Activity-based Instruction Research Articles

6. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Denklemler Konusunda Sahip Oldukları Yanılgıların Giderilmesine Yönelik Bir Çalışma

The aim of this study is to determine and overcome misconceptions of 6 th graders about first degree equations with one unknown. The study has a mixed research design and was conducted with 25 sixth graders in a public school during the spring semester of the 2011-2012 academic year. Data were collected through a test of 20 open-ended items developed by the researcher. The misconceptions were detected through descriptive analysis of the test. Then, students were being taught based on activity-based instructional methods for eight hours. The test was also given at the end of the instruction as a post-test to examine the effectiveness of the activity-based instruction with overcoming their misconceptions. Data were analyzed by paired samples t test through SPSS 16.0. Findings indicated that activity-based instruction was effective in overcoming students' misconceptions.

Concept Building of Elementary Level through Activity-Based Instruction

The presented article was an attempt to explore the differential concept building by teaching students of the elementary level through activity-based instruction. An experiment was conducted in a public sector secondary school on students of grade 6 in teaching of social studies. The major finding of the current showed that concept building was made easier and understandable by teaching students with the use of activity-based instruction as compared to lecture-based instruction in teaching of social studies. It was further explored that the academic achievement of students taught with the use of activity-based instruction was significantly better than that of students taught with the use of lecture-based instruction. Therefore, it was suggested that the effects of activity-based instruction can be investigated by teaching other subjects using this method and teachers may be trained in how to teach their respective subjects with the use of the activity-based teaching method.

The Effect of Critical Thinking Instruction on Verbal Descriptions of Music

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of critical thinking instruction on music listening skills of fifth-grade students as measured by written responses to music listening. The researcher compared instruction that included opportunities for critical thinking (Critical Thinking Instruction, CTI) with parallel instruction without critical thinking opportunities (Activity-Based Instruction, ABI). The same music teacher delivered both instructional treatments concurrently in a series of sixteen 45-minute classroom lessons. Two randomly assigned, intact classes of participants ( n = 41 and 40) made up the CTI and ABI treatment groups, respectively. Three independent judges scored participants’ pretest and posttest responses using a researcher-designed instrument. Using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), the researcher found a significant test by treatment interaction. The post hoc analysis indicated that while the CTI participants scored higher on the posttest as compared with the pretest, ABI participants demonstrated no significant differences by test. Readers should note the larger than expected standard deviations when considering the positive effects of the CTI treatment. Implications include recommendations for future research and for designing music listening lessons to incorporate critical thinking skills in classroom music instruction.

Learner Requirement Analysis based on the Classification Framework of Online Learning Activities: A Mixed Method Research

The purpose of this paper is to set up a classification framework of online learning activities and analyze online learners’ requirements based on it. Fifty-nine online learning activity cases were collected from seven disciplines. Open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were conducted according to Grounded Theory. After step-by-step validation, the classification framework consists of six core categories (Argumentation, Resource Sharing, Collaboration, Inquiry, Evaluation, and Social Network) has been set up. Based on this, the online learners’ perceived demands have been extracted and the index weight has been investigated. Further study is needed to get more insight into each category and establish effective activity-based instruction models.

The effect of activity-based instruction on conceptual development of seventh grade students in probability

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the effects of activity-based and traditional instructions on students’ conceptual development of certain probability concepts. The study was conducted using a pretest–posttest control group design with 80 seventh graders. A developed ‘Conceptual Development Test’ comprising 12 open-ended questions was administered on both groups of students before and after the intervention. The data were analysed using analysis of covariance, with the pretest as covariate. The results revealed that activity-based instruction (ABI) outperformed the traditional counterpart in the development of probability concepts. Furthermore, ABI was found to contribute students’ conceptual development of the concept of ‘Probability of an Event’ the most, whereas to the concept of ‘Sample Space’ the least. As a consequence, it can be deduced that the designed instructional process was effective in the instruction of probability concepts.

Developing Understanding of the Nature of Science Within a Professional Development Program for Inservice Elementary Teachers: Project Nature of Elementary Science Teaching

Establishing literacy in science is often linked to building knowledge about the Nature of Science (NOS). This paper describes and evaluates an inservice program designed to build elementary teachers’ understanding of NOS and an awareness of how NOS impacts science classroom instruction. Data sources consisted of surveys, action research plan documentation and classroom observations. Program participants tended to demonstrate some gains in understanding more about NOS and they linked positive experiences in the program to the explicit and activity-based NOS instruction provided. Yet, participation in the professional development project might not have been equally beneficial for all teachers. The understanding of NOS may have been restricted to certain NOS aspects, and the demonstration of the participants’ understanding of NOS may have been short-lived with a somewhat limited impact on sustainable, long-term NOS-based classroom instruction. Implications for designing NOS related professional development programs and suggestions for improvements to further develop teacher understanding of NOS are discussed.

Teaching Sight Word Recognition to Preschoolers with Delays Using Activity-Based Intervention and Didactic Instruction: A Comparison Study

An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness of activity-based intervention and didactic instruction to teach sight word reading to four young children with developmental delays attending an inclusive child care centre. Following the collection of baseline measures, the two interventions, counterbalanced for word lists and order of intervention, were implemented twice a week for six weeks. Acquisition of the sight words was assessed by the interventionist in pre-teaching probes and also by a special education teacher known to the children but independent of the research team. Maintenance data were collected three weeks after the intervention was completed. The results indicated that there were no differences between the two instructional approaches in relation to acquisition and maintenance of sight word reading for three of the four children. Features of each intervention and the implications of the findings are discussed.

MOVE

Support for more functionally oriented programming for early motor intervention appears to be mounting as traditional, developmentally based practices continue to fall out of favor. This shift in perspective has prompted numerous calls for a change in programming for children with motor impairments. In spite of these calls for change, functional outcome programming and activitybased intervention have been slow in moving from theory to practice. It is hypothesized that this slow transition is due to a lack of systematic programming that would provide guidelines to help practitioners integrate these principles into service delivery. This article presents Mobility Opportunities Via Education, a structured process for planning and delivering motor intervention, based on functional outcomes and activity-based instruction, as one option to guide the transition from theory to practice. Brief examples of the application of Mobility Opportunities Via Education are presented along with current research findings.

Afterschool centers in four rural communities in Michigan

As part of KLICK, a statewide project supported by federal funds, afterschool centers were developed in four rural communities in Michigan. It was not long before local values and needs moved the centers in different directions. We describe the first year of operation of the four centers, focusing on the role of on-site coordinators and on the informal, activity-based instruction that the coordinators provided.

Interactive Learning Environments for Promoting Inquiry Learning

Inquiry-oriented learning has been characterized and promoted from a variety of perspectives by researchers, educators and practitioners over the years [1–5]. Some have stressed the active nature of learner's involvement, associating inquiry with hands-on learning and experiential or activity-based instruction. Others have associated inquiry with a discovery approach or with the development of process skills associated with scientific methods. Yet others have emphasized promoting metacognitive knowledge and skills such as self-reflection and attitudes for inquiry. What role can technology play in facilitating these kinds of inquiry-oriented learning? We see at least a few ways in which technology in the form of interactive learning environments can enrich inquiry learning: 1) as instructive tools; 2) as constructive tools; 3) as communicative tools; and 4) as situating tools. We provide a discussion of current approaches to designing learning environments that support these roles. In particular, we describe three interactive learning environments that we have built: an instructive tool, a constructive tool, and lastly an environment which is intended to serve all the roles of instruction, construction, communication, and providing situatedness.

Incorporating computer technology into activity-based thematic units for young children with disabilities

For professionals who work with young children with disabilities, the concept of utilizing computer technology in activity-based instruction is an exciting one. Experts in the field have theorized that the use of technology can have a major impact on children's developmental skills, including their understanding of causality, their social interactions, and their communication skills. Some professionals suggest that computers in the preschool classroom can be “the great equalizer” in the instructional management of Individual differences among young children (Beatty and Tucker, 1987). However, for computers to be utilized effectively, they must be coupled with effective teaching practices. Teachers must capitalize on the activity-based nature of early childhood classrooms and utilize the computer as another instructional tool so that every child may participate to his or her fullest potential. The purpose of this article is to discuss the four steps for incorporating computer technology into activity-based thematic units in a preschool classroom. Included in the discussion are practical suggestions for teaching young children, both with and without disabilities, to learn together

Breaking the barriers: helping female and minority students succeed in mathematics and science

Breaking the Barriers shows how increased career awareness and exposure to mentors and role models can help students see science and math-related careers as desirable and viable options. It explains how test preparation, activity-based instruction, cooperative learning, and tutoring can help to improve academic outcomes.

One point of view: Lab Oratory and the generalization gap

During the past year a number of books have been published that make a strong case fo r the use of a laboratory approach for teaching mathematics. Numerous a rticles in both profession al and lay magazines have advocated a laboratory orientation. Compa rison of NCTM convention programs of today with those of even four years ago indicates a significantly greater interest in activity-based instruc tion. This heightened advocacy is good and appropriate, following on the heels of an extended period of curricul ar revision that emphasized the symbolic and the abstract.