Student-centered Practices Research Articles

Evidence that communities of practice are associated with active learning in large STEM lectures

BackgroundWith the increased attention on the need to retain students within STEM majors, it is important for STEM instructors to adopt evidence-based instructional practices that are student-centric and employ active learning techniques. However, traditional approaches for increasing student-centric, active learning practices such as workshops, seminars, and department or college mandates have been either inefficient or ineffective at motivating institutional change. This is particularly true for introductory STEM courses with large enrollments. One promising approach is to develop and support instructors in forming communities of practice around reforming introductory and foundational STEM courses. By engaging instructors within these communities of practice, and connecting the communities with each other, instructors may be more likely to experience an epistemological shift that will lead to adoption of active learning practices.To explore whether participating in a community of practice is related to the use of student-centered, active learning techniques, 25 undergraduate foundational STEM courses whose instructors were members of a community of practice were observed using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM Courses. The results were compared to a sample of 35 undergraduate foundational STEM courses whose instructors were not members of a community of practice.ResultsInstructors who were members of a community of practice were much more likely to employ student-centric practices, such as asking questions, following up, and engaging in discussion, and much less likely to use instructor-centered practices, such as lecturing. In addition, students in these classes were more likely to be actively engaged in problem-solving activities rather than passively listening. We found that student-centric, active learning practices correlated with students attending and actively participating in class, an effect that is stronger for courses taught by instructors who were members of a community of practice.ConclusionCommunities of practice are a potentially effective mechanism for enhancing student learning and retention by increasing the use of active learning practices by STEM instructors. These communities are particularly effective when they consist of small, disciplinary teams working on the same course(s) and are linked with other individuals or groups that use evidence-based instructional practices.

A Student-Centred Experience at a Brazilian Summer Course for Student Teachers

Background: This paper refers to an empirical study held at an undergraduate summer course for student teachers at a public Brazilian University, aiming to promote teaching and learning processes based on a student-centred approach. Methods: The study was set up as a Pedagogical Action Research. The classes were initially planned based on interviews with teachers and students from the regular previous term and on open-answers questionnaires filled in by students enrolled at the summer course. At the end of the summer course, a new open-answer questionnaire was filled in by the students. Results: It was possible to perceive a positive change on students’ postures, engagement and learning, and will become teachers. Conclusions: The findings indicate that student-centred practices are an interesting pedagogical approach for Teacher Education. Besides going further with the Pedagogical Action Research it is perceived the need to make similar studies at different Brazilian Higher Education settings.

Making explicit pre-service teachers’ implicit beliefs about inclusive education

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the development of pre-service teachers’ skills, beliefs and knowledge about inclusive education. At Time 1, pre-service teachers completed questionnaires on their beliefs and wrote a Teaching Philosophy. At Time 2, they identified differences in their responses from Time 1 to Time 2. Overall, teacher candidates reported an increased sense of self-efficacy in inclusive practice. Their beliefs about learning and teacher responsibility remained largely unchanged. Teacher candidates advocated strongly for student-centred learning and inclusive practices. However, they became significantly more self-assured about their initial position and felt that they had more resources to teach their inclusive beliefs in the classroom.

Seeing Every Star

Point of View
 I am a white, mother of three children, and the product of a progressive elementary education. I have worked as a qualitative educational researcher for the past 25 years in the areas of equity and arts-integrated and student-centered practices in K-12 education. My experiences have shaped my worldview and deep concern with the ways our current system is damaging the humanity of all our children, particularly our most disenfranchised. My race, socio-economic status, and education have afforded me tremendous privilege and access to resources and advantage. I seek to use my privilege to shed light on what is possible and to show how we can envision a more hopeful, positive, and loving world for young people that truly nurture their spirits, hearts, and minds.
 Value of Submission
 The future of our planet depends upon an engaged, compassionate, brave and thoughtful citizenry. We are not currently on a trajectory to meeting those needs as far too many of our children are stuck in a broken system intended to feed our commerce-based economy rather than nurture our collective humanity. This visioning piece is designed to serve as an inspiration and call to action to do better by our children, especially those most underserved, undervalued and squashed by the inequities in our society.

Modeling Chilean Mathematics Teachers’ Instructional Beliefs on Problem Solving Practices

This study was designed to examine predictors of instructional beliefs related to problem solving that influence mathematics in-service teachers’ practices in the Chilean context. A total of 713 in-service mathematics teachers from various elementary schools participated in the survey study during 2015 and 2016. Results showed that teachers’ traditional beliefs are directly associated with their teacher-centered practices, while there was an indirect relation among reformed beliefs and student-centered practices through teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their beliefs about the value of problem solving. This association among beliefs and practices suggests that educators and policy makers should be aware of, when designing a teacher professional development, the need to emphasize other variables such as teachers’ self-efficacy and value of the task.

The incorporation of Self-Directed Learning for English Second Language learners within postgraduate Clinical Health Sciences Immunology education

Abstract The understanding of Immunological processes and mechanisms within postgraduate Clinical Health Sciences education is essential, particularly when considering pathological disease pathways. Ensuring proper learning is achieved by all students is of the utmost importance for teachers especially when considering English as Second Language (ESL) learners. Contemporary learning and teaching methods are becoming increasingly focused on student centered practices such as Self-Directed Learning (SDL) where a student determines their own learning aims and undertakes methods of their own choosing to achieve and assess their learning outcomes. To support effective learning using SDL, it is necessary students are familiar with SDL strategies. The purpose of this work was to support the adoption of SDL strategies by Nursing, Midwifery and Health ESL learners undertaking postgraduate Clinical Health Sciences Immunology education and identify their impact. Face-to-face Immunology teaching sessions for a postgraduate Pathophysiology course were delivered with the inclusion of SDL strategies to support and facilitate effective learning. These strategies were carefully presented to ensure communication was culturally appropriate for all, especially ESL learners. Positive in-class feedback regarding SDL strategy content was received from all students in addition to favorable formal evaluation comments and student satisfaction scores for the Immunology course content. Student assessment outcomes for ESL learners were encouraging. These finding support the incorporation of SDL learning strategies delivered to ensure cultural appropriateness and support effective learning for postgraduate Immunology education.

CRISPR-Cas Technology In and Out of the Classroom.

Student-centered practices, including student-focused research opportunities, enhance biology education and comprehension. One way to support student interest is through research opportunities in faculty laboratories. However, alternatives to traditional research apprenticeships are important for the inclusion of more undergraduate students in CRISPR-Cas–based research. Student interest in CRISPR-Cas technologies serves as a timely focal point for deepening undergraduate student engagement in biology courses. In this article, we describe some of the ongoing efforts to bring CRISPR-Cas technology out of the classroom and into the teaching laboratory.

Perspectives from graduate students on effective teaching methods: a case study from a Vietnamese Transnational University

Vietnam is emerging as an accelerated economic and political society with an increased global presence; thus, increased attention has been given to producing qualified college graduates who can contribute to the growing global economy. Yet challenges exist due to lack of educational infrastructure and ineffective teaching practices. As a result, the Vietnamese government embraces international collaborations in higher education as a way to address educational needs; however, although research exists on policy implications and government priorities, very little is known about how students perceive the teaching methods provided at these collaborative transnational universities. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine graduate students’ perceived effectiveness of teaching methods at Vietnamese-German University (VGU), a predominantly technology and engineering university that is an international collaboration between Vietnam and Germany. We seek to answer the research question of, ‘how is the use of student-centred practices effective in an international learning environment?’ Findings from graduate students indicate that collaborative learning, specifically through group work and modified flipped classrooms, are effective ways to maximise student learning. Implications for practice and future research are discussed as ways to emphasise the benefits of student-centred teaching and learning at transnational collaborative universities.

Evaluating the potential of iPads to actively engage paramedicine students in an authentic learning experience

IntroductionParamedicine students are required to develop the skills of assessing and managing clinical presentations to prepare them for practice. Active learning strategies that are student centred, facilitate collaboration and mirror workplace practices can assist the development of requisite skills. iPads provide a portable means of integrating audiovisual material into these clinical scenarios. Use of such material has the potential to add a degree of authenticity to this environment and require students to play a more active part in their learning.MethodsThis study introduced the ‘iPad-SFS’, a system for using iPads as a platform for introducing audiovisual material into practical classes, as a means of promoting active learning. Students completed a Likert scale survey inviting quantitative and qualitative feedback to evaluate the impact of this intervention on their learning experience.ResultsThe data indicated using iPads promoted engagement, enhanced realism, promoted a more collaborative and authentic learning experience and improved critical thinking.ConclusionOverall, the iPad based system impacted positively on student learning experience. Health professional educators in paramedicine should consider the use of system similar to iPad-SFS in practical classes.

Blended Learning for Learner Empowerment: Voices from the Middle East

Blended learning (BL) is still in its infancy in the United Arab Emirates, but is gaining growing attention and acceptance. The particular university under investigation offers its nationally accredited graduate programs with a BL format that makes use of synchronous virtual classrooms, asynchronous self-study, and face-to-face sessions. The current qualitative research study investigates students' perceptions about their experience with the BL model within their relatively conservative cultural context. In addition, the project aimed at gauging their suggestions for course design considerations that would meet their needs as adult learners and enhance their learning experience. Twenty-one graduate students participated in the study, with findings indicating an overall positive perception about the BL experience with a strong positive impact on female empowerment. The most salient themes for successful instructional strategies indicated the importance of student-centered practices, particularly collaborative projects and student-led activities.

How Student Centered is the Computer Science Classroom? A Survey of College Faculty

Student-centered instructional practices structure a class so that students interact with each other, engage deeply with the content, and receive formative feedback. These evidence-based practices benefit all students but are particularly effective with underrepresented learners, including women and members of other minority groups. To what extent have computer science (CS) faculty embraced these strategies? We surveyed over 700 U.S. faculty to find out. Results suggest that female faculty, associate professors, and those teaching courses with enrollment above 80 students are more likely to use these student-centered practices. Across all responses, 20% of faculty use student--student interaction on a regular basis during class. In contrast, 38% of faculty rely on lectures for content delivery. Results were also compared with published data for other academic disciplines. CS faculty are less likely to use these practices compared to their non-STEM colleagues but more likely to use these practices compared to other STEM discipline faculty. Overall, CS faculty have adopted student-centered practices to some degree, but our community should strive for higher adoption rates to help as many students as possible learn and remain in computer science.

The impact of student centered microteaching practices on preservice science teachers' self-efficacy beliefs

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of micro teaching practices on preservice science teachers’ self efficacy beliefs towards science teaching. The study was carried out with the volunteer participation of 50 senior preservice science teachers as part of Science Teaching Method course. The data was collected in 2016-2017 spring semester through 14 weeks. Mixed method research design using both qualitative and quantitative research methods guided the study. Science Teaching Self-efficacy Beliefs (STEBI) Scale originally developed by Riggs & Enochs (1990) and adapted to Turkish by Tekkaya, Çakıroğlu & Özkan (2004) was used two times as pre-post test, before and after the investigation. In addition to STEBI, semi structured interviews were conducted to explore preservice teachers’ views about micro teaching practices. The results of the study showed that micro teaching experiences have significant effect on preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs.

Culturally responsive leadership practices: a principal’s reflection

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on presenting culturally responsive leadership practices that could help school principals transcend rigorous accountability mandates by using two student-centered practices: culturally responsive leadership and teacher self-efficacy. This is a contextual narration of the author’s 12 years of leadership experience at a South Texas elementary school. The implications of this autoethnography are to inform the leadership practices of present and future school principals who need to develop a human agency and utilize high-needs students’ communities’ cultural wealth to positively impact their academic success.

Measuring the impact of professional development for student-centred pedagogies: a mixed-methods study

Shifts towards student-centred pedagogies require high-quality professional development to support teacher learning. Although many characteristics of effective professional development have been identified, such programmes still struggle to demonstrate successful results. This mixed-methods study investigated the development of student-centred practices in middle-school teachers in the USA in response to a programme of professional development. Participants engaged in individualized programmes of professional development built around personal action research projects. Quantitative results showed a significant decline in student-centred practices, and explanatory qualitative data indicated differences in the perception of the focus of the professional development and engagement with dissemination. Mixed analyses indicated previously unobserved similarities across participants, highlighting the difficulty of measuring the impact of professional development using only quantitative or qualitative approaches. The impact of this professional development and implications for the study of similar programmes are discussed.

Strategies and Practices for Overcoming Obstacles to the Effective Commercialization of Student Innovation on University Campuses

We synthesize knowledge about the policy and practices and infrastructure available for technology transfer of student inventions. Our joint consideration of intellectual property protection and business and legal support services has tried to overcome some of the traditional functional and knowledge silos. Looking forward, we recommend that independent and comprehensive measures be developed to assess the performance of each university with respect to its student commercialization policies and practices. Do comprehensive and student-centered IP policies make a difference in creating certainty for student innovators and confidence in the institutional infrastructure to support commercialization? Previous researchers have studied the connection between patents and on campus commercialization. Future research must differentiate student commercialization from faculty commercialization. Additionally, other indicators related specifically to student centered innovation in Canada must move beyond patents to include other forms of intellectual property, such as copyright and industrial designs. Further, given that universities are measured by learning outcomes, we recommend that universities include learning outcomes connected to experiential entrepreneurial opportunities. If a purpose is also to create an entrepreneurial culture, and students who are better able to identify and seize venture opportunities, then we must also consider indicators over time that reflect the true impact of developing a student-centered entrepreneurial culture. The university learning culture supported by strong student centered policies and practices will develop a more enduring entrepreneurial spirit in Canadian graduates. Finally, more work needs to be done in relation to measuring the effectiveness of various models for providing independent legal advice to student innovators with the view to ensuring that students are given timely, meaningful and cost-effective access to legal support so that their rights and interests are properly addressed.

Self-Directed Learning within Postgraduate Immunology Education

Abstract Immunology education is essential for the understanding of mechanistic and cellular events responsible for specific diseases. To support proper understanding by students, contemporary learning and teaching methods are becoming increasingly focused on student centered practices that include Self-Directed Learning (SDL). SDL is the process where a student determines their own learning aims and undertakes methods of their own choosing to achieve and assess their own learning outcomes. SDL has become an area of emphasis particularly within the nursing profession. Although the importance of SDL may be emphasized to students, they may not necessarily receive instruction or have SDL strategies to facilitate effective learning. This work sought to explore the impact of teaching and promoting SDL strategies for postgraduate nursing, midwifery and health students undertaking Immunology education by distance within a postgraduate Pathophysiology course. In-class Immunology teaching sessions for these students contained instruction that taught and promoted various SDL strategies. Favorable student outcomes were achieved for Immunology assessment components of the Pathophysiology course with in-class feedback related to specific instruction regarding SDL strategies, positive. Formal student evaluation of the Immunological course elements also highlighted favorable student satisfaction scores. These findings support SDL as an effective learning tool for postgraduate Immunology education.

Contextual Categorisation of Academics’ Conceptions of Teaching

Background: Despite large-class research-based instructional strategies being firmly established in the literature, traditional teacher-centred lecturing remains the norm. This is particularly the case in physics, where Physics Education Research (PER) has blossomed as a discipline in its own right over the last few decades, but research-based strategies are not widely implemented. This variation in practice is underpinned by variations in beliefs and understandings about teaching. Studies investigating the spectrum of conceptions of teaching held by teachers and, in particular, academics have almost uniformly identified a single dimension from teacher-centred to student-centred. These studies have used a phenomenographic approach to capture the variety of conceptions of teaching, but have excluded contextual issues like class size. Research Question: How does class size affect academics’ conceptions of teaching? Method: This study used an online survey to compare and contrast respondents’ experiences of small and large classes, and in particular lectures. The survey was promoted to Australian university academics from a range of disciplines, predominantly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Responses to the sets of small-class questions were analysed independently from the sets of equivalent large-class questions. For each respondent their small-class responses were categorised, where possible, as either being student-centred or teacher-centred, and likewise, independently, for their large-class responses. Results: In total, 107 survey responses were received. Of these, 51 had the sets of both their large- and small-class responses unambiguously categorised. Five of these were student-centred regardless of class size, and 17 of these were teacher-centred regardless of class size. All of the remaining 29 responses were teacher-centred in large classes, but student-centred in small classes. Conversely, none of the responses corresponded to a conception of teaching that was student-centred in large classes and teacher-centred in small classes. Implications: This result demonstrates that the one-dimensional analysis of conceptions of teaching along the spectrum of teacher-centred to student-centred is too simplistic. Conceptions are contextual. At the very least they depend on class size, and perhaps other factors. It confirms the hierarchy of understanding from teacher-centred to student-centred reported elsewhere in the literature, with the added feature of an intermediate stage of differing focus depending on class size. One recommendation from this finding is that teaching professional development programs should be focused on developing studentcentred conceptions and practices in large classes in particular, as this occurs infrequently but leads to the best student learning outcomes. Moreover, further research on contextspecific conceptions of teaching need to be explored.

Motivation, Empowerment, and Innovation: Teachers' Beliefs About How Participating in the Edmodo Math Subject Community Shapes Teaching and Learning

Educators around the world participate in virtual communities, social media sites, and online networks in order to gain support and ideas for improving their practice. Many researchers have explored how and why teachers participate in these online spaces; however, there is limited research on how participation might impact teaching and learning. This study was designed to examine how K–12 teachers' participation in the Edmodo math subject community, an informal online space for educators, shaped their learning and practice. Data were collected through an online survey of 150 participants and in-depth, follow-up interviews with 10 participants. Three themes emerged from the participants' responses: motivation, empowerment, and innovation. The participants were motivated to spend time learning how to improve their practice, they felt empowered to make changes to their practice, and they believed they were able to adopt innovative, student-centered practices. Implications and ideas for further research are discussed.

SAUDI TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Shifting from teacher-centred to student-centred practices requires teachers to understand strategies to interact with students in science classes. Formative assessment strategies are very critical component of classroom interaction where teachers obtain information about student learning wherever possible. Traditionally, however, teachers ask questions and evaluate student responses but without investigating student contributions to the classroom interaction. This qualitative study aimed at developing teachers’ knowledge of formative assessment strategies when teaching science-based inquiry in Saudi Arabia. 12 teachers were observed when teaching science and details of one teachers’ practices of formative assessment is presented in this study. Formative assessment framework that describes assessment conversations is used and modified to observe teachers’ assessment practices. Assessment conversation consists of four-step cycles, where the teacher elicits information from students through questioning, the student responds, the teacher recognizes the student’s response, and then uses the information to develop further inquiry. Findings indicate that teachers ask questions and receive responses but rarely allow students to share their own ideas or discuss their own thinking. The study underlines the importance of integrating formative assessment strategies during scientific inquiry teaching for professional development as a way to increase student participation and allow opportunities for students’ inquiry in science classes. Key words: assessment conversations, formative assessment, science inquiry.

Introducing the Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS): A Concise, Interdisciplinary, and Easy-to-Score Survey.

Researchers, administrators, and policy makers need valid and reliable information about teaching practices. The Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey (PIPS) is designed to measure the instructional practices of postsecondary instructors from any discipline. The PIPS has 24 instructional practice statements and nine demographic questions. Users calculate PIPS scores by an intuitive proportion-based scoring convention. Factor analyses from 72 departments at four institutions (N = 891) support a 2- or 5-factor solution for the PIPS; both models include all 24 instructional practice items and have good model fit statistics. Factors in the 2-factor model include (a) instructor-centered practices, nine items; and (b) student-centered practices, 13 items. Factors in the 5-factor model include (a) student-student interactions, six items; (b) content delivery, four items; (c) formative assessment, five items; (d) student-content engagement, five items; and (e) summative assessment, four items. In this article, we describe our development and validation processes, provide scoring conventions and outputs for results, and describe wider applications of the instrument.