ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on Learning: Methodologies for Exploring Learning Processes and Outcomes
Author: Goldman, Susan R.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Processes,Outcomes of Education,Research Methodology,Conference Papers,Teaching Methods,Time Perspective,Cognitive Processes

The papers in this Special Issue were initially prepared for an EARLI 2013 Symposium that was designed to examine methodologies in use by researchers from two sister communities, Learning and Instruction and Learning Sciences. The four papers reflect a common ground in advances in conceptions of learning since the early days of the &quot;cognitive revolution&quot; in the 1960s. This commentary shows the interdependence between advances in theory and advances in methodologies. Four shifts in conceptions of learning are described. That these shifts are evident in the work of both communities suggests a blurring of the boundaries between the two.
Methodological Advances in Research on Learning and Instruction and in the Learning Sciences
Author: Fischer, Frank
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Innovation,Learning,Neurosciences,Learning Activities,Research Methodology,Learning Strategies,Learning Processes,Cognitive Processes,Instruction

Recent years have seen a dynamic growth of research communities addressing conditions, processes and outcomes of learning in formal and informal environments. Two of them have markedly advanced the field: The community on research on learning and instruction that has been organized in the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), and the learning sciences community, including the computer-supported collaborative learning community, organised in the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS). This special issue brings together researchers from these two communities who are currently contributing to advancing the methodology. This introductory article explores the differences and commonalities between these two communities and offers &quot;four main potentials for innovation&quot; resulting from developments for learning research, no matter if situated in research on learning and instruction or in learning research. The contributions to this special issue each address one of these potentials: (1) Increased gain in scientific understanding through more &quot;messy studies&quot; when investigating &quot;real&quot; learning in new fields; (2) More comprehensive understanding of learning phenomena through the use of methodologies that can handle multiple units of analysis and include process analyses; (3) Overcoming overreliance on self-reports: From personal constructs to series of interactions unfolding over time; and (4) Building bridges between research on learning and cognitive neuroscience.
Advances in the Use of Neuroscience Methods in Research on Learning and Instruction
Author: De Smedt, Bert
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Neurosciences,Diagnostic Tests,Research Methodology,Teaching Methods,Cognitive Processes,Mathematics,Brain Hemisphere Functions,Biology,Learning Processes

Cognitive neuroscience offers a series of tools and methodologies that allow researchers in the field of learning and instruction to complement and extend the knowledge they have accumulated through decades of behavioral research. The appropriateness of these methods depends on the research question at hand. Cognitive neuroscience methods allow researchers to investigate specific cognitive processes in a very detailed way, a goal in some but not all fields of the learning sciences. This value added will be illustrated in three ways, with examples in field of mathematics learning. Firstly, cognitive neuroscience methods allow one to understand learning at the biological level. Secondly, these methods can help to measure processes that are difficult to access by means of behavioral techniques. Finally, and more indirectly, neuroimaging data can be used as an input for research on learning and instruction. This paper concludes with highlighting the challenges of applying neuroscience methods to research on learning and instruction.
Advances in Design-Based Research
Author: Svihla, Vanessa
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Research Methodology,Instructional Design,Educational Research,Learning,Teamwork,Research,Researchers,Student Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,High School Students,College Students,Rural Schools,Suburban Schools

Design-based research (DBR) is a core methodology of the Learning Sciences. Historically rooted as a movement away from the methods of experimental psychology, it is a means to develop &quot;humble&quot; theory that takes into account numerous contextual effects for understanding how and why a design supported learning. DBR involves iterative refinement of both designs for learning and theory; this process is illustrated with retrospective analysis of six DBR cycles. Calls for educational research to parallel medical research has led learning scientists to strive for more specific standards about what constitutes DBR and what makes it desirable, especially regarding robustness and rigor. A recent trend in DBR involves efforts to extend the reach through scalability. These developments potentially endanger the designerly nature of DBR by orienting focus toward generalizability, meaning researchers must be vigilant in their pursuit of understanding how and why learning occurs in complex contexts.
The Complex Relationship between Students' Critical Thinking and Epistemological Beliefs in the Context of Problem Solving
Author: Hyytinen, Heidi
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Biological Sciences,Student Attitudes,Critical Thinking,Epistemology,Beliefs,Problem Solving,Mixed Methods Research,Research Methodology,Qualitative Research,Cognitive Processes,Science Process Skills,Standardized Tests,Coding,Abstract Reasoning,Intuition

The study utilized a multi-method approach to explore the connection between critical thinking and epistemological beliefs in a specific problem-solving situation. Data drawn from a sample of ten third-year bioscience students were collected using a combination of a cognitive lab and a performance task from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). The cognitive-lab data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that students' epistemological beliefs were interwoven into their critical thinking: students used critical thinking as a tool (1) for enhancing understanding and (2) for determining truth or falsehood. Based on this classification, students could be placed in one of two qualitative profiles, either (1) thorough processing or (2) superficial processing. The results indicated that students who showed superficial processing palmed off justification for knowing on authoritative figures. In contrast to previous studies these students did not consider knowledge to be absolutely certain or unquestionable. The findings also show that students with thorough processing believed knowledge to be tentative and fallible, but did not share the relativist view of knowledge where any claim counts because all knowledge is relative. All ten students shared a fallibilist view of knowledge.
Unfolding Perspectives on Networked Professional Learning: Exploring Ties and Time
Author: de Laat, Maarten
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Networks,Professional Development,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Informal Education,Evaluation Methods,Research Methodology

Networked learning and learning networks are commonplace concepts in most contemporary discourse on learning in the 21st century. This special issue provides a collection of studies that address the need for a growing body of empirical work to extent the limited understanding of the use and benefits of networks in relation to learning and professional development. In this article we attempt to offer a synthesis of the studies presented in this special issue and reflect on their findings. The studies in this issue present a rich combination of networked professional learning research addressing issues related to the composition and structure of learning networks, their content and activities, showing how multi-faceted research in the field of networked learning really is. Based on the findings and methods used in the articles in this issue, we articulate some recommendations for further research. The recommendations are focused on the need for advanced multi-level analysis to understand the complexity of learning ties, the need for employing a multi-method research approach to triangulate and contextualize findings, the need to conduct process and time-based analysis and finally the need to further develop a theory and toolkit for applying Social Network Analysis in the context of networked learning.
Modelling for Understanding AND for Prediction/Classification--The Power of Neural Networks in Research
Author: Cascallar, Eduardo
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence,Research Methodology,Prediction,Classification,Mathematical Models

Two articles, Edelsbrunner and, Schneider (2013), and Nokelainen and Silander (2014) comment on Musso, Kyndt, Cascallar, and Dochy (2013). Several relevant issues are raised and some important clarifications are made in response to both commentaries. Predictive systems based on artificial neural networks continue to be the focus of current research and several advances have improved the model building and the interpretation of the resulting neural network models. What is needed is the courage and open-mindedness to actually explore new paths and rigorously apply new methodologies which can perhaps, sometimes unexpectedly, provide new conceptualisations and tools for theoretical advancement and practical applied research. This is particularly true in the fields of educational science and social sciences, where the complexity of the problems to be solved requires the exploration of proven methods and new methods, the latter usually not among the common arsenal of tools of neither practitioners nor researchers in these fields. This response will enrich the understanding of the predictive systems methodology proposed by the authors and clarify the application of the procedure, as well as give a perspective on its place among other predictive approaches.
Eye Tracking Indicators of Reading Approaches in Text-Picture Comprehension
Author: Zhao, Fang
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Eye Movements,Reading Comprehension,Reading Strategies,Illustrations,Reader Text Relationship,Secondary School Students,Problem Solving,Task Analysis,Multimedia Instruction,Multimedia Materials,Hypothesis Testing,Foreign Countries,Textbooks,Educational Experiments,Cognitive Processes,Scores,Accuracy,Statistical Analysis

Despite numerous studies on reading and multimedia comprehension, the usage of text and picture with different reading strategies has rarely become a focus of research. The current study aims to explore whether the usage of text differs from the usage of picture when readers follow different strategies of knowledge acquisition. In a within-subjects design using eye tracking, seventeen secondary school students comprehended blended text and picture materials with three different strategies. (1) Initial coherence-formation strategy, which requires students to process text and picture unguidedly. (2) Consecutive task-oriented strategy, which requires them to gather information to answer the question (which explains the task) provided after prior experience with text and picture. (3) Initial task-oriented strategy, which requires them to comprehend text and picture to solve the task equipped with the prior information about the question from the beginning. Eye tracking data showed that text and picture play different roles in these processing conditions. (1) The results are in line with the assumption that text (rather than picture) is more likely used to construct mental models in initial coherence-formation processing of text and picture. (2) Students seem to primarily rely on the picture to answer the question after the prior experience with the material with consecutive task-oriented strategy. (3) Text and picture are both used heavily when the question is presented first, enabling students to selectively process question-relevant aspects of the material at first contact.
A Change in Perspective--Teacher Education as an Open System
Author: König, Christoph
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Education,Outcomes of Education,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Teacher Effectiveness,Systems Approach,Models,Educational Research,Teacher Selection,Teacher Qualifications,Teacher Characteristics,Cross Cultural Studies,Comparative Education

Teacher education is the environment for the learning and instruction of prospective teachers. Its structure, components, and contents shape the development of relevant competences which enable prospective teachers to be effective in the classroom. But its relevance is questioned because respective research, characterised by inconclusive results, does not offer explanations about the reasons why certain teacher education programmes are more effective than others in the development of relevant competences. One reason for the lack of explanations can be found in the way research assesses the effectiveness of teacher education. This might be due to problems regarding the conceptualisations of teacher education, as well as to the inherent selection and non-random allocation problems in research on the relation between teacher education and student achievement. In this paper we respond to claims for an organisational perspective on teacher education and develop such a new perspective. Accordingly, we provide these claims with an adequate theoretical foundation and develop an organisational model of teacher education based on Open Systems Theory. Besides being one of the first integrative organisational models of teacher education, it is among the first models which illustrate the relations and interdependencies of systems, its different parts, and its different levels, and enables researchers to investigate these interdependencies. The development of this model is further based on an alteration of the input variables of the concept of teacher quality. Moreover, the model has consequences for the notion of teacher education effectiveness. We illustrate these changes, and discuss them and the model with respect to possible areas of further research.
Scientific Reasoning and Argumentation: Advancing an Interdisciplinary Research Agenda in Education
Author: Fischer, Frank
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Process Skills,Persuasive Discourse,Logical Thinking,Epistemology,Scientific Methodology,Social Environment,Influence of Technology,Psychological Patterns,Science Activities,Problem Solving,Identification,Questioning Techniques,Hypothesis Testing,Evidence,Information Dissemination,Peer Evaluation

Scientific reasoning and scientific argumentation are highly valued outcomes of K-12 and higher education. In this article, we first review main topics and key findings of three different strands of research, namely research on the development of scientific reasoning, research on scientific argumentation, and research on approaches to support scientific reasoning and argumentation. Building on these findings, we outline current research deficits and address five aspects that exemplify where and how research on scientific reasoning and argumentation needs to be expanded. In particular, we suggest to ground future research in a conceptual framework with three epistemic modes (advancing theory building about natural and social phenomena, artefact-centred scientific reasoning, and science-based reasoning in practice) and eight epistemic activities (problem identification, questioning, hypothesis generation, construction and redesign of artefacts, evidence generation, evidence evaluation, drawing conclusions as well as communicating and scrutinizing scientific reasoning and its results). We further propose addressing the domain specificities and domain generalities of scientific reasoning and argumentation as well as approaches for facilitation. Finally, we argue for investigating the role of epistemic emotions, the role of the social context, and the influence of digital technologies on scientific reasoning and argumentation.
Individual Differences in Students' Knowing and Learning about Fractions: Evidence from an In-Depth Qualitative Study
Author: Bempeni, Maria
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Individual Differences,Fractions,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Grade 9,Mathematics Instruction,Learning Processes,Knowledge Level,Mathematical Concepts,Accuracy,Task Analysis,Foreign Countries,Profiles,Cognitive Style

We present the results of an in-depth qualitative study that examined ninth graders' conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions as well as their approach to mathematics learning, in particular fraction learning. We traced individual differences, even extreme, in the way that students combine the two kinds of knowledge. We also provide preliminary evidence indicating that students with strong conceptual fraction knowledge adopt a deep approach to mathematics learning (associated with the intention to understand), whereas students with poor conceptual fraction knowledge adopt a superficial approach (associated with the intention to reproduce). These findings suggest that students differ in the way they reason and learn about fractions in systematic ways and could be used to inform future quantitative studies.
&quot;Who Do You Talk to about Your Teaching?&quot;: Networking Activities among University Teachers
Author: Pataraia, Nino
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Collaboration,Networks,College Faculty,Communities of Practice,Interaction,Foreign Countries,Longitudinal Studies,Network Analysis,Semi Structured Interviews,Statistical Analysis,Family (Sociological Unit),Friendship,Interpersonal Relationship,Interpersonal Communication,Motivation

As the higher education environment changes, there are calls for university teachers to change and enhance their teaching practices to match. Networking practices are known to be deeply implicated in studies of change and diffusion of innovation, yet academics' networking activities in relation to teaching have been little studied. This paper extends the current limited understanding, building on Roxå and Mårtensson's work (2009) and extending it from Sweden to the UK and USA. It is based on two separate studies, one from the Share Project led by the University of Kent, and one from Glasgow Caledonian University, exploring the composition of personal networks, and the characteristics of interactions in order to understand the networking practices which may support change of teaching practice. We conclude that academics' personal teaching networks are mainly discipline-specific and strongly localised. This contrasts with the research networks found by Becher and Trowler (2001) and may reduce innovation, although about half the respondents also had external contacts that might support creativity.
Academic Procrastinators, Strategic Delayers and Something Betwixt and Between: An Interview Study
Author: Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Time Management,Undergraduate Students,Interviews,Student Behavior,Study Habits,Student Motivation,Self Efficacy,Self Management,Models,Qualitative Research,Behavior Patterns,Negative Attitudes,Foreign Countries

The study explored university undergraduates' dilatory behaviour, more precisely, procrastination and strategic delaying. Using qualitative interview data, we applied a theory-driven and person-oriented approach to test the theoretical model of Klingsieck (2013). The sample consisted of 28 Bachelor students whose study pace had been slow during their first university year. Three student profiles emerged. The first concerned strategic delay and was represented by motivated students with strong self-efficacy beliefs who had intentionally postponed their studying. The second consisted of students whose delaying was unnecessary in nature; these students had minor self-regulation problems but were still motivated to study. The third profile consisted of procrastinating students who lacked self-regulation skills and had weaker self-efficacy beliefs. The results indicate that dilatory behaviour can vary from strategic delay to dysfunctional procrastination, and that different factors are related to these various types of dilatory behaviour. This study adds to our theoretical understanding of academic procrastination by empirically testing a new theoretical model of procrastination. In addition, the study shows the value of using a qualitative approach in understanding the phenomenon of dilatory behaviour.
Nurturing Engaged and Empowered Learners
Author: Duncan, Greg
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Learner Engagement,Lesson Plans,Teacher Effectiveness,Learning Experience,Student Participation,Classroom Techniques,Educational Strategies,Class Activities

Current thinking within education circles suggests that if students are not engaged in class discussions they might not be learning. And if they are not learning--students and teachers--are wasting their time. The Teacher Effectiveness in Language Learning (TELL) Project spells out within its planning domain that teachers should plan lessons &quot;that contain learning experiences designed to keep all learners engaged all the time.&quot; Himmele and Himmele (2011) explain that &quot;unless you intentionally plan for and require students to demonstrate active participation and cognitive engagement . . . you have no way of knowing what students are learning until it's often too late to repair misunderstanding&quot; (p.4). Author Greg Duncan points out that the very clear message seems to be that if the teacher cannot see that students are engaged, learning is questionable. And, as TELL reiterates, it's not one or two learners engaged but ALL learners and ALL the time. How can a teacher validate that has all of her students are engaged all of the time? In their well-known book, &quot;Total Participation Techniques,&quot; Himmele and Himmele suggest many ways that teachers can check for understanding and have all students engaged in the learning process. In this brief article, Duncan presents a few of the strategies they discuss that could be used by teachers during and following a classroom activity.