Sociocultural Learning Theory Research Articles

Socio-culturally responsive medical professionalism and ethics education: A curriculum co-creation approach

ABSTRACT Medical professionalism and ethics (MPE) are critical components influencing how medical practitioners provide patients with the highest standard of care. As a result, a structured attempt has been undertaken to enhance the content and teaching delivery of the medical professionalism and ethics education (MPEE) in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory, Harre and Van Langenhove’s positioning theory and Taba’s principles of curriculum development, a curriculum co-creation project was organized with the aim of developing a socio-culturally responsive MPEE. A total of fifteen medical students agreed to participate in the project where they co-created MPE curriculum with a medical educator over the course of three months. Upon completion of the project, a co-created, socio-culturally responsive MPE curriculum was presented. The thematic analysis revealed positive changes in the participants’ attitudes, skills, and behaviors towards co-creating the MPE curriculum. They also reported feeling a sense of fulfilment after having a transformative experience as curriculum co-creators and after receiving positive feedback from the faculty, staff, and other students on the co-created MPE curriculum. The project’s success demonstrates the importance of curriculum co-creation as a strategy to promote co-creation efforts among students and educators in developing a socio-culturally responsive curriculum. The project’s framework and practical recommendations can be adopted by other medical educators and faculties to encourage students’ participation and their role on curriculum development using the co-creation approach.

Academic Challenges Faced by Adolescent Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe

This study examined the academic challenges faced by adolescent orphans and vulnerable learners from child-headed households attending secondary schools in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province. Learners from homes without parents are becoming more and more prevalent, but no one has yet taken notice of them. Using Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning as the theoretical lens, the researchers scrutinized the phenomenon. Thirty participants were chosen from four secondary schools in the Chimanimani District for the qualitative research study. In-depth data about the academic challenges faced by adolescents who are orphans and vulnerable children was generated through focus group interviews. The thematic approach was employed in the analysis of data and invaluable themes were identified. Ultimately, the study’s conclusions were as follows; facilitators and learners need constant motivation, parents can help supervise learners’ work, and teachers should have access to professional development opportunities. The results indicate that in order to guarantee high-quality instruction, guidance and counseling teachers should receive support and opportunity for ongoing professional development. By utilizing learner-centered methodologies, the teaching and learning process should integrate learners’ real-world experiences to improve the learners’ comprehension of the learning materials covered in class.

Unveiling the synergy of peer feedback and the Metaverse

Undeniably, technology has become an integral part of education across all disciplines. Over the past decades, significant technological advancements, such as the normalization of computers and the popularization of mobile devices, have transformed and revolutionized our learning paradigms. Education has transitioned from the bricks-and-mortar, teacher fronted, and textbook-based teaching to out-of-class, student-centered, and inquiry-based learning. Since 2020, emerging technologies such as the Metaverse and artificial intelligence have shown great potential in expanding learning opportunities, ranging from the location of learning and teaching, the student-teacher machine interactions, to different modes of instruction and learning. In particular, the Metaverse has the power to transform the way peer feedback is provided, which is an essential aspect of effective education. This position paper aims to shed some light on the intersection of peer feedback and the Metaverse. It starts with a review of the classic sociocultural learning theory and the historical use of technology to support peer feedback, followed by an introduction to the definition and features of the Metaverse technology. Then, the paper proposes a tentative model about how the Metaverse can be utilized to facilitate peer feedback. It ends with important questions for educators and learners to contemplate in order to make the most of this new technology in improving the provision and uptake of peer feedback.

Rising in the ranks!: learning math or playing games?

This qualitative case study examines the learning that occurred when a small group of middle grade youths embarked upon a personal excursion during a game-based math walk. Math walks are an informal learning activity where learners and facilitators explore mathematical concepts embedded in everyday spaces. The MathExplorer app is a location-based mobile game designed to enhance and gamify math walks. In our broader research, we investigated a group of 18 middle grade learners who used MathExplorer to engage in math walks at a local nature preserve. While most youths in this study used the game as planned by the researchers, one group deviated from the plan and devised new ways of playing the game and participating in the math walks. We see this deviation, or personal excursion, as a source of insight for research on game-based math walks. To understand the learning that took place during this personal excursion, we draw upon sociocultural and self-directed theories of learning. Using methods of interaction analysis and embodied action conversation framework, we analyzed the small groups’ discussion, movement, and game-use to understand: (1) the point at which the students departed from the planned use of MathExplorer; and (2) the learning that took place after this departure. The findings include how the youth explicitly incorporate mathematics into game play through an activity-as-planned, and how the youth embark on a personal excursion relating to game mechanics and gamification, with an implicit focus on mathematics. We discuss the importance of personal excursions for designing informal mathematics learning experiences.

Teaching for the Digital Stage: Preparing Future Music Educators for the ICT-driven Classroom at Colleges of Education

As technology improves education, music educators face the challenge of adapting their teaching strategies to an increasingly digital and information and communication technology (ICT)-driven classroom. This qualitative study delves into the experiences and perspectives of music tutors and students at colleges of education, exploring how they perceive the integration of ICT tools into music education and the strategies employed to prepare future music educators for this digital stage. Based on constructivist and socio-cultural learning theories, this research employs a qualitative interview approach to capture the nuanced insights of music tutors and students. Through in-depth interviews, participants share their experiences, beliefs, and challenges related to the infusion of ICT in music education. The study examines the technological tools and platforms commonly employed and delves into the pedagogical shifts, opportunities, and obstacles that emerge within this new paradigm. Preliminary findings suggest that music tutors and students recognise the potential benefits of incorporating ICT into music education, such as enhanced student engagement, personalized learning, and access to a broader array of musical resources. However, challenges emerge, including the need for professional development, concerns about equity in access to technology, and the preservation of traditional music pedagogy in a digital context. Furthermore, the study explores how colleges of education are currently preparing future music educators for this digital transition. Analysis of the interview data uncovers various instructional strategies, including workshops, hands-on technology integration, and collaborative curriculum design. The research also highlights the role of mentorship and ongoing support in facilitating the successful integration of ICT tools into music education.

Children’s early reading through the sense of smell: a typology of olfactory engagement

ABSTRACT We investigated adult–child shared book reading of olfactory books that stimulate the sense of smell through scratch-and-sniff surfaces. We observed ten adult–child dyads reading olfactory books at home and documented the characteristics and quality markers of their olfactory engagement. Drawing on the principles of learning sciences and socio-cultural learning theories, we propose a Typology of Olfactory Engagement that brings to the fore the potential of actively engaging the sense of smell during shared book reading. We outline how the Typology of Olfactory Engagement can serve as a basis for future studies exploring adult–child interaction in home learning environments.

Opening Up the Continuing Professional Development Imagination: Bringing the Clinical Workplace Into View.

This Foundations paper introduces the "Working as Learning Framework (WALF)" to the continuing professional development community. Developed by researchers in the domain of workplace learning, the WALF draws upon theories and concepts from economics, sociology of work, and sociocultural theories of learning. The Framework provides conceptual tools to analyze interconnections between workplaces, the organization of work tasks, and learning. Through these interconnections, the Framework introduces the concepts of "expansive learning environments" and "restrictive learning environments." This paper provides an overview of the WALF before discussing possible implications for continuing professional development educators and researchers. Ultimately, this Foundations paper invites readers to engage with the rich scholarship on workplace learning informed by sociocultural concepts of learning and complemented by research on work and workplaces.

"Show me how to use a microscope" - The development and evaluation of certification as direct assessment of practical lab skills.

Practical lab skills are rarely directly assessed. To improve constructive alignment between the described learning outcomes of practical skills and assessment, we developed and tested a certification procedure for microscopy skills. The procedure was embedded into the ordinary learning activity, so no additional time was needed. Three slightly different protocols were developed within the framework of sociocultural learning theory and built like a skill ladder, including direct peer assessment and elements of gamified learning. The protocols varied slightly in the way students were prepared for the certification, the number of steps/levels of achievement, and the consequences of failing. We tested the protocols at three different academic institutions and within 11 courses of varying sizes and academic levels in biology or geology. Feedbacks were collected through online surveys (n = 207) or orally after sessions. One protocol provided instruction videos as preparation material. Instruction videos provided increased understanding of the task, but tactile training was most important for learning. Regardless of institution, type of preparation, and level of former experience, the certification procedure made students clearly more engaged in the exercise. The majority reported that the certification procedure increased their motivation to learn, increased their perceived learning outcome, and was appropriate for assessing practical skills. Students with no or little experience in microscopy before the exercise were more positive about the certification procedure compared to skilled students, and the level of engagement and preparation was higher when there were some consequences of failing. Most students felt comfortable being certified by peers, but some students expressed concern about peers making mistakes. The presented certification procedure can easily be adapted to assess other practical skills and, with some adjustments, be an efficient method for assessment-as-learning, merging formative- and summative assessment.

Exploring how immigrant international medical graduates successfully manage complex sociocultural challenges.

While immigrant international medical graduates (I-IMGs) contribute significantly to the physician workforce in North America, researchers have highlighted the myriad of ways sociocultural challenges can negatively impact their success. Conceptual understanding that unpacks the complex processes of how I-IMGs effectively manage sociocultural challenges is relatively sparse. In addressing this critical knowledge gap, this study explored how I-IMGs successfully manage sociocultural differences as postgraduate residents. We interviewed eleven I-IMGs from diverse backgrounds who are in training or recently trained in a distributed multi-site postgraduate medical training program in Canada. We used the lens of sociocultural learning theory to gain insights into the processes of how I-IMGs describe successful management of sociocultural challenges. The overarching storyline of participants emphasized that their experiences were humbling as they grappled with inner struggles, emotions, and vulnerabilities while embracing the ambiguity of not knowing what was expected of them. The following dominant themes from their narratives encapsulate the salient processes for how I-IMGs conceptualize and successfully manage sociocultural challenges: 1) successfully navigating transitions; 2) resisting or altering elements of prior sociocultural norms while embracing the new; 3) living and being in community and having supportive social networks; 4) risk taking to self-advocate and actively seek help. Understanding the strengths and positive strategies for how I-IMGs interface with complex sociocultural challenges has application for medical training institutions. Our insights suggest the need for practical, effective, and continuous assistance within I-IMG training programs to better support future trainees dealing with sociocultural challenges.

Extra-curricular activities in secondary schools of Nepal: A survey study

This research explored the extra-curricular activities (ECA) in the secondary schools in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East), District of Nepal. The research questions of this study incorporate stakeholders’ (head teachers and secondary level teachers) perceptions, existing practices, problems, and remedial measures regarding practice of ECA in secondary schools. The study is guided by Alexander (1999)’s student involvement theory and Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of learning. The study population included 239 secondary level teachers and 78 head teachers from Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East)’s 78 public secondary schools. The sample was chosen using a simple random sampling method with a lottery. The study’s samples included 150 secondary level teachers and 66 head teachers. This study was guided by post-positivist paradigmatic assumptions and was designed quantitatively. Data were collected using the survey method. A structured questionnaire was administered to secondary level teachers and head teachers to collect data. After collecting the data, it was entered into SPSS and analyzed using descriptive statistics–frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics with a non-parametric Chi-square test. The results of the five-point likert scale converted trichotomize scale and closed-ended questionnaires and revealed that teachers have a high level of awareness of ECA knowledge, its importance, and implementation. This study found that head teachers and secondary level teachers involved students in different extra-curricular and social activities to successfully complete school education, as Astin’s and Vygotsky’s theory explained. The practices towards ECAs were stated by Ministry of Education’s national education system plan (MoE, 1971) as an integral part of the school program in which participation would be compulsory for teachers and students and hence found compatible with the policy. In almost all cases, the responses of secondary level teachers and head teachers are nearly identical. As a result, head teachers and secondary level teachers, practiced and implemented ECAs to make them relevant and necessary for students’ educational achievement.

Designing Effective Internships: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Sociocultural Aspects of Intern Satisfaction and Development

ABSTRACT Internships are widely promoted high-impact practices that can have positive impacts on students’ academic and post-graduate success, yet how specific features facilitate these outcomes is understudied. Instead, internships are often studied in terms of mere participation, without recognizing that these experiences are complex pedagogic spaces shaped by professional cultures and decisions about instructional design. In this sequential mixed-methods study we use sociocultural learning theory to interpret data from online surveys (n = 435) and focus groups (n = 52) with students at five institutions. Stepwise linear regression analyses of demographic and programmatic variables associated with intern satisfaction, developmental value, and career adaptability indicated that first-generation status, sex, race and income level, and supervisor behaviors were significantly associated with satisfaction and development. Analyses of qualitative data revealed that features of positive (clear communication, availability, feedback) and negative (unavailability, inattention to learning) supervision impacted student experiences. These findings reveal that internships should be designed with careful attention to task scaffolding, student autonomy and supervisor assistance, depending on the professional context and situation. These results highlight the need for colleges and employers to design internships as mentored and culturally shaped learning spaces, provide supervisor training, and consider the cultural backgrounds of students when matching them to internships.

A Methodical Evaluation of Teachers’ Knowledge and Practices of Differentiation in Basic Schools in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana

Teachers’ knowledge of differentiation and how they practice differentiation was evaluated in fifteen (15) Basic Schools of the Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses. The study adopted the Vygotsky (1978) socio-cultural learning theory as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research method was employed as the approach and a case study as the design for the study. Relying on a primary data, a multi-stage sampling method which involved purposive sampling and simple random sampling was used to select the samples. The analyses revealed that the teachers have very high knowledge with respect to strategies of differentiation. Also, the frequency of implementation of differentiation in the subject areas was very good as only 3.3% of the selected teachers do not implement it in any of the subject areas they teach. It was found the proportion of teachers who implemented differentiation in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language and Natural Science were not significantly different from those who do not. Though, the result was generally reassuring, the study made recommended that enhanced supervision, and continuous professional development training therein for improving the situation.

Call the on-Call: Authentic Team Training on an Interprofessional Training Ward - A Case Study.

There is a disconnect between how healthcare teams commonly are trained and how they act in reality. The purpose with this paper was to present a learning activity that prepares healthcare students to authentic teamwork where team members are fluent and move between different localities, and to explore how this setting affects learning. A learning activity "Call the On-Call" consisting of two elements, workplace team training where team members are separated into different locations, and a telephone communication exercise, was created. A case study approach using mixed methods was adopted to explore medical-, nurse-, physiotherapy- and occupational therapy students and supervisor perspectives of the effects of the learning activity. Data collection involved surveys, notes from reflection sessions, a focus group interview, and field observations. Thematic analysis was applied for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. The sociocultural learning theory, social capital theory, was used to conceptualize and analyse the findings. The majority of the students (n=198) perceived that the learning activity developed their interprofessional and professional competence, but to a varying degree. Especially nursing students found value in the learning activity, above all due to increased confidence in calling a doctor. Physio- and occupational therapy students lacked the opportunity to be active during the telephone exercise, however, they described how it increased their interprofessional competence. Authenticity was highlighted as the key strength of the learning activity from all professions. Concerns that team building would suffer as a result of splitting the student team proved unfounded. The learning activity created new opportunities for students to reflect on interprofessional collaboration. Constant physical proximity during training is not essential for effective healthcare team building. Splitting the student team during training may in fact enhance interprofessional learning and lead to progression in interprofessional communication.

Literacy Research, Systems Thinking, and Climate Change

This article posits the need for literacy research on teachers’ and students’ use of systems thinking for studying climate change. Drawing on sociocultural activity theory of learning, it perceives the need for engaging in systems thinking given the negative impacts of energy, transportation and community design, agriculture and food production, and economics and politics systems themselves on ecosystems—for example, the negative effects of fossil fuel energy systems on emissions production. Researchers could analyze teachers’ and/or students’ use of the following components derived from activity theory for analyzing these systems: objects and outcomes, roles, tools, rules and norms, and beliefs and discourses. For example, teachers and students may employ language for naming phenomena about climate change, responding to literature, engaging in media production, or using emissions mapping tools to critique status-quo systems and use those tools to portray ways of transforming those systems. They may also engage in critical inquiry of rules and norms or beliefs and discourses derived from capitalist economic systems that promote excessive consumption with detrimental environmental impacts and attempts in the political system to resist instruction on climate change.

Extra-Curricular Activities in Secondary Schools of Nepal: A Survey Study

This research explored the extra-curricular activities (ECA) in the secondary schools in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East), district of Nepal. The research questions of this study incorporate stakeholders' (headteachers and secondary level teachers) perceptions, existing practices, problems, and remedial measures regarding practice of extra-curricular activities in secondary schools. The study is guided by Alexander (1999)'s student involvement theory and Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory of learning. The study population included 239 secondary level teachers and 78 head teachers from Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East)'s 78 public secondary schools. The sample was chosen using a simple random sampling method with a lottery. The study's samples included 150 secondary level teachers and 66 head teachers. This study was guided by post-positivist paradigmatic assumptions and was designed quantitatively. Data were collected using the survey method. A structured questionnaire was administered to secondary level teachers and headteachers to collect data. After collecting the data, it was entered into SPSS and analyzed using descriptive statistics--frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics with a non-parametric Chi-square test. The results of the five-point likert scale converted trichotomize scale and closed-ended questionnaires and revealed that teachers have a high level of awareness of ECA knowledge, its importance, and implementation. This study found that headteachers and secondary level teachers involved students in different extra-curricular and social activities to successfully complete school education, as Astin's and Vygotsky's theory explained. The practices towards ECAs were stated by NESP (1971) as an integral part of the school program in which participation would be compulsory for teachers and students and hence found compatible with the policy. In almost all cases, the responses of secondary level teachers and head teachers are nearly identical. As a result, headteachers and secondary level teachers, practiced and implemented ECAs to make them relevant and necessary for students' educational achievement.

An examination of the educational and instructional facets in isiXhosa children’s oral songs

Abstract It is incontrovertible that African, and in particular, isiXhosa children’s oral songs play a significant role in the educational and instructional facets given their propensity to contribute to children’s cognitive development when used and applied meticulously. Bearing that in mind, this article aimed to unravel two selected children’s oral isiXhosa songs in respect of their didactic and pedagogical components. The principal objective, among others, was to determine their latent interplaying meanings. The sociocultural theory of learning was deployed to examine the two songs while the songs themselves served as a primary source of data subsumed under qualitative research methodology. The examination and discussions maintained that isiXhosa children’s oral songs contain educational and instructional dimensions that may not be privy to everyone, and as such, it is consequential that they continue to be probed. The closing remarks underlined the deficit in the evaluation of isiXhosa children’s songs concerning their didactic and pedagogical facets.

A Qualitative Phenomenological Investigation of Pre-university English as a Second Language Learners’ Experiences in Malaysia

This research study explicitly analyses pre-university learners’ individual learning experiences of English as a second language in a public university in Malaysia. In an attempt to gauge participants’ individual learning experiences, this study drew from Skinner’s (1957) behaviourism, Krashen’s (2020) nonnative language acquisition and Vygotsky’s (1974) sociocultural theories of learning. The behaviourism theory puts forth that learning a second language is a mechanical process which relies heavily on habit formation (Skinner, 1957). Krashen’s (2020) nonnative language acquisition and Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theories, on the other hand, posit that a new language is naturally and effortlessly acquired through social interactions that require cognitive reasoning (Vygotsky, 1978). The qualitative findings received from one to one unstructured interviews were analysed in relation to the aforesaid theories. The findings revealed that informants studied English for university admission and that their sociocultural environment inhibited them from speaking the language outside the classroom. Discerning that the conventional teaching of English would not help them to attain their goal, informants though asserted to experience a drop in motivation throughout their English course, established an artificial linguistic environment for them to receive comprehensible inputs of English from various sources. Four out of five informants affirmed their preference to learn English in English speaking nations to be able to practice English in the wider community, while one underlined his/her preference for non-English speaking nations due to the fear of having difficulties in understanding accented English and of being laughed for his/her poor command English by native English speakers. Frequent addition of the linguistic suffix ‘lah’ from Bahasa Malaysia was added to standard English by local informants, leading to the creation of a hybrid landscape. Pedagogical implications for second language teaching and learning are raised alongside a revision of the structure, content and teaching strategies of existing English as a second language course.

English teachers’ perception and attitudes of scaffolding method in teaching academic writing: An exploratory study at universities in Vietnam

The primary aim of this research is to investigate the impact of utilizing the scaffolding method on teaching academic writing in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at universities in Vietnam. This mixed-method study examined the attitudes and perceptions of 88 EFL educators from diverse backgrounds and degree levels who were randomly selected for the research. Methodologically, data were gathered and analyzed using the appropriate methods for each instrument, including a questionnaire and focus group discussion (FGD). Theoretically, the study is a medley of relevant theories and approaches such as Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Learning, the Scaffolding theory, and the ‘High challenge - High support’ pedagogy. The results of this study suggest that participants used scaffolding to some extent and had strongly positive attitudes and perceptions regarding its practical aspects; however, the findings also revealed that the surveyed lecturers are deficient in the necessary knowledge and skills. In addition, the study's findings imply that EFL teachers need training on how to properly use scaffolding as a pedagogical strategy to facilitate teaching academic writing to EFL students.

Exploring the Type and Quality of Peer Feedback in a Graduate-Level Blended Course

Most blended graduate courses engage students in peer feedback activities based on sociocultural theories of learning. Despite its growing importance, little is known about the quality and type of feedback that graduate students provide to their peers in online learning settings. This study aimed to explore the quality and type of feedback that graduate students provided to each other during online learning activities that took place in a blended course at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Volunteer students (n = 24) from four different sections of a graduate course were the participants of this study. The students’ feedback to each other in two online discussion forums and in the final assessment paper were the data sources of this study. Qualitative data analysis methods were used to analyze the data. Based on the related literature, we analyzed the data from three perspectives: the type of feedback function (affirmation/negation, justification/explanation, praise, suggestion, question), the level of feedback (task, process, self-regulation), and the quality of each instance of feedback (ineffective, slightly effective, partly effective, effective) to investigate the nature of the peer feedback in detail. The data analysis indicated that graduate students might need support in providing high-quality feedback to their peers. The findings might help instructors improve the existing online or blended course designs.

Peer Tutoring in K-12 Education

This paper uses different learning theories, including constructivism, cognitivism and sociocultural learning theories, to analyze the use of peer tutoring in K-12 Education. Different learning theories reveal problems with peer tutoring. Then the paper gives out three potential improvements that would help peer tutoring be more effective in K-12 Education. The improvements studied are using peer tutoring in a flipped classroom, combining peer tutoring and peer instruction, and assigning the student mentor to be a Homework Helper. A case study in an 11th Grade physics class would show how the improvements are practicable.