Knowledge Building Process Research Articles

Interactive external representations for knowledge-building processes and performance in dyads: An experimental study

Interactive external representations for knowledge-building processes and performance in dyads: An experimental study

“I Thought That They Were Very Cut and Dry”: Preservice Elementary Science Teachers Learning About and Learning with Models and Modeling

ABSTRACT While recent research has examined students’ and teachers’ understanding of models and modeling, few studies have focused on how teacher educators can support preservice elementary science teachers in envisioning enriched learning processes and outcomes for their students while engaging in modeling practices. Informed by reflective practices through a case-based pedagogy, this qualitative case study investigated how preservice teachers take up learning about and learning with models and modeling practices as a multimodal knowledge-building process and reflect on their understanding of models and modeling in science education. This study is not just about teachers’ understanding of models and modeling; it is about cultivating a broader perspective, acknowledging the multiplicities of modalities that modelers bring to the table in their engagement with modeling practices. Conducted in a science methods course at a southeastern U.S. research university, this study used various qualitative data sources, including teachers’ written reflective responses to a case and commentary about a modeling-based lesson, modeling artifacts, and the video and audio recordings of the modeling-based lesson that was part of their methods course. Discussion of the findings highlights how reflective practices through a case-based pedagogy can expose preservice teachers to a better understanding of what meaningful and equitable modeling practices might look like in classroom settings by showing them what models are for, how they function, who gets to develop models, and whose knowledge contributes to modeling practices while building knowledge in science classrooms.

Demystifying Lesotho, Rwandan and Nigerian educators’ viewpoints on smart technologies supporting AI in higher education

AbstractGiven the deluge of technology flowing into African countries from the global north, it is not a hyperbole to make a point that developed nations are better equipped to practically integrate Smart Technologies supporting Artificial Intelligence (STAI) into higher education teaching methodologies. However, conversations regarding the application of AI in higher education have been spurred by attempts at its practical implementation in developing countries such as Lesotho, Rwanda, and Nigeria. Furthermore, a dearth of literature exists regarding STAI in higher education within the contexts of higher education in Lesotho, Rwanda, and Nigeria. This dearth points to a necessity for research to be conducted to include the three countries’ higher education contexts in order for researchers to be able to comprehend the perspectives of educators in these countries on their use of STAI in teaching and learning, as well as to identify the challenges associated with integrating STAI into higher education instructional practices. This study examines these three countries as case studies to gain insights into the perspectives of these educators on smart technologies which support AI in their higher education sectors. Vygotsky’s (1978) emphasis on ‘cultural tools’ and social interaction remains crucial in the knowledge-building process, and his social constructivist learning theory underpins the study. An online, semi-structured questionnaire was designed to address the question: What are e the viewpoints of a sampled group of higher education educators from Rwanda, Nigeria and Lesotho on Smart Technologies which support AI in Higher Education? The findings revealed participant from these countries to possess varied technological knowledge of the use of STAI to facilitate content comprehension and achievement of their teaching objectives. However, we argue in this paper that the participating educators’ varied understandings of the use of STAI in higher education needs to expand and to be swiftly accommodated if the three countries are to be on par with developed countries.

Knowledge-Building in Classroom: A Multimodal Semantic Wave Model

The generation of meaning in discourse is regarded as the process of knowledge-building, which can be analyzed by semantic waves. Combining the deep learning systems and polynomial fitting method, we present a method to compute multimodal semantic waves. With this method, four representative examples are discussed for the knowledge-building of Chinese, English, Mathematics and Science subjects in Chinese primary schools. From the multimodal semantic waves of these subjects, we can clearly observe the differences between the processes of knowledge-building. Besides, it is advantageous for the proposed method that the value of multimodal semantic waves at any given future time can be predicted by an nth-order polynomial, which may help to study practical classroom discourse.

“In such a dark period, the only light”: Patients’ motivations and strategies to seek care from an online health community during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study conducted in Italy about a peculiar online health community named #TERAPIADOMICILIARECOVID19 (#TDC19), which, since April 2020, has assisted people with COVID-19 with early-at-home therapy delivered by volunteer doctors, free of charge for patients. The aim of the paper was to analyse patients' motivations and strategies when negotiating risk in the context of this choice. Findings showed that patients' choices were the outcome of a process that forms an entangled ecology of care involving several dimensions, crossing micro, meso and macro levels: a) the process of knowledge-building by assessing mass-media, ascertaining the best protocol and recalling previous experiences with similar diseases; b) the experience of feeling abandoned by general practitioners (GPs) and healthcare institutions; c) the positive encounter with #TDC19's posts of gratitude written by people who were cured by #TDC19 doctors. In the end, patients' choice was not a leap of faith; they negotiated and balanced out the perceived risks associated with COVID-19 and with the possible available choices (GPs, do-it-yourself, #TDC19-doctors) based on a strategy that chiefly encompassed a blend of rational and in-between logics.

Pendekatan Konstektual Dalam Pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam

The purpose of this writing is to know and understand the contextual approach as a teaching method that supports success in the PAI learning process. The method used in this research is a literacy study method where data collection uses various reading sources such as journals, books and articles to support the success of this writing. From the results of this writing, it can be concluded that the definition of a contextual approach is a way of teaching carried out by teachers by linking learning material to students' daily lives in the real world, so that students are able to draw meaning or conclusions from the learning material. The aim of this contextual approach is to build students' understanding of new experiences based on initial knowledge. Learning becomes a process of building knowledge rather than receiving knowledge.

“Ignoring” to “Autonomous” Participation: Narratives of a Participatory Action Researcher

This paper examines different layers of participation while conducting Participatory Action Research (PAR). In the journey of three years of fieldwork with teachers, many realizations were made about becoming co-researchers and engaging in a collaborative knowledge-building process for developing an engaged pedagogical approach. The paper had two purposes: a) exploring the different layers of participation in PAR, and b) documenting the lead researcher’s continuous professional learning in understanding PAR. The lead researcher proposed “ignoring” to “autonomous” participation as levels. The lead researcher also changed from overly influencing roles on PAR to accepting co-researchers' voices and respecting their efforts for sustainable change.

Creativity is motivated by novelty. Curiosity is triggered by uncertainty.

Although creativity and curiosity can be similarly construed as knowledge-building processes, their underlying motivation is fundamentally different. Specifically, curiosity drives organisms to seek information that reduces uncertainty so that they can make a better prediction about the world. On the contrary, creative processes aim to connect distant pieces of information, maximizing novelty and utility.

Participatory action research and empowerment of nursing home residents

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss participatory action research with staff, residents and relatives contributed to the residents’ quality of life through the development of an inclusive praxis in a public nursing home in Denmark. The project addressed the residents’ reports about a lack of influence in their everyday lives.Design/methodology/approachThe project used future-creating workshops as an important methodological tool. Theoretical concepts about developing a social reflexive and colletive morally obliging praxis were central to frame democratic learning and acting. The theoretical concepts of empowerment and capability were also applied. This paper will outline the methods and the results obtained.FindingsLearning processes were initiated, enabling staff to respectfully engage in dialogue with residents and their relatives about their needs and wishes. The development of a democratic knowledge-building process was established based on the perspectives of the residents, relatives and staff. In conclusion, the project contributed to the development of a more reflective and democratic praxis focused on empowering the residents as the primary “stakeholders” in the daily life of the nursing home.Originality/valueThe research paper is based on the authors’ own research.

An Active Model of Research Translation for the General Public: Content Analysis of a YouTube-Based Health Podcast.

Online health information seeking is changing the way people engage with health care and the health system. Recent changes in practices related to seeking, accessing, and disseminating scientific research, and in particular health information, have enabled a high level of user engagement. This study aims to examine an innovative model of research translation, The Huberman Lab Podcast (HLP), developed by Andrew Huberman, Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at the Stanford School of Medicine. The HLP leverages social media to deliver health information translated into specific, actionable practices and health strategies directly to the general public. This research characterizes the HLP as an Active Model of Research Translation and assesses its potential as a framework for replicability and wider adoption. We applied conventional content analysis of the YouTube transcript data and directed content analysis of viewers' YouTube comments to 23 HLP episodes released from January to October 2021, reflecting the time of data analysis. We selected 7 episodes and a welcome video, to describe and identify key characteristics of the HLP model. We analyzed viewer comments for 18 episodes to determine whether viewers found the HLP content valuable, accessible, and easy to implement. The key HLP features are direct-to-the-consumer, zero-cost, bilingual, and actionable content. We identified 3 main organizing categories and 10 subcategories as the key elements of the HLP: (1) Why: Educate and Empower and Bring Zero Cost to Consumer Information to the General Public; (2) What: Tools and Protocols; Underlying Mechanisms; and Grounded in Science; (3) How: Linear and Iterative Knowledge Building Process; Lecture-Style Sessions; Interactive and Consumer Informed; Easily Accessible; and Building the Community. Analysis of viewers' comments found strong consumer support for the key HLP model elements. This Active Model of Research Translation offers a way to synthesize scientific evidence and deliver it directly to end users in the form of actionable tools and education. Timely evidence translation using effective consumer engagement and education techniques appears to improve access and confidence related to health information use and reduces challenges to understanding and applying health information received from health providers. Framing complex content in an approachable manner, engaging the target audience, encouraging participation, and ensuring open access to the content meet current recommendations on innovative practices for leveraging social media or other digital platforms for disseminating science and research findings to the general public, and are likely key contributors to HLP impact and potential for success. The model offers a replicable framework for translating and disseminating scientific evidence. Similar active models of research translation can have implications for accessing health information and implementing health strategies for improved outcomes. Areas for further investigation are specific and measurable impacts on health, usability, and relevance of the model for reaching marginalized and high-risk populations.

Neutralising the digital divide: is blended learning a viable solution?

The digital divide (DD), which refers to the gap resulting from unequal access to digital technology hardware, software and ideological-ware resources, arises from disparities in accessing, material and physical resources that enable internet access. In the contemporary world, this divide extends beyond internet access to include the ability to manipulate educational technologies in the knowledge building process. Therefore, the installation of the internet infrastructure in communities should not be considered as the sole facility to access. In attempting to curb the DD, blended learning is seen to be a possible viable option. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore the role of blended learning in neutralising DD. This qualitative case study employed the resources and appropriation theory as a lens to analyse DD as a result of societal inequalities and unequal distribution of resources. The community of Inquiry (COI) framework was also used as a theoretical lens to guide the implementation of social and cognitive knowledge-building in a blended learning context. The reported study employed purposive sampling involving 26 participants who were the recipients of blended learning in one institution of higher learning (HEI) in Lesotho. Data were generated through reflective journals and one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and guided analysis was used to interpret the generated data. The findings established that blended learning has the capacity to neutralise DD, as it affords students the flexibility to design and engage in individualised learning experiences through both offline and online modes of teaching and learning, thereby meeting their access needs. The recommendation proposed in this article, thus, is for HEIs to adopt blended learning to eliminate categorical inequalities and social divisions in education, ideally promoting equilibrated inclusion of individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in the teaching and learning process.

Creative Writing: Embracing Unfamiliar Knowledge

ABSTRACT: What can someone learn, if anything, by reading or writing fiction? If people can gain new knowledge by imagining, of what does that knowledge consist, and how can we characterize it? This reflection on SLSA creative writing sessions approaches these questions by considering the kinds of discussions that can emerge when writers read their work to literary scholars, scientists, and artists. To show how writers differ in their appeals to diverse readers’ sensory imaginations, the essay refers to stories by Jorge Luis Borges, Junot Díaz, and Lauren Groff. The author argues that if artists and scholars can approach each other’s work as alternate but legitimate knowledge-building processes, we may be better equipped to meet the many twenty-first-century challenges we face.

Theoretical Foundations and Management Models in Education as a Response to Risk and Uncertainty. Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Education Management Models

The process of building knowledge in the field of management of education started relatively late and it is still being developed. It is also closely interrelated with the effectiveness of educational processes. This article is meant to show the paradigm shift, which is occurring in contemporary education, in which the abandonment of the centralised models of political interventions has resulted in the search for new solutions that would fit into the current need to accelerate the development. This need is reinforced by the pace of the ongoing socio-economic changes, some of which may be difficult or impossible to predict. The situation gives birth to new, more challenging problems as well as to the need to impose new models of education management. It is therefore of utmost importance to provide an overview of the main theoretical positions and management models in education, the evaluation of which is a response to the new prerequisite to cope with risk and uncertainty. The aim of the article is, therefore, to conduct a metanalysis of these theoretical positions and models. The order of the analyses consisted of three key categories (analysis criteria) adopted by the OECD in the description of the education system: input resources, internal school processes and output resources, as well as the relationships between them as the basis for showing the ongoing changes while rejecting the existing paradigms. In English-language literature, systematic literature reviews are already standard today. Hence the proposal to use such a method, the purpose of which is to indicate the need to develop a model for managing education processes in a dynamically changing socio-cultural space based on available publications.

The glue that makes it “hang together”: A framework for identifying how metadiscourse facilitates uncertainty navigation during knowledge building discussions

AbstractClassroom discussions have become a centerpiece of reform efforts in science education because talk mediates the joint co‐constructing of knowledge in science classrooms. Although decades of research underscore the importance of talk in supporting science learning, the science education community continues to grapple with how to support teachers and students in navigating the uncertainty that is associated with doing knowledge building work. To address these challenges, we must examine not just what gets constructed (the scientific ideas), but how knowledge is co‐constructed by teachers and students (the process of building those ideas) amidst uncertainty. In this study, we propose a conceptual tool for identifying organizational, epistemic, and interpretive metadiscourse markers (MDMs) in science talk. We highlight how teachers and students use these three types of MDMs as they navigate uncertainty while connecting ideas within and across multiple turns of talk, leveraging resources for knowledge building, and making interpretations about one another's ideas. We conclude with a set of suggestions for how researchers and teachers can utilize this framework to attend to the ways that MDMs index the organizational, epistemic, and interpretive dimensions of uncertainty in the knowledge building process.

‘Verbs’ in Thesis and Journal-Article Introductions: A Comparative Functional Approach

This transitivity study aims to delineate the ‘verbs’ employed in the introduction sections of students’ English-major theses (IST) in reference to those of the introduction sections of research articles (ISRA) published by TESOL journal. To obtain this purpose, ten introduction sections from ISRA were analysed as the parameter, and 10 from its IST counterparts were evaluated. Both data sets were initially scrutinized for their categorization of process types. Then the analysis was followed by the categorization of specific processes in each process type. All data analysis was executed by employing the tables of analysis adapted from the transitivity framework of Halliday and Matthiessen. The transitivity analysis reveals that compared with the data of TESOL journal, the meaning making in the IST is inclined to be represented by less investigative processes of material, verbal, and mental clauses. Some less investigative processes are reflected from the verbs ‘use’, ’want’, ‘say’, etc., while the knowledge building processes in the ISRA are shown by more investigative processes such as ‘investigate’, ‘find’, ‘question’, etc. Overall, in reference to the clauses in the research articles (RA) of TESOL journal, the ones in the introduction sections of students’ undergraduate theses still lack processes for supporting the basis of knowledge building. It is expected that the findings of this study contribute to the field of academic writing, that is, to give insight to student thesis writers into how to make meaning of their introduction functionally.

Towards Inquiry-Based Learning in Spatial Development and Heritage Conservation: A Workshop at Corviale, Rome

Situated local knowledge and co-evolutionary processes overtake certitude and formal planning, challenging the way (cultural) heritage is produced in terms of both space and knowledge. This article contributes to the debate surrounding planning education and research by exploring the potential of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in spatial development and heritage conservation. The main argument is that the IBL format presented herein enables interaction and cooperation between various groups and their diverse sets of knowledge. To that end, the IBL approach was implemented both through project work and by creating a specific learning environment encompassing theory, exhibition, places, and people, and in which a research process was realised by students through iteration and reflection. The contribution systematises the results of a 2021 workshop held in Venice and Rome, including at the Corviale housing complex (Rome). In seeking to respond to the title-theme of the Venice Biennale, How will we live together?, initial evidence shows that educational activities stemming from clear research questions and “embedded” ways of inquiry-based learning present remarkable opportunities for participants to improve their ability to navigate into fragile and uncertain futures of the territory, engaging students in a wider process of knowledge-building.

Early childhood preservice teachers’ learning about children’s metacognitive thinking processes and constructivist pedagogy

ABSTRACT This case study of classroom practice examined what preservice teachers learned about young children’s metacognitive thinking processes and constructivist pedagogy through a classroom project. Thirty preservice teachers engaged in a semester-long metacognitive project in which they conducted four sessions with a group of young children. The project was designed to help preservice teachers to foster young children’s metacognitive thinking processes and to become reflective about their roles as constructivist teachers. Their final reflections on the metacognitive project experience were analyzed through the theoretical lens of Kroll and Ammon’s dimensions of constructivist teacher education. These preservice teachers demonstrated understanding of the key ideas of metacognition and constructivist teaching, including understanding the role of representation in knowledge construction process, building an autonomous learning community, articulating children’s knowledge-building processes, and engaging in the cycle of reflective teaching practices. They understood the importance of children’s metacognitive thinking in the construction of knowledge and how to adapt their roles as learning partners.

Implementing a participatory model of place-based stewardship for inclusive wetland management: A community case study

The inclusion of local values and an appreciation for different ways of knowing are increasingly considered core principles in wetland management but can be difficult to achieve in practice. This Community Case Study describes the development and impacts of a participatory action research (PAR) project focused on the creation of a community-led stewardship and knowledge sharing in a rural coastal community in Victoria, Australia. The project, Living Bung Yarnda, was designed around four dimensions: vision, knowledge, narrative, and capacity—that align with key principles of PAR and guided the process of knowledge building and exchange. Working with a range of stakeholders, including environmentally-focussed community members, government agencies and Traditional Owners groups, we aimed to discover pathways for the inclusion of local knowledge, lived experience, and acts of care by community members in governance processes. The case description illustrates how embedded knowledge in this community is currently undervalued by management agencies but, if harnessed, can contribute to more holistic and equitable forms of wetland management. We conclude with reflections on the development of the project, emphasizing the role of academic researchers in fostering relationships between community and management authorities that is built on trust, humility and a willingness to find a common language.

Craft development in learning organization (LO): economic approach

Purpose: The aim of the study is to show that the craft is a form of learning organization, which in its activity takes into account the aspect of continuous training of employees and improvement of all functional areas. Design/methodology/approach: The main approach and subject of the analysis was the level of knowledge and general theoretical and state-legal findings of the information available in the literature about the craft sector and the possibilities of developing and supporting enterprises in the SME sector. The basic research method was the use of desk research, and on the basis of the information collected in this way, an analysis of the possibilities and impact of support programs for the craft sector in Poland was conducted. Findings: The article presents the idea of a learning organization from the aspect of craft enterprise development, the process of knowledge building, and the assumptions and principles of using the Polish Craft Incubator Program. The main result of this study is to illustrate the situation with regard to craft enterprises and the possibilities of their development in the current socio-economic conditions. Research limitations/implications: The data and conclusions were drawn up on the basis of an overall assessment (analysis of secondary sources) and not on the basis of facts (primary studies). The prepared applications should be a prerequisite for further research in the field of crafts in Poland. Practical implications: An additional practical result is to indicate the possibility of using the Polish Craft Incubator program as a source of obtaining financial resources in the learning process. Originality/value: The value of the paper is to increase the awareness of owners of craft enterprises, by showing them the possibility of using new organizational concepts and government programs. The article has primarily educational value and is a general concept of stimulating creative action towards building learning organizations. The content of the article is addressed to craftsmen and all cooperating entities operating in the field of supporting crafts. Keywords: Learning organization, learning orientation, organizational learning, economic development, sustainable craft. Category of the paper: General review.

Students’ Reflections on Knowledge Building Process and Scaffolding

Collaborative learning environments such as “knowledge building community” and “online learning community” have gained importance with the inclusion of new technologies in the education process. In order to provide active participation expected in these learning environments, scaffolds such as sentence openers and role assignments are used in order to support, guide and enrich students' knowledge building processes. In this study, it is aimed to examine the pre-service teachers' opinions about online collaborative knowledge building process and the scaffolds used in this process. Seventy-seven pre-service teachers participating in the study participated in the knowledge building process in four different groups, using different scaffolds and no scaffolds. In this process, students were asked to complete the knowledge building questionnaire consisting of 12 questions of five likert types and a semi-structured interview form consisting of 10 questions reflecting their own experiences. Qualitative research method was used in the research and the data were analyzed by content analysis. In addition, some descriptive statistics such as percentage frequency are included. It was observed that the opinions of the students about their experiences in the collaborative knowledge building process were mostly positive. The students mostly stated that “it is important to determine our goals and to plan our progress”. The students defined their contributions in the knowledge building process as the most “providing diversity of opinions”. In addition, the scaffolds used by pre-service teachers in the online collaborative knowledge building process and their reflections on the better quality knowledge building process were included and interpreted in the context of technology-supported education.