title: Enhancing teacher mediation to foster students’ metacognition in flipped learning

authors: Guo, Lina (Paiyue)

subjects: Educational Technology and Psychology

abstract: This research focuses on enhancing teacher mediation to foster students’ metacognition in flipped learning classrooms in a middle-high school in China. A series of designed workshops aimed to develop teachers’ professional understanding of metacognitive engagement in flipped learning classrooms and facilitate their exploration of classroom talk with a view to enhancing students’ metacognitive thinking to assist their learning. 

Flipped learning, as one example of digital learning, is increasingly pervasive in many educational settings. Research suggests that self-regulated learners benefit more in the flipped learning pedagogical environment than those who have low self-knowledge and self-management. Self-regulation is one of the main subcomponents of metacognition. There is a need to help teachers to be metacognitive teachers, so that in turn, metacognitive learners may be cultivated through daily classroom instructional activities and teacher practice. The school in this study had identified a need to further develop metacognition in their flipped classroom learners. 

The study used an interpretive methodology and a qualitative research approach to explore the use of dialogic talk processes by teachers to engage in metacognitive thinking with their students within the flipped learning context. Data were gathered through classroom observations prior to and after a series of designed professional learning workshops for the teachers. Key incidents of teachers using dialogic talk were captured by video during further classroom observations and post-observation interviews with teachers, and student focus groups and analysis of student work completed the dataset. The participants in this study included five teachers and their students, to investigate the phenomena of teacher mediation in students’ development of cognition and metacognition in a flipped learning approach.

In this study, the use of flipped learning suggested a need for metacognitive learners and metacognitive teachers. I worked with teachers to develop their own and their students’ metacognitive thinking. The reflective practice process of teachers was an aspect of the professional learning workshops, which provided me with teacher input into a theoretical framework, which resulted in an extended and detailed dialogic talk process, generated to guide teachers in designing their instructional activities and further applications in their classroom practice.

The classroom practices of one English, one Maths and one Chemistry teacher were used to exemplify how the professional learning about mediating metacognitive development could be put into practice. The study attempted to highlight the complexities of dialogue that shape learners’ sense making and influence future effective pedagogical practices. At the final stage of the research, through teachers’ and students’ reflections on metacognitive teaching and learning, classroom atmosphere, power, talk and nonverbal behaviours were identified as the factors that influence the engagement of metacognitive teaching and learning in flipped learning.

This study has furthered the understanding of the nature of teachers’ mediation and the practices of teachers and students in mutually engaged dialogic talk concerning the development of metacognition within a school-wide flipped learning adoption context. The design and outcomes of this research may help teachers create an interactive environment in both online and offline learning, incorporating metacognition instructions to facilitate students’ ability to become increasingly autonomous and self-regulated in their learning.

text: Enhancing teacher mediation to foster students’ metacognition in flipped learning This research focuses on enhancing teacher mediation to foster students’ metacognition in flipped learning classrooms in a middle-high school in China. A series of designed workshops aimed to develop teachers’ professional understanding of metacognitive engagement in flipped learning classrooms and facilitate their exploration of classroom talk with a view to enhancing students’ metacognitive thinking to assist their learning. 

Flipped learning, as one example of digital learning, is increasingly pervasive in many educational settings. Research suggests that self-regulated learners benefit more in the flipped learning pedagogical environment than those who have low self-knowledge and self-management. Self-regulation is one of the main subcomponents of metacognition. There is a need to help teachers to be metacognitive teachers, so that in turn, metacognitive learners may be cultivated through daily classroom instructional activities and teacher practice. The school in this study had identified a need to further develop metacognition in their flipped classroom learners. 

The study used an interpretive methodology and a qualitative research approach to explore the use of dialogic talk processes by teachers to engage in metacognitive thinking with their students within the flipped learning context. Data were gathered through classroom observations prior to and after a series of designed professional learning workshops for the teachers. Key incidents of teachers using dialogic talk were captured by video during further classroom observations and post-observation interviews with teachers, and student focus groups and analysis of student work completed the dataset. The participants in this study included five teachers and their students, to investigate the phenomena of teacher mediation in students’ development of cognition and metacognition in a flipped learning approach.

In this study, the use of flipped learning suggested a need for metacognitive learners and metacognitive teachers. I worked with teachers to develop their own and their students’ metacognitive thinking. The reflective practice process of teachers was an aspect of the professional learning workshops, which provided me with teacher input into a theoretical framework, which resulted in an extended and detailed dialogic talk process, generated to guide teachers in designing their instructional activities and further applications in their classroom practice.

The classroom practices of one English, one Maths and one Chemistry teacher were used to exemplify how the professional learning about mediating metacognitive development could be put into practice. The study attempted to highlight the complexities of dialogue that shape learners’ sense making and influence future effective pedagogical practices. At the final stage of the research, through teachers’ and students’ reflections on metacognitive teaching and learning, classroom atmosphere, power, talk and nonverbal behaviours were identified as the factors that influence the engagement of metacognitive teaching and learning in flipped learning.

This study has furthered the understanding of the nature of teachers’ mediation and the practices of teachers and students in mutually engaged dialogic talk concerning the development of metacognition within a school-wide flipped learning adoption context. The design and outcomes of this research may help teachers create an interactive environment in both online and offline learning, incorporating metacognition instructions to facilitate students’ ability to become increasingly autonomous and self-regulated in their learning.

year: 2022

title: Characterisation and applications of marine derived calcium phosphates and carbonates

authors: Mackintosh, Liam Jack

abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterise extensively, and process fishbone derived and shellfish mineral powders, followed by the investigation of potential applications for these materials. A variety of spectroscopic, microscopic and analytical techniques were used in this study, including FT-IR, SS-NMR, pXRD, SEM, ICP-MS, and laser diffraction particle sizing. These techniques enabled tracking of changes in the chemical and physical nature of the materials as a function of processing techniques. The potential applications covered in this study were the investigation of the immobilisation of the enzyme malL to bone materials with the aid of a coupling reagent, as well as investigations into the removal of various ionic species from aqueous water samples.
Differences in the mineral components of the materials between species were insignificant. Slight variations were found in the organic component of the bone materials, however these were most likely due to varying levels of oils remaining in the materials after processing by Plant and Food, Nelson, as the organic matter was found to be primarily composed of collagen in all species.
Thermally treating the bone samples to 800 oC was found to be the most effective and reliable method for removing the organic content from the bone materials. Synthetic HAp powders were successfully produced through the digestion and reprecipitation of bone-derived materials and an optimum method to produce these powders was devised.
Promising yet unexpected results were found in the enzyme immobilisation studies, results suggest that there is the potential for some enzymes to be bound to the bone materials, however more thorough investigations are required to understand the complex system. Promising results were also found from the adsorption experiments involving ionic species. The species trialled were Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, Sr²⁺, AsO₄³⁻ and F⁻. Bone materials heated to 500 oC were consistently the most effective material for adsorption of the divalent metal cation species trialled. Adsorptions between this material and the divalent nickel and cadmium ions were found to follow pseudo second order kinetics, with Langmuir type isotherm behaviour. Fluoride adsorptions were also found to have a Langmuir type isotherm however the adsorption kinetics of this system were not investigated.
Overall the results from this study outline a few potential applications, which if investigated and developed further could add significant value to materials which are currently produced in high volumes as waste by-products from the fishing industry in New Zealand.

text: Characterisation and applications of marine derived calcium phosphates and carbonates The purpose of this study was to characterise extensively, and process fishbone derived and shellfish mineral powders, followed by the investigation of potential applications for these materials. A variety of spectroscopic, microscopic and analytical techniques were used in this study, including FT-IR, SS-NMR, pXRD, SEM, ICP-MS, and laser diffraction particle sizing. These techniques enabled tracking of changes in the chemical and physical nature of the materials as a function of processing techniques. The potential applications covered in this study were the investigation of the immobilisation of the enzyme malL to bone materials with the aid of a coupling reagent, as well as investigations into the removal of various ionic species from aqueous water samples.
Differences in the mineral components of the materials between species were insignificant. Slight variations were found in the organic component of the bone materials, however these were most likely due to varying levels of oils remaining in the materials after processing by Plant and Food, Nelson, as the organic matter was found to be primarily composed of collagen in all species.
Thermally treating the bone samples to 800 oC was found to be the most effective and reliable method for removing the organic content from the bone materials. Synthetic HAp powders were successfully produced through the digestion and reprecipitation of bone-derived materials and an optimum method to produce these powders was devised.
Promising yet unexpected results were found in the enzyme immobilisation studies, results suggest that there is the potential for some enzymes to be bound to the bone materials, however more thorough investigations are required to understand the complex system. Promising results were also found from the adsorption experiments involving ionic species. The species trialled were Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, Sr²⁺, AsO₄³⁻ and F⁻. Bone materials heated to 500 oC were consistently the most effective material for adsorption of the divalent metal cation species trialled. Adsorptions between this material and the divalent nickel and cadmium ions were found to follow pseudo second order kinetics, with Langmuir type isotherm behaviour. Fluoride adsorptions were also found to have a Langmuir type isotherm however the adsorption kinetics of this system were not investigated.
Overall the results from this study outline a few potential applications, which if investigated and developed further could add significant value to materials which are currently produced in high volumes as waste by-products from the fishing industry in New Zealand.

year: 2018

title: Harakeke: Enhancing Māori Student Engagement and Achievement in a Mainstream Primary School

authors: Anderson, Diana

subjects: Harakeke

abstract: Ministry of Education research indicates that the inclusion of culture and te reo
Māori in teaching can help improve Māori student education. If students can find
the links between what is being taught and the relevance to their own lives then
information will be easier to retain. Research has also shown that environmental
education provides relevant learning that can connect students to their world.
Māori indigenous knowledge (IK) and environmental education (EE) share many
commonalities. One such similarity is the relationship between tangata (people)
and nature. While the sometimes destructive nature of this relationship has lead to
global environmental issues, this study explores the combination of IK and EE to
enhance Māori student engagement and achievement in a mainstream primary
school.
An intervention unit based on harakeke was designed delivered in a Year 5/6
boys' only class in a suburban mainstream primary school, over a 10 week period.
The environmental and socio-cultural significance of harakeke enabled a range of
kaupapa (themes) to be included in the unit. This included; eeling and how to
make and use a hinaki (eel/fish trap), karakia (prayer) and the relevance when
harvesting kai (food) and resources. Each kaupapa also provided the opportunity
for students to increase their te reo Māori vocabulary, with the introduction of
kaupapa specific words. The Māori kaupapa also enabled the students to view EE
from a Māori perspective, including the introduction of rahui - a form of
conservation.
The findings indicated that the incorporation of a Māori kaupapa strengthened
student engagement, improved student use of te reo Māori, improved the selfesteem
and confidence for some students, increased students' awareness of
harakeke and the value and versatility of the plant, and increased their awareness
from a Māori perspective on sustainable harvesting.
Bringing Māori kaupapa into the classroom allowed the classroom teacher, who
was Māori, the opportunity to share her own lived experiences of IK, as these are
passed down from generation to generation, and people are born into them. The
Page | iii
familiarity of whanau offered the teacher the opportunity to bring this concept into
the classroom and teach values that could flow into all curriculum areas while
strengthening relationships between the teacher and student, student and student
and teacher and student whanau.
This study has shown that both IK and EE, while each complex in their own right,
have the ability to provide a holistic curriculum approach that can lead to
engagement and achievement by Māori students in a mainstream school.

text: Harakeke: Enhancing Māori Student Engagement and Achievement in a Mainstream Primary School Ministry of Education research indicates that the inclusion of culture and te reo
Māori in teaching can help improve Māori student education. If students can find
the links between what is being taught and the relevance to their own lives then
information will be easier to retain. Research has also shown that environmental
education provides relevant learning that can connect students to their world.
Māori indigenous knowledge (IK) and environmental education (EE) share many
commonalities. One such similarity is the relationship between tangata (people)
and nature. While the sometimes destructive nature of this relationship has lead to
global environmental issues, this study explores the combination of IK and EE to
enhance Māori student engagement and achievement in a mainstream primary
school.
An intervention unit based on harakeke was designed delivered in a Year 5/6
boys' only class in a suburban mainstream primary school, over a 10 week period.
The environmental and socio-cultural significance of harakeke enabled a range of
kaupapa (themes) to be included in the unit. This included; eeling and how to
make and use a hinaki (eel/fish trap), karakia (prayer) and the relevance when
harvesting kai (food) and resources. Each kaupapa also provided the opportunity
for students to increase their te reo Māori vocabulary, with the introduction of
kaupapa specific words. The Māori kaupapa also enabled the students to view EE
from a Māori perspective, including the introduction of rahui - a form of
conservation.
The findings indicated that the incorporation of a Māori kaupapa strengthened
student engagement, improved student use of te reo Māori, improved the selfesteem
and confidence for some students, increased students' awareness of
harakeke and the value and versatility of the plant, and increased their awareness
from a Māori perspective on sustainable harvesting.
Bringing Māori kaupapa into the classroom allowed the classroom teacher, who
was Māori, the opportunity to share her own lived experiences of IK, as these are
passed down from generation to generation, and people are born into them. The
Page | iii
familiarity of whanau offered the teacher the opportunity to bring this concept into
the classroom and teach values that could flow into all curriculum areas while
strengthening relationships between the teacher and student, student and student
and teacher and student whanau.
This study has shown that both IK and EE, while each complex in their own right,
have the ability to provide a holistic curriculum approach that can lead to
engagement and achievement by Māori students in a mainstream school.

year: 2009