Formal Learning Environments Research Articles

Integrating formal and informal subsystems: A case study of Promise City’s early care and education model

This case study explores effective practices within a district’s early care and education model. Interviews were conducted with eight parents of high-performing students and seven district ECE partners from Promise City. The results of this case study lead to the development of a model that comprises best practices within the (a) informal ECE subsystem, (b) formal ECE subsystem, and (c) intersection of the informal and formal subsystems. The model incorporates the best practices identified by Ma et al’s. (2016) meta-analysis, as well as unique best practices found within Promise City. The findings highlight the importance of both informal and formal learning environments and actively working to bridge these environments.

Exploring the Adoption Phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence by Doctoral Students Within Doctoral Education

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in academia is an emerging field of interest. However, there is scant literature that explores the phenomenon of AI adoption by graduate students in doctoral education. This study employs collaborative autoethnography to explore and better understand the nuances of how doctoral students experience AI technologies within academic pursuits. A critical analysis of data revealed that the collective researcher-participant experiences offered the primary overarching theme of adoption strategy, with four distinct subthemes: adoption fear, adoption resistance, adoption feasibility, and adoption ethics. The findings suggest a balanced approach to AI adoption depends on the development of comprehensive strategies that are informed by a deep understanding of both the technological capabilities and the human factors involved. We urge both doctoral students and educators involved in doctoral programs to think critically about these identified themes. For doctoral students, this analysis offers valuable insights into challenges associated with integrating AI technologies into formal learning environments, potentially enhancing a management strategy for their doctoral studies. Educators tasked with integrating and evaluating AI technologies for doctoral coursework may develop a deeper understanding of the challenges their students may encounter during the adoption process.

Training for Board Game-based Learning: Evaluation Model and Preliminary Results From a National Program in Italy

Board Game-Based Learning (bGBL) is a dynamic pedagogical approach that leverages the immersive power and distinctive features of board games to promote active and meaningful learning. However, the use of board games in formal learning environments (such as schools, universities, etc.) is limited, and its use in informal learning contexts (such as cultural associations, after-school, fairs, summer camps, etc.) is often reduced to solely entertainment or engagement functions. The reasons include lack of competencies by teachers and educators and of pedagogical and instructional frameworks in scientific literature. In Italy, a joint effort by the National Sport association (CSI) and the Game Science Research Center has given birth to the first bGBL training course at the national level, based on a two-step structure: the first level (L1) is a short training aimed at all individuals willing to learn how to conduct board game activities in different settings; the second level (L2) is a more intensive course aimed at L1 trainees willing to learn how to design, implement, and evaluate bGBL activities. Evaluating the impact of such training is paramount to improve its quality, promoting new training opportunities nationwide, and better understand the competencies required for effective bGBL implementation in different settings. The present study focuses on two main aspects: first, presenting the model for evaluating the course, using Kirkpatrick’s Four levels of evaluation as a reference framework, and the related tools that have been developed, including an ex ante-ex post questionnaire based on four dimensions of self-assessment (performance, process, attitudes, and idea of self); second, presenting preliminary results. We aim to identify the professional, motivational and competence profiles of individuals entering L1 courses, information that is instrumental to design the training to fit participants’ needs and expectations. Taken together, this study might provide valuable information on the implementation of bGBL in various educational contexts and inform the design of learning curricula to enhance bGBL competencies.

Youths' relationship with culture: Tracing sixth graders' learning through designing culturally centred multimedia projects

AbstractAlthough education is framed as a future‐oriented enterprise, we often fail to serve the diverse futurities of youth, particularly in formal learning environments. The cultural norms of formal learning environments are rooted in dominant ways of being and knowing and this shapes how learning environments and learning technologies can be designed. As a result, the futures youth can envision for themselves in these spaces are often static and limited by the dominant culture. As a move toward supporting youths' diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences, we ask how youth develop relationship with culture through creating culturally centred multimedia projects. Guided by a case study approach, we collected thirty‐six remixing multimedia projects from twelve sixth graders, who created these projects for three culturally centred learning activities over a school year. Findings share one case from each learning activity to demonstrate how students represent their relationships with culture through three forms of symbolising. Implications from this work reject the settled expectations of dominant culture in formal learning environments and, instead, invite youths' knowledges and experiences through remixing with multimedia. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Formal learning environments are shaped by norms rooted in the dominant culture but are often assumed to be acultural spaces. Multimedia technologies have been leveraged to engage youth with culture in the classroom. Remixing is a sociocultural learning process that allows youth to reimagine their lived experiences. What this paper adds Sixth graders' relationships with culture were mediated by remixing with multimedia resources in a series of culturally centred multimedia projects. Forms of symbolising in students' remixing works reveal diverse relationships with their own culture and other cultures. Culturally centred multimedia projects afford the development of intertwined and reciprocal relationships with one's own culture and other cultures. Implications for practice Formal learning environments and embedded learning activities often operate on static or limited relationships between youth and their diverse range of cultural experiences. Engaging with multimedia projects can develop students' relationships with their own culture and other cultures in a reciprocal way. Supporting the development of diverse relationships with culture is crucial to designing a culturally centred learning environment.

What Approaches Described in Research Literature Enhance the Engagement of Children and Young People With Severe or Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities? A Systematic Literature Review

ABSTRACTBackgroundChildren and young people (CYP) with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities are more likely to experience difficulties engaging for long periods. Finding ways to facilitate their engagement is crucial in promoting their social and emotional development and their mental well‐being, particularly as they are more vulnerable to difficulties with mental well‐being compared to their peers.MethodsWe undertook a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify approaches described within peer‐reviewed research literature that enhance the engagement of these children. Data from seven relevant studies were qualitatively synthesised. Thematic networks were then developed to visually present global, organising and basic themes identified within data.FindingsA global theme derived from organising themes across studies indicated that the quality of space is an important consideration in enhancing engagement. This included the extent to which space adhered to prescribed knowledge or afforded practitioners with opportunities to follow their intuition and deviate from such ideas.ConclusionsQuality of space may be important to the engagement of these CYP and consequently to their mental well‐being. This may involve consideration of the extent to which formal learning environments for them are organised and informed by dominant theory and discourse (abstract space), prescribed (spatial) practice and the extent to which environments provide conditions for ‘lived spaces’ that are potentially more facilitative of their engagement and so their mental well‐being.

Information ecosystems in early academic career building: how do researchers in the social sciences and humanities learn the tricks of the trade?

Early career investigators (ECIs) in the Social Sciences and Humanities need to receive adequate information so that they will be empowered to progress in their academic career and deal with the various evaluation processes that constitute an essential part of their professional development. This article relies on an informational-ecosystemic approach originally developed in the context of resilience studies and crisis communication and uses it as a theoretical framework to analyse and understand the “early academic career building information ecosystems” (EACBIEs), into which ECIs professionally develop. The characteristics of these ecosystems are then refined through the analysis of interviews conducted with ECIs from all around Europe in the framework of the European Network for Research Evaluation in Social Sciences and Humanities (ENRESSH), European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. The analysis reveals the remarkable heterogeneity of the information ecosystems into which early career researchers have to build their career in Europe, articulating a diversity of formal, non-formal and informal learning environments, and several related information channels, as well as showing a geographical spread that covers institutional, national and international levels. Furthermore, although the diverse information channels at hand and geographical levels at which they operate appear in some cases to be complementary, and even mutually reinforcing, they can also, in other cases, be dysfunctional, fragmented and unfair to some extent.

Parent psychological distress and beliefs about nurturing care: Associations with parent investments and early child development in Ethiopia.

Parental engagement in stimulating activities and support in both formal and informal learning environments are important for early childhood development. However, little is known about how parental mental health and beliefs about early childhood development shape such investments. We draw on a sample of young children and their primary caregiver from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (N = 3,000; Mage = 34.1 months; 48.5% girls) and examine how parental distress and beliefs predict investments in learning at home and how these, in turn, predict children's development across multiple domains. We examine these associations separately for infants/toddlers (0-35 months) and preschool-aged children (36-72 months), for whom enrollment in preprimary school is also included as an additional form of parent investment. Results showed different patterns of associations between the two age groups. Specifically, for infants and toddlers, parental distress and beliefs did not predict parent investments or child outcomes, but both access to learning materials and cognitive stimulation at home positively predicted child development in every domain. For preschool-aged children, parental beliefs positively predicted hours in preschool, and parental distress negatively predicted the availability of learning materials and cognitive stimulation at home; these three forms of parent investments each positively predicted children's outcomes across all developmental domains. Collectively, these findings deepen our understanding of parent factors that shape children's formal and informal learning experiences and point to several important areas for future research to more fully understand early childhood development in low-resource contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Supporting parents in facilitating computational thinking for young children through loose parts construction play

AbstractComputational thinking (CT) as an essential problem‐solving and thinking skill for all students has been the focus of much interest from education systems all over the world (Chen et al., 2023). Unplugged activities like constructing and play with loose parts provide a low‐cost solution to naturally weave in learning of CT skills for young children at home and formal learning environments. Such activities provide opportunities particularly for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access learning of CT skills so they will not be left behind. This article describes the pilot study of a programme that introduced an open‐ended construction play activity using loose‐parts to parent–child dyads from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with the aim to support parents in facilitating play interactions in ways to promote CT skills for their children using question cards. The cards contained questions that parents could use to foster CT skills like decomposition and algorithmic thinking in their play interactions. Focus group discussions were held before and after the play sessions and parents in the study reported more confidence in supporting their children in play and learning of 21st century skills of teamwork, collaboration and CT skills. The results demonstrate the potential of unplugged pedagogy for promoting CT skills for young children especially in the home environment through engagement with families, with implications for home–school collaborative learning environments and parent education. Recommendations for practice and research are provided accordingly.

Pedagogical approaches of maker educators in a school setting

ABSTRACT The purpose of this exploratory study is to propose a pedagogical nexus for maker educators that is specific to making and tinkering in K–12 formal learning environments. The intent is to document the pedagogical approaches of practising teachers as they gain experience with making practices and principles. Based on the analysis of interview data from 24 self-identified maker educators, participants created opportunities and provided instructional support to engage students in making through the use of five approaches: Tool/Technique-Focused Making, Curriculum-Focused Making, Inquiry-Focused Making, Application-Focused Making and Interest-Focused Making. While differences in terms of the goal of the making activity existed within each approach, there were also commonalities across the approaches such as student outcomes and means of assessment. The authors discuss implications for the use of these pedagogical approaches of making and possibilities for future research.

Trends in data literacy, 2018-2023: a review of the literature

Introduction. A review of the literature on data literacy from 2018 to mid-2023. Method. A scoping review of the data literacy literature, in order to provide an overview of a topic, clarify key concepts, and identifying knowledge gaps. Analysis. A detailed search strategy was applied to three data bases: SCOPUS, the ACM Digital Library, and the IEEE Xplore, followed by a qualitative analysis using a coding matrix of eight categories. Results. Trends and gaps in the research were identified. The volume of research on data literacy is growing. Most data literacy research is in the context of formal learning environments. The focus of data literacy tends to be on digital data, interactions with big data systems, and the datafication of life. Critical data literacy approaches were identified in one third of the sample papers - a small but emerging stance to data literacy education. Most empirical studies about data literacy occurred in the Global North. Conclusion. This paper contributes to our understanding of how data and data literacy are currently interpreted in the research literature, as well as the types of topics, skills, and data practices explored. It reveals developing trajectories and proposes future steps for building out the field of data literacy.

Multilingual learners’ exposure to science and language inputs in elementary school: ¿Qué sabemos?

AbstractAs linguistic diversity continues to increase in the United States public school system, schools are expected to meet the needs of their ever‐changing student body. While much attention within education research has understandably focused on multilingual learners’ (MLs) English language acquisition, an emergent body of work points to science as an important subject for attention among elementary MLs. We suggest that understanding what science and language inputs are afforded to MLs in schools can contribute to understanding the needs and opportunities for enhancing MLs’ science learning. This study leveraged nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of 2010–2011 to explore the science and language inputs available to MLs in elementary school. Using descriptive statistics, our analysis of science and language inputs provides evidence on what MLs have, or do not have, access to inside of their schools. Science inputs appear to be relatively evenly distributed across classrooms serving non‐MLs, MLs, and subgroups therein. In comparison, language inputs are differentially distributed across ML subgroups, but they are distributed in ways that may align with student needs. However, while the science inputs do not necessarily vary across subgroups, the language inputs do, and this may affect how students can engage with science inputs. In understanding what science and language inputs MLs are afforded, this study provides a foundation for how to improve formal learning environments for them, especially regarding science learning.

Exploring the Impact of Value Education: A Comprehensive Analysis

Value education plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals' ethical, moral, and social development. This research article provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of value education on learners' cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. Drawing on theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and practical insights, the article explores the significance of integrating value education into formal and informal learning environments. Through a synthesis of literature and case studies, the article examines the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches, curriculum designs, and implementation strategies in promoting values such as empathy, integrity, and social responsibility. The findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of value education in fostering holistic development, promoting ethical decision-making, and nurturing responsible citizenship. The article concludes with implications for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders in advancing value education initiatives and fostering a culture of integrity, empathy, and respect in society.

Social Media and K–12 Foreign Language Education

This systematic review aims to explore social media integration in K–12 foreign language (FL) classrooms in the past decade and discusses the unique challenges of adopting social media in K–12 FL teaching. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and selection criteria, 12 studies between 2010 and 2019 were selected. Adopting a grounded analytical method, this review provides a synthesis of the affordances and challenges of social media integration in K–12 FL education. Based on the data analysis, an effective approach to integrating social media in K–12 FL education is proposed, to connect formal and informal learning environments. This review concludes with suggestions and directions for future research on the integration of social media in K–12 FL classrooms.

Presence and (dis)connectedness – the influence of smartphones usage on human–nature and human–human interactions in outdoor studies

Interactions between students and nature and students and their peers are central to learning processes in outdoor studies programs. This paper draws on symbolic interactionist social theory to interpret participants’ experiences of smartphone usage and its impact on human–nature and human–human interactions. The findings are derived from a collective case study using semi-structured interviews with educators and focus group interviews with students enrolled in outdoor studies programs in Norway. Two primary themes were identified through reflexive thematic analysis: perceptions of nature and attentiveness to peers. Each of these themes illustrates the fluctuating presence and (dis) connectedness of students and the implications of this for learning out-of-doors. On the one hand, the findings suggest that the use of smartphones reduces students’ sensory perception of nature and their attentiveness to interactions with their peers. On the other hand, smartphones and their access to online networks can contribute to the continuity of learning experiences between indoor and outdoor learning, as well as beyond the formal learning environment. Taken together, this inquiry offers new insights into the challenges of tertiary level teaching and learning outdoors in spaces that are mediated (at times) by interactions with smartphones and associated media infrastructures.

Impacts of Involving Young Learners in Mind, Brain, and Education Research

AbstractAs the field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) continues to grow, MBE researchers have begun expanding the scope of their investigations and approaches. One such development is the establishment of collaborative partnership with young learners, both to inform research practices and to develop student‐researchers. We explore how middle school students (ages 12 to 14 years) engage in MBE research through an assistantship program, initiated through a unique research‐practice partnership that embeds MBE researchers and an electrophysiology laboratory into a school. In this program, student‐researchers learn about experimental methods, assist with university research protocols, and drive independent projects. Here, we detail this program and report on its impact from both the teacher and student‐researcher perspectives. Overall, we find that daily involvement in scientific research aids the holistic development of student‐researchers by fostering academic and nonacademic skills that may transcend formal learning environments.

The Effect of Self-Efficacy on Digital Reading Platforms on Early Childhood English Language Development

Early childhood education is crucial in laying a solid foundation for children's language and literacy development. In an era where digital technology is increasingly pervasive in daily life, it is important to understand how digital reading platforms can influence young children's language development. This study aims to explore the relationship between children's self-efficacy in using digital reading platforms and their English language development. Qualitative research methods were employed, collecting data through participatory observation and interviews with parents and early childhood educators. The research sample consisted of 30 children (aged 4-6 years) who regularly use digital reading platforms in formal and informal learning environments. The results indicate a positive correlation between children's self-efficacy levels in digital reading platforms and their progress in understanding and using English. The practical implications of this research emphasize the importance of strengthening children's self-efficacy and selecting appropriate digital reading platforms to support young children's language and literacy development. This study provides valuable insights for educators, parents, and educational technology developers in designing effective learning strategies for young children in the digital age.

Teachable monuments: using the captain Kirk memorial for formal and informal history education

This study, part of the project “Museums, Monuments and Communities: Places of Public Memory,” investigates the unique value of the Captain Kirk Memorial, including those of the Aniz Domingos Museum and the Archives of the Federal Institute of Paraná as pedagogical tools in formal and informal learning environments about the Contestado War (1912-1916). These spaces, located in União da Vitória-PR and Porto União-SC, respectively, are not just monuments but “living entities” that engage the public, especially the students of the Thomaz Padilha School. Inaugurated in 2015, the Captain Kirk Memorial celebrates the historical significance of the Contestado War, which influenced public memory and often diverged from other narratives. Analyzing monuments and historical archives and conducting a community study between 2021 and 2022, we seek to deepen our understanding of the interconnections between monuments and memory, based on public history, and Oral history. We highlight the importance of pedagogical and exhibition practices, which not only provoke reflections on memory and history but also culminate in the creation of a monument for the centenary of the District of Taquara Verde, Caçador-SC, a significant site in the memory of the Contestado War. Thus, the project allowed the students and the community to connect with the past and reflect on the links between personal memory, the memory of the Brazilian army, and the memory of the thousands of caboclos-sertanejos (backlands) killed in the Contestado War. Therefore, these sites are not only educational means but also environments for dialog and understanding the dynamics of public memory. These are crucial for developing a diverse and shared historical consciousness.

Transmedia learning: a literature review

ABSTRACT The term transmedia learning is focused on how students learn in both formal and informal learning environments, across multiple platforms. This article identifies the literature on transmedia learning across the last decade and draws together a consistent definition. A conceptual model for transmedia learning is outlined and further advances a way to frame learning across different platforms. Transmedia learning can encourage more collaborative and a more engaged learning environment. Using NVivo12, a grounded theory approach was used as a methodology for the reviewing the literature. The study identified five key areas in transmedia learning – transmedia play, participatory culture, transmedia skills, connectedness and informal learning. The author discusses these findings in relation to higher education and proposes that understanding the process of transmedia learning can help teachers and learning designers integrate learning across platforms more effectively and better engage and connect with students in blended, online and hyflex teaching modes.

Program Evaluation in Formal and Informal STEM Learning Environments: An Introduction

Program Evaluation in Formal and Informal STEM Learning Environments: An Introduction

Digital competence and students’ engagement: a comprehensive analysis of smartphone utilization, perceived autonomy and formal digital learning as mediators

PurposeThe integration of digital technologies into education has brought about a profound transformation, fundamentally reshaping the learning landscape. The purpose of this study is to underscore the importance of investigating the factors influencing students’ engagement (SE) in this evolving digital era, particularly within formal digital learning environments. To address this need, the study is grounded in self-determination theory (SDT) and presents a comprehensive model comprising interconnected elements: digital competence (DC), smartphone use (SPU), perceived autonomy (PA), digital formal learning (DFL) and SE.Design/methodology/approachThe research conducted an investigation within Saudi Arabian universities, collecting a robust data set of 392 cases. This data set underwent rigorous analysis to validate the proposed model. To untangle the intricate relationships within the framework, the study used partial least squares structural equation modelling. Given the distinct dimensions of the two constructs under study, the researcher used a disjoint two-stage approach to establish reflective-formative higher-order constructs (HOC).FindingsThe findings revealed that digital literacy and digital skills (DS) constitute the foundational constituents of DC. Simultaneously, the study identified facilitation, distraction and connectedness as integral components of SPU. Importantly, the study established that DC, SPU, PA and DFL significantly influence SE. Furthermore, the research illuminated the mediating roles played by SPU, PA and DFL in the complex relationship between DC and SE.Originality/valueThis study advances the literature by delineating the dynamic interplay between DC, SPU and SE in digital learning. It extends SDT within educational contexts, emphasizing the role of internal motivations and DS. Methodologically, it innovates through reflective-formative HOCs, deepening the analysis of complex educational constructs. Managerially, it guides institutions in enhancing DC and integrating smartphones effectively into learning, advocating for tailored strategies to foster engaging and autonomous digital learning environments, thereby enriching both theoretical understanding and practical application in education.