Meaningful Learning Approach Research Articles

Introducing chaos theory in the classroom: A life sciences students’ perception.

This article details a concise in-class workshop to introduce life science students to basic chaos theory concepts, which is a modern subject and has high potential for applications in life sciences and other fields, justifying its knowledge. The teaching approach is based on a pragmatic strategy that uses only the essential mathematical and computing concepts required to reach the learning outcome, which this article explains step-by-step and, therefore, at least in expectation, even students or professors with no previous software knowledge could understand them. The proposed educational approach uses a meaningful learning approach, and population growth models as an educational anchor subject, which is a common subject for life science students and may be intuitive for students from other areas. Feedback from 70 students surveyed after the workshop yielded positive results, and 72.9% of the students expressed confidence in explaining basic chaos theory concepts following the session, and 94.7% stated they would recommend it to their peers, which underscores the present proposal feasibility.

Exploring the relationship between students' attitudes and fraction sense proficiency across lower secondary grades

Understanding fractions is a critical mathematical skill necessary for more advanced mathematical concepts and applications. However, many students struggle with fraction sense, which is the foundational understanding and flexible use of fractions. This study aims to explore the relationship between students' attitudes toward learning fractions and their proficiency in fraction sense in lower secondary grades. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 296 students aged 13 to 15 using the Fraction Sense Test (FST) and the Attitudes Towards Learning Fractions Questionnaire (ATLF). The study found that students consistently struggled with fractional concepts, achieving low scores across all grades. Nevertheless, a significant, though diminishing, relationship was observed between positive attitudes towards fractions and fraction sense proficiency from Secondary One to Secondary Three. These findings suggest the need to integrate meaningful fraction learning approaches to maintain students' positive attitudes, thereby improving their overall mathematical competence.

Relationship of Students’ Attitude towards Science with Their Learning Approach: A Gender and Socioeconomic Status (SES)

For decades, students’ attitude toward science has been debated within diverse contexts, and the growth of positive attitude toward science has been a key goal of science. Classroom learning approaches for science students are a strong factor that predicts and determines the attitude of science students. Current research focused on the relationship of students’ attitudes towards science with their learning approach, meaningful and rote learning approaches on gender and SES basis by using 1966 science students from selected public secondary schools of Pakistan. The empirical results are estimated by using TOSRA approach by using a reliability value of 0.89 as an attitude scale. To measure the Learning Approach (LAQ), Cavallo (1996) scale was used (eliability value 0.74 for the Learning Approach scale, 0.56 for the Meaningful Learning scale, and r = 0.58 for the rote Learning scale). Alongside descriptive statistics, Pearson r was used in this research. Pearson r results revealed a positive and significant correlation between the variables, and a similar relationship was found for genders with no differences. The findings of this study would open new horizons for future researchers by showing the relation between different variables for wider consideration of the perspective.

Semantics aware intelligent framework for content-based e-learning recommendation

E-learning accounts for the emergence of re-skilling, up-skilling, and augmenting the traditional education system by providing knowledge delivery. The meaningful learning approach is based on a constructivist process for conceptually modeling an individual’s current and past knowledge or experience towards personalization. This research proposes a novel framework in which semantic analysis of e-content is combined with deep machine learning techniques into an e-learning Intelligent Content-Based Recommendation System (ICRS), with the goal of assisting learners in selecting appropriate e-learning materials. The system tackles textual e-content to extract representative terms and their mutual semantic relationships by which a structure of the context-based graph is developed. Thus, the e-content is semantically represented according to the learner’s terms that are expanded using the ConceptNet semantic network to represent the textual knowledge meaningfully. Furthermore, a new approach is proposed wherein more contextual and semantic information among concepts with graphs are combined to infer the relative semantic relations between terms and e-learning resources in order to build the semantic matrix. This new approach is utilized to generate learners’ semantic datasets used for the classification of available resources to enrich the recommendation. Here, four machine learning (ML) models and an augmented deep learning (DL) recommender model named LSTMM, which are developed for the ICRS framework. The models have been evaluated and compared using a user sequential semantic dataset. Our results show that the LSTMM performs better than others in terms of Accuracy and F1 Score of 0.8453 and 0.7731 respectively.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEANINGFUL RECEPTION LEARNING APPROACH IN MOTION AND SONG LEARNING

This research is motivated by the implementation of the Meaningful Reception Learning approach in motion and song learning, which is seen as the most appropriate approach for students at PAUD Jelita. This approach is generally understood as the correlation of children's cognitive schemes to the new material given, resulting in a meaningful learning activity. However, on a practical level how it is implemented, so far no research has studied it. Based on the problems studied, namely regarding the implementation of the Meaningful Reception Learning approach in motion and song learning at PAUD Jelita, Pringsurat Village, Temanggung Regency, this research will use qualitative methods. The activities carried out include data collection, data verification, analysis, and synthesis. The Meaningful Reception Learning approach in PAUD Jelita Pringsurat, Temanggung, is implemented in large class students whose students are 6 years old. The approach is appropriate when applied in large classes because students are more easily conditioned. The stages of the Meaningful Reception Learning approach can be passed effectively in large-class students. The stages passed are the initial settings (Advance Organizer). The initial arrangement is a classroom conditioning activity carried out by the teacher. Then the second is progressive differentiation, that is, learning from the general thing to the particular. Next is superordinate learning which is concept learning by relating concepts that have been previously understood. In the last stage, it is an integrative adjustment. The stages are carried out in the form of compiling material consisting of various concepts, in which the concepts have a general to a special relationship.

CAPITAL: Optimal subgroup identification via constrainedpolicy tree search.

Personalized medicine, a paradigm of medicine tailored to a patient's characteristics, is an increasingly attractive field in health care. An important goal of personalized medicine is to identify a subgroup of patients, based on baseline covariates, that benefits more from the targeted treatment than other comparative treatments. Most of the current subgroup identification methods only focus on obtaining a subgroup with an enhanced treatment effect without paying attention to subgroup size. Yet, a clinically meaningful subgroup learning approach should identify the maximum number of patients who can benefit from the better treatment. In this article, we present an optimal subgroup selection rule (SSR) that maximizes the number of selected patients, and in the meantime, achieves the pre‐specified clinically meaningful mean outcome, such as the average treatment effect. We derive two equivalent theoretical forms of the optimal SSR based on the contrast function that describes the treatment‐covariates interaction in the outcome. We further propose a constrained policy tree search algorithm (CAPITAL) to find the optimal SSR within the interpretable decision tree class. The proposed method is flexible to handle multiple constraints that penalize the inclusion of patients with negative treatment effects, and to address time to event data using the restricted mean survival time as the clinically interesting mean outcome. Extensive simulations, comparison studies, and real data applications are conducted to demonstrate the validity and utility of our method.

Factors Related to Cognitive Reasoning of Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Process Skills: Role of Experiments at Home on Meaningful Learning

This study aims to ascertain the level of science process skills (SPSs) among pre-service science teachers and to describe how these skills are reflected in their learning approach during the knowledge acquisition process. Additionally, we intend to explore those factors (i.e., those related to cognitive reasoning) that are utilized by pre-service teachers during science experiments conducted at home, in terms of the attainment of SPSs. The course documents of 36 pre-service science teachers were used to help further our understanding of the nature of learning about science through active participation in the inquiry process. Data collection procedures were conducted during a Laboratory Application Course; the participating students were required to undergo the Science Process Skills Test, completed to ascertain their pre-existing skills, as well as a project report investigating the factors affecting plant growth to ascertain levels of SPSs. These data were analyzed using a document analysis method. Data from a Science Process Skills Test were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 program, along with the descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that the skills that achieved the highest averages included the formulation of preparation predations, as well as experimentation, while the lowest point averages went to the subcategories of proof through experience and communication. Upon an examination of the project reports, several pre-service teachers soon realized they had made certain errors during the design phase of the experiment, and returned to the initial stage. Still others made errors in the descriptions of variables, findings, and inferences, with the smallest minority committing errors in terms of observation. Students who possessed a meaningful learning approach were deemed as having internalized and recalled concepts in a meaningful way.

Effects of Situation-Based Learning on Sentence Writing Ability of EFL Students in Thailand

Situation-based learning is a meaningful learning approach that provides a connection between the classroom and practice in the real world. This study represents an attempt to investigate the effects of situation-based learning on students' sentence writing ability of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and explore students' opinions toward situation-based learning. The samples were 52 students majoring in English Education. The research instruments consisted of a learning achievement test for pre-testing and post-testing, lesson plans, situation-based tasks, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview form. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method applied descriptive statistics including Mean, Min, Max, and Standard Deviation (S.D.), and the qualitative method applied content analysis. The results of this study showed that situation-based learning improved students' English sentence writing ability in terms of simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. The results also indicated that situation-based learning enhanced students' sentence writing in terms of sentence completion, complete thought, word use, grammar, and punctuation. Students' opinions toward situation-based learning were explored in three areas: classroom climate, classroom activities, and sentence writing improvement. The results showed that the most advantageous area was sentence writing improvement, while the least adventurous area was classroom climate. This study suggests that situation-based learning should be applied at other educational levels to help students transfer knowledge from the classroom into practice in real life. It is recommended to investigate situation-based learning in terms of problem-solving strategies that students apply to solve problems in real life situations.

Generalized Self-Efficacy Shields on the Negative Effect of Academic Anxiety on Academic Self-Efficacy During COVID-19 Over Time: A Mixed-Method Study

This two-wave longitudinal study demonstrates the important role of generalized self-efficacy in enhancing online education for Pakistan’s university students during COVID-19. Four hundred and two students participated in the study at both Time 1 and Time 2. Generalized self-efficacy and academic anxiety based on online classes was assessed at Time 1, whereas academic self-efficacy at Time 2. Results indicated that moderate and high levels of generalized self-efficacy shield the negative effects of higher levels of academic anxiety on academic self-efficacy over time. Results suggest that generalized self-efficacy—as a positive resistance resource factor—may gradually coalesce into academic self-efficacy (domain-specific self-efficacy), which at first may be underdeveloped in students in the face of academic anxiety emanating from their online classes during COVID-19 (the novel challenging situation). Further, students’ coded responses revealed ten major sources of academic anxiety emanating from their online classes including internet connectivity issues, increased academic demands, lack of active engagement in online classes, inability to understand difficult topics, and ambiguous internal assessment criteria. Findings suggest implementing interventions for students focusing on instilling internal resources embodied in generalized self-efficacy, conducting active and engaging online classes based on emotionalized learning experiences, and increasing the overall efficacy of teaching and learning during the pandemic through the implementation of a meaningful blended learning approach—based on an online learning mode and an offline personal and collaborative learning mode.

Approaches and Growing Impacts of Problem-Based Learning in Teaching and Learning at Jigme Namgyel Engineering College

Academic enhancement through meaningful teaching and learning approaches is vital in any educational institution. Achieving the aspiration for innovative approaches and pedagogy in teaching and learning needs continuity and variation depending on its learning environment, diverse learners and other relevant factors. This study focused on the ‘Strengthening Problem-Based learning in South Asian Universities (PBL South Asia)’ project which is co-financed by European Union. It is qualitative research that made use of published records from institution and government reports, media, and website along with relevant literature as the based-reference resources. More so, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College (JNEC) as one of the beneficiary partners of this project has its own pace of activities that were developed and materialized. The commitment and progress of the PBL South Asia project at JNEC was recorded in this study. It shows a significant progress on materializing ‘Capacity Building in Higher Education’ in realizing the vision of the college to be one of the recognized institutions of applied engineering, technology and management in the region.

Use of Inventional and Meaningful Learning Approaches in Teaching “The Relationship Between Stociometry and Chemical Equilibrium Reactions"

Kimya eğitiminde bir gösteri deneyinde gerçekleşen değişimin kimyasal denge tepkimesi olup olmadığını belirlemek ve kimyasal denge problemlerini çözmek hem öğretmenlerin hem de öğrencilerin en önemli problemlerinden biridir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, buluş yolu ve anlamlı öğrenme yaklaşımları ile bir gösteri deneyinde gerçekleşen değişimin kimyasal denge tepkimesi olup olmadığının nasıl belirleneceğini ve kimyasal denge problemlerinde denge sabitinin nasıl hesaplanacağının öğretimini aşamalı olarak tasarlamaktır. Bu amaçla, problemlerin çözümünde, her bir aşamanın nasıl çözüleceğini açıklayan iki aşamalı tasarı önerilmektedir. 7 etkinliğin yer aldığı tasarımda Etkinlik 1 ilk aşama için diğer etkinlikler ise ikinci aşama için tasarlanmıştır. Etkinlik 1’in anlaşılması diğer etkinlikler için ön koşuldur. İlk aşama (etkinlik 1) gösteri deneyinde gerçekleşen bir değişimin, kimyasal denge tepkimesi olup olmadığına nasıl karar verileceğini açıklamaktadır. Etkinlik 1 için, dört açık uçlu gösteri deneyi tasarlanmıştır. Bu gösteri deneylerinin amacı, Le Châtelier İlkesi bağlamında sıcaklık değişiminin etkisinin gözlemlenmesidir. Etkinlik 2–7, bir kimyasal denge probleminde, denge sabiti hesaplanırken çözüm yönteminde her bir basamağın nasıl çözüleceğini göstermektedir. Etkinlik 2–7 için, on bir adet çözümlü problem verilmiştir. Tüm etkinlikler lise veya lisans düzeyindeki kimya eğitimi öğrencilerinin kimyasal denge konusu ile ilgili kavramları, Denge Teorisi ve Le Châtelier İlkesi’ni (Etki Tepki İlkesi) öğrenmelerinde yararlı olabilir. Bu etkinlikler ile öğrencilerin kimyasal denge konusunu anlamlı bir şekilde öğrenebilecekleri ve Stokiyometri bağlamında denge sabitini kolay bir şekilde hesaplayabilecekleri söylenebilir.

The impact of field experiences on prospective preservice teachers’ technology integration beliefs and intentions

This study investigated how field experiences impacted the technology integration beliefs and intentions of prospective preservice teachers. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), a three-way interaction between the type, frequency, and quality of field technology observations predicted changes in beliefs and intentions. Beliefs about the utility of technology directly predicted intentions to use technology and intentions to use Meaningful Learning approaches to technology integration. Additionally, beliefs about technology’s importance in education indirectly predicted both variables. Positive impacts of field experiences on beliefs and intentions only existed when prospective preservice teachers saw technology used frequently by skilled teachers using Meaningful Learning approaches.

Development of Learning Tool with Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) Approach to Improve Student Mathematical Connection Ability

The ability of mathematical connections must be possessed by students when studying mathematics. However, the ability of students’ mathematical connections is still very poor and restricted among mathematical topics only. Therefore, it is necessary to develop learning tools that can improve students’ ability of mathematical connections by using a meaningful learning approach. This study aimed to produce learning tools by using Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) approach which are valid, practical, and effective. This development research only focussed on valid aspect and used 4-D model. This research involved 35 Year 7 students from one of the high schools in Banda Aceh. The developed learning tools included lesson plans, student worksheets, and a test on quadrilateral topics. The development of learning tools was validated by four experts until the learning tools were considered eligible for use in the learning activities. The results showed that the learning tool with CTL approach by using 4-D development model could be used on quadrilateral topics with minor revision. Therefore, the developed learning tools with CTL approach in this research can be used by teachers in the quadrilateral topic to foster students’ mathematical connection. Also, the result of this study may be used for further analysis on practicality and effectiveness phases.

Investigation of Relations among Middle School (Junior High School) students’ Gender, Learning Approaches, Perceptions of Learning Environment and Science Achievement

The purpose of the present study is to explore the interrelationships among students’ perceptions of constructivist learning environment, their learning approaches, gender and science achievement. Two hundred and forty-five 6 th , 7 th and 8 th grade students were the participants. As research instruments, constructivist learning environment survey and learning approach questionnaire were used. Moreover, some demographic information about students were used in the collection of data. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model regarding the interrelationships among students’ perceptions of constructivist learning, their learning approaches, gender and science achievement. The findings of the study showed that students’ rote learning approaches, gender (through rote learning) and students’ perceptions of constructivist learning environment (through meaningful learning approaches) were significantly related to their science achievement. The study has several educational implications.

SRI LANKAN SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING AND APPROACHES TO LEARNING SCIENCE: IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP?

There has been a growing research during recent years on student related cognitive factors that associated with learning process such as conceptions of and approaches to learning. Students’ conceptions as well as their learning approaches are considered as predictors of student performance. It is reported that the performance of Sri Lankan senior secondary students in the subject science is not satisfactory as expected. In this context, the analysis of their conceptions of learning and approaches to learning science provides important evidence in order to improve the performance level in students. This study was aimed to ascertain the relationship between Sri Lankan senior secondary students’ conceptions and approaches to learning science. The Conceptions of Learning Science (COLS) questionnaire and Approaches to Learning Science (ALS) questionnaire were used to assess students’ conceptions and approaches to learning respectively. The data was analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). It was revealed that constructive conceptions of these students showed a positive relationship with deep learning approach. Conversely, a negative relationship was found between constructivist conceptions and surface approaches. The reproductive conception ‘preparing for tests’ showed a positive relationship with surface approaches to learning science. The results indicate that the learning approaches of these students can be predicted by their conceptions of learning. It provides an evidence that the meaningful learning approaches in these students can be promoted by developing constructivist conceptions in order to improve their performance in science. The findings provide important implications for curriculum developers, teacher trainers, teachers and students with respect to the improvement of science learning. Article visualizations:

¿Hacia dónde debe dirigirse la enseñanza de la Ciencia de Materiales?

Currently, it is evident the need of discussing the curricular orientation that Material Science should have as a key subject in undergraduate programs of science, engineering and related careers with technological and industrial design applications. In this work, some fundamental aspects for building of Materials Science curricula are discussed from scientific, technological and pedagogical perspectives. A scientific and technological view allows establishing conceptual contents intended from world modern knowledge on research and technological activities performed for Materials and Solid State fields. The pedagogical view shows that meaningful learning and STS (Science, Technology and Society) approach should be combined to yield a suitable educational strategy.

Investigation of the Pre-service Physics Teachers’ Learning Approaches

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of metacognitive self-regulation and academic self-efficacy on pre- service physics teachers’ meaningful learning and rote learning approaches. 111 pre-service physics teachers were participated in this study. Research data were collected through “Metacognitive self-regulation” and “Academic self-efficacy” scales and “Learning approaches questionnaire”. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that metacognitive self- regulation and academic self-efficacy were significant predictors of pre-service physics teachers’ meaningful learning scores and the whole model explains 43% of the variance. However, those independent variables did not significantly predict pre- service physics teachers’ rote learning scores.

Developing English Vocabulary Mastery through Meaningful Learning Approach

The aims of this article are to explore: Firstly, the description on the existing of students’ mastery of English Vocabularies, teaching English vocabulary model, and the students’ condition in Competitive Class of Junior High Schools in Gorontalo City through Focus Group Discussion (FGD); Secondly, to observe and to formulate a model of teaching English vocabulary development creatively based on contexts and utilizing ICT Media; Thirdly, to study on the effectiveness of that model formulated development in teaching and learning English vocabularies. This research used FGD and Experimental method by applying One Group Pre-test and Post-test Design. The result of this research consist of firstly the teachers have used English in teaching non-English subjects, by using traditional method such translation method, and memorizing some words without context, the teachers also do reflection, however is not optimum based on psycholinguistic approach; secondly is this research successfully identifies the average of the students’ score on English vocabularies: (a) on pretest, X score is 27.62 from the maximum score 49; then to apply that developed model of learning and teaching English vocabularies; (b) On posttest is found the average of students’ score gradually up reaching the X score is 35.66 from the maximum score 53. From the two unit tests seemed on the average score on the posttest get improvement 8.15 point. While on the inferential statically analysis by the significance level α = 0.05, the t score acquired -5.348. Because of the statically calculation is obtained 0.000 < 0.05. So it is interpreted that Ho (null) hypothesis is rejected, and accepting Ha (alternative) hypothesis, while T-test analysis proved that the students’ scores increased significantly. It means that the teaching and learning model created which being applied is able to increase significantly the students’ mastery on English vocabularies in the competitive Class at Junior High Schools in Gorontalo. Based on that research finding, it is suggested that mastering specific English vocabularies need to emphasize the meaningful learning approach, more over relating to the concept of a certain subject, such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Social Science.

Meaningful learning approach in dynamic and interactive learning environment: plan for a geometry class on “point, line, surface, object”

Meaningful learning approach in dynamic and interactive learning environment: plan for a geometry class on “point, line, surface, object”

Changes in sleep habits and knowledge after an educational sleep program in 12th grade students

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of an education program using the meaningful learning approach on sleep knowledge and habits of 12th grade students. Thirty-four student volunteers (aged 16.8 _ 0.6 years) were divided into intervention (Sleep Education Program — SEP) and control groups. Sleep knowledge and habits were assessed by the “health and sleep” questionnaire. Also, the students filled out a sleep diary and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale by one week (Stage 1). These procedures were repeated 3 weeks after the SEP (Stage 2) that was evaluated by a questionnaire. The SEP consisted of five 50-minute classes to discuss the physiological and behavioral processes of sleep and healthy lifestyle. At Stage 2, the intervention group increased the percentage of correct responses in 63% of the questions. On weekdays, they increased time in bed by 26 min, woke up 11 min later and showed a tendency to go to bed 18 min earlier (P = 0.07). On weekends, they advanced bedtime and wake-up times. These changes were associated with decreased irregularity at bedtimes and wake up times. These results were not observed in the control group, except the advance on wake up time on weekends. The frequency and duration of naps and daytime sleepiness levels did not differ between the stages for both groups. The SEP increased knowledge and contributed to positive changes in the adolescents’ sleep-wake cycle (SWC). However, daytime sleepiness levels remained unchanged probably due to an insufficient reduction on sleep deprivation to decrease its negative consequences.