Different Types Of Instruction Research Articles

Narratives of ‘good’ instruction: teachers’ identities as drawing on exploration vs. acquisition pedagogical discourses

In this study we examines identity narratives of elementary teachers about ‘good’ mathematics teaching and about themselves as teachers. The Exploration Pedagogical Discourse (EPD), which is widely adopted by the mathematics education community, is demonstrated through a formal document of the Israeli Ministry of Education, and contrasted with the Acquisition Pedagogical Discourse (APD, akin to ‘traditional’ or ‘teacher-centered’ instruction). Our aim was to examine how teachers’ identities and pedagogical discourse align with the EPD, contrasted with the APD, and how these alignments relate to their own forms of participation in the mathematical discourse. Twelve teachers were interviewed on the basis of teaching vignettes that were prototypes of different types of instruction. Almost all the teachers had some element of heteroglossity in their talk, drawing on the EPD, while voicing some narratives (often implicitly) that were more aligned with the APD. We focus on one teacher, showing that explicit identity narratives were aligned with the EPD while interpretations of a teaching vignette aligned with the APD. We contrast this case with another teacher who was more consistent in her adoption of the EPD. Finally, we show some connections found between teachers’ adoption of APD as opposed to EPD and their own participation in a problem solving episode.

Engaging the senses

Abstract This case study examined the benefits of a sensory-based approach for teaching second language pronunciation to actors, addressing the unique learning goal of nativelike speech for nonnative professional actors. Two French Canadian actors (Marianne and Sebastian) were followed over 10 weeks of pronunciation instruction based on Knight’s (2012) theatrical voice methods and Gibson’s (1969) principles of sensory learning. Audio samples from scripted performances before and after instruction were rated for global and linguistic measures by 10 linguistically trained listeners and for performance measures by 10 advanced acting students. Listener ratings showed a significant improvement in accentedness for Marianne and greater comprehensibility for both actors, while qualitative data revealed actors’ preferences for different types of instruction. Results suggest that sensory learning appears beneficial for some learners and that pronunciation instruction could be supplemented with sensory-based activities.

The relationship between instruction specificity and resistiveness to care during activities of daily living in persons with dementia

It is common for persons with dementia to display resistant behaviors during activities of daily living (ADLs) and caregiver communication skills can influence the likelihood of these behaviors. Previous research suggests that the type of instructions issued by caregivers is related to rates of compliance during ADLs in persons with dementia. It is unclear, however, if these instruction types affect the likelihood resistiveness to care (RTC) during ADLs. The purpose of the current study was to examine how the use of different types of instructions relate to instances of RTC during ADLs. Results indicated that vague and ambiguous instructions (i.e., beta instructions) were more likely to precede and follow physical aggression compared to instructions that were more specific, clear and feasible (i.e., alpha instructions). Results also indicated that alpha instructions were more likely to precede verbal agitation. These findings have implications for communication training programs for caregivers working with persons with dementia.

The Impact of Linear Process versus Genre-Based Approach on Intermediate EFL Learners’ Accuracy in Written Task Performance

The main purpose of the present quasi-experimental study was to investigate the effects of linear process versus genre-based approach on EFL learners’ written production. To this end, 40 learners of English at intermediate level were randomly selected as the participants of the study and assigned into two groups of experimental (process and genre) which received different types of instruction for 8 sessions. Narrative and process-tasks were employed to collect data from the participants. The collected written data was quantified in terms of the accuracy measure. Independent samples T-test was employed as the statistical means of analysis. The results of the study revealed no difference between the performances of two groups in written narrative task, however, the result of statistical analysis in process task was significant. The study might carry some pedagogical implications for second language teachers, SLA researchers, teacher education and task designers.

Instruction-prompted objective behaviors as proxy for subjective measures in a driving simulator

Interactions with other road users and interpretations of traffic situations are important aspects of driving safety. Self-reports are often used to study drivers’ perceptions and attitudes but self-reports can be inaccurate and biased because of socially desirable responding. Driving simulators offer objective measures of driver behaviors but have limited ability to elicit natural behaviors. To address this issue, we tested a driving simulator-based approach that combined realistic driving scenarios including potentially frustrating forward obstacles and delays in travel time with two different types of instructions. Participants' vehicle control behaviors and subjective perception of traffic delays were compared. Results demonstrated that behaviors collected following instructions to drive safely did not have significant associations with participants’ perceptions of the traffic delays while participants following instructions to drive quickly demonstrated behaviors that were predictive of their subjective perceptions of the traffic delays. The findings suggest that vehicle control behaviors can be used as a proxy for subjective perceptions of traffic delays. We conclude that driving simulator methodology combining instructions, realistic traffic scenarios, and adaptive analytical methods is appropriate for studying drivers’ behaviors and interactions with other road users and can minimize the need to rely on subjective self-reports.

Dynamic Instructions in Check-All-That-Apply Questions

Check-all-that-apply questions are one of the most commonly used question formats in self-administered surveys. They are especially valuable because they allow respondents to select several responses from a list of alternatives that they consider applicable. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of different types of instructions requesting a specific number of responses to a check-all-that-apply question in a web survey. We compared “static” instructions that are always visible together with the question stem, “dynamic” instructions that instantly appear once respondents start answering the question, and “combined” instructions taking advantage of both static and dynamic instructions. Findings showed that in view of respondent compliance with the instruction, the combination of a static and dynamic instruction is most effective. However, findings also revealed that the specific number of responses requested in the instruction has to be taken into account as a decisive factor influencing the response selection process and ultimately data quality.

Enhancing behavioral control increases sharing in children

Young children endorse norms of fairness but rarely act on them. We investigated whether a failure of behavioral control can partially explain why children do not share more generously than they do. We experimentally manipulated behavioral control and observed its effects on sharing in 120 children aged 6–9years of age. Using a between-participants design, we presented children with stories in which a protagonist either exerted behavioral control in an unrelated context or not. Following this, children engaged in a sharing task. We found that children who had been read a story promoting behavioral control shared more than children who had been read a neutral story. This effect held over two different types of instruction. Perceptions of fairness, on the other hand, were identical across conditions. These findings speak to the importance of behavioral control in prosocial behavior, and specifically sharing, during middle childhood.

Teaching and Learning Method in Inclusive Classroom: A Case Study in EAP Class at Sampoerna University

A new challenge has appeared for Indonesian higher education to accommodate inclusive education. This study explored and compared the existing theories related with teaching and learning for inclusive education and teacher strategies applied in teaching hard of hearing students. From an observation in English for academic purposes classroom (EAP) course at Sampoerna University, this study evaluated the teaching and learning methods applied in the inclusive classroom and the students’ perspective upon the lesson. Through interviews conducted with the EAP lecturer, hard of hearing students, and a lecturer who is an expert in inclusive education, it can be seen that the usage of first language, written instructions, different types of instruction, and visualization through pictures, were able to facilitate the teaching and learning process for the hard of hearing students.

Processing the Spanish imperfect subjunctive: Depth of processing under different instructional conditions

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to examine 88 intermediate learners of second language Spanish’ depth of processing under different types of instruction when being exposed to a complex grammar form, the imperfect subjunctive, on a reading task. Depth of processing was measured by employing think-aloud protocols. Due to the absence of reactivity, six silent and think-aloud conditions were merged into three experimental ones differing in explicitness. The study followed a pre-, post-, and delayed test design with 2 weeks between tests, which consisted of interpretation, controlled-production, and comprehension tests. Overall, results showed that participants in the more explicit condition produced more instances of processing, and that deeper processing correlated with a more accurate production of the target form and with a higher comprehension of the reading passage.

The Best of Both Worlds: Combining Cognitive Linguistics and Pedagogic Tasks to Teach English Conditionals

Due to their internal complexity, English conditionals represent a challenge for L2 learners; furthermore, most ESL grammar books lack precise explanations of conditional meanings and usage contexts. As a solution, cognitive linguistic research on conditionals (Dancygier and Sweetser 2005), based on theory of conceptual blending and mirroring human cognition processes, could be very beneficial for L2 learners. In this study, elements of cognitive linguistic analysis of English hypothetical conditionals were incorporated into L2 learning materials. The design of the study was quasi-experimental, with three groups (N = 57) participating: cognitive, task-supported, and control. Pedagogic consciousness-raising tasks were used to provide a context for meaningful practice for cognitive and task-supported groups. The research questions explored the efficacy of different types of instruction for L2 development of English conditional phrases, as measured by a post-test and a delayed post-test. The findings of t-test and analysis of variance procedures (p = .001) indicate that participants from the cognitive group outperformed the participants from the task-supported and control groups and demonstrated a higher degree of understanding of conditional usage contexts.

The Effects of Instruction on the Frequency and Characteristics of Involuntary Autobiographical Memories.

The present study investigated the effects of experimental instruction on the retrieval of involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs). In previous studies of IAMs, participants were either instructed to record only memories (henceforth, the restricted group) or any thoughts (henceforth, the unrestricted group). However, it is unknown whether these two different types of instructions influence the retrieval of IAMs. The most recent study by Vannucci and her colleagues directly addressed this question and demonstrated that the frequency and phenomenological characteristics of IAMs strongly depended on the type of instruction received. The goal of the present study was to replicate these results while addressing some limitations of the Vannucci et al. study and to test three possible mechanisms proposed to explain the effect of instructions on the retrieval of IAMs. Our results accord well with the data presented by Vannucci et al. When participants were instructed to record only IAMs (the restricted group), they reported more memories and rated them as being retrieved in a more goal-oriented fashion. Their memories also were less clear, vivid, detailed and were less frequently accompanied by physiological reactions, compared to memories reported by the participants in the unrestricted group. In addition, the events to which the memories referred were rated as more unusual and personal by the restricted group. These results are consistent with the assumption that retrieval of IAMs depends on the type of instructions used in a study. In addition, our results suggest that one of the main mechanisms underlying the higher frequency of IAMs in the restricted group may be participants’ ability to monitor the stream of consciousness and to extract autobiographical content from this flow. Further implications of the effect of instructions for IAMs research are discussed.

TPACK Analysis of Preservice Teachers Under Different Instruction Methods and Class Levels

The importance of the use of technology in mathematics education has been demonstrated by many studies. Effective use of technology has been found to support the conceptual understanding of students. However, it is also found that, having only technological knowledge is not sufficient for using technology effectively in teaching mathematics; technological knowledge must be supported by pedagogical and content knowledge as well. It is stated that a teacher who effectively integrates these three types of knowledge has technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). In order for teachers to acquire this knowledge, it is important for them to take courses that support TPACK during their pre-service training. However, the type of instruction that they receive during such a course may have an impact on whether they actually acquire TPACK or not. In this study, we investigate a total of 80 pre-service teachers who took a class called “Exploring Geometry with Dynamic Geometry Applications” with different types of instruction over the course of 5 semesters. The participants involved a mixed group of junior, senior, and graduate students which allowed us to analyze the effect of class level and the type of instruction in the student’s ability to acquire TPACK. To analyze the students’ TPACK level, we performed document analysis using the theoretical framework developed by Bowers and Stephens after reinterpreting it based on the literature and the data collected during this study. It was found that the majority of the graduate students achieved Technological Content Knowledge (TCK). Additionally, it was observed that the type of instruction as well as students’ class level is important in developing TPACK. The obtained results allow us to make conclusions about how the contents and the instruction method of a course should be designed such that it better promotes TPACK achievement.

Effects of different types of instruction on the Scores of PID-5 profile

IntroductionSection III of 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes a hybrid model of personality pathology, in which dimensional personality traits (PTs) are used to derive one of six categorical Personality Disorder (PD) diagnoses. The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) has been developed to assess PTs within this new system.ObjectivesPT is a tendency to feel, perceive, behave, and think in relatively consistent ways across time and situations. PD diagnosis is generally stated if a pattern of maladaptive PTs persists at least 5 years. Nevertheless, the PID-5 instruction does not cover duration of symptoms.AimsWe have explored the effect of two different types of instructions, in which duration of symptoms is or is not explicitly mentioned, on the PID-5 scores. Moreover, we have asked whether the scores differ in psychiatric patients and healthy individuals.MethodsDifferences between original and modified instructions of the Czech PID-5 version have been evaluated in a group of 62 psychiatric patients and 38 healthy controls; each respondent has been administered both instruction types in random sequence. ANOVA mixed design has been used to test the relation between groups and different sequence of administration.ResultsWe have found no consistent differences in PID-5 scores using the different types of instruction described above.ConclusionsIn our sample, PID-5 seems to reflect strong beliefs of a subject regardless of symptoms’ duration and could be reliably used with both types of instruction. The PID-5 represents an appropriate instrument for the assessment of maladaptive PTs.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A dynamic block-level execution profiler

We introduce a hardware-based mechanism to dynamically profile application blocks.Profiling information is used to prioritize critical memory loads during execution.Our mechanism yields better accuracy and performance gains than previous proposals.We extensively analyze how our mechanism improves performance.Results show that it alleviates prefetch inter-core interference. Most performance enhancing mechanisms in current processors, such as branch predictors or prefetchers, rely on program characteristics monitored at the granularity of single instructions. However, many of these characteristics can be obtained at the basic block-level instead. The coarser granularity allows a larger portion of the code to be examined, enabling a more accurate profiling and a detailed analysis of the different types of instructions executed within a block. Therefore, block-level analysis can be advantageous for performance enhancing mechanisms, as it allows us to look at how the instructions influence each other, and thus detect complex behavior patterns.In this paper, we present the Dynamic Block-Level Execution Profiler (DBLEP), a basic block level online mechanism that profiles micro-architectural bottlenecks, such as delinquent memory loads, hard-to-predict branches and contention for functional units. DBLEP operates at the basic block level and provides information that can be used to reduce the impact of these bottlenecks. A prefetch dropping scheme and a memory controller policy were developed to use the code profiling information provided by DBLEP. By taking advantage of the high profiling accuracy, these mechanisms are able to improve the processor's performance by up to 18.6% (5.3% on average). We show that our mechanism's performance is comparable to mechanisms that work on single instruction granularity, using less hardware.

Examining the cognitive demands of analogy instructions compared to explicit instructions

Purpose: In many learning domains, instructions are presented explicitly despite high cognitive demands associated with their processing. This study examined cognitive demands imposed on working memory by different types of instruction to speak with maximum pitch variation: visual analogy, verbal analogy and explicit verbal instruction.Method: Forty participants were asked to memorise a set of 16 visual and verbal stimuli while reading aloud a Cantonese paragraph with maximum pitch variation. Instructions about how to achieve maximum pitch variation were presented via visual analogy, verbal analogy, explicit rules or no instruction. Pitch variation was assessed off-line, using standard deviation of fundamental frequency. Immediately after reading, participants recalled as many stimuli as possible.Result: Analogy instructions resulted in significantly increased pitch variation compared to explicit instructions or no instructions. Explicit instructions resulted in poorest recall of stimuli. Visual analogy instructions resulted in significantly poorer recall of visual stimuli than verbal stimuli.Conclusion: The findings suggest that non-propositional instructions presented via analogy may be less cognitively demanding than instructions that are presented explicitly. Processing analogy instructions that are presented as a visual representation is likely to load primarily visuospatial components of working memory rather than phonological components. The findings are discussed with reference to speech therapy and human cognition.

Passive movements for treatment and prevention of contractures—what is the evidence? A cochrane systematic review

focusing on body movements) and External focus of attention wherein instructions are given to the learner to focus externally (e.g. focusing on the task to be performed). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different types of instructions on motor skills among older adults. Methods: In this Randomized controlled trial 60 healthy elderly participants were recruited from community dwelling old age home after obtaining ethical and informed consent. Participants were randomly assigned using block randomization to one of the three groups an Internal focus group (IF), an External focus group (EF) or a control group. All the participants were unfamiliar with the task. The task was to throw vacuum ball into the center of a circular wooden board (similar to dart throwing). The tasks were divided into three phases to capture the acquisition, retention and transfer during motor learning. All the phases were performed in blocks of ten throws each. Each participant came for 2 consecutive days. On the first day, during the acquisition phase, participants threw the ball 50 times in 5 trial blocks (10 throws per block). One day after the acquisition phase, both retention and transfer phases were conducted. In the retention phase, participants threw 20 times (2 blocks of 10 throws each) from the same distance as in the acquisition phase. Several minutes later, the transfer phase will be conducted, in which participants threw 20 times (2 blocks of 10 throws each) from a further distance. Instructions for the IF group were directed at movements of the shoulder, arm, and fingers. Instructions for the EF group were directed at the target and the ball’s trajectory. Outcome measures used were Mean Radial Error [MRE] for accuracy of throwing and bivariate variable error [BE] for variability of throwing. The outcome assessor was blinded to the group allocation. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA for within and between group comparisons were done. Significant improvements in throwing accuracy and variability were seen within all the three groups. However there was significantly more improvement in throwing accuracy and reduced throwing variability in EF group compared to the IF and control group. Conclusion(s): This study shows that older adults may benefit more from external focus of instructions for motor learning compared with internal focus of instructions. Future studies are recommended to analyze the way older adults learn motor skills. Implications: External focus of instructions may be beneficial and improve motor learning among older adults.

Assessment of Experiential Education in Prescribed Burning for Current and Future Natural Resource Managers

AbstractAcquiring experiential prescribed fire education is difficult for college students. In order to evaluate the effects of instruction on students, we surveyed those who were taking or had completed Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) prescribed fire courses since 2000. Of those surveyed, 32 were current students and 99 were former students. We assessed changes in their perception, knowledge, skills, abilities, the total area that they have prescribed burned since leaving OSU, their career trajectories, and how they rated the importance of different types of instruction. One third of the current students had never participated in a prescribed burn before the course; however, after the course, they had participated in seven burns on average. Current students had increased confidence in planning prescribed fire, operating a drip torch, and leading a prescribed fire program. Former students were employed in 20 US states and one Canadian province. Only one third of former students had participated in a prescribed burning association (or similar local cooperative), of which two thirds became federal government employees. Former students had conducted or assisted with 6247 prescribed fires on a total of 803 252 ha after taking the courses, from 2000 to 2013. Experiential learning such as conducting prescribed burns, writing burn plans, and spot fire and equipment training ranked higher in utility than passive types of instruction such as lectures. Of the 37 universities assessed, only eight offer any courses explicitly focused on prescribed fire. Based on our results that demonstrate that both current and former students value experiential fire ecology educational training, we recommend that university curricula should increase the focus on prescribed fire, emphasize experiential learning, and facilitate greater interaction between student and instructor.

Defining grammatical difficulty: a student teacher perspective

Numerous second language acquisition (SLA) researchers have tried to define grammatical difficulty in second and foreign language acquisition – often as part of an attempt to relate the efficacy of different types of instruction to the degree of difficulty of grammatical structures. The resulting proliferation of definitions and the lack of a unifying framework have made the easy–difficult distinction a muddled concept. This paper attempts to clear up some of the confusion by reviewing the definitions SLA literature offers and relating these to (student) teachers’ cognitions on grammatical difficulty, a perspective largely ignored in SLA publications despite its potential for a more integrative and holistic view on the topic. To this end, a total of 727 undergraduate and postgraduate student teachers of English were surveyed in two empirical studies. Quantitative and qualitative analyses – in combination with the findings from SLA literature – yielded a model comprising four interrelated categories of factors that determine grammatical difficulty: (1) grammar feature; (2) pedagogical arrangement; (3) teacher quality; and (4) learner characteristics. In addition, the resulting model is discussed as a basis for future research into the changing cognitions of student teachers as they become more experienced.

Expert and Target Scoring: Their relation, corresponding test instructions, and their effects on the construct validity of the video‐based social understanding test (VSU)

This study investigated the relation between expert and target scoring of a video‐based social understanding test (VSU) under two different types of instructions (internal and observer). The effects of the scoring methods and instructions on the VSU's construct validity were also examined. A total of 529 pilot applicants completed the VSU (some with internal and some with observer instructions), cognitive ability and knowledge tests, and a personality questionnaire. A subsample (n = 132) completed the VSU again with the other instructions and participated in an assessment center (AC). The two scores were moderately correlated; correlations decreased when the instructions were considered. Neither expert nor target scores showed convergent validity with AC variables; none of the scoring‐instruction combinations showed significant associations with the remaining measures.

Remediation of context-processing deficits in schizophrenia: preliminary data with ambiguous sentences.

BackgroundProcessing of contextual information is essential for the establishment of good interpersonal relations and communicational interactions. Nevertheless, it is known that schizophrenic patients present impairments in the processing of contextual information. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of the remediation of context processing in schizophrenic patients.MethodsThirty-one schizophrenic patients and 28 matched healthy participants were included in this study. All participants were assessed on verbal knowledge (Mill-Hill test) and depression intensity (Beck Depression Scale 21 items). Schizophrenic patients were also assessed on thought, language, and communication disorders (Thought, Language and Communication scale). All participants completed a disambiguation task with two different levels of contextualization (high or low context) and a context-processing remediation task containing social scenarios that included ambiguous words and were presented with two different types of instruction: with or without context explanation.ResultsFor the disambiguation task, results showed no effect of group, but a main effect of context, with better performances in the high-context than the low-context condition. For the context-processing remediation task, results showed a main effect of group: The performance of schizophrenic patients who had received explanations differed from that both of healthy participants and of schizophrenic patients who had not received explanations.ConclusionThis study revealed that for all participants, the structuring of context had a positive effect on the contextual integration of ambiguous words. Concerning the remediation task, explanations about the strategies that could be used to take context into account improved the schizophrenic patients’ performances. This allows us to consider new methods of remediation that could improve social interaction in schizophrenia.