Utility value intervention in elementary science classes: analyzing temporal changes in utility value perception and individual interest in science

This study investigated the impact of utility value intervention on middle school students' personal interest and utility value in science. Using a quasi-experimental design, 95 seventh-grade students were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received curriculum-oriented instruction supported by utility value intervention, while the control group received curriculum-oriented instruction alone. Both groups were assessed using pre- and post-tests. Although the utility value intervention did not significantly impact these variables, the findings revealed a significant decrease in interest and utility value when classes were taught only with curriculum-oriented instruction. However, students' existing personal interest and utility value in science was maintained when utility value intervention supported the instruction. Qualitative data indicated that experimental group students found the content more relevant and attributed their increased interest to the intervention. Both control and experimental group students believed that activity-enriched science instruction could boost their interest. Additionally, concerning students’ articulated utility values, results revealed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups, favoring the experimental group. These findings suggest that while the utility value intervention did not significantly influence personal interest or task value beliefs in short term, it has potential to make science content more engaging and relevant.

Purpose As educators seek ways to enhance student motivation and improve achievement, promising advances are being made in adaptive approaches to instruction. Learning technologies are emerging that promote a high level of personalization of the learning experience. One type of personalization is context personalization, in which instruction is presented in the context of learners’ individual interests in areas like sports, music, and video games. Personalized contexts may elicit situational interest, which can in turn spur motivational and metacognitive states like positive affect and focused attention. Personalized contexts may also allow for concepts to become grounded in prior knowledge by fostering connections to everyday activity. In this Chapter, we discuss the theoretical, design, and implementation issues to consider when creating interventions that utilize context personalization to enhance motivation. Design/methodology/approach First, we provide an overview of context personalization as an instructional principle and outline the emerging evidence that personalization can enhance motivation and improve achievement. We then discuss the theory hypothesized to account for the effectiveness of context personalization and discuss the approaches to personalization interventions. We close by discussing some of the practical issues to consider when bridging the design and implementation of personalization interventions. Throughout the paper, we anchor our discussion to our own research which focuses on the use of context personalization in middle and high school mathematics. Findings The theoretical mechanisms through which context personalization enhances learning may include (1) eliciting positive affective reactions to the instruction, (2) fostering feelings of value for the instructional content through connections to valued personal interests, or (3) drawing upon prior funds of knowledge of the topic. We provide hypotheses for the relatedness of context personalization to triggering and maintaining situational interest, and explore potential drawbacks of personalization, considering research on seductive details, desirable difficulties, and authenticity of connections to prior knowledge. We further examine four approaches to personalized learning – “fill-in-the-blank” personalization, matching instruction to individual topic interests, group-level personalization, and utility-value interventions. These approaches vary in terms of the depth of the personalization – whether simple, shallow connections are made to interest topics, or deep, meaningful connections are made to learners’ actual experiences. The consideration of depth also interacts with grain size – whether content is personalized based on the broader interests of a group, or the individual experiences of a particular learner. And finally, personalization interventions can have different levels of ownership – an instructor can generate the personalized connections, the connections can be made by the curriculum designers, or learners can take an active role in personalizing their own learning. Finally, we discuss the practical implementation issues when bringing context personalization interventions into K-12 classrooms. Personalization can be logistically difficult to implement, given that learners hold a diverse array of interests, and may experience each of those interests differently. In addition, particular types of instructional content may show greater sensitivity when personalization is implemented, and personalization may be most helpful for learners with certain background characteristics. Originality/value Realizing the promise of personalized learning is an unsolved problem in education whose solution becomes ever more critical as we confront a new digital age. Context personalization has the potential to bring together several well-established strands of research on improving student learning – research on the development of interest, funds of knowledge, and utility value – into one powerful intervention.

Understanding Adolescent Perceptions of Science Education

Developments in technological tools happen every day. Developments in the publication of e-Books and production of e-readers also are happening daily. Currently, young people who live in highly technological areas are exposed to books not only through an adult's reading, but also by independently accessing e-Books which are available on the internet or on CD-ROMs. These multimedia tools usually provide assistance in oral reading, written text, oral discourse, music, sound effects, and animations 1 . The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of integrating e-Books into elementary school science and technology classes on students' learning effectiveness. This study employed nonequivalent group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design which consisted of conducting learning activities for 20 minutes a period, three periods a week, for a total of six weeks. In this study, there were 60 elementary sixth-grade students who were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experiment design applied an e-Book Learning method for the experimental group and a Paper-Based Learning method for the control group, respectively. The instruments of this study consisted of three scales: (1) learning motivation scale, (2) learning attitude scale, and (3) learning effectiveness scale. After the experimental instruction, the data were analysed using seven different statistical methods: a Pearson correlation analysis, canonical correlation analysis, one-way MANCOVA, one-way MANOVA, one-way ANCOVA, path analysis, t-test, and paired t-test. These statistical methods enabled us to reach four conclusions: (1) There was no significant difference in learning effectiveness of e-Books integrated instruction between students of different sexes; (2) There was significant correlation between learning motivation and learning effectiveness of science and technology domain for the experimental group students; (3) There was significant correlation between learning attitudes and learning effectiveness in the science and technology domain for the experimental group students; (4) The experimental group students had a positive attitude toward e-Books integrated instruction. They thought the use of e-Books could enhance learning effectiveness and improve learning motivation.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of elementary science class using name card method on scientific learning motivation and academic achievement of elementary students. Two sixth grade classes were divided into experimental group and comparison group to treat the experimental group with elementary science class using name card method. General class according to teacher manual was implemented for the comparison group. Elementary science class applying name card method was conducted for 10 sessions throughout the experimental period of 8 weeks. The results of this study were as follows. First, elementary science class with name card method was effective in improving scientific learning motivation. Second, elementary science class with name card method had significant effect on improvement of scientific learning academic achievement. The study results showed that elementary science class with name card method was effective for scientific learning motivation and academic achievement of elementary students.

Outcomes from a self-generated utility value intervention on fifth and sixth-grade students’ value and interest in science

Educational sciences are a major component of German teacher education. However, student teachers often do not consider educational sciences in university courses (a profession-specific combination of educational psychology, pedagogy and sociology) as helpful for the practice of teaching. To prepare future teachers for evidence-based practice, this is a disadvantageous motivational starting point, because educational sciences offer a large amount of current and relevant findings that can have a positive impact on educational practice. Thus, it would be beneficial for student teachers to see the utility value of educational sciences. The present study attempts to encourage student teachers to perceive the utility value of educational sciences with a utility value short intervention. Utility value interventions contribute to connecting the learning content with one’s own life to foster the motivation to use scientific knowledge. A 2 × 2 quasi-experiment was conducted. Two of the four groups received a utility value short intervention about educational sciences (Factor 1). In addition, a second factor was analyzed that takes up two patterns of educational reasoning in teacher education (Factor 2): Reasoning was either exemplified with an instruction to reflect on the usefulness of educational sciences (like in reflection-oriented educational reasoning) or with exemplary empirical findings from educational sciences (like in evidence-based educational reasoning). These two kinds of reasoning are objectives of teacher education and therefore could influence the effect of a utility value short intervention. Since epistemic goals influence engagement with educational sciences, they are also taken into account. The results showed that all four variants of the treatment increased the students’ assessment of the utility value of educational sciences; the utility value intervention had no additional effect. This is discussed with recourse to motivational theories and concepts of teacher education.

This study compared two expectancy-value-theory-based interventions designed to promote college students’ motivation and performance in introductory college physics. The utility value intervention was adapted from prior research and focused on helping students relate course material to their lives in order to perceive the material as more useful. The cost reduction intervention was novel and aimed to help students perceive the challenges of their physics course as less psychologically costly to them. Students (N = 148) were randomly assigned to the utility value intervention, cost reduction intervention, or a control condition. Participants completed intervention or control activities online at 2 points during the semester. Their motivational beliefs and values were measured twice, once immediately after the intervention or control activities ended and again at the end of the semester. Both interventions improved students’ grades and exam scores relative to the control group (ds from 0.24–0.30), with stronger effects for students with lower initial course exam scores (ds from 0.72–0.90). Unexpectedly, both interventions’ effects were explained in part by initially lower performing students reporting higher competence-related beliefs and lower cost immediately after they received either intervention compared with lower performing students in the control condition. Results suggest that cost reduction and utility value interventions are both useful tools for improving students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics course performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Some students struggle with chemistry because they do not find the relevance between chemistry content and their lives or they perceive their intelligence as fixed. Social-psychological interventions (SPIs), brief interventions that target students’ subjective experiences, were developed to address these issues. As a result, SPIs have been associated with gains in students’ academic performance, attitude, and persistence in various instructional settings; however, only a limited number of studies have explored SPIs within a chemistry context. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two SPIs, a growth mindset intervention (GMI) and a utility value intervention (UVI), on promoting students’ academic performance and attitude in a general chemistry course with a large class size. This study also explored a theoretical explanation for the relationship among SPIs, attitude, and academic performance. Each SPI was designed to facilitate instructional adoption and was implemented by posting three prompts incorporated into homework assignments. The results show that the UVI led to a consistent improvement in student achievement, and among students who begin the course with lower attitudes toward chemistry, the UVI led to an improvement in students’ emotional satisfaction and utility value. The UVI’s improvement in academic performance was also observed with a group of students who have been underrepresented in the sciences, although a smaller sample size prevented finding statistical significance. The GMI improved academic performance relative to a comparison group but not to the extent observed with the UVI. The cost-to-benefit ratio associated with adopting SPIs within chemistry instruction seems highly favorable and thus warrants strong consideration among chemistry instructors.

This study investigates whether the presence of a social robot and interaction with it raises children’s interest in science. We placed Robovie, our social robot, in an elementary school science class where children could freely interact with it during their breaks. Robovie was tele-operated and its behaviors were designed to answer any questions related to science. It encouraged the children to ask about science by initiating conversations about class topics. Our result shows that even though Robovie did not influence the science curiosity of the entire class, there were individual increases in the children who asked Robovie science questions.

Supporting scientific modeling through curriculum-based making in elementary school science classes

This paper attempts to provide some productive starting points for discussion in the context of science teaching. Embedded in the current practice of methodologies such as “messing about,” hands-on, minds-on activities, science-technology-society related approaches, and inquiry-based learning, is often a sense of confusion and frustration. Such current methodologies in elementary science teaching are founded on constructivist learning theory. This paper attempts to pinpoint possible ways in which this child-centered, interactive learning theory can lead to confusion for students and teachers alike. It attempts to distinguish the necessary criteria for successful science teaching from much of today's practice in the elementary school science class. It does not attempt to draw conclusions on the reasons behind some of the practices.

새로운 교육기술도구인 교육용 로봇은 K-12 교육에서 많은 인기를 얻어가고 있다. 특히 로봇은 STEM 관련 교과의 학업성취와 학업능력에도 효과적이라고 보고되고 있다. 하지만 지금까지 수행된 대부분의 로봇활용 연구는 정규교육과정 밖에서 실시되어왔다. 본 연구는 한국의 초등학교 과학수업에서 로봇활용이 과학교과의 학습동기에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 연구에 참여한 초등학생은 4, 5학년 121명이었으며 실험집단은 로봇을 활용한 과학수업을 실시하였고 통제집단은 전통적방식의 과학수업을 실시하였다. 집단별 사전 사후 학습동기를 비교하기 위해 공변량 분석을 실시하였으며 실험집단의 학생은 추가적으로 인터뷰가 병행되었다. 연구결과 실험집단은 통제집단보다 학습동기가 유의미하게 향상되었으며(p<.05), 로봇활용수업에 대한 긍정적인 응답도 확인되었다. 본 연구는 향후 정규교육과정에 로봇을 활용하는 연구에 중요한 역할을 할 수 있을 것이다. Much research has been conducted in educational robot, a new instructional technology, for K- 12 education. Several studies have shown that educational robot provides effective learning opportunities for students in both content areas of STEM(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and critical academic skills, such as collaboration, problem solving and communication skills. However, most studies to date on applications of educational robots have been conducted outside the formal education setting. This study analyzed the influence of using robots in an elementary school science class in Korea with regard to science learning motivation. A total of 121 students in fourth and fifth grades participated in the study. The experimental group was taught using robots in the science class, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare the between-group differences in learning motivation before and after the experiment; an interview was also conducted for the experimental group. The study results showed a significant improvement (p<.05) in both learning motivation in the experimental compared with the control group. There was also positive response to learning with a robot. This study will play an important role in research on the use of educational robot in formal education in the future.

We replicated and extended prior research investigating a theoretically guided intervention based on expectancy-value theory designed to enhance student learning outcomes (e.g., Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009). First, we replicated prior work by demonstrating that the utility value intervention, which manipulated whether students made connections between the course material and their lives, increased both interest and performance of low-performing students in a college general education course. Second, we extended prior research by both measuring and manipulating one possible pathway of intervention effects: the frequency with which students make connections between the material and their lives. In Study 1, we measured connection frequency and found that making more connections was positively related to expecting to do well in the course, valuing the course material, and continuing interest. In Study 2, we manipulated connection frequency by developing an enhanced utility value intervention designed to increase the frequency with which students made connections. The results indicated that students randomly assigned to either utility value intervention, compared with the control condition, subsequently became more confident that they could learn the material, which led to increased course performance. The utility value interventions were particularly effective for the lowest-performing students. Compared with those in the control condition who showed a steady decline in performance across the semester, low-performing male students randomly assigned to the utility value conditions increased their performance across the semester. The difference between the utility value and control conditions for low-performing male students was strongest on the final exam (d = .76).

본 연구에서는 초등학교 과학수업의 실태를 탐구하고 그 개선 방안을 탐색하였다. 초등학교 과학수업의 경우 교사들 스스로 과학개념이나 내용에서 오개념을 갖고 있는 경우가 많이 발견된다. 이렇듯 초등교사들이 과학에 부담을 느끼고 과학내용지식에 부족함을 느끼는 상태에서 수업을 하게 되면, 좋은 수업이나 학생들에게 유의미한 수업이 되기는 어렵다고 경력교사들은 지적하였다. 이러한 초등학교 수업의 전반적인 특징과 초등교사들의 과학내용지식에 대한 문제의식에 대한 이해를 토대로 본 연구에서는 초등학교 과학수업의 실태를 탐구하였다. 수업동영상 분석을 위한 컨설팅 협의회, 초등교사와의 면담 등을 활용하여 학생들이 초등학교 저학년에서는 과학을 가장 선호하다가 고학년이 되면서 과학을 가장 기피하는 이유, 초등 과학수업에서 활동이나 실험이 반드시 필요한 이유, 초등 과학수업에서 hands-on 활동에 머물지 않고 minds-on 활동을 만드는 방안 등을 논의하였다. 또한 초등 과학수업을 개선하기 위한 방안으로 초등교사의 과학내용전문성 재교육의 필요성, 초등과 중등 간의 교류의 필요성, 초임교사 지원을 위한 공식적인 입문 프로그램의 필요성, 초등학교 5, 6학년의 경우 교과전담 체제 도입의 필요성 등을 논의하였다. 연구결과를 토대로 초등학교 과학수업 내실화를 위해 요청되는 초등학교 현직교사 연수 방안을 제언하였다. The purpose of this research is to investigate the actual conditions of primary school science teaching and ways to improve it. In elementary science teaching, teachers themselves tend to have science misconceptions and insufficient science content knowledge. Experienced teachers argued that it could be hard for elementary teachers with lack of science content knowledge to provide their students with meaningful learning experiences of science. Based on the general characteristics of elementary teaching and the awareness of elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, we explored the real situation of the elementary science classroom. We conducted open-ended interviews with teachers and focus group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers. Data analysis focused on why elementary students avoid science classes in upper grades of elementary school and why elementary science classes always need hands-on activities. We also discussed ways to turn hands-on investigation into minds-on investigation by connecting it to important ideas in science. Based on the results, we suggested ways to improve inservice teacher training such as designing supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers, setting up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and introducing subject-specialized teachers for the fifth and sixth graders of primary school. In particular, considering elementary teachers' insufficient science content knowledge, employing science subject matter specialists in the elementary school could be a useful strategy.