ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
What Is Needed to Develop Critical Thinking in Schools?
Author: Radulovic, Lidija
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Special Programs,Educational Methods,Educational Practices,Critical Theory,Competency Based Education,Program Implementation,Educational Strategies,Educational Theories

Starting with the fact that school education has failed to become education for critical thinking and that one of the reasons for that could be in how education for critical thinking is conceptualised, this paper presents: (1) an analysis of the predominant approach to education for critical thinking through the implementation of special programs and methods, and (2) an attempt to establish different approaches to education for critical thinking. The overview and analysis of understanding education for developing critical thinking as the implementation of special programs reveal that it is perceived as a decontextualised activity, reduced to practicing individual intellectual skills. Foundations for a different approach, which could be characterised as the &quot;education for critical competencies&quot;, are found in ideas of critical pedagogy and open curriculum theory. This approach differs from the predominant approach in terms of how the nature and purpose of critical thinking and education for critical thinking are understood. In the approach of education for critical competencies, it is not sufficient to introduce special programs and methods for the development of critical thinking to the existing educational system. This approach emphasises the need to question and reconstruct the status, role, and power of pupils and teachers in the teaching process, but also in the process of curriculum development.
Assessing Preservice Teachers&apos; Mathematics Cognitive Failures as Related to Mathematics Anxiety and Performance in Undergraduate Calculus
Author: Awofala, Adeneye O. A.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Calculus,Undergraduate Students,Mathematics Anxiety,Gender Differences,Multiple Regression Analysis,Cognitive Processes,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Affective Behavior,Memory,Motor Reactions,Foreign Countries,Error Patterns,Problem Solving,Statistical Analysis

The study investigated mathematics cognitive failures as related to mathematics anxiety, gender and performance in calculus among 450 preservice teachers from four public universities in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of the descriptive survey design. Data collected were analyzed using the descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of factor analysis, independent samples t-test, and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that mathematics cognitive failure assessed by the mathematics cognitive failures questionnaire was a multi-dimensional construct (lack of concentration, motor function, memory, and distractibility). Mathematics anxiety level differences in cognitive failures in mathematics and performance in calculus among preservice teachers were significant. Cognitive dimension of mathematics anxiety, gender, affective dimension of mathematics anxiety, lack of concentration and motor function dimensions of mathematics cognitive failures made statistically significant contributions to the variance in preservice teachers' performance in calculus. Based on this baseline study, it was thus, recommended that future studies in Nigeria and elsewhere should investigate whether mathematics cognitive failures could be responsible for students' errors committed when solving problems in mathematics.
Learner&apos;s Use of First Language in EFL Collaborative Learning: A Sociocultural View
Author: Yaghobian, Farideh
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Native Language,Inner Speech (Subvocal),Cognitive Processes,Classroom Communication,Qualitative Research,High School Students,Indo European Languages,Foreign Countries,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Sociocultural Patterns,Second Language Instruction,Cooperative Learning,Case Studies

This study investigates the functions served by learners' first language (L1) in classroom interaction among Iranian learners of English (L2). The study aims to determine how learners' L1 serves them in their L2 learning. It adopts a qualitative approach. The study involved the participation of eleven Grade 9 learners in one Iranian high school in Malaysia. Sources of data included transcripts of classroom interactions and interviews with learners. Learners used L1 in social and private speech, for a variety of purposes. Learners used L1 in their social speech to talk about language and task, and in their interpersonal relations. L1 created a context for more participation and collaboration. Learners' L1 private speech functioned beneficially in their cognitive process and assisted the less proficient learners in successfully performing the tasks. The findings affirm the sociocultural perspective of language learning that the social interaction involving L1 and L2 mediates the learners' mental processes. This study contributed to the body of knowledge on second language learning by providing evidence that the transition from being other-mediated to self-mediated may occur through L1 mediation. Implications for group work are discussed.
The Evolution of Student Engagement: Writing Improves Teaching in Introductory Biology Courses
Author: Camfield, Eileen Kogl
Date: 2017-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Introductory Courses,Biology,Faculty Development,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,STEM Education,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,College Faculty,Technical Writing,Content Area Writing

In response to calls for pedagogical reforms in undergraduate biology courses to decrease student attrition rates and increase active learning, this article describes one faculty member's conversion from traditional teaching methods to more engaging forms of practice. Partially told as a narrative, this article illustrates a.) the way many faculty initially learn to teach by modeling the pedagogy from their own undergraduate programs; b.) the kind of support biology faculty may need to break out of traditional molds; c.) how writing can promote active learning; and d.) the impact of reformed pedagogy on student levels of engagement. The latter will be demonstrated through assessment results gathered from student surveys, reflective writing, and focus group interview. Ultimately, the study challenges misunderstandings some faculty might have regarding the value of writing in science classes and offers inspiration, urging critical reflection and persistence.
Undergraduate Biology Students&apos; Attitudes towards the Use of Curriculum-Based Reader&apos;s Theater in a Laboratory Setting
Author: Cross, Chrissy J.
Date: 2017-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Biology,College Science,Science Laboratories,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Reflection,Pretests Posttests,Qualitative Research,Coding,Theater Arts,Surveys,Learning Activities,Journal Writing,Participant Observation

In the undergraduate biology laboratory, many freshmen are apathetic towards the content of the course. Curriculum based reader's theater (CRBT) is an instructional method that can increase interest the students in the content of the course while improving student communication, collaboration and understanding. This research is an examination of the student's attitudes about participating in a non-traditional teaching method such as CRBT in a biology laboratory setting. A reflection document was given to the students before and after their experience with the CRBT in the biology laboratory to determine the attitudes of the students about the experience with this novel instructional method. Qualitative methods were used to code and examine the student reflections along with three other data sources. Most of the students were initially positive about performing a reader's theater as a part of the biology lab, while 81 % of the students who had originally negative perceptions of the reader's theater, changed their perceptions from negative to positive after the reader's theater experience. The findings of this research indicate that students respond positively to the use of curriculum based reader's theater in a biology laboratory as an alternative instructional method.
Using History and Philosophy as the Capstone to a Biology Major
Author: Haave, Neil C.
Date: 2017-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Philosophy,History,Biology,Majors (Students),Science Curriculum,Integrated Curriculum,Educational Practices,Course Descriptions,Course Evaluation,Likert Scales,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis,Curriculum

Capstone experiences have high educational impact with a number of approaches for biology. In most capstones, students produce a major project, typically as an undergraduate research experience, with a primary goal to integrate students' learning. At Augustana, our senior biology capstone uses history and philosophy to frame students' reflections and to integrate their biological education within our liberal arts and sciences curriculum. In a flipped classroom approach, students write a response to the assigned reading before class, when the paper is discussed through student-led seminars. Assigned papers consider the philosophy and historical development of biology focusing on its three conceptual pillars: function, development, and evolution, allowing students to examine how biologists arrived at their current understanding of life. Assessment of ten years of course offerings indicates students' ability to write and speak are being successfully developed, but that thinking shows no significant learning gains between the midterm and final exams. Student quantitative and qualitative ratings of the course indicate that it is a valuable learning experience, despite its heavy workload and difficult nature.
Consolidation of Similarity Knowledge via Pythagorean Theorem: A Turkish Case Study
Author: Güler, Hatice Kübra
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Case Studies,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematical Concepts,Knowledge Level,Problem Solving,Validity,Mathematical Logic,Grade 8,Preservice Teachers,Graduate Students,Undergraduate Students,High School Students,Interviews,Video Technology,Age Differences,Equations (Mathematics),Algebra

Understanding how students learn is important for both researchers and teachers. In terms of mathematics, constructing a new mathematical structure depends on conceptual understanding and connection with previous construct and they needs to be consolidated. A construct can be consolidated when the construct is recognized and used in the further activities or while new structure is being constructed. In this paper, our aim is to observe consolidation of similarity knowledge by the help of Pythagorean Theorem in terms of characteristics of consolidation; &quot;immediacy,&quot; &quot;self-evidence,&quot; &quot;confidence,&quot; &quot;flexibility,&quot; &quot;awareness.&quot; We would like to observe consolidation in different ages. Participants of this study are one master, one undergraduate and one high school students from Turkey. The consolidation of similarity knowledge was observed when students tried to prove Pythagorean Theorem. The data were analyzed by using RBC+C-model's characteristics. As a result, it was seen that characteristics of consolidation were useful to analyze consolidation. However, there is a need for posterior experiments to investigate whether &quot;immediacy&quot; is an essential characteristic of consolidation. It can be said that &quot;awareness&quot; and &quot;flexibility&quot; are seen essential and easily observable characteristics of the consolidation process.
Pre-Service Primary School Teachers&apos; Spatial Abilities
Author: Marchis, Iuliana
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Spatial Ability,Mathematics Education,Competence,Teacher Competencies,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Problem Solving,Misconceptions,Mathematical Concepts,Foreign Countries,Manipulative Materials,Teaching Methods

Spatial abilities are used in many aspects of everyday life, thus developing these abilities should be one of the most important goal of Mathematics Education. These abilities should be developed starting with early school years, thus pre-school and primary school teachers have an important role in setting the foundation of these abilities. A teacher can successfully develop students' competencies/abilities if she/he possess those competencies/abilities. Thus evaluating and developing pre-service primary school teachers' spatial abilities is an important goal of their training. This paper presents a research on pre-service primary school teachers' spatial abilities. Students were tested using an online problem sheet and the results were quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated, trying to identify some common misconceptions. The results show the necessity of developing these students' spatial abilities. Based on the results, some hands-on activities and paper based problem types are proposed for developing students' spatial abilities.
Effects of Teachers&apos; Epistemological, Health View and Pedagogical Beliefs on the Didactic Strategy to Teach Adolescent Reproductive Health: A Cameroonian Perspective
Author: Nchia, Lawrence Ntam
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Health Education,Pregnancy,Biology,Science Teachers,Structural Equation Models,Secondary School Teachers,Secondary School Students,Factor Analysis,Constructivism (Learning),Models,Case Studies,Epistemology,Teacher Attitudes,Maximum Likelihood Statistics,Regression (Statistics),Statistical Analysis

Despite the recommended didactic strategy to teach Adolescent Reproductive Health in Cameroon using Competency Based Approach with entry through problem situations, a lot of resistance is till observed within biology teachers in this multicultural and linguistic country. This cross sectional study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques to investigate factor that might facilitate or inhibit the effective implementation of this reforms using a purposeful and convenient sample comprised of 373 In-service Biology secondary school teachers. The validity and reliability of our research instrument was investigated and confirmed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Thereafter, a hypothesised SEM model was conceptualised and tested. The model provided a reasonable good overall fit. Teachers' belief in authority and knowledge as unchanging has a strong positive direct effect on their Biomedical Health view and on the use of traditional teaching method but a negative direct effect on using contemporary didactic strategy. Contrarily, Teachers who criticize authority and belief in knowledge as tentative equally developed Biopsychosocial Health view which correlates strongly with Constructivist teaching method that positively influences the use of these didactic strategies. This can serve as a candidate theory for further investigation. It could have implication in the development of psychosocial competences in learners and in the training of ARH educators.
Implementing an Innovative Method to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Student Teachers
Author: Raikou, Natassa
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Skill Development,Science Education,Teacher Education Programs,Student Teachers,Teaching Methods,Higher Education,Transformative Learning,Workshops,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research

In the contemporary international field of education and particularly in Science Education, there is a tendency of limiting the teacher to the role of a passive recipient of knowledge produced in research, followed by the transfer of that knowledge to the classroom. Meanwhile, the dominant tendencies on forming constructivist frameworks, where participatory procedures for discovering and constructing knowledge by the children are encouraged, are in contrast to the prevailing tendency mentioned above. This contradiction leads the teacher to failure, which we believe could be tackled with teacher training programs that promote critical thinking and reflective processes. The following text presents an attempt of a method application for educating adults (TLAE method) for teaching traditional university courses in Sciences Education. According to the findings of the research, the development of critical thinking skills in student teachers is evident. The example of the TLAE method application offers the possibility to enhance traditional teaching approaches with new innovative and experiential practices, while such a perspective could compensate for the inefficacies of teacher training.
Students&apos; Attitudes towards Mathematics and the Impacts of Mathematics Teachers&apos; Approaches on It
Author: Elçi, Aysun Nüket
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Mathematics Teachers,Mathematics Instruction,Foreign Countries,Content Analysis,Semi Structured Interviews,Secondary School Mathematics,High School Students,Mixed Methods Research,Gender Differences

The purpose of the study is to determine students' attitudes towards mathematics, to investigate these attitudes according to the different variables, and to reveal the impacts of mathematics teachers' approaches and in-class activities on the students' attitudes towards mathematics. The study was conducted with the high school students from Turkey. This study was a mixed of the quantitative and qualitative methods. The data obtained from the scales named Mathematics Attitude Scale (MAS) and Mathematics Teachers' Approaches Questionnaire (MTAQ) and the semi-structured interviews. The MAS was used to determine the students' attitudes towards mathematics and the MTAQ was used to assign mathematics teachers' activities and approaches in their lessons. The application of the scales conducted with the 450 students (253 female and 197 male) and the interviews were carried out with the 25 students chosen from the samples. The quantitative data were analyzed by using the statistical software and the qualitative data were analyzed by using the content analysis. The study showed that the students' attitudes towards mathematics differed by, gender, field, and mathematics score but not by grade and that the teachers' approaches and activities impacted the students' attitudes towards mathematics in some aspects.
The Belonging to the University Scale
Author: Karaman, Omer
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Students,Sense of Community,Test Construction,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales,Statistical Analysis,Content Validity,Construct Validity,Test Reliability,Pretests Posttests,Factor Analysis,Expectation,Student Motivation

The aim of the study is to develop a belonging to the university scale (BUS) in order to determine the level of fulfillment of the need to belong among university students at the higher education institutions they attend. The population of the investigation includes university students studying at the campus of Ordu University. A 5 point Likert-type scale was created in the study. The SPSS 15 and LISREL-8.15 programs were used in the statistical analysis performed during development of the scale. Content validity and construct validity techniques were used for validity analysis. The internal consistency checks of belonging to the university scale were completed. The research data is given as mean and percent, and t-test and one-way variance analysis were conducted in order to determine the differences between the groups and the values of belonging to the university. The internal consistency Cronbach a reliability coefficient values of the scale and the test-retest reliability of the test results were satisfactory. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for the construct validity of the scale and three dimensions (Motivation, Expectations and Identification) were identified. The level of belonging of university students to the university they attend was examined with the scale with the validity and reliability tested and suggestions are presented in accordance with the obtained results.
Perceptions of Prospective Teachers on Digital Literacy
Author: Çam, Emre
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literacy,Student Teacher Attitudes,Preservice Teacher Education,Preservice Teachers,Statistical Analysis,Information Literacy,Visual Literacy,Computer Literacy,Technological Literacy,Factor Analysis,Gender Differences,Likert Scales,Predictor Variables,Computer Uses in Education,Access to Information,Intellectual Disciplines,Income,Foreign Countries

The aim of the quantitative study is to identify the digital literacy levels of prospective teachers in terms of several variables. The sample consisted of 354 prospective teachers studying in different departments of Sakarya University College of Education. The 30-item instrument used to gather the data was the &quot;Digital Literacy Scale&quot; developed and used by the researchers. The scale was composed of 5 different factors namely information literacy, visual literacy, software literacy, technology literacy and computer literacy. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Cronbach alpha, t-test and Anova were used for data analysis. Results showed that in terms of gender variable digital literacy levels of male prospective teachers and in terms of department variable digital literacy levels of computer education and instructional technology teaching department were found high. Besides, the digital literacy levels of prospective teachers having continuous Internet connection or a computer that they can continuously use were found high. In addition, the research found that prospective teachers' personal income levels had no effect on their digital literacy levels.
The Relationship between Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: A Case of Students in A Malaysian Tertiary Institution
Author: Ng, Siew Foen
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Postsecondary Education,Academic Achievement,Case Studies,Technology Uses in Education,Handheld Devices,Use Studies,Learning Activities,Time Factors (Learning),Statistical Analysis,Correlation,Student Surveys,Demography,College Students

This study examined the extent to which students in one Malaysian university use smartphones to support their school-related learning and how these activities relate to CGPA. For seven consecutive days, 176 students from three academic programs recorded their daily smartphone use for learning. Significant differences were found in uses of smartphones depending on academic program. Further, it was found that the more students utilized their smartphone for university learning activities, the lower their CGPA. The outcome of this study suggests a need to evaluate and better understand the instructional uses of smartphones for tertiary students.