Classroom Materials Research Articles

THE ROLE OF BIOGRAPHIES IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING HOW SCIENTISTS AND SCIENCE WORKS

In this study it is presented several considerations concerning the elements that biographies could contribute to chemistry education. It is analyzed two particular cases: biographies from two high school chemistry textbooks and an audiovisual in the form of an animated fictional documentary about the life of Marie Curie. The analysis was carried out following a methodology designed to analyze textbooks in which we visualize science as a network where we identify elements that allow us to track how science circulates; we have used previously these elements in analyzing audiovisual materials for classroom (Arroio and Farías, 2011). These results show that despite the fact that biographies have elements which justify the criticism they have received within science education they can improve the contextualization and localization of scientific activity by making new connections between those actors that are not generally part of schools’ accounts of science: scientists, institutions, and places, amongst others. This fact was further substantiated after analyzing the documentary. It is proposed that the inclusion of biographies has a vast potential for conveying a more realistic image of scientific activity - but only if the biographies are specifically designed for teaching and are understood to be narrowly related to the popularization of science, science education, and the historiography of science. Moreover, biographies can lend more weight to the role of scientists as narrative axes, where then the school discourse can recover the person, that is, the scientist as a subject and individual. Within a setting where school science is primarily centered on concepts this process can strengthen the affective links between students and teachers. Key words: audiovisual, image of science, narratives, scientists, textbooks.

How often do early childhood teachers teach science concepts? Determinants of the frequency of science teaching in kindergarten

The purpose of the present study was to explore how often teachers of young children teach science concepts in kindergarten and examine the factors that influence the frequency of science teaching in early years. A theoretical model of the determinants of the frequency of science teaching in kindergarten was developed and tested using a multi-level structural equation modeling. Data for this study (n = 3305) came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten dataset, which included a nationally representative sample of US kindergarten teachers. The model tested in this study provided a good fit to the sample data. The results demonstrated that the number of science method courses that teachers completed, the availability of science related instructional materials in kindergarten classrooms, and teachers' perceptions of children's capacity for learning influence the frequency that teachers taught specific science concepts (e.g. earth and space, life, and physical science) in kindergarten. On the other hand, results indicated that teaching experience and teachers' perceptions of control over the curriculum do not influence how often early childhood teachers teach science concepts in kindergarten.

Validation of an Assessment Rubric via Controlled Modification of a Classroom Activity

A rubric that embodies the key features of the process-oriented, guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) model was subjected to systematic study of validity and reliability. Nearly 60 college instructors used the rubric to evaluate four intentionally modified versions of an established POGIL activity. The modifications strengthened or weakened key characteristics of the activity. Results indicate that the rubric was sufficiently sensitive and reliable for distinguishing the structures of the four versions, even in the hands of those inexperienced with POGIL or the rubric, and that the evaluation was consistent with the design characteristics. The rubric should continue to be useful for reviewing existing classroom materials, for efficient authoring and revising of new materials, and for introducing others to POGIL pedagogy. This article also exemplifies a rigorous process by which a rubric may be evaluated.

An Exploration of Vocabulary Knowledge in English Short Talks- A Corpus-Driven Approach

Adopting a corpus-driven approach, the study aimed to explore the vocabulary knowledge in English short talks including word patterns, features, and usages that are most likely to be encountered by language users in the real context. A specific corpus TED was conducted through a collection of English talks that are less than 20 minutes from the website TED Talks. In addition, the existed corpus BASE (British Academic Spoken English) was included in the study as a sample of talks longer than 20 minutes. Applying three corpus tools, AntConc (Anthony, 2003), RANGE (Nation & Heartkey, 2002), and KfNgram (Fletcher, 2007), the researcher was able to compile frequency-ordered word lists, concordance lines, vocabulary coverage, and lists of lexical bundles. The results showed that although the most frequently-used words in TED corpus and BASE corpus were similar grammatical items, the order was quite different. Moreover, the chi-square test showed a significant difference among four pronouns I, You, We, They between the two corpora and also in different parts of the TED corpus. Finally, the results of concordance lines and lexical bundles presented the “typical” and “frequent” word usages in the beginning, middle, and ending part of English short talks. It is suggested that teachers can build their own corpus to meet specific teaching purposes or learner’s needs, and to generate the corpus results into classroom materials while teaching English short talks.

Using Authentic Aural Materials to Develop Listening Comprehension in the EFL Classroom

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of authentic aural materials on listening ability of thirty female undergraduate psychology majors studying English as a foreign language. It basically focused on using authentic materials and real-life situations as part of the communicative approach. The results of the listening comprehension post test were compared to that of the pretest using a 2-tailed t-test (P< .05). Analysis of the interviews and the questionnaire revealed that the use of authentic materials in the EFL classroom enhanced EFL students' listening comprehension ability. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in listening ability of the EFL students. Recommendations were offered to ease students’ frustration that resulted from the speed of authentic speech. Pedagogical implications of the results were discussed along with the impact on EFL students’ listening comprehension development.

Classroom Materials

AbstractReview of Bring it to class: Unpacking pop culture in literacy learning

Adolescent Literacy: Looking Back and Moving Forward in the Global Flow

AbstractAwaiting abstract

Supporting Student Work: Some Thoughts About Special Collections Instruction

ABSTRACT During the past decade we have noted a marked increase in the use of special collections materials in the university classroom. This presents the library with an opportunity to assert its role as a unique and irreplaceable contributor to the University's core mission. Asserting this is predicated on the assumption that an instructor's goals will be met, that students will become successful researchers, and that library staff will survive the encounter. This is not easy to accomplish and this article is an attempt to describe those elements that we have found to be central to a successful instructional outcome.

Redesigning a library-based genetics class research project through instructional theory and authentic experience

How can the library-based research project of a genetics course be reinvigorated and made sustainable without sacrificing educational integrity? The University of Florida's Health Science Center Library provides the case study. Since 1996, the librarian has codeveloped, supported, and graded all components of the project. In 2009, the project evolved from a single-authored paper to a group-work poster, with graded presentations hosted by the library. In 2010, students were surveyed regarding class enhancements. Responses indicated a preference for collaborative work and the poster format and suggested the changes facilitated learning. Instructors reported that the poster format more clearly documented students' understanding of genetics. Results suggest project enhancements contributed to greater appreciation, understanding, and application of classroom material and offered a unique and authentic learning experience, without compromising educational integrity. The library benefitted through increased visibility as a partner in the educational mission and development of a sustainable instructional collaboration.

Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning

Nowadays, volumes on vocabulary pursue issues carefully from very specific and delicate perspectives, thus enriching the growing literature in the field. Likewise, it is in the specific context of implicit and explicit instruction that Insights into Non-native Vocabulary Teaching and Learning is born. Following an introductory chapter, the volume is then structured thoughtfully around three parts. The editors in Chapter 1, ‘Vocabulary teaching and learning: introduction and overview’, echo the traditional neglect of vocabulary in language acquisition research and emphatically reiterate the ‘on-going’ call of the leading researchers (Schmitt 1995; Meara 1997; Singleton 1999) for a general theory of the processes in lexical acquisition as well as vocabulary retrieval. Referring to implicit and explicit vocabulary hypotheses, the editors cite current research that desires a combination of implicit and explicit techniques in learning vocabulary. Yet, they argue that there is scarcity of research focusing clearly ‘either on classroom materials or on the analysis of classroom language related to vocabulary learning’ (p. 6). This paucity serves as the impetus for editing this new volume. Finally, the editors give a very clear overview of the contributions to this volume.

Classroom Materials

AbstractThis department offers an in‐depth review of classroom resources.

Teacher Design of Technology for Emergent Literacy: An Explorative Feasibility Study

THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF teachers in designing classroom learning experiences contributes to teacher abilities to facilitate learning. This paper reports on a case study of one Dutch teacher designing a technology-rich learning environment for emergent literacy. Data was collected to explore the design and implementation of the learning environment. The main findings from the design study are that scaffolding teacher design takes mammoth effort; appears to contribute to teacher learning; yields usable products and ownership, both of which seem to contribute to classroom implementation, but also yields products whose subject matter quality is questionable. The pre-post test data from the implementation study indicates that all children working with the intervention exhibited significant learning gains. Based on the findings, it is hypothesised that the high degree of teacher ownership which stems from designing classroom materials positively influences integration of on-computer activities with off-computer classroom activities, and that a high level of integration yields positive influence on pupil learning about the functions of written language. This rich but small-scale study points to the need for more refined understanding of the gap between what teachers have already mastered and what they can achieve when provided with support, when engaging in technology-rich classroom innovation. We therefore call for innovation design to not only meet learner needs, but also to fit explicitly within a teacher's ‘technological zone of proximal development’.

The Effect of Authentic Versus Non-authentic Aural Materials on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension

The question put forward in this study was to pinpoint the impact of the authentic versus non-authentic listening materials on the listening comprehension of Iranian EFL subjects. After random selection, 80 upper-intermediate students from among all language institutes in Khoramshahr and Abadan cities, in Khuzestan province, Iran, took part in this study. The participants participated in two experimental treatment groups. During one semester, they were instructed in listening to authentic radio-tapes and non-authentic listening materials taken from the assorted sources. The results revealed that the participants who were instructed on the basis of authentic radio-tapes had gained a higher degree of listening comprehension and proficiency than non-authentic groups. Given the results of this experiment, the tentative extrapolations could be that some of the assumptions about the futility of teaching authentic listening materials should be rigorously re-examined. That is, the use of aural authentic listening materials in EFL classrooms improves learners’ listening comprehension, and has positive effects on EFL learners.

An analysis of instructional materials in 6th grade English classrooms.

An analysis of instructional materials in 6th grade English classrooms.

Teaching Difficult Topics: The Example of the Algerian War

Author(s): Knutson, Elizabeth M | Abstract: While history as critical discourse differs importantly from the more subjective narratives of collective memory, even historians vary in their accounts and analyses of past events. This article argues for the need to include a spectrum of voices and text types when teaching history in the context of foreign language study, taking the example of “official stories,” collective memories, and historical accounts of the Algerian War of 1954-62. In addition to presenting varied views and text genres, the argument is made for the importance of teaching the controversies that arise around difficult topics, even many years after the fact. Teaching different sides of a difficult story and its unresolved conflicts is a form of realism that respects students’ intelligence and fosters their self-awareness as cultural subjects. Examples of a multiple perspectives approach are drawn from two textbooks published in France, with additional suggestions for classroom materials and activities at various instructional levels.

Case Article—Vermillion OVA1 Test

Tying classroom material to current business events helps motivate and engage students. It also exposes them to examples of how to apply what they learn in practice. We present an example of how, in a course on modeling with spreadsheets, we used or article in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) about approval of a medical test as the basis for an exercise on conditional probabilities, conflicting objectives, and the value of information. We present the plan of the discussion followed in class and the exercises assigned to students to help them understand the concepts. We use spreadsheet functions and tools new to many of our students, in particular, lookup functions and tools for sensitivity analysis. We also demonstrate how to create and interpret a tornado chart. We believe that examining the WSJ article in detail has value because it allows students to solidify their understanding of conditional probabilities and spreadsheet modeling and also gives them an appreciation of the complexities and the balancing of multiple perspectives in medical decision making. Case Teaching Note: Interested Instructors please see the Instructor Materials page for access to the restricted materials. To maintain the integrity and usefulness of cases published in ITE, unapproved distribution of the case teaching notes and other restricted materials to any other party is prohibited.

Testing the hierarchical SDT model: the case of performance-oriented classrooms

The self-determination theory (SDT) assumes that healthy motivation needs to be intrinsic in nature and that the basic psychological needs competence, autonomy and relatedness are prerequisites for intrinsically motivated behaviour. Intrinsically motivated students in turn show more persistence and understanding of classroom material. However, in secondary education, students often participate in performance-oriented classrooms with an extrinsic orientation and it cannot be assumed that the principles advocated by the SDT are automatically applicable in this context. We tested a model relating basic psychological needs via intrinsic motivation to persistence and performance at two waves using data from 476 students (aged 11–17 years) attending pre-vocational secondary education. Structural equation analysis showed that a partial mediation model with perceived competence also directly associated with persistence and performance fitted the data best at both waves. Interestingly, the strength of the effects varied across waves, such that relatedness and autonomy became negative predictors of intrinsic motivation for a familiar task. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Mind the Map: How Thinking Maps Affect Student Achievement

This action research project, conducted in an 8th grade classroom by Daniel Long, investigated how Thinking Maps could be utilized by the students to broaden critical thinking skills and enhance their understanding of the content being presented. The research data was gathered through anonymous student surveys, instructor observation notes and a post-intervention assessment. Students were taught the function and proper construction of all eight Thinking Maps and were encouraged to utilize them on multiple occasions every day. The findings by Long indicated that when students constructed Thinking Maps, they were able to achieve greater understanding than those students who used traditional note taking strategies. The purpose of this research was to determine if the use of Thinking Maps would increase student achievement. Because Thinking Maps allow students to express their thoughts and ideas non-linguistically, instructors actually see the graphic representation of a student’s thought process (Holzman, 2004). Thinking Maps differ from graphic organizers because they are used to promote “more strategic thinking” and encourage students to focus on the processes used to produce the “correct” answer (Holzman, 2004). By coaching students to correctly use the Thinking Maps in their daily lessons, students will have a greater sense of control of the way they handle classroom material and provide a strategy for organization that will allow them to form meaningful connections with the content.

Classroom Materials

Classroom Materials

Literary Freedom and the Need to Inter-logue

This commentary piece is based upon an article published in Malaysiakini 1 and the reactions that resulted from it. The article is not a literary appraisal of the novel. It is an attempt to understand the ensuing controversy and plead for literary freedom. It is not the writer’s place to decide whether the novel is suitable as classroom material but this piece explains the special qualities of literary work and the ethnic politics in Malaysia that is the real casus belli for the controversy. Keywords : Interlok , ethnic politics, controversial literary work, school textbook