ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site
Author: Carmichael, Erst
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Literature Reviews,Educational Resources,Instructional Effectiveness,College Students,Case Studies,Integrated Learning Systems,Web Based Instruction,Use Studies,Qualitative Research,Feedback (Response),Program Effectiveness,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Instructional Design,Assignments,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes

A graduate's ability to be a critical thinker is expected by many employers; therefore development of students' critical-thinking skills in higher education is important. There is also a perception that today's students are technologically &quot;savvy&quot;, and appreciate the inclusion of a technological approach to learning. However, the complexity of the concept of critical thinking and the assumptions about students' technological skills are debatable issues that require clarification and evidence-based research in terms of teaching and learning. This paper reports on a case study of an online Blackboard site at the University of Western Sydney, where analysis of patterns of usage of the online site and qualitative analysis of student feedback provide evidence to support its effectiveness for encouraging students' critical thinking. There is potential to expand this into a more widely usable teaching and learning resource in the future, and for further research to explore the benefits for student learning. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)
Revealing Shifts and Diversity in Understandings of Self Access Language Learning
Author: Adamson, John L.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Planning,Semi Structured Interviews,Learning Centers (Classroom),English (Second Language),Independent Study,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Second Language Instruction,Curriculum,Mentors

This study has traced the growth of a new facility intended to promote independent language study in a Japanese university. The study traces this Self Access Learning Center (SALC) from its inception through the first two years of its development. It has revealed how key qualitative insights from an archive of semi-structured interviews, conversational narratives and questionnaires with students, teachers, center staff and university management are marked by their shifting and diverse nature. Findings related to language policy for the center show how initial &quot;English only&quot; regulations have been opposed and amended by stakeholders. Findings focusing on the center stakeholders' metaphors of self access language learning have changed or been supplemented and show great diversity. Importantly, SALC's positioning in the wider university has experienced problems with diverse evaluation expectations and, despite considerable financial backing, remains marginalized. Finally, SALC's integration with university curricula has seen mixed results; the center is connected closely to the English curriculum as taught by non-Japanese, but not to curricula taught by Japanese teachers of English or content subjects. This indicates that integration of university-wide curricula with autonomous modes of learning remains a hurdle. This study may inform other centers seeking to gather data on the diverse voices impacting upon their development. (Contains 2 tables.)
Problem-Based Learning Revisited, Introduction of Active and Self-Directed Learning to Reduce Fatigue among Students
Author: Czabanowska, Katarzyna
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Fatigue (Biology),Public Health,Problem Based Learning,Learning Processes,Teaching Methods,Educational Practices,Active Learning,Independent Study,Instructional Innovation,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Curriculum Development,Teaching Models,Foreign Countries,Instructional Design,Formative Evaluation

Despite several years of successfully applying problem-based learning at Maastricht University, the Faculty of Medicine observed a slow erosion of problem-based practices and &quot;PBL fatigue&quot; among themselves and students. In response to this fatigue and new research into the development of the young adult brain, Active Self-Directed Learning was introduced through the new bachelor of European Public Health programme in an effort to re-energise the classical PBL model and reduce or eliminate erosion. ASDL is split into a four part learning cycle: 1) sensitisation, 2) exploration, 3) integration, and 4) application. The cycle supports problem-based learning and the developing minds of students through the integration of information, critical thinking and self-evaluation, while also teaching self-responsibility and team management skills. When applied as part of a problem-based learning curriculum, ASDL at Maastricht University helped reduce PBL fatigue and re-energised students' interest in PBL within the first EPH cohort (2006-2009) according to survey feedback obtained after the 5th semester. The positive student response was tempered by recommendations on how to continue improving the ASDL model. (Contains 3 figures.)
Seeing Is Believing: The Benefits of Peer Observation
Author: Hendry, Graham D.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Observation,Educational Quality,Higher Education,Educational Improvement,Lecture Method,Teaching Methods,Self Efficacy,Foreign Countries

Peer observation of teaching is seen as a supportive and developmental process for improving the quality of teaching in universities. Evidence is emerging that the process of observing is just as if not more valuable than being observed and given feedback. In this study lecturers completing a Foundations program in university learning and teaching were interviewed about their experience of participating in a reciprocal peer observation exercise. The benefits for observers include learning about a new strategy and enhancing their confidence to try this strategy in their own teaching. Receiving feedback was also perceived to be useful but not more beneficial than watching a peer teach. We discuss implications of our results for units and institutions planning to implement peer observation as part of a strategic approach to improve the quality of learning and teaching.
Internationalising the Curriculum: Building Intercultural Understandings through Music
Author: Joseph, Dawn
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Music,Cultural Awareness,Cultural Pluralism,Foreign Countries,Music Education,Multicultural Education,Postsecondary Education,Music Teachers,African Culture,Singing,Story Telling,Higher Education

This article reports on the power (influence) of music to develop intercultural understandings to better internationalise the curriculum. It argues that through internationalisation, we learn more about other people's cultures hence, by providing an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching unit of &quot;Discovering Music A&quot;, tertiary students at Deakin University have opportunities to experience, investigate and participate in a different music and culture. Using the metaphor of the &quot;talking drum&quot;, this article reports through anecdotal notes, observations, journaling and student evaluation, how a different music, like that of Africa, communicates and promotes intercultural dialogue in a social and learning environment. The 2011 cohort included both international and local students from the Faculty of Arts and Education, Health and Business and Law, opening up a broad range of international dialogue in which all students in the cohort had a voice for expressing themselves about another culture and its music. I contend that the inclusion of a new and different music in the Bachelor of Education (Primary) curriculum and as an elective unit across all faculties provides a pathway for intercultural dialogue and understanding. As tertiary educators by internationalising the curriculum and through the process of reflection, observation and student feedback, we are able to make meaning around our practice and adapt our practice. I argue that units like Discovering Music A are an effective and useful dais to address cultural diversity and build intercultural relations and understandings in our tertiary courses.
Middle Grades Literacy Coaching from the Coach's Perspective
Author: Smith, Antony T.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Teachers,Literacy,Teacher Attitudes,Faculty Development,Coaching (Performance),Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Educational Practices,Classroom Observation Techniques,Interviews,Performance Factors,Teacher Collaboration,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Semi Structured Interviews,Reflection,Administrator Attitudes,Instructional Improvement,Teacher Improvement

This qualitative case study investigated middle grades literacy coaches' perspectives on their efforts to facilitate teacher change and impact classroom practice. Data were collected from three coaches as they worked with a variety of teachers in middle school settings, using field observation and interviews with coaches, teachers, and principals. Results suggest literacy coaches perceive the potential to effect positive teacher change but that they acknowledge challenges in building relationships with teachers, working within complex school structures to find time to do coaching work, and reaching across subject areas to facilitate teacher discussions of literacy instruction and student learning. (Contains 1 table.)
Academic, Social, and Emotional Needs in a Middle Grades Reform Initiative
Author: Raphael, Lisa M.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle Schools,Program Implementation,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Educational Environment,Social Environment,Student Needs,School Guidance,Mental Health Programs,Social Cognition,Emotional Adjustment,Formative Evaluation,Program Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes

During an evaluation of a new middle grades reform initiative, the program participants (i.e., teachers, coaches, and principals) reported they perceived that students' social and emotional needs interfaced with implementation of the reform. In particular, participants perceived that students' need for a safe, supportive, and engaging environment affected implementation of the initiative and that components of it did not meet students' needs. Ultimately, program participants desired both permanent, full-time mental health professionals to work with students and professional development on the middle school model. The complex relationships between students' multiple needs and the initiative demonstrate the importance of providing comprehensive support and guidance to middle grades students in the context of a reform. (Contains 2 tables.)
Using Simulations to Teach Middle Grades U.S. History in an Age of Accountability
Author: DiCamillo, Lorrei
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High Stakes Tests,Grade 8,Accountability,Simulation,Middle Schools,United States Government (Course),History Instruction,Teaching Methods,Qualitative Research,Heterogeneous Grouping,Behavioral Objectives,Role Playing,Educational Games,Instructional Innovation,Semi Structured Interviews,Case Method (Teaching Technique)

In this year-long qualitative study we explore the case of two eighth grade U.S. History teachers who use simulations on a regular basis to teach heterogeneously-grouped students in a high-stakes testing environment. We describe the purposes the teachers espoused for implementing simulations and provide detailed portraits of three types of simulations used: role-play, game, and trial. We argue that because the ambitious teachers know their discipline well, see the potential of all their students, and feel that learning rather than testing should drive instructional decision-making, they are able to engage and challenge their students with historical simulations. This study adds to the sparse field of simulation research and to the emerging literature on ambitious history teaching. It also shows educators what is pedagogically possible in teaching history. (Contains 2 tables.)
Differentiation in Action: Developing a Logic Model for Responsive Teaching in an Urban Middle School
Author: Strahan, David
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Integrated Curriculum,Grade 7,Teaching Methods,Teacher Expectations of Students,Teacher Effectiveness,Individualized Instruction,Teacher Collaboration,Teamwork,Interviews,Observation,Learner Engagement,Student Interests,Student Needs,Relevance (Education),Logical Thinking,Models,Middle Schools

Research has suggested that differentiation is a responsive approach to teaching rather than a set of strategies. In this study, researchers generated a logic model to describe how members of a two-teacher team collaborated to differentiate instruction and to examine the learning connections that five seventh graders made in an integrated unit. Data from interviews, observations, and work samples showed how teachers encouraged engagement by identifying students' strengths, tapping interests, and extending their thoughts. Students' engagement with the unit varied according to connections they made with teachers and information. The revised logic model more specifically described how teachers attempted to create connections and how students responded. Results illuminate some of the dynamics of differentiation and might provide a foundation for hypothesis testing in other settings. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)
Effective Science Instruction: Impact on High-Stakes Assessment Performance
Author: Johnson, Carla C.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Science Teachers,Educational Experience,Science Instruction,High Stakes Tests,Instructional Effectiveness,Longitudinal Studies,High School Graduates,Performance Based Assessment,Inquiry,Classroom Observation Techniques,Course Content,Classroom Environment,Curriculum Implementation,Lesson Plans

This longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted to determine the impact of effective science instruction on performance on high-stakes high school graduation assessments in science. This study provides powerful findings to support authentic science teaching to enhance long-term retention of learning and performance on state-mandated assessments. Students experienced some combination of zero to three effective teachers throughout their middle school experience. Findings revealed that all students who experienced effective science teachers who engaged students in inquiry-based science outperformed students who had less effective teachers. Additionally, those who had more effective teachers over time performed increasingly better. Implications for stakeholders will be discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)
New Literacies and Emerging Technologies: Perspectives from U.S. and Chinese Middle Level Teachers
Author: Spires, Hiller A.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Focus Groups,Foreign Countries,Middle School Teachers,Educational Experience,Internet,Surveys,Media Literacy,Information Technology,Educational Change,Innovation,Global Approach,Technology Uses in Education,Professional Development

This study focuses on middle grades teachers from the United States and China, the two countries with the highest Internet use, in an attempt to understand both groups' perspectives on integrating new literacies and technologies into their teaching. Survey and focus group results indicate that, although U.S. and Chinese teachers are operating under different educational policies in their respective countries, their experiences with school changes prompted by the integration of new technologies have similarities. One notable difference was the significantly higher value Chinese teachers assigned to creativity and innovation in contrast to U.S. teachers, which may be a result of current U.S. testing policies. Although there appears to be a gap between their aspirations and their practices, middle grades teachers from both countries report an eagerness to create educational experiences that help students become active global citizens, and they recognize the role of new literacies and technologies in achieving this goal. (Contains 4 tables.)
Building Connections: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Qualitative Research Students' Learning Experiences
Author: Cooper, Robin
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Prior Learning,Active Learning,Researchers,Phenomenology,Program Descriptions,Learning Experience,Student Experience,Semi Structured Interviews,Interdisciplinary Approach,Emotional Experience,Learning Motivation,Student Motivation,Participant Satisfaction

This paper describes a phenomenological study in which the authors explored students' experiences learning qualitative research in a variety of academic fields. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with six participants from various academic fields who had completed at least one post-secondary-school-level qualitative research course and who were not students of the researchers. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the researchers identified five primary themes representing the lived experience and meaning found in the participants' experience of learning qualitative research: (a) a variety of feelings are experienced, (b) a pivotal experience serves as a catalyst in the learning process, (c) the central role of story, (d) active learning, and (e) relating learning to prior knowledge. The findings both support and contribute new aspects to the knowledge of this experience. The results also point to "building connections" as the essence of the phenomenon of learning qualitative research.
Numeracy across the Curriculum
Author: Goos, Merrilyn
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Numeracy,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Education,Mathematics Teachers,Primary Education,Secondary Schools,Elementary Secondary Education,Mathematics Curriculum,Secondary School Mathematics,Elementary School Mathematics

The purpose of this article is to explain the authors' model of numeracy and outline how the project was conducted. The idea of numeracy is a relatively recent one. The term was first introduced in the UK by the &quot;Crowther Report&quot; (Ministry of Education, 1959) and was defined as the mirror image of literacy, but involving quantitative thinking. Another early definition proposed by the Cockcroft Report (Cockcroft, 1982) described being numerate as possessing an at-homeness with numbers and an ability to use mathematical skills to cope confidently with the practical demands of everyday life. Although numeracy is a term used in many English speaking countries, such as the UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, in the USA and elsewhere it is more common to speak of quantitative literacy or mathematical literacy. The authors argue that a description of numeracy for new times needs to better acknowledge the rapidly evolving nature of knowledge, work, and technology. (Contains 1 figure.)
Numeracy for What's in the News and Building an Expressway
Author: Willis, Kym
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Numeracy,Rural Development,Problem Solving,Lesson Plans,Mathematics Instruction,Models,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Education,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Teachers,Middle Schools,Primary Education

This article presents a lesson that focuses on numeracy. In the lesson, students were tasked to find the best path for a new expressway. The purpose of the activity was for students to gain an appreciation of the complexities associated with designing public infrastructure and to put into practice the mathematical skills. This article also describes a numeracy model that could be a powerful tool when thinking about designing units and activities, because it provides a means of looking at numeracy from different perspectives. By reflecting on and reviewing a teacher's practice, teachers will also find a way to incorporate all aspects of the numeracy model.
Numeracy in Society and Environment
Author: Cooper, Cath
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Numeracy,Mathematics Skills,Educational Opportunities,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Primary Education,Measures (Individuals),Mathematics Activities,Child Development

This article describes a project that focuses on how a Society and Environment unit could develop required numeracy. This is more of an integrated unit organised around a theme rather than a Society and Environment unit that required specific aspects of numeracy. Suggested data sources for examining students numeracy development included (1) a timeline; (2) a reflective piece of writing that demonstrated students' understanding of large numbers, developed through considering the number of people who died in the war (data collected from the War Memorial excursion); and (3) a trip planner that contained details of how to go back to either a war site or place of origin (or similar). The numeracy model has enabled a teacher to see connections between the elements that comprise numeracy, and she can see how to embed numeracy in her teaching practice in a meaningful way. As a result of participating in this project, the teacher has come to realise that numeracy involves more than mathematical knowledge and skills. She now appreciates the role of contexts in providing opportunities for students to develop and use mathematics skills and knowledge for a purpose.
Numeracy in Health and Physical Education
Author: Peters, Colleen
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physical Education,Numeracy,Mathematics Instruction,Learning Activities,Mathematics Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Human Body,Mathematics Activities,Middle School Students,Grade 8,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Teachers

This article describes a teacher's Maths lesson that focuses on numeracy in health and physical education learning area. In the lesson, the students were learning about Directed Numbers, something they often struggle with and a topic where the teacher finds it hard to explain using real life situations when using addition and subtraction. The teacher began the lesson by outlining what students were expected to achieve. The introduction also included revisiting previous work on how to convert an individual's number of walking paces to kilometres, as well as directions for the activity that was to follow. The teacher wants to emphasise with other teachers that numeracy is not just about number and that there is great potential to address other strands of mathematics within all learning areas.
Numeracy in Secondary School Mathematics
Author: Gibbs, Melissa
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Mathematics,Numeracy,Mathematics Instruction,Student Attitudes,Teaching Methods,Task Analysis,Surveys,Mathematics Activities,High Schools,Foreign Countries,Student Projects

This article describes a project that focuses on numeracy in secondary school mathematics. During the course of the project a teacher had the chance to develop and trial new tasks and styles of teaching and learning numeracy. She became increasingly comfortable with using more extended tasks for learning mathematics. However, she believes that it is beneficial if larger projects are made up of self-contained sub-tasks that allow students to move towards smaller, achievable goals. Surveys of students indicated that many of the class appreciated the variety of tasks that they had the opportunity to tackle, and many were quite happy to complete exercises from the textbook interspersed with these other tasks to practise their skills. Throughout the course of the project the teacher also had an increased focus on developing activities that provided a critical orientation towards the use of mathematics. It also became obvious how vital the role of positive dispositions is in encouraging students to try approaches to solving a problem for themselves rather than relying on the teacher to provide all the answers.