Student Learning Goals Research Articles

Effectiveness of a lesson study intervention on teacher behaviour and student motivation in physical education lessons

ABSTRACT Background There is a strong need for evidence based, effective continuous professional development (CPD) for physical education teachers. This need includes CPD aimed at impacting student motivation. Existing CPD on teachers’ motivating style often takes the form of singular events such as a workshop or training session. Research shows that in general, this only has a small impact on teacher behaviour and the effects on student motivation have not received much attention. Lesson study is a popular and more extensive form of CPD in which teachers collaborate on lesson planning, delivery and evaluation, based on predetermined goals for student learning. It has been suggested that this approach could enhance the effectiveness of CPD, but few studies have actually examined this at the level of teacher behaviour and student outcomes, especially in physical education. Aim The present study aims to contribute to the knowledge base of effective CPD within physical education. It investigated whether a lesson study follow-up to a traditional workshop approach would increase the effectiveness of a CPD programme on motivating teacher behaviour, student-perceived motivational climate and student motivation for physical education lessons, from the perspectives of Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory. Methods Ten secondary school PE-departments were included in the workshop + lesson study intervention group (LS), whilst nine served as a control group that received a workshop only (WS). A total of 52 PE teachers (33 LS and 19 WS) and their 612 students (334 LS and 278 WS) participated in the study. Measurements were taken two weeks prior to the start of the CPD programme (pre-test), and again two to three weeks after the CPD had ended (post-test). Two teachers per school were randomly chosen for pre and post measurements in their games-lessons. Lessons were video-recorded and observed using previously validated observation instruments measuring autonomy support, structure, relatedness support, mastery climate and performance climate. Students completed questionnaires on their motivational regulation, basic needs satisfaction and achievement goal orientation during both pre and post measurements. Results In terms of observed teacher behaviours, there was a significant, large increase in teachers’ provision of autonomy-support and a trend for a medium increase in teachers’ provision of structure from pre to post in both conditions, whereas teachers’ employment of a performance climate decreased in both groups. There was, however, no significant difference in effect between both conditions. At the student level, there was a small but significant decrease in students’ performance approach orientation (PAp), with PAp decreasing more in LS than WS. Changes for all other student-derived variables from pre to post were negligible. Conclusion Researcher observations showed that both CPD approaches, the workshop followed up with lesson study and the stand-alone workshop, were equally effective in positively altering the motivating behaviour of PE teachers. However, there was no substantial impact on student-perceived motivational climate and student motivation. Therefore, in the manner enacted in the present study, lesson study cannot be recommended as an effective and efficient form of CPD.

Extracurricular Activities and Academic Performance: Spotlight on Accounting Students of the University of Jos

Extracurricular activities (ECA), though prevalent in educational institutions globally, remain controversial in the research arena. This study investigates the relationship between ECA and academic performance. Using data obtained from questionnaires on students’ level of participation in ECA and CGPA data from the Department of Accounting, University of Jos, Nigeria; the study found a positive but statistically insignificant relationship between academic performance and political, religious & sport related ECA’s. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression technique was the analysis tool adopted in the investigation, which was carried out on a sample of 225 students. The findings of this study are expected to aid education administrators, regulators, counsellors and other stakeholders; especially at the university level; in setting appropriate goals for student learning and development.

A comparative analysis of metaheuristics applied to adaptive curriculum sequencing.

The effective adoption of online learning depends on user satisfaction as distance education approaches suffer from a lack of commitment that may lead to failures and dropouts. The adaptive learning literature argues that an alternative to achieve student satisfaction is to treat them individually, delivering the educational content in a personalized manner. In addition, the sequencing of this content—called Adaptive Curriculum Sequencing (ACS)—is important to avoid cognitive overload and disorientation. The search for an optimal sequence from ever-growing databases is an NP-Hard combinatorial optimization problem. Although some approaches have been proposed, it is challenging to assess their contributions due to the lack of benchmark data available. This paper presents a procedure to create synthetic dataset to evaluate ACS approaches and, as a concept proof, analyzes metaheuristics usually used in ACS approaches: Genetic Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Prey–Predator Algorithm using student’s learning goals and their extrinsic and intrinsic information. We also propose an approach based on Differential Evolution (DE). The computational experiments include synthetic datasets with a varied amount of learning materials and real-world datasets for comparison. The results show that DE performed better than the other methods when less than 500 learning materials are used while PSO performed better for larger problems.

Historical, Cultural, and Religious Influences in Anatomy and Physiology and their Relevance to Diversity and Inclusion

There have been many cultural and religious influences on the studies of anatomy and physiology throughout history. This article provides a brief survey of historical and cultural influences on medicine and anatomy and physiology specifically. These historical and cultural influences include the lifetime and strategic contributions of early physicians, scientists, and scholars as well as the contributions of entire cultures through the social sciences and the religious and non-religious humanities. Discussion of these historical, cultural, and religious topics can be integrated into anatomy and physiology classrooms as lessons that promote diversity and inclusion and cultural humility among faculty and students. Examples of such lessons are described in this article in alignment with the diversity and inclusion goals that were incorporated into the revised Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) Learning Goals for Students. These learning goals showcase the increasing emphasis that HAPS has been ascribing to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Skolotāju metakognitīvo prasmju pašnovērtējuma korelācija ar pašnovērtējumu par savu profesionālo pilnveidi

In order to achieve higher learning goals for students, for teachers it is important to plan, monitor and reflect on their professional performance to make decisions about the improvements that need to be made. Metacognitive skills are essential for teachers to define their real professional development needs and organize their own professional development. This leads to a hypothesis that teachers who have developed metacognitive skills use them both in their classroom and professional development process. In a case study, teachers of a large high school of Riga were examined whether there is a correlation between teachers' assessment of their metacognitive skills in organizing learning process in classroom and their self-assessment about professional development. The findings of the study suggest that there is no clear correlation between teachers' assessment of their professional activities related to lesson planning, monitoring and evaluation and their attitudes towards their involvement in the design, implementation and reflection of their professional development. Although average rates of teachers' self-evaluation for lessons and their professional development are quite similar across all aspects of metacognitive skills, the correlation between these elements is weak (up to 0.3) or moderately close (0.5 to 0.7). Teachers who indicate in their self-assessment that they regularly plan, monitor and evaluate their performance in the classroom do not always follow similar steps in their professional development and vice versa.

Design of Flipped Classroom Mode for Ideological and Political Education Based on Online Multimedia Platform

With the rapid development of educational resources and electronic information equipment, the teaching effect presented by the traditional ideological and political education model has been unsatisfactory. At present, in terms of classroom teaching mode, there is still a lack of interaction between students and between teachers and students in the classroom. Multimedia is only a tool to unilaterally display teaching content, and does not exert greater value. This leads to a lack of learning autonomy of students and poor learning effects. Therefore, this article combines the actual situation of ideological and political education, introduces the concept of network multimedia platform to carry out the application design of the flipped classroom mode, and establishes a new ideological and political education system with the help of the network learning platform, sets research tasks and learning goals for students, and improves them Self-learning ability and interest in course learning. Based on this, this article sets up an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group uses the flipped classroom model to carry out ideological and political education, and the control group uses the traditional classroom teaching model to carry out ideological and political education. The comparative analysis of the questionnaire shows that the classroom teaching model of ideological and political education based on the online multimedia platform can effectively improve the enthusiasm of students’ learning and activity participation.

Communication, interaction and management in a classroom

This article deals with the main activities such as communication, interaction and management in a classroom effective education refers to the degree to which schools are successful in accomplishing their educational objectives. This definition concentrates on the responsibility of the teacher and relates the use of classroom management strategies to multiple learning goals for students. Following this definition, effective classroom management skills seem to focus on preventive rather than reactive classroom management procedures. It is increasingly characterized by student-centred approaches to learning as opposed to teacher-centred, with a large emphasis on students' metacognitive skills and cooperative learning.

Designing a Virtual Learning Environment for Critical Media Literacy Education

In this reflective practitioner essay, we describe our redesign of a large undergraduate course, “Education and Film” (EdFilm), which teaches Critical Media Literacy (CML) to 181 students at a large state university. Using Practitioner Inquiry methods, we discuss the significance of the broader social context in shaping our design, show how we used Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to inform five design choices, and share outcomes from the course. Our findings indicate our course redesign increased flexibility and accessibility without sacrificing student learning outcomes. Reflecting on these findings, we argue for a redesign process that puts student learning goals at the center, considers the impacts of social context (especially with regard to social inequalities), and applies UDL to maximize accessibility and social justice.

\u2018My family\u2019s goals are also my goals\u2019: the relationship between collectivism, distal utility value, and learning and career goals of international university students in Germany

The utility value of an academic task can affect university students’ learning behavior and career choices. For collectivistic-oriented students, learning and career goals also matter to their families. Following expectancy-value theory, we assumed that families’ achievement-related expectations would affect collectivistic-oriented students’ utility value. We conducted a survey study with 154 international university students in Germany. We found a significant mediation effect of students’ distal utility value of their university coursework on the relationship between students’ collectivism, learning goal orientation, and motivation to follow family-oriented distal career goals, respectively. Practical implications for career counselors and university teachers are discussed.

Constructing Goals for Student Learning through Conversation

Learning goals differ from performance goals. We elaborate on their function and importance as the guiding force behind maintaining cognitive rigor during mathematics learning.

PUMAA: A Platform for Accessible Microbiome Analysis in the Undergraduate Classroom.

Improvements in high-throughput sequencing makes targeted amplicon analysis an ideal method for the study of human and environmental microbiomes by undergraduates. Multiple bioinformatics programs are available to process and interpret raw microbial diversity datasets, and the choice of programs to use in curricula is largely determined by student learning goals. Many of the most commonly used microbiome bioinformatics platforms offer end-to-end data processing and data analysis using a command line interface (CLI), but the downside for novice microbiome researchers is the steep learning curve often required. Alternatively, some sequencing providers include processing of raw data and taxonomy assignments as part of their pipelines. This, when coupled with available web-based or graphical user interface (GUI) analysis and visualization tools, eliminates the need for students or instructors to have extensive CLI experience. However, lack of universal data formats can make integration of these tools challenging. For example, tools for upstream and downstream analyses frequently use multiple different data formats which then require writing custom scripts or hours of manual work to make the files compatible. Here, we describe a microbial ecology bioinformatics curriculum that focuses on data analysis, visualization, and statistical reasoning by taking advantage of existing web-based and GUI tools. We created the Program for Unifying Microbiome Analysis Applications (PUMAA), which solves the problem of inconsistent files by formatting the output files from several raw data processing programs to seamlessly transition to a suite of GUI programs for analysis and visualization of microbiome taxonomic and inferred functional profiles. Additionally, we created a series of tutorials to accompany each of the microbiome analysis curricular modules. From pre- and post-course surveys, students in this curriculum self-reported conceptual and confidence gains in bioinformatics and data analysis skills. Students also demonstrated gains in biologically relevant statistical reasoning based on rubric-guided evaluations of open-ended survey questions and the Statistical Reasoning in Biology Concept Inventory. The PUMAA program and associated analysis tutorials enable students and researchers with no computational experience to effectively analyze real microbiome datasets to investigate real-world research questions.

Research on the level of motivation of the students of vocational school towards learning

The subject of this research is educational motivation of the first-year and second-year students of vocational school. The author puts forward an assumption that the second-year students have higher motivation towards learning than the first-year students. This related to the completion of adaptation period and maturing of students, as well as with formation of the responsible professional stance on their future. The conducted research confirmed the advanced hypothesis. The motives for learning highlighted by the second-year students are associated mostly with the current issues of educational activity. The author also underlines the greater importance of motives pertinent to professional competences and professional activity among the second-year students. The main conclusion lies in the thesis that motives for learning indicated by the first-year students are characterized by expectancy, temporary farness of the result, and are merely associated with the current problems. These results reveal the considerable importance of the remote and abstract learning goals for the first-year students. The author detects a trend that acquisition of knowledge is more significant that professional skills in the learning process. Moreover, in course of time, the motive for acquiring knowledge acquires more currency among the students of vocational school.

Use of Individualized Learning Plans to Facilitate Feedback Among Medical Students

Theory Self-regulated learning theory suggests that individualized learning plans can benefit medical trainees by providing a structured means of goal setting, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation. External feedback also plays an important role in affecting learner motivations, perceptions, and self-evaluations. Accordingly, having learners share individualized learning plans with preceptors might promote self-regulated learning by helping align the feedback they receive with their learning goals. Hypothesis: We hypothesized having medical students share individualized learning plans with attendings and residents would improve the quality of the feedback they received, increase the likelihood that feedback correlated to their learning goals, and improve their perceptions of feedback received. Method: In this multisite study, third-year medical students on their pediatric clerkship created individualized learning plans and shared them with residents and attendings by writing a learning goal on at least one of their required faculty feedback forms. The quality of feedback on forms with versus without a learning goal written on top was scored using a validated scoring tool and compared using a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and the frequency with which feedback directly correlated to a student learning goal on forms with versus without a learning goal written on top was compared using a chi-square test. Students completed a post-clerkship survey rating the quality of feedback and teaching they received, perceptions of the individualized learning plans, progress toward achieving learning goals, and whether or not they received teaching and/or feedback related to learning goals. Results: Thirty-six students completed a total of 108 learning goals and 181 feedback forms, of which 42 forms (23.2%) had a learning goal written on top. The mean (SD) feedback score between forms with [3.9 (0.9)] versus without [3.6 (0.6)] a learning goal written on top was not different (p = .113). Feedback on forms with a learning goal written on top was more likely to correlate to a student learning goal than feedback on forms without a learning goal (92.9% vs 23.0% respectively, p < .001). Student perceptions of the usefulness of learning goals did not differ between students who reported receiving teaching or feedback related to a learning goal and those who did not. Conclusions: Sharing individualized learning plans with preceptors helped align feedback with learning goals but did not affect the quality of feedback. Further research should examine the bidirectional relationship between individualized learning plans and feedback in light of other contextual and interpersonal factors.

A Model for Assessment in Play-Based Kindergarten Education

Kindergarten teachers face the challenge of integrating contemporary assessment practices with play-based pedagogy. The current study addresses this challenge by presenting a kindergarten assessment framework rooted in theory and current classroom practices, based on teacher interview and observational data collected in 20 kindergarten classrooms. Ten teachers subsequently participated in extended observations and video elicitation interviews. Results uncovered seven different assessment pathways by which teachers mobilized learning goals through play pedagogies and assessment. Based on these pathways, a comprehensive assessment framework was developed underscoring the cyclical relation between student learning goals, types of play, and assessment contexts and practices. This framework supports teachers’ negotiation and integration of assessment practices with play-based pedagogies to promote both academic and developmental learning goals.

The Development of Realistic Mathematics Education Based Learning Tools to Improve Mathematical Problem Solving Ability and Self-Efficacy on Students in Junior High School 1 Lubuk Pakam

This study aims to 1) Produce the valid, practical, and effective of Realistic Mathematics Education based learning tools; 2) Analyzing the improvement of students' mathematical problem solving ability that are learned using Realistic Mathematics Education-based learning tools; and 3) Analyzing the achievement of students' self-efficacy who are taught using Realistic Mathematics Education-based learning tools. The subjects in this study were seventh grade students of Junior High School 1 Lubuk Pakam. Data collection instruments in this development are assessment instruments to assess the products that have been developed. In addition, students were given questionnaires to get data about students' Self-Efficacy. This research is Research and Development with the design of learning development models by Dick and Carey. The steps include: 1) Conducting preliminary research; 2) Making software design; 3) Collecting the materials; 4) Developing the contextual based interactive multimedia; 5) Product reviews and trials; and 6) the effectiveness of product test. The results showed Realistic Mathematics Education-based learning tools on students' mathematical problem solving ability increased from trial I to trial II with an average increase per indicator of 0.35%; 3.99%; 16.22% and 8.32%. The developed learning tool has fulfilled the effective criteria, namely the mastery learning of students classically in the first trial has reached a good category and in the second trial has reached a very good category; the achievement of student learning goals during learning activities meet the ideal criteria specified; student responses is positive to the components of learning tools and learning activities developed; and the allocation of ideal time usage.

How should the teacher provide feedback and its follow-up in assessing mathematics learning?

Assessment is one of the important things that can affect the learning process and results. During the assessment phase, teachers are required to be able to provide effective feedback and its follow-up in order to get student learning goal. This study aims to present the facts that related to how forms of feedback and follow-up carried out by mathematics teachers in a one of public high school in Cimahi, West Java. Qualitative descriptive research method is equipped with observation, interview and questionnaire used to collect the research data. Through the data collection technique, it was found that the feedback that teacher presented from the entire learning process and the assessment process was still very insufficient. Students only get information about the scores obtained from the assessment in the form of a written test. There is no descriptive feedback and appropriate follow-up that makes students still feel difficulties in implementing mathematics learning. At the end of this article, it is also presented a recommendation for providing effective feedback based on theoretical studies of the results on previous studies.

Examining teachers’ classroom strategies to understand their goals for student learning around the science practices in the Next Generation Science Standards

ABSTRACTWe report on seven secondary science teachers’ initial efforts to understand and enact NGSS-aligned teaching. After interviewing and observing them over the course of the school year, we found that teachers revised their lessons to include instructional strategies that aimed to meet the demands of the NGSS. Yet at times, the purpose for which teachers used these strategies were misaligned with the demands of the NGSS. This suggests that appropriately supporting teachers during this time of science education reform must include opportunities for them to consider their own instructional goals in relation to the goals and demands of the NGSS. We present the strategies and goals identified from interviews with the seven teachers and the observations of their classroom teaching in order to illustrate the professional learning needs of the in-service science teachers in this study.

Assessment of Student’s Competence in Physical Education: Approaches and Methodology

The competence in physical education (PE) is an assessment of a person's ability to lead a physically active lifestyle. The lack of an integrated approach to assessing the success of student’s training in PE does not allow a systematic, transparent and effective monitoring of the dynamics of the development of the personality of a competitive specialist, establishing the causes of problems and developing forecasts for the future. The goal of study was to develop and justify a system for assessing the competence of PE of students studying at universities and colleges. A survey of experts (N=82) was conducted to find out the importance of each of the structural elements of competence. The validity of proposed approaches was investigated. Three domains (“Movement Activity and Attitude to It,” “Physical Health and Fitness,” “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities”) were distinguished in the structure of competence in PE, each of which was divided into 2–4 components. Designed assessment method covers all structural parts of the competence in PE, the goals of student learning, takes into account the list of necessary knowledge and skills in accordance with the requirements of the program, provides the formation of motivation for an active lifestyle, and maintains a level of physical activity sufficient for health. Developed method allows to determine the overall assessment of the formation of competence in PE, as well as a separate component, it gives an opportunity to calculate “critical” components, take into account interests and needs of students, teachers, and university / college administration.

What does math curriculum tell us about continuity for PreK‐3?

Increasingly school districts are attempting to align curricula, assessments and standards, in an effort to eliminate inequities. Some approaches like Prek‐3 initiatives call for coordination of instruction between preschool and later elementary grades that would resemble a coherent instructional system with clear learning goals for students aligned to supports for teachers to help them to teach in, possibly new, ways that would realise such goals. Central to these efforts are instructional materials like curricula that specify learning goals used to teach the students and the guide teachers. Districts seeking to coordinate prek with elementary must create novel solutions for coordinating supports for teaching that is connected across prek and elementary classrooms. In this study, we consider the mandated math curricula that two school districts in California used to establish district‐wide prek‐3 programs. What emerged from our analyses of curricula were distinct designs for continuity of instruction across grades: one district's curricula offered consistently challenging tasks across grades, while the other emphasised easy tasks for younger students followed by increasing levels of challenge for advanced grades. We argue that prek‐3 initiatives present a unique opportunity to recognise why continuity of instruction specified by curricula matters as much, if not more, than coherence or alignment when districts seek to coordinate and connect instruction in preschool and elementary classrooms.

What is Discovery Learning Can Grow Critical Thinking Skills?

Critical thinking is one of the skills that must be taught to students as an effect of globalization and the demands of skilled workers in the period of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Various learning methods, models and strategies are developed to meet these objectives. One of them is the use of the Independent Learning Activity Unit (UKBM) teaching materials in learning to achieve the learning goals of students' critical thinking skills. The focus of this study is to describe students 'responses to the use of UKBM Sociology based on discovery learning to foster students' critical thinking skills. This research is a quantitative descriptive study with percentage techniques. Data is collected through questionnaires, observation and interviews. While the analysis is carried out through four stages, namely data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. This study shows several conclusions: 1) UKBM Sociology is effectively used in classroom learning to foster students' critical thinking skills; 2) the most prominent assessment is the aspect of student interest in the attractive UKBM design; 3) the assessment is less prominent in the aspect of the discovery learning approach in learning because it requires a long time and the seriousness of the teacher and students. This paper recommends using another learning model at UKBM to foster critical thinking skills.