Student Reasoning Research Articles

The effectiveness of metacognitive strategies for online reading in a foreign language at university

Introduction. The authors addressed the problem of using metacognitive strategies as an effective way to develop students’ lexical knowledge when reading online in foreign language classes at a university. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the effectiveness of using metacognitive strategies when students read online and to evaluate their impact on the success of learning reading and vocabulary. Materials and Methods. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the authors used theoretical (analysis, comparison) and empirical (observation, survey) methods. The experimental groups of students completed an electronic survey, which included a set of questions distributed into sections covering adapted questionnaires to assess the reasons for students performing certain actions in the process of reading, planning, monitoring and evaluating what they read, as well as a set of factors that can influence the improvement of students’ lexical knowledge. Results. The authors analyzed and summarized the results of students’ work with texts, exercises and vocabulary in three experimental groups of students, divided according to the degree of using metacognitive strategies in teaching online reading, and came to the conclusion that students of the first experimental group who took a course in metacognitive strategies surpassed students in the other two groups in terms of their ability to plan, control and evaluate reading (according to questionnaire data). Students of the first experimental group showed the best results in mastering lexical skills. Thus, the use of metacognitive strategies in teaching online reading has contributed to better results for students when working with texts and vocabulary. Conclusions. The results of the study demonstrate that teaching students metacognitive strategies for online reading is an effective way to work with texts and vocabulary in foreign language classes.

Spatial reasoning in mathematics standards: identifying how early elementary educators are systematically supported to teach spatial skills

Spatial reasoning is critical to early mathematics learning, but it is unclear how early elementary educators learn to teach and are supported in teaching its comprising skills. One view of the available supports can be found by examining the alignment of spatial reasoning skills and mathematics education standards, as standards provide the content of the intended curriculum children are expected to learn at each grade level. This study used content analysis methods to investigate how spatial reasoning might be taught through broadly adopted early elementary education standards in the United States, the Kindergarten through Grade 2 Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. The paper describes the frequency and degree of explicitness with which 38 spatial reasoning skills are therein represented. Findings indicate that most standards implicitly relate to some form of spatial reasoning through a pedagogical reach of teaching expertise, but few standards contain explicit spatial linkages. The implications and limitations of this analysis are discussed in relation to teaching spatial reasoning in early elementary grades and students’ opportunities to learn these critical skills.

Fostering clinical reasoning ability in preclinical students through an illness script worksheet approach in flipped learning: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundThe consensus that clinical reasoning should be explicitly addressed throughout medical training is increasing; however, studies on specific teaching methods, particularly, for preclinical students, are lacking. This study investigated the effects of an illness script worksheet approach in flipped learning on the development of clinical reasoning abilities in preclinical students. It also explored whether the impact of this intervention differed depending on clinical reasoning ability after dividing the students into high and low groups based on their pre-diagnostic thinking inventory (DTI) scores.MethodsThis study used a one-group pre-post test design and convenience sampling. Forty-two second-year medical students were invited to participate in this study. The course, “clinical reasoning method,” was redesigned as an illness script worksheet approach in flipped learning. The course was an eight-week long program. The students met once or twice per week with a different professor each time and engaged with 15 clinical cases in small groups in one classroom. Each time, one professor facilitated seven groups in a single classroom. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured using DTI before and after the intervention. A learning experience survey was conducted with post-DTI assessment.ResultsThirty-six students participated in the survey and their data were analyzed. The mean pre-DTI score was 170.4, and the mean post-DTI score was 185.2, indicating an 8.68% increase (p < .001). Significant differences were also found in both high and low groups between the pre- and post-DTI assessments. However, the low group improved much more than the high group and exhibited a significant increase in one of the DTI subscales as well. The overall average score on the learning experience survey was 3.11 out of 4.ConclusionThe findings indicated that the intervention was an effective instructional method for the development of clinical reasoning in preclinical students and was more beneficial for students with a low level of clinical reasoning ability. This study demonstrated that the intervention can be a feasible and scalable method to effectively and efficiently train clinical reasoning in preclinical students in a classroom.

‘This form could give me the courage to address otherwise undiscussed topics’: student reasons for (not) impacting their feedback environment

Students are increasingly expected to take up proactive roles in feedback processes. While most feedback research focuses on asking, receiving, and engaging with feedback, some suggest that students must also proactively shape their feedback environment. This study explored graduate life science master’s students’ first impressions of a dialogue prompt, which aimed to support them in proactively starting a dialogue with their supervisor on several aspects of the feedback environment during their research internship. We used a survey to explore reasons for (not) wanting to use the dialogue prompt and to what extent individual and interpersonal variables could explain these. An exploratory factor analysis uncovered three factors. Aided by qualitative analysis, these were interpreted as underlying reasons for (not) wanting to use the dialogue prompt. ‘Barriers of Use’ represents potential barriers hindering the prompt’s use, ‘Practical Use’ represents the prompt’s usefulness in addressing practical topics, and ‘Critical Voicing Use’ in addressing critical topics. Multiple regression examining individual and interpersonal variables only showed one significant association, suggesting that students who are positive about the prompt’s Practical Use also tend to believe that feedback, in general, is useful for achieving goals. We discuss our findings in relation to students’ proactivity and responsibility.

Community-Based Intervention and Its Effect on Decreasing the Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis in an Al-Alaqa Male Primary school in Al-Alaqa Village White Nile State, Sudan

Aim of studyThis study assessed the effectiveness of community-based interventions, health awareness, and treatment in controlling schistosomiasis among schoolchildren to improve policies and strategies. MethodsThis pre- and post-intervention study was conducted in an Al-Alaqa male primary school, and systematic simple random sampling was used to investigate 237 participants, which resulted in 132 (55.7%) infected students. The infected and noninfected students (580 students) were treated by delivering the praziquantel doses immediately after the results; after 4 weeks, the infected students received the second dose. After 6 months, the rates were investigated again, and all procedures were performed after the height and weight of the students were recorded according to the protocol. Health education was provided for all participants using posters and leaflets. The data were collected via a questionnaire and urine test. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), and ANOVA and t-tests were used to determine the significant differences between the variables. ResultsA urine investigation was conducted on 237 students; 132 (55.7%) had positive results which showed marked improvement and the prevalence in the school decreased to 3.8% after the intervention. The researcher found strong evidence of a relationship between the prevalence of schistosomiasis before the intervention and availability of water in the home (chi-square = 18.331, df = 1, p value = 000). ANOVA showed strong statistical significance (0.002 and F = 6.564) between the mean score of student age and reasons behind going to the pond. ConclusionThis study concluded that mass chemotherapy and treatment were highly effective when associated with a health program intervention. Mass chemotherapy alone may reduce the prevalence of disease for a short time. RecommendationCommunity-based interventions should be applied in schools with an emphasis on health education programs through the training of schoolteachers on investigations for schistosomiasis, treatment with praziquantel, and the provision of materials (microscopes, reagents, and drugs).

Comparing First-Year Engineering Student Conceptions of Ethical Decision-Making to Performance on Standardized Assessments of Ethical Reasoning

The Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2) and Engineering Ethical Reasoning Instrument (EERI) are designed to measure ethical reasoning of general (DIT-2) and engineering-student (EERI) populations. These tools—and the DIT-2 especially—have gained wide usage for assessing the ethical reasoning of undergraduate students. This paper reports on a research study in which the ethical reasoning of first-year undergraduate engineering students at multiple universities was assessed with both of these tools. In addition to these two instruments, students were also asked to create personal concept maps of the phrase “ethical decision-making.” It was hypothesized that students whose instrument scores reflected more postconventional levels of moral development and more sophisticated ethical reasoning skills would likewise have richer, more detailed concept maps of ethical decision-making, reflecting their deeper levels of understanding of this topic and the complex of related concepts. In fact, there was no significant correlation between the instrument scores and concept map scoring, suggesting that the way first-year students conceptualize ethical decision making does not predict the way they behave when performing scenario-based ethical reasoning (perhaps more situated). This disparity indicates a need to more precisely quantify engineering ethical reasoning and decision making, if we wish to inform assessment outcomes using the results of such quantitative analyses.

The quality of prospective mathematics teachers' dynamic geometry tasks in terms of the coordination between mathematical depth levels and technological actions

AbstractBackgroundTeachers must have the skills to find, select, design and use technology‐based mathematical activities that focus on high‐level cognitive demands—supporting student reasoning. However, they experience various difficulties in creating, planning and making decisions about how and when to utilize technological affordances.ObjectivesThis study aims to examine the quality of prospective school mathematics teachers' (PMTs) tasks containing the use of dynamic geometry software through the analysis of the coordination between mathematical depth levels (MDLs) and technological actions (TAs), according to Trocki and Hollebrands', Digital Experiences in Mathematics Education, 2018, 4, 110–138, Dynamic Geometry Task Analysis Framework.MethodsWithin groups, PMTs designed lesson plans that included dynamic geometry tasks (DGTs) based on the learning outcomes of the middle school mathematics curriculum. They then created micro‐teachings of these tasks. The participants' DGTs and transcripts of their microteaching videos were the main data sources.ResultsWe found that many prompts included no TA or a single TA, regardless of the prompts' MDLs. Moreover, the results showed that the high‐depth prompts aimed to contribute to students' reasoning processes on geometric concepts through the TAs, which required specific tools such as dragging and sliding to get generalizations. Although the groups differed in the quality and number of DGTs, the groups' lesson plans mostly contained low‐ or medium‐quality DGTs regarding the coordination between MDLs and TAs.ConclusionsInforming PMTs about high‐quality technology tasks and increasing their awareness on this matter is a priority to encourage them to incorporate innovative technological activities in their mathematics instruction.

A Study on Changes in the Reasons for Students’ High-school Choice

A Study on Changes in the Reasons for Students’ High-school Choice

Effectiveness of combined virtual and clinical simulation compared with other active teaching strategies on health students' learning: a systematic review protocol.

The objective of this review is to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of combined virtual and clinical simulation compared with other active teaching strategies on health students' learning. Current evidence indicates that both virtual simulation and clinical simulation are effective in assisting students to acquire clinical skills. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness of the combined use of both teaching strategies, which could enhance health students' learning. This review will consider experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational studies that address the combined use of virtual simulation with clinical simulation compared with other active teaching strategies in learning, clinical reasoning, clinical decision-making, and/or clinical competencies of health students. Combining different hybrid simulators to form a new one will not be considered for inclusion in the review. The databases to be searched will include Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Scopus, LILACS (VHL), Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, ERIC, and gray literature sources. Two independent reviewers will perform the study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction using JBI tools. A narrative synthesis will be performed and, if possible, meta-analysis and risk assessment of publication bias. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach will be used to assess the certainty of the findings. PROSPERO CRD42023422410.

Utilizing network analysis to explore student qualitative inferential reasoning chains

Over the course of the introductory calculus-based physics course, students are often expected to build conceptual understanding and develop and refine skills in problem solving and qualitative inferential reasoning. Many of the research-based materials developed over the past 30 years by the physics education research community use sequences of scaffolded questions to step students through a qualitative inferential reasoning chain. It is often tacitly assumed that, in addition to building conceptual understanding, such materials improve qualitative reasoning skills. However, clear documentation of the impact of such materials on qualitative reasoning skills is critical. New methodologies are needed to better study reasoning processes and to disentangle, to the extent possible, processes related to physics content from processes general to all human reasoning. As a result, we have employed network analysis methodologies to examine student responses to reasoning-related tasks in order to gain deeper insight into the nature of student reasoning in physics. In this paper, we show that network analysis metrics are both interpretable and valuable when applied to student reasoning data generated from . We also demonstrate that documentation of improvements in the articulation of specific lines of reasoning can be obtained from a network analysis of responses to reasoning chain construction tasks. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Investigation of frequency and factors related to drug use in male students living in dormitories

ABSTRACT Introduction Students living in dormitories are more exposed to social harms due to a variety of reasons, including distance from family and educational problems. In this study, the frequency of drug use and its related factors in male students living in dormitories was investigated. Materials and methods In a cross-sectional study, 270 male dormitory students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences were selected, and they were interviewed in terms of their drug use. Results Hookah (41.5%), cigarettes (35.5%), alcohol (24.1%), sedatives (20%), hypnotics (13%) and marijuana (13) were the most commonly used drugs in students. In total, 49.6% of cigarettes and hookahs). Lack of amusement and entertainment (25.2%), stress (14.1%), depression (11.9%) and love failure (11.5%) were the most important reasons for students’ tendency to use drugs. There was a statistically significant relationship between drug use and marital status, education of parents and field of study. Conclusion Due to the nature of the study, the obtained statistics are less than the reality and therefore, we must seriously make policy and plan to solve this social problem and prevent its dire consequences.

Survey Study on the Use of Lexical Chunks in High School Students’ English Writing

The study aims to investigate the use of lexical chunks in English compositions among Grade 2 students at a high school in Pan Zhihua, Sichuan Province, involving 100 students. Research instruments encompassed student writing samples, questionnaires, and interviews. The study employed AntConc, EXCEL, and SPSS 26.0 for data analysis. The research questions addressed are: (1) What types of lexical chunks are employed by high school students in their English writing, and what is the frequency of their usage? (2) In comparison to the English Curriculum Standard (2017 Edition, 2020 Revised Edition) for high schools, which lexical chunks are underutilized in students' English writing? Findings reveal that senior high school students predominantly utilize four types of lexical chunks in their English compositions: discourse organizers, stance bundles, topic chunks, and institutionalized expressions. Among these, topic chunks and stance bundles are the most frequently used, while discourse organizers are the least utilized. Furthermore, in comparison to the English Curriculum Standard (2017 Edition, 2020 Revised Edition) for high schools, these lexical chunks are underused, primarily due to high repetition rates, monotony, and misapplication by students. These issues reflect deficiencies in language fluency, accuracy, diversity, and authenticity.The main reasons for students' inadequate use of lexical chunks include lack of motivation, learning strategies, influence of prior learning experiences, and teaching methods. In light of these challenges, this study proposes corresponding teaching strategies with the aim of informing English instruction.

Depth of reasoning in the 11–20 game differs between financial professionals and students. A lab-in-the-field experiment

We rely on Alaoui and Penta (2020)’s variant of the 11–20 game (Arad and Rubinstein, 2012), to elicit the depth of reasoning of financial professionals (FP) and students (ST). FP chose lower numbers in the 11–20 game than ST, but had similar CRT scores. We observe that ST with higher CRT scores tend to choose larger numbers. FPs’ chosen numbers are positively affected by their SVO while ST's chosen numbers are positively affected by their risk-aversion.

Perspectives of Open Education High Students on the Open Learning Mode

Open education is an education and instruction network that is widely used to overcome physical and temporal limitations. In the current study, an evaluation was made by taking the opinions of students on the application areas of the open education system in Turkey. In this context, the reasons for students attending open education high schools to switch to open education high schools were examined and a general perspective on open education applications was presented in line with their goals and expectations. To this end, phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used and students’ opinions and experiences about open education were elicited. The sample of the current study is comprised of 500 open education high school students registered through public education centres. An online questionnaire form consisting of semi-structured open-ended questions was used to collect data in the study. When the findings were examined, it was seen that the reasons for the participants’ enrolment in open education differed. In the analysis performed, it was seen that the reasons for enrolling in open education were grouped under six sub-headings: individual-emotional reasons, familial reasons, economic reasons, health-related reasons, reasons arising from school education processes and environmental-stimulating reasons.

Cheating behaviour in online exams: On the role of needs, conceptions and reasons of university students

AbstractBackgroundOnline exams have become a more common form of assessment at universities due to the Covid‐19 pandemic. However, cheating behaviour in online exams is widespread and threatens exam validity as well as student learning and well‐being.ObjectiveTo better understand the role of university students' needs, conceptions and reasons regarding cheating in online exams.MethodsIn Study 1, we used four pairs of contrasting online exam scenarios to explore the impact of addressing students' needs on their cheating intention. In Study 2, we examined how students' conceptions of online exams are related to their cheating behaviour. In Study 3, we asked students to name their most important reasons for and against cheating in past online exams. All studies were conducted online and are based on a convenience sample of 339 students from universities in Germany.Results and ConclusionsFirst, students were less likely to cheat when they expected exam content relevant to their future profession, exam tasks relevant to their future professional life and detailed feedback on their performance. Second, most students' conceptions of online exams were related to their cheating intention and behaviour, whereas the conceptions that online exams support teaching, promote collaboration and impair learning were of relatively high importance. Third, most important reasons for cheating included the relevance of grades and the unfairness of exams, and most important reasons against cheating included moral standards and values as well as the fear of consequences.ImplicationsAddressing students' needs and considering their conceptions and reasons could be a learner‐centred approach to decrease cheating behaviour.

Recognising the social causes of student underperformance in medical education: a scoping review

The social aspects of underperformance in medical education can be perceived as an uncomfortable topic in some contexts. Vaughn’s [1]evergreen description of underperformance: the state where a student’s academic performance is significantly below that which isexpected of them – because of a ‘specific affective, cognitive, structural, or interpersonal difficulty’ was used in this study. With up to15% of medical students experiencing significant difficulties during medical training [2], the session mandate is to explore social causes of underperformance towards best practice approaches for student’s support, discomfort notwithstanding. A scoping review was conducted using the JBI framework [3] to explore social issues surrounding medical student underperformance. A PubMed search using ‘medical underperformance’ and ‘remediation’ was used as an expansive template to find papers that described key concepts. Forty-six papers were identified and in papers that the titles dealt with the topic, 20 full texts were reviewed. Framework analysis [4] was used to identify themes from key papers. A key social reason for medical students’ underperformance was cultural clashes. An evidence-based process of management can be used to deduce root causes of underperformance and assist the affected student back on track with their self-regulated learning. Aims• Critically analyse the social difficulties faced by underperformingstudents.• Practice the creation of evidence-based tailored remediation plans. Engagement: I intend to use a case study and questions to engage attendees.

Use of a clinical reasoning scaffolding document improves student performance

ObjectiveClinical reasoning is an essential skill set for practicing pharmacists to possess. Given its complex nature, optimal pedagogies for teaching clinical reasoning are largely unknown. The use of scaffolding to expand a student's zone of proximal development and improve clinical reasoning performance was assessed in this study. MethodsThis prospective, observational cohort study of second professional year (P2) students compared performance of those who were exposed to a clinical reasoning scaffolding tool (CRST) to historic control P2 students (No CRST) on FARMR notes in alignment with the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process. Student performance was assessed using an entrustment-like scale for each of 5 sections (Findings, Assessment and goals, Recommendations, Monitoring, and Rationale) of the FARMR to link classroom and experiential education settings. ResultsIn total, 141 CRST students from 28 groups were compared to 77 No CRST students from 13 groups. CRST students performed significantly higher in Assessment and goals of therapy, Recommendations, Monitoring, Rationale sections but no difference in Findings. ConclusionsScaffolding has been utilized successfully in other health professions education. This study provides evidence of it successfully improving student pharmacist clinical reasoning skills, an essential ability for successful pharmacy practitioners.

Development of a Mathematical Experience from a STEM and Sustainable Development Approach for Primary Education Pre-Service Teachers

Advances in education are increasingly important, and it is necessary to look for methodological strategies that enhance the value of mathematics in society and promote integrated training that helps students reason critically and rigorously. In this sense, math trails with a focus on STEM and sustainable development are a good resource to connect mathematics with the environment in a transversal way with other disciplines. A total of 35 postgraduate students in secondary education and 30 undergraduate students in primary education participated in this research and received a training course from experts in mathematics teaching. During the experience, the graduate students designed trails that were tested by the undergraduate students after a prior review by three in-service primary teachers. Likert scale questionnaires and open questions were asked of the students to evaluate the training received and the execution of the experience. Likewise, it was also decided to hold a debate with the participants and a guided interview with in-service teachers to assess the possible application of the resource in primary education courses. The results show a very positive assessment of the experience and allow us to support this approach to promote a change in the teaching–learning of mathematics in the last years of primary education.

Use of the International IFOMPT Cervical Framework to inform clinical reasoning in postgraduate level physiotherapy students: a qualitative study using think aloud methodology

BackgroundVascular pathologies of the head and neck are rare but can present as musculoskeletal problems. The International Federation of Orthopedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) Cervical Framework (Framework) aims to assist evidence-based clinical reasoning for safe assessment and management of the cervical spine considering potential for vascular pathology. Clinical reasoning is critical to physiotherapy, and developing high-level clinical reasoning is a priority for postgraduate (post-licensure) educational programs.ObjectiveTo explore the influence of the Framework on clinical reasoning processes in postgraduate physiotherapy students.MethodsQualitative case study design using think aloud methodology and interpretive description, informed by COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research. Participants were postgraduate musculoskeletal physiotherapy students who learned about the Framework through standardized delivery. Two cervical spine cases explored clinical reasoning processes. Coding and analysis of transcripts were guided by Elstein’s diagnostic reasoning components and the Postgraduate Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Practice model. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis (inductive and deductive) for individuals and then across participants, enabling analysis of key steps in clinical reasoning processes and use of the Framework. Trustworthiness was enhanced with multiple strategies (e.g., second researcher challenged codes).ResultsFor all participants (n = 8), the Framework supported clinical reasoning using primarily hypothetico-deductive processes. It informed vascular hypothesis generation in the patient history and testing the vascular hypothesis through patient history questions and selection of physical examination tests, to inform clarity and support for diagnosis and management. Most participant’s clinical reasoning processes were characterized by high-level features (e.g., prioritization), however there was a continuum of proficiency. Clinical reasoning processes were informed by deep knowledge of the Framework integrated with a breadth of wider knowledge and supported by a range of personal characteristics (e.g., reflection).ConclusionsFindings support use of the Framework as an educational resource in postgraduate physiotherapy programs to inform clinical reasoning processes for safe and effective assessment and management of cervical spine presentations considering potential for vascular pathology. Individualized approaches may be required to support students, owing to a continuum of clinical reasoning proficiency. Future research is required to explore use of the Framework to inform clinical reasoning processes in learners at different levels.

Mathematical Logic for the Development of Logical Reasoning in Engineering Students

In this article a didactic strategy is proposed to develop logical reasoning in engineering students. This problem arose because the students in the differential calculus course did not understand certain concepts because they said they did not know how to infer. After having applied the proposal and subsequent application of the tests and questionnaires, it was observed that there was an improvement in the students when reasoning correctly.