning approach was introduced among students and teachers. Several chemistry games and a survey method were used as a tool to obtain insight into students’ knowledge about ionic bonding, to learn about the students’ and teachers’ perceptions related to this teaching method and to get insights into the misunderstanding and misconceptions that students might have. Students were tested on the ionic bonding test and both students and teachers anonymously filled in a questionnaire to express their perceptions about the game-based learning approach. Students achievements on the test were satisfactory; the mean score was 11.31 out of 15 (or 75.33 %. Most comments regarding the lesson itself were positive, stating that the lesson was well planned, interesting and very helpful. The usage of games in chemistry classroom was proven to be an excellent way to motivate students, to provide active engagement and discussion among students and to develop skills to solve problems.

  18. The current practice of using multiple representations in year 4 science classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuenmanee, Chanoknat; Thathong, Kongsak

    2018-01-01

    Multiple representations have been widely used as a reasoning tool for understanding complex scientific concepts. Thus this study attempted to investigate the current practice of using multiple representations on Year 4 science classrooms in terms of modes and levels which appear in curriculum documents, teaching plans, tasks and assessments, teaching practices, and students' behaviors. Indeed, documentary analysis, classroom observation, and interview were used as the data collection methods. First of all, Year 4 science documents were analyzed. Then classroom observation was used as a collecting method to seek what actually happen in the classroom. Finally, in-depth interviews were used to gather more information and obtain meaningful data. The finding reveals that many modes of verbal, visual, and tactile representations within three levels of representations are posed in Year 4 documents. Moreover, according to classroom observations and interviews, there are three main points of applying multiple representations into classrooms. First of all, various modes of representations were used, however, a huge number of them did not come together with the levels. The levels of representations, secondly, macroscopic and cellular levels were introduced into all classrooms while symbolic level was provided only in some classrooms. Finally, the connection of modes and levels pointed out that modes of representations were used without the considerations on the levels of them. So, it seems to be that teaching practice did not meet the aims of curriculum. Therefore, these issues were being considered in order to organize and design the further science lessons.

  19. Impact of a Brief Ego Depletion Procedure on Creative Behaviour in the Upper Primary Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Deborah Ann; Yates, Gregory C. R.

    2015-01-01

    In the course of normal classroom lessons, 103 students (median 11.10 years) were asked to spend 15 min writing "anything you can think of" about the number 50 on a blank page. The products were independently scored by 2 specialist art teachers and 2 specialist mathematics teachers on criteria relevant to their specialisations.…

  20. How To Dance through Time. Volume III: The Majesty of Renaissance Dance. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teten, Carol

    This 42-minute VHS videotape is the third in a series of "How To Dance Through Time" videos. It highlights the intricacies of an Italian court dance suite, which mirrors the episodic changes of courtship. Nido D'Amore" (The Nest of Love) exposes the technique for all the dance suites of the era, and features The Opening (which…

  1. Inquiry in interaction: How local adaptations of curricula shape classroom communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enyedy, Noel; Goldberg, Jennifer

    2004-11-01

    In this study, we seek a better understanding of how individuals and their daily interactions shape and reshape social structures that constitute a classroom community. Moreover, we provide insight into how discourse and classroom interactions shape the nature of a learning community, as well as which aspects of the classroom culture may be consequential for learning. The participants in this study include two teachers who are implementing a new environmental science program, Global Learning through Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), and interacting with 54 children in an urban middle school. Both qualitative and quantitative data are analyzed and presented. To gain a better understanding of the inquiry teaching within classroom communities, we compare and contrast the discourse and interactions of the two teachers during three parallel environmental science lessons. The focus of our analysis includes (1) how the community identifies the object or goal of its activity; and (2) how the rights, rules, and roles for members are established and inhabited in interaction. Quantitative analyses of student pre- and posttests suggest greater learning for students in one classroom over the other, providing support for the influence of the classroom community and interactional choices of the teacher on student learning. Implications of the findings from this study are discussed in the context of curricular design, professional development, and educational reform. ? 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 905-935, 2004.

  2. Examining classroom interactions related to difference in students' science achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zady, Madelon F.; Portes, Pedro R.; Ochs, V. Dan

    2003-01-01

    The current study examines the cognitive supports that underlie achievement in science by using a cultural historical framework (L. S. Vygotsky (1934/1986), Thought and Language, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.) and the activity setting (AS) construct (R. G. Tharp & R. Gallimore (1988), Rousing minds to life: Teaching, learning and schooling in social context, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA.) with its five features: personnel, motivations, scripts, task demands, and beliefs. Observations were made of the classrooms of seventh-grade science students, 32 of whom had participated in a prior achievement-related parent-child interaction or home study (P. R. Portes, M. F. Zady, & R. M. Dunham (1998), Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 163-178). The results of a quantitative analysis of classroom interaction showed two features of the AS: personnel and scripts. The qualitative field analysis generated four emergent phenomena related to the features of the AS that appeared to influence student opportunity for conceptual development. The emergent phenomenon were science activities, the building of learning, meaning in lessons, and the conflict over control. Lastly, the results of the two-part classroom study were compared to those of the home science AS of high and low achievers. Mismatches in the AS features in the science classroom may constrain the opportunity to learn. Educational implications are discussed.

  3. BLENDED LEARNING: STUDENT PERCEPTION OF FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE EFL LESSONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda M. Wright

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available With the ever-increasing development of technology, online teaching is more readily accepted as a viable component in teaching and learning, and blended learning, the combining of online and face-to-face learning, is becoming commonplace in many higher education institutions. Blended learning is, particularly in developing countries, in its early stages and not without its challenges. Asynchronous online lessons are currently still more prevalent in many areas of South-East Asia, perhaps due to potential difficulty in obtaining strong Internet connections, which may deter educators from synchronous options. Technological media have the potential to broaden the scope of resources available in teaching and to enhance the language learning experience. Although research to date shows some focus on blended learning, literature on distance online teaching seems more prevalent. This study exposed 112 Malaysian undergraduate EFL students' responses to an online lesson as part of an English grammar course, and investigates common student perceptions of the online lesson as compared with face-to-face lessons. Questionnaires using qualitative (Likert scale questions and quantitative (open-ended questions approaches provided data for content analysis to determine common student perceptions, with particular reference to motivation and interest. In general, more students associated in-class lessons with higher motivation and more interest, due to better understanding, valued classroom interaction with the lecturer and peers, and input from the lecturer. Students preferring the online lesson cited speed and convenience of study and flexibility of time and place of study as reasons for their choice. Skilful implementation of online lessons can enhance a language course but should not undermine the value of face-to-face instruction with EFL teachers.

  4. Who Is Granted Authority in the Mathematics Classroom? An Analysis of the Observed and Perceived Distribution of Authority

    Science.gov (United States)

    Depaepe, Fien; De Corte, Erik; Verschaffel, Lieven

    2012-01-01

    The article deals with the way in which authority was established and interpreted by teachers and students in two Flemish sixth-grade mathematics classrooms. Problem-solving lessons during a seven-month observation period were analysed regarding three aspects of teacher-student interactions that explicitly or implicitly reflect who bears…

  5. A cultural study of a science classroom and graphing calculator-based technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Dennis Alan

    Social, political, and technological events of the past two decades have had considerable bearing on science education. While sociological studies of scientists at work have seriously questioned traditional histories of science, national and state educational systemic reform initiatives have been enacted, stressing standards and accountability. Recently, powerful instructional technologies have become part of the landscape of the classroom. One example, graphing calculator-based technology, has found its way from commercial and domestic applications into the pedagogy of science and math education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the culture of an "alternative" science classroom and how it functions with graphing calculator-based technology. Using ethnographic methods, a case study of one secondary, team-taught, Environmental/Physical Science (EPS) classroom was conducted. Nearly half of the 23 students were identified as students with special education needs. Over a four-month period, field data was gathered from written observations, videotaped interactions, audio taped interviews, and document analyses to determine how technology was used and what meaning it had for the participants. Analysis indicated that the technology helped to keep students from getting frustrated with handling data and graphs. In a relatively short period of time, students were able to gather data, produce graphs, and to use inscriptions in meaningful classroom discussions. In addition, teachers used the technology as a means to involve and motivate students to want to learn science. By employing pedagogical skills and by utilizing a technology that might not otherwise be readily available to these students, an environment of appreciation, trust, and respect was fostered. Further, the use of technology by these teachers served to expand students' social capital---the benefits that come from an individual's social contacts, social skills, and social resources.

  6. Creating comics in physics lessons: an educational practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Evonir; Voelzke, Marcos Rincon

    2012-06-01

    This article presents the results from an intervention program with 119 students during physics and astronomy lessons. This program has taken place in the public school "Colônia dos Pescadores" in the City of Caraguatatuba, State of São Paulo. The goal is to show the importance and possibility of learning with support materials, either in the classroom or at home,created by the learners themselves. The results show that students can demonstrate their creativity while building up their own knowledge related to Astronomy as they are able to produce comic strips about the theme afterwards.

  7. Applying the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion to a videotape-based eating disorders primary prevention program for adolescent girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Withers, Giselle F; Wertheim, Eleanor H

    2004-01-01

    This study applied principles from the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion to the prevention of disordered eating. Early adolescent girls watched either a preventive videotape only (n=114) or video plus post-video activity (verbal discussion, written exercises, or control discussion) (n=187); or had no intervention (n=104). Significantly more body image and knowledge improvements occurred at post video and follow-up in the intervention groups compared to no intervention. There were no outcome differences among intervention groups, or between girls with high or low elaboration likelihood. Further research is needed in integrating the videotape into a broader prevention package.

  8. Moderate-to-vigorous physically active academic lessons and academic engagement in children with and without a social disadvantage: a within subject experimental design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullender-Wijnsma, Marijke J; Hartman, Esther; de Greeff, Johannes W; Bosker, Roel J; Doolaard, Simone; Visscher, Chris

    2015-04-19

    Integration of physical active academic lessons in the school curriculum may be an innovative way to improve academic outcomes. This study examined the effect of physically active academic lessons (Fit en Vaardig op school) on academic engagement of socially disadvantaged children and children without this disadvantage. In addition, the relationship between lesson time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and academic engagement was examined. From four elementary schools, 86 children who participated in the 22-weeks intervention were recruited (23 socially disadvantaged children). Academic engagement was determined by observing time-on-task during three classroom observation moments (start, midway and end observation). Every moment consisted of lesson observations after intervention lessons (post-intervention) and after regular classroom lessons (post-control). Differences in time-on-task between socially disadvantaged children and children without this disadvantage were analyzed using independent samples t-test. Differences between post-intervention and post-control observations were analyzed using multilevel analysis. Heart rate monitors measured the lesson time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The relationship between percentage of moderate to vigorous physical activity during the intervention lessons and time-on-task was analyzed by calculation of partial correlations. Time-on-task of socially disadvantaged children was lower than that of children without this disadvantage, differences were significant at the start post-control (t(65) = 2.39, p < 0.05) and post-intervention (t(71) = 2.75, p < 0.05) observation and at the midway post-control (t(68) = 2.45, p < 0.05) observation. Multilevel analysis showed that the time-on-task of all children was significantly higher during post-intervention in comparison with post-control lessons (ES = 0.41). No significant difference was found at the start observation, but

  9. Science and Math Lesson Plans to Meet the Ohio Revised Science Standards and the Next Generation of Standards for Today; Technology (Excel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzanne Lunsford

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Pre-service teachers (K-12 developed and taught lesson plans that met the state and national science and technology standards by integrating Excel and PowerPoint into their lesson. A sample of 74 pre-service teachers in our science education program were required to integrate technology (Excel as they developed science and math lesson plans with graphing as a requirement. These students took pre-test and post-test (n=74 to determine their understanding of Excel in relation to the need of current technology for todays' science classroom. The test results showed that students obtained content gains in Excel graphing in all the inquiry-based lab experiments. They also gained experience in developing math skills, inquiry-based science lesson plans, and communication and presentation skills.

  10. Lessons from Zhu Xi’s Views on Inquiry and Learning for Contemporary Advanced Humanities Education and Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirill Ole THOMPSON

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We are bearing witness to the rapid rise of a brave new world of education as flashy websites and interactive software replace individual study and classroom lectures. The expansion of college lecture halls has been stretched thin with video lessons and distance learning, and the siren call of massive open online courses (MOOCs by star Ivy League professors renders the traditional classroom barren in the eyes of savvy students who have the system pegged. Several questions arise in this context. Can the students of today receive a college education in the full sense? Does learning still have the same quality without close interactions with teachers and classmates in small to medium sized classrooms? Does research hold the same significance today when much of the work is done and so much information supplied by computers? What lessons do Zhu Xi’s teachings on inquiry and learning have for this educational world of e-texts and cyber-lessons? While not a Luddite tract, the present study raises questions and concerns about the goals and conduct of higher education today which, as Heisenberg avers, should not only aim at transmitting knowledge understood in set ways, but also at inculcating new ways of thinking and understanding. A college education, as Zhu Xi holds for “advanced learning”, is as much about cultivating a thoughtful, responsible person as producing a professional expert. Such education should include cultivating a student’s sensitivity, logic, and judgment, as well as knowledge about humanity, society, and the world. It is often forgotten that such sensitivity, logic, knowledge, and commitment not only make the student more thoughtful and responsible, in short more self-conscious, but also give her additional perspectives and enhance her professional expertise.

  11. International Space Education Outreach: Taking Exploration to the Global Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreschel, T. W.; Lichtenberger, L. A.; Chetirkin, P. V.; Garner, L. C.; Barfus, J. R.; Nazarenko, V. I.

    2005-01-01

    With the development of the International Space Station and the need for international collaboration for returning to the moon and developing a mission to Mars, NASA has embarked on developing international educational programs related to space exploration. In addition, with the explosion of educational technology, linking students on a global basis is more easily accomplished. This technology is bringing national and international issues into the classroom, including global environmental issues, the global marketplace, and global collaboration in space. We present the successes and lessons learned concerning international educational and public outreach programs that we have been involved in for NASA as well as the importance of sustaining these international peer collaborative programs for the future generations. These programs will undoubtedly be critical in enhancing the classroom environment and will affect the achievements in and attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

  12. Judging the Quality of Teaching in Lessons: Some Thoughts Prompted by Ofsted's Subsidiary Guidance on Teaching Style

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Colin

    2014-01-01

    Lesson observations involving judgements of teaching quality are a regular feature of classroom life. Such observations and judgements are made by senior and middle managers in schools and also, very significantly, by Ofsted inspectors as a major component of their judgement on the quality of teaching in a school. Using the example of Ofsted…

  13. Using Real-Time Oceanic and Atmospheric Data in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Culbertson, Britta

    2014-05-01

    While serving as an Einstein Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), I conducted a research project based on the question, "How can science teachers use real-time oceanic and atmospheric data in their classrooms?" In the United States, new national science standards called the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been created. These standards provide more emphasis on the analysis of data and on modeling than previous state or national standards. Teachers are more tech-savvy than ever before and the internet provides free access to numerous scientific datasets. These data are useful when teachers have limited time and/or equipment to have students conduct their own experiments. However, the time it takes for practicing educators, even those with a scientific background, to understand how to access these data and use them in a meaningful way is a huge barrier. I wanted to find a way for teachers to make use of this readily available information and to create an online community where educators share best practices and lesson examples. I began by researching all of the websites hosted by NOAA that provide free, online access to real-time scientific data. I sorted the sites into categories based on their ease of usability for the non-scientist (e.g. teachers and their students). I gave several presentations on the use of real-time data in the classroom to teachers at National Science Teachers Association conferences and gathered teacher feedback on the successes and struggles of using data in the classroom. I began researching best practices for data use with the ultimate goal of creating a framework for matching available datasets from NOAA to the Next Generation Science Standards. After working on a NOAA research vessel, I developed a lesson using online data from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Groundfish Survey. The overarching questions for this lesson are "How can pre-existing, large datasets help science students to

  14. Dancetime! 500 Years of Social Dance. Volume I: 15th-19th Centuries. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teten, Carol

    This VHS videotape recording is the first in a two-volume series that presents 500 years of social dance, music, and fashion. It focuses on the 15th-19th centuries, including Renaissance nobility, Baroque extravagance, Regency refinement, and Victorian romanticism. Each era reflects the changing relationships between men and women through the…

  15. CLASSROOM INTERACTION STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY ENGLISH TEACHERS AT LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nunung Suryati

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This article reports a study on teachers’ use of interaction strategies in English Language Teaching (ELT in lower secondary level of education. The study involved eighteen teachers from Lower Secondary Schools in Malang, East Java. Classroom observation was selected as a method in this study by utilizing Self Evaluation Teacher Talk (SETT as the instrument. SETT, developed by Walsh (2006, was adopted as the observation protocol as it characterises teacher-student interaction. Thirty lessons taught by 18 teachers were observed. The findings revealed that much of the teacher student interaction in Lower Secondary Schools centred on the material mode, skill and system mode. The most frequent strategies were initiation response feedback (IRF patterns, display questions, teacher echo, and extended teacher turns, while students’ extended turns were rare. It is argued that in order to improve the Indonesian ELT, there is a need to provide an alternative to ELT classroom interaction. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of adopting some classroom interaction strategies that are more facilitative to students’ oral communicative competence.

  16. Making the Case for Public-Private Child Care Partnerships: Child Care Partnership Project. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finance Project, Washington, DC.

    The quality of child care in the United States has important implications for school preparedness, welfare reform, economic vitality, and the quality of family life. In this 8-minute videotape, business leaders describe why child care makes good business sense. Visuals explain the importance of early childhood for school and life success, and the…

  17. Learning from Lessons: Studying the Structure and Construction of Mathematics Teacher Knowledge in Australia, China and Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Man Ching Esther; Clarke, David J.; Clarke, Doug M.; Roche, Anne; Cao, Yiming; Peter-Koop, Andrea

    2018-01-01

    The major premise of this project is that teachers learn from the act of teaching a lesson. Rather than asking "What must a teacher already know in order to practice effectively?", this project asks "What might a teacher learn through their activities in the classroom and how might this learning be optimised?" In this project,…

  18. Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of classroom-based physical activity on math achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Have, Mona; Nielsen, Jacob Have; Gejl, Anne Kær; Thomsen Ernst, Martin; Fredens, Kjeld; Støckel, Jan Toftegaard; Wedderkopp, Niels; Domazet, Sidsel Louise; Gudex, Claire; Grøntved, Anders; Kristensen, Peter Lund

    2016-04-11

    Integration of physical activity (PA) into the classroom may be an effective way of promoting the learning and academic achievement of children at elementary school. This paper describes the research design and methodology of an intervention study examining the effect of classroom-based PA on mathematical achievement, creativity, executive function, body mass index and aerobic fitness. The study was designed as a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial targeting schoolchildren in 1st grade, and was carried out between August 2012 and June 2013. Eligible schools in two municipalities in the Region of Southern Denmark were invited to participate in the study. After stratification by municipality, twelve schools were randomized to either an intervention group or a control group, comprising a total of 505 children with mean age 7.2 ± 0.3 years. The intervention was a 9-month classroom-based PA program that involved integration of PA into the math lessons delivered by the schools' math teachers. The primary study outcome was change in math achievement, measured by a 45-minute standardized math test. Secondary outcomes were change in executive function (using a modified Eriksen flanker task and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire filled out by the parents), creativity (using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, TTCT), aerobic fitness (by the Andersen intermittent shuttle-run test) and body mass index. PA during math lessons and total PA (including time spent outside school) were assessed using accelerometry. Math teachers used Short Message Service (SMS)-tracking to report on compliance with the PA intervention and on their motivation for implementing PA in math lessons. Parents used SMS-tracking to register their children's PA behavior in leisure time. The results of this randomized controlled trial are expected to provide schools and policy-makers with significant new insights into the potential of classroom

  19. Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of classroom-based physical activity on math achievement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mona Have

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Integration of physical activity (PA into the classroom may be an effective way of promoting the learning and academic achievement of children at elementary school. This paper describes the research design and methodology of an intervention study examining the effect of classroom-based PA on mathematical achievement, creativity, executive function, body mass index and aerobic fitness. Methods The study was designed as a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial targeting schoolchildren in 1st grade, and was carried out between August 2012 and June 2013. Eligible schools in two municipalities in the Region of Southern Denmark were invited to participate in the study. After stratification by municipality, twelve schools were randomized to either an intervention group or a control group, comprising a total of 505 children with mean age 7.2 ± 0.3 years. The intervention was a 9-month classroom-based PA program that involved integration of PA into the math lessons delivered by the schools’ math teachers. The primary study outcome was change in math achievement, measured by a 45-minute standardized math test. Secondary outcomes were change in executive function (using a modified Eriksen flanker task and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF questionnaire filled out by the parents, creativity (using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, TTCT, aerobic fitness (by the Andersen intermittent shuttle-run test and body mass index. PA during math lessons and total PA (including time spent outside school were assessed using accelerometry. Math teachers used Short Message Service (SMS-tracking to report on compliance with the PA intervention and on their motivation for implementing PA in math lessons. Parents used SMS-tracking to register their children’s PA behavior in leisure time. Discussion The results of this randomized controlled trial are expected to provide schools and policy-makers with

  20. Constructing Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Ethical Experiences of Classroom Lessons and Clinical Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowles, Amy J. B.

    2014-01-01

    Ethics is an integral component of the nursing profession. This phenomenological study aimed to describe how baccalaureate nursing students experience learning ethics both in the classroom and clinical setting. The interviews in this study were conducted with eight second semester senior nursing students. Four themes emerged from analyses of the…

  1. The Lessons of the Vietnam War: Unit 13. Teacher's Manual: Strategies and Resources for Teaching the Vietnam War.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Social Studies Education, Pittsburgh, PA.

    This teacher's manual is designed to accompany the curriculum "The Lessons of the Vietnam War." For each of 12 units of the curriculum, this manual suggests projects for student research and classroom activities. The 12 units are entitled: (1) Introduction to Vietnam: land, history and culture; (2) America at war in Vietnam: decisions and…

  2. Everyday classroom assessment practices in science classrooms in Sweden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez, María del Carmen; Jakobsson, Anders

    2014-12-01

    The focus of this study is to examine to what extent and in what ways science teachers practice assessment during classroom interactions in everyday activities in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. We are science teachers working now with a larger research project on assessment in science education that seeks to examine teachers' assessment practices in the upper-secondary school. Framing questions include: are teachers performing an integrated assessment of students' skills as the national curriculum mandates? If so, what do the instructional discourses look like in those situations and what are students' experiences regarding their agency on learning and assessment? We emphasize the social, cultural and historic character of assessment and sustain a situated character of learning instead of the notion that learning is "stored inside the head". Teacher led lessons in three science classrooms were video-recorded and analyzed by combining ethnographic and discourse methods of analysis. Both methods are appropriate to the theoretical foundation of our approach on learning and can give some answers to questions about how individuals interact socially, how their experience is passed on to next generations through language and how language use may reveal cultural changes in the studied context. Making the study of action in a classroom the focal point of sociocultural analysis supports the examination of assessment processes and identification of the social roles in which teachers and students are immersed. Such an approach requires observations of how teachers act in authentic teaching situations when they interact with their students in classroom making possible to observe negotiation processes, agencies when both teachers and students are involved in every-day activities. Our study showed that teachers mostly ignored students' questions and that students solved their own problems by helping each other. Teachers did not provide opportunities for students to discuss

  3. Insightful Learning of Life's Lessons with Older Adult Guests in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velez Ortiz, Daniel; Cross, Suzanne L.; Day, Angelique

    2012-01-01

    An intergenerational initiative was developed and implemented to enhance gerontology in the first course of the practice sequence. Seventeen students met with older adults (ages 82-98) in the classroom and at an assisted living facility. The evaluation of this older adult infusion project was conducted through two questionnaires and by the review…

  4. Changes in science classrooms resulting from collaborative action research initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Phil Seok

    Collaborative action research was undertaken over two years between a Korean science teacher and science education researchers at the University of Iowa. For the purpose of realizing science learning as envisioned by constructivist principles, Group-Investigations were implemented three or five times per project year. In addition, the second year project enacted Peer Assessments among students. Student perceptions of their science classrooms, as measured by the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), provided evidence that the collaborative action research was successful in creating constructivist learning environments. Student attitudes toward science lessons, as examined by the Enjoyment of Science Lessons Scale (ESLS), indicated that the action research also contributed to developing more positive attitudes of students about science learning. Discourse analysis was conducted on video-recordings of in-class presentations and discussions. The results indicated that students in science classrooms which were moving toward constructivist learning environments engaged in such discursive practices as: (1) Communicating their inquiries to others, (2) Seeking and providing information through dialogues, and (3) Negotiating conflicts in their knowledge and beliefs. Based on these practices, science learning was viewed as the process of constructing knowledge and understanding of science as well as the process of engaging in scientific inquiry and discourse. The teacher's discursive practices included: (1) Wrapping up student presentations, (2) Addressing misconceptions, (3) Answering student queries, (4) Coaching, (5) Assessing and advising, (6) Guiding students discursively into new knowledge, and (7) Scaffolding. Science teaching was defined as situated acts of the teacher to facilitate the learning process. In particular, when the classrooms became more constructivist, the teacher intervened more frequently and carefully in student activities to fulfill a

  5. An Examination of Physical Education Teachers' Perceptions of Utilizing Contemporary Music in the Classroom Environment: A Qualitative Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barney, David C.; Pleban, Francis T.

    2018-01-01

    Objectives: To provide further information regarding physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of incorporating music in PE lessons and to evaluate the influence of music on the classroom environment using a qualitative approach. Method: Electronic survey interviews were conducted with 26 veteran PE instructors (10 male, 16 female), from 7…

  6. Exploring Cultural Differences within a Pattern of Teaching "Musics": An International Comparative Study of Two Music Lessons on Video

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stich, Simon

    2015-01-01

    This paper outlines a praxiological perspective on classroom practice with the subject matter music, in order to understand two music lessons that were recorded on video, one in Sweden and one in Germany. It introduces a procedure and its methodological implications, in order to reconstruct and compare the characteristics of and the cultural…

  7. Developing Career and Employability Skills: A US Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinser, Richard

    2003-01-01

    Western Michigan University's technical teacher education program developed a course on teaching career and employability skills using state standards and benchmarks as a framework. Preservice teachers complete five projects: job shadowing, professional portfolio, written lesson plan, videotape and self-critique of lesson plan, and an application…

  8. Effectiveness of Student Learning during Experimental Work in Primary School.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-09-01

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

  9. Peace in the Classroom: Practical Lessons in Living for Elementary-Age Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Hetty

    The most effective alternative to punishment for violent or disruptive student behavior is to provide children with tools they will need for living peacefully with one another. This guide for elementary school classes examines ways in which a peaceful environment can be achieved and maintained in the classroom. Divided into six units which are…

  10. Corrective feedback, learner uptake, and feedback perception in a Chinese as a foreign language classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingfeng Fu

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The role of corrective feedback in second language classrooms has received considerable research attention in the past few decades. However, most of this research has been conducted in English-teaching settings, either ESL or EFL. This study examined teacher feedback, learner uptake as well as learner and teacher perception of feedback in an adult Chinese as a foreign language classroom. Ten hours of classroom interactions were videotaped, transcribed and coded for analysis. Lyster and Ranta’s (1997 coding system involving six types of feedback was initially used to identify feedback frequency and learner uptake. However, the teacher was found to use a number of additional feedback types. Altogether, 12 types of feedback were identified: recasts, delayed recasts, clarification requests, translation, metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, explicit correction, asking a direct question, repetition, directing question to other students, re-asks, and using L1-English. Differences were noted in the frequency of some of the feedback types as well as learner uptake compared to what had been reported in some previous ESL and EFL studies. With respect to the new feedback types, some led to noticeable uptake. As for the students’ and teacher’s perceptions, they did not match and both the teacher and the students were generally not accurate in perceiving the frequency of each feedback type. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of context in affecting the provision and effectiveness of feedback and its relationship to student and teacher perception of feedback.

  11. Investigating Teachers' Appraisal of Unexpected Moments and Underlying Values: An Exploratory Case in the Context of Changing Mathematics Classroom Discourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavanna, Jillian M.; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth; Seah, Wee Tiong

    2015-01-01

    This article provides an exploratory case study that examines what one teacher indicated as unexpected as she worked to become more purposeful about her classroom discourse practices. We found that she highlighted three areas as being unexpected: (1) aspects of lesson enactment; (2) characteristics of student learning and (3) her own…

  12. The effects of acoustical refurbishment of classrooms on teachers’ perceived noise exposure and noise-related health symptoms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristiansen, Jesper; Lund, Søren Peter; Persson, Roger

    2015-01-01

    lessons with circa 2 dB(A) in both schools. Conclusion: The acoustical refurbishment was associated with a reduction in classroom reverberation time and activity sound levels in both schools. The acoustical refurbishment was associated with a reduction in the teachers’ perceived noise exposure...... of RT and activity sound levels were measured before and after refurbishment. Data on perceived noise exposure, disturbance attributed to different noise sources, voice symptoms, and fatigue after work were collected over a year in a total of six consecutive questionnaires. Results: Refurbished......, the mean classroom reverberation time was 0.68 (school A) and 0.57 (school B) and 0.55 s in sham refurbished classrooms. After refurbishment, the RT was approximately 0.4 s in both schools. Activity sound level measurements confirmed that the intervention had reduced the equivalent sound levels during...

  13. Quantification of video-taped images in microcirculation research using inexpensive imaging software (Adobe Photoshop).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunner, J; Krummenauer, F; Lehr, H A

    2000-04-01

    Study end-points in microcirculation research are usually video-taped images rather than numeric computer print-outs. Analysis of these video-taped images for the quantification of microcirculatory parameters usually requires computer-based image analysis systems. Most software programs for image analysis are custom-made, expensive, and limited in their applicability to selected parameters and study end-points. We demonstrate herein that an inexpensive, commercially available computer software (Adobe Photoshop), run on a Macintosh G3 computer with inbuilt graphic capture board provides versatile, easy to use tools for the quantification of digitized video images. Using images obtained by intravital fluorescence microscopy from the pre- and postischemic muscle microcirculation in the skinfold chamber model in hamsters, Photoshop allows simple and rapid quantification (i) of microvessel diameters, (ii) of the functional capillary density and (iii) of postischemic leakage of FITC-labeled high molecular weight dextran from postcapillary venules. We present evidence of the technical accuracy of the software tools and of a high degree of interobserver reliability. Inexpensive commercially available imaging programs (i.e., Adobe Photoshop) provide versatile tools for image analysis with a wide range of potential applications in microcirculation research.

  14. Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education: STEM Graduate Students Bring Current Research into 7th-12th Grade Science Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radencic, S.; Dawkins, K. S.; Jackson, B. S.; Walker, R. M.; Schmitz, D.; Pierce, D.; Funderburk, W. K.; McNeal, K.

    2014-12-01

    Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE), a NSF Graduate K-12 (GK-12) program at Mississippi State University, pairs STEM graduate students with local K-12 teachers to bring new inquiry and technology experiences to the classroom (www.gk12.msstate.edu). The graduate fellows prepare lessons for the students incorporating different facets of their research. The lessons vary in degree of difficulty according to the content covered in the classroom and the grade level of the students. The focus of each lesson is directed toward the individual research of the STEM graduate student using inquiry based designed activities. Scientific instruments that are used in STEM research (e.g. SkyMaster weather stations, GPS, portable SEM, Inclinometer, Soil Moisture Probe, Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer) are also utilized by K-12 students in the activities developed by the graduate students. Creativity and problem solving skills are sparked by curiosity which leads to the discovery of new information. The graduate students work to enhance their ability to effectively communicate their research to members of society through the creation of research linked classroom activities, enabling the 7-12th grade students to connect basic processes used in STEM research with the required state and national science standards. The graduate students become respected role models for the high school students because of their STEM knowledge base and their passion for their research. Sharing enthusiasm for their chosen STEM field, as well as the application techniques to discover new ideas, the graduate students stimulate the interests of the classroom students and model authentic science process skills while highlighting the relevance of STEM research to K-12 student lives. The measurement of the student attitudes about science is gathered from pre and post interest surveys for the past four years. This partnership allows students, teachers, graduate students, and the public to

  15. Evaluating students' perspectives about virtual classrooms with regard to Seven Principles of Good Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ünal Çakiroğlu

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This study assesses the quality of distance learning (DL in higher education assessed by considering the Seven Principles of Good Practice (SPGP. The participants were 77 second-year students from the Computer and Instructional Technologies Program (CEIT of a Faculty of Education in Turkey. A questionnaire was developed in line with the SPGP and administered to collect data after 14 weeks of teaching. The author's observations were added to a discussion of the connections between student perspectives and the SPGP. The lessons were delivered in a virtual classroom. It is a synchronous online learning environment with online meetings, chat, forums, whiteboards, desktop sharing, document sharing and other online features. The analysis of the results of the questionnaire indicate that this questionnaire as it has been developed in this study can be effective in understanding and evaluating the perspectives of learners on the quality of distance learning in virtual classrooms. This study also presents some new evidence on the potential of virtual classrooms for teaching, learning and learner interaction. Finally, some suggestions regarding the expectations of distance learners were also provided for instructors who wish to utilize virtual classrooms in their teaching.

  16. Let Peter Rabbit Play in the Garden: Using Beatrix Potter's Work to Integrate Ecological Literacy into Montessori Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kelly

    2015-01-01

    Kelly Johnson introduces a series of lessons that incorporate literacy, observation, botany, history, place studies, writing, and art, with a long-term eco-literacy goal of connectedness and a conservation ethic. Johnson's initial idea to use Beatrix Potter as a model in the Lower Elementary classroom came after extensively researching…

  17. Learning about Folklife: The U.S. Virgin Islands and Senegal. A Guide for Teachers and Students = Apprenons A Propos Des Traditions Culturelles: Les Iles Vierges Des Etats Unis Et Le Senegal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies.

    Developed as part of an educational kit that includes a four-part videotape, maps, photographs, and audio tapes, this guide gives teacher preparation information, objectives, teaching strategies, and student activities for each of 3 lessons in 4 units: Unit 1, "Introduction to Folklife," presents a definition in lesson 1, "What is…

  18. The Effect on Learning, Communication, and Assessment when Student-Created Youtubes of Microteaching Were Used in an Online Teacher-Education Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Eileen A.

    2011-01-01

    This pilot study within an online teacher-education course required pre-service teachers to develop self-videotaped microteaching lessons which were posted in a private YouTube. Analysis of the students' YouTube lessons, course postings, and peer interactions found that students learned the technology requirements quickly, were able to develop…

  19. Power dynamics and questioning in elementary science lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinsvold, Lori Ann

    Discourse interactions between a teacher and students in an inquiry-based fourth-grade science classroom were analyzed to investigate how power dynamics and questioning strategies within elementary science lessons help support students in building their science understanding. Five inquiry-based classroom sessions were observed; verbal interactions were audio- and video-recorded. Research data consisted of observation transcripts, teacher interviews, student work, and instructional materials. Analyses were conducted on the frequencies of utterances, participation roles, power categories, and questioning categories. Results revealed that when students used more frequent power, (a) no significant differences were noted between frequencies of teacher and student talk, (b) the teacher posed more questions than did the students, and (c) students explained what they knew and asked questions to clarify their understanding. When the teacher used more frequent power, she asked questions to provide students opportunities to negotiate investigative processes and explain what they knew and how they knew it. Evidence of student understanding of the science concepts was found in how students used subject matter to discuss what they knew and how they knew it. Pre-service and in-service teachers should be encouraged to consider how their use of power and questioning strategies can engage students to reflect on how they build understanding of science concepts. Teachers can use Professional Learning Communities to reflect on how their practice engages students. Future research should be employed to observe classrooms across an entire school year to determine how power and questioning dynamics flow among students and teachers and change over time. Research can also be used to understand the influence of gender and culture on power and questioning dynamics in classroom settings.

  20. The Lions Quest Program in Turkey: Teachers’ Views and Classroom Practices.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mine Gol-Guven

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This is a pilot study to explore the classroom implementation of the Lions Quest Program in Turkey. Teachers of first through eighth grades at two elementary schools who applied the program were interviewed about the program and their classroom practices while they were also observed and their classrooms were also observed. Considerable program implementation differences were found within and between the schools. Three main issues were raised in the interviews, namely that the teachers were not clear about whether social emotional learning (SEL skills should be taught to students as a separate lesson or not; they seemed to doubt whether school personnel should be responsible for SEL implementation; and although they had positive views of the implementation, they underlined that students’ social and emotional wellbeing is dependent on family background and the developing maturity of the child. In conclusion, the teachers expressed positive views about the Lions Quest Program, yet lacked strong opinions about when, where, and by whom the program needed to be included in the curriculum. Limitations, implementation challenges, and implications for SEL in the Turkish context were also identified.

  1. NITARP: An Example of Effective Data-Based Research in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, Laura; Rowe, Jamie L.; Lineberger, Howard; Duranko, Gary; Gorjian, Varoujan

    2018-01-01

    The use of data in the classroom is a core component of both project based learning and STEM based education. Authentic student driven research using real-world data is a primary focus of both teaching strategies. To make the educational outcome effective and long lasting, the type and quality of data used in the lessons is important. The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Project (NITARP) program encapsulates this in very meaningful ways by providing both teachers and students the opportunity to ask deep meaningful questions, collaborate with peers, and arrive at meaningful conclusions. Teachers trained in the use of scientific archives and the application of those archives for authentic research is critical for this type of learning to be successful.In this study we use the NITARP program as an example of effective STEM project based learning using archived scientific data. We explore the components of the program that are most effective, the effects on teacher competency and ease of use with students, and use in the classroom. For each area we also explore alternate sources of teacher support, data archives, and techniques for implementation in classrooms for various topics and skill levels.

  2. Using Peer Feedback to Improve Students' Scientific Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasker, Tammy Q.; Herrenkohl, Leslie Rupert

    2016-02-01

    This article examines a 7th grade teacher's pedagogical practices to support her students to provide peer feedback to one another using technology during scientific inquiry. This research is part of a larger study in which teachers in California and Washington and their classes engaged in inquiry projects using a Web-based system called Web of Inquiry. Videotapes of classroom lessons and artifacts such as student work were collected as part of the corpus of data. In the case examined, Ms. E supports her students to collectively define "meaningful feedback," thereby improving the quality of feedback that was provided in the future. This is especially timely, given the attention in Next Generation Science Standards to cross-cutting concepts and practices that require students discuss and debate ideas with each other in order to improve their understanding and their written inquiry reports (NGSS, 2013).

  3. Code-Switching in the Primary Classroom: One Response to the Planned and the Unplanned Language Environment in Brunei [and] A Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Peter W.; Espiritu, Clemencia C

    1996-01-01

    Examines how the teacher incorporates elements of both "Bahasa Melayu" and Brunei Malay into content lessons and views code switching in the primary classroom within the wider framework of community language norms and the linguistic pressures on students and teachers. Espiritu shares Martin's concern regarding the quantity and quality of…

  4. Authentic learning for teaching reading: Foundation phase pre-service student teachers’ learning experiences of creating and using digital stories in real classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor Moodley

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Teaching and learning, an evolving endeavour, is associated with many factors, with advancements in technology, playing an ever-growing role in the classroom. It is therefore important to include the use of interactive communication technologies (ICTs in university curricula of teacher education programmes. Universities ought to be creative in advancing autonomous learning among their students by providing opportunities for integrated and rich learning experiences. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to intentionally integrate ICTs in the planning and delivery of foundation phase reading lessons. This was achieved by providing authentic learning opportunities to final year foundation phase student teachers through the provision of training in the creation of digital stories (DS, collaborating within communities of practice (COP (peers and other relevant parties, and then using their creations in ‘real-world’ classroom contexts. The aims of this study were to explore student teachers’ perceptions and experiences of developing DS in groups with minimal formal initial input and their use of DS during foundation phase (FP reading lessons in real-class settings during teaching practice. Data were collected via focus group interviews and participants’ reflection essays. The study’s findings indicate that the creation of their own DS provided rich, rewarding multidimensional learning experiences to student teachers. Participants reported that they found the ‘assignment’ to be of real value, since it was directly linked to classroom practice, and despite the cognitive demands of the assignment; the nature of the task nurtured, an agentic disposition towards their own learning. Participants further reported that the DS provided enthusiasm among young learners during the delivery of lessons and were of pedagogical value, despite experiencing some challenges in using DS during reading lessons. Participants were of the view that the use

  5. Lesson study on 2nd grader of elementary school to improve the student’s numeracy skill

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabowo, A.; Asih; Jumardi

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to find the most appropriate learning media of multiplication and division for the 2nd graders of elementary school. The study used the steps in the lesson study, Plan-Do-See. Data were taken using observation instruments, video documentation, and learning evaluation tools. Initially, teachers used gravel as media of multiplication and division. Students can solve numeracy problems when they learn by those media. In test, 80% of students were failure when the teacher evaluates them. By involving experts and partner teachers at school, classroom teachers can solve problems by discover multiplication and division media with the drawing media created by the students themselves. At the end of the lesson, 100% of students have mastered multiplication and division with the media.

  6. Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of classroom-based physical activity on math achievement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Have, Mona; Nielsen, Jacob Have; Gejl, Anne Kær

    2016-01-01

    was a 9-month classroom-based PA program that involved integration of PA into the math lessons delivered by the schools' math teachers. The primary study outcome was change in math achievement, measured by a 45-minute standardized math test. Secondary outcomes were change in executive function (using...... a modified Eriksen flanker task and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire filled out by the parents), creativity (using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, TTCT), aerobic fitness (by the Andersen intermittent shuttle-run test) and body mass index. PA during math...... lessons and total PA (including time spent outside school) were assessed using accelerometry. Math teachers used Short Message Service (SMS)-tracking to report on compliance with the PA intervention and on their motivation for implementing PA in math lessons. Parents used SMS-tracking to register...

  7. Evaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of GIS-Based Application in Secondary School Geography Lessons

    OpenAIRE

    Ali Ali

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the barriers preventing the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in secondary school geography lessons and to determine its effectiveness on students success. A workshop focusing on ways to implement GIS-based application in the classroom for 14 teachers from nine high schools was conducted in 2006. The teachers were given GIS software, digital data for an application, and the necessary written documents describing the application. Due to var...

  8. Impact of Multi-Night Experimentally Induced Short Sleep on Adolescent Performance in a Simulated Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beebe, Dean W; Field, Julie; Milller, Megan M; Miller, Lauren E; LeBlond, Elizabeth

    2017-02-01

    Investigate whether a realistic "dose" of shortened sleep, relative to a well-rested state, causes a decline in adolescents' learning and an increase in inattentive and sleepy behaviors in a simulated classroom setting. Eighty-seven healthy 14.0- to 16.9-year olds underwent a 3-week sleep manipulation protocol, including two 5-night sleep manipulation conditions presented in a randomly counterbalanced within-subjects cross-over design. Wake time was held constant. Bedtimes were set to induce Short Sleep (SS; 6.5 hours in bed) versus Healthy Sleep (HS; 10 hours in bed). During the morning at the end of each condition, participants underwent a simulated classroom procedure in which they viewed lecture-based educational videotapes and completed relevant quizzes. Their behaviors in the simulated classroom were later coded by condition-blind raters for evidence of inattention and sleepiness. Adolescents had a longer average sleep period during HS (9.1 hours) than SS (6.5 hours). Compared to scores during HS, adolescents scored significantly lower on the quiz, showed more behaviors suggestive of inattention and sleepiness in the simulated classroom, and were reported by adolescents themselves and by their parents to be more inattentive and sleepy during SS. However, the impact of the manipulation on quiz scores was not mediated by changes in attention or sleepiness. Although effect sizes were modest, these findings suggest that previously-reported correlations between sleep duration and academic performance reflect true cause-effect relationships. Findings add to the growing evidence that the chronically shortened sleep experienced by many adolescents on school nights adversely impacts their functioning and health. © Sleep Research Society 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. One-Two Punch: Utilizing Teacher Research Experiences and Related Classroom Activities to Increase Student Interest in STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wold-Brennon, R.; Cooper, S. K.

    2014-12-01

    Through collaborations between scientists and educators, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership developed a series of marine geosciences classroom activities and lesson plans -- including the Adopt-a-Microbe project, a collection of hands-on science lessons that use the sub-seafloor microbiology topics to provide engaging pathways for K-12 students to learn about the world around them. The goal of these activities has been to introduce youth to deep ocean exploration, inspire interest in microbial oceanography, and foster higher education goals and career paths in related sciences for our youth. From the beginning, these lessons were developed in close working relationships between scientists and educators, and the lessons geared towards middle school have been recently piloted with the intent to maximize sustained student interest in STEM topics. While teaching these units, educators used surveys, polls, group discussions, and interviews to shed light on correlations between student interest in STEM and their close proximity to exemplary and enthusiastic educators and student leaders who are active in STEM activities such as research projects and expeditions. Educators continue to use Adopt-a-Microbe and related expedition science-based lessons to explore the broader impacts of their professional development in the Geosciences on their students' professed interest in STEM.

  10. Exploring the role of curriculum materials to support teachers in science education reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Rebecca M.

    2001-07-01

    For curriculum materials to succeed in promoting large-scale science education reform, teacher learning must be supported. Materials were designed to reflect desired reforms and to be educative by including detailed lesson descriptions that addressed necessary content, pedagogy, and pedagogical content knowledge for teachers. The goal of this research was to describe how such materials contributed to classroom practices. As part of an urban systemic reform effort, four middle school teachers' initial enactment of an inquiry-based science unit on force and motion were videotaped. Enactments focused on five lesson sequences containing experiences with phenomena, investigation, technology use, or artifact development. Each sequence spanned three to five days across the 10-week unit. For each lesson sequence, intended and actual enactment were compared using ratings of (1) accuracy and completeness of science ideas presented, (2) amount student learning opportunities, similarity of learning opportunities with those intended, and quality of adaptations , and (3) amount of instructional supports offered, appropriateness of instructional supports and source of ideas for instructional supports. Ratings indicated two teachers' enactments were consistent with intentions and two teachers' enactments were not. The first two were in school contexts supportive of the reform. They purposefully used the materials to guide enactment, which tended to be consistent with standards-based reform. They provided students opportunities to use technology tools, design investigations, and discuss ideas. However, enactment ratings were less reflective of curriculum intent when challenges were greatest, such as when teachers attempted to present challenging science ideas, respond to students' ideas, structure investigations, guide small-group discussions, or make adaptations. Moreover, enactment ratings were less consistent in parts of lessons where materials did not include lesson specific

  11. Using Virtual Reality to Bring Ocean Science Field Experiences to the Classroom and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waite, A. J.; Rosenberg, A.; Frehm, V.; Gravinese, P.; Jackson, J.; Killingsworth, S.; Williams, C.

    2017-12-01

    While still in its infancy, the application of virtual reality (VR) technology to classroom education provides unparalleled opportunities to transport students to otherwise inaccessible localities and increase awareness of and engagement in STEAM fields. Here we share VR programming in development by the ANGARI Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to advancing ocean science research and education. ANGARI Foundation's series of thematic VR films features the research of ocean scientists from onboard the Foundation's research vessel, R/V ANGARI. The films are developed and produced through an iterative process between expedition scientists, the film production team, and ANGARI staff and Educator Council members. Upon completion of filming, the K-12 and informal educators of ANGARI's Educator Council work with ANGARI staff and affiliated scientists to develop and implement standards-aligned (e.g. Next Generation Science Standards and International Baccalaureate) lesson plans for the classroom. The goal of ANGARI Foundation's VR films is to immerse broad audiences in the marine environment, while actively engaging them in the at-sea scientific methods of expert scientists, ultimately increasing knowledge of our oceans and promoting their conservation. The foundation's VR films and developed lessons are made available for free to the public via YouTube and www.ANGARI.org. While South Florida educators may request that ANGARI Foundation visit their classrooms and bring the necessary headsets to run the experience, the Foundation is also partnering with VR hardware companies to facilitate the acquisition and adoption of VR headsets by schools in the U.S. and abroad. In this presentation we will share our most recent VR film that highlights coral reef ecosystems and the Florida Reef Tract, taking an interdisciplinary approach to investigating how it has changed over time and the issues and opportunities it currently faces. We will also discuss classroom

  12. Breaststroke learning through the use of videotape feedback. http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2013v15n2p204

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcela de Castro Ferracioli

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available People from all age groups and social backgrounds have always sought to learn swimming. However, the swimming learning process is usually considered repetitive and tiring, requiring the teacher to use methods that motivate students to join the practice without ignoring the need for improvement in their performance. This study assessed motivation during a breaststroke learning process in students who received videotape feedback, verbal feedback, and who did not receive any feedback during practice. Thirty seven swimming inexperienced students were divided into three groups: Video (n=13, which received videotape feedback; Verbal (n=15, which received verbal feedback; and Control (n=9, which did not receive any feedback during experimental phases (pre-test, acquisition (5 days, post-test and retention. Participants completed a questionnaire based on Likert scale for motivation assessment. Scores were given to their performance by a swimming teacher to assess breaststroke learning during each experimental phase. Results of motivation assessment showed that students who received feedback (videotape or verbal felt more motivated during practice than those who did not receive any feedback. Regarding the breaststroke learning, all participants improved their performance along experimental phases, but, during the retention one, Verbal group’s performance was considered superior to the Control group’s performance. This study concluded that the use of videotape and verbal feedback has motivational results on breaststroke learning, and that it is effective in the learning process.

  13. The perception of science teachers on the role of student relationships in the classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattison, Cheryl Ann

    With the increased accountability of educators comes the responsibility of the entire educational community to find ways in which we can help our students succeed in the classroom. In addition, it is important to discover what it takes to keep those students in school Many science teachers enter the profession unprepared to handle the regular classroom routine. Classroom management, grading, lesson planning, setting up labs, and the myriad of other obligations, can leave teachers overwhelmed and sometimes can get in the way of actually helping students be successful. This study investigated how science teachers viewed the importance of developing strong teacher/student relationships to the increase of student success in a science classroom. I attempted to answer 4 major questions: · How do science teachers in a select high school community view the role of interactive relationships in their classrooms and how that might impact their students? · How do science teachers in a select high school community believe they establish successful interactive relationships with their students? · What do science teachers in a select high school community believe are some of the outcomes of those relationships? · What do science teachers suggest to increase the teacher's ability to form good relationships with their students? A qualitative research method was used including observations, interviews and group discussions of 5 high school science teachers in a small urban school.

  14. After APOD: From the Website to the Classroom and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Teresa; APOD

    2017-01-01

    Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) images may start on the apod.nasa.gov website, but their reach goes much further than the individual sitting at their computer screen. They provoke questions that then prompts the reader to email the authors; teachers use the images in their classrooms; students use them in their projects. This presentation will take a look at some of the work done using APOD images and text, including public outreach via middle school presentations and email communications, and academic uses beyond astronomy such as lesson plans on atmospheric refraction and even plagiarism, copyright and fair use.

  15. Development of Lesson Plans and Student Worksheets Based Socio-Scientific Issues on Pollution Environmental Topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahayu, S.; Meyliana, M.; Arlingga, A.; Reny, R.; Siahaan, P.; Hernani, H.

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this study is to develop lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution environmental topic for seventh-grade junior high school students. Environmental pollution topic split into several subtopics namely air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. The composing of lesson plans were developed based on socio-scientific issues with five stages, namely (1) Motivate; (2) Challenge; (3) Collect scientific evidence; (4) Analyse the evidence; (5) Build knowledge and make connections; and (6) Use evidence. While student worksheets contain articles on socio-scientific issues, practice, and there are a few questions to determine students’ reasoning. The method that is used in this research is research and development (R & D method). Development model used in this study is a model of Plomp that consists of four stages, namely: (1) Initial Research; (2) Design; (3) Realization or Construction; (4) Testing, evaluation and revision; (5) Implementation, while the research was limited to the fourth stage. Lesson plans and student worksheets based on socio-scientific issues was validated through an expert validation. The result showed that lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution theme have a very decent and be able to apply in science classroom.

  16. The construction of creativity: using video to explore secondary school music teachers’ views

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Odena

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: This paper is taken from research which seeks to illustrate how English secondary school music teachers view creativity. It explores methodological issues regarding the eliciting of the views of teachers regarding creativity, with particular reference to the use of videotaped extracts of lessons during in-depth semi-structured interviews. Various research designs and results from previous studies are examined and the implications pointed out. A pilot study using a theoretical four-fold framework (pupil-environment-process-product is reported. A qualitative research design was used to allow teachers to reflect on their own ideas. Music lessons on composition and improvisation from three schools were observed and videotaped. The teachers were interviewed and asked to complete a ‘Musical Career Path’. The process of analysis was assisted by a software package for qualitative research (i.e. NUDIST. The conclusions presented some subcategories that supported the initial framework and exemplified the complexities in defining the term ‘creativity’, pointing to a need for further enquiry. It is suggested that the use of videotaped extracts of lessons for the purpose of discussion with participants during the interviews, proved beneficial in exploring the teachers’ views of creativity. This method may have relevance for both researchers and practitioners interested in teachers’ attitudes.

  17. Encouraging Teachers to Build Collaborations with Researchers; Examples From the Classroom (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, M.

    2013-12-01

    Bringing experts into our schools allows for highly engaging lessons, encourages career thinking, adds authenticity to the topic, and allows student's questions to be answered by experts. Researchers can physically visit classrooms or appear through presentation technologies, such as Skype, or Google Hangouts. Virtual visits allow students to see laboratories and field sites. Collaborating with scientists builds the connective tissue that helps all educators and our students learn more deeply. When K-12 teachers collaborate with scientists and graduate students, teachers learn more science, and scientists learn more teaching. This growth of background knowledge is a win-win situation and helps us meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers need to feel encouraged to contact their local or regional scientists for support. Reaching out into the universities to make contact with polar scientists or graduate students is a good place to start. Building professional networks allows PI's to address the 'broader impact' requirement on many grant applications, and helps spread the university's work in the polar regions out to the general public. These collaborations also give teachers expert insights and current data to build authentic lessons, and excite their students to seek careers in the sciences. This presentation will focus on three completed interactive opportunities I have built with researchers in my classroom. Students adding daily sediment to their sediment core, after communications from the field with scientist Heidi Roop in Alaska.

  18. Bringing the National Security Agency into the Classroom: Ethical Reflections on Academia-Intelligence Agency Partnerships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kampe, Christopher; Reid, Gwendolynne; Jones, Paul; S, Colleen; S, Sean; Vogel, Kathleen M

    2018-01-09

    Academia-intelligence agency collaborations are on the rise for a variety of reasons. These can take many forms, one of which is in the classroom, using students to stand in for intelligence analysts. Classrooms, however, are ethically complex spaces, with students considered vulnerable populations, and become even more complex when layering multiple goals, activities, tools, and stakeholders over those traditionally present. This does not necessarily mean one must shy away from academia-intelligence agency partnerships in classrooms, but that these must be conducted carefully and reflexively. This paper hopes to contribute to this conversation by describing one purposeful classroom encounter that occurred between a professor, students, and intelligence practitioners in the fall of 2015 at North Carolina State University: an experiment conducted as part of a graduate-level political science class that involved students working with a prototype analytic technology, a type of participatory sensing/self-tracking device, developed by the National Security Agency. This experiment opened up the following questions that this paper will explore: What social, ethical, and pedagogical considerations arise with the deployment of a prototype intelligence technology in the college classroom, and how can they be addressed? How can academia-intelligence agency collaboration in the classroom be conducted in ways that provide benefits to all parties, while minimizing disruptions and negative consequences? This paper will discuss the experimental findings in the context of ethical perspectives involved in values in design and participatory/self-tracking data practices, and discuss lessons learned for the ethics of future academia-intelligence agency partnerships in the classroom.

  19. A Hybrid Model for Making Online Assignments Effective In a Traditional Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronda Sturgill

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Today’s college student has grown up in a world filled with technology and many current college students routinely utilize the latest and most up to date forms of technology. The result is an ever-changing way of communicating between faculty members and students. Many faculty members, however, are intimidated by the use of the terms “technology”, “online” and “distance education.” This often results in a communication gap between faculty and students where faculty members will “lose” students on the first day of class. Advantages of incorporating online tools into the course structure include freeing up additional class time, enhancing classroom discussions, and allowing students to remain current with information in their field. This hybrid instructional model focuses on the integration of technology tools as a supplement to traditional classroom teaching. This paper will describe how to effectively incorporate and implement technology using online course tools in a traditional classroom setting. Specific examples of online assignments, discussions, and assessments from an allied health education program and class will be discussed. Lessons learned and challenges confronted when adapting to the utilization of specific online course assignments and tools will be discussed.

  20. Lesson study: Professional development and its impact on science teacher self-efficacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Megan Rae

    This study focuses on an analysis of a professional development program known as lesson study via data obtained during an in-service professional development program for secondary school science teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy beliefs of one group of science teachers related to their experiences in a lesson study. Another purpose for this research, aligned with the first, included a theoretical analysis of the lesson study construct to see if its design promoted positive self-efficacy beliefs of its participants. The research is framed within the context of social constructivism and self-efficacy and is qualitative in nature and utilized descriptive analysis as a means of research. Case studies were conducted detailing two of the six participants. Data sources included researcher field notes and transcriptions of all planning and debriefing sessions; individual interviews with each participant and the schools' principal; a participant questionnaire, and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument. Themes that emerged included the positive perceptions of lesson study as a collaborative and teacher-centered experience; the understanding that lesson study can instill a sense of professionalism to those who participate in the process; the sense that discussing student learning using objective observations from classroom is a powerful way to assess learning and uncover personal teacher beliefs; and the insight that the time commitment that lesson study requires can inhibit teachers and schools from sustaining it as a form of on-going professional development. Although these themes are consistent with the research on lesson study in Japan and elsewhere in the United States, they also extend the research on self-efficacy and science teacher professional development. In the end, this study supported some of the conclusions of the self-efficacy research as it relates to professional development while also adding that interpersonal

  1. Antecedents of Teachers’ Emotions in the Classroom: An Intraindividual Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Susann Becker

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Using a preexisting, but as yet empirically untested theoretical model, the present study investigated antecedents of teachers’ emotions in the classroom. More specifically, the relationships between students’ motivation and discipline and teachers’ enjoyment and anger were explored, as well as if these relationships are mediated by teachers’ subjective appraisals (goal conduciveness and coping potential. The study employed an intraindividual approach by collecting data through a diary. The sample consisted of 39 teachers who each participated with one of their 9th or 10th grade mathematics classes (N = 758 students. Both teachers and students filled out diaries for two to three weeks pertaining to 8.10 lessons on average (N = 316 lessons. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that students’ motivation and discipline explained 24% of variance in teachers’ enjoyment and 26% of variance in teachers’ anger. In line with theoretical assumptions, after introducing teachers’ subjective appraisals as a mediating mechanism into the model, the explained variance systematically increased to 65% and 61%, for teachers’ enjoyment and anger respectively. The effects of students’ motivation and discipline level on teachers’ emotions were partially mediated by teachers’ appraisals of goal conduciveness and coping potential. The findings imply that since teachers’ emotions depend to a large extent on subjective evaluations of a situation, teachers should be able to directly modify their emotional experiences during a lesson through cognitive reappraisals.

  2. Antecedents of teachers’ emotions in the classroom: an intraindividual approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Eva S.; Keller, Melanie M.; Goetz, Thomas; Frenzel, Anne C.; Taxer, Jamie L.

    2015-01-01

    Using a preexisting, but as yet empirically untested theoretical model, the present study investigated antecedents of teachers’ emotions in the classroom. More specifically, the relationships between students’ motivation and discipline and teachers’ enjoyment and anger were explored, as well as if these relationships are mediated by teachers’ subjective appraisals (goal conduciveness and coping potential). The study employed an intraindividual approach by collecting data through a diary. The sample consisted of 39 teachers who each participated with one of their 9th or 10th grade mathematics classes (N = 758 students). Both teachers and students filled out diaries for 2–3 weeks pertaining to 8.10 lessons on average (N = 316 lessons). Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that students’ motivation and discipline explained 24% of variance in teachers’ enjoyment and 26% of variance in teachers’ anger. In line with theoretical assumptions, after introducing teachers’ subjective appraisals as a mediating mechanism into the model, the explained variance systematically increased to 65 and 61%, for teachers’ enjoyment and anger respectively. The effects of students’ motivation and discipline level on teachers’ emotions were partially mediated by teachers’ appraisals of goal conduciveness and coping potential. The findings imply that since teachers’ emotions depend to a large extent on subjective evaluations of a situation, teachers should be able to directly modify their emotional experiences during a lesson through cognitive reappraisals. PMID:26042067

  3. Antecedents of teachers' emotions in the classroom: an intraindividual approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Eva S; Keller, Melanie M; Goetz, Thomas; Frenzel, Anne C; Taxer, Jamie L

    2015-01-01

    Using a preexisting, but as yet empirically untested theoretical model, the present study investigated antecedents of teachers' emotions in the classroom. More specifically, the relationships between students' motivation and discipline and teachers' enjoyment and anger were explored, as well as if these relationships are mediated by teachers' subjective appraisals (goal conduciveness and coping potential). The study employed an intraindividual approach by collecting data through a diary. The sample consisted of 39 teachers who each participated with one of their 9th or 10th grade mathematics classes (N = 758 students). Both teachers and students filled out diaries for 2-3 weeks pertaining to 8.10 lessons on average (N = 316 lessons). Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that students' motivation and discipline explained 24% of variance in teachers' enjoyment and 26% of variance in teachers' anger. In line with theoretical assumptions, after introducing teachers' subjective appraisals as a mediating mechanism into the model, the explained variance systematically increased to 65 and 61%, for teachers' enjoyment and anger respectively. The effects of students' motivation and discipline level on teachers' emotions were partially mediated by teachers' appraisals of goal conduciveness and coping potential. The findings imply that since teachers' emotions depend to a large extent on subjective evaluations of a situation, teachers should be able to directly modify their emotional experiences during a lesson through cognitive reappraisals.

  4. DLESE Teaching Boxes: Earth System Science Resources And Strategies For Using Data In The Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olds, S. E.; Weingroff, M.

    2005-12-01

    The DLESE Teaching Box project is both a professional development opportunity and an educational resource development project providing a pedagogic context that support teachers' use of data in the classroom. As a professional development opportunity, it is designed to augment teachers' science content knowledge, enhance their use of inquiry teaching strategies, and increase their confidence and facility with using digital libraries and online learning resources. Teams of educators, scientists, and instructional designers work together during a three part Teaching Box Development Workshop series to create Teaching Boxes on Earth system science topics. The resulting Teaching Boxes use Earth system science conceptual frameworks as their core and contain inquiry-based lessons which model scientific inquiry and process by focusing on the gathering and analysis of evidence. These lines of evidence employ an Earth systems approach to show how processes across multiple spheres, for example, how the biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere interact in a complex Earth process. Each Teaching Box has interconnected lessons that provide 3-6 weeks of instruction, incorporate National and California science standards, and offer guidance on teaching pathways through the materials. They contain up-to-date digital materials including archived and real-time data sets, simulations, images, lesson plans, and other resources available through DLESE, NSDL, and the participating scientific institutions. Background information provided within the Box supports teacher learning and guides them to facilitate student access to the tools and techniques of authentic, modern science. In developing Teaching Boxes, DLESE adds value to existing educational resources by helping teachers more effectively interpret their use in a variety of standards-based classroom settings. In the past twelve months we have had over 100 requests for Teaching Box products from teachers and curriculum developers from

  5. Cultural politics: Linguistic identity and its role as gatekeeper in the science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilton-Brown, Bryan Anthony

    This dissertation investigated how participation in the cultural practices of science classrooms creates intrapersonal conflict for ethnic minority students. Grounded in research perspectives of cultural anthropology, sociocultural studies of science education, and critical pedagogy, this study examined the cultural tensions encountered by minority students as they assimilate into the culture of the science classroom. Classroom interaction was viewed from the perspective of instructional congruence---the active incorporation of students' culture into science pedagogy. Ogbu's notion of "oppositional identity", Fordham's "fictive kinship", Bahktin's "antidialogics", and Freire's "critical consciousness" were brought together to examine how members of marginalized cultures develop non-normative behaviors as a means of cultural resistance. Choice of genre for public discourse was seen as a political act, representing students' own cultural affiliations. Conducted in a diverse Southern Californian high school with an annual population of over 3,900 students, this study merged ethnographic research, action research, and sociolinguistic discourse analysis. Post hoc analysis of videotaped classroom activities, focus group interviews, and samples of student work revealed students' discursive behavior to shift as a product of the context of their discursive exchanges. In whole class discussions students explained their understanding of complex phenomena to classmates, while in small group discussions they favored brief exchanges of group data. Four domains of discursive identities were identified: Opposition Status, Maintenance Status, Incorporation Status, and Proficiency Status. Students demonstrating Opposition Status avoided use of science discourse. Those students who demonstrated Maintenance Status were committed to maintaining their own discursive behavior. Incorporation Status students were characterized by an active attempt to incorporate science discourse into

  6. Should laptops be allowed in the classroom? Two viewpoints: viewpoint 1: laptops in classrooms facilitate curricular advancement and promote student learning and viewpoint 2: deconstructing and rethinking the use of laptops in the classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spallek, Heiko; von Bergmann, HsingChi

    2014-12-01

    This Point/Counterpoint article discusses the pros and cons of deploying one aspect of instructional technology in dental education: the use of laptops in the classroom. Two opposing viewpoints, written by different authors, evaluate the arguments. Viewpoint 1 argues that laptops in classrooms can be a catalyst for rapid curricular advancement and prepare dental graduates for the digital age of dentistry. As dental education is not limited to textual information, but includes skill development in spatial relationships and hands-on training, technology can play a transformative role in students' learning. Carefully implemented instructional technology can enhance student motivation when it transforms students from being the objects of teaching to the subjects of learning. Ubiquitous access to educational material allows for just-in-time learning and can overcome organizational barriers when, for instance, introducing interprofessional education. Viewpoint 2 argues that, in spite of widespread agreement that instructional technology leads to curricular innovation, the notion of the use of laptops in classrooms needs to be deconstructed and rethought when effective learning outcomes are sought. Analyzing the purpose, pedagogy, and learning product while applying lessons learned from K-12 implementation leads to a more complex picture of laptop integration in dental classrooms and forms the basis for questioning the value of such usage. For laptop use to contribute to student learning, rather than simply providing opportunity for students to take notes and access the Internet during class, this viewpoint emphasizes that dental educators need to think carefully about the purpose of this technology and to develop appropriate pedagogical strategies to achieve their objectives. The two viewpoints agree that significant faculty development efforts should precede any introduction of technology into the educational process and that technology alone cannot change education

  7. The Roles of Teachers' Science Talk in Revealing Language Demands within Diverse Elementary School Classrooms: A Study of Teaching Heat and Temperature in Singapore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seah, Lay Hoon; Yore, Larry D.

    2017-01-01

    This study of three science teachers' lessons on heat and temperature seeks to characterise classroom talk that highlighted the ways language is used and to examine the nature of the language demands revealed in constructing, negotiating, arguing and communicating science ideas. The transcripts from the entire instructional units for these…

  8. ICT as a tool for collaboration in the classroom – challenges and lessons learned

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob Davidsen

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents data and results from a study on collaboration and self-directed learning in two second year-classes in a Danish school. Learners at ages eight and nine use interactive screens as a learning tool, and more than 150 hours of video data have been collected from the classrooms over a period of ten months. Through detailed inspection of video data, patterns of interaction and ways of collaborating are analysed. Analyses show that the participation patterns of the young learners are crucial to their learning outcome, and also that the role and actions of the teacher are decisive factors in the successful employment of this specific learning design. This paper presents examples of detailed analyses of parts of the data material. Among other things, findings include that collaboration between learners have gender issues, and that addressing topics such as collaborative and communicative skills require careful pre-teaching planning and classroom-observations by the teachers in charge.

  9. Development of an Interdisciplinary STEM Classroom Activity for Radio Receiver Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Kristina

    2015-01-01

    Introduction The development of a mini STEM-based classroom activity designed to integrate these two fields into one project for middle school aged students is presented here. This lesson involves small groups of students constructing a small AM radio receivers. The lesson surrounding the activity focuses on both the physical nature of electromagnetic and AC waves, circuit design, practical applications to AM radio broadcasting, and research applications of radio telescopes. These tools have shown a significant increase in the lesson's primary concept understanding among 6th grade students, as well as net positive STEM awareness and enthusiasm.Content The primary teaching point for the students to consider and learn during this lesson is 'How does scientific application influence engineering design, and vice versa?' The lesson surrounds the hands-on activity of having students construct their own AM radio receiver. Wave theory and the use of radio instruments for astronomy research are also taught in a traditional lecture format. The activity is designed to complement middle school curriculum, although it has been tested and found suitable for high school and older students as well as the general public.Evaluation and ImpactThe evaluation tool that used for the student groups in this project was a Fryer chart, which is a four panel chart with the main topic listed in the center and a single question in each of the four panels. The students are asked to answer the questions in the chart before and after they participate in the lesson activity, each time in a different colored pencil so that the scores can be given to each student before and after they participated in the activity. Student scores improved from 4.5 to 17.9 out of a total of 20 possible points. This is an overall increase of 67% of the total possible points. The questions asked on the quiz cover the range of wave theory, circuit design, and scientific explanation. This factor of improvement shows that

  10. Fostering Ecological Literacy: A Case Study of the Saint John Harbour in Two High School English Language Arts Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Velta

    Integrating environmental education into curriculum in a way that tackles the holistic and complicated nature of multi-dimensional issues continues to be a challenge for educators and administrators. There is potential in using ecological literacy to introduce local environmental case studies into English Language Arts high school classrooms. This research examines the experiences of two ELA classrooms in one Saint John, NB, high school with a two-week unit based on stakeholder relationships within the Saint John Harbour. Through presentations by guest speakers and research sourced from local community groups, students learned about the highly complex environmental issues that inform management decisions for the Harbour. Using these materials as background, students participated in a mock stakeholders meeting. Case study methodology was used to explore student learning in both a higher-level and a lower-level grade 10 ELA class. Data for the analysis included: cognitive mapping exercises; oral and written classroom assignments and activities; a videotape of the mock stakeholder meetings; a focus group interview with selected students; and researcher field notes. Data demonstrated significant student learning about environmental issues including increased sophistication in describing links between and among environmental issues affecting the harbour, and much more complex understandings of the positions and roles of the various stakeholder groups. Some important areas of resistance to new learning were also evident. Implications for practice and policy and recommendations for future research are discussed.

  11. Attention-getting skills of deaf children using American Sign Language in a preschool classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieberman, Amy M

    2015-07-01

    Visual attention is a necessary prerequisite to successful communication in sign language. The current study investigated the development of attention-getting skills in deaf native-signing children during interactions with peers and teachers. Seven deaf children (aged 21-39 months) and five adults were videotaped during classroom activities for approximately 30 hr. Interactions were analyzed in depth to determine how children obtained and maintained attention. Contrary to previous reports, children were found to possess a high level of communicative competence from an early age. Analysis of peer interactions revealed that children used a range of behaviors to obtain attention with peers, including taps, waves, objects, and signs. Initiations were successful approximately 65% of the time. Children followed up failed initiation attempts by repeating the initiation, using a new initiation, or terminating the interaction. Older children engaged in longer and more complex interactions than younger children. Children's early exposure to and proficiency in American Sign Language is proposed as a likely mechanism that facilitated their communicative competence.

  12. Application of Education Management and Lesson Study in Teaching Mathematics to Students of Second Grade of Public School in District 3 of Tehran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhoush, Masoumeh; Majedi, Parisima; Behrangi, Mohammadreza

    2017-01-01

    The present paper studies the effects of lesson study as a sample of participative researches in classroom as well as Behrangi Education Management Model in courses by aiming at exploring and allowing students to use the indexes of course concepts as an effective model in learning. The research plan is pre-test, posttest with control group type.…

  13. Pre-Service Teachers: An Analysis of Reading Instruction in High Needs Districts Dual Language Classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Whitacre

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Pre-service teachers need opportunities to apply theory and connect to best practices as they teach in classroom settings be it, whole or small group. For many pre-service teachers often times their experience is limited to simply watching instruction or working with small groups of students (Pryor & Kuhn, 2004. The student teaching experience is a critical component of the teacher preparation program. Through the use of the English Language Learner Classroom Observation Instrument (ELLCOI, and researcher observation the hope is that these will aid in bringing to light the instructional activities used by pre-service teachers during reading instruction with ELLs. This study explores how pre-service bilingual teachers connect theory into practice by examining their instruction in the following categories: Instructional Practices, Interactive Teaching, English-Language Development, and Content Specific to Reading as listed in The English Language Learner Classroom Observation Instrument (ELLCOI developed by Haager, Gersten, Baker, and Graves (2003. To capture these instructional events video tape recordings of eight South Texas pre-service teachers were taken during a reading language arts lesson in order to observe instruction in high need districts’ dual language/bilingual classrooms. Data were compiled to capture the nature and quality of instruction on key essential elements, as well as reading instructional practices specific to the teaching/learning process in the dual language classroom. The findings portray the results of the ELLCOI with bilingual/ESL pre- service teachers and how they make sense of their instructional practices as a means to instruction in one-way dual language public school classrooms.

  14. Lesson Development for English Learners in Content Area Settings: Key Considerations. Q&A with Sarah Catherine K. Moore, Ph.D. 2016 Educator Effectiveness Webinar Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Sarah Catherine K.

    2016-01-01

    In this webinar, Dr. Sarah Catherine K. Moore, Program Director at the Center for Applied Linguistics, outlined factors for content area teachers to consider as they design and deliver lessons for mainstream classrooms that include English learner (EL) students. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Moore following the…

  15. Lessons learned bulletin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-05-01

    During the past four years, the Department of Energy -- Savannah River Operations Office and the Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program completed various activities ranging from waste site investigations to closure and post closure projects. Critiques for lessons learned regarding project activities are performed at the completion of each project milestone, and this critique interval allows for frequent recognition of lessons learned. In addition to project related lessons learned, ER also performs lessons learned critiques. T'he Savannah River Site (SRS) also obtains lessons learned information from general industry, commercial nuclear industry, naval nuclear programs, and other DOE sites within the complex. Procedures are approved to administer the lessons learned program, and a database is available to catalog applicable lessons learned regarding environmental remediation, restoration, and administrative activities. ER will continue to use this database as a source of information available to SRS personnel

  16. 3D Modeling and Printing in History/Social Studies Classrooms: Initial Lessons and Insights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloy, Robert; Trust, Torrey; Kommers, Suzan; Malinowski, Allison; LaRoche, Irene

    2017-01-01

    This exploratory study examines the use of 3D technology by teachers and students in four middle school history/social studies classrooms. As part of a university-developed 3D Printing 4 Teaching & Learning project, teachers integrated 3D modeling and printing into curriculum topics in world geography, U.S. history, and government/civics.…

  17. Water in everyday life and in science classrooms: analysis of discursive interactions and teaching strategies in primary education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreza Fortini da Silva

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This article examines how a primary teacher establishes links between students' initial contributions on the theme ‘water’ and the elements that will make up the teaching approach of this subject in the science classroom. For this purpose, we examine discursive interactions in the first lessons of a teaching sequence, looking for links between events that are being elicited and developed by the teacher with intense participation of the students. We shall also examine the teaching strategies conducted by the teacher, emphasizing the presence of visual resources in text production activities, understanding them as literacy practices in the context of science lessons. To examine the effectiveness of these strategies and mediational resources, we shall analyze some exemplars of the students' productions (texts and drawings. We will use as criteria of analysis: speech marks of the opening activity and of the preliminary discussions in the texts produced by the pupils; evidence of changes in the pupils’ initial repertoires about the theme; evidence of connections between the “water in our lives” and “water as a science subject”. The context of the research is a third year grade classroom in a public elementary school in Contagem / MG - Brazil.

  18. Conflicts between On-Task and Off-Task Behaviors in the Classroom: The Influences of Parental Monitoring, Peer Value Orientations, Students' Goals, and Their Value Orientations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilian, Britta; Hofer, Manfred; Kuhnle, Claudia

    2013-01-01

    Students in class are sometimes torn between following the lesson and engaging in off-task behavior. In this paper, instead of classifying it as a form of deviant behavior, off-task behavior is reconstructed as a manifestation of students multiple motivations in the classroom. The study examines whether parental monitoring, peer value…

  19. Taking SESAME to the classroom

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    The 2014 High School Teacher Programme (HST) is well under way, and this year it has a distinct Middle Eastern flavour, with eight teachers from the region among the 54 taking part.   Established in the late 1990s, HST is a three-week residential programme in English designed to give teachers a taste of frontier research and promote the teaching of modern physics in high schools. Along with the more than 30 other teacher schools given in the native language of the participants, HST aims to help teachers bring modern physics to the classroom and motivate their students to study science at upper secondary school and university. As part of the HST programme, teachers form working groups to develop lessons based on CERN science. This year, however, with eight teachers coming from Israel, Palestine, Iran and Jordan, all of which are members of SESAME, the international laboratory for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East, one group is working on a dif...

  20. Teaching microeconomic principles with smartphones – lessons from classroom experiments with classEx

    OpenAIRE

    Llavador, Humberto; Giamattei, Marcus

    2017-01-01

    Classroom experiments as a teaching tool increase understanding and especially motivation. Traditionally, experiments have been run using pen-and-paper or in a computer lab. Pen-and-paper is time and resource consuming. Experiments in the lab require appropriate installations and impede the direct interaction among students. During the last two years, we have created fully elaborated packages to run a complete course in microeconomics principles using face-to-face experiments with mobile d...

  1. The dynamic nature of motivation in language learning: A classroom perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirosław Pawlak

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available When we examine the empirical investigations of motivation in second and foreign language learning, even those drawing upon the latest theoretical paradigms, such as the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei, 2009, it becomes clear that many of them still fail to take account of its dynamic character and temporal variation. This may be surprising in view of the fact that the need to adopt such a process-oriented approach has been emphasized by a number of theorists and researchers (e.g., Dörnyei, 2000, 2001, 2009; Ushioda, 1996; Williams & Burden, 1997, and it lies at the heart of the model of second language motivation proposed by Dörnyei and Ottó (1998. It is also unfortunate that few research projects have addressed the question of how motivation changes during a language lesson as well as a series of lessons, and what factors might be responsible for fluctuations of this kind. The present paper is aimed to rectify this problem by reporting the findings of a classroom-based study which investigated the changes in the motivation of 28 senior high school students, both in terms of their goals and intentions, and their interest and engagement in classroom activities and tasks over the period of four weeks. The analysis of the data collected by means of questionnaires, observations and interviews showed that although the reasons for learning remain relatively stable, the intensity of motivation is indeed subject to variation on a minute-to-minute basis and this fact has to be recognized even in large-scale, cross-sectional research in this area.

  2. Knowledge and power in the technology classroom: a framework for studying teachers and students in action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danielsson, Anna T.; Berge, Maria; Lidar, Malena

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this paper is to develop and illustrate an analytical framework for exploring how relations between knowledge and power are constituted in science and technology classrooms. In addition, the empirical purpose of this paper is to explore how disciplinary knowledge and knowledge-making are constituted in teacher-student interactions. In our analysis we focus on how instances of teacher-student interaction can be understood as simultaneously contributing to meaning-making and producing power relations. The analytical framework we have developed makes use of practical epistemological analysis in combination with a Foucauldian conceptualisation of power, assuming that privileging of educational content needs to be understood as integral to the execution of power in the classroom. The empirical data consists of video-recorded teaching episodes, taken from a teaching sequence of three 1-h lessons in one Swedish technology classroom with sixteen 13-14 years old students. In the analysis we have identified how different epistemological moves contribute to the normalisation and exclusion of knowledge as well as ways of knowledge-making. Further, by looking at how the teacher communicates what counts as (ir)relevant knowledge or (ir)relevant ways of acquiring knowledge we are able to describe what kind of technology student is made desirable in the analysed classroom.

  3. Students' Positioning in the Classroom: a Study of Teacher-Student Interactions in a Socioscientific Issue Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bossér, Ulrika; Lindahl, Mats

    2017-07-01

    The integration of socioscientific issues (SSI) in science education calls for emphasizing dialogic classroom practices that include students' views together with multiple sources of knowledge and diverse perspectives on the issues. Such classroom practices aim to empower students to participate in decision-making on SSI. This can be accomplished by enhancing their independence as learners and positioning them as legitimate participants in societal discussions. However, this is a complex task for science teachers. In this study, we introduce positioning theory as a lens to analyse classroom discourse on SSI in order to enhance our knowledge of the manners by which teachers' interactions with students make available or promote different positions for the students, that is, different parts for the students to play as participants, when dealing with SSI in the classroom. Transcripts of interactions between one teacher and six student groups, recorded during two lessons, were analysed with respect to the positioning of the students as participants in the classroom, and in relation to the SSI under consideration. The results show that the teacher-student interactions made available contrasting student positions. The students were positioned by the teacher or positioned themselves as independent learners or as dependent on the teacher. Furthermore, the students were positioned as affected by the issue but as spectators to public negotiations of the issue. Knowledge about the manner in which teacher-student interactions can function to position students seems important for dialogic classroom practices and the promotion of student positions that sustain the pursuit of intended educational outcomes.

  4. Interactive Whiteboard Use in High-Tech Science Classrooms: Patterns of Integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rena Stroud

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Interactive whiteboard (IWB use has been associated with increased student motivation, engagement, and achievement, though many studies ignore the role of the teacher in effecting those positive changes. The current study followed the practice of 28 high school science teachers as they integrated the IWB into their regular classroom activities. The extent of teachers’ adoption and integration fell along a continuum, from the technologically confident “early adopter” to the low-use “resistant adopter.” Patterns of use are explored by extracting data from representative teachers’ practice. Science-specific benefits of IWB use, barriers to integration, and lessons learned for professional development are discussed.

  5. Classrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butin, Dan

    This paper addresses classroom design trends and the key issues schools should consider for better classroom space flexibility and adaptability. Classroom space design issues when schools embrace technology are discussed, as are design considerations when rooms must accommodate different grade levels, the importance of lighting, furniture…

  6. Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Instructional Games in Mathematics Classrooms: Examining the Quality of Teacher-Student Interactions during the Cover-Up and Un-Cover Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heshmati, Saeideh; Kersting, Nicole; Sutton, Taliesin

    2018-01-01

    This study explored the design and implementation of the Cover-up and Un-cover games, two manipulative-based fraction games, in 14 fifth-grade classrooms. We examined how the fraction concepts were integrated into the game design and explored the nature of teacher-student interactions during games using lesson videos. Our examination showed that…

  7. Using "Journeys in Film" to Bring Authentic STEM Activities to the K-12 Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rock, B. N.

    2017-12-01

    The "Journeys in Film" project brings important films and documentaries ("The Martian," "Hidden Figures," "River of Gold" and others) and curriculum-based, educational support activities to the classroom. Faculty from the University of New Hampshire, in partnership with selected local middle and high school teachers, developed a STEM Lesson Plan for Journeys in Film" focused on the soon-to-released documentary "River of Gold" which highlights tropical deforestation and illegal gold mining activities in the Peruvian jungles of the Amazon Basin. Using film clips (the Trailer) from the movie and the Lesson Plan, this approach allows pre-college students to learn how to use "Google Earth" to monitor chang-over-time and to quantify the areas of deforestation and mining using multi-date NOAA/USGS Landsat Thematic Mapper and ESA Copernicus satellite data. This approach will allow students to dconduct authentic hands-on science and mathematics to address a wide range of social and environmental issues associated with tropical deforestation in Peru.

  8. The Evaluation of Study Success between Online Study and Classroom Study Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singkhamfu Phudinan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Online study has increasingly become more attractive to students at university level due to convenience access to their instructors and to study resources. This study has developed online social network for study. It proposes to provide lesson content availability, past lecture, by sending online study lesson media to students’ mobile phone or tablet. Approximately 85 undergraduate software engineering students participated for 1.5 semesters. In comparing the use of the study toll, and without the tool, the alterations were found between traditional classroom learning style and online study. Also, the study’s aim was to attest the online study tool’s efficiency. However, these results were not obvious when the achievement factor was controlled by the limitation of time. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate these two groups of students with extended experiment time for a noticeable result by used questionnaires course examination, and inventory of ILP learning process. The observed, shows that students with online study tools scored higher on course examinations after measures by the mentioned methodology.

  9. How To Dance through Time. Volume VI: A 19th Century Ball--The Charm of Group Dances. [Videotape].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teten, Carol

    This 48-minute VHS videotape is the sixth in a series of "How To Dance Through Time" videos. It shows the festivity of the 19th century group dances, enabling the viewer to plan and participate in the elegant opening to the ball, a refined square dance, and flirtatious Cotillion dancing games. Professional dancers demonstrate the…

  10. Modular and extensible lesson on fiber optics for youths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Nicholas H. L.; Tong, Amy S. K.; Posner, Matthew T.; Ravagli, Andrea

    2017-08-01

    Fiber optics and its application in telecommunications are rarely encountered by students until they reach tertiary education. While some secondary/middle school curricula may include coverage of basic geometrical optics concepts such as reflection and refraction, few if any go further to elaborate on how these eventually relate to global telecommunications. One could say that the science is made accessible for early-stage students, but discussions about applications are often reserved till later stages. In working through a PhD student-led optics educational outreach program called the "Lightwave Roadshow", we have observed, via engagements with young students and the public at school visits and fairs, that many youths (as well as parents) do have a basic appreciation that the internet is somehow based on light signals. However, few know how the two are related, much less how they work. To address this, our team of `ambassadors' in the Lightwave program has designed a self-contained lesson to introduce youths, aged 11 to 18 years, to fiber optics and optical fiber communications, drawing inspiration from various educational resources such as LASER ClassroomTM and the Exploratorium(R). The lesson is modularized into several parts, starting with using light to communicate Morse code, and then going into advanced concepts, such as total internal reflection and multiuser communications based on wavelength-division multiplexing. The latter can be treated as extensions whose inclusion can be tailored based on the youths' educational levels. A feature of this lesson is that it takes amore phenomenological than theoretical approach, and uses materials that are easily obtainable or craftable as well as interesting for youths, including colored gelatin, LED sources, and water as a waveguide. We outline a lesson and pedagogical method which contains hands-on experiments that can be carried out by educators in formal or informal classes, students learning independently, or

  11. Classroom

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Classroom. In this section of Resonance, we in'Vite readers to pose questions likely to be raised in a classroom situation. We may suggest strategies for dealing with them, or in'Vite responses, or ... "Classroom" is equally a forum for raising broader issues and .... Now we can approach the question from a different viewpoint.

  12. The Role of Content in Inquiry-Based Elementary Science Lessons: An Analysis of Teacher Beliefs and Enactment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furtak, Erin Marie; Alonzo, Alicia C.

    2010-05-01

    The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Video Study explored instructional practices in the United States (US) in comparison with other countries that ranked higher on the 1999 TIMSS assessment, and revealed that 8th grade science teachers in the US emphasize activities over content during lessons (Roth et al. 2006). This study applies the content framework from the TIMSS Video Study to a sample of 28 3rd grade teachers enacting an inquiry-based unit on floating and sinking, and seeks a deeper understanding of teachers’ practices through analysis of interviews with those teachers. Transcripts of observed lessons were coded according to the TIMSS framework for types of content, and transcripts of teacher interviews were coded to capture the ways in which teachers described their role in and purposes for teaching science, particularly with respect to the floating and sinking unit. Results indicate that teachers focused more on canonical, procedural and experimental knowledge during lessons than on real-world connections and the nature of science; however, none of the types of content received major emphasis in a majority of the classrooms in the sample. During interviews, teachers described their practice in ways that prioritized helping students to like science over specific content outcomes. The study suggests that elementary school teachers’ emphasis on doing and feeling during inquiry-based lessons may interfere with teaching of content.

  13. The effects of electrostatic particle filtration and supply-air filter condition in classrooms on the performance of schoolwork by children (RP-1257)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wargocki, Pawel; Wyon, David Peter; Jensen, Kasper Lynge

    2008-01-01

    the lower the outdoor air supply rate. There were no consistent effects of this reduction on the performance of schoolwork, on the children's perception of the classroom environment, on symptom intensiiy, or on air quality as perceived by the sensory panel. This suggests there are no short-term (acute...... the filters in use in other schools were not changed. The conditions were established for one week at a time in a blind crossover design with repeated measures on ten-to-twelve-year-old children. Pupils performed six exercises exemplifying different aspects of schoolwork as part of normal lessons...... and indicated their environmental perceptions and the intensity of any symptoms. A sensory panel of adults judged the air quality in the classrooms soon after the pupils left. Operating the electrostatic air cleaners considerably reduced the concentration of particles in the classrooms. The effect was greater...

  14. When Commas Meet Kryptonite: Classroom Lessons from the Comic Book Project. Language and Literacy Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitz, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This definitive book presents the newest research linking graphic narratives and literacy learning, as well as the tools teachers will need to make comic book projects a success in their classrooms. The Comic Book Project (www.comicbookproject.org) is an internationally celebrated initiative where children plan, write, design, and publish original…

  15. Real-world experiences of nuclear science in the classroom - What an individual can do

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, M.R.

    1991-01-01

    Experience is showing that the public has yet to learn about the natural world, radiation, risk analysis, and energy, as well as other issues. This has occurred during a time in which the quality of education has declined in the US. As a former college professor who is married to a schoolteacher, the author realized that the two observations are linked. A communications gap has developed between science and the schools. Scientists perceive that once scientific advancements have taken place, new curriculum materials for schools automatically adapt to include these advancements. Teachers' schedules are typically so filled during and after school that new curriculum material is slowed in being introduced in the classroom. Thus, the question becomes, how do we bridge the gulf between scientists and the classroom? Scientists can be helpful to teachers in many ways. This paper is a summary of some of the activities and lessons learned in strengthening teacher-scientist relationships

  16. The Knitting Lesson.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Pamela

    1987-01-01

    Based on Jean-Francois Millet's 1869 painting, "The Knitting Lesson," this lesson's goal is to introduce students in grades seven through nine to genre (everyday life) painting the nineteenth century. The lesson is also designed to show that some aspects of genre may be timeless. (BSR)

  17. An Assessment of Zimbabwe Secondary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Use of Smart Phones in the Classroom: A Case of Midlands Province, Zimbabwe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhliwayo Alice

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available While technology has been embraced by most of the people, use of smart phones in the classroom has been received with mixed feelings. Some say it enhances learning while others complain that it disturbs instruction. This research wanted to find out the stance of secondary school teachers on this issue in Zimbabwe. A sample of 50 randomly selected teachers from 10 randomly selected secondary schools in Gweru District, Midlands Province in Zimbabwe was used. Data from self-constructed questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS mainly on descriptive statistics and correlation. Findings showed that teachers possess smart phones which they use for researching and other instructional purposes with moderate expertise. Teachers consider smart phones as hand-held computers that can enhance learning for they have high engagement potential and they extend classroom walls allowing students to engage with the global village. A correlation computation showed that there is a significant relationship between perceived problems of smart phones and smart phones integration factors. However, respondents felt that smart phones can cause lower levels of attention during lessons and allows cheating and copying during exams. They also concurred that teachers’ technical skills lag behind those of digital native students. Thus, they foresaw instructional problems on the part of the teachers on the use of smart phones in the classroom and were against their use. They doubted if the use of smart phones can improve the pass rate and whether they wanted their students to bring cell phones and use them during lessons for they perceived problems in controlling students using them. They also doubted if schools in Zimbabwe would ever benefit if students are allowed to use their phones in class. The study concluded that teachers in Zimbabwe are not yet prepared to have students use smart phone in the classroom and recommended for further research on the potential benefits of using

  18. What Happens in the Arcade Shouldn't Stay in the Arcade: Lessons for Classroom Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitmore, Kathryn F.; Laurich, Lindsay

    2010-01-01

    What features of the physical environment in video game arcades lead kids to be so engaged? How can analysis of arcade space inform language arts teachers' decisions about designing classroom environments? This article presents an analysis of physical space in video game arcades and participants' positions therein to suggest how language arts…

  19. Classroom implementation of the practices learned in the Master of Chemistry Education program by the School District of Philadelphia's high school chemistry teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayaraman, Uma Devi

    This dissertation reports the results of an exploratory case study utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies intended to ascertain the extent and differences of implementation of research-based instructional practices, learned in an intensive 26-month professional development, in their urban classrooms. Both the extent and differences in the implementation of practices were investigated in relation to the lesson design and implementation, content, and classroom culture aspects of research-based practices. Additionally, this research includes the concerns of the teachers regarding the factors that helped or hindered the implementation of research-based practices in their classrooms. Six graduates of the Master of Chemistry Education Program who were teaching a chemistry course in a high school in the School District of Philadelphia at the time of the study (2006-8), were the case. The teachers completed a concerns questionnaire with closed and open-ended items, and rated their perceptions of the extent of implementation of the practices in their urban classrooms. Additionally, the teachers were observed and rated by the researcher using a reform-teaching observation protocol and were interviewed individually. Also, the teachers submitted their lesson plans for the days they were observed. Data from these sources were analyzed to arrive at the findings for this study. The research findings suggest that the group of teachers in the study implemented the research-based practices in their classrooms to a low extent when compared to the recommended practices inherent to the MCE Program. The extents of implementation of the practices differed widely among the teachers, from being absent to being implemented at a high level, with inconsistent levels of implementation from various data sources. Further, the teachers expressed the depth of knowledge (gained in the MCE Program), formal laboratory exercises and reports, administrative support, self

  20. The history of a lesson

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Mikkel Vedby

    2003-01-01

    and emphasises the need to study the history of lessons rather than the lessons of history. This approach shows that Munich is the end point of a constitutive history that begins in the failure of the Versailles treaty to create a durable European order following the First World War. The Munich lesson is thus......The article investigates the concept of lessons in IR. By means of a constructivist critique of the 'lessons literature', the article analyses one of the most important of IR lessons: that of Munich. Examining how the Munich lesson came about, the article shows the praxeological nature of lessons...... one element of the lesson of Versailles, which is a praxeology that defines how the West is to make peace, and against whom peace must be defended. The lesson of Versailles has been, at least in part, constitutive of the outbreak of the Cold War, and it continues to define the Western conception...

  1. Students' Perceptions of Teaching in Context-based and Traditional Chemistry Classrooms: Comparing content, learning activities, and interpersonal perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overman, Michelle; Vermunt, Jan D.; Meijer, Paulien C.; Bulte, Astrid M. W.; Brekelmans, Mieke

    2014-07-01

    Context-based curriculum reforms in chemistry education are thought to bring greater diversity to the ways in which chemistry teachers organize their teaching. First and foremost, students are expected to perceive this diversity. However, empirical research on how students perceive their teacher's teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms, and whether this teaching differs from traditional chemistry lessons, is scarce. This study aims to develop our understanding of what teaching looks like, according to students, in context-based chemistry classrooms compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. As such, it might also provide a better understanding of whether teachers implement and attain the intentions of curriculum developers. To study teacher behaviour we used three theoretical perspectives deemed to be important for student learning: a content perspective, a learning activities perspective, and an interpersonal perspective. Data were collected from 480 students in 24 secondary chemistry classes in the Netherlands. Our findings suggest that, according to the students, the changes in teaching in context-based chemistry classrooms imply a lessening of the emphasis on fundamental chemistry and the use of a teacher-centred approach, compared with traditional chemistry classrooms. However, teachers in context-based chemistry classrooms seem not to display more 'context-based' teaching behaviour, such as emphasizing the relation between chemistry, technology, and society and using a student-centred approach. Furthermore, students in context-based chemistry classrooms perceive their teachers as having less interpersonal control and showing less affiliation than teachers in traditional chemistry classrooms. Our findings should be interpreted in the context of former and daily experiences of both teachers and students. As only chemistry is reformed in the schools in which context-based chemistry is implemented, it is challenging for both students and teachers to

  2. TED-Ed lessons & TED-Ed clubs: Educational activities to amplify students' voices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villias, Georgios

    2017-04-01

    TED-Ed lessons and TED-Ed clubs are two powerful educational tools that can be used in today's school classrooms in order to create an educational environment that is engaging for the students and favors their active participation, created and fostered by TED-Ed. TED-Ed is TED's educational initiative, committed to create lessons worth sharing and amplify the voices and ideas of teachers and students around the world. TED-Ed animated lessons are fully organized lessons structured around an animated video that introduces new topics to learners in an exciting, thought-provoking way. These lessons have been created as a result of the cooperation between expert educators and animators and have been uploaded at the TED-Ed platform (http://ed.ted.com). On the other hand, TED-Ed Clubs are also an interesting way to offer students the chance, the voice and the opportunity to express their thoughts, engage actively on these matters and connect with each other, both at a local, as well as at an international level (http://ed.ted.com/clubs). By developing new TED-Ed lessons or by customizing appropriately existing animated TED-Ed lessons (translating, modifying the questions asked, introducing new discussion topics), I have created and implemented in my student-centered, didactic approach, a series of TED-ED animated lessons directly connected with the Greek national science syllabus that were used to spark students curiosity and initiate a further analytical discussion or introduce other relevant educational activities (http://gvillias.wixsite.com/education). Furthermore, at my school, we established Varvakeio TED-Ed Club, an environment that supports and empowers our students to research, develop and disseminate their own personal ideas that worth spreading. During the year, our members were inspired by watching TED talks presented by experts on their field on various different areas, including social, economical, environmental and technological-scientific issues. Our aim

  3. Lesson Learning at JPL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberhettinger, David

    2011-01-01

    A lessons learned system is a hallmark of a mature engineering organization A formal lessons learned process can help assure that valuable lessons get written and published, that they are well-written, and that the essential information is "infused" into institutional practice. Requires high-level institutional commitment, and everyone's participation in gathering, disseminating, and using the lessons

  4. Effects of reducing children's television and video game use on aggressive behavior: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, T N; Wilde, M L; Navracruz, L C; Haydel, K F; Varady, A

    2001-01-01

    The relationship between exposure to aggression in the media and children's aggressive behavior is well documented. However, few potential solutions have been evaluated. To assess the effects of reducing television, videotape, and video game use on aggressive behavior and perceptions of a mean and scary world. Randomized, controlled, school-based trial. Two sociodemographically and scholastically matched public elementary schools in San Jose, Calif. Third- and fourth-grade students (mean age, 8.9 years) and their parents or guardians. Children in one elementary school received an 18-lesson, 6-month classroom curriculum to reduce television, videotape, and video game use. In September (preintervention) and April (postintervention) of a single school year, children rated their peers' aggressive behavior and reported their perceptions of the world as a mean and scary place. A 60% random sample of children were observed for physical and verbal aggression on the playground. Parents were interviewed by telephone and reported aggressive and delinquent behaviors on the child behavior checklist. The primary outcome measure was peer ratings of aggressive behavior. Compared with controls, children in the intervention group had statistically significant decreases in peer ratings of aggression (adjusted mean difference, -2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -4.6 to -0.2; P =.03) and observed verbal aggression (adjusted mean difference, -0.10 act per minute per child; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.03; P =.01). Differences in observed physical aggression, parent reports of aggressive behavior, and perceptions of a mean and scary world were not statistically significant but favored the intervention group. An intervention to reduce television, videotape, and video game use decreases aggressive behavior in elementary schoolchildren. These findings support the causal influences of these media on aggression and the potential benefits of reducing children's media use.

  5. Encouraging Classroom Discussion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Joseph McKee

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Classroom discussion has the potential to enhance the learning environment and encourages students to become active participants in the educational process. Student participation in classroom discussion has been shown to significantly improve the student learning experience. Research suggests that classroom discussion is an effective method for encouraging student classroom participation and for motivating student learning beyond the classroom. Participation in classroom discussion encourages students to become active collaborators in the learning process, while at the same time providing instructors with a practical method of assessing student learning. Classroom discussion is an effective tool for developing higher-level cognitive skills like critical thinking. Despite the potential discussion holds for student learning, many in academia lament the lack of participation in the classroom. The lack of student participation in classroom discussion is not a recent problem; it is one that has frustrated instructors for decades. Instructors report that some of the more current methods for encouraging classroom discussion can be exasperating and at times non-productive. This two-year study of 510 college and university students provides insight into the reasons why some students do not participate in classroom discussion. This study, which also elicited input from sixteen college and university professors and two high school teachers, offers some suggestions for creating and encouraging an environment conducive to student participation in the classroom.

  6. Visualizing the inner product space ℝm×n in a MATLAB-assisted linear algebra classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caglayan, Günhan

    2018-05-01

    This linear algebra note offers teaching and learning ideas in the treatment of the inner product space ? in a technology-supported learning environment. Classroom activities proposed in this note demonstrate creative ways of integrating MATLAB technology into various properties of Frobenius inner product as visualization tools that complement the algebraic approach. As implemented in linear algebra lessons in a university in the Unites States, the article also incorporates algebraic and visual work of students who experienced these activities with MATLAB software. The connection between the Frobenius norm and the Euclidean norm is also emphasized.

  7. Embedding Sustainability Instruction across Content Areas: best Classroom Practices from Informal Environmental Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clary, R. M.; Walker, R. M.; Wissehr, C.

    2017-12-01

    Environmental education (EE) facilitates students' scientific and environmental literacy, and addresses content areas including sustainability, ecology, and civic responsibility. However, U.S. science content compartmentalization and EE's interdisciplinary nature historically made it a fragmented curriculum within U.S. schools. To gain a better understanding of effective EE instruction that can be transferred to traditional K-12 classrooms, we researched the interactions between a recognized environmental residential camp and students and teachers from six participating schools using grounded theory methodology. Our research identified the residential learning center's objectives, methods of instruction, and objectives' alignment to the delivered curricula. Data generated included lesson plans, survey responses, and interviews. Students (n = 215) identified wilderness and geology activities as the activities they wanted to experience more; they also identified developing curiosity and a sense of discovery as the most meaningful. Whereas most student-identified meaningful experiences aligned with the center's curricular objectives within the optional units, categories emerged that were not explicitly targeted in the unit activities but were embedded throughout the curriculum in sustainable practices, data collection, and reflections. We propose that embedded activities and implicit instruction can be included across content areas within K-12 classrooms. Teacher modeling and implicit instruction will require minimal classroom time, and facilitate students' scientific and environmental literacy in topics such as sustainability and citizen responsibility.

  8. Progression in Complexity: Contextualizing Sustainable Marine Resources Management in a 10th Grade Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bravo-Torija, Beatriz; Jiménez-Aleixandre, María-Pilar

    2012-01-01

    Sustainable management of marine resources raises great challenges. Working with this socio-scientific issue in the classroom requires students to apply complex models about energy flow and trophic pyramids in order to understand that food chains represent transfer of energy, to construct meanings for sustainable resources management through discourse, and to connect them to actions and decisions in a real-life context. In this paper we examine the process of elaboration of plans for resources management in a marine ecosystem by 10th grade students (15-16 year) in the context of solving an authentic task. A complete class ( N = 14) worked in a sequence about ecosystems. Working in small groups, the students made models of energy flow and trophic pyramids, and used them to solve the problem of feeding a small community for a long time. Data collection included videotaping and audiotaping of all of the sessions, and collecting the students' written productions. The research objective is to examine the process of designing a plan for sustainable resources management in terms of the discursive moves of the students across stages in contextualizing practices, or different degrees of complexity (Jiménez-Aleixandre & Reigosa International Journal of Science Education, 14(1): 51-61 2006), understood as transformations from theoretical statements to decisions about the plan. The analysis of students' discursive moves shows how the groups progressed through stages of connecting different models, between them and with the context, in order to solve the task. The challenges related to taking this sustainability issue to the classroom are discussed.

  9. Examining the content of weight, nutrition and physical activity advices provided by Dutch practice nurses in primary care: analysis of videotaped consultations.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dillen, S.M.E. van; Noordman, J.; Dulmen, S. van; Hiddink, G.J.

    2014-01-01

    Background/Objective: To examine the content of Dutch practice nurses’ (PNs’) advices about weight, nutrition and physical activity to overweight and obese patients. Subjects/Methods: A 100 videotaped real-life PN consultations (The Netherlands, 2010/2011) with overweight or obese patients were

  10. Towards criterion validity in classroom language analysis: methodological constraints of metadiscourse and inter-rater agreement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas Altamiro Consolo

    2001-02-01

    Full Text Available

    This paper reports on a process to validate a revised version of a system for coding classroom discourse in foreign language lessons, a context in which the dual role of language (as content and means of communication and the speakers' specific pedagogical aims lead to a certain degree of ambiguity in language analysis. The language used by teachers and students has been extensively studied, and a framework of concepts concerning classroom discourse well-established. Models for coding classroom language need, however, to be revised when they are applied to specific research contexts. The application and revision of an initial framework can lead to the development of earlier models, and to the re-definition of previously established categories of analysis that have to be validated. The procedures followed to validate a coding system are related here as guidelines for conducting research under similar circumstances. The advantages of using instruments that incorporate two types of data, that is, quantitative measures and qualitative information from raters' metadiscourse, are discussed, and it is suggested that such procedure can contribute to the process of validation itself, towards attaining reliability of research results, as well as indicate some constraints of the adopted research methodology.

  11. Practice Teaching in Multicultural Contexts: Lessons to Training in Intercultural Teaching Skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Escalante Rivera

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of a research project entitled Teaching Exercises in Multicultural Contexts: Lessons to Training in Intercultural Teaching Skills, which was conducted during 2011-2012 by the Department of Teaching Research and Studies from the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education (Escalante, Fernández and Gaete, 2012, in order to explore cultural diversity in classrooms and educational institutions in Costa Rica. This multicultural phenomenon has forced authorities to pay special attention to the educational services provided, particularly in elementary. In addition, it has sparked a discussion regarding the teachers’ conceptual and pedagogical void and a gap in their teaching skills to deal with student populations of different origins. Similarly, it leads to a reflection about the basic national educational curriculum. The research was conducted in 12 elementary schools from different educational districts, which have a high cultural diversity among students. Using qualitative research techniques, the opinions of principals, teachers and students regarding this topic are explored. The most important conclusion reached in this study is the absence of an intercultural pedagogy in the country’s classrooms and the need to prepare teachers in this respect.

  12. Using case studies and videotaped vignettes to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills in new graduate nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooper, Barbara L

    2014-01-01

    Critical thinking skills are an essential component of nursing and crucial to nursing practice. Case studies with videotaped vignettes were used to help facilitate the development of critical thinking skills in new graduate nurses. Results revealed a statistically significant increase (p = .041) on the overall Health Sciences Reasoning Test score. It is essential for educators to be aware of educational strategies that can affect the development of critical thinking skills.

  13. Bringing Antarctic Weddell seals to the classroom through PolarTREC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eilers, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is an NSF funded professional development opportunity in which K-12 teachers and informal educators participated in hands-on field research experiences in the Polar Regions. The program goal is to invigorate polar science education and understanding by bringing together educators and polar researchers. This unique opportunity for educators has two main components: a 4-6 week field experience and a classroom/community connection piece. In preparation for these experiences, museum educator Alex Eilers and science team lead Dr. Jennifer Burns planned, developed and executed extensive outreach efforts for both students and the community to highlight the Weddell seal research project during the 2012, 2014 and 2016 seasons. The following outreach activities summarize the team's most successful attempts at engaging schoolchildren, teachers and the public, creating a broader impact of the Weddell seal scientific project. On-line Daily journal entries were uploaded to the PolarTREC website encouraging an active interaction between the science team and participants. A Polar Connect event offered participants a real-time, interactive internet presentation with the team. Schools A multitude of on-site presentations were made in classrooms, at teacher workshops and faculty meetings. Two 45 minute labs were developed for students visiting the museum, Animals of the Antarctic and Journey to the Poles, the latter is now included in our ongoing program repertoire. Two travelling kits, Extreme Cold Weather Gear and The Weddell Seal, were developed by museum staff and continue to circulate through schools. A multi-lesson educational module was developed by museum staff to bridge the gap between the scientific research conducted in the field and students in grades 3-8. It contains curriculum-based lessons, field data and strategic methods to assist students in analyzing the data. Community Community-wide interest

  14. Different Regions, Diverse Classrooms? a Study of Primary Classrooms in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNaught, Carmel; Lok, Beatrice; Yin, Hongbiao; Lee, John Chi-Kin; Song, Huan

    2014-01-01

    Classroom experience is shaped by a number of factors. In this paper, we report a classroom observation study in China, illustrating regional variation in students' classroom learning experiences. Through comparing and contrasting observed classroom practices in three different regions in China (Chongqing, Hong Kong and Shanghai), the paper…

  15. Classroom Management. TESOL Classroom Practice Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, Thomas S. C., Ed.

    2008-01-01

    This series captures the dynamics of the contemporary ESOL classroom. It showcases state-of-the-art curricula, materials, tasks, and activities reflecting emerging trends in language education and seeks to build localized language teaching and learning theories based on teachers' and students' unique experiences in and beyond the classroom. Each…

  16. Sustaining inquiry-based teaching methods in the middle school science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Amy Fowler

    This dissertation used a combination of case study and phenomenological research methods to investigate how individual teachers of middle school science in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program sustain their use of inquiry-based methods of teaching and learning. While the overall context for the cases was the AMSTI program, each of the four teacher participants in this study had a unique, individual context as well. The researcher collected data through a series of interviews, multiple-day observations, and curricular materials. The interview data was analyzed to develop a textural, structural, and composite description of the phenomenon. The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) was used along with the Assesing Inquiry Potential (AIP) questionnaire to determine the level of inquiry-based instruction occuring in the participants classrooms. Analysis of the RTOP data and AIP data indicated all of the participants utilized inquiry-based methods in their classrooms during their observed lessons. The AIP data also indicated the level of inquiry in the AMSTI curricular materials utilized by the participants during the observations was structured inquiry. The findings from the interview data suggested the ability of the participants to sustain their use of structured inquiry was influenced by their experiences with, beliefs about, and understandings of inquiry. This study contributed to the literature by supporting existing studies regarding the influence of teachers' experiences, beliefs, and understandings of inquiry on their classroom practices. The inquiry approach stressed in current reforms in science education targets content knowledge, skills, and processes needed in a future scientifically literate citizenry.

  17. Mathematics Teaching as Problem Solving: A Framework for Studying Teacher Metacognition Underlying Instructional Practice in Mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artzt, Alice F.; Armour-Thomas, Eleanor

    1998-01-01

    Uses a "teaching as problem solving" perspective to examine the components of metacognition underlying the instructional practice of seven experienced and seven beginning secondary-school mathematics teachers. Data analysis of observations, lesson plans, videotapes, and audiotapes of structured interviews suggests that the metacognition of…

  18. LIVE AUTHORITY IN THE CLASSROOM IN VIDEO CONFERENCE-BASED SYNCHRONOUS DISTANCE EDUCATION: The Teaching Assistant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasan KARAL

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to define the role of the assistant in a classroom environment where students are taught using video conference-based synchronous distance education. Qualitative research approach was adopted and, among purposeful sampling methods, criterion sampling method was preferred in the scope of the study. The study was carried out during the spring semester of the 2008-2009 academic years. A teaching assistant and a total of 9 sophomore or senior students from the Department of City and Regional Development, Faculty of Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, participated as subjects. The students included in the study sampling were taking lessons from the Middle East Technical University on the basis of synchronous distance education. Among the qualitative research methods, case study method was used and the study data were obtained from the semi-structured interview and observation results. Study data were analyzed with descriptive analysis methods. Data obtained at the end of the study were found to support the suggestion that there should be an authority in the video conference-based synchronous distance education. Findings obtained during the interviews made with the students revealed that some of the teacher’s classroom management related responsibilities are transferred to the assistant present in the classroom during the synchronous distance education. It was concluded at the end of the interviews that a teaching assistant’s presence should be obligatory in the undergraduate synchronous distance classroom environment. However, it was also concluded that there may not be any need for an authority in the classroom environment at the postgraduate education level due to the profile and expectations of the student, which differ from those of students at lower educational levels.

  19. The attitudinal and cognitive effects of interdisciplinary collaboration on elementary pre-service teachers development of biological science related lesson plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Jada Jamerson

    There is a need for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to be taught effectively in elementary schools. In order to achieve this, teacher preparation programs should graduate confident, content strong teachers to convey knowledge to elementary students. This study used interdisciplinary collaboration between the School of Education and the College of Liberal Arts through a Learning-by-Teaching method (LdL): Lernen durch Lernen in German. Pre-service teacher (PST) achievement levels of understanding science concepts based on pretest and posttest data, quality of lesson plans developed, and enjoyment of the class based on the collaboration with science students. The PSTs enrolled in two treatment sections of EDEL 404: Science in the Elementary Classroom collaborated with science students enrolled in BISC 327: Introductory Neuroscience to enhance their science skills and create case-based lesson plans on neurothology topics: echolocation, electrosensory reception, steroid hormones, and vocal learning. The PSTs enrolled in the single control section of EDEL 404 collaborated with fellow elementary education majors to develop lesson plans also based on the same selected topics. Qualitative interviews of education faculty, science faculty, and PSTs provided depth to the quantitative findings. Upon lesson plan completion, in-service teachers also graded the two best and two worst plans for the treatment and control sections and a science reviewer graded the plans for scientific accuracy. Statistical analyses were conducted for hypotheses, and one significant hypothesis found that PSTs who collaborated with science students had more positive science lesson plan writing attitudes than those who did not. Despite overall insignificant statistical analyses, all PSTs responded as more confident after collaboration. Additionally, interviews provided meaning and understanding to the insignificant statistical results as well as scientific accuracy of

  20. Positioning masculinities and femininities in preschool EFLl1 education

    OpenAIRE

    CASTAÑEDA-PEÑA, HAROLD

    2008-01-01

    Positioning Masculinities and Femininities in Preschool EFL Education seeks to describe and interpret how masculinities and femininities are communicated in the preschool EFL classroom and is aimed at discussing whether those masculinities and femininities are likely to have an impact on the preschoolers' learning of English as a foreign language. Preschoolers' classroom interactions taking place in a Colombian kindergarten, videotaped from 2004 to 2006, are analysed via ideas of 'positioning...

  1. Positioning masculinities and femininities in preschool EFL education

    OpenAIRE

    Castañeda - Peña, Harold; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

    2008-01-01

    Positioning Masculinities and Femininities in Preschool EFL Education seeks to describe and interpret how masculinities and femininities are communicated in the preschool EFL classroom and is aimed at discussing whether those masculinities and femininities are likely to have an impact on the preschoolers’ learning of English as a foreign language. Preschoolers’ classroom interactions taking place in a Colombian kindergarten, videotaped from 2004 to 2006, are analysed via ideas of ‘positioning...

  2. Manifestations of Differential Cultural Capital in a University Classroom: Views from Classroom Observations and Focus Group Discussions in a South African University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edmore Mutekwe

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Based predominantly on Pierre Bourdieu’s social and cultural reproduction theory, particularly his notions of cultural capital and symbolic violence, this paper explores how first year post graduate Diploma in Higher Education (PGDHE university students from diverse socio-linguistic backgrounds differ in the levels at which they understand and express themselves in classroom activities. The paper’s thesis is that the diverse nature of South African classrooms presents a number of challenges not only for students but also for educators in terms of the use of English as a medium of instruction or the language for learning and teaching (LOLT. Owing to the fact that the South African Language in Education Policy (LiEP of 1997 empowers both learners and educators in schools to use any of the eleven South African official languages as a LOLT wherever that is reasonably possible, students whose English backgrounds were deficient in enculturating them in the use of English as a learning tool often encounter challenges in expressing their ideas in the classroom, whether in writing or in oral presentations. The discussion is anchored in the data elicited through two data collection methods, lesson observations in a Diploma in Higher Education, Research class composed of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and through focus group discussion sessions with 40 multi-ethnic Diploma in Higher Education students from the same classroom. The data management and analysis for this study was done thematically, with views emerging from the observations and focus group discussions being clustered into superordinate themes for convenience of the discussion of the findings. The findings of this study were that students from affluent socio-economic backgrounds who enter university with a rich and relevant English linguistic capital, values and attitudes enjoy an enormous advantage compared to their counterparts whose social class and linguistic

  3. The influence of classroom aggression and classroom climate on aggressive-disruptive behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Duane E; Bierman, Karen L; Powers, C J

    2011-01-01

    Research suggests that early classroom experiences influence the socialization of aggression. Tracking changes in the aggressive behavior of 4,179 children from kindergarten to second-grade (ages 5-8), this study examined the impact of 2 important features of the classroom context--aggregate peer aggression and climates characterized by supportive teacher-student interactions. The aggregate aggression scores of children assigned to first-grade classrooms predicted the level of classroom aggression (assessed by teacher ratings) and quality of classroom climate (assessed by observers) that emerged by the end of Grade 1. Hierarchical linear model analyses revealed that first-grade classroom aggression and quality of classroom climate made independent contributions to changes in student aggression, as students moved from kindergarten to second grade. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  4. Math Is More than Numbers: Beginning Bilingual Teachers' Mathematics Teaching Practices and Their Opportunities to Learn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Cathery

    2017-01-01

    In this article, the author provides results from a 3-year, longitudinal study that examined two novice bilingual teachers' mathematics teaching practices and their professional opportunities to learn to teach. Primary data sources included videotaped mathematics lessons, teacher interviews, and field notes of their teacher preparation methods…

  5. Bridging the Gap from Classroom-based Learning to Experiential Professional Learning: A Hong Kong Case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bertha Du-Babcock

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes and evaluates a funded longitudinal teaching development project that aims to bridge the gap from classroom-based theory learning to experiential professional learning, and thereby prepare ideal and competent world class graduates. To align with the University's shared mission to foster links with the business community, the design of the internship program has a threefold purpose and was implemented in stages. It intends to enhance students' professional awareness-knowledge-skills through a multi-leveled approach integrating classroom learning with professional practice. A debriefing mechanism was also built in enabling students to share their learning and professional challenges, and theory application to problem-solving scenarios. A 360 degree multiple evaluation procedure were used to measure the project effectiveness, including the use of industry consultants, student interns, hosts, and academic supervisors.   The project has proved to promote closer ties with the business community and enhance students' professional competencies to increase future success in the competitive job market. The impact of the internship program is significant in two aspects.  From the perspective of student learning, the internship allows students to understand how they can improve business efficiency by applying communications theories.  From the teaching perspective, the successful and unsuccessful intern experiences can be drawn upon in developing class-room teaching. These lessons can focus on preparing students to solve real-world business communication problems.

  6. Does a Teacher's Classroom Observation Rating Vary across Multiple Classrooms?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Xiaoxuan; Li, Hongli; Leroux, Audrey J.

    2018-01-01

    Classroom observations have been increasingly used for teacher evaluations, and it is important to examine the measurement quality and the use of observation ratings. When a teacher is observed in multiple classrooms, his or her observation ratings may vary across classrooms. In that case, using ratings from one classroom per teacher may not be…

  7. The Failure of Progressive Classroom Reform: Lessons from the Curriculum Reform Implementation Project in Papua New Guinea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, Gerard

    2012-01-01

    Progressive education has been an article of educational faith in Papua New Guinea during the last 50 years but the best available evidence indicates that major reforms to formalistic curriculum and teaching in primary and secondary classrooms have failed during this period despite large-scale professional, administrative and financial support. In…

  8. Fiche pratique: La vie en rose; Scenes de menage; Comptines en memoire; Premier emploi (Practical Ideas: Life through Rose-Colored Glasses; Home Life; Singsongs from the Past; First Job).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenoble, Martine; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Four ideas for French language classroom activities include creation of a parody horoscope, reenactment of household scenes from a comic strip, an exercise in memorizing grammatical rules through children's chants, and analysis of a videotape's content, aural, and visual components. (MSE)

  9. The Effectiveness of Collaborative Writing Strategy (CWS in Writing Lesson Regarded to The Students’ Creativity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kiky Soraya

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This study is aimed at finding out what appropriate methods to be usedin writing lesson seen from the students’ creativity especially for studentswho have high creativityand low creativity. This study used quasi experimental research. The population of the research was the eighth grade of a Junior High School in Wonosari in the academic year of 2013/2014. The sampling technique used was cluster random sampling. The sample in this study was 64 students covering 32 students of E as experimental class and 32 students of C as control class. The data or the students’ writing scores were analyzed in terms of their frequency distribution, normality, homogeneity, then ANOVA and Tuckey tests to test the research hypotheses. Based on the result, the research findings are: CWS is more effective than MWS in writing lesson; the high creativity students produced better writing rather than the low creativity student; and the interaction of teaching methods and the students’ creativity is existing in this writing lesson. In short, Collaborative Writing Strategy (CWS is effective to teach writing for the eighth grade of a Junior High School in Wonosari, Gunungkidul. Then, the research result implies that it is better for the teachers to apply CWS in teaching and learning process of writing, to improve the students’ writing achievement, CWS needs to be used in the classroom activities, then future research can conduct the similar research with different sample and different students’ condition.

  10. A Lesson about the Circular Flow. Active Learning Lessons. Economics International.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landfried, Janet

    This lesson plan was developed through "Economics International," an international program to help build economic education infrastructures in the emerging market economies. It provides a lesson description; appropriate grade level; economic concepts; content standards and benchmarks; related subjects; instructional objectives; time…

  11. Science Teachers Taking their First Steps toward Teaching Socioscientific Issues through Collaborative Action Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyunju; Yang, Jung-eun

    2017-06-01

    This study presents two science teachers, Catherine and Jennifer, who took their first steps toward teaching socioscientific issues through collaborative action research. The teachers participated in the collaborative action research project because they wanted to address socioscientific issues but had limited experience in teaching them. The research questions included what kinds of challenges the teachers encountered when implementing socioscientific issues and to what extent they resolved the challenging issues as participating in collaborative action research. The primary data source consisted of audiotapes of regular group meetings containing information on the process of constructing and implementing lesson plans and reflecting on their teaching of socioscientific issues. We also collected classroom videotapes of the teachers' instruction and audiotapes of students' small group discussions and their worksheets. The findings indicated that when addressing socioscientific issues in the classes, the teachers encountered several challenging issues. We categorized them into four: (1) restructuring classroom dynamics and culture, (2) scaffolding students' engagement in socioscientific issues, (3) dealing with values, and (4) finding their niche in schools. However, this study showed that collaborative action research could be a framework for helping the teachers to overcome such challenges and have successful experiences of teaching socioscientific issues. These experiences became good motivation, to gradually develop their understanding of teaching socioscientific issues and instructional strategies for integrating the knowledge and skills that they had accumulated over the years.

  12. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words. 7th Grade Lesson. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, David R.

    This seventh-grade lesson plan asks students (working in teams) to create a multimedia advertising campaign on a current controversial issue. The lesson plan states that team members are not to apply any dialogue (either written or verbal) to any part of their presentation so that they may emulate the non-verbal, image only process that Martin…

  13. Office 2013 digital classroom

    CERN Document Server

    Holland, Walter

    2013-01-01

    This complete training package makes learning the new Office 2013 even easier! Featuring both a video training DVD and a full-color book, this training package is like having your own personal instructor guiding you through each lesson of learning Office 2013, all while you work at your own pace. The self-paced lessons allow you to discover the new features and capabilities of the new Office suite. Each lesson includes step-by-step instructions and lesson files, and provides valuable video tutorials that complement what you're learning and clearly demonstrate how to do tasks. This essential

  14. The Teach for America RockCorps, Year 2: Using Authentic Research Experiences in Geophysics for STEM Teachers to Inspire Earth Science-Themed Lessons in High School Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, B.; Kassimu, R.; Borjas, C. N.; Griffith, W. A.

    2016-12-01

    Brooke Parsons1, Rahmatu Kassimu2, Christopher Borjas3, and W. Ashley Griffith31Uplift Hampton Preparatory High School, Dallas, TX, 75232 2H. Grady Spruce High School, Dallas, TX, 75217 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019 As Earth Science courses appear in fewer high school curricula, we seek to find creative ways to integrate Earth Science themes as contextual examples into other K-12 STEM courses in order to develop (A) Earth Science literacy, and (B) a pipeline of young talent into our field. This presentation details the efforts of the 2nd year Teach for America (TFA) Rock Corps, a five year NSF-sponsored partnership between TFA and the University of Texas at Arlington designed to provide STEM teachers with genuine research opportunities using components that can be extrapolated to develop dynamic Geophysics-themed lesson plans and materials for their classrooms. Two teachers were selected from the Dallas-Fort Worth region of TFA to participate in original research modeling off-fault damage that occurs during earthquakes in a lab setting using a Split-Hopkinson-Pressure Bar (SHPB). In particular, we simulate a coseismic transient stress perturbation in a fault damage zone by combining traditional SHPB with a traveling harmonic oscillator: Two striker bars attached by an elastic spring are launched with a gas gun allowing us to create the double stress pulse expected during an earthquake rupture. This research affords teachers inspiration to implement Geophysics-themed lesson plans for their courses, Physics/Pre-AP Physics and Chemistry. The physics course will adopt principles of seismic wave propagation to teach concepts of impulse, momentum, conservation of energy, harmonic motion, wave velocity, wave propagation, and real world applications of waves. The chemistry course will implement geochemistry themed techniques into applying the scientific method, density, isotopic composition, p

  15. Structure, Behavior, Function as a Framework For Teaching and Learning about Complexity In Ecosystems: Lessons from Middle School Classrooms (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hmelo-Silver, C.; Gray, S.; Jordan, R.

    2010-12-01

    the levels of ecosystems. A big part of this is making phenomena accessible to their experience. We accomplished through the use of physical models and computers simulations at different scale. In an effort to promote a coherent understanding in our learners, we sought to develop tools that can provide dynamic feedback that will enable them to modify, enrich, and repair their mental models as needed (e.g., Roschelle, 1996). Additionally, we also wanted to develop a conceptual representation that can be used across multiple ecosystems to prepare students to learn about new systems in the future (Bransford & Schwartz, 1999). Our approach to this has been to use the structure-behavior-function (SBF) conceptual representation (Liu & Hmelo-Silver, 2009; Vattam et al., in press). Often, learning life science is about learning the names of structures. One of our design principles is to ensure instruction emphasizes the behaviors (or mechanisms) of systems as well as the functions (the system outputs) in addition to the structures. We have used simulations to help make behaviors and functions visible and a modeling tool that supports students in thinking about the SBF conceptual representation. In this presentation, we will report on the results of classroom interventions and the lessons learned.

  16. Constellation Program Lessons Learned. Volume 2; Detailed Lessons Learned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhatigan, Jennifer; Neubek, Deborah J.; Thomas, L. Dale

    2011-01-01

    These lessons learned are part of a suite of hardware, software, test results, designs, knowledge base, and documentation that comprises the legacy of the Constellation Program. The context, summary information, and lessons learned are presented in a factual format, as known and described at the time. While our opinions might be discernable in the context, we have avoided all but factually sustainable statements. Statements should not be viewed as being either positive or negative; their value lies in what we did and what we learned that is worthy of passing on. The lessons include both "dos" and "don ts." In many cases, one person s "do" can be viewed as another person s "don t"; therefore, we have attempted to capture both perspectives when applicable and useful. While Volume I summarizes the views of those who managed the program, this Volume II encompasses the views at the working level, describing how the program challenges manifested in day-to-day activities. Here we see themes that were perhaps hinted at, but not completely addressed, in Volume I: unintended consequences of policies that worked well at higher levels but lacked proper implementation at the working level; long-term effects of the "generation gap" in human space flight development, the need to demonstrate early successes at the expense of thorough planning, and the consequences of problems and challenges not yet addressed because other problems and challenges were more immediate or manifest. Not all lessons learned have the benefit of being operationally vetted, since the program was cancelled shortly after Preliminary Design Review. We avoid making statements about operational consequences (with the exception of testing and test flights that did occur), but we do attempt to provide insight into how operational thinking influenced design and testing. The lessons have been formatted with a description, along with supporting information, a succinct statement of the lesson learned, and

  17. A well-started beginning elementary teacher's beliefs and practices in relation to reform recommendations about inquiry-based science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avraamidou, Lucy

    2017-06-01

    Given reform recommendations emphasizing scientific inquiry and empirical evidence pointing to the difficulties beginning teachers face in enacting inquiry-based science, this study explores a well-started beginning elementary teacher's (Sofia) beliefs about inquiry-based science and related instructional practices. In order to explore Sofia's beliefs and instructional practices, several kinds of data were collected in a period of 9 months: a self-portrait and an accompanying narrative, a personal philosophy assignment, three interviews, three journal entries, ten lesson plans, and ten videotaped classroom observations. The analysis of these data showed that Sofia's beliefs and instructional practices were reform-minded. She articulated contemporary beliefs about scientific inquiry and how children learn science and was able to translate these beliefs into practice. Central to Sofia's beliefs about science teaching were scientific inquiry and engaging students in investigations with authentic data, with a prevalent emphasis on the role of evidence in the construction of scientific claims. These findings are important to research aiming at supporting teachers, especially beginning ones, to embrace reform recommendations.

  18. Flow observation by rod lens and low-light video (videotape script: January 4, 1977)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lord, D.E.; Carter, G.W.; Petrini, R.R.

    1977-01-01

    The script of a demonstration videotape made to show the possibilities of coupling rod lenses to low-light video systems to observe internal flow conditions is presented. The illustrations accompanying the text were photographed directly from the video screen. Some up-dated comments appear as footnotes to the original script and a description of the multiscan low-light television system developed to measure velocity is included in the epilogue. The combination of rod lens and low-light video system makes it possible to observe dynamic events in hitherto inaccessible volumes. The pressure and temperature capabilities of the rod lens make it applicable to many engineering uses. This system, in conjunction with electronic image enhancement systems, provides a new dimension in engineering analysis

  19. Lesson Planning the Kodaly Way.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boshkoff, Ruth

    1991-01-01

    Discusses the contribution of Zoltan Kodaly to music lesson planning. Emphasizes preparation, presentation, and practice as the three important strategies in teaching concepts and skills to be included in a lesson plan. Includes a sample lesson plan covering a semester and advice on choosing song material. (DK)

  20. The Death Penalty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crockett, Mark

    1990-01-01

    Provides a lesson plan on the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the imposition of the death penalty. Focuses on the controversy concerning capital punishment and stimulates critical thinking in an analysis and discussion of eight hypothetical situations. Includes suggestions for readings, videotapes, and writing assignments. (NL)

  1. Text-Based Argumentation with Multiple Sources: A Descriptive Study of Opportunity to Learn in Secondary English Language Arts, History, and Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litman, Cindy; Marple, Stacy; Greenleaf, Cynthia; Charney-Sirott, Irisa; Bolz, Michael J.; Richardson, Lisa K.; Hall, Allison H.; George, MariAnne; Goldman, Susan R.

    2017-01-01

    This study presents a descriptive analysis of 71 videotaped lessons taught by 34 highly regarded secondary English language arts, history, and science teachers, collected to inform an intervention focused on evidence-based argumentation from multiple text sources. Studying the practices of highly regarded teachers is valuable for identifying…

  2. The Relationship of Practice, Attitude, and Perception of Competence in Middle School Physical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scrabis-Fletcher, Kristin; Rasmussen, Jennifer; Silverman, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Grounded in social cognitive theory this study examined attitude and perception of competence and their relationship with skill practice in middle school physical education. Method: Participants (N = 81) were randomly selected from nine teachers' classes. Two lessons were videotaped and students completed a middle school perception of…

  3. Assertive classroom management strategies and students’ performance: The case of EFL classroom

    OpenAIRE

    Mohammad Aliakbari; Bafrin Bozorgmanesh

    2015-01-01

    Ample research findings support the effective role that classroom management strategies play in enhancing students’ learning. Drawing upon Iranian high school teachers’ classroom management strategies, this article is intended to examine the extent to which these teachers follow assertive classroom management strategies and if these strategies affect students’ performance. Conducting a survey including 123 female students, it was found out that Iranian teachers apply classroom management stra...

  4. Better Classroom Relationships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kecskemeti, Maria; Winslade, John

    2016-01-01

    The usual approaches to classroom relationships are either teacher-centred or student-centred. This book breaks new ground in its exploration of relationship-centred classrooms. In relationship-centred classrooms, the teacher and the student are equally important. That shifts the focus to the quality of their interaction and whether it is…

  5. The development of pedagogical content knowledge in science teachers: New opportunities through technology-mediated reflection and peer-exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madeira, M. Cheryl-Ann

    how PCK develops as a result of teachers' engagement in the complex set of activities that constitute the practices of lesson planning and enactment. The primary implication of this study is that engaging teachers in scaffolded reflections and peer exchange can be a valuable in-service professional development activity. A methodological strength is derived from an approach to coding teachers' lesson planning and enactment according to an activity systems perspective, drawing on a spectrum of data sources (e.g., wiki-based reflections, planning artefacts, videotaped classroom enactments). Teacher learning---particularly the development of PCK---is recognized as critical in promoting student understanding of science concepts. This dissertation lays out a possible foundation for professional development models that promote effective teacher learning.

  6. Observing Classroom Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danielson, Charlotte

    2012-01-01

    Classroom observation is a crucial aspect of any system of teacher evaluation. No matter how skilled a teacher is in other aspects of teaching--such as careful planning, working well with colleagues, and communicating with parents--if classroom practice is deficient, that individual cannot be considered a good teacher. Classroom observations can…

  7. Academic language use in science education in Kindergarten

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Menninga, Astrid; van Dijk, Marijn; Wetzels, Anna; Steenbeek, Henderien; van Geert, Paul

    2015-01-01

    This study aims at gaining insight into the academic language use of teachers and their pupils in science education in Kindergarten. Using videotaped classroom observations of a video feedback coaching intervention study (Author Citation, 2012), teachers’ (intervention n = 5, controls n = 5) and

  8. With Interest It Comes To...Unconscionable Clauses in Sales Contracts. A Student's Lesson Plan [and] A Teacher's Lesson Plan [and] A Lawyer's Lesson Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Estelle; And Others

    One of a series of secondary level teaching units presenting case studies with pro and con analysis of particular legal problems, the document presents a student's lesson plan, a teacher's lesson plan, and a lawyer's lesson plan on unconscionable clauses in sales contracts. The unit acquaints students with the operation of sales contracts and…

  9. The Growth of Democratic Tradition: The Age of Enlightenment. Tenth Grade Lesson. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Marie A.

    This lesson plan begins with an overview of the age of enlightenment and those ideas that influenced the founders of the United States. The lesson plan provides information sheets about five enlightenment thinkers: John Locke (1632-1704), Mary Wolstonecraft (1759-1898), Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755), Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1788), and John…

  10. Lessons learned related to packaging and transportation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallen, C.

    1995-01-01

    The use of lessons learned as a tool for learning from past experiences is well established, especially by many organizations within the nuclear industry. Every person has, at some time, used the principles of lessons learned to adopt good work practices based on their own experiences or the experiences of others. Lessons learned can also help to avoid the recurrence of adverse practices, which is often an area that most lessons-learned programs tend to focus on. This paper will discuss how lessons learned relate to packaging and transportation issues and events experienced at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. It will also discuss the role performed by the Office of Nuclear and Facility Safety's Office of Operating Experience Analysis and Feedback in disseminating lessons learned and operating experience feedback to the DOE complex. The central concept of lessons learned is that any organization should be able to learn from its own experiences and events. In addition, organizations should implement methodologies to scan external environments for lessons learned, to analyze and determine the relevance of lessons learned, and to bring about the necessary changes learned from these experiences. With increased concerns toward facility safety, the importance of utilizing the lessons-learned principles and the establishment of lessons-learned programs can not be overstated

  11. Attitudes towards Teachers' Motivation, and Classroom Strategy, in English Language Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pahlavanpoorfard, Samira; Soori, Afshin

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed at investigating the attitudes of Iranian EFL students towards teachers' motivation and classroom strategy in English classroom. The subjects of the study included a sample of 235 students in their classes. The findings of this study revealed that teachers' motivation and classroom strategy used by teachers have effects on the…

  12. Jazyk komunikace ve výuce anglického jazyka v České republice: míšení jazyků / The language of communication in English classrooms in the Czech Republic: Mixing languages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petr Najvar

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with classroom communication. More specifically, it focuses on issues connected with the usage of English as the target language and Czech as the mother tongue in lessons of English as a foreign language in primary and lowersecondary schools in the Czech Republic. 89 English lessons were analysed and the proportion between English and Czech used in the sample lessons was established in order to show how the two languages are mixed in the lessons. The analysis of the number of words uttered in the lessons showed that teachers used Czech more than English but students said more English words than Czech words. When operationalized in terms of time, the use of language was equally balanced between the target language and the mother tongue. Another perspective described in the paper is one of opportunities that the teacher creates for the students to practice different language skills. Great differences in using the mother tongue and the target language were found between individual teachers, which is in line with the findings of a number of similar research studies. Towards the end of the paper, five typical situations of mixing languages are briefly presented.

  13. Model Pembelajaran Seni Musik melalui Lesson Study: Studi Kasus di SDN Jawilan, Serang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulianti Fitriani

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Artikel ini dilatar-belakangi persoalan pembelajaran seni musik di SDN Jawilan Kab. Serang. Di SD ini penyelenggaraan pendidikan seni belum memperoleh perhatian yang cukup baik dari guru. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari pembagian alokasi waktu pembelajaran dan keterlibatan guru kelas yang tidak memiliki latar belakang pendidikan seni (musik. Dampak yang muncul, rata-rata siswa belum memiliki kemandirian dalam berkreativitas dan kurang berpartisipasi aktif dalam kegiatan musik baik di sekolah maupun di luar sekolah. Untuk memperbaiki persoalan tersebut dirasa perlu meminjam Lesson Study yang di dalamnya terdapat metode, pendekatan dan strategi pembelajaran sebagai pola untuk membelajarkan seni musik agar dapat memberikan alternatif sudut pandang terhadap persoalan metode yang tepat guna dan terencana dalam pengajaran pendidikan musik di SD, termasuk paradigma membelajarkan musik secara hakiki. Hasil yang diperoleh dapat memberikan alternatif sebagai dasar pengembangan pembelajaran seni musik.   The Model of Music Learning through a Lesson Study: A Case Study in Jawilan Elementary School, Serang. The learning problems of music lessons at Jawilan Elementary School in Serang becomes the mainly source of the research background in this article. The implementation of art education in this school has not gained enough attention from teachers. It can be seen from the distribution of the allocated time of learning and the involvement of classroom teachers who do not have sufficient background in art education (music. The appearing impact shows that the average of students do not have any independence in creativity and have less-active participation in the activities of musical arts either in school or outside the school. However, solving the problem is necessary to do by using a Lesson Study as a pattern (approaches, strategies, and methods of learning to teach music that can be used as an alternative point of view in developing methods and organizing the

  14. Mixed method evaluation of the Virtual Traveller physically active lesson intervention: An analysis using the RE-AIM framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norris, E; Dunsmuir, S; Duke-Williams, O; Stamatakis, E; Shelton, N

    2018-02-02

    Physically active lessons integrating movement into academic content are a way to increase children's physical activity levels. Virtual Traveller was a physically active lesson intervention set in Year 4 (aged 8-9) primary school classes in Greater London, UK. Implemented by classroom teachers, it was a six-week intervention providing 10-min physically active Virtual Field Trips three times a week. The aim of this paper is to report the process evaluation of the Virtual Traveller randomized controlled trial according to RE-AIM framework criteria (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance). A mixed methods approach to evaluation was conducted with five intervention group classes. Six sources of data were collected via informed consent logs, teacher session logs, teacher and pupil questionnaires, teacher interviews and pupil focus groups. High participation and low attrition rates were identified (Reach) alongside positive evaluations of Virtual Traveller sessions from pupil and teachers (Effectiveness). Participants were from more deprived and ethnic backgrounds than local and national averages, with Virtual Traveller having the potential to be a free intervention (Adoption). 70% of sessions were delivered overall (Implementation) but no maintenance of the programme was evident at three month follow-up (Maintenance). Mixed method evaluation of Virtual Traveller showed potential for it to be implemented as a low-cost physically active lesson intervention in UK primary schools. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Radiologic evaluation of the globus symptom using videotape recorder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Myeong Jin; Chung, Tae Sub; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Suh, Jung Ho; Chang, Tae Young; Park, In Yong

    1988-01-01

    The authors examined barium swallow in 213 patients with globus symptom and 79 patients with vague gastric problems without globus symptom. Abnormal findings were more frequently detected on videorecording than on conventional esophagogram. Radiologic findings were transient cricopharyngeal indentation (CPI), residual barium collection and delayed clearing from hypopharynx (RB), laryngeal penetration of barium, barium retention in vallecula and or pyriform sinuses. Among them residual barium in hypopharynx was more frequently detected in patients with globus symptom than in patients without globus symptom. Globus symptom was more frequent in adult women, but age and sex difference did not affect the incidence of the abnormal radiologic findings. Cricopharyngeal indentation was most frequently seen at the level of C5-6 interspace and had a tendency of moving upward gradually during the indentation in about half of the cases. Most of the CPI was seen in early phase of swallowing and was visible within 1 sec. Residual barium collection was mostly seen in C6 or C6-7 level. RB had no cause and effect relationship with CPI, and it was not secondary result of obstructive effect of CPI. The authors think that videotape recording can be a useful method for evaluation of globus symptom. The residual barium collection in hypopharynx can be a significant finding in globus symptom

  16. The Use of Triadic Dialogue in the Science Classroom: a Teacher Negotiating Conceptual Learning with Teaching to the Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salloum, Sara; BouJaoude, Saouma

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this research is to better understand the uses and potential of triadic dialogue (initiation-response-feedback) as a dominant discourse pattern in test-driven environments. We used a Bakhtinian dialogic perspective to analyze interactions among high-stakes tests and triadic dialogue. Specifically, the study investigated (a) the global influence of high-stakes tests on knowledge types and cognitive processes presented and elicited by the science teacher in triadic dialogue and (b) the teacher's meaning making of her discourse patterns. The classroom talk occurred in a classroom where the teacher tried to balance conceptual learning with helping low-income public school students pass the national tests. Videos and transcripts of 20 grade 8 and 9 physical science sessions were analyzed qualitatively. Teacher utterances were categorized in terms of science knowledge types and cognitive processes. Explicitness and directionality of shifts among different knowledge types were analyzed. It was found that shifts between factual/conceptual/procedural-algorithmic and procedural inquiry were mostly dialectical and implicit, and dominated the body of concept development lessons. These shifts called for medium-level cognitive processes. Shifts between the different knowledge types and procedural-testing were more explicit and occurred mostly at the end of lessons. Moreover, the science teacher's focus on success and high expectations, her explicitness in dealing with high-stakes tests, and the relaxed atmosphere she created built a constructive partnership with the students toward a common goal of cracking the test. We discuss findings from a Bakhtinian dialogic perspective and the potential of triadic dialogue for teachers negotiating multiple goals and commitments.

  17. The use of Web-based GIS data technologies in the construction of geoscience instructional materials: examples from the MARGINS Data in the Classroom project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, J. G.; McIlrath, J. A.

    2008-12-01

    Web-accessible geospatial information system (GIS) technologies have advanced in concert with an expansion of data resources that can be accessed and used by researchers, educators and students. These resources facilitate the development of data-rich instructional resources and activities that can be used to transition seamlessly into undergraduate research projects. MARGINS Data in the Classroom (http://serc.carleton.edu/ margins/index.html) seeks to engage MARGINS researchers and educators in using the images, datasets, and visualizations produced by NSF-MARGINS Program-funded research and related efforts to create Web-deliverable instructional materials for use in undergraduate-level geoscience courses (MARGINS Mini-Lessons). MARGINS science data is managed by the Marine Geosciences Data System (MGDS), and these and all other MGDS-hosted data can be accessed, manipulated and visualized using GeoMapApp (www.geomapapp.org; Carbotte et al, 2004), a freely available geographic information system focused on the marine environment. Both "packaged" MGDS datasets (i.e., global earthquake foci, volcanoes, bathymetry) and "raw" data (seismic surveys, magnetics, gravity) are accessible via GeoMapApp, with WFS linkages to other resources (geodesy from UNAVCO; seismic profiles from IRIS; geochemical and drillsite data from EarthChem, IODP, and others), permitting the comprehensive characterization of many regions of the ocean basins. Geospatially controlled datasets can be imported into GeoMapApp visualizations, and these visualizations can be exported into Google Earth as .kmz image files. Many of the MARGINS Mini-Lessons thus far produced use (or have studentss use the varied capabilities of GeoMapApp (i.e., constructing topographic profiles, overlaying varied geophysical and bathymetric datasets, characterizing geochemical data). These materials are available for use and testing from the project webpage (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/). Classroom testing and assessment

  18. Analysis of Risk Management in Adapted Physical Education Textbooks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Kelle L.; Donovan, Jacqueline B.; Berg, Dominck A.

    2016-01-01

    Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs vary on how the topics of safe teaching and risk management are addressed. Common practices to cover such issues include requiring textbooks, lesson planning, peer teaching, videotaping, reflecting, and reading case law analyses. We used a mixed methods design to examine how risk management is…

  19. Attitudes towards Teachers’ Motivation, and Classroom Strategy, in English Language classrooms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samira Pahlavanpoorfard

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at investigating the attitudes of Iranian EFL students towards teachers’ motivation and classroom strategy in English classroom. The subjects of the study included a sample of 235 students in their classes. The findings of this study revealed that teachers’ motivation and classroom strategy used by teachers have effects on the students’ motivation.

  20. Lessons for Teaching Art Criticism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, Terry, Ed.; Clark, Gilbert, Ed.

    This collection of lessons is meant to be a practical guide to help teachers engage children in art criticism. The lessons generally follow a similar format. Most suggest an age group but may be modified for use with younger or older students. Several authors suggest variations and extensions for lessons that include studio activities. A broad…

  1. "Frankenstein." [Lesson Plan].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Melanie

    Based on Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that active readers interpret a novel (its characters, plot, setting, and theme) in different ways; and the great literature can be and has been adapted in many ways over time. The main activity of the lesson involves students…

  2. Banzhuren and Classrooming: Democracy in the Chinese Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiacheng; Chen, Jing

    2013-01-01

    The issue of education and democracy has become more and more important in China. This paper firstly explains the theory of democracy in Chinese classrooms, and then focuses on the Chinese banzhuren who is responsible for classrooming, an important educational area equal to instruction. We illustrate how Chinese students achieve development…

  3. Phagocytosis: history's lessons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garg, Manish; Chandawarkar, Rajiv Y

    2013-01-01

    The assimilation of lessons from the past is an essential component of education for scientists of tomorrow. These lessons are not easy to find. History books on science are few and usually highly dramatized and biographies of scientists tend to exaggerate the pomp of scientific discovery. Both underplay the hard and laborious work that is integral to any scientific pursuit. Here we illustrate one such example. A century ago, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to two scientists: Ilya Metchnikoff, a Russian zoologist, for the discovery ofphagocytosis-a cell-mediated ingestion ofmicrobes; and Paul Ehrlich, a distinguished physician-scientist, for discovering a highly antigen-specific serum-derived antibody-based immune defense. These two diametrically opposing views of the host-pathogen interaction set the stage for a strife that led to seminal advancements in immunology. Mirrored in this journey are important lessons for scientists today--ubiquitously as applicable to modern scientific life as they were a century ago. This commentaryhighlights these lessons--a fitting centenary to a well-deserved recognition.

  4. Beyond Lecture and Non-Lecture Classrooms: LA-student interactions in Active Learning Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Dayana; Kornreich, Hagit; Rodriguez, Idaykis; Monslave, Camila; Pena-Flores, Norma

    Our expanded multi-site study on active learning classrooms supported by Learning Assistants (LAs) aims to understand the connections between three classroom elements: the activity, student learning, and how LAs support the learning process in the classroom. At FIU, LAs are used in a variety of active learning settings, from large auditorium settings to studio classroom with movable tables. Our study uses the COPUS observation protocol as a way to characterize LAs behaviors in these classrooms. With a focus on LA-student interactions, our analysis of how LAs interact with students during a 'learning session' generated new observational codes for specific new categories of LA roles. Preliminary results show that LAs spend more time interacting with students in some classes, regardless of the classroom setting, while in other classrooms, LA-student interactions are mostly brief. We discuss how LA-student interactions contribute to the dynamics and mechanism of the socially shared learning activity.

  5. Differentiating mass from density: The effect of modeling and student dialogue in a sixth-grade classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deich, Martha L.

    selected an intervention class and a comparison class from those I was teaching. The core of the density curriculum was similar in both classes. Instead of the intervention, though, the comparison class closely followed the lesson sequences provided by the classroom textbook, which tended to focus on formal and formulaic density instruction. I modified Smith's assessments for sixth graders. After teaching one class the intervention curriculum and the other the textbook-based curriculum, I evaluated and compared the progress of research participants in both classrooms by means of a pre- and post-instruction clinical interview, a pre- and post-instruction written test, and the end-of-chapter test from the textbook used in the comparison classroom. The results of my study were consistent: the intervention students outperformed and showed greater improvement on all assessments compared to the comparison students. In this study, modeling and student discourse were more effective ways to teach density than a standard textbook-based lesson sequence. The intervention helped students start to disrupt the conflation of mass and density, fostering both the comprehension of volume as a variable property of matter, and a nuanced understanding of density beyond formulaic reasoning. This dissertation is a report of my study for two audiences---academics and science educators. For the latter, I include recommendations for improving density instruction that are informed by my research.

  6. Student Teacher Thinking: A Comparative Study of Elementary and Secondary Student Teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galluzzo, Gary L.; Minix, Nancy A.

    1992-01-01

    Using videotaped simulated recall interviews, researchers assessed elementary and secondary student teachers' thoughts and concerns. Both groups considered pupil learning the greatest concern. There were consistent differences in how the groups perceived classroom interactions. Both groups addressed a narrower range of concerns regarding teaching…

  7. First Graders' Interpersonal Understanding during Cooperative and Competitive Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zan, Betty; Hildebrandt, Carolyn

    2003-01-01

    Differences in children's social interactions during cooperative and competitive games were investigated. Thirty-seven children from two first grade classes with cooperative classroom climates were videotaped while playing a cooperative and a competitive board game. Children's social interactions were coded using Selman's Levels of Enacted…

  8. The effectiveness of flipped classroom learning model in secondary physics classroom setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasetyo, B. D.; Suprapto, N.; Pudyastomo, R. N.

    2018-03-01

    The research aimed to describe the effectiveness of flipped classroom learning model on secondary physics classroom setting during Fall semester of 2017. The research object was Secondary 3 Physics group of Singapore School Kelapa Gading. This research was initiated by giving a pre-test, followed by treatment setting of the flipped classroom learning model. By the end of the learning process, the pupils were given a post-test and questionnaire to figure out pupils' response to the flipped classroom learning model. Based on the data analysis, 89% of pupils had passed the minimum criteria of standardization. The increment level in the students' mark was analysed by normalized n-gain formula, obtaining a normalized n-gain score of 0.4 which fulfil medium category range. Obtains from the questionnaire distributed to the students that 93% of students become more motivated to study physics and 89% of students were very happy to carry on hands-on activity based on the flipped classroom learning model. Those three aspects were used to generate a conclusion that applying flipped classroom learning model in Secondary Physics Classroom setting is effectively applicable.

  9. Flipped Classroom Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fezile Ozdamli

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Flipped classroom is an active, student-centered approach that was formed to increase the quality of period within class. Generally this approach whose applications are done mostly in Physical Sciences, also attracts the attention of educators and researchers in different disciplines recently. Flipped classroom learning which wide-spreads rapidly in the world, is not well recognized in our country. That is why the aim of study is to attract attention to its potential in education field and provide to make it recognize more by educators and researchers. With this aim, in the study what flipped classroom approach is, flipped classroom technology models, its advantages and limitations were explained.

  10. Assertive Classroom Management Strategies and Students' Performance: The Case of EFL Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aliakbari, Mohammad; Bozorgmanesh, Bafrin

    2015-01-01

    Ample research findings support the effective role that classroom management strategies play in enhancing students' learning. Drawing upon Iranian high school teachers' classroom management strategies, this article is intended to examine the extent to which these teachers follow assertive classroom management strategies and if these strategies…

  11. Teaching French Transformational Grammar by Means of Computer-Generated Video-Tapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adler, Alfred; Thomas, Jean Jacques

    This paper describes a pilot program in an integrated media presentation of foreign languages and the production and usage of seven computer-generated video tapes which demonstrate various aspects of French syntax. This instructional set could form the basis for CAI lessons in which the student is presented images identical to those on the video…

  12. Improving South African third graders’ reading skills: Lessons learnt from the use of Guided Reading approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohlanhledi P. Makumbila

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This professional development project, known as Literacy Leadership Project, enabled four Foundation Phase teachers in South Africa to implement the Guided Reading approach. Developed by American researchers Fountas and Pinnell (1996, Guided Reading helps elementary students strengthen their phonemic awareness, vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency in small group activities. Over an 8-month period, lessons learnt came from data collected from this professional development included workshop activities, classroom observations, teachers’ group discussions and students’ artefacts. Results indicated improvement in students’ literacy engagement and motivation because of the use of levelled books, oral reading and group activities Keywords:  Guided Reading programme; foundation phase; childhood literacy; teacher professional development; literacy leadership; South Africa

  13. Eau Galllie Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 609 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes tken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  14. Cocoa Beach Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 617 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  15. Chapman's Reef Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 621 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  16. Sebastian Pinnacles, Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 615 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  17. Sebastian Pinnacles Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 619 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  18. Sebastian Pinnacles Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 618 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  19. Sebastian Pinnacles, Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 614 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  20. Jeff's Reef Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 606 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  1. Cape Canaveral Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 616 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  2. Jeff's Reef Oculina Banks Clelia Dive 607 2001 Digital Imagery - Captured from Videotapes taken during Submersible Dives to the Oculina Banks Deep Sea Coral Reefs (NODC Accession 0047190)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Digitial imagery, mpegs and jpegs, captured from mini-DV magnetic videotapes collected with an underwater 3-chip CCD color video camera, deployed from the research...

  3. How do lay people assess the quality of physicians' communicative responses to patients' emotional cues and concerns? An international multicentre study based on videotaped medical consultations.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mazzi, M.A.; Bensing, J.; Rimondini, M.; Fletcher, I.; Vliet, L. van; Zimmermann, C.; Deveugele, M.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To establish which kind of physician communicative responses to patient cues and concerns are appreciated by lay people. Methods: A balanced sample (259 people) was recruited in public places to participate in a full day observation of four videotaped standardized medical consultations.

  4. Measuring Engagement in Fourth to Twelfth Grade Classrooms: The Classroom Engagement Inventory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ze; Bergin, Christi; Bergin, David A.

    2014-01-01

    Research on factors that may promote engagement is hampered by the absence of a measure of classroom-level engagement. Literature has suggested that engagement may have 3 dimensions--affective, behavioral, and cognitive. No existing engagement scales measure all 3 dimensions at the classroom level. The Classroom Engagement Inventory (CEI) was…

  5. What Science Teaching Looks Like: An International Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Kathleen; Garnier, Helen

    2007-01-01

    Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) video study, the authors compare science teaching practices in the United States and in four other countries that outperformed the United States: Australia, the Czech Republic, Japan, and the Netherlands. Their observations of videotapes from 100 8th-grade science lessons in each…

  6. Effects of Training on Accuracy of Decoding Complex Nonverbal Behavior. Working Paper No. 267.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Michael L.; And Others

    Two studies investigated the effects of training on how accurately observers (college students) decoded a complex nonverbal stimulus. In the first experiment, observers viewed silent videotapes of 16 third and fourth-grade school children who were listening to an easy or a difficult lesson. Half of the children were responding spontaneously, while…

  7. Profiles of classroom behavior in high schools: associations with teacher behavior management strategies and classroom composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pas, Elise T; Cash, Anne H; O'Brennan, Lindsey; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

    2015-04-01

    Although there has been considerable attention to the issue of classroom management and processes in educational reform models, there has been relatively limited research on these factors in high schools. The current study utilized observational data from 1262 classrooms in 52 high schools to examine teacher classroom management strategies and ratings of student compliance, engagement, and social disruption. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to examine specific patterns of classroom-wide student behavior in relation to teachers' use of classroom management strategies and classroom composition. The LPA revealed three distinct classroom behavioral profiles where students consistently met behavioral expectations (71%), inconsistently met expectations (23%), and were noncompliant (6%). Analyses indicated a functional association between patterns of student behavior and teachers' classroom management. In classrooms where students consistently met expectations, teachers provided more opportunities to respond and less disapproval and reactive behavioral management. Classrooms with noncompliant students had teachers who used the most disapproval and reactive behavior management. In addition, classrooms characterized as consistent had fewer males and more White students than classrooms characterized by inconsistent and noncompliant behaviors. These findings highlight the link between student patterns of behavior and teacher classroom management and have important implications for screening and professional development. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Mobile English learning: an evidence-based study with fifth graders

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sandberg, J.; Maris, M.; de Geus, K.

    2011-01-01

    Three groups participated in a study on the added value of mobile technology for learning English as a second language for primary school students. The first group had classroom lessons in English about zoo animals and their characteristics. The second group took classroom lessons and worked with a

  9. Unintended Learning in Primary School Practical Science Lessons from Polanyi's Perspective of Intellectual Passion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jisun; Song, Jinwoong; Abrahams, Ian

    2016-03-01

    This study explored, from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Michael Polanyi, the unintended learning that occurred in primary practical science lessons. We use the term `unintended' learning to distinguish it from `intended' learning that appears in teachers' learning objectives. Data were collected using video and audio recordings of a sample of twenty-four whole class practical science lessons, taught by five teachers, in Korean primary schools with 10- to 12-year-old students. In addition, video and audio recordings were made for each small group of students working together in order to capture their activities and intra-group discourse. Pre-lesson interviews with the teachers were undertaken and audio-recorded to ascertain their intended learning objectives. Selected key vignettes, including unintended learning, were analysed from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Polanyi. What we found in this study is that unintended learning could occur when students got interested in something in the first place and could maintain their interest. In addition, students could get conceptual knowledge when they tried to connect their experience to their related prior knowledge. It was also found that the processes of intended learning and of unintended learning were different. Intended learning was characterized by having been planned by the teacher who then sought to generate students' interest in it. In contrast, unintended learning originated from students' spontaneous interest and curiosity as a result of unplanned opportunities. Whilst teachers' persuasive passion comes first in the process of intended learning, students' heuristic passion comes first in the process of unintended learning. Based on these findings, we argue that teachers need to be more aware that unintended learning, on the part of individual students, can occur during their lesson and to be able to better use this opportunity so that this unintended learning can be

  10. Secondary Science Teachers Making Sense of Model-Based Classroom Instruction: Understanding the Learning and Learning Pathways Teachers Describe as Supporting Changes in Teaching Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hvidsten, Connie J.

    Connie J. Hvidsten September 2016 Education Secondary Science Teachers Making Sense of Model-Based Classroom Instruction: Understanding the Learning and Learning Pathways Teachers Describe as Supporting Changes in Teaching Practice This dissertation consists of three papers analyzing writings and interviews of experienced secondary science teachers during and after a two-year professional development (PD) program focused on model-based reasoning (MBR). MBR is an approach to science instruction that provides opportunities for students to use conceptual models to make sense of natural phenomena in ways that are similar to the use of models within the scientific community. The aim of this research is to better understand the learning and learning pathways teachers identified as valuable in supporting changes in their teaching practice. To accomplish this aim, the papers analyze the ways teachers 1) ascribe their learning to various aspects of the program, 2) describe what they learned, and 3) reflect on the impact the PD had on their teaching practice. Twenty-one secondary science teachers completed the Innovations in Science Instruction through Modeling (ISIM) program from 2007 through 2009. Commonalities in the written reflections and interview responses led to a set of generalizable findings related to the impacts and outcomes of the PD. The first of the three papers describes elements of the ISIM program that teachers associated with their own learning. One of the most frequently mentioned PD feature was being in the position of an adult learner. Embedding learning in instructional practice by collaboratively developing and revising lessons, and observing the lessons in one-another's classrooms provided a sense of professional community, accountability, and support teachers reported were necessary to overcome the challenges of implementing new pedagogical practices. Additionally, teachers described that opportunities to reflect on their learning and connect their

  11. Using language as a transparent resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics in a Grade 11 multilingual classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamokgethi Setati

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we draw on a study conducted in Grade 11 classrooms to explore how the learners’ home languages can be used for teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms in South Africa. This report is part of a wider study that is still in progress. Based on an analysis of data collected through lesson observations in a Grade 11 class and learner interviews we argue for the deliberate, proactive and strategic use of the learners’ home languages as a transparent resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics in multilingual classrooms. Such use of the languages will ensure that learners gain access to mathematical knowledge without losing access to English, which many parents, teachers and learners presently see as a necessary condition for gaining access to social goods such as higher education and employment.

  12. Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Trevor I.; Christensen, Warren M.; Mountcastle, Donald B.; Thompson, John R.

    2015-01-01

    We report on several specific student difficulties regarding the second law of thermodynamics in the context of heat engines within upper-division undergraduate thermal physics courses. Data come from ungraded written surveys, graded homework assignments, and videotaped classroom observations of tutorial activities. Written data show that students…

  13. How an inquiry-based classroom lesson intervenes in science efficacy, career-orientation and self-determination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, S.; Bogner, F. X.

    2017-11-01

    Three subscales of the 'Science Motivation Questionnaire II' (SMQII; motivational components: career motivation, self-efficacy and self-determination), with 4 items each, were applied to a sample of 209 secondary school students to monitor the impact of a 3-hour structured inquiry lesson. Four testing points (before, immediately after, 6 and 12 weeks after) were applied. The modified SMQII was factor-analyzed at each testing cycle and the structure confirmed. Only self-determination was shown to be influenced by an inquiry course, while self-efficacy and career motivation did not. Only self-efficacy and career motivation were intercorrelated and also correlated with science subject grades and subsequent achievement. Implications for using the modified SMQII subscales for research and teaching in secondary school are discussed.

  14. Ethical dilemmas in personality assessment courses: using the classroom for in vivo training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalof, J; Brabender, V

    2001-10-01

    In this article, we argue that the student's first lessons in ethical decision making in personality assessment are in those assessment courses that have a practice component. In these courses, the student has an opportunity to experience in vivo how ethical problems are identified, addressed, and resolved. The faculty member's demonstration of a process wherein the ethical principles activated are highlighted and explored, will enable students to internalize a model for addressing future dilemmas. Four particular ethical situations are considered: (a) the students' procurement of personal experience with personality testing, (b) the identification of assessment participants, (c) the development of informed consent procedures for assessment participants, and (d) classroom presentations. This discussion does not provide concrete solutions to ethical problems but offers a consideration of the relevant ethical principles that any adequate solution must encompass.

  15. Lessons learned from the birth and evolution of the EduFinland virtual community for educators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Holmberg

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Educators around the world are experimenting with the possibilities virtual three dimensional worlds have for education and learning how to use these new environments efficiently. Virtual worlds have the potential to bring some new added value to education and educators can use them to create something that is not possible to do or show in traditional classrooms. Although a lot have been learned about virtual worlds and their potential, a lot more has to be learned before virtual worlds can become an integrated part of education on various levels. The article looks back at the birth and growth of the EduFinland community in the virtual world of Second Life and discusses lessons learned so far during the years of its existence.

  16. Lesson study in prospective mathematics teacher education: didactic and paradidactic technology in the post-lesson reflection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a detailed analysis of the post-lesson reflection, carried out in the context of eight cases of lesson study conducted by teams of Danish, lower secondaryprospective teachers and their supervisors. The participants, representing different institutions, were all new to the less...... and concern to the whole profession of mathematics teachers and the analysis adds to our insight into the potential of lesson study in prospective education as a meeting place where pertinent actors contribute to the expansion and dissemination of shared professional knowledge......This paper presents a detailed analysis of the post-lesson reflection, carried out in the context of eight cases of lesson study conducted by teams of Danish, lower secondaryprospective teachers and their supervisors. The participants, representing different institutions, were all new to the lesson...... study format. Nevertheless, it is demonstrated how their interaction shape the development of discourse about mathematical learning. The anthropological theory of the didactic is employed as the theoretical approach to analyse the mathematical and primarily didactical praxeologies developed...

  17. Promoting nurse practitioner practice through research: opportunities, challenges, and lessons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Eileen

    2006-04-01

    To discuss the opportunities derived, challenges faced, and lessons learned in the research process, including recruiting and retaining nurse practitioner (NP) participants, obtaining institutional approval, and solving research team issues in a National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH/NINR)-funded study of communication between NPs and their older patients in managed care and non-managed care settings. The video-taped interactions between 30 NPs and 150 patients, research team experiences in conducting the research, and a review of relevant literature. Key factors in NP study participation included recognizing the importance of research in demonstrating the effectiveness of the NP role and for advancing the profession, having participated in previous research, enjoying the research process, employer incentives, membership in NP professional organizations, relationships with the university and the school of nursing conducting the research, and knowledge of the coinvestigator's work. NP recruitment was facilitated by word of mouth, professional organization assistance, and articles in a widely distributed, free nursing journal. Data collection was significantly delayed by attrition of NP participants, logistical problems with scheduling and travel, and varied approval procedures by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at study sites. The pace of nursing research could be much more efficient if IRB processes involved fewer bureaucratic entanglements. Preliminary study findings, however, show positive outcomes for older patients after NP care. To demonstrate positive patient outcomes and move the NP profession forward, NPs must be willing to commit to participation in research on their effectiveness as providers in today's healthcare environment.

  18. Outdoor Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayes, Valynda

    2010-01-01

    An outdoor classroom is the ideal vehicle for community involvement: Parents, native plant societies, 4-H, garden clubs, and master naturalists are all resources waiting to be tapped, as are local businesses offering support. If you enlist your community in the development and maintenance of your outdoor classroom, the entire community will…

  19. An Investigation of the Use of the "Flipped Classroom" Pedagogy in Secondary English Language Classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chi Cheung Ruby

    2017-01-01

    Aim/Purpose: To examine the use of a flipped classroom in the English Language subject in secondary classrooms in Hong Kong. Background: The research questions addressed were: (1) What are teachers' perceptions towards the flipped classroom pedagogy?; (2) How can teachers transfer their flipped classroom experiences to teaching other…

  20. "Kindergarten, can I have your eyes and ears?" politeness and teacher directive choices in inquiry-based science classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Alandeom Wanderlei

    2009-12-01

    This study explores elementary teachers' social understandings and employment of directives and politeness while facilitating inquiry science lessons prior and subsequent to their participation in a summer institute in which they were introduced to the scholarly literature on regulative discourse (directives used by teachers to regulate student behavior). A grounded theory analysis of the institute professional development activities revealed that teachers developed an increased awareness of the authoritative functions served by impolite or direct directives (i.e., pragmatic awareness). Furthermore, a comparative microethnographic analysis of participants' inquiry-based classroom practices revealed that after the institute teachers demonstrated an increased ability to share authority with students by strategically making directive choices that were more polite, indirect, inclusive, involvement-focused and creative. Such ability led to a reduced emphasis on teacher regulation of student compliance with classroom behavioral norms and an increased focus on the discursive organization of the inquiry-based science learning/teaching process. Despite teachers' increased pragmatic awareness, teacher-student linguistic relationships did not become entirely symmetrical subsequent to their participation in the summer institute (i.e., teacher authority was not completely relinquished or lost). Based on such findings, it is argued that teachers need to develop higher levels of pragmatic awareness to become effectively prepared to engage in language-mediated teacher-student interaction in the context of inquiry-based science classroom discourse.