Teaching Of Concepts Research Articles

Finding an Effective Assessment Approach to Enhance the Teaching and Learning of Circle Geometry

Assessment is essential for teaching and learning mathematical concepts. Teachers’ and learners’ understanding of how assessment is to be conducted in mathematics classrooms will guide what is to be taught and learnt and how teaching and learning will be conducted. The researchers’ assertion is that circle geometry lessons require thinking-based instructions. This necessitates that an associated assessment approach that elicits learners’ thinking must be formulated. Circle geometry requires rigorous logical, creative, critical, and reflective thinking, thus an assessment approach that will nurture learners’ thinking is essential. This exploration was a qualitative case study, conducted at a high school in South Africa involving two groups of grade 11 mathematics learners; both the control group and the experimental group had 34 participants. Data were gathered through classroom observations, a standardised test, and activities/investigation tasks. APOS theory (actions, processes, objects, schemas) was adopted as the theoretical framework and also as data analysis tool and circle geometry lessons were carried out in a collaborative classroom setting. Circle geometry lessons were conducted in line with the four APOS mental conception levels to evoke participants’ thinking, namely action lesson, process lesson, object lesson, and schema lesson. This study ascertained that the interactive didactic assessment was appropriate, as it enhanced participants’ metacognitive development and participants’ conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning skills were developed. The researchers, therefore, recommend that this formulated assessment approach be implemented for the teaching and learning of mathematics, especially circle geometry, in schools in South Africa.

Teaching mathematical concepts based on the principle of "Consistency in Explanation"

This paper explores the importance and methods of achieving "self-consistency" in the teaching of mathematical concepts. It first emphasizes the central role of mathematical concepts in learning mathematics and, through the example of teaching the eccentricity of an ellipse, points out the complexity of understanding mathematical concepts. Then, by exploring the history of "eccentricity," the paper demonstrates the human conventions and historical development behind mathematical concepts, highlighting the need for teachers to delve into the origins and meanings of concepts in their teaching. The paper proposes four strategies to achieve "self-consistency": sorting out the history of mathematical development, finding applications of mathematics in daily life, rebuilding connections between mathematical knowledge, and utilizing perspectives from other disciplines. Finally, the paper argues that "self-consistency" is not only a teaching method but also a teaching philosophy, aimed at helping students gain a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.

Curriculum reform and practice of Experimental Acupuncture and Moxibustion under the background of "emerging medicine discipline"

Experimental Acupuncture and Moxibustion, as an interdisciplinary course, integrates traditional acupuncture and moxibustion with modern science. It is an important way for cultivating students' scientific thinking and innovation. The teaching group of Experimental Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Shandong university of TCM developed the content of courses under the guidance of talent construction of "emerging medicine discipline", aiming to cultivate the talents for the upright and innovation of acupuncture and moxibustion, and being abide to the advanced teaching concepts of students' cognitive law and outcome based education. Base on teaching design, teaching mode, curriculum ideological and political development, and teaching evaluation, a series of new measures have been implemented, e.g. "two-line, three-stage and eight-step measures", "six dimensions and five combinations" and "five combinations and three measure gauges". Through practice and exploration, the students' satisfaction, the innovation and creativity, and teaching ability of teachers have been enhanced. These reforms could provide the new approach to the development of the first-class courses related to traditional Chinese medicine.

Research on Teaching Idea Innovation of University Physical Education Teachers

This study takes the teaching reform concept of university PE teachers in the new era as the research object, and uses the literature method, logical analysis method and inductive deduction method to deeply analyze the development opportunity and realistic bottleneck of the teaching innovation concept of university PE teachers. The research shows that the teaching innovation concept of university PE teachers faces new challenges, and the generalization of education consciousness and the motivation of concept innovation of university PE teachers are insufficient. "Cultivating morality and cultivating people" as the basic task of education, the author puts forward the concept of "moral education first" in the innovation of teaching concept of physical education teachers in universities. Construct the evaluation system of "cultivating virtue" and "cultivating body"; To construct a new model of post-service education for physical education teachers in universities, and establish a new standard for the evaluation of professional titles of physical education teachers in universities; The new model of cultivating multi-disciplinary high quality sports talents and the concept of PE teachers' education should be integrated with aesthetic education. The aim is to provide theoretical reference for the timely updating of the teaching concept of university PE teachers under the background of the new era and optimizing the classified development of university PE teachers.

Fifty years of teacher education in South Africa: towards systematic learning and social transformation

ABSTRACT The article tracks key moments in teacher education policy and curriculum in South Africa from the 1970s to the present day. Political and social features of education in each decade are outlined, from a racialised and fragmented system of teacher education, to the imagining of alternatives, and the imperative for educational transformation. The article pays special attention to the role of teacher education in a national agenda of social reconstruction within the goals of the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, to establish a post-apartheid society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. Drawing on a conception of teaching as organising systematic learning, we track ways in which changes in teacher education policy have enabled or restricted opportunities for systematic learning for students in different social contexts, and towards advancing equity. We argue that insights from strong theoretical frameworks create conditions of possibility for student teachers to analyse and interrogate their observations and experiences within the existing schooling system. In so doing, they potentially become agents of transformation, as they imagine practical possibilities for improving teaching in and beyond their immediate school and contextual realities. At the same time, we note the limitation of too narrow a focus on systematised knowledge, without sufficient attention to the life histories and aspirations of student teachers themselves. We suggest that a crucial way forward is to consider how personal development, teacher knowledges and classroom experiences and interactions work symbiotically to support student teachers’ pedagogic learning, even against the enduring challenges of severe inequalities in South Africa. This requires attention to how knowledge informs teaching, how curricula can support the process of learning to teach, and how systematic learning can be nurtured in the pursuit of social transformation.

Conceptual PlayWorlds: A transformational model for children’s learning and development in an early childhood education setting in Indonesia

Structured and teacher-directed play focused on children’s academic outcomes has proven problematic in Indonesian early childhood education. This contrasts with the PlayWorlds model, which emphasises both the primary activity of play and conceptual learning. However, there has been little research in Indonesia on the pedagogical aspects of the PlayWorlds model in creating conditions for children’s learning and development. The purpose of this study is to highlight the distinctive pedagogical and contextual aspects of Indonesian PlayWorlds by investigating how the implementation of the PlayWorlds model creates conditions for children’s learning and development. Using cultural-historical concepts to analyse the data, the findings reveal a transformational model of PlayWorlds that highlights five key elements: teachers’ role as play partners, the dialectical meaning-making process, degrees of freedom, motives and contradictions, and the unity of emotion and cognition. This model is shown to support pedagogical concepts and practices by providing opportunities for children’s development in play through the integration of imaginative, cognitive and affective skills. It is argued that the transformative paradigm of PlayWorlds as an innovative play pedagogy holds promise for children’s learning and development, while recognising play as their primary activity.

CRITICAL PEDAGOGICS IN THE VIEW OF H.A.R TILAAR AND ITS RELEVANCE FOR NATIONAL EDUCATION

The research was conducted to find out how the critical pedagogic concept in the view of Prof. H.A.R. Tilaar and its relevance to national education. The purpose of conducting this research is because nowadays, on this day of a very fast globalization, besides its usefulness, it also causes several problems, including the loss of direction from national diversity and dehumanization. It is challenging to require a form of critical reflective attitude that is presented to the community. This effort can very effectively occur if there is a transformation in education. The change from traditional pedagogy to critical pedagogy is an alternative way of dealing with globalization. The methodology used is descriptive qualitative methodology which makes literature study and document collection the primary thing in data collection. The findings of this critical pedagogic research are in fact still very much needed and further encouraged in its concrete application to answer the challenges of globalization and to meet the golden Indonesia 2045.

Agents for curriculum change: the role of Learning Development

Learning Development (LD) can rightly see a role as positive institutional change agents. However, this perception can often be frustrated by external interpretations about the value of study skills (Richards and Pilcher, 2023), which could go some way to perpetuating something of an identity disconnect, where others may often continue to perceive LD as remedial (Bishop et al., 2009). This session aimed to inspire a sense of where opportunities may lie for challenging perceptions with LD as change agents, using our institutional experience of having made some significant headway in influencing wholesale curriculum change. The workshop was an opportunity for exploratory discussions, with participants sharing their experiences of participation in curriculum change initiatives or challenges faced in trying to engineer this role. It considered ways to seize and make the most of other opportunities, such as student guidance on Artificial Intelligence, to be similarly influential. Based on our experience of a new curriculum framework, discussions explored challenges the LD team faced in seeking, in the first instance, to have a significant role in the process, achieving this and the inherent frustrations nevertheless. With participants, we discovered how LD can seize opportunities through recognising the role LD can play, such as defining pedagogical concepts of resourcefulness and resilience, which was inherent in the curriculum design. Group activities explored the challenges in trying to influence curriculum change, shared successes and considered whether this is an effective use of LD time. Group investigations also looked at the importance of collaborating with academic developers, and how this can help address and evolve perceptions of LD as change agents, given that staff educational development can be assumed to be the more natural agent for progressing institutional curriculum change and why an LD presence can bring a unique perspective.

Investigative and collaborative experimental activities using simple purification of curcuminoids by column chromatography

This work describes the use of turmeric in the teaching concepts and laboratory techniques of organic chemistry to students in introductory classes of licentiate, bachelor’s and industrial chemistry courses, as well as to pharmacy and chemical engineering students at Universidade Federal Fluminense, in Niterói/RJ/Brazil. Considering investigative and collaborative activities and Vygotsky theory, the discussed concepts were everyday natural products, green chemistry, purification and separation of organic substances, molecular interactions, organic compound extraction techniques, and thin-layer and column chromatography. The activities were applied for four 3-hour classes for 31 students in 7 introductory organic chemistry laboratory classes for Chemistry and for 43 students in 4 experimental organic chemistry classes for Pharmacy and Chemical Engineering courses, in the years 2022–23. The teaching-learning process methodology involved 4 moments/classes: a) discussions about organic chemistry; b) discontinuous extraction of turmeric and thin-layer chromatography; c) column chromatography; and d) discussions about results and the learning process. After the sequence of classes, it was possible to observe the students’ motivation with the ease of separating curcuminoids and the understanding of the relationship between theoretical concepts and practice, as well as the understanding of the importance of low waste production.

A Study on Teaching and Learning by Competition in New Business Studies in Sichuan Tibetan Areas

How to improve the level of students' professional knowledge integration is a systematic project, especially after the construction goal of the new business discipline is put forward, it is a very significant challenge to the teaching of the new business discipline. Based on the research background of the comprehensive and professional disciplinary competitions such as Internet+ innovation and entrepreneurship, and the participating student teams as the research object, this paper points out that there are problems such as insufficient cognition of the value of promoting learning by competition, insufficient new student sources for promoting learning by competition and insufficient digitization of the participating teams, etc., and puts forward the research plan of integrating the teaching concept of promoting learning by competition into the talent cultivation program, digitizing the teaching by competition under the cooperation between schools and enterprises, and improving the teaching ability of teachers by competition, with a view to improving the teaching ability of the new business discipline. The research program of enhancing teaching ability by competition for learning is proposed in order to realize the cultivation of students who can flexibly apply their knowledge of inter-disciplinary knowledge at the level of their majors.

Reform Paths of College English Course Teaching in the Digital Age

With the rapid development of digital technology, the teaching mode of English courses in colleges and universities is facing profound changes and challenges. This paper takes the significance of the reform of English course teaching in colleges and universities in the digital era as the starting point and aims at the problems existing in the teaching concept, digital teaching infrastructure, and digital literacy of the teaching staff in the current construction of English courses in colleges and universities. It proposes strategies such as changing teaching thinking, strengthening infrastructure construction and resource integration, and improving the digital ability of the teaching staff, which provides some references for promoting the modernization transformation of English course teaching in colleges and universities in China.

The Application Practice of Online and Offline Blended Teaching Mode in Colleges

With the ongoing reform in education and teaching, college instructors are increasingly focused on improving classroom teaching efficiency and effectiveness. In the era of rapid Internet development, the online and offline blended teaching method has garnered widespread attention. This approach leverages the complementary strengths of both online and offline teaching. When applied to the teaching of complex systems and complex networks, it can effectively address the limitations of traditional offline classrooms, helping students grasp abstract concepts more quickly, deepen their theoretical understanding, and enhance classroom efficiency. This paper primarily discusses the concept of blended teaching, its significance, and its value, while exploring practical application strategies for this method. It aims to serve as a reference for relevant educators.

The Effect of Historical Places Through Virtual Museums on Students' Academic Achievement And Attitudes Towards The Course In Social Sciences Course Concept Teaching

This research, 7. the classroom social studies course was conducted in order to determine the effect of historical sites on students' academic achievements and attitudes towards the course through virtual museums in concept teaching. In line with the aim, 20 concepts included in the social studies curriculum were selected. A 20-question academic achievement test was prepared and applied to be applied to students in relation to these concepts. In addition, a 35-item attitude scale was applied to determine the students' attitudes towards the Social studies course. The study group of the research consists of 40 7th grade students (20 experimental, 20 control). The study was carried out over a total period of 3 weeks. The experimental group was taught concepts through virtual museums in historical places, and the control group was taught according to the Social Studies curriculum. SPSS, which is a statistical analysis program, was used for the analysis of quantitative data. In the measurements related to the research, dependent and independent variable t test, mean, standard deviation values were calculated. According to the results of the analysis, it has been determined that the use of virtual museums with historical sites in social studies course concept teaching enables more effective learning compared to traditional methods and creates significant differences in students' attitudes towards social studies course.

Parents' use of sustained shared thinking during joint mathematics activities with young children: Aninvestigation of its measurement, antecedents, and outcomes.

There is currently a dearth of tools to assess parents' use of effective interactive strategies for supporting early mathematics learning. One potential such strategy is sustained shared thinking. This study therefore constructed and validated a scale for measuring parents' use of sustained shared thinking during joint mathematics activities with young children, and examined its antecedents and outcomes. Four hundred and sixty-six parents completed a questionnaire about their conceptions of mathematics teaching and learning, home practices, as well as their kindergarten children's approach and avoidance motivation to learn mathematics. Additionally, the children were tested on numeration skills. Results showed that our new scale has three factors: exchanging ideas with children about mathematical problem-solving processes, creating a child-centred atmosphere for mathematics learning, and engaging children in mathematical thinking. Parents' uses of these three strategies were predicted by their constructivist conception of mathematics teaching and learning, and were differentially associated with the children's numeration skills, approach, and avoidance motivation to learn mathematics. Potential uses of our new scale in future home mathematics environment research are discussed.

Exploration of Blended Teaching in Financial Management Major of Higher Education Institutions in the Digital Age

With the advent of the digital age, universities are starting to break traditional teaching concepts, integrate innovative thinking into teaching models, and strive to improve the effectiveness and applicability of their majors. In order to improve students’ practical ability and employment competitiveness, universities should introduce blended learning methods in classroom teaching, continuously strengthen students’ theoretical knowledge and practical ability, guide them to use the knowledge they have learned to solve practical problems, and enhance their comprehensive strength. This article will analyze the necessity and problems of implementing blended learning in financial management majors in universities, explore the specific path of blended learning in financial management majors in the digital age, and provide reference opinions for universities to cultivate high-quality talents.

Clinical assessment strategies for competency-based education in prosthetic dentistry.

Reflective practice is viewed as a theoretical and pedagogical concept in higher education having several diverse approaches and interpretations. The most important aspect of reflective practice is that it is a necessary quality assurance aspect of higher education which should occur recurrently and at different stages of the program. It usually entails an evaluation of advanced instructions which has become the norm in an educational setting, in order to improve the learning outcomes. Reflective practice must therefore be seen as a tool which allows continuous improvement, modifications, and changes to educational approaches, which include theoretical and clinical assessment strategies. Academics in prosthetic dentistry at a research-led university reflected on their current assessment strategies used in the senior undergraduate dental program as part of a quality assurance process and its global comparability. This paper aims to share and explain the importance of reviewing assessment strategies in higher education, especially in such a clinical program using reflective practice as a framework. Different assessment strategies used over a 5-year period are explored and their different structures, expectations, and appropriateness for a clinical program are reported from the literature. The concerns were addressed in a cyclical manner within this framework, and Blooms and blueprinting implemented where appropriate. We conclude that without a validated definition and framework for regular reflective practices, and guidelines to modify the included assessment strategies, the quality assurance within a competency-based dental program may be compromised.

Investigation of Gifted Students' Errors Related to Height and Diagonal Concepts in Geometry Teaching

The aim of this study was to examine the errors of gifted students regarding the concepts of height and diagonal in Geometry. Eighteen gifted students studying at a Science and Art Center in central Anatolia participated in the study. A knowledge test consisting of 5 questions was prepared to collect data. The knowledge test was applied to gifted students. Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data in the study. The data obtained in line with the responses of the students to the knowledge test used as a data collection tool were classified under categories in line with the purpose of the study by coding the errors in the solutions of the questions. According to the data obtained, it was concluded that the concept of diagonal and height, which constitute the basis of many subjects in geometry education of gifted individuals, should be emphasized more.

Factors Affecting College Students' Autonomous English Learning Ability and Strategies for Improvement

Autonomous learning is one of the advocated learning methods in a learning-oriented society and is also a requirement for reform in college English teaching. A semester-long investigation was conducted on non-English major college students' autonomous English learning, involving a series of studies with a questionnaire survey of 120 second-year non-English major students at a certain university. The results indicate that the current level of autonomous English learning ability among college students is still relatively low. Moreover, individual English proficiency, the class environment, and the amount of time spent on English learning outside of class significantly affect this ability. Therefore, universities should strengthen the reform of college English teaching, promote a shift in teachers' teaching concepts, and focus on enhancing students' self-efficacy. Additionally, improving students' motivation levels and appropriately extending the time for completing assignments outside of class are necessary to enhance college students' autonomous learning ability.

Promoting motivation and reducing stress in medical students by utilizing self-determination theory - a randomized controlled trial in practical psychiatry courses.

Medical students experience high levels of stress and related mental health problems. Students' autonomous and controlled motivation and their mental well-being are interconnected. This study aimed to investigate whether an innovative teaching concept based on self-determination theory (SDT) could improve students' motivation and thereby reduce their stress levels, ultimately providing a healthier framework for learning. In a week-long practical psychiatry course for medical students, a new didactic concept was implemented in half the groups (n = 73) and compared with the preexisting concept (n = 75) as a randomized controlled trial (RCT). To promote the SDT-target factors of perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the methods used included team building, exclusively positive feedback, group discussions, and choice in task distribution. Significant group differences in motivation, stress, performance, and their relationships were analyzed through t-tests, multiple linear regression analyses, mediation analyses, and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) using questionnaires collected before (t0) and after (t1) the course, and students' exam results (t2). In the innovation group (n = 53), intrinsic motivation/interest (d = 0.41; p = .019) and perceived choice/autonomy (d = 0.33; p = .048) were greater than in the control group (n = 52). While autonomous regulation remained stable, the innovation group showed reduced controlled regulation (d = -0.36; p = .033) and reported significantly lower stress (d = -0.55; p = .003). The observed changes in motivation collectively mediated the stress reduction. However, students in the innovation group achieved lower exam scores, which seemed to result from the absence of critical feedback, but not from the observed differences in motivation or stress. This study demonstrated that enhancing intrinsic motivation through SDT-based teaching can effectively reduce stress in medical students. Exclusively strengths-based positive feedback may have hindered exam performance, but optimizing educational concepts to promote motivation and reduce stress will be a valuable step toward improving medical students' mental well-being.

Understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies in Swedish physical education and health practice

Research continues to show that school physical education and health (PEH) is complicit in the reproduction of inequities related to, for instance, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and social class. In this paper, we present findings from a participatory action research (PAR) project with 11 PEH teachers at two upper-secondary schools in Sweden, aimed at enhancing understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies. Data generated through observations, interviews, focus groups, workshops and teacher reflections were analysed through a thematic analysis ( Braun and Clarke, 2022 ) and informed by the concept of teaching for equity and social justice ( Freire, 1970 ). The findings highlight how the teachers associated social justice pedagogies in PEH with an emphasis on: (1) ‘inclusion’; (2) ‘equity/equality’; (3) ‘adaptations to teaching and assessment’; and (4) ‘relationships’. The findings also demonstrate how, based on the importance they placed on relationships, the teachers developed pedagogies that aimed to create: (1) ‘conditions for building relationships’; (2) ‘continuous engagement from teachers and students’; (3) ‘student involvement and reflection’; and (4) ‘connections with and within the subject’. Although the findings draw attention to productive understandings and enactments of social justice pedagogies, we also argue that the teachers, to some extent, conflated equality of opportunity with equity of outcome and continued to focus on managing inequities within the framework of taken-for-granted practices and knowledge within the subject. We conclude that more work is needed to support teachers in not only addressing the inequities students bring to the classroom, but also in challenging the norms that make these inequities matter.