Sample records for school learning environment

  1. An Effect of the Learning Environment Management System toward Student Quality of Thai Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wirussawa, Seatuch; Tesaputa, Kowat; Duangpaeng, Amporn

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at 1) investigating the element of the learning environment management system in the secondary schools, 2) exploring the current states and problems of the system on the learning environment management in the secondary schools, 3) designing the learning environment management system for the secondary schools, and 4) identifying…

  2. A Well Designed School Environment Facilitates Brain Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Tak Cheung; Petrie, Garth

    2000-01-01

    Examines how school design facilitates learning by complementing how the brain learns. How the brain learns is discussed and how an artistic environment, spaciousness in the learning areas, color and lighting, and optimal thermal and acoustical environments aid student learning. School design suggestions conclude the article. (GR)

  3. Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment in Medical School Change as Students Transition to Clinical Training in Undergraduate Medical School.

    PubMed

    Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Gruener, Gregory; CichoskiKelly, Eileen; Deitz, Jennifer; Elliott, Donna; Stuber, Margaret L; Skochelak, Susan E

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: The learning environment is the physical, social, and psychological context in which a student learns. A supportive learning environment contributes to student well-being and enhances student empathy, professionalism, and academic success, whereas an unsupportive learning environment may lead to burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism. Student perceptions of the medical school learning environment may change over time and be associated with students' year of training and may differ significantly depending on the student's gender or race/ethnicity. Understanding the changes in perceptions of the learning environment related to student characteristics and year of training could inform interventions that facilitate positive experiences in undergraduate medical education. The Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was administered to 4,262 students who matriculated at one of 23 U.S. and Canadian medical schools in 2010 and 2011. Students completed the survey at the end of each year of medical school as part of a battery of surveys in the Learning Environment Study. A mixed-effects longitudinal model, t tests, Cohen's d effect size, and analysis of variance assessed the relationship between MSLES score, year of training, and demographic variables. After controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and school, students reported worsening perceptions toward the medical school learning environment, with the worst perceptions in the 3rd year of medical school as students begin their clinical experiences, and some recovery in the 4th year after Match Day. The drop in MSLES scores associated with the transition to the clinical learning environment (-0.26 point drop in addition to yearly change, effect size = 0.52, p < .0001) is more than 3 times greater than the drop between the 1st and 2nd year (0.07 points, effect size = 0.14, p < .0001). The largest declines were from items related to work-life balance and informal student relationships. There was some, but not complete, recovery in perceptions of the medical school learning environment in the 4th year. Insights: Perceptions of the medical school learning environment worsen as students continue through medical school, with a stronger decline in perception scores as students' transition to the clinical learning environment. Students reported the greatest drop in finding time for outside activities and students helping one another in the 3rd year. Perceptions differed based on gender and race/ethnicity. Future studies should investigate the specific features of medical schools that contribute most significantly to student perceptions of the medical school learning environment, both positive and negative, to pinpoint potential interventions and improvements.

  4. Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment at the End of the First Year: A 28-Medical School Collaborative.

    PubMed

    Skochelak, Susan E; Stansfield, R Brent; Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Gruppen, Larry D; Christianson, Charles; Filstead, William; Quirk, Mark

    2016-09-01

    Accreditation and professional organizations have recognized the importance of measuring medical students' perceptions of the learning environment, which influences well-being and professional competency development, to optimize professional development. This study was conducted to explore interactions between students' perceptions of the medical school learning environment, student demographic variables, and students' professional attributes of empathy, coping, tolerance of ambiguity, and patient-centeredness to provide ideas for improving the learning environment. Twenty-eight medical schools at 38 campuses recruited 4,664 entering medical students to participate in the two-cohort longitudinal study (2010-2014 or 2011-2015). The authors employed chi-square tests and analysis of variance to examine the relationship between Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) scores and student characteristics. The authors used mixed-effects models with random school and campus effects to test the overall variances accounted for in MSLES scores at the end of the first year of medical school. Student attributes and demographic characteristics differed significantly across schools but accounted for only 2.2% of the total variance in MSLES scores. Medical school campus explained 15.6% of the variance in MSLES scores. At year's end, students' perceptions toward the learning environment, as reported on the MSLES, differed significantly according to the medical school campus where they trained. Further studies are needed to identify specific factors, such as grading policies, administrative support, and existence of learning communities, which may influence perceptions of the learning environment at various schools. Identifying such variables would assist schools in developing a positive learning environment.

  5. Examine Middle School Students' Constructivist Environment Perceptions in Turkey: School Location and Class Size

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yigit, Nevzat; Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Cinemre, Yasin; Balcin, Bilal

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to examine the middle school students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment in the science course in Turkey in terms of school location and class size. In the study the Assessing of Constructivist Learning Environment (ACLE) questionnaire was utilized to map students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment.…

  6. Profiling medical school learning environments in Malaysia: a validation study of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale.

    PubMed

    Tackett, Sean; Bakar, Hamidah Abu; Shilkofski, Nicole A; Coady, Niamh; Rampal, Krishna; Wright, Scott

    2015-01-01

    While a strong learning environment is critical to medical student education, the assessment of medical school learning environments has confounded researchers. Our goal was to assess the validity and utility of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES) for preclinical students at three Malaysian medical schools with distinct educational and institutional models. Two schools were new international partnerships, and the third was school leaver program established without international partnership. First- and second-year students responded anonymously to surveys at the end of the academic year. The surveys included the JHLES, a 28-item survey using five-point Likert scale response options, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM), the most widely used method to assess learning environments internationally, a personal growth scale, and single-item global learning environment assessment variables. The overall response rate was 369/429 (86%). After adjusting for the medical school year, gender, and ethnicity of the respondents, the JHLES detected differences across institutions in four out of seven domains (57%), with each school having a unique domain profile. The DREEM detected differences in one out of five categories (20%). The JHLES was more strongly correlated than the DREEM to two thirds of the single-item variables and the personal growth scale. The JHLES showed high internal reliability for the total score (α=0.92) and the seven domains (α, 0.56-0.85). The JHLES detected variation between learning environment domains across three educational settings, thereby creating unique learning environment profiles. Interpretation of these profiles may allow schools to understand how they are currently supporting trainees and identify areas needing attention.

  7. Profiling medical school learning environments in Malaysia: a validation study of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale

    PubMed Central

    Tackett, Sean; Bakar, Hamidah Abu; Shilkofski, Nicole A.; Coady, Niamh; Rampal, Krishna; Wright, Scott

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: While a strong learning environment is critical to medical student education, the assessment of medical school learning environments has confounded researchers. Our goal was to assess the validity and utility of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES) for preclinical students at three Malaysian medical schools with distinct educational and institutional models. Two schools were new international partnerships, and the third was school leaver program established without international partnership. Methods: First- and second-year students responded anonymously to surveys at the end of the academic year. The surveys included the JHLES, a 28-item survey using five-point Likert scale response options, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM), the most widely used method to assess learning environments internationally, a personal growth scale, and single-item global learning environment assessment variables. Results: The overall response rate was 369/429 (86%). After adjusting for the medical school year, gender, and ethnicity of the respondents, the JHLES detected differences across institutions in four out of seven domains (57%), with each school having a unique domain profile. The DREEM detected differences in one out of five categories (20%). The JHLES was more strongly correlated than the DREEM to two thirds of the single-item variables and the personal growth scale. The JHLES showed high internal reliability for the total score (α=0.92) and the seven domains (α, 0.56-0.85). Conclusion: The JHLES detected variation between learning environment domains across three educational settings, thereby creating unique learning environment profiles. Interpretation of these profiles may allow schools to understand how they are currently supporting trainees and identify areas needing attention. PMID:26165949

  8. How Does a Principal in Detroit Public Schools Produce a Productive Learning Environment within the Current System?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davenport, Marcus G.

    2017-01-01

    In this dissertation, the researcher investigates the success of productive learning environments in Detroit Public Schools. Using interviews with three productive principals from the Detroit school system, the researcher explores three related issues in public schooling. The first issue is the definition of a productive learning environment. By…

  9. A Study of Learning and Motivation in a New Media Enriched Environment for Middle School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Min; Horton, Lucas; Olmanson, Justin; Toprac, Paul

    2011-01-01

    This study examines middle school students' learning and motivation as they engaged in a new media enriched problem-based learning (PBL) environment for middle school science. Using a mixed-method design with both quantitative and qualitative data, we investigated the effect of a new media environment on sixth graders' science learning, their…

  10. Turkish High School Student's Perceptions of Learning Environment in Biology Classrooms and Their Attitudes toward Biology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cakiroglu, Jale; Telli, Sibel; Cakiroglu, Erdinc

    The purpose of this study was to examine Turkish high school students' perceptions of learning environment in biology classrooms and to investigate relationships between learning environment and students' attitudes toward biology. Secondly, the study aimed to investigate the differences in students' perceptions of learning environments in biology…

  11. Organizational Learning in Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tas, Ali

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to make suggestions for primary schools to become organizational learning environments, by searching the relationship between the characteristics and behaviors of school administrators and the formation of an organizational learning environment in primary schools. The author used a survey model in this research and…

  12. The Experience of Assessing Out-of-School Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiriktas, Halit; Eslek, Sinan

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate out-of-school learning environments within the borders of the province of Izmir in terms of various parameters. With this purpose, the researchers developed the "Out-Of-School Learning Environments Assessment Survey." The study used the screening model, which is a descriptive research method. In the scope…

  13. Students' Collective Knowledge Construction in the Virtual Learning Environment ""ToLigado"--Your School Interactive Newspaper"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Passarelli, Brasilina

    2008-01-01

    Introduction: The ToLigado Project--Your School Interactive Newspaper is an interactive virtual learning environment conceived, developed, implemented and supported by researchers at the School of the Future Research Laboratory of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Method: This virtual learning environment aims to motivate trans-disciplinary…

  14. To What Extent Do School Leaders in Slovenia Understand Physical School Environments as a Learning Factor?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cencic, Majda

    2017-01-01

    School leaders are a central factor of the quality of learning and teaching in schools. It is generally believed that the staff model their behaviour on leaders, which means if school leaders understand the physical school environment to be an important factor of learning, school staff (teachers and other professional staff) will also do so. To…

  15. Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toenders, Frank G. C.; de Putter-Smits, Lesley G. A.; Sanders, Wendy T. M.; den Brok, Perry

    2017-07-01

    Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp physics concepts, time and additional materials to support the learning process are key. Time for teachers to develop teaching methods for such students is scarce. Suggestions for changes to the learning environment and of materials used are given.

  16. Assessing the Quality of Learning Environments in Swedish Schools: Development and Analysis of a Theory-Based Instrument

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westling Allodi, Mara

    2007-01-01

    The Goals, Attitudes and Values in School (GAVIS) questionnaire was developed on the basis of theoretical frameworks concerning learning environments, universal human values and studies of students' experience of learning environments. The theory hypothesises that learning environments can be described and structured in a circumplex model using…

  17. Classroom Learning Environment Differences between Resilient, Average, and Nonresilient Middle School Students in Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padrón, Yolanda N.; Waxman, Hersh C.; Lee, Yuan-Hsuan

    2014-01-01

    The lack of achievement of students from high-risk and high-poverty environments necessitates changes in today's middle school environments to create a caring, supportive environment where all middle school students can succeed. This study investigated the classroom learning environments of resilient, average, and nonresilient minority students in…

  18. Equitable Learning Outcomes: Supporting Economically and Culturally Disadvantaged Students in "Formative Learning Environments"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Ian

    2014-01-01

    The central and distinguishing thesis of social and cultural perspectives on outcome equity is that public school classrooms are culturally biased environments. Such environments disaffect children who arrive at school from the economic or cultural margin. The "formative learning environment" (FoLE) establishes and sustains legitimate…

  19. Women of Color School Leaders: Leadership Schools Should Not Ignore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haar, Jean M.; Robicheau, Jerry W.

    2009-01-01

    School districts are faced with challenges resulting from the changing demographics of the student population. Consequently, school districts are creating positive, multicultural learning environments. School districts intent on establishing multicultural learning environments should consider the contributions people of color, specifically women…

  20. Illinois High School Principals' Perceptions of Alternative Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlton, Lawrence W.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined Illinois high school principals' perceptions of the growth, quality, advantages and disadvantages of alternative learning environments. In this study, alternative learning environments involved the use of both synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication for course delivery. Synchronous modes of instructional delivery…

  1. The Impact of School Facilities on the Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vandiver, Bert

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the impact of the quality of facilities on the educational environment in high schools located in northeast Texas. The intent of this research study was to determine the relationship between school facilities and the school-learning environment. This study was a mixed method research that used…

  2. Schools as Environments for Social Learning--Shaping Mechanisms? Comparisons of Smaller and Larger Rural Schools in Norway

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kvalsund, Rune

    2004-01-01

    This article analyses and compares the learning environment in smaller and bigger rural schools by focusing on the arenas of both formal and informal learning; the lessons and the recesses between. Relational patterns are both analysed using complete network data from 19 schools in four different municipalities in four Norwegian counties and by…

  3. Cause or effect? The relationship between student perception of the medical school learning environment and academic performance on USMLE Step 1.

    PubMed

    Wayne, Sharon J; Fortner, Sally A; Kitzes, Judith A; Timm, Craig; Kalishman, Summers

    2013-05-01

    A school's learning environment is believed to influence academic performance yet few studies have evaluated this association controlling for prior academic ability, an important factor since students who do well in school tend to rate their school's environment more highly than students who are less academically strong. To evaluate the effect of student perception of the learning environment on their performance on a standardized licensing test while controlling for prior academic ability. We measured perception of the learning environment after the first year of medical school in 267 students from five consecutive classes and related that measure to performance on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, taken approximately six months later. We controlled for prior academic performance by including Medical College Admission Test score and undergraduate grade point average in linear regression models. Three of the five learning environment subscales were statistically associated with Step 1 performance (p < 0.05): meaningful learning environment, emotional climate, and student-student interaction. A one-point increase in the rating of the subscales (scale of 1-4) was associated with increases of 6.8, 6.6, and 4.8 points on the Step 1 exam. Our findings provide some evidence for the widely held assumption that a positively perceived learning environment contributes to better academic performance.

  4. A Professional Development School Staff's Perceptions of Actual and Preferred Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiley, Therese J.; Jensen, Rita A.

    A study assessed the teaching/learning environment of one professional development school in a variety of ways that included a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Results were analyzed using the eight scales of the "School Level Environment Questionnaire" (SLEQ) as categories: Student Support, Affiliation, Professional…

  5. Relationships between Learning Environment and Mathematics Anxiety

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Bret A.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2013-01-01

    We investigated relationships between the learning environment and students' mathematics anxiety, as well as differences between the sexes in perceptions of learning environment and anxiety. A sample of 745 high-school students in 34 different mathematics classrooms in four high schools in Southern California was used to cross-validate the What Is…

  6. Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment: Learning Communities Are Associated With a More Positive Learning Environment in a Multi-Institutional Medical School Study.

    PubMed

    Smith, Sunny D; Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Dinh, An; Lanken, Paul N; Moynahan, Kevin F; Stuber, Margaret L; Skochelak, Susan E

    2016-09-01

    Many medical schools have implemented learning communities (LCs) to improve the learning environment (LE) for students. The authors conducted this study to determine whether a relationship exists between medical student perceptions of the LE and presence of LCs during the preclerkship years. Students from 24 schools participating in the American Medical Association Learning Environment Study completed the 17-item Medical Student Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) at the end of their first and second years of medical school between 2011 and 2013. Mean total MSLES scores and individual item scores at the end of the first and second years in schools with and without LCs were compared with t tests, and effect sizes were calculated. Mixed-effects longitudinal models were used to control for student demographics and random school and student effects on the relationship between LC status and MSLES score. A total of 4,980 students (81% of 6,148 matriculants) from 18 schools with LCs and 6 without LCs participated. Mean [SD] MSLES scores were significantly higher in LC schools compared with non-LC schools at the end of year one (3.72 [0.44] versus 3.57 [0.43], P < .001) and year two (3.69 [0.49] versus 3.42 [0.54], P < .001). The effect size increased from 0.35 (small) at the end of year one to 0.53 (medium) at the end of year two. This large multi-institutional cohort study found that LCs at medical schools were associated with more positive perceptions of the LE by preclerkship students.

  7. Promoting Learning Environment among the Islamic School Principals in the State of Pahang, Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abdullah, Jamelaa Bibi; Kassim, Jainabee

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the learning environment in schools that influence teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: A study was conducted using the Instructional Leadership Model to compare principal practices of instructional leaders in the Islamic Religious Secondary Schools and Islamic Religious Schools…

  8. 21st-Century Schools and School Leadership: Creating and Sustaining Innovation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Victoria Lee

    2016-01-01

    As schools move from more traditional educational curricula and systems to practices more innovative and relevant to 21st-century learning, it is necessary to understand the actions and attributes that are effective for creating innovative learning environments. This study explored how 21st-century learning environments and practices are…

  9. Effective Learning Environment Characteristics as a Requirement of Constructivist Curricula: Teachers' Needs and School Principals' Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Temli Durmus, Yeliz

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine elementary school teachers' and school principals' views on physical learning environments of schools where teachers are expected to implement the constructivist philosophy/approach. In this qualitative study, the researcher interviewed 48 elementary school teachers and 6 school administrators working in…

  10. School Policy on Teaching and School Learning Environment: Direct and Indirect Effects upon Student Outcome Measures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyriakides, Leonidas; Creemers, Bert P. M.

    2012-01-01

    School policy on teaching and the school learning environment (SLE) are the main school factors of the dynamic model of educational effectiveness (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2008). A longitudinal study in which 50 primary schools, 108 classes, and 2369 students participated generated evidence supporting the validity of the dynamic model. This…

  11. Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades That Support Teacher and Student Success: Profiles of Effective Practices in Three Expanded Learning Time Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farbman, David A.; Novoryta, Ami

    2016-01-01

    In "Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades that Support Teacher and Student Success," the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) profiles three expanded-time elementary schools that leverage a longer school day to better serve young students. In particular, the report describes how a longer day opens up opportunities…

  12. Modelling a Complex System: Using Novice-Expert Analysis for Developing an Effective Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Hsin-Kai

    2010-01-01

    The purposes of this article are to present the design of a technology-enhanced learning environment (Air Pollution Modeling Environment [APoME]) that was informed by a novice-expert analysis and to discuss high school students' development of modelling practices in the learning environment. APoME was designed to help high school students…

  13. Powerful Learning Environments: The Critical Link between School and Classroom Cultures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finnan, Christine; Schnepel, Katherine C.; Anderson, Lorin W.

    2003-01-01

    Evaluated classrooms within four Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) schools, operationalizing the ASP principles, values, and concepts of a "powerful learning environment" (PLE), examining how similarly PLE was implemented in different classrooms and schools, and analyzing the relation between degree of implementation and differences in…

  14. Reacting to 'Irregular' Learning Environments in a Senior Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alterator, Scott; Deed, Craig

    2016-01-01

    Modern school design continues to incorporate openness and irregularity as a means of achieving improvement. Irregular learning environments can act as a catalyst for student unsettling and enable possibilities of teacher practice. We outline a case study of teacher adaptation to irregular environments in a senior school setting. We argue that…

  15. Designing "Geometry 2.0" Learning Environments: A Preliminary Study with Primary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prieto, Nuria Joglar; Sordo Juanena, José María; Star, Jon R.

    2014-01-01

    The information and communication technologies of Web 2.0 are arriving in our schools, allowing the design and implementation of new learning environments with great educational potential. This article proposes a pedagogical model based on a new geometry technology-integrated learning environment, called "Geometry 2.0," which was tested…

  16. Study the Effectiveness of Technology-Enhanced Interactive Teaching Environment on Student Learning of Junior High School Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Kai-Ti; Wang, Tzu-Hua; Chiu, Mei-Hung

    2015-01-01

    This research investigates the effectiveness of integrating Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) into the junior high school biology teaching. This research adopts a quasi-experimental design and divides the participating students into the conventional ICT-integrated learning environment and IWB-integrated learning environment. Before teaching, students…

  17. How Do Professional Learning Communities Aid and Hamper Professional Learning of Beginning Teachers Related to Differentiated Instruction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Neve, Debbie; Devos, Geert

    2017-01-01

    Research has shown that adequate support from the school environment is necessary to help beginning teachers in applying differentiated instruction (DI), but how schools can aid in this process remains unclear. This qualitative study explores how professional learning communities (PLCs), an indicator of a supportive school environment, can enhance…

  18. Participatory Culture as a Model for How New Media Technologies Can Change Public Schools. WCER Working Paper No. 2016-7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halverson, Rich; Kallio, Julie; Hackett, Sarah; Halverson, Erica

    2016-01-01

    Students who have mastered the ability to create their own learning environments have an advantage over students who rely on traditional environments to structure their learning. Students who understand how to use new tools for school learning typically do not pick up these skills at school--they learn from the habits of parents and peers who work…

  19. Designing Science Learning in the First Years of Schooling. An Intervention Study with Sequenced Learning Material on the Topic of "Floating and Sinking"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leuchter, Miriam; Saalbach, Henrik; Hardy, Ilonca

    2014-01-01

    Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus…

  20. Finnish Children's Views on the Ideal School and Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kangas, Marjaana

    2010-01-01

    This grounded-theory study involved how Finnish children describe their ideal school and learning environment and considers how their notions should be valued in the development of schools to better respond to the challenges of the future. The school children, aged 10-12 years, participated in the study by writing a story about a school in which…

  1. Piedmont City School District: Piedmont Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    EDUCAUSE, 2015

    2015-01-01

    At Piedmont Middle School, the future for students is changing through relevant, engaging learning opportunities, a school culture filled with hope, and a redesigned teaching and learning environment that utilizes blended learning, project-based learning, and competency-based learning to personalize education. The academic model is anchored by a…

  2. Finnish Primary School as a Learning Environment for Six-Year-Old Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Niikko, Anneli

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this qualitative case study is to explore how the teachers, parents and children describe the advantages and disadvantages of preschool education when it is located in the comprehensive school context. In addition, the study aims to clarify which dimensions of the learning environment occur in preschool? The learning environment is…

  3. An Instrument for Investigating Chinese Language Learning Environments in Singapore Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chua, Siew Lian; Wong, Angela F. L.; Chen, Der-Thanq

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes how a new classroom environment instrument, the "Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory (CLCEI)", was developed to investigate the nature of Chinese language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools. The CLCEI is a bilingual instrument (English and Chinese Language) with 48 items…

  4. Satisfaction with the Overseas Education in China: A Survey on 44 Institutions of Higher Learning in Jiangsu Province

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Xin-Chao; Zhu, Su-Jing; Thige, Joseph M.; Shi, Yun-Yu

    2017-01-01

    In order to fully grasp the service level, management quality and effectiveness of the overseas education in China, a satisfaction survey was carried out on 44 institutions of higher learning in Jiangsu province from 5 dimensions of school learning, school life, school administration, surrounding environment, and urban civility and environment.…

  5. Technology Enhanced Learning Environments for Closing the Gap in Student Achievement between Regions: Does It Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cakir, Hasan; Delialioglu, Omer; Dennis, Alan; Duffy, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    Student achievement gap between urban and suburban regions are a major issue in U.S. schools. Technology enhanced learning environments that support teaching and learning process with advanced technology may close this achievement gap. This paper examines the impact of student and school factors with an emphasis on schools' geographic location on…

  6. Medical Students' Evaluation of Physiology Learning Environments in Two Nigerian Medical Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anyaehie, U. S. B.; Nwobodo, E.; Oze, G.; Nwagha, U. I.; Orizu, I.; Okeke, T.; Anyanwu, G. E.

    2011-01-01

    The expansion of biomedical knowledge and the pursuit of more meaningful learning have led to world-wide evidence-based innovative changes in medical education and curricula. The recent emphasis on problem-based learning (PBL) and student-centred learning environments are, however, not being implemented in Nigerian medical schools. Traditional…

  7. School Environment and Satisfaction with Schooling among Primary School Pupils in Ondo State, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aina, Stephen Ileoye

    2015-01-01

    Modern school environments put emphasis on adequate and qualitative facilities to promote conducive teaching and learning environments, the deplorable conditions of the primary schools has become worrisome to the state government and education stakeholders. The study investigated the school environment and pupils' satisfaction with schooling in…

  8. Examining High-School Students' Preferences toward Learning Environments, Personal Beliefs and Concept Learning in Web-Based Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Fang-Ying; Chang, Cheng-Chieh

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to explore three kinds of personal affective traits among high-school students and their effects on web-based concept learning. The affective traits include personal preferences about web-based learning environments, personal epistemological beliefs, and beliefs about web-based learning. One hundred 11th graders…

  9. Learning Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among Middle-School Science Students Using Inquiry-Based Laboratory Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Stephen J.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2008-01-01

    This study compared inquiry and non-inquiry laboratory teaching in terms of students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, attitudes toward science, and achievement among middle-school physical science students. Learning environment and attitude scales were found to be valid and related to each other for a sample of 1,434 students in…

  10. VET Students' Integration of Knowledge Engaged with in School-Based and Workplace-Based Learning Environments in the Netherlands

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baartman, L. K. J.; Kilbrink, N.; de Bruijn, E.

    2018-01-01

    In vocational education, students learn in different school-based and workplace-based learning environments and engage with different types of knowledge in these environments. Students are expected to integrate these experiences and make meaning of them in relation to their own professional knowledge base. This study focuses both on…

  11. Rural Junior Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Classroom Learning Environments and Their Attitude and Achievement in Mathematics in West China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Xinrong

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports findings from a survey of how rural junior secondary school students in the western part of China perceive their mathematics classroom learning environments and associations of learning environment with their attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement. Using adaptations of the widely-used What Is Happening In this…

  12. Healthy Children Ready to Learn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellerbee, William J.; Bramson-Paul, Phyllis; Marcellino, Sara

    2006-01-01

    Education leaders throughout California are playing a key role in creating healthy school environments for the 6 million students in the state's public schools. Recognizing the strong connection between health and learning, they have made significant changes to the nutrition environment in their schools. This article looks at how these…

  13. Innovations in Learning: New Environments for Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schauble, Leona, Ed.; Glaser, Robert, Ed.

    This collection of 13 articles describes informal learning environments that occur outside traditional school settings; covers research-supported strategies for helping both students and teachers engage with and master concepts in school subject matter; and reviews school reform, and the current knowledge about what practices and principles are…

  14. Towards Primary School Physics Teaching and Learning: Design Research Approach. Research Report 256

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Juuti, Kalle

    2005-01-01

    This thesis describes a project to design a primary school physics learning environment which takes into account teachers' needs, design procedures, properties of the learning environment, and pupil learning outcomes. The project's design team has wide experience in research and development work in relation to science education, the use of ICT in…

  15. K-12 Online Learning and the Training Needs for School Psychology Practitioners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tysinger, P. Dawn; Tysinger, Jeff; Diamanduros, Terry; Kennedy, Kathryn

    2013-01-01

    K-12 online learning is growing at an exponential rate in the United States and around the world. Students and teachers are entering and embracing the K-12 online learning environment. Thus, it becomes imperative for school psychologists to follow. In order to offer the most productive learning environment for all students, the services provided…

  16. Creating Small Learning Communities: Lessons from the Project on High-Performing Learning Communities about "What Works" in Creating Productive, Developmentally Enhancing, Learning Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Felner, Robert D.; Seitsinger, Anne M.; Brand, Stephen; Burns, Amy; Bolton, Natalie

    2007-01-01

    Personalizing the school environment is a central goal of efforts to transform America's schools. Three decades of work by the Project on High Performance Learning Communities are considered that demonstrate the potential impact and importance of the creation of "small learning environments" on student motivation, adjustment, and well-being.…

  17. Alternative Learning Environments in the Elementary School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Eugene D.

    This paper outlines a program utilized in the Countryside School which offers alternative learning environments in the elementary school. The program includes (1) semi-departmentalization; (2) team teaching; and (3) an open-alternatives program. Each of these areas is outlined and fully discussed in terms of student and parent needs. (YRJ)

  18. Prevention Research & the IDEA Discipline Provisions: A Guide for School Administrators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2001

    This guide from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education is designed to assist school administrators in understanding the challenges faced in creating safe, effective learning environments, whole school practices that have dramatically increased effective learning environments, and under what…

  19. The Design of Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stueck, Lawrence E.

    This study, using the Eisner's Educational Criticism Model, examines the role school architecture plays in eliciting creative, self-directed, child-centered responses in elementary school students. An evaluation of 11 play environments; 7 learning environments; an integrated third grade curriculum known as the City Classroom is presented; and the…

  20. Planning an Outdoor Learning Environment for a Small School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keats, C.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Developed to provide an outdoor learning environment for a small school which had relatively undeveloped grounds, these plans are aimed toward providing: physical activity (climbing, running, jumping, and games); imaginative activity; social learning; environmental study; mathematics and science; exploring materials, e.g., water and soil; and the…

  1. Characteristics of the Learning Environment in Biology and Chemistry Classes as Perceived by Jewish and Arab High School Students in Israel.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tamir, Pinchas; Caridin, Hani

    1993-01-01

    Describes a study designed to achieve the following goals: (1) compare the perceptions of learning environment in biology and chemistry classrooms by Jewish and Arab students; (2) identify gender effects in the Arab sample on learning environments; and (3) compare the perceptions of Arab students in rural and city schools. (ZWH)

  2. Influence of Learning Environment on Students' Academic Achievement in Mathematics: A Case Study of Some Selected Secondary Schools in Yobe State-Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shamaki, Timothy Ado

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of learning environment on students' academic achievement in mathematics at senior secondary school level. Thus the study investigated some components of learning environment and their possible influence on students' academic achievement in mathematics. A sample of 337 randomly selected SS II…

  3. Investigating the Quality of Project-Based Science and Technology Learning Environments in Elementary School: A Critical Review of Instruments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thys, Miranda; Verschaffel, Lieven; Van Dooren, Wim; Laevers, Ferre

    2016-01-01

    This paper provides a systematic review of instruments that have the potential to measure the quality of project-based science and technology (S&T) learning environments in elementary school. To this end, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken for the large field of S&T learning environments. We conducted a horizontal bottom-up…

  4. Online Resource-Based Learning Environment: Case Studies in Primary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Winnie Wing Mui; Ching, Fiona Ngai Ying

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses the creation of learning environments with online resources by three primary school teachers for pupil's learning of science-related topics with reference to the resource-based e-learning environments (RBeLEs) framework. Teachers' choice of contexts, resources, tools, and scaffolds in designing the learning environments are…

  5. Twenty-first century learning in schools: A case study of New Technology High School in Napa, California.

    PubMed

    Pearlman, Bob

    2006-01-01

    The most pertinent question concerning teaching and learning in the twenty-first century is not what knowledge and skills students need--that laundry list was identified over a decade ago--but rather how to foster twenty-first century learning. What curricula, experiences, assessments, environments, and technology best support twenty-first century learning? New Technology High School (NTHS) in Napa, California, is one example of a successful twenty-first century school. In this chapter, the author describes the components of this exemplary high school, illustrating an environment that will cultivate twenty-first century student learning. New Technology High School began by defining eight learning outcomes, aligned with the standards of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; to graduate, students demonstrate mastery of these outcomes through an online portfolio. To help students achieve the outcomes, NTHS employs project- and problem-based learning. Whereas in traditional classrooms students work alone on short-term assignments that do not lend themselves to deep understanding, the project-based learning approach has students working in teams on long-term, in-depth, rigorous projects. Students' work is supported by the school's workplace-like environment and effectiv use of technology. Meaningful assessment is essential to project-based learning; students receive continuous feedback, helping them become self-directed learners. In fact, NTHS uses outcome-based grading through which students constantly know how they are performing on the twenty-first century outcomes. Research has shown that NTHS graduates are better prepared for postsecondary education, careers, and citizenship than their peers from other schools. To facilitate twenty-first century learning, all schools need to rethink their approach to teaching and learning. New Technology High School is one way to do so.

  6. Linking Classroom Environment with At-Risk Engagement in Science: A Mixed Method Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Collins, Stephen Craig

    This explanatory sequential mixed-method study analyzed how the teacher created learning environment links to student engagement for students at-risk across five science classroom settings. The learning environment includes instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, positive learning environment, and an academically challenging environment. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in the form of self-reporting surveys and a follow-up interview. The researcher aimed to use the qualitative results to explain the quantitative data. The general research question was "What are the factors of the teacher-created learning environment that were best suited to maximize engagement of students at-risk?" Specifically explaining, (1) How do the measured level of teacher created learning environment link to the engagement level of students at-risk in science class? and (2) What relationship exists between the student perception of the science classroom environment and the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for students at-risk in science class? This study took place within a large school system with more than 20 high schools, most having 2000-3000 students. Participating students were sent to a panel hearing that determined them unfit for the regular educational setting, and were given the option of attending one of the two alternative schools within the county. Students in this alternative school were considered at-risk due to the fact that 98% received free and reduced lunch, 97% were minority population, and all have been suspended from the regular educational setting. Pairwise comparisons of the SPS questions between teachers using t-test from 107 students at-risk and 40 interviews suggest that each category of the learning environment affects the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement in science class for students at-risk in an alternative school setting. Teachers with higher student perceptions of learning environment showed increased levels of all types of engagement over the teachers with a lower perception of learning environment. Qualitative data suggested that teachers who created a more positive learning environment had increased student engagement in their class. Follow-up questions also revealed that teachers who incorporated a wider variety of classroom instructional strategies increased behavioral engagement of students at-risk in science class.

  7. Upgrading School Buildings in Mexico with Social Participation. "The Better Schools Programme". Centre for Effective Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blyth, Alastair; Almeida, Rodolfo; Forrester, David; Gorey, Ann; Chavez Zepeda, Juan Jose

    2012-01-01

    This review of Mexico's Better Schools Programme was conducted in 2012 by the OECD Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE). In 2008, the federal government created the Programme to repair and improve the physical infrastructure of schools for basic education throughout Mexico. A key characteristic of the programme is social participation…

  8. Pupils' Views on an ICT-Based Learning Environment in Health Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Räihä, Teija; Tossavainen, Kerttu; Enkenberg, Jorma; Turunen, Hannele

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a study that examined pupils' views on an ICT-based learning environment in health learning. The study was a part of the wider European Network of Health Promoting Schools programme (ENHPS; since 2008, Schools for Health in Europe, SHE) in Finland, and particularly its sub-project, From Puijo to the World with Health Lunch,…

  9. Creating a peaceful school learning environment: a controlled study of an elementary school intervention to reduce violence.

    PubMed

    Twemlow, S W; Fonagy, P; Sacco, F C; Gies, M L; Evans, R; Ewbank, R

    2001-05-01

    The impact of a manual-based antiviolence program on the learning climate in an elementary school over 4 years was compared with the outcome in a control school. The two schools were matched for demographic characteristics. The intervention in the experimental school was based on zero tolerance for bullying; the control school received only regular psychiatric consultation. Disciplinary and academic achievement data were collected in both schools. The experimental school showed significant reductions in discipline referrals and increases in scores on standardized academic achievement measures. A low-cost antiviolence intervention that does not focus on individual pathology or interfere with the educational process may improve the learning environment in elementary schools.

  10. In-School Psychosocial Support Services for Safeguarding Children's Rights: Results and Implications of a Botswana Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ntinda, Kayi; Maree, Jacobus Gideon; Mpofu, Elias; Seeco, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    In-school psychosocial support services are intended to create safe learning environments for children, enabling the children to attain age-appropriate developmental tasks. This study investigated protections to children's right to safe learning environments through the provision of in-school psychosocial support services. Participants were 230…

  11. Imagination in School Children's Choice of Their Learning Environment: An Australian Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bland, Derek; Sharma-Brymer, Vinathe

    2012-01-01

    A visual research project addressed school children's concepts of ideal learning environments. Drawings and accompanying narratives were collected from Year 5 and Year 6 children in nine Queensland primary schools. The 133 submissions were analysed and coded to develop themes, identify key features and consider the uses of imagination. The…

  12. Learning Environment, Attitudes and Conceptual Development Associated with Innovative Strategies in Middle-School Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogbuehi, Philip I.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2007-01-01

    This study of middle-school students in California focused on the effectiveness of using innovative teaching strategies for enhancing the classroom environment, students' attitudes and conceptual development. A sample of 661 students from 22 classrooms in four inner city schools completed modified forms of the Constructivist Learning Environment…

  13. The Learning Environment and the Reading Achievement of Middle School African American Male Students in a Suburban School Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frazier, Nicole Denise

    2012-01-01

    The reading achievement of African American males might be impacted by a host of variables. This study was undertaken to determine if there was a difference in the culturally responsive characteristics present in the learning environment of a middle school and the reading achievement of middle school African American males. The purpose of this…

  14. Reconceptualizing Homework as Out-of-School Learning Opportunities. Occasional Paper 135.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alleman, Janet; Brophy, Jere

    This occasional paper views homework as an opportunity to exploit the potential of outside resources and environments to complement in-school learning opportunities. Out-of-school learning opportunities are considered in the context of principles for planning and implementing learning activities. These principles involve: (1) goal relevance,…

  15. The Impact of the Learning Environment on Student Engagement in High School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shernoff, David J.; Tonks, Stephen M.; Anderson, Brett

    2014-01-01

    This chapter presents a study that investigated characteristics of the learning environment predicting for student engagement in public high school classrooms. Students in seven high school classrooms in five different subject areas were observed and videoed in order to predict their engagement as measured by the experience sampling method (ESM).…

  16. Providing a Safe Learning Environment for Queer Students in Canadian Schools: A Legal Analysis of Homophobic Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, James

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews Canadian administrative law regarding homophobic bullying and school board decision making. Depending on the provincial legislation, school boards either have a mandatory or a discretionary duty to provide queer students with a safe learning environment. However, Canadian case law has arguably limited that discretion. Recent…

  17. Informality of Teaching and Learning in Nonformal Schools: Socio-Cultural Processes as Mesosystems of Student Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shohel, M. Mahruf C.; Howes, Andrew J.

    2008-01-01

    The flexible environment of nonformal primary schools in a community context in Bangladesh facilitates the individual development of young people who would otherwise be excluded from the school system. This paper aims to explore the features of institutional and wider context which support this nonformal learning environment, as well as…

  18. Student and Teacher Perceptions of a Single-Sex Middle School Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Nancy

    A study of a single-sex learning environment was conducted in a public school, Edward Hand Middle School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were grouped homogeneously by sex for all major subjects for a period of one semester and grouped heterogeneously for one semester. The study examined the effects that the…

  19. The Medical School Learning Environment Survey: An Examination of Its Factor Structure and Relationship to Student Performance and Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rusticus, Shayna; Worthington, Anne; Wilson, Derek; Joughin, Karen

    2014-01-01

    The Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was used with a sample of 311 undergraduate medical students in British Columbia, Canada, to assess the seven scales of Medical Breadth of Interest, Personal Breadth of Interest, Emotional Climate, Flexibility, Meaningful Learning Experience, Organization, Nurturance and Student-Student…

  20. Developing a Friendly and Productive Language Learning Environment (FPLE) Using the Learner as a Resource

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masaazi, Fred M.

    2015-01-01

    This article addresses the need to develop a friendly and productive Language learning environment (FPLE) using the learners as a resource in schools in Uganda. This is in light of the persistent challenging reality that the teaching and learning of languages in schools appears to be still largely traditional, teacher-centered and…

  1. Working Collaboratively in Virtual Learning Environments: Using Second Life with Korean High School Students in History Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Mi Hwa

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the impact of the use of a virtual environment for learning Korean history on high school students' learning outcomes and attitudes toward virtual worlds (collaboration, engagement, general use of SL [Second Life], and immersion). In addition, this experiment examined the relationships…

  2. A Teachable Agent Game Engaging Primary School Children to Learn Arithmetic Concepts and Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pareto, Lena

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we will describe a learning environment designed to foster conceptual understanding and reasoning in mathematics among younger school children. The learning environment consists of 48 2-player game variants based on a graphical model of arithmetic where the mathematical content is intrinsically interwoven with the game idea. The…

  3. Designing Science Laboratories: Learning Environments, School Architecture and Teaching and Learning Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veloso, Luísa; Marques, Joana S.

    2017-01-01

    This article on secondary schools science laboratories in Portugal focuses on how school space functions as a pedagogical and political instrument by contributing to shape the conditions for teaching and learning dynamics. The article places the impact of changes to school layouts within the larger context of a public school renovation programme,…

  4. The Role of Leadership in Starting and Operating Blended Learning Charter Schools: A Multisite Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agostini, Michael Eric

    2013-01-01

    Heavily utilizing both instructional technology and face-to-face instruction within a bricks-and-mortar school environment, blended learning charter schools are gaining attention as a cost-effective school design. As educators turn to these blended learning school models to improve both the operational efficiency and student outcomes of America's…

  5. Protective factors at school: reciprocal effects among adolescents' perceptions of the school environment, engagement in learning, and hope.

    PubMed

    Van Ryzin, Mark J

    2011-12-01

    Although some research suggests that schools can be a source of protective factors for students, the processes by which school environments impact students' behavior, performance and adjustment over time are not clear. Guided by both self-determination theory and hope theory, this article evaluated reciprocal effects among adolescent perceptions of the school environment, engagement in learning, hope, and academic achievement. Using a sample of 423 students (M age 15.72 years; 46.7% female; 77.6% white; 30.9% eligible for FRPL) from five small secondary schools in the upper Midwest, students' perceptions of the school environment were linked to engagement in learning, which, in turn, was linked to change in academic achievement and hope over the span of 1 year. Evidence was found for reciprocal links between earlier levels of engagement and hope and later perceptions of the environment. These results suggest that the school environment represents a potential leverage point for educational reform, and interventions that target students' perceptions of autonomy, teacher/peer support, and goal orientation may be able to promote engagement, hope, and academic achievement. In addition, such changes may create a positive feedback loop in which change in academic performance and adjustment accelerate over time.

  6. Medical students' evaluation of physiology learning environments in two Nigerian medical schools.

    PubMed

    Anyaehie, U S B; Nwobodo, E; Oze, G; Nwagha, U I; Orizu, I; Okeke, T; Anyanwu, G E

    2011-06-01

    The expansion of biomedical knowledge and the pursuit of more meaningful learning have led to world-wide evidence-based innovative changes in medical education and curricula. The recent emphasis on problem-based learning (PBL) and student-centred learning environments are, however, not being implemented in Nigerian medical schools. Traditional didactic lectures thus predominate, and learning is further constrained by funding gaps, poor infrastructure, and increasing class sizes. We reviewed medical students' perceptions of their exposed learning environment to determine preferences, shortcomings, and prescriptions for improvements. The results confirm declining interest in didactic lectures and practical sessions with preferences for peer-tutored discussion classes, which were considered more interactive and interesting. This study recommends more emphasis on student-centered learning with alternatives to passive lecture formats and repetitive cookbook practical sessions. The institutionalization of student feedback processes in Nigerian medical schools is also highly recommended.

  7. Active Learning Environment with Lenses in Geometric Optics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tural, Güner

    2015-01-01

    Geometric optics is one of the difficult topics for students within physics discipline. Students learn better via student-centered active learning environments than the teacher-centered learning environments. So this study aimed to present a guide for middle school teachers to teach lenses in geometric optics via active learning environment…

  8. Adolescent Learning in the Zoo: Embedding a Non-Formal Learning Environment to Teach Formal Aspects of Vertebrate Biology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Randler, Christoph; Kummer, Barbara; Wilhelm, Christian

    2012-06-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of a zoo visit in terms of learning and retention of knowledge concerning the adaptations and behavior of vertebrate species. Basis of the work was the concept of implementing zoo visits as an out-of-school setting for formal, curriculum based learning. Our theoretical framework centers on the self-determination theory, therefore, we used a group-based, hands-on learning environment. To address this questions, we used a treatment—control design (BACI) with different treatments and a control group. Pre-, post- and retention tests were applied. All treatments led to a substantial increase of learning and retention knowledge compared to the control group. Immediately after the zoo visit, the zoo-guide tour provided the highest scores, while after a delay of 6 weeks, the learner-centered environment combined with a teacher-guided summarizing scored best. We suggest incorporating the zoo as an out-of-school environment into formal school learning, and we propose different methods to improve learning in zoo settings.

  9. Classroom Learning Environment and Motivation towards Mathematics among Secondary School Students in Uganda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Opolot-Okurut, Charles

    2010-01-01

    This article reports a study of secondary students' perceptions of mathematics classroom learning environment and their associations with their motivation towards mathematics. A sample of 81 students (19 male and 62 female) in two schools were used. Student perceptions of the classroom environment were assessed using a modified What Is Happening…

  10. Debating Life on Mars: The Knowledge Integration Environment (KIE) in Varied School Settings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shear, Linda

    Technology-enabled learning environments are beginning to come of age. Tools and frameworks are now available that have been shown to improve learning and are being deployed more widely in varied school settings. Teachers are now faced with the formidable challenge of integrating these promising new environments with the everyday context in which…

  11. Sex, Grade-Level and Stream Differences in Learning Environment and Attitudes to Science in Singapore Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peer, Jarina; Fraser, Barry J.

    2015-01-01

    Learning environment research provides a well-established approach for describing and understanding what goes on in classrooms and has attracted considerable interest in Singapore. This article reports the first study of science classroom environments in Singapore primary schools. Ten scales from the What Is Happening In this Class?,…

  12. Learning Social Responsibility in Schools: A Restorative Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macready, Tom

    2009-01-01

    Vygotsky regarded the site of learning to be within a matrix of relational action. From this perspective, learning social responsibility will involve a focus on the learning environments that are made available in schools. Adapting the concept of restorative justice to a school context, restorative practice offers a range of relevant learning…

  13. Toward a Knowledge Base for School Climate in Cyprus's Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pashiardis, Georgia

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore and analyze secondary school students' (8th grade) perceptions about school climate in three areas, namely: the physical environment of the school, the social environment and the learning environment Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire, which was designed and pilot-tested around the…

  14. Implementation of an ICT-Based Learning Environment in a Nutrition Health Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raiha, Teija; Tossavainen, Kerttu; Enkenberg, Jorma; Turunen, Hannele

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the views of school staff on a nutrition health project implemented via an ICT-based learning environment in a secondary school (7th to 9th grades). Design/methodology/approach: The study was a part of the wider European Network for Health Promoting Schools programme (ENHPS; since 2008, Schools…

  15. Internet Self-Efficacy and Preferences toward Constructivist Internet-Based Learning Environments: A Study of Pre-School Teachers in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2008-01-01

    This study was conducted to explore the relationship between Internet self-efficacy and preferences toward constructivist Internet-based learning environments. The sample included 365 college students in Taiwan who all majored in early childhood care and pre-school education. Some of them were preservice pre-school teachers (n=185), and the rest…

  16. Growing Community: The Impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the Social and Learning Environment in Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Block, Karen; Gibbs, Lisa; Staiger, Petra K.; Gold, Lisa; Johnson, Britt; Macfarlane, Susie; Long, Caroline; Townsend, Mardie

    2012-01-01

    This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has…

  17. Growing Experiential Learning for the Future: REAL School Gardens

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarty, Jeanne; Ford, Vanessa; Ludes, Joe

    2018-01-01

    Sometimes taking innovative approach to learning means changing the venue. Traditional schooling takes place within walls, but an outdoor environment offers significant benefit in terms of learning through experience.

  18. Transforming Children's Health Spaces into Learning Places

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nisselle, Amy; Green, Julie; Scrimshaw, Chantel

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Chronic health conditions can cause children extended school absences, creating significant barriers for continued education. Out-of-school learning environments, such as hospitals, provide opportunities to maintain children's learning identities during school absences. This paper seeks to present an example of hospital-based teaching and…

  19. Creating a Multimedia Enhanced Problem-Based Learning Environment for Middle School Science: Voices from the Developers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Min; Horton, Lucas; Lee, Jaejin; Kang, Jina; Rosenblum, Jason; O'Hair, Matthew; Lu, Chu-Wei

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the design and development process used to create Alien Rescue, a multimedia-enhanced learning environment that supports problem-based learning (PBL) in middle school science. The goal of the project is to further our understandings of technology, pedagogy, and instructional theories as they relate to the application of PBL…

  20. Using the Chemistry Classroom as the Starting Point for Engaging Urban High School Students and Their Families in Pro-Environmental Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daubenmire, Patrick L.; van Opstal, Mary T.; Hall, Natalie J.; Wunar, Bryan; Kowrach, Nicole

    2017-01-01

    Evolving mobile technology and the rapid spread of STEM-focused informal learning environments have created a unique opportunity to break through the barriers that have traditionally separated diverse learning contexts such as school, family, and community. Previous research suggest that in a well-designed family learning environment, both parents…

  1. Using the Interactive Learning Environment Aplusix for Teaching and Learning School Algebra: A Research Experiment in a Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadjerrouit, Said

    2011-01-01

    Most software tools that have been developed with the aim of helping students to learn school algebra have not yet achieved successful results in classroom. Almost all of them are menu-based systems that provide transformation rules in menus and buttons. Aplusix is a new interactive software tool for learning school algebra. In contrast to…

  2. E-Learning Readiness in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ouma, Gordon O.; Awuor, Fredrick M.; Kyambo, Benjamin

    2013-01-01

    As e-learning becomes useful to learning institutions worldwide, an assessment of e-learning readiness is essential for the successful implementation of e-learning as a platform for learning. Success in e-learning can be achieved by understanding the level of readiness of e-learning environments. To facilitate schools in Kenya to implement…

  3. Learning from Success: A Leverage for Transforming Schools Into Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schechter, Chen; Sykes, Israel; Rosenfeld, Jona

    2004-01-01

    Teachers must learn to learn, and thereby develop their abilities to engage in ongoing learning so as to survive and thrive in turbulent and uncertain learning environments. Here, Schechterl discuss the importance of collective retrospective learning as an inbuilt vehicle in the ongoing pursuit toward learning schools. They also explore on the…

  4. Student-Teachers' Approaches to Learning, Academic Performance and Teaching Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swee-Choo, Pauline Goh; Kung-Teck, Wong; Osman, Rosma

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: It is argued that the approaches to learning of students undergoing teacher training are likely to be related to their teaching and learning environment, especially as they move from a more regimented, structured learning environment in school to a tertiary learning environment that encourages more independent thinking and perhaps…

  5. Visits to Cultural Learning Places in the Early Childhood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mudiappa, Michael; Kluczniok, Katharina

    2015-01-01

    Studies show the important role of the home learning environment in early childhood for later school success. This article focuses on a particular aspect of the home learning environment: visits to cultural learning places (e.g. museums) as a component of the quality of the home learning environment. Therefore the educational concept of…

  6. Understanding the science-learning environment: A genetically sensitive approach.

    PubMed

    Haworth, Claire M A; Davis, Oliver S P; Hanscombe, Ken B; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S; Plomin, Robert

    2013-02-01

    Previous studies have shown that environmental influences on school science performance increase in importance from primary to secondary school. Here we assess for the first time the relationship between the science-learning environment and science performance using a genetically sensitive approach to investigate the aetiology of this link. 3000 pairs of 14-year-old twins from the UK Twins Early Development Study reported on their experiences of the science-learning environment and were assessed for their performance in science using a web-based test of scientific enquiry. Multivariate twin analyses were used to investigate the genetic and environmental links between environment and outcome. The most surprising result was that the science-learning environment was almost as heritable (43%) as performance on the science test (50%), and showed negligible shared environmental influence (3%). Genetic links explained most (56%) of the association between learning environment and science outcome, indicating gene-environment correlation.

  7. Dental students' and staff perceptions of the impact of learning environment disruption on their learning and teaching experiences.

    PubMed

    The, A J M; Adam, L; Meldrum, A; Brunton, P

    2017-10-06

    This project is a qualitative investigation into student and staff experiences of the effect of a major building redevelopment on their Dental School learning and teaching environments. Currently, there is little research exploring the impact of disruptions to the learning environment on students' learning and staff teaching experiences. Data were collected in 2016 using an online survey, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students and staff. Data were analysed using a general inductive approach. Four broad themes emerged as follows: (i) students valued having a space for personal and collaborative work within the Dental School; (ii) both staff and students positioned staff contributions to learning experiences above the role of the physical learning environment; (iii) the majority of staff and students not feel that the physical environment limited their clinical training; and (iv) staff and students were able to adapt to the impact of building redevelopment through resilience and organisation. Results of this research have informed the provision of collegial spaces at the School, both as the building redevelopment continues, and in planning for the completed building. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Case Study: William Charles Akins High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2011

    2011-01-01

    Akins High School is the newest and second largest high school in the Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas. This report describes how the school has used small learning communities and the "HSTW" framework of Key Practices to improve the school culture, personalize the learning environment, improve student achievement and…

  9. Research into Students' Perceptions of Preferred and Actual Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hattie, John A.; And Others

    Measures of both preferred and actual classroom and school environment were administered to 1,675 secondary school students in New South Wales (Australia). Shortened versions of the My Class Inventory, Classroom Environment Scale, and Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire, as well as the Quality of School Life questionnaire were…

  10. Designing Geometry 2.0 learning environments: a preliminary study with primary school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joglar Prieto, Nuria; María Sordo Juanena, José; Star, Jon R.

    2014-04-01

    The information and communication technologies of Web 2.0 are arriving in our schools, allowing the design and implementation of new learning environments with great educational potential. This article proposes a pedagogical model based on a new geometry technology-integrated learning environment, called Geometry 2.0, which was tested with 39 sixth grade students from a public school in Madrid (Spain). The main goals of the study presented here were to describe an optimal role for the mathematics teacher within Geometry 2.0, and to analyse how dynamic mathematics and communication might affect young students' learning of basic figural concepts in a real setting. The analyses offered in this article illustrate how our Geometry 2.0 model facilitates deeply mathematical tasks which encourage students' exploration, cooperation and communication, improving their learning while fostering geometrical meanings.

  11. Supporting the Transition of Learning Disabled Students to the Postsecondary Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, Patricia Jean

    2012-01-01

    Students with learning disabilities present a diverse spectrum of learning needs; research suggest they may have difficulty making the transition to the postsecondary environment. Learning disabled students at the subject high school were not successfully making the transition from the secondary to the postsecondary environment. This study was…

  12. Kitchen Science Investigators: Promoting Identity Development as Scientific Reasoners and Thinkers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clegg, Tamara Lynnette

    2010-01-01

    My research centers upon designing transformative learning environments and supporting technologies. Kitchen Science Investigators (KSI) is an out-of-school transformative learning environment we designed to help young people learn science through cooking. My dissertation considers the question, "How can we design a learning environment in which…

  13. Classroom Learning Environment & Student Motivational Differences between Exemplary, Recognized, & Acceptable Urban Middle Level Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waxman, Hersh C.; Garcia, Andres; Read, Lisa L.

    2008-01-01

    One of the essential principles for improving middle grade education is to establish a safe and healthy school environment (Jackson & Davis, 2000; Price & Waxman, 2005). The overall quality of the school climate or school environment has been argued to be one of the central problems of urban schools (Waxman & Huang, 1997). Several…

  14. Learning, Engagement, and Technology: Middle School Students' Three-Year Experience in Pervasive Technology Environments in South Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hur, Jung Won; Oh, Jaekyeon

    2012-01-01

    This study explored an initiative that created a pervasive learning environment in a middle school in South Korea and examined its impact on student academic achievement and learning engagement. Forty students received a laptop to use for class projects, online collaboration, and lesson reviews over a 3-year period. To measure the effect of laptop…

  15. Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students for Success and Citizenship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Melaville, Atelia; Berg, Amy C.; Blank, Martin J.

    2006-01-01

    Community schools foster a learning environment that extends far beyond the classroom walls. Students learn and problem solve in the context of their lives and communities. Community schools nurture this natural engagement. Because of the deep and purposeful connections between schools and communities, the curriculum is influenced and enhanced,…

  16. Environmental Education in a Culturally Diverse School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tangen, Donna; Fielding-Barnsley, Ruth

    2007-01-01

    School gardens provide a unique learning environment for English as Second Language (ESL) students; students are able to engage in experiential outdoor learning that will enhance in-class lessons. This study evaluated the effects of school gardening on ESL students' learning about good nutrition. Data collected indicated that there were positive…

  17. Intergenerational Learning in a High School Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alfano, Christopher J.

    2008-01-01

    Active living and continuing learning are important to the well-being of seniors. As the generation of so-called baby boomers approach retirement, the same public schools built to accommodate their compulsory schooling are now being considered as sites for intergenerational learning. This article explores one such project where seniors learning…

  18. What Can K-12 School Leaders Learn from Video Games and Gaming?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halverson, Richard

    2005-01-01

    Schools have much to learn from video games and the gaming community. By providing compelling activities for motivating otherwise indifferent learners, video games can potentially help teachers improve the design of learning environments. However, there are considerable rhetorical and practical barriers between the schooling and gaming communities…

  19. Planning Learning Environments for Library Media Programs: An Introduction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klasing, Jane P.; Callison, Daniel

    1992-01-01

    Klasing discusses the inability of school library facilities to meet current challenges for the delivery of programs and information. Callison then provides an overview of this issue on planning learning environments for school media centers, which contains four articles covering space requirements, ergonomic design, legislation on equal access,…

  20. Understanding the Science-Learning Environment: A Genetically Sensitive Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haworth, Claire M. A.; Davis, Oliver S. P.; Hanscombe, Ken B.; Kovas, Yulia; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that environmental influences on school science performance increase in importance from primary to secondary school. Here we assess for the first time the relationship between the science-learning environment and science performance using a genetically sensitive approach to investigate the aetiology of this link. 3000…

  1. The Design of Learning Experiences: A Connection to Physical Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stueck, Lawrence E.; Tanner, C. Kenneth

    The school environment must create a rich, beautiful, dynamic, meaningful experience for students to learn; however, architects, school boards, and the state focus almost exclusively only on the building when making design decisions. This document lists specific aspects to developing a visionary campus: one that provides a three-dimensional…

  2. Project Selection in the Design Studio: Absence of Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basa, Inci

    2010-01-01

    Project selection is an essential matter of design teaching. Based on observations of a specific curriculum, the author claims that a wide repertoire of subjects including offices, restaurants, hotels, and other public places are used to prepare design students, but that schools and other "learning environments/ schools" are similarly…

  3. Influence of Culture and Home Environment on Science Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giddings, Geoff J.

    This paper has the potential for identifying and codifying the home learning environment and parental factors in a unique multicultural setting within Australian schools, and for the establishment of research-based initiatives for more effective collaboration between schools and parents. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study…

  4. Californian Science Students' Perceptions of Their Classroom Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    den Brok, Perry; Fisher, Darrell; Rickards, Tony; Bull, Eric

    2006-01-01

    This study utilised the "What Is Happening In this Class" (WIHIC) questionnaire to examine factors that influence Californian students' perceptions of their learning environment. Data were collected from 665 USA middle school science students in 11 Californian schools. Several background variables, such as gender, socioeconomic status,…

  5. What Predicts Fear of School Violence among U.S. Adolescents?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akiba, Motoko

    2010-01-01

    Background/Context: Ensuring a safe learning environment for every student at school is a major responsibility of educators, school administrators, and policy makers in our society. Students' fear associated with school violence affects their school attendance, learning motivation, and academic achievement. Although predictors of adults' fear of…

  6. Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments. Second Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jonassen, David, Ed.; Land, Susan, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    "Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments" provides students, faculty, and instructional designers with a clear, concise introduction to the major pedagogical and psychological theories and their implications for the design of new learning environments for schools, universities, or corporations. Leading experts describe the most…

  7. Investigation of learning environment for arithmetic word problems by problem posing as sentence integration in Indonesian language

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasanah, N.; Hayashi, Y.; Hirashima, T.

    2017-02-01

    Arithmetic word problems remain one of the most difficult area of teaching mathematics. Learning by problem posing has been suggested as an effective way to improve students’ understanding. However, the practice in usual classroom is difficult due to extra time needed for assessment and giving feedback to students’ posed problems. To address this issue, we have developed a tablet PC software named Monsakun for learning by posing arithmetic word problems based on Triplet Structure Model. It uses the mechanism of sentence-integration, an efficient implementation of problem-posing that enables agent-assessment of posed problems. The learning environment has been used in actual Japanese elementary school classrooms and the effectiveness has been confirmed in previous researches. In this study, ten Indonesian elementary school students living in Japan participated in a learning session of problem posing using Monsakun in Indonesian language. We analyzed their learning activities and show that students were able to interact with the structure of simple word problem using this learning environment. The results of data analysis and questionnaire suggested that the use of Monsakun provides a way of creating an interactive and fun environment for learning by problem posing for Indonesian elementary school students.

  8. Noise levels in an urban Asian school environment

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Karen M.K.; Li, Chi Mei; Ma, Estella P.M.; Yiu, Edwin M.L.; McPherson, Bradley

    2015-01-01

    Background noise is known to adversely affect speech perception and speech recognition. High levels of background noise in school classrooms may affect student learning, especially for those pupils who are learning in a second language. The current study aimed to determine the noise level and teacher speech-to-noise ratio (SNR) in Hong Kong classrooms. Noise level was measured in 146 occupied classrooms in 37 schools, including kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools, in Hong Kong. The mean noise levels in occupied kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and special school classrooms all exceeded recommended maximum noise levels, and noise reduction measures were seldom used in classrooms. The measured SNRs were not optimal and could have adverse implications for student learning and teachers’ vocal health. Schools in urban Asian environments are advised to consider noise reduction measures in classrooms to better comply with recommended maximum noise levels for classrooms. PMID:25599758

  9. Noise levels in an urban Asian school environment.

    PubMed

    Chan, Karen M K; Li, Chi Mei; Ma, Estella P M; Yiu, Edwin M L; McPherson, Bradley

    2015-01-01

    Background noise is known to adversely affect speech perception and speech recognition. High levels of background noise in school classrooms may affect student learning, especially for those pupils who are learning in a second language. The current study aimed to determine the noise level and teacher speech-to-noise ratio (SNR) in Hong Kong classrooms. Noise level was measured in 146 occupied classrooms in 37 schools, including kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools, in Hong Kong. The mean noise levels in occupied kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and special school classrooms all exceeded recommended maximum noise levels, and noise reduction measures were seldom used in classrooms. The measured SNRs were not optimal and could have adverse implications for student learning and teachers' vocal health. Schools in urban Asian environments are advised to consider noise reduction measures in classrooms to better comply with recommended maximum noise levels for classrooms.

  10. Students' Learning Processes during School-Based Learning and Workplace Learning in Vocational Education: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaap, Harmen; Baartman, Liesbeth; de Bruijn, Elly

    2012-01-01

    Learning in vocational schools and workplaces are the two main components of vocational education. Students have to develop professional competences by building meaningful relations between knowledge, skills and attitudes. There are, however, some major concerns about the combination of learning in these two learning environments, since vocational…

  11. Appraisal of the dental school learning environment: the students' view.

    PubMed

    Henzi, David; Davis, Elaine; Jasinevicius, Roma; Hendricson, William; Cintron, Laura; Isaacs, Marcia

    2005-10-01

    The majority of studies examining dental school curriculum have addressed organization, structure, and content issues from the perspectives of administrators, faculty, practitioners/alumni, and professional organizations. However, few studies have focused on students' opinions of dental school. The purpose of this study was to determine students' perceptions of the learning environment, intellectual climate, and teacher-student relationships in dental school. This report describes how the "dental version" of the Medical Student Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was used to identify students' perceptions of their dental education. Freshman and junior dental students' perceptions were measured with the Dental Student Learning Environment Survey (DSLES), which evaluates learning environment, intellectual climate, and relationships among students and teachers in seven areas: flexibility, student-to-student interaction, emotional climate, supportiveness, meaningful experience, organization, and breadth of interest. The DSLES was mailed to twenty-three dental schools in North America with eighteen of the schools distributing the inventory. A total of 619 dental students responded. Results were differentiated between freshman and junior dental students. Both freshman and junior students provided the highest (most positive) ratings for the DSLES subscales of "breadth of interest" (interest in dentistry and outside interests are encouraged) and "meaningful learning experience" (significance of courses to dentistry). Freshman students provided the lowest (least positive) ratings for "emotional climate" (students' responses to the way their courses were conducted and stress levels), and junior students provided the least positive ratings for "faculty supportiveness" (extent of faculty support and encouragement provided to students). The DSLES identified students' perceptions of their educational experience and localized areas for improvement. By addressing these areas of concern, faculty can increase student satisfaction with their dental education.

  12. Whole School Improvement and Restructuring as Prevention and Promotion: Lessons from STEP and the Project on High Performance Learning Communities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Felner, Robert D.; Favazza, Antoinette; Shim, Minsuk; Brand, Stephen; Gu, Kenneth; Noonan, Nancy

    2001-01-01

    Describes the School Transitional Environment Project and its successor, the Project on High Performance Learning Communities, that have contributed to building a model for school improvement called the High Performance Learning Communities. The model seeks to build the principles of prevention into whole school change. Presents findings from…

  13. Clinical Environment as a Learning Environment: Student Nurses' Perceptions Concerning Clinical Learning Experiences.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papp, Inkeri; Markkanen, Marjatta; von Bonsdorff, Mikaela

    2003-01-01

    Finnish student nurses (n=16) described their clinical learning experiences. Several themes were identified: feeling appreciated and supported, the quality of mentoring and patient care, and self-directedness. School and clinical staff cooperation helped create a good learning environment in which theory and practice complemented each other.…

  14. Determinants of Computer Self-Efficacy--An Examination of Learning Motivations and Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Wen-Kai K.; Huang, Show-Hui S.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss determinants of computer self-efficacy from the perspective of participant internal learning motivations and external learning environments. The former consisted of three motivations--interest, trend, and employment--while the latter comprised two environments--home and school. Through an intermediate…

  15. The new and improved learning community at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine resembles that at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Rosalyn W; Barker, Allison R; Shochet, Robert B; Wright, Scott M

    2007-05-01

    In July 2005, a learning community was created at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) to foster camaraderie, networking, advising, mentoring, professionalism, clinical skills, and scholarship--The Colleges. The cultural and structural changes that emerged with the creation of this program have resulted in JHUSOM bearing a resemblance to J. K. Rowling's fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This manuscript will describe the similarities between these two revered schools, and highlight the innovations and improvements made to JHUSOM's learning environment. The intense, stressful, and lengthy professional training required to achieve competency in the practice of medicine and in the practice of witchcraft (albeit fictional) have meaningful parallels. The supportive learning environment at these two schools should afford the next generation of graduates to have an even more enriching experience than those who have come before them.

  16. Understanding teacher responses to constructivist learning environments: Challenges and resolutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenfeld, Melodie; Rosenfeld, Sherman

    2006-05-01

    The research literature is just beginning to uncover factors involved in sustaining constructivist learning environments, such as Project-Based Learning (PBL). Our case study investigates teacher responses to the challenges of constructivist environments, since teachers can play strong roles in supporting or undermining even the best constructivist environments or materials. We were invited to work as mediators with a middle-school science staff that was experiencing conflicts regarding two learning environments, PBL (which was the school's politically correc learning environment) and traditional. With mediated group workshops, teachers were sensitized to their own and colleagues' individual learning differences (ILDs), as measured by two styles inventories (the LSI - Kolb, 1976; and the LCI - Johnston & Dainton, 1997). Using these inventories, a learning-environment questionnaire, field notes, and delayed interviews a year later, we found that there was a relationship between teachers' preferred styles, epistemological beliefs, and their preferred teaching environment. Moreover, when the participating teachers, including early-adopters and nonvolunteers to PBL, became more sensitive to their colleagues' preferences, many staff conflicts were resolved and some mismatched teachers expressed more openness to PBL. We argue that having teachers understand their own ILDs and related responses to constructivist learning environments can contribute to resolving staff conflicts and sustaining such environments. We present a cognitive model and a strategy which illustrate this argument.

  17. Designing learning environments to promote student learning: ergonomics in all but name.

    PubMed

    Smith, Thomas J

    2013-01-01

    This report introduces evidence for the conclusion that a common theme underlies almost all proposed solutions for improving the performance of K-12 students, namely their reliance on the design of educational system environments, features and operations. Two categories of design factors impacting such performance are addressed: (1) 9 factors reliably shown to have a strong influence - namely environmental design of classroom and building facilities, longer exposure to learning, cooperative learning designs, early childhood education, teaching quality, nutritional adequacy, participation in physical activity, good physical fitness, and school-community integration; and (2) 11 factors with an equivocal, varied or weak influence - classroom technology, online learning environments, smaller class size, school choice, school funding, school size, school start times, teacher training level, amount of homework, student self-confidence and informal learning. It is concluded that: (1) student learning outcomes, and more broadly the edifice of education itself, are largely defined in terms of an extensive system of design factors and conditions; (2) the time is long overdue for the educational system to acknowledge the central role of E/HF design as the major influence on student performance and learning; and (3) K-12 educators and administrators should emphasize allocation of resources to design factors reliably shown to have a strongly positive impact on student performance, but should treat expenditure on factors with equivocal, varied or weak influence on such performance with more caution and/or skepticism.

  18. Exploring Daily Physical Activity and Nutrition Patterns in Early Learning Settings: Snapshots of Young Children in Head Start, Primary, and After-School Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stegelin, Dolores A.; Anderson, Denise; Kemper, Karen; Wagner, Jennifer; Evans, Katharine

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this research project was to gain a greater understanding of daily routines of 4-7 year olds regarding physical activity and nutrition practices in typical early learning environments. The settings selected for this observational study included Head Start, primary, and after-school learning environments in a city in the southeast.…

  19. Mobile-based biology edutainment application for secondary schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    AL-Modwahi, Ashraf Abbas M.; Kaisara, Onalenna; Parkizkar, Behrang; Habibi Lashkari, Arash

    2013-03-01

    The high increase of mobile technology is leading to mobilized learning environment, thus making traditional learning to diminish slowly and become inactive and unproductive. Learners worldwide are being attracted to mobile environment more so that it promotes anytime, anywhere learning. Biology as a secondary school subject will be applicable for mobile learning for such a time and generation as this. This paper is therefore an attempt to mobile based biology edutainment system for the students who normally range from the ages of thirteen to sixteen.

  20. Hard Choices in School Consolidation: Providing Education in the Best Interests of Students or Preserving Community Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warner, Wanda; Lindle, Jane Clark

    2009-01-01

    Educational leaders face difficult decisions in ensuring that all students learn despite ongoing scarcity of resources. School communities play an important role in establishing positive learning environments and supplying the resources for student learning. Declining community conditions often present school leaders with tough choices between…

  1. Key Words in Instruction. Online Learning and Virtual Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamb, Annette; Callison, Daniel

    2005-01-01

    Online learning and virtual schools allow students to take classes any time and anywhere. These emerging learning environments require school library media specialists to expand their thinking about their resources and services. Creation of a virtual library can provide access to remote materials that enhance the experience of online learners.…

  2. Fostering science literacy, environmental stewardship, and collaboration: Assessing a garden-based approach to teaching life science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher-Maltese, Carley B.

    Recently, schools nationwide have expressed a renewed interest in school gardens (California School Garden Network, 2010), viewing them as innovative educational tools. Most of the scant studies on these settings investigate the health/nutritional impacts, environmental attitudes, or emotional dispositions of students. However, few studies examine the science learning potential of a school garden from an informal learning perspective. Those studies that do examine learning emphasize individual learning of traditional school content (math, science, etc.) (Blaire, 2009; Dirks & Orvis, 2005; Klemmer, Waliczek & Zajicek, 2005a & b; Smith & Mostenbocker, 2005). My study sought to demonstrate the value of school garden learning through a focus on measures of learning typically associated with traditional learning environments, as well as informal learning environments. Grounded in situated, experiential, and contextual model of learning theories, the purpose of this case study was to examine the impacts of a school garden program at a K-3 elementary school. Results from pre/post tests, pre/post surveys, interviews, recorded student conversations, and student work reveal a number of affordances, including science learning, cross-curricular lessons in an authentic setting, a sense of school community, and positive shifts in attitude toward nature and working collaboratively with other students. I also analyzed this garden-based unit as a type curriculum reform in one school in an effort to explore issues of implementing effective practices in schools. Facilitators and barriers to implementing a garden-based science curriculum at a K-3 elementary school are discussed. Participants reported a number of implementation processes necessary for success: leadership, vision, and material, human, and social resources. However, in spite of facilitators, teachers reported barriers to implementing the garden-based curriculum, specifically lack of time and content knowledge.

  3. Creating Safe Learning Environments for At-Risk Students in Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Shonta M.

    2011-01-01

    This article shows that students tend to prosper in safe learning environments and that stakeholders are disturbed by the number of at-risk students that are being suspended and expelled from urban schools. The suspensions and expulsions result from repeated offenses, including disrespect and insubordination, gang fights, and possession of illegal…

  4. Effectiveness of Virtual Laboratories in Terms of Learning Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among High-School Genetics Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oser, Rachel; Fraser, Barry J.

    2015-01-01

    As society becomes increasingly global and experiential, research suggests that students can benefit from alternative learning environments that extend beyond the classroom. In providing students with laboratory experiences that otherwise would not be possible in high-school settings, virtual laboratories can simulate real laboratories and…

  5. Student Participation in Learning Environment Improvement: Analysis of a Co-Design Project in a Finnish Upper Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mäkelä, Tiina; Helfenstein, Sacha; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija

    2018-01-01

    The present educational design research involved analysing Finnish upper secondary school students' participation in the improvement of their psychosocial and technology-enhanced physical learning environment (LE). It examined which LE characteristics students considered important when redesigning their LE, and whether they felt that their ideas…

  6. Improving the School Learning Environment to Reduce Bullying: An Experimental Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyriakides, Leonidas; Creemers, Bert P. M.; Papastylianou, Dona; Papadatou-Pastou, Marietta

    2014-01-01

    A framework based on research on bullying and on educational effectiveness was offered to schools to assist them in developing strategies and actions to improve their learning environment, their policy for teaching, and their evaluation mechanisms in order to reduce bullying. At the beginning and end of the intervention, the Revised Olweus…

  7. Setting the Stage for Strong Standards: Elements of a Safe and Orderly School. Item Number 39-0235

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Federation of Teachers, 2003

    2003-01-01

    In poll after poll, parents, teachers and school staff say that school safety and order are their highest school priorities. Educators know that other efforts to improve schools will not be effective without an orderly and safe learning environment. Disorderly schools severely compromise opportunities to learn. Teachers cannot teach, children…

  8. Twelve Schools That Succeed.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horenstein, Mary Ann

    This booklet describes 12 Blue Ribbon secondary schools chosen during the 1991 federal recognition program. Representing a cross-section of America, these schools are characterized by a clear vision; empowered, hard-working teachers; a school environment that supports learning; use of local resources; and programs other than classroom learning.…

  9. The Independent School Experience: Aspects of the Normative Environments of Single-Sex and Coed Secondary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trickett, Edison J.; And Others

    1982-01-01

    The normative environments of single-sex independent schools were found to be more academic, with greater task and competition orientation, than coeducational independent schools. Representative independent schools were compared to each other and to public schools with a discussion of learning involvement, function, purpose, and student and…

  10. Health and education: a partnership required for school success.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Samantha; Santos, Juliana Nunes; Nunes, Maria Aparecida; Oliveira, Moisés Gonçalves; Santos, Tâmara Simone; Martins-Reis, Vanessa de Oliveira

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the association between home environment resources and the school performance of children from a public school in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, enrolled in the fourth year of the second cycle of Elementary School. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study in which 48 children aged between 8 and 12 years old participated. It included 28 boys, 20 girls, and their respective guardians. The children were evaluated in hearing and school performance regarding reading, writing, and arithmetic. In the home environment, the resources that promote proximal processes, activities that indicate stability in family life, parent's practices that promote a family-school connection, the resources that may contribute to the development of academic learning, the child's health, the presence of altered communication, family literacy, and socioeconomic data were assessed. There is a relationship between the home environment resources and the academic performance in reading and writing (for all categories of the Home Environment Resources Scale, HERS). The statistical relationship between performances in arithmetics was found in two of HERS' categories: home environment resources and family-school connection. The home environment influenced the learning development of the assessed children.

  11. Creating Successful Learning Environments for African American Learners with Exceptionalities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obiakor, Festus E. Ed.; Ford, Bridgie Alexis, Ed.

    The 17 papers in this collection offer innovative pedagogical techniques to improve the learning of African American students with disabilities. Papers are grouped into three sections that address foundations of educational change, managing learning environments, and complementing the school environment. The papers are: (1) "School…

  12. Organizational Learning: Leading Innovations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collinson, Vivienne; Cook, Tanya Fedoruk

    2013-01-01

    This article examines the interplay among the environment, learning, leaders, and innovations in school systems. Six conditions that, together, have potential to shape an environment that supports organizational learning are illustrated with data from two leaders of innovation: one in an environment that resisted change; the other in a supportive…

  13. Planning the Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singel, Raymond J.

    The learning environment and its interrelationship with educational policies and the coordinated planning and design of schools and their facilities are discussed in the light of the human organism or student. The problems and hazards of present learning environments are reviewed in conjunction with environmental control and its influence on…

  14. The Impact of Multitasking Learning Environments in the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drinkwine, Timothy

    2013-01-01

    This research study considers the status of middle school students in the 21st century in terms of their tendency to multitask in their daily lives and the overall influence this multitasking has on teaching and learning environments. Student engagement in the learning environment and students' various learning styles are discussed as primary…

  15. Learning How to Design a Technology Supported Inquiry-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hakverdi-Can, Meral; Sonmez, Duygu

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a study focusing on pre-service teachers' experience of learning how to design a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment using the Internet. As part of their elective course, pre-service science teachers were asked to develop a WebQuest environment targeting middle school students. A WebQuest is an…

  16. A Cross-Cultural Study of the Effect of a Graph-Oriented Computer-Assisted Project-Based Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Science Knowledge and Argumentation Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, P.-S.; Van Dyke, M.; Chen, Y.; Smith, T. J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States and sixth graders in an urban school in Taiwan developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 42…

  17. Quality Time after School: What Instructors Can Do To Enhance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grossman, Jean; Campbell, Margo; Raley, Becca

    2007-01-01

    Improving the quality of out-of-school time activities and creating effective learning environments is of keen interest to practitioners, funders and policymakers. Funded by The William Penn Foundation, "Quality Time After School" identifies characteristics of after-school activities that are linked to youth engagement and learning…

  18. Toward a critical approach to the study of learning environments in science classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lorsbach, Anthony; Tobin, Kenneth

    1995-03-01

    Traditional learning environment research in science classrooms has been built on survey methods meant to measure students' and teachers' perceptions of variables used to define the learning environment. This research has led mainly to descriptions of learning environments. We argue that learning environment research should play a transformative role in science classrooms; that learning environment research should take into account contemporary post-positivist ways of thinking about learning and teaching to assist students and teachers to construct a more emancipatory learning environment. In particular, we argue that a critical perspective could lead to research playing a larger role in the transformation of science classroom learning environments. This argument is supplemented with an example from a middle school science classroom.

  19. Does a New Learning Environment Come Up to Students' Expectations? A Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Konings, Karen D.; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Broers, Nick J.

    2008-01-01

    School transitions and educational innovations confront students with changes in their learning environment. Though expectations are known to influence perceptions and motivation, which, in turn, influence the effectiveness of any situation, students' expectations for a new learning environment have received little attention. This longitudinal…

  20. The Ecology of Learning: A Comparison of Alternative Elementary School Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoaglund, Mary; And Others

    This paper is the first-year report of a three-year project in Edina, Minnesota, developing a system for measuring differences among classroom environments and organizational patterns. Dimensions measured include teacher preferences for classroom structure, student perceptions of learning environments and classmate behavior, student attitudes,…

  1. School in the Park: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathison, Carla; Wachowiak, Susan; Feldman, Linda

    2007-01-01

    In San Diego, California, 800 public school students from the inner city are attending a program called School in the Park (SITP), for approximately one-fourth of their 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade education. This unique program blends rigorous academic standards (formal learning) with hands-on, experiential curricula (informal learning), using…

  2. Perceived impact on student engagement when learning middle school science in an outdoor setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbatiello, James

    Human beings have an innate need to spend time outside, but in recent years children are spending less time outdoors. It is possible that this decline in time spent outdoors could have a negative impact on child development. Science teachers can combat the decline in the amount of time children spend outside by taking their science classes outdoors for regular classroom instruction. This study identified the potential impacts that learning in an outdoor setting might have on student engagement when learning middle school science. One sixth-grade middle school class participated in this case study, and students participated in outdoor intervention lessons where the instructional environment was a courtyard on the middle school campus. The outdoor lessons consisted of the same objectives and content as lessons delivered in an indoor setting during a middle school astronomy unit. Multiple sources of data were collected including questionnaires after each lesson, a focus group, student work samples, and researcher observations. The data was triangulated, and a vignette was written about the class' experiences learning in an outdoor setting. This study found that the feeling of autonomy and freedom gained by learning in an outdoor setting, and the novelty of the outdoor environment did increase student engagement for learning middle school science. In addition, as a result of this study, more work is needed to identify how peer to peer relationships are impacted by learning outdoors, how teachers could best utilize the outdoor setting for regular science instruction, and how learning in an outdoor setting might impact a feeling of stewardship for the environment in young adults.

  3. The Classroom Learning Environment as Perceived by Students in Arab Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khalil, Mahmood; Saar, Vered

    2009-01-01

    In this study, students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment in Arab elementary schools were investigated. The sample included 261 students from Grades 5 and 6. The questionnaire was developed at an Arab college of teacher education by 16 fourth-year student teachers who were completing their studies toward a BEd degree. Articles on…

  4. Evaluation of Engineering and Technology Activities in Primary Schools in Terms of Learning Environment, Attitudes and Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koul, Rekha B.; Fraser, Barry J.; Maynard, Nicoleta; Tade, Moses

    2018-01-01

    Because the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education continues to be recognised around the world, we developed and validated an instrument to assess the learning environment and student attitudes in STEM classrooms, with a specific focus on engineering and technology (E&T) activities in primary schools.…

  5. The Constructivist Classroom Learning Environment and Its Associations with Critical Thinking Ability of Secondary School Students in Liberal Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kwan, Yee Wan; Wong, Angela F. L.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we investigated-secondary school students' perceptions of their constructivist learning environment in Liberal Studies, and whether their perceptions were related to their critical thinking ability. A convenience sample of Secondary Three students (N = 967) studying Liberal Studies in Hong Kong participated in this research by…

  6. An Evaluation of Specific Videodisc Courseware on Student Learning in a Rural School Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hasselbring, Ted S.; And Others

    The Tennessee Valley Authority initiated and funded a 2-year study that examined the use of interactive instructional videodiscs in a rural school environment. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of several specific videodisc programs on student learning and academic achievement. Videodisc courseware in mathematics and science…

  7. Single-Sex School Boys' Perceptions of Coeducational Classroom Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yates, Shirley M.

    2011-01-01

    Reviews in many countries have found little evidence of consistent advantages in either single-sex education or coeducation. Over the last three decades, coeducation has been introduced into many single-sex schools, but there is a dearth of evidence from the student perspective of the impact of such changes on the classroom learning environment.…

  8. Creating Optimal Learning Environments through Invitational Education: An Alternative to Control Oriented School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fretz, Joan R.

    2015-01-01

    Understanding what motivates people to put forth effort, persevere in the face of obstacles, and choose their behaviors is key to creating an optimal learning environment--the type of school that policy makers desire, but are unknowingly sabotaging (Dweck, 2000). Many motivation and self-concept theories provide important insight with regard to…

  9. Factors Contributing Pre-School Trainees Teachers Adoption of Virtual Learning Environment: Malaysian Evidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mamat, Ibrahim; Yusoff, Ahmad Shidki Mat; Abdullah, Wan Salihin Wong; Razak, Fahmi Zaidi Abdul

    2015-01-01

    Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has become the main mechanism in supporting on-line education either in primary or secondary school. Although VLE efforts are considered to be a significant corporate investment, many surveys indicate high drop-out rates or failures. This research uses an integrated model in order to assessing the influence of…

  10. The Future of the Physical Learning Environment: School Facilities that Support the User

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuuskorpi, Marko; Gonzalez, Nuria Cabellos

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the conclusions of a study, carried out in collaboration with schools in six European countries, which focused on tomorrow's physical learning environments. The study, which stemmed from a project entitled Forum for the Future and which was funded by the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE), was designed to contribute to…

  11. Do Junior High School Students Perceive Their Learning Environment as Constructivist?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moustafa, Asely; Ben-Zvi-Assaraf, Orit; Eshach, Haim

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the manner in which the features of a constructivist learning environment, and the mechanisms at its base, are expressed in junior high school students' conceptions. Our research is based on an integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, deigned to provide a wider ranging and deeper…

  12. Increasing Motivation and Engagement in Elementary and Middle School Students through Technology-Supported Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godzicki, Linda; Godzicki, Nicole; Krofel, Mary; Michaels, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    This action research project report was conducted in order to increase motivation and engagement in elementary and middle school students through technology-supported learning environments. The study was conducted from August 27, 2012, through December 14, 2012 with 116 participating students in first-, fourth-, fifth- and eighth-grade classes. To…

  13. Relationships between High School Chemistry Students' Perceptions of a Constructivist Learning Environment and their STEM Career Expectations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wild, Andrew

    2015-09-01

    Considerable attention has been devoted to factors affecting the persistence of women and historically underrepresented ethnic groups in their science education trajectories. The literature has focused more on structural factors that affect longitudinal outcomes rather than classroom experiences. This exploratory survey study described relationships among high school chemistry students' perceptions of a constructivist learning environment (CLE) and STEM career expectations. The sample included 693 students from 7 public high schools within the San Francisco Bay Area. Students' perceptions of a CLE predicted their expectations of entering a science career, but not engineering, computer, health, or mathematics-related careers. When all groups of students perceived the learning environment as more constructivist, they were more likely to expect science careers.

  14. Quick Guide on Making School Climate Improvements. School Climate Improvement Resource Package

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2016

    2016-01-01

    Students learn best when they are in environments in which they feel safe, supported, challenged, and accepted. In addition, environments that have strong school climates foster the social, emotional, and academic well-being of all students. Research shows that when schools and districts effectively focus on improving school climate, students are…

  15. School Search and Seizure Law: A Guideline for K-12 Administrators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frandsen, Scott

    2010-01-01

    In an effort to safeguard the learning environment, school administrators generally rely on district or local school guidelines and professional judgment. With new technology, the proliferation of drug use, and increased school violence, schools have become a complex environment to manage for both system and local leadership. Administrators are…

  16. Making Your Environment "The Third Teacher"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Margie

    2007-01-01

    The Italian Schools of Reggio Emilia are acclaimed for the stunning environments their educators have created, provoking us to recognize the instructive power of an environment. Their schools vibrantly exemplify learning environments that dazzle the senses, invite curiosity and discovery, and foster strong, respectful relationships. Unlike…

  17. Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment: A Guide for Planning, Design, Construction, and Maintenance on New & Existing School Sites.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore. School Facilities Branch.

    Natural environments on school sites provide considerable multi-disciplinary educational opportunities, many of which are "hands-on" experiences that stimulate learning. This document presents guidelines on conserving and enhancing the natural environment on school sites. It provides guidance for developing the site requirements in…

  18. At the Core of the Apple Store: Images of Next Generation Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washor, Elliot; Mojkowski, Charles; Newsom, Loran

    2009-01-01

    The physical, psychological, cultural, social, and organizational elements of a learning environment are as important as the learning opportunities themselves. The Apple Store blends retail and school into a new type of learning environment that lets the customer learn anything, at any time, at any level, from experts, expert practitioners, and…

  19. Predicting Girls' Learning Behaviour in Secondary School Mathematics Lessons from Motivational and Learning Environment Factors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norwich, Brahm

    1994-01-01

    Reports on a study of 70 secondary female students in mathematics classes over a period of 7 weeks. Finds that self-efficacy was the best predictor of learning intentions. Recommends further research on the relationships between perceived learning environment, self-efficacy, and learning intentions. (CFR)

  20. Promoting Literacy Learning for Children of Abuse: Strategies for Elementary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haeseler, Lisa Ann

    2006-01-01

    Elementary school teachers must clearly understand that many children of domestic violence abuse are struggling with abuse issues at home along with literacy learning at school. This article will demonstrate how a child from an adverse home environment may face additional literacy challenges in school. This article will also provide specific…

  1. State of Our Schools: America's K-12 Facilities 2016

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Filardo, Mary

    2016-01-01

    School facilities have a direct impact on student learning, student and staff health, and school finances. But too many students attend school facilities that fall short of providing 21st century learning environments because essential maintenance and capital improvements are underfunded. In this report, the author compiled and analyzed the best…

  2. Teacher Perceptions of One-to-One Mobile Devices in Middle School Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Still, Maridale

    2017-01-01

    Middle school reading teachers in a south Texas school district were surveyed to obtain a clearer understanding of one-to-one mobile device usage in the middle school reading classroom specifically regarding collaborative and active learning environments. The theoretical framework reviewed emerging learning theories that have steered effective…

  3. Middle School Learning, Academic Emotions and Engagement as Precursors to College Attendance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Clarissa Z.

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge within a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing potential effects on students' interests and choices related to decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to…

  4. Hopwood: A Pearl of a Junior High School in the Pacific.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koki, Stan

    1995-01-01

    This brief describes some of the innovative programs and features at Hopwood Junior High School, the only intermediate school on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. The Opportunity Learning Center (OLC), an "in school" suspension program, provides students with a closely supervised learning environment,…

  5. Choice and Compulsion: The End of an Era.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGhan, Barry

    1998-01-01

    Parents want to send their children to schools that are free not to teach everyone. Since schools are susceptible to societal disorders, pressures to provide school choices offering "safe havens" for learning will persist. Schools can do little to protect their learning environment from uncooperative students. A forced-exit process for unruly…

  6. Why Green Clean Our Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Margot; Grevatt, Peter; Merse, Cynthia

    2012-01-01

    Healthy school environments are essential to ensure the best setting for learning. When school environments are unhealthy, students and staff may be exposed to harmful pollutants and chemicals that can cause their health, attendance, and scholastic performance to suffer. Among the factors that can affect the environmental quality of school indoor…

  7. School and Family Partnerships. Report No. 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epstein, Joyce L.

    The theoretical perspectives of school and family partnerships discussed in this report are based on the influences of families and schools on children's learning and development. A review of research deals with three topics: (1) the importance of family environments and involvement; (2) the influence of school environments on family involvement;…

  8. Students' perception of the learning environment in a distributed medical programme.

    PubMed

    Veerapen, Kiran; McAleer, Sean

    2010-09-24

    The learning environment of a medical school has a significant impact on students' achievements and learning outcomes. The importance of equitable learning environments across programme sites is implicit in distributed undergraduate medical programmes being developed and implemented. To study the learning environment and its equity across two classes and three geographically separate sites of a distributed medical programme at the University of British Columbia Medical School that commenced in 2004. The validated Dundee Ready Educational Environment Survey was sent to all students in their 2nd and 3rd year (classes graduating in 2009 and 2008) of the programme. The domains of the learning environment surveyed were: students' perceptions of learning, students' perceptions of teachers, students' academic self-perceptions, students' perceptions of the atmosphere, and students' social self-perceptions. Mean scores, frequency distribution of responses, and inter- and intrasite differences were calculated. The perception of the global learning environment at all sites was more positive than negative. It was characterised by a strongly positive perception of teachers. The work load and emphasis on factual learning were perceived negatively. Intersite differences within domains of the learning environment were more evident in the pioneer class (2008) of the programme. Intersite differences consistent across classes were largely related to on-site support for students. Shared strengths and weaknesses in the learning environment at UBC sites were evident in areas that were managed by the parent institution, such as the attributes of shared faculty and curriculum. A greater divergence in the perception of the learning environment was found in domains dependent on local arrangements and social factors that are less amenable to central regulation. This study underlines the need for ongoing comparative evaluation of the learning environment at the distributed sites and interaction between leaders of these sites.

  9. Efficiency Goals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Donald

    2009-01-01

    The lighting of learning environments is an important focus in designing new schools and renovating older schools. Studies long have shown that appropriate lighting levels and daylighting improve learning; now, climbing energy budgets have spurred school administrators to seek more efficient use of lighting. Electricity rates are expected to rise…

  10. Lessons Learned from Transformational Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miranda, Twyla T.

    2012-01-01

    What is transformative professional development for educators? Ideally, teachers and school leaders are given multiple opportunities to revisit schemas about themselves and their learning communities, with the intent to transform practice, the school environment, and even themselves. In practice, three cohorts of teachers and school leaders…

  11. Schooling Redesigned: Towards Innovative Learning Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Istance, David

    2015-01-01

    What does redesigning schools and schooling through innovation mean in practice? How might it be brought about? These questions have inspired an influential international reflection on "Innovative Learning Environments" (ILE) led by the OECD. This reflection has already resulted in publications on core design principles and frameworks…

  12. The Quality Imperative: A State Guide to Achieving the Promise of Extended Learning Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Princiotta, Daniel; Fortune, Ayeola

    2009-01-01

    Extended learning opportunities (ELOs) provide safe, structured learning environments for students outside the traditional school day. ELOs include afterschool and summer learning programs as well as before-school, evening, and weekend programs. ELOs come in many forms and can include tutoring, volunteering, academic support, community service,…

  13. The Application of Learning Organization to Enhance Learning in Singapore Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Retna, Kala S.; Ng, Pak Tee

    2016-01-01

    The rise of interest in the learning organization (LO) concept attests to the value of learning by individuals and organizations for continuous improvement and adaptability to the ever-changing environment. Although the LO concept originated from business contexts, it was subsequently extended to educational organizations, particularly to schools.…

  14. Policy Issues in Computer Education. Assessing the Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning (ACCCEL).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linn, Marcia

    This paper analyzes the capabilities of the computer learning environment identified by the Assessing the Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning (ACCCEL) Project, augments the analysis with experimental work, and discusses how schools can implement policies which provide for the maximum potential of computers. The ACCCEL…

  15. Effect of Blended Learning Environment Model on High School Students' Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kazu, Ibrahim Yasar; Demirkol, Mehmet

    2014-01-01

    This study analyzes the students' academic performance by comparing the blended learning environment and traditional learning environment. It has been observed whether there is a significant difference between the academic achievement grade dispersions and the male-female students' grades. The study has been carried out in Diyarbakir Anatolian…

  16. iPads in Inclusive Classrooms: Ecologies of Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Bente

    2013-01-01

    This paper builds on data from a project where iPads were used in a lower secondary school in Denmark to support school development and inclusive learning environments. The paper explores how iPads enter into and work as part of an ecology of learning in five classes in lower secondary school. The paper argues that we should disengage approaches…

  17. Delivering "Jugyou Kenkyuu" for Reframing Schools as Learning Organizations: An Examination of the Process of Japanese School Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arani, Mohammad Reza Sarkar; Shibata, Yoshiaki; Matoba, Masami

    2007-01-01

    This paper first clarifies the role of "jugyou kenkyuu" for creating an effective environment in schools for teachers to learn from each other and for developing more learning-centered education that focuses on the real needs of students. Secondly, it examines various practical strategies used by both professors and teachers through…

  18. Towards a Learning Identity: Young People Becoming Learners after Leaving School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgins, Jane

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the development of learning identities among 51 young New Zealanders who left school with few or no qualifications. Most experienced a period of time after leaving school when they were not in education, employment or training (known as NEET). At the time of this research all had moved into a learning environment of some…

  19. Preparing Teachers for Emerging Blended Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliver, Kevin M.; Stallings, Dallas T.

    2014-01-01

    Blended learning environments that merge learning strategies, resources, and modes have been implemented in higher education settings for nearly two decades, and research has identified many positive effects. More recently, K-12 traditional and charter schools have begun to experiment with blended learning, but to date, research on the effects of…

  20. Assessing School Libraries as Learning Environments: Examining Students' Perceptions in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schultz-Jones, Barbara; Ledbetter, Cynthia

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the full results from a 2008/2009 research study examining the application of a "learning environment" paradigm to the school library setting. The preliminary results from the examination of the Fifth Grade science classes were presented at the IASL 2009 Research Forum. We now report the process of completing our…

  1. College Seniors' Plans for Graduate School: Do Deep Approaches Learning and Holland Academic Environments Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rocconi, Louis M.; Ribera, Amy K.; Nelson Laird, Thomas F.

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the extent to which college seniors' plans for graduate school are related to their tendency to engage in deep approaches to learning (DAL) and their academic environments (majors) as classified by Holland type. Using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, we analyzed responses from over 116,000 seniors attending…

  2. Developing Instruments to Capture Young People's Perceptions of How School as a Learning Environment Affects Their Well-Being

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Awartani, Marwan; Whitman, Cheryl Vince; Gordon, Jean

    2008-01-01

    This article describes the Universal Education Foundation's (UEF) activities to create research tools and methodologies that capture the voices of children concerning their perceptions of the effect of the school learning environment on their well-being. UEF defines well-being as the realisation of one's physical, emotional, mental, social and…

  3. Distance Learning between German and Japanese School Classes Based on a Real Time Video Conference Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graf, Klaus-D.

    We have established an environment for German-Japanese school education projects using real time interactive audio-visual distance learning between remote classrooms. In periods of 8-12 weeks, two classes are dealing with the same subject matter, exchanging materials and results via e-mail and Internet. At 3 or 4 occasions the classes met on…

  4. Teachers' Perceptions of Geometry Instruction and the Learning Environment in Years 9-10 ESL Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ly, Rinna K.; Malone, John A.

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the development of an instrument to assess teachers' views on their geometry instruction and their classroom learning environments in six government high schools in southwest Sydney. The sample consisted of 18 Years 9/10 ESL teachers from participating schools. The study involved completion of a survey form using a modified…

  5. Growing community: the impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the social and learning environment in primary schools.

    PubMed

    Block, Karen; Gibbs, Lisa; Staiger, Petra K; Gold, Lisa; Johnson, Britt; Macfarlane, Susie; Long, Caroline; Townsend, Mardie

    2012-08-01

    This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has a positive impact on student engagement, social connections, and confidence within and beyond the school gates. Primary evidence for the research question came from qualitative data collected from students, parents, teachers, volunteers, school principals, and specialist staff through interviews, focus groups, and participant observations. This was supported by analyses of quantitative data on child quality of life, cooperative behaviors, teacher perceptions of the school environment, and school-level educational outcome and absenteeism data. Results showed that some of the program attributes valued most highly by study participants included increased student engagement and confidence, opportunities for experiential and integrated learning, teamwork, building social skills, and connections and links between schools and their communities. In this analysis, quantitative findings failed to support findings from the primary analysis. Limitations as well as benefits of a mixed-methods approach to evaluation of complex community interventions are discussed.

  6. Improving the School Environment to Reduce School Violence: A Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Sarah Lindstrom

    2009-01-01

    Background: School violence can impact the social, psychological, and physical well-being of both students and teachers and disrupt the learning process. This review focuses on a new area of research, the mechanisms by which the school environment determines the likelihood of school violence. Methods: A search for peer-reviewed articles was made…

  7. Networking and Cooperation as School Improvement Elements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suárez-Guerrero, Cristóbal; Muñoz Moreno, José Luís

    2017-01-01

    The school is an enriched learning environment, but it is not the only educational environment. The educational mission of the school should take into account the school-family coordination as a feature of its social project. A great part of this bridge between school and family is based on dialogue through the participation of the family in the…

  8. "Nature" and the "Environment" in Jamaica's Primary School Curriculum Guides

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, Therese

    2008-01-01

    In cases where environmental education is institutionalised within schools, the curriculum can affect what and how students learn about "nature" and the "environment". In Jamaica, schools are considered important settings for environmental education; the curriculum therefore includes environmental issues. Using content…

  9. Alternative Learning Centers: Another Option for Discipline Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pare, John A.

    1983-01-01

    Describes the operation and effectiveness of the Alternative Learning Center program administered by James Madison Memorial High School in Madison (Wisconsin). The center permits the school to remove students committing breaches of school discipline from their classes without removing them from the educational environment altogether. (PGD)

  10. Medical students' learning orientation regarding interracial interactions affects preparedness to care for minority patients: a report from Medical Student CHANGES.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Diana J; Burke, Sara E; Cunningham, Brooke A; Dovidio, John F; Hardeman, Rachel R; Hou, Yuefeng; Nelson, David B; Perry, Sylvia P; Phelan, Sean M; Yeazel, Mark W; van Ryn, Michelle

    2016-09-29

    There is a paucity of evidence on how to train medical students to provide equitable, high quality care to racial and ethnic minority patients. We test the hypothesis that medical schools' ability to foster a learning orientation toward interracial interactions (i.e., that students can improve their ability to successfully interact with people of another race and learn from their mistakes), will contribute to white medical students' readiness to care for racial minority patients. We then test the hypothesis that white medical students who perceive their medical school environment as supporting a learning orientation will benefit more from disparities training. Prospective observational study involving web-based questionnaires administered during first (2010) and last (2014) semesters of medical school to 2394 white medical students from a stratified, random sample of 49 U.S. medical schools. Analysis used data from students' last semester to build mixed effects hierarchical models in order to assess the effects of medical school interracial learning orientation, calculated at both the school and individual (student) level, on key dependent measures. School differences in learning orientation explained part of the school difference in readiness to care for minority patients. However, individual differences in learning orientation accounted for individual differences in readiness, even after controlling for school-level learning orientation. Individual differences in learning orientation significantly moderated the effect of disparities training on white students' readiness to care for minority patients. Specifically, white medical students who perceived a high level of learning orientation in their medical schools regarding interracial interactions benefited more from training to address disparities. Coursework aimed at reducing healthcare disparities and improving the care of racial minority patients was only effective when white medical students perceived their school as having a learning orientation toward interracial interactions. Results suggest that medical school faculty should present interracial encounters as opportunities to practice skills shown to reduce bias, and faculty and students should be encouraged to learn from one another about mistakes in interracial encounters. Future research should explore aspects of the medical school environment that contribute to an interracial learning orientation.

  11. Designing Science Learning in the First Years of Schooling. An intervention study with sequenced learning material on the topic of `floating and sinking'

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leuchter, Miriam; Saalbach, Henrik; Hardy, Ilonca

    2014-07-01

    Research on learning and instruction of science has shown that learning environments applied in preschool and primary school rarely makes use of structured learning materials in problem-based environments although these are decisive quality features for promoting conceptual change and scientific reasoning within early science learning. We thus developed and implemented a science learning environment for children in the first years of schooling which contains structured learning materials with the goal of supporting conceptual change concerning the understanding of the floating and sinking of objects and fostering students' scientific reasoning skills. In the present implementation study, we aim to provide a best-practice example of early science learning. The study was conducted with a sample of 15 classes of the first years of schooling and a total of 244 children. Tests were constructed to measure children's conceptual understanding before and after the implementation. Our results reveal a decrease in children's misconceptions from pretest to posttest. After the curriculum, the children were able to produce significantly more correct predictions about the sinking or floating of objects than before the curriculum and also relative to a control group. Moreover, due to the intervention, the explanations given for their predictions implied a more elaborated concept of material kinds. All in all, a well-structured curriculum promoting comparison and scientific reasoning by means of inquiry learning was shown to support children's conceptual change.

  12. Developing the School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool to Measure Qualities of the Obesogenic Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    John, Deborah H.; Gunter, Katherine; Jackson, Jennifer A.; Manore, Melinda

    2016-01-01

    Background: Practical tools are needed that reliably measure the complex physical activity (PA) and nutrition environments of elementary schools that influence children's health and learning behaviors for obesity prevention. The School Physical Activity and Nutrition-Environment Tool (SPAN-ET) was developed and beta tested in 6 rural Oregon…

  13. School and the Cultural-Heritage Environment: Pedagogical, Creative and Artistic Aspects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ivon, Hicela; Kušcevic, Dubravka

    2013-01-01

    The present paper explores the idea that learning, both in and out of school, is a cultural act, and that school and its cultural-heritage environment stamp their own characteristics on pupils. This implies that pupils gradually, with the help of teachers and other relevant adults from their close social environment, develop and adjust their…

  14. Schools for the Future: Subtle Shift or Seismic Change?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutherland, Rosamund; Sutherland, Joanna; Fellner, Chris; Siccolo, Matt; Clark, Lindsey

    2014-01-01

    This paper centres around a discussion of the design and rebuild of a secondary school in Birmingham (England) as part of the Building Schools of the Future (BSF) Programme. The BSF Programme was influenced by a vision of future schooling in which learning environments are transformed by the integration of ICT into teaching and learning practices.…

  15. Cultivating an Environment that Contributes to Teaching and Learning in Schools: High School Principals' Actions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Mind-Dih

    2012-01-01

    Improving principal leadership is a vital component to the success of educational reform initiatives that seek to improve whole-school performance, as principal leadership often exercises positive but indirect effects on student learning. Because of the importance of principals within the field of school improvement, this article focuses on…

  16. How Do Schools Compensate for Socio-Economic Disadvantage? PISA in Focus No. 76

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OECD Publishing, 2017

    2017-01-01

    As educators know well, there are many barriers to learning that originate outside of school, such as those that arise from socio-economic disadvantage. In many education systems, the concentration of disadvantaged students in certain schools poses an additional challenge. Yet it is also true that schools with effective learning environments and…

  17. Assessing the Roles of Student Engagement and Academic Emotions within Middle School Computer- Based Learning in College-Going Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Z.

    2015-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge from a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing their potential effects on decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to postsecondary years, I leverage…

  18. Value-Added in a Virtual Learning Environment: An Evaluation of a Virtual Charter School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lueken, Martin; Ritter, Gary; Beck, Dennis

    2015-01-01

    This paper evaluates an online charter school that serves children in grades K-8 in a southern state in the United States. We compare growth in math and literacy learning on state standardized assessments between students enrolled in this school and "matched twin" students enrolled in traditional public school students statewide each…

  19. E-Learning and Evidence Based Practice in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quong, Terrence

    2016-01-01

    JCTIC has used open source software to develop a unique school online environment that has made evidence based practice viable in their school. In this paper the proposition is made that eLearning enables evidence based practice which in turn leads to improved student outcomes. Much has been written about evidence based practice in schools, but…

  20. Take the Wheel on the Road to Health Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deal, Tami Benham; Deal, Laurence O.; Hudson, Nancy

    2010-01-01

    Schools are often viewed as the primary change agent for any new health crisis that gains national or local attention. Schools should play a role in creating a healthy learning environment because many of these health problems can impact student learning. But is it reasonable to hold schools and school leaders responsible for fixing the health…

  1. Learning Locked down: Evaluating the Treatment of Students' Rights in High Security School Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bracy, Nicole L.

    2009-01-01

    Public schools have transformed significantly over the past several decades in response to broad concerns about rising school violence. Today's public schools are high security environments employing tactics commonly found in jails and prisons such as police officers, security cameras, identification systems, and secure building strategies.…

  2. Implementing E-Learning across the School of Education: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reyna, Jorge

    2016-01-01

    In January 2009 the School of Education, University of Western Sydney decided to appoint an e-learning officer with the aim of improving the quality of online learning environments across course units. The e-learning officer had built a strong relationship with 45 academics across two campuses, with a positive impact on the application of…

  3. Analysis of Students' After-School Mobile-Assisted Artifact Creation Processes in a Seamless Language Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Lung-Hsiang

    2013-01-01

    As part of a learner's learning ecology, the informal, out-of-school settings offer virtually boundless opportunities to advance one's learning. This paper reports on "Move, Idioms!", a design for Mobile-Assisted Language Learning experience that accentuates learners' habit of mind and skills in making meaning with their daily…

  4. GEARS a 3D Virtual Learning Environment and Virtual Social and Educational World Used in Online Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barkand, Jonathan; Kush, Joseph

    2009-01-01

    Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are becoming increasingly popular in online education environments and have multiple pedagogical advantages over more traditional approaches to education. VLEs include 3D worlds where students can engage in simulated learning activities such as Second Life. According to Claudia L'Amoreaux at Linden Lab, "at…

  5. Evaluating Online Resources in Terms of Learning Environment and Student Attitudes in Middle-Grade Mathematics Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Earle, James E.; Fraser, Barry J.

    2017-01-01

    The main objective of this research was to use learning environment and attitude scales in evaluating online resource materials for supporting a traditional mathematics curriculum. The sample consisted of 914 middle-school students in 49 classes. A second research focus was the validation of the chosen learning environment questionnaire, the…

  6. Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grant, Tim, Ed.; Littlejohn, Gail, Ed.

    Schoolyard greening is an excellent way to promote hands-on, interdisciplinary learning about the environment through projects that benefit schools and increase green space and biodiversity in communities. This book features step-by-step instructions for numerous schoolyard projects from tree nurseries to school composting to native plant gardens,…

  7. Climate Study of the Learning Environment for Faculty, Staff, and Students at a U.S. Dental School: Foundation for Culture Change.

    PubMed

    Murdoch-Kinch, C A; Duff, R E; Ramaswamy, V; Ester, T V; Sponseller, S A; Seeley, J A

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the culture and climate for diversity and inclusion and the humanistic learning environment for students, faculty, and staff at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. From July 2014 to June 2015, two committees of 16 faculty members, staff members, and students, in partnership with trained program evaluators, used a participatory program evaluation (PPE) process to conduct the assessment using key informant interviews, surveys, and focus groups. The topics addressed were humanistic environment, learning environment, diversity and inclusion, microaggressions and bullying, and activities and space. All staff members, all faculty members (both full- and part-time), and all students in all four years were invited to participate in the parallel but distinctive versions of the survey from November 10 to 25, 2014. Response rates for each group were as follows: 50% (318/642) for students, 68% (217/320) for staff, and 40% (147/366) for faculty; numbers responding to individual items varied. Among the respondents, the majority (76% faculty, 67% staff, 80% students) agreed that the environment fostered learning and personal growth and that a humanistic environment was important (97% faculty, 95% staff, 94% students). Many reported having experienced/witnessed a micro-aggression or bullying. Many also reported having "ever had" dissatisfaction with the learning environment (44% faculty, 39% staff, 68% students). The students sought better relationships with the faculty; the staff and faculty members sought opportunities for professional development and mentoring. Recommendations included cultural sensitivity training, courses for interpersonal skills, leadership and team-building efforts, addressing microaggressions and bullying, creating opportunities for collaboration, and increasing diversity of faculty, staff, and students. These recommendations were incorporated into the school's strategic plan. In this study, a utilization-focused PPE process using mixed methods was effective for evaluating the dental school's climate for diversity and inclusion, as well as the learning environment for faculty, staff, and students.

  8. Mapping students' ideas to understand learning in a collaborative programming environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harlow, Danielle Boyd; Leak, Anne Emerson

    2014-07-01

    Recent studies in learning programming have largely focused on high school and college students; less is known about how young children learn to program. From video data of 20 students using a graphical programming interface, we identified ideas that were shared and evolved through an elementary school classroom. In mapping these ideas and their resulting changes in programs and outputs, we were able to identify the contextual features which contributed to how ideas moved through the classroom as students learned. We suggest this process of idea mapping in visual programming environments as a viable method for understanding collaborative, constructivist learning as well as a context under which experiences can be developed to improve student learning.

  9. Project LEO Studies of Science Learning Environments and Outcomes, 1968-1981.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matthews, Charles; And Others

    Presented is a summary of the 1977-80 Project LEO studies, which focused on science teaching strategies and learning outcomes for disruptive elementary school children and on more refined application of the "student-structured learning in science" (SSLS) teacher behavioral pattern in secondary school science classrooms. Included within…

  10. Planning School Grounds for Outdoor Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, Cheryl; Gordon, Douglas

    2010-01-01

    This publication covers the planning and design of school grounds for outdoor learning in new and existing K-12 facilities. Curriculum development as well as athletic field planning and maintenance are not covered although some references on these topics are provided. It discusses the different types of outdoor learning environments that can be…

  11. Providing a Platform for Parents? Exploring the Nature of Parental Engagement with School Learning Platforms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selwyn, N.; Banaji, S.; Hadjithoma-Garstka, C.; Clark, W.

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates how schools are supporting parents' involvement with their children's education through the use of "Learning Platform" technologies--i.e. the integrated use of virtual learning environments, management information systems, communications, and other information and resource-sharing technologies. Based on in-depth…

  12. Designing the Learning Context in School for Talent Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertzog, Nancy B.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the learning context for talent development in public schools. Total aspects of the environment from physical space, affective elements, and pedagogical approaches affect learning. How teachers believe and perceive their roles as teachers influence instructional design and decision making. In this article, the optimal…

  13. The networked student: A design-based research case study of student constructed personal learning environments in a middle school science course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drexler, Wendy

    This design-based research case study applied a networked learning approach to a seventh grade science class at a public school in the southeastern United States. Students adapted emerging Web applications to construct personal learning environments for in-depth scientific inquiry of poisonous and venomous life forms. The personal learning environments constructed used Application Programming Interface (API) widgets to access, organize, and synthesize content from a number of educational Internet resources and social network connections. This study examined the nature of personal learning environments; the processes students go through during construction, and patterns that emerged. The project was documented from both an instructional and student-design perspective. Findings revealed that students applied the processes of: practicing digital responsibility; practicing digital literacy; organizing content; collaborating and socializing; and synthesizing and creating. These processes informed a model of the networked student that will serve as a framework for future instructional designs. A networked learning approach that incorporates these processes into future designs has implications for student learning, teacher roles, professional development, administrative policies, and delivery. This work is significant in that it shifts the focus from technology innovations based on tools to student empowerment based on the processes required to support learning. It affirms the need for greater attention to digital literacy and responsibility in K12 schools as well as consideration for those skills students will need to achieve success in the 21st century. The design-based research case study provides a set of design principles for teachers to follow when facilitating student construction of personal learning environments.

  14. Coalition for Healthier Schools Position Statement. Improving Education, Child Health, the Environment, and Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Healthy Schools Network, Inc., 2010

    2010-01-01

    Each day over 53 million school children and 6 million adults--20 percent of the entire U.S. population--enter the nation's 120,000 school buildings to teach and learn. Unfortunately, in too many cases, they enter "unhealthy" school buildings," that undermine learning and health. In a recent five-state survey, more than 1,100 public schools were…

  15. A Qualitative Research on Active Learning Practices in Pre-School Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pekdogan, Serpil; Kanak, Mehmet

    2016-01-01

    In educational environments prepared based on the active learning method, children learn with interest and pleasure, doing and experiencing, and directly through their own experiences. Considering the contributions of the active learning method and the educational environments designed based on it to children's development, it can be said that…

  16. Galileo Educational Network: Creating, Researching, and Supporting 21st Century Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friesen, Sharon

    2009-01-01

    School and classroom structures designed to meet the needs of the industrial past cannot "maintain the temperature required for sustaining life." Recent learning sciences research findings compel educators to invent new learning environments better suited to meet the demands of the 21st century. These new learning environments require…

  17. Learning Genetics through an Authentic Research Simulation in Bioinformatics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gelbart, Hadas; Yarden, Anat

    2006-01-01

    Following the rationale that learning is an active process of knowledge construction as well as enculturation into a community of experts, we developed a novel web-based learning environment in bioinformatics for high-school biology majors in Israel. The learning environment enables the learners to actively participate in a guided inquiry process…

  18. The Costa Rica GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project as a Learning Science Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castro Rojas, María Dolores; Zuñiga, Ana Lourdes Acuña; Ugalde, Emmanuel Fonseca

    2015-12-01

    GLOBE is a global educational program for elementary and high school levels, and its main purpose in Costa Rica is to develop scientific thinking and interest for science in high school students through hydrology research projects that allow them to relate science with environmental issues in their communities. Youth between 12 and 17 years old from public schools participate in science clubs outside of their regular school schedule. A comparison study was performed between different groups, in order to assess GLOBE's applicability as a learning science atmosphere and the motivation and interest it generates in students toward science. Internationally applied scales were used as tools for measuring such indicators, adapted to the Costa Rican context. The results provide evidence statistically significant that the students perceive the GLOBE atmosphere as an enriched environment for science learning in comparison with the traditional science class. Moreover, students feel more confident, motivated and interested in science than their peers who do not participate in the project. However, the results were not statistically significant in this last respect.

  19. Space for Learning: A Pre-School Environment for Very Little Money.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1972

    This booklet identifies environments for pre-school learning. Each page may serve as a poster, a reminder of activities, or as a starting point for a training session. It includes an indoor and an outdoor section. The indoor section describes an art area, a music area, and a quiet area, a housekeeping area, free space for floor play, and a science…

  20. The Costa Rica GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Project as a Learning Science Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Castro Rojas, María Dolores; Zuñiga, Ana Lourdes Acuña; Ugalde, Emmanuel Fonseca

    2015-01-01

    GLOBE is a global educational program for elementary and high school levels, and its main purpose in Costa Rica is to develop scientific thinking and interest for science in high school students through hydrology research projects that allow them to relate science with environmental issues in their communities. Youth between 12 and 17 years old…

  1. Goals and Values in School: A Model Developed for Describing, Evaluating and Changing the Social Climate of Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allodi, Mara Westling

    2010-01-01

    This paper defines a broad model of the psychosocial climate in educational settings. The model was developed from a general theory of learning environments, on a theory of human values and on empirical studies of children's evaluations of their schools. The contents of the model are creativity, stimulation, achievement, self-efficacy, creativity,…

  2. Building Minds, Minding Buildings. School Infrastructure Funding Need: A State-by-State Assessment and an Analysis of Recent Court Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crampton, Faith E.; Thompson, David C.

    2008-01-01

    The quality of the physical environment in which children learn is a critical education capacity factor that contributes to their academic success and well-being. Adequate levels of fiscal investment in school infrastructure are essential to ensure that all students and staff have access to a physical environment conducive to learning; that is,…

  3. Out of School Learning Environments in Social Studies Education: A Phenomenological Research with Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Topçu, Ersin

    2017-01-01

    In this study, it was aimed to determine the remarks of teacher candidates on the place and importance of out of school learning environments in Social Studies education. Phenomenological method, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was used in this study. The work group of the study consists of 73 teacher candidates who conduct out…

  4. Three Primary School Students' Cognition about 3D Rotation in a Virtual Reality Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeh, Andy

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports on three primary school students' explorations of 3D rotation in a virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) named VRMath. When asked to investigate if you would face the same direction when you turn right 45 degrees first then roll up 45 degrees, or when you roll up 45 degrees first then turn right 45 degrees, the students…

  5. Assessment of the Laboratory Learning Environment in an Inquiry-Oriented Chemistry Laboratory in Arab and Jewish High Schools in Israel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dkeidek, Iyad; Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Hofstein, Avi

    2012-01-01

    An inquiry-oriented laboratory in chemistry was integrated into the chemistry curriculum in Jewish high schools in Israel, and after a short period was also implemented in Arab sector. In this study, we investigated the effect of culture on the perceptions of laboratory classroom learning environments by comparing the perceptions of Arab and…

  6. Flight School in the Virtual Environment: Capabilities and Risks of Executing a Simulations-Based Flight Training Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-17

    theories work together to explain learning in aviation—behavioral learning theory , cognitive learning theory , constructivism, experiential ...solve problems, and make decisions. Experiential learning theory incorporates both behavioral and cognitive theories .104 This theory harnesses the...34Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Flight School XXI," 7. 106 David A. Kolb , Experiential Learning : Experience as the Source of

  7. Exploring Online Learning at Primary Schools: Students' Perspectives on Cyber Home Learning System through Video Conferencing (CHLS-VC)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, June; Yoon, Seo Young; Lee, Chung Hyun

    2013-01-01

    The purposes of the study are to investigate CHLS (Cyber Home Learning System) in online video conferencing environment in primary school level and to explore the students' responses on CHLS-VC (Cyber Home Learning System through Video Conferencing) in order to explore the possibility of using CHLS-VC as a supportive online learning system. The…

  8. Improving mathematics teaching and learning experiences for hard of hearing students with wireless technology-enhanced classrooms.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chen-Chung; Chou, Chien-Chia; Liu, Baw-Jhiune; Yang, Jui-Wen

    2006-01-01

    Hard of hearing students usually face more difficulties at school than other students. A classroom environment with wireless technology was implemented to explore whether wireless technology could enhance mathematics learning and teaching activities for a hearing teacher and her 7 hard of hearing students in a Taiwan junior high school. Experiments showed that the highly interactive communication through the wireless network increased student participation in learning activities. Students demonstrated more responses to the teacher and fewer distraction behaviors. Fewer mistakes were made in in-class course work because Tablet PCs provided students scaffolds. Students stated that the environment with wireless technology was desirable and said that they hoped to continue using the environment to learn mathematics.

  9. Implementing a Case-Based E-Learning Environment in a Lecture-Oriented Anaesthesiology Class: Do Learning Styles Matter in Complex Problem Solving over Time?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Ikseon; Lee, Sang Joon; Kang, Jeongwan

    2009-01-01

    This study explores how students' learning styles influence their learning while solving complex problems when a case-based e-learning environment is implemented in a conventional lecture-oriented classroom. Seventy students from an anaesthesiology class at a dental school participated in this study over a 3-week period. Five learning-outcome…

  10. Teachers' Perceptions of the Dimensions of the Psychosocial School Environment in Primary Schools in Trinidad and Tobago

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gowrie, George; Ramdass, Mala

    2014-01-01

    The study explored some of the important psycho-social factors in the primary school environment that impact on students' learning as perceived by teachers. It also attempted to identify, describe and develop conceptual categories as separate dimensions of the social and emotional environment. The sample consisted of 187 teachers and 53 schools…

  11. Science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saderholm, Jon

    The purpose of this study was to discern what differences exist between the science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and non-NBCTs. Four research questions organized the data collection and analysis: (a) How do National Board Certified science teachers' knowledge of the nature of science differ from that of their non-NBCT counterparts? (b) How do the frequencies of student science inquiry behaviors supported by in middle/secondary learning environments created by NBCTs differ from those created by their non-NBCT counterparts? (c) What is the relationship between the frequency of students' science inquiry behaviors and their science reasoning and understanding of the nature of science? (d) What is the impact of teacher perceptions factors impacting curriculum and limiting inquiry on the existence of inquiry learning environments? The setting in which this study was conducted was middle and high schools in Kentucky during the period between October 2006 and January 2007. The population sampled for the study was middle and secondary science teachers certified to teach in Kentucky. Of importance among those were the approximately 70 National Board Certified middle and high school science teachers. The teacher sample consisted of 50 teachers, of whom 19 were NBCTs and 31 were non-NBCTs. This study compared the science inquiry teaching environments created by NBCTs and non-NBCTs along with their consequent effect on the science reasoning and nature of science (NOS) understanding of their students. In addition, it examined the relationship with these science inquiry environments of other teacher characteristics along with teacher perception of factors influencing curriculum and factors limiting inquiry. This study used a multi-level mixed methodology study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures of both teachers and their students. It was a quasi-experimental design using non-random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups and dependent pre- and post-tests (Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). Teacher and student NOS understanding was measured using the Student Understanding of Science and Science Inquiry (SUSSI) instrument (Liang, et. al, 2006). Science inquiry environment was measured with the Elementary Science Inquiry Survey (ESIS) (Dunbar, 2002) which was given both to teachers and their students. Science inquiry environment measurements were triangulated with observations of a stratified random sub-sample of participating teachers. Observations were structured using the low-inference Collaboratives for Excellence in Teaching Practice (CETP) Classroom Observation Protocol (COP) (Lawrenz, Huffman, & Appleldoorn 2002), and the high-inference Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Piburn & Sawada, 2000). NBCTs possessed more informed view of NOS than did non-NBCTs. Additionally, high school science teachers possessed more informed views regarding NOS than did middle school science teachers, with the most informed views belonging to high school science NBCTs. High school science NBCTs created learning environments in which students engaged in science inquiry behaviors significantly more frequently than did high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school science NBCTs, on the other hand, did not create learning environments that differed in significant ways from those of middle school science non-NBCTs. Students of high school science NBCTs possessed significantly higher science reasoning than did students of high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school students of science NBCTs possessed no more science reasoning ability than did middle school students of science non-NBCTs. NOS understanding displayed by students of both middle school and high school science NBCTs was not distinguished from students of non-NBCTs. Classroom science inquiry environment created by non-NBCTs were correlated with science teachers' perceptions of factors determining the curriculum, and the factors limiting inquiry. NBCT classroom science inquiry environment were not correlated with science teacher perceptions. They were, however, strongly correlated with science teacher attendance at science workshops and negatively correlated with teacher perception that experience limits inquiry. The results of this study have implications for policy, practice, and research. Having a science teacher who is an NBCT appears to benefit high school students; however, the benefit for students of middle school science NBCTs appears only when the teacher is also experienced. Additionally, science NBCTs appear to be able to create more controlled science inquiry learning environments than do science non-NBCTs. At the high school level the practice of using data to explain patterns appears to positively affect student science reasoning. Implications results of this study have for further research include examining the differences of the NBPTS certification process for middle and high school teachers; deeper investigation of the causes of the differences in science reasoning between students of NBCTs and non-NBCTs; and studies of the relationship between the NBPTS certification process and teacher efficacy and personal agency.

  12. Creating a Positive School Climate at the Junior High Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Licata, Vincent F.

    One of the seven correlates of an effective school, as identified by the Effective Schools Research, is a positive school climate: a positive attitude on the part of the entire staff and student body exhibited through overt behavior that creates a warm, orderly learning environment. Development of such an environment depends upon: (1) strong…

  13. Protective Factors at School: Reciprocal Effects among Adolescents' Perceptions of the School Environment, Engagement in Learning, and Hope

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Ryzin, Mark J.

    2011-01-01

    Although some research suggests that schools can be a source of protective factors for students, the processes by which school environments impact students' behavior, performance and adjustment over time are not clear. Guided by both self-determination theory and hope theory, this article evaluated reciprocal effects among adolescent perceptions…

  14. Learning to Argue in a Connected World: The Arc of Productive Disciplinary Engagement in a High School Academic Social Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teske, Paul Robert-John

    2014-01-01

    Calls to virtually break down school walls through connected and blended learning environments are ubiquitous as of late as technologies in service of learning evolve and as schools are under pressure to change. Within the subject area of English Language Arts, there is a dearth of research or information on how to facilitate these new, digitally…

  15. Development and Evaluation of a Case-Based Digital Learning Tool about Children's Mathematical Thinking for Elementary School Teachers (L-TEST)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olkun, Sinan; Altun, Arif; Deryakulu, Deniz

    2009-01-01

    It is important for teachers of mathematics to know how pupils react to certain mathematical situations and what these reactions imply, in order to design more effective instructional environments based on their learning needs. This study reports the development processes of a digital learning tool (Learning Tool for Elementary School Teachers…

  16. Unpacking Socio-Economic Risks for Reading and Academic Self-Concept in Primary School: Differential Effects and the Role of the Preschool Home Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crampton, Alexandria; Hall, James

    2017-01-01

    Background: Uncertainty remains concerning how children's reading and academic self-concept are related and how these are differentially affected by social disadvantage and home learning environments. Aims: To contrast the impacts of early socio-economic risks and preschool home learning environments upon British children's reading abilities and…

  17. Teacher Educators as Learners: Enabling Learning while Developing Innovative Practice in ICT-Rich Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reading, Chris; Doyle, Helen

    2013-01-01

    It's time for teachers to consider themselves as learners in ICT-rich learning environments and to become more aware of factors that enable their learning in such environments. The notion of teachers as learners in ICT-rich environments is not new but the focus is usually on school teachers and formal professional development, rather than teachers…

  18. The Enhancement of Reusability of Course Content and Scenarios in Unified e-Learning Environment for Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Limanauskiene, Virginija; Stuikys, Vytautas

    2009-01-01

    With the expansion of e-learning, the understanding and evaluation of already created e-learning environments is becoming an extremely important issue. One way to dealing with the problem is analysis of case studies, i.e. already created environments, from the reuse perspective. The paper presents a general framework and model to assess UNITE, the…

  19. Assessing culturally sensitive factors in the learning environment of science classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, Darrell L.; Waldrip, Bruce G.

    1997-03-01

    As schools are becoming increasingly diverse in their scope and clientele, any examination of the interaction of culturally sensitive factors of students' learning environments with learning science assumes critical importance. The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop an instrument to assess learning environment factors that are culturally sensitive, to provide initial validation information on the instrument and to examine associations between students' perceptions of their learning environments and their attitudes towards science and achievement of enquiry skills. A measure of these factors of science student's learning environment, namely the Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire (CLEQ), was developed from past learning environment instruments and influenced by Hofstede's four dimensions of culture (Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, and Masculinity/Femininity). The reliability and discriminant validity for each scale were obtained and associations between learning environment, attitude to science and enquiry skills achievement were found.

  20. Adolescents' Involvement in Cyber Bullying and Perceptions of School: The Importance of Perceived Peer Acceptance for Female Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Betts, Lucy R; Spenser, Karin A; Gardner, Sarah E

    2017-01-01

    Young people are spending increasing amounts of time using digital technology and, as such, are at great risk of being involved in cyber bullying as a victim, bully, or bully/victim. Despite cyber bullying typically occurring outside the school environment, the impact of being involved in cyber bullying is likely to spill over to school. Fully 285 11- to 15-year-olds (125 male and 160 female, M age  = 12.19 years, SD  = 1.03) completed measures of cyber bullying involvement, self-esteem, trust, perceived peer acceptance, and perceptions of the value of learning and the importance of school. For young women, involvement in cyber bullying as a victim, bully, or bully/victim negatively predicted perceptions of learning and school, and perceived peer acceptance mediated this relationship. The results indicated that involvement in cyber bullying negatively predicted perceived peer acceptance which, in turn, positively predicted perceptions of learning and school. For young men, fulfilling the bully/victim role negatively predicted perceptions of learning and school. Consequently, for young women in particular, involvement in cyber bullying spills over to impact perceptions of learning. The findings of the current study highlight how stressors external to the school environment can adversely impact young women's perceptions of school and also have implications for the development of interventions designed to ameliorate the effects of cyber bullying.

  1. Educating English Language Learners: Instructional Approaches and Teacher Collaboration in Philadelphia Public Schools. PERC Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reumann-Moore, Rebecca; Rowland, Jeannette; Hughes, Rosemary; Lin, Joshua

    2016-01-01

    Districts, charter management organizations, and individual schools can learn a great deal from each other about strategies for creating robust and supportive learning environments for English Language Learners (ELLS). This brief highlights key findings about how Philadelphia public schools were crafting instructional approaches to serve their…

  2. A Study of Professional Learning Communities in International Schools in Bangkok, Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerhard, James Herbert

    2010-01-01

    Teacher collaboration and professional development are crucial components to any school improvement process. In an international school context differences among teachers emerging from culture, language, training, and environment can present a unique view of how teachers collaborate and learn together. The purpose of the study was to determine…

  3. Using a Physical Education Environmental Survey to Identify Areas of Concern and Improve Conditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Grant; Hulbert, George

    2007-01-01

    School environmental conditions can impact learning in physical educational classes. It is important for schools to control environmental health hazards, not only to promote a conducive school learning environment, but to also reduce associated health risks. To help physical education leaders determine the quality of physical education facilities…

  4. Building a Learning Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Senesh, Lawrence

    The current efforts to reform U.S. education are misguided because they place increased burdens on the schools and ignore the total learning environment. The majority of youth step out of school into an intellecutal vacuum of no feedback and no enrichment. The home, the school, and the community must be involved in a holistic way with education,…

  5. What Can We Learn from the Atlanta Cheating Scandal?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saultz, Andrew; Murphy, Kristin M.; Aronson, Brittany

    2016-01-01

    In April 2015, 11 educators were convicted for their roles in the cheating scandal in the Atlanta Public Schools. The authors examine the lessons that teachers, administrators, and policy makers can learn from the cheating scandal: Teachers and school leaders were not adequately prepared to navigate the school district's environment; there were…

  6. Learning Opportunities beyond the School. 2nd Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hatcher, Barbara, Ed.; Beck, Shirley S., Ed.

    The fact that much of learning occurs beyond school walls points to the need for a holistic approach to education. Such an approach involves planned cooperative links between family and the formal and informal learning environments that exist in the community. This monograph advocates such a holistic approach, discussing not only the value of…

  7. Organizational Learning in Schools Pursuing Social Justice: Fostering Educational Entrepreneurship and Boundary Spanning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scanlan, Martin

    2011-01-01

    The field of socially just educational leadership is focused on promoting improvements in the teaching and learning environment as demonstrated by student learning gains, particularly for traditionally marginalized students. The field has identified priorities (i.e., school improvement, democratic community, and social justice) and steps to pursue…

  8. School Shock: A Psychodynamic View of Learning Disability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zitani, E. Alfredo

    Learning disability is seen to be a dissociative disorder (school shock) similar to shell shock in wartime. The shell shock model is explained to focus diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities around the dynamics of the predisposing unconscious conflict, the dynamics in the environment, the mechanism which allows these two conditions to…

  9. How Do High School Students Prefer to Learn?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, Leila A.; Angnakoon, Putthachat

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine learning preference--the match between learners and learning methods--and students' information behaviour in technology-rich information environments. The major question asked was: How will high school students' information behaviour differ by gender and academic interests? A total of 88 students (37 girls,…

  10. Supporting Safe, Secure and Caring Schools in Alberta.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMullen, Dean

    Alberta Learning expects all schools to have a safe and caring teaching and learning environment to ensure students have the opportunity to meet the standards of education set by the Minister of Learning. The primary objectives of this manual are to facilitate action that is legally, professionally, and educationally sound; identify and support…

  11. Social Skills of Slovenian Primary School Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Majda; Prah, Alenka; Cagran, Branka

    2014-01-01

    Social skills of students with special needs play a very important role in their successful integration into inclusive learning environments. The aim of present empirical research was to establish whether students with learning disabilities (LD) attending grades 7-9 of regular primary school in Slovenia experience difficulties in social skills…

  12. A Scale Development Study for the Teachers on Out of School Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balkan-Kiyici, Fatime; Yavuz Topaloglu, Melike

    2016-01-01

    When teachers organize planned and systematical out-of-school learning activities, students can understand the abstract and complex terms and topics better and therefore meaningful and deeper learning can occur. Within this context this study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to determine the attitudes, behaviors, efficiency and…

  13. The Mobile Learning Training Needs of Educators in Technology-Enabled Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crompton, Helen; Olszewski, Brandon; Bielefeldt, Talbot

    2016-01-01

    Mobile learning (mlearning) is an emerging trend in schools, utilizing mobile technologies that offer the greatest amount of flexibility in teaching and learning. Researchers have found that one of the main barriers to effective mlearning in schools is the lack of teacher professional development. Results from a needs-assessment survey and a…

  14. Healthy eating design guidelines for school architecture.

    PubMed

    Huang, Terry T-K; Sorensen, Dina; Davis, Steven; Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Celentano, Joseph; Callahan, Kelly; Trowbridge, Matthew J

    2013-01-01

    We developed a new tool, Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture, to provide practitioners in architecture and public health with a practical set of spatially organized and theory-based strategies for making school environments more conducive to learning about and practicing healthy eating by optimizing physical resources and learning spaces. The design guidelines, developed through multidisciplinary collaboration, cover 10 domains of the school food environment (eg, cafeteria, kitchen, garden) and 5 core healthy eating design principles. A school redesign project in Dillwyn, Virginia, used the tool to improve the schools' ability to adopt a healthy nutrition curriculum and promote healthy eating. The new tool, now in a pilot version, is expected to evolve as its components are tested and evaluated through public health and design research.

  15. Using Scaffolding to Improve Student Learning in Legal Environment Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    May, Diane

    2014-01-01

    Students taking the initial legal environment course in a business school generally have little background in the law. Most of these students are learning new terms and are exposed to the workings of the legal system and statutes and cases for the first time. Some students have characterized learning the law as like "learning a new…

  16. Using Ubiquitous Games in an English Listening and Speaking Course: Impact on Learning Outcomes and Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Tsung-Yu; Chu, Yu-Ling

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a study which aimed to investigate how ubiquitous games influence English learning achievement and motivation through a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment. An English curriculum was conducted on a school campus by using a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment called the Handheld English Language…

  17. Experienced Teachers' Informal Learning in the Workplace. IVLOS Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoekstra, Annemarieke

    2007-01-01

    The aim of the research reported in this dissertation is to describe how experienced secondary school teachers learn at work in an informal environment. The study is part of a larger research project aimed at providing a conceptual framework of teacher learning in the workplace as it takes place both in informal and formal learning environments.…

  18. Learning in a Sheltered Internet Environment: The Use of WebQuests

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

    2009-01-01

    The present study investigated the effects on learning in a sheltered Internet environment using so-called WebQuests in elementary school classrooms in the Netherlands. A WebQuest is an assignment presented together with a series of web pages to help guide children's learning. The learning gains and quality of the work of 229 sixth graders…

  19. My Pocket Technology: Introducing a Mobile Assisted Inquiry Learning Environment (MAILE) to Promote Inquiries among Secondary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leelamma, Sreelekha; Indira, Uma Devi

    2017-01-01

    This paper introduces the Mobile Assisted Inquiry Learning Environment (MAILE), an Experimental Instructional Strategy (EIS) which employs an inquiry-based learning approach to guide secondary school students to learn environmental science in an engaging way supported by mobile phones. The students are situated in both the real world and the…

  20. Finnish Upper Secondary Students' Collaborative Processes in Learning Statistics in a CSCL Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oikarinen, Juho Kaleva; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

    2014-01-01

    This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in…

  1. Peer Assessment among Secondary School Students: Introducing a Peer Feedback Tool in the Context of a Computer Supported Inquiry Learning Environment in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsivitanidou, Olia; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Hovardas, Tasos; Nicolaou, Aphrodite

    2012-01-01

    In this study we introduced a peer feedback tool to secondary school students while aiming at investigating whether this tool leads to a feedback dialogue when using a computer supported inquiry learning environment in science. Moreover, we aimed at examining what type of feedback students ask for and receive and whether the students use the…

  2. Predicting the Attitudes and Self-Esteem of the Grade 9th Lower Secondary School Students towards Mathematics from Their Perceptions of the Classroom Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Van Dat

    2012-01-01

    This study reports the validity of the hypothesis that students' perceptions of the learning environment of mathematics classroom may predict their attitudes and self-esteem towards mathematics. It examines data from 487 grade 9th students from 14 mathematics classes in 7 Vietnamese lower secondary schools to identify how students' perceptions of…

  3. Do Learning Environments Differ across Subjects and Nations: Case Studies in Hawaii and Singapore Using the WIHIC Questionnaire

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Malkeet; McNeil, Jan Torbet

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to survey a sample of high school students in Hawaii and Singapore about what they perceive to be helpful aspects of classroom environments in their learning of science and humanities subjects. The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was administered in the fall of 2003 to 73 high school students in…

  4. An Investigation of the Potential of Interactive Simulations for Developing System Thinking Skills in Elementary School: A Case Study with Fifth-Graders and Sixth-Graders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evagorou, Maria; Korfiatis, Kostas; Nicolaou, Christiana; Constantinou, Costas

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a simulation-based learning environment on elementary school students' (11-12 years old) development of system thinking skills. The learning environment included interactive simulations using the Stagecast Creator software to simulate the ecosystem of a marsh. Simulations are an important…

  5. Engaging Places Research Summary. Bridging the Gap: A Synthesis of Research into the Supply and the Demand of Built Environment Education in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendall, Sally; Murfield, Jenny; White, Richard; Wilkin, Anne

    2007-01-01

    "Built environment education" refers to the various types of learning activity for children and young people of school age which use buildings, places and spaces as a context for learning. It covers many different kinds of built settings such as: historic and contemporary; urban and rural; and exceptional and commonplace. It also has a…

  6. Creative Learning Environments in Education--A Systematic Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Dan; Jindal-Snape, Divya; Collier, Chris; Digby, Rebecca; Hay, Penny; Howe, Alan

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on a systematic review of 210 pieces of educational research, policy and professional literature relating to creative environments for learning in schools, commissioned by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). Despite the volume of academic literature in this field, the team of six reviewers found comparatively few empirical…

  7. Students' perception of the learning environment in a distributed medical programme

    PubMed Central

    Veerapen, Kiran; McAleer, Sean

    2010-01-01

    Background The learning environment of a medical school has a significant impact on students' achievements and learning outcomes. The importance of equitable learning environments across programme sites is implicit in distributed undergraduate medical programmes being developed and implemented. Purpose To study the learning environment and its equity across two classes and three geographically separate sites of a distributed medical programme at the University of British Columbia Medical School that commenced in 2004. Method The validated Dundee Ready Educational Environment Survey was sent to all students in their 2nd and 3rd year (classes graduating in 2009 and 2008) of the programme. The domains of the learning environment surveyed were: students' perceptions of learning, students' perceptions of teachers, students' academic self-perceptions, students' perceptions of the atmosphere, and students' social self-perceptions. Mean scores, frequency distribution of responses, and inter- and intrasite differences were calculated. Results The perception of the global learning environment at all sites was more positive than negative. It was characterised by a strongly positive perception of teachers. The work load and emphasis on factual learning were perceived negatively. Intersite differences within domains of the learning environment were more evident in the pioneer class (2008) of the programme. Intersite differences consistent across classes were largely related to on-site support for students. Conclusions Shared strengths and weaknesses in the learning environment at UBC sites were evident in areas that were managed by the parent institution, such as the attributes of shared faculty and curriculum. A greater divergence in the perception of the learning environment was found in domains dependent on local arrangements and social factors that are less amenable to central regulation. This study underlines the need for ongoing comparative evaluation of the learning environment at the distributed sites and interaction between leaders of these sites. PMID:20922033

  8. Nature of Mathematics Classroom Environments in Catholic High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Judith J.; Sink, Christopher A.

    2015-01-01

    In an attempt to reveal the various types of learning environments present in 30 mathematics classrooms in five Catholic high schools, this replication study examined student (N = 602) perceptions of their classrooms using the Classroom Environment Scale. Student attitudes toward mathematics were assessed by the Estes Attitude Scale. Extending…

  9. Field Trips to Natural Environments: How Outdoor Educators Use the Physical Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lavie Alon, Nirit; Tal, Tali

    2017-01-01

    The main assumption of this study is that the natural environment is an important part of learning in out-of-school settings. We therefore aimed at understanding how outdoor educators (OEs) refer to, and use, the natural environment while guiding field trips, and how their use of the natural environment affects student learning outcomes. Using a…

  10. Assessing the Learning Environment for Medical Students: An Evaluation of a Novel Survey Instrument in Four Medical Schools.

    PubMed

    Pololi, Linda H; Evans, Arthur T; Nickell, Leslie; Reboli, Annette C; Coplit, Lisa D; Stuber, Margaret L; Vasiliou, Vasilia; Civian, Janet T; Brennan, Robert T

    2017-06-01

    A practical, reliable, and valid instrument is needed to measure the impact of the learning environment on medical students' well-being and educational experience and to meet medical school accreditation requirements. From 2012 to 2015, medical students were surveyed at the end of their first, second, and third year of studies at four medical schools. The survey assessed students' perceptions of the following nine dimensions of the school culture: vitality, self-efficacy, institutional support, relationships/inclusion, values alignment, ethical/moral distress, work-life integration, gender equity, and ethnic minority equity. The internal reliability of each of the nine dimensions was measured. Construct validity was evaluated by assessing relationships predicted by our conceptual model and prior research. Assessment was made of whether the measurements were sensitive to differences over time and across institutions. Six hundred and eighty-six students completed the survey (49 % women; 9 % underrepresented minorities), with a response rate of 89 % (range over the student cohorts 72-100 %). Internal consistency of each dimension was high (Cronbach's α 0.71-0.86). The instrument was able to detect significant differences in the learning environment across institutions and over time. Construct validity was supported by demonstrating several relationships predicted by our conceptual model. The C-Change Medical Student Survey is a practical, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing the learning environment of medical students. Because it is sensitive to changes over time and differences across institution, results could potentially be used to facilitate and monitor improvements in the learning environment of medical students.

  11. Digital Games for Learning Mathematics: Possibilities and Limitations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jorgensen, Robyn; Lowrie, Tom

    2012-01-01

    Drawing from Gee's learning principles developed from the digital games environment, we provide a critical analysis of the difference between using these principles in a literacy environment as opposed to a mathematical environment. Using stimulated recall, primary school-aged students played with a number of contemporary digital games. Feedback…

  12. The New Learning Ecology of One-to-One Computing Environments: Preparing Teachers for Shifting Dynamics and Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spires, Hiller A.; Oliver, Kevin; Corn, Jenifer

    2012-01-01

    Despite growing research and evaluation results on one-to-one computing environments, how these environments affect learning in schools remains underexamined. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to use a theoretical lens, namely a new learning ecology, to frame the dynamic changes as well as challenges that are introduced by a one-to-one…

  13. The role of learning environment on high school chemistry students' motivation and self-regulatory processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Judd, Jeffrey S.

    Changes to the global workforce and technological advancements require graduating high school students to be more autonomous, self-directed, and critical in their thinking. To reflect societal changes, current educational reform has focused on developing more problem-based, collaborative, and student-centered classrooms to promote effective self-regulatory learning strategies, with the goal of helping students adapt to future learning situations and become life-long learners. This study identifies key features that may characterize these "powerful learning environments", which I term "high self-regulating learning environments" for ease of discussion, and examine the environment's role on students' motivation and self-regulatory processes. Using direct observation, surveys, and formal and informal interviews, I identified perceptions, motivations, and self-regulatory strategies of 67 students in my high school chemistry classes as they completed academic tasks in both high and low self-regulating learning environments. With social cognitive theory as a theoretical framework, I then examined how students' beliefs and processes changed after they moved from low to a high self-regulating learning environment. Analyses revealed that key features such as task meaning, utility, complexity, and control appeared to play a role in promoting positive changes in students' motivation and self-regulation. As embedded cases, I also included four students identified as high self-regulating, and four students identified as low self-regulating to examine whether the key features of high and low self-regulating learning environments played a similar role in both groups. Analysis of findings indicates that key features did play a significant role in promoting positive changes in both groups, with high self-regulating students' motivation and self-regulatory strategies generally remaining higher than the low self-regulating students; this was the case in both environments. Findings suggest that classroom learning environments and instruction can be modified using variations of these key features to promote specific or various levels of motivation and self-regulatory skill. In this way, educators may tailor their lessons or design their classrooms to better match and develop students' current level of motivation and self-regulation in order to maximize engagement in an academic task.

  14. Glitch game testers: The design and study of a learning environment for computational production with young African American males

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiSalvo, Elizabeth Betsy

    The implementation of a learning environment for young African American males, called the Glitch Game Testers, was launched in 2009. The development of this program was based on formative work that looked at the contrasting use of digital games between young African American males and individuals who chose to become computer science majors. Through analysis of cultural values and digital game play practices, the program was designed to intertwine authentic game development practices and computer science learning. The resulting program employed 25 African American male high school students to test pre-release digital games full-time in the summer and part-time in the school year, with an hour of each day dedicated to learning introductory computer science. Outcomes for persisting in computer science education are remarkable; of the 16 participants who had graduated from high school as of 2012, 12 have gone on to school in computing-related majors. These outcomes, and the participants' enthusiasm for engaging in computing, are in sharp contrast to the crisis in African American male education and learning motivation. The research presented in this dissertation discusses the formative research that shaped the design of Glitch, the evaluation of the implementation of Glitch, and a theoretical investigation of the way in which participants navigated conflicting motivations in learning environments.

  15. Environmental Quality of Schools. Report to the New York State Board of Regents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany.

    Education reform, besides focusing on teaching and learning, must also address the need to maintain a safe, secure, and healthy school environment. As outlined in "A New Compact for Learning," the New York State Education Department and New York educators are responsible for ensuring the safety of school buildings. Students in school…

  16. A School Where Learning Is Personal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rickabaugh, Jim; Sprader, Christina; Murray, James

    2017-01-01

    To create a clear picture of a personalized learning environment, this article walks us through a day at the Waukesha STEM Academy, a Wisconsin charter school serving about 300 students in grades 6-8. The article follows Cal, a student making the transition from his former traditional school (where every week looked about the same) to a school…

  17. How School Administrators and Board Members Are Improving Learning and Saving Money. Energy-Smart Building Choices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

    This guide shows ways that school administrators and board members can contribute to energy choice decisions for educational facilities, and it discusses how reducing operating costs also can create better learning environments. The guide reveals how design guidelines help create high-performance school buildings. It explains the use of energy…

  18. A Model of Successful Adaptation to Online Learning for College-Bound Native American High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaler, Collier Butler

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions for Native American high school students that result in successful adaptation to an online learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: In total, eight Native American students attending high schools located on Montana Indian reservations, and one urban city, were interviewed.…

  19. Guiding Principles for a Research Schools Network: Successes and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Marc S.; Gerlach, Jeanne

    2011-01-01

    Building on J. Dewey's (1907) original work with the laboratory school, the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Texas-Arlington is expanding the original concept to include partners throughout a school system and the community in order to support and advance learning in multiple learning environments. The goal is to…

  20. Influence of Mothers' Parenting Styles on Self-Regulated Academic Learning among Saudi Primary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alnafea, Tahany; Curtis, David D.

    2017-01-01

    Much of the research on self-regulation has investigated the influence of school settings. However, fewer studies have concentrated on the home environment and its influence on student's academic behaviour in school. The present research investigates the influence of mothers' parenting styles on students' self-regulated learning behaviours in…

  1. Too Scared to Learn? The Academic Consequences of Feeling Unsafe at School. Working Paper #02-13

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lacoe, Johanna

    2013-01-01

    A safe environment is a prerequisite for productive learning. This paper represents the first large-scale analysis of how feelings of safety at school affect educational outcomes. Using a unique longitudinal dataset of survey responses from New York City middle school students, the paper provides insight into the causal relationship between…

  2. A Teacher Quality Primer. For Michigan School Officials, State Policymakers, Media and Residents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holley, Marc J.

    2008-01-01

    While Michigan students learn a variety of skills in their time at school, perhaps the most important charge of public schools, beyond providing a safe and healthy environment, is to ensure that students are learning their three fundamental skills: reading, writing and arithmetic. Unfortunately, the achievement levels of Michigan public school…

  3. Two Configurations for Accessing Classroom Computers: Differential Impact on Students' Critical Reflections and Their Empowerment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solhaug, T.

    2009-01-01

    The context of this article is the new technological environment and the struggle to use meaningful teaching practices in Norwegian schools. Students' critical reflections in two different technological learning environments in six upper secondary schools are compared. Three of these schools offer Internet-connected computers in special computer…

  4. Learning-Focused Leadership in Urban High Schools: Response to Demanding Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knapp, Michael S.; Feldman, Susan; Yeh, Theresa Ling

    2013-01-01

    This article traces how the work of instructional leadership in the urban high school embodies a response to particular pressures in the school's environment. Based on evidence from multiple-case study research in four urban districts, the article demonstrates how supervisory and nonsupervisory leaders fashioned responses to the district (and…

  5. The Effects of a Technology-Aided Learning Environment on the Improvement of a Primary Special Education School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karal, Hasan

    2015-01-01

    The changes demanded by technology are reshaping people's expectations of education. These changing demands and expectations have introduced certain concepts, such as individuals who have become skilled at learning and the learning organization. Individuals and schools, as the most basic unit of educational organizations, should demonstrate a…

  6. Open for Business: Learning Economics through Social Interaction in a Student-Operated Store

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broome, John P.; Preston-Grimes, Patrice

    2011-01-01

    This study examines teaching and learning economics and entrepreneurship through a student-run Montessori middle school store. By designing and managing a school store, students created a "community of practice" to learn economics concepts in their daily environment. Questions guiding this study were: (a) How do students' social-interactions in a…

  7. Changing the Instructional Model: Utilizing Blended Learning as a Tool of Inquiry Instruction in Middle School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longo, Christopher M.

    2016-01-01

    Educators need to delve further into effective ways to spark student interest, motivation, and curiosity both in the middle school classroom and in the online environment. A thoughtfully crafted blended learning process, infused with inquiry learning, can provide students with opportunities to collaborate, think critically, and pose questions,…

  8. High School Students in the New Learning Environment: A Profile of Distance E-Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirby, Dale; Sharpe, Dennis

    2010-01-01

    The relative ubiquity of computer access and the rapid development of information and communication technology have profoundly impacted teaching and learning at a distance. Relatively little is currently known about the characteristics of those students who participate in distance e-learning courses at the secondary school level. In an effort to…

  9. Transformational Leadership & Professional Development for Digitally Rich Learning Environments: A Case Study of the Galileo Educational Network.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobsen, Michele; Clifford, Pat; Friesen, Sharon

    The Galileo Educational Network is an innovative educational reform initiative that brings learning to learners. Expert teachers work alongside teachers and students in schools to create new images of engaged learning, technology integration and professional development. This case study is based on the nine schools involved with Galileo in…

  10. Mapping Students' Ideas to Understand Learning in a Collaborative Programming Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harlow, Danielle Boyd; Leak, Anne Emerson

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies in learning programming have largely focused on high school and college students; less is known about how young children learn to program. From video data of 20 students using a graphical programming interface, we identified ideas that were shared and evolved through an elementary school classroom. In mapping these ideas and their…

  11. Learning English as a Second Language at the University Level in Jordan: Motivation, Self-Regulation and Learning Environment Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alzubaidi, Eman; Aldridge, Jill M.; Khine, Myint Swe

    2016-01-01

    The overarching aim of this study was to investigate students' perceptions of the learning environment and whether these influenced their motivation and self-regulation in learning English as a second language at the university level in Jordan. Our sample involved 994 students, drawn from 13 schools, within three faculties (humanities, health…

  12. Mathematical Teachers' Perception: Mobile Learning and Constructing 21st Century Collaborative Cloud-Computing Environments in Elementary Public Schools in the State of Kuwait

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alqallaf, Nadeyah

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine Kuwaiti mathematical elementary teachers' perceptions about their ability to integrate M-learning (mobile learning) into their current teaching practices and the major barriers hindering teachers' ability to create an M-learning environment. Furthermore, this study sought to understand teachers' perceptions…

  13. Tweeting as a Tool for Learning Science: The Credibility of Student-Produced Knowledge Content in Educational Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swensen, Kaja Vembe; Silseth, Kenneth; Krange, Ingeborg

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we will present and discuss data from a research project called MIRACLE, in which high school students learned about energy and energy transformation in a technology-rich learning environment. This learning environment spanned across a classroom, a science center, and an online platform specially designed to support coherence across…

  14. Learning in Virtual Forest: A Forest Ecosystem in the Web-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jussila, Terttu; Virtanen, Viivi

    2014-01-01

    Virtual Forest is a web-based, open-access learning environment about forests designed for primary-school pupils between the ages of 10 and 13 years. It is pedagogically designed to develop an understanding of ecology, to enhance conceptual development and to give a holistic view of forest ecosystems. Various learning tools, such as concept maps,…

  15. Students' Perception of the Condition of Their Classroom Physical Learning Environment and Its Impact on Their Learning and Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asiyai, Romina

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the perception of secondary school students on the condition of their classroom physical learning environment and its impact on their learning and motivation. Four research questions were asked and answered using descriptive statistics while three hypotheses were formulated and tested using t-test statistics at 0.05 level of…

  16. A Qualitative Study of Learning Spaces at a Midwest Elementary School and Its Relationship to Student Attitudes about Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Limpert, Stefanie Marie

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between flexible learning environments and student attitudes about reading. Flexible learning environments are spaces wherein learners can choose from different seating or standing options, locations within the learning space, and the size group with which to work. This allows the learner to find the…

  17. E-Learning in Chemistry Education: Self-Regulated Learning in a Virtual Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eidelman, Rachel Rosanne; Shwartz, Yael

    2016-01-01

    The virtual Chemistry classroom is a learning environment for students that are willing to study Chemistry, but have no opportunity to do so at school. The program launched in 2015, and currently, there are 22 students in the 11th grade and 80 students in the 10th grade. This study investigates and characterizes the virtual learning environment,…

  18. A Networked Learning Model for Construction of Personal Learning Environments in Seventh Grade Life Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drexler, Wendy

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this design-based research case study was to apply a networked learning approach to a seventh grade science class at a public school in the southeastern United States. Students adapted Web applications to construct personal learning environments for in-depth scientific inquiry of poisonous and venomous life forms. API widgets were…

  19. Climate Conditioning for the Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perkins and Will, Architects, Chicago, IL.

    Discusses heating, cooling, and ventilation for the classroom in relationship to students' learning abilities. It is designed to assist school boards, administrators, architects and engineers in understanding the beneficial effects of total climate control, and in evaluating the climate conditioning systems available for schools. Discussion…

  20. An Australian Approach to School Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Leigh; Robinson, Taylor

    2009-01-01

    Contemporary education design strongly emphasises stimulating, adaptable learning environments, with spaces able to support various styles of teaching and learning. Delivering successful school buildings requires a close collaborative relationship between the architect and all key stakeholders from initial briefing through to project handover. The…

  1. An innovative program to address learning barriers in small schools: Washington State School Nurse Corps.

    PubMed

    Fast, Gail Ann; Gray, Lorali; Miles-Koehler, Mona

    2013-01-01

    While all schools in Washington State have had to deal with shrinking financial resources, small, rural school districts, with fewer than 2,000 students, face unique circumstances that further challenge their ability to meet rising student health needs. This article will explore how small districts utilize the services of the Washington State School Nurse Corps (SNC), an innovative program that supports student health and safety while reducing barriers to learning. Through direct registered nursing services and regional nurse administrative consultation and technical assistance, the SNC strengthens rural school districts' capacity to provide a safe and healthy learning environment. In addition, we will examine current research that links health and learning to discover how the SNC model is successful in addressing health risks as barriers to learning. Lastly, as resources continue to dwindle, partnerships between schools, the SNC, and state and local health and education organizations will be critical in maintaining health services and learning support to small, rural schools.

  2. Development of Participative Management System in Learning Environment Management for Small Sized Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernthaisong, Prasertsak; Sirisuthi, Chaiyuth; Wisetrinthong, Kanjana

    2017-01-01

    The research aimed to: 1) study the factors of a participative management system in learning environment management, 2) study the current situation, desirable outcomes, and further needs for developing a participative management system in learning management, 3) develop a working participative management system, and 4) assess the system's…

  3. Innovative Learning Environments and New Materialism: A Conjunctural Analysis of Pedagogic Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charteris, Jennifer; Smardon, Dianne; Nelson, Emily

    2017-01-01

    An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development research priority, innovative learning environments (ILEs) have been translated into policy and practice in 25 countries around the world. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, learning spaces are being reconceptualised in relation to this policy work by school leaders who are confronted by an impetus to…

  4. Computers and Individualized Instruction: Moving to Alternative Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbat, Richard J.

    The overall focus of this booklet is on planning for change that allows for integration of computers into articulated learning environments that will enhance the learning goal of students. The first chapter presents four major themes to increase the likelihood of combining computers and individualized instruction in schools: (1) a revitalized form…

  5. Managing Learning Experiences in an AACSB Environment: Beyond the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spruell, James; Hawkins, Al; Vicknair, David

    2009-01-01

    The study explores the development and management of a rich learning environment that extends the traditional classroom to include significant co-curricular programs. Learning enrichment is guided by the individual mission of the business school, accreditation agency (AACSB), and in our case, the Jesuit mission. That central framework provides a…

  6. Perceptions and Preferences of a Learning Environment: Multidimensional Scaling Approaches.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muscella, Deborah

    Thirty-two kindergarten children, nine parents, and two teachers participated in a study of classroom learning environments. Participants included lower and middle income White and Hispanic families; the children were enrolled in three schools in the southwestern United States. Both interviews and pictures of classroom learning events were used to…

  7. Interplay of Prior Knowledge, Self-Regulation and Motivation in Complex Multimedia Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, H. S.; Kalet, A. L.; Plass, J. L.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the direct and indirect effects of medical clerkship students' prior knowledge, self-regulation and motivation on learning performance in complex multimedia learning environments. The data from 386 medical clerkship students from six medical schools were analysed using structural equation modeling. The structural model revealed…

  8. Implications of Research on Effective Learning Environments for Initial Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conner, Lindsey; Sliwka, Anne

    2014-01-01

    As a result of multi-disciplinary research on learning, a consistent and comprehensive body of knowledge on effective learning environments is currently emerging (OECD 2010). While this evidence is increasingly influencing the academic and policy discourse on the improvement and innovation of schools, its impact on the design principles of…

  9. Collaborative Blended Learning Writing Environment: Effects on EFL Students' Writing Apprehension and Writing Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Challob, Ala'a Ismael; Bakar, Nadzrah Abu; Latif, Hafizah

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the effects of collaborative blended learning writing environment on students' writing apprehension and writing performance as perceived by a selected group of EFL students enrolled in one of the international schools in Malaysia. Qualitative case study method was employed using semi-structured interview, learning diaries and…

  10. A Blended and Face-to-Face Comparison of Teacher Professional Development: What's the Impact?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leake, Stephanie

    2014-01-01

    The availability and subsequent expansion in the use of online learning environments has provided a new avenue for teacher professional development: blended learning. While blended learning environments may provide attractive benefits to teachers and school administration, the impact of blended teacher professional development has been largely…

  11. Environment: A Learning Resource.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tasmanian Education Dept., Hobart (Australia).

    The aim of this document is to give teachers in Tasmania an understanding of the importance and usefulness of the environment as a learning resource both as an immediate stimulus for learning and for the long term process of forming sound community values. The document provides schools with a basis for the development of environmental resources…

  12. High Performance Schools--It's a No-Brainer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicklas, Mike

    2002-01-01

    A North Carolina middle school demonstrates that high performance, sustainable school buildings cost no more to build and are more comfortable and productive learning environments than conventional buildings. (Author)

  13. Developing Conceptual Framework for Revising Self-Learning Materials (SLMs) of the Open School (OS) of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) at a Digital Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeasmin, Sabina; Murthy, C. R. K.

    2011-01-01

    Bangladesh Open University (BOU) runs school programs as part of its academic activities through open schooling since its inception. As of today, the Open School uses the first generation self-learning materials (SLMs) written, before an era, following an in-house style and template. The concerned faculty member corrects, every year, texts before…

  14. Developing Conceptual Framework for Revising Self-Learning Materials (SLMs) of the Open School (OS) of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) at a Digital Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeasmin, Sabina; Murthy, C. R. K.

    2012-01-01

    Bangladesh Open University (BOU) runs school programs as part of its academic activities through open schooling since its inception. As of today, the Open School uses the first generation self-learning materials (SLMs) written, before an era, following an in-house style and template. The concerned faculty member corrects, every year, texts before…

  15. Home and School Resources as Predictors of Mathematics Performance in South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Visser, Mariette; Juan, Andrea; Feza, Nosisi

    2015-01-01

    The creation of an environment conducive to learning is vitally important in the academic achievement of learners. Such an environment extends beyond the classroom and school to include the home. It is from these environments that learners draw resources, both tangible and intangible, that impact on their educational experience. While current…

  16. A Comparison of Actual and Preferred Classroom Environments as Perceived by Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Hsiang-Ru; Chou, Wei-Lun; Miao, Nae-Fang; Wu, Yu-Ping; Lee, Pi-Hsia; Jwo, Jiunn-Chern

    2015-01-01

    Background: A good classroom environment can promote students' learning motivation and affect their academic efficacy and adaptation. This study compares the perceptions of Taiwanese middle school students regarding actual and preferred classroom environments and explores the association with sex and grade level. Methods: Data were collected using…

  17. Good Schools: What Research Says about Improving Student Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawley, Willis D.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    This journal, presented in monograph form, reviews research findings in order to identify elements that influence student academic achievement. Sections focus on effective teaching, effect of school leadership on achievement, schoolwide learning environment, learning resources, and parent involvement. An extensive bibliography is included. (DF)

  18. Does Your Facility Promote Educational Success?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGovern, Matthew

    2000-01-01

    Explains that schools must be maintained to ensure children have a good environment in which to learn and explores the following three components affecting a learning environment: site improvements; building shell; and interior spaces and systems. A building assessment form is included. (GR)

  19. Science Laboratory Learning Environments in Junior Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kwok, Ping Wai

    2015-01-01

    A Chinese version of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) was used to study the students' perceptions of the actual and preferred laboratory learning environments in Hong Kong junior secondary science lessons. Valid responses of the SLEI from 1932 students of grade 7 to grade 9 indicated that an open-ended inquiry approach seldom…

  20. A Review of Global Learning & Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Executive Office of the President, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is a worldwide, hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE supports students, teachers, and scientists in collaborations using inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the earth system. GLOBE currently works in close…

  1. Learning environment assessments of a single curriculum being taught at two medical schools 10,000 miles apart.

    PubMed

    Tackett, Sean; Shochet, Robert; Shilkofski, Nicole A; Colbert-Getz, Jorie; Rampal, Krishna; Abu Bakar, Hamidah; Wright, Scott

    2015-06-17

    Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (PUGSOM), the first graduate-entry medical school in Malaysia, was established in 2011 in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM), an American medical school. This study compared learning environments (LE) at these two schools, which shared the same overarching curriculum, along with a comparator Malaysian medical school, Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS). As a secondary aim, we compared 2 LE assessment tools - the widely-used Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) and the newer Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES). Students responded anonymously at the end of their first year of medical school to surveys which included DREEM, JHLES, single-item global LE assessment variables, and demographics questions. Respondents included 24/24 (100 %) students at PUGSOM, 100/120 (83 %) at JHUSOM, and 79/83 (95 %) at CUCMS. PUGSOM had the highest overall LE ratings (p < 0.05) [DREEM 155.3 (SD 21.3); JHLES 116.5 (SD 12.2)], followed by JHUSOM [DREEM 143.3 (SD 22.5); JHLES 111.7 (SD 12.0)] and CUCMS [DREEM 138.5 (SD 22.4); JHLES 106.4 (SD 14.5)]. PUGSOM's overall high LE ratings were driven by responses in "perception of teaching," "meaningful engagement," and "acceptance and safety" domains. JHLES detected significant differences across schools in 5/7 domains and had stronger correlations than DREEM to each global LE assessment variable. The inaugural class of medical students at PUGSOM rated their LE exceptionally highly, providing evidence that transporting a medical school curriculum may be successful. The JHLES showed promise as a LE assessment tool for use in international settings.

  2. Teaching and Learning in the Mixed-Reality Science Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolentino, Lisa; Birchfield, David; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen; Johnson-Glenberg, Mina C.; Kelliher, Aisling; Martinez, Christopher

    2009-12-01

    As emerging technologies become increasingly inexpensive and robust, there is an exciting opportunity to move beyond general purpose computing platforms to realize a new generation of K-12 technology-based learning environments. Mixed-reality technologies integrate real world components with interactive digital media to offer new potential to combine best practices in traditional science learning with the powerful affordances of audio/visual simulations. This paper introduces the realization of a learning environment called SMALLab, the Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Laboratory. We present a recent teaching experiment for high school chemistry students. A mix of qualitative and quantitative research documents the efficacy of this approach for students and teachers. We conclude that mixed-reality learning is viable in mainstream high school classrooms and that students can achieve significant learning gains when this technology is co-designed with educators.

  3. Safe school task force: University-community partnership to promote student development and a safer school environment.

    PubMed

    Adler, Corey; Chung-Do, Jane; Ongalibang, Ophelia

    2008-01-01

    The Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (APIYVPC) focuses its youth violence prevention efforts on community mobilization by partnering with Kailua High School and other local community groups. This paper describes the development and activities of the Safe School Task Force (SSTF) and the lessons learned. In response to concerns of school, community members, and students, the SSTF was organized to promote student leadership in raising awareness about problems related to violence. Collaboration among the school, community, and the university places students in leadership roles to reduce school violence and enhances their self-efficacy to improve their school environment. To increase SSTF effectiveness, more attention must be paid to student recruitment, consistent community partnerships, and gaining teacher buy-in. This partnership may be useful in multicultural communities to provide students the opportunities to learn about violence prevention strategies, community mobilization, and leadership skills.

  4. Exploring the Cognitive Loads of High-School Students as They Learn Concepts in Web-Based Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Cheng-Chieh; Yang, Fang-Ying

    2010-01-01

    This study measured high-school learners' cognitive load as they interacted with different web-based curriculum components, and examined the interactions between cognitive load and web-based concept learning. Participants in this study were 105 11th graders from an academic senior high school in Taiwan. An online, multimedia curriculum on the…

  5. Type and Use of Innovative Learning Environments in Australasian Schools. ILETC Survey 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Imms, Wesley; Mahat, Marian; Byers, Terry; Murphy, Dan

    2017-01-01

    This report provides results of a survey disseminated to over 6000 school principals in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Participants were invited to provide their perceptions of (1) the types of learning spaces in their schools; (2) the types of teaching approaches observed in those spaces; (3) the degree to which teachers in those spaces utilised…

  6. Moroccan Mothers' Involvement in Dialogic Literary Gatherings in a Catalan Urban Primary School: Increasing Educative Interactions and Improving Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Botton, Lena; Girbés, Sandra; Ruiz, Laura; Tellado, Itxaso

    2014-01-01

    This article analyses a case study on Moroccan mothers' involvement in the Dialogic Literary Gathering (DLG) in an urban primary school in Catalonia (Spain). DLG is a dialogic learning environment that improves reading skills and communicative abilities and promotes school-community links. This activity has been identified in previous European…

  7. Learning Activity Packets for High School Social Studies, American Studies, American History and Low Achieving Students. Course I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seif, Elliott

    The document presents student learning packets designed to provide an alternative social studies experience for high school students. The objective is to enable students to better understand themselves and their environment and other individuals and groups. Written at a junior high school reading level, the packets are intended to be used with low…

  8. PACER Model: Skills and Personal Characteristics of Alternative Elementary Free School and Open School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wardle, Francis

    This essay outlines the skills and qualities that an alternative, open, elementary school teacher should possess. These criteria are based on the PACER model of 30 students, age 4 to 12, learning in an ungraded, unstructured environment. (The PACER model adheres to the idea that all experiences and all learning situations are of equal importance.)…

  9. International Perspectives in LIS Education: Global Education, Research, and Collaboration at the SJSU School of Information

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirsh, Sandra; Simmons, Michelle Holschuh; Christensen, Paul; Sellar, Melanie; Stenström, Cheryl; Hagar, Christine; Bernier, Anthony; Faires, Debbie; Fisher, Jane; Alman, Susan

    2015-01-01

    The IFLA Trend Report identified five trends that will impact the information environment (IFLA, 2015), such as access to information with new technologies, online education for global learning, hyper-connected communities, and the global information environment. The faculty at San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) is…

  10. Improving the Acoustic Environment in Open Hall Schools. Educational Building Digest 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

    In the countries of the Asian region there is a long tradition of teaching and learning in large undivided halls. Articulation tests were carried out in schools in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore to explore the acoustic environment of hall-type schools in which teaching groups were separated by storage or chalkboard partitions. This…

  11. Healthy Schools, Healthy Futures: The Case for Improving School Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Alan C.

    This book addresses the school as a worksite for faculty, staff, and administrators; as a learning site for students; and as an important site for creating a healthy, productive environment. Born out of a commitment to health education as an essential strategy for maintaining public health, this book contends that the physical condition of the…

  12. Affinity Spaces: How Young People Live and Learn on Line and out of School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gee, James Paul

    2018-01-01

    In the digital age, young people's most powerful learning opportunities often occur online, in experiences and environments created by people working outside of the K-12 school system. In a sense, the internet has given new life to an older, less formal approach to education, in which individuals seek out and learn from others who share their…

  13. Virtual Reference Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brewer, Sally

    2003-01-01

    As the need to access information increases, school librarians must create virtual libraries. Linked to reliable reference resources, the virtual library extends the physical collection and library hours and lets students learn to use Web-based resources in a protected learning environment. The growing number of virtual schools increases the need…

  14. School Stuff: A Pedagogical Regime of Enunciation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanden Buverie, Lut; Simons, Maarten

    2017-01-01

    Although a large amount of ethnographic research has been conducted in schools, little is known about the particularity of the school, about what makes the school--as a school--different from other (learning) environments. As school ethnographies focus primarily on the perspectives and interpretations of pupils and teachers, the school itself…

  15. An application of the TROFLEI in secondary-school science classes in New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhan Koul, Rekha; Fisher, D. L.; Shaw, Toni

    2011-07-01

    Background and purpose: The present study reports on the findings of a study conducted in New Zealand using the actual and preferred forms of a classroom environment instrument, the Technology-Rich Outcomes-focussed Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) and three affective outcome scales. Main aims of this study were to validate the instrument for use in New Zealand; to investigate differences between students' perceptions of (a) actual and preferred learning environments, (b) year levels and (c) gender; and to investigate associations between science classroom learning environment, attitude and self-efficacy. Sample TROFLEI was administered to 1027 high-school students from 30 classes. Design and method The 80-item TROFLEI assesses 10 classroom environment dimensions: student cohesiveness, teacher support, involvement, investigation, task orientation, cooperation, equity, differentiation, computer usage and young adult ethos. The three affective outcome scales used in the study are attitude to subject, attitude to computers and academic efficacy. Results The validity and reliability of the TROFLEI and three affective outcome scales for use in New Zealand were established. Differences in actual and preferred scores confirmed that students participating in the study sought better learning environments. Female students generally perceived their technology-related learning environment more positively. Year-13 students had consistently higher means for most (8 out of 13) of the learning environment dimensions. Statistically significant associations were found between the scales of TROLFLEI and three affective outcome scales. Conclusions The results of this study assist us in understanding the psychosocial learning environments in New Zealand in a technology-supported classroom and to determine its effectiveness in terms of selected learner outcomes.

  16. Dynamic Scaffolding of Socially Regulated Learning in a Computer-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molenaar, Inge; Roda, Claudia; van Boxtel, Carla; Sleegers, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to test the effects of dynamically scaffolding social regulation of middle school students working in a computer-based learning environment. Dyads in the scaffolding condition (N=56) are supported with computer-generated scaffolds and students in the control condition (N=54) do not receive scaffolds. The scaffolds are…

  17. Creating an Optimal Language Learning Environment: A Focus on Family and Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Li-Rong Lilly

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the family systems and structures of our diverse populations is one of the most important tasks of professionals in education. Children learn from their family, school, and community. They learn from their experiences by observing, talking, and interacting with their environment. Parents play a pivotal role in the education of their…

  18. An Electronic Library-Based Learning Environment for Supporting Web-Based Problem-Solving Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsai, Pei-Shan; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Hung, Chun-Ming; Huang, Iwen

    2012-01-01

    This study aims to develop an electronic library-based learning environment to support teachers in developing web-based problem-solving activities and analyzing the online problem-solving behaviors of students. Two experiments were performed in this study. In study 1, an experiment on 103 elementary and high school teachers (the learning activity…

  19. Fifth Graders' Flow Experience in a Digital Game-Based Science Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zheng, Meixun

    2012-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined the flow experience of 5th graders in the CRYSTAL ISLAND game-based science learning environment. Participants were 73 5th graders from a suburban public school in the southeastern US. Quantitative data about students' science content learning and attitudes towards science was collected via pre-and post surveys.…

  20. Designing for Learning: Online Social Networks as a Classroom Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casey, Gail; Evans, Terry

    2011-01-01

    This paper deploys notions of emergence, connections, and designs for learning to conceptualize high school students' interactions when using online social media as a learning environment. It makes links to chaos and complexity theories and to fractal patterns as it reports on a part of the first author's action research study, conducted while she…

  1. The Challenge of Self-Directed and Self-Regulated Learning in Vocational Education: A Theoretical Analysis and Synthesis of Requirements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jossberger, Helen; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Boshuizen, Henny; van de Wiel, Margje

    2010-01-01

    Workplace simulations (WPS), authentic learning environments at school, are increasingly used in vocational education. This article provides a theoretical analysis and synthesis of requirements considering learner skills, characteristics of the learning environment and the role of the teacher that influence good functioning in WPS and foster…

  2. Barriers and Benefits to Learning in Natural Environments: Towards a Reconceptualisation of the Possibilities for Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dillon, Justin

    2013-06-01

    Policies designed to increase public engagement with biodiversity advocate increased education across a range of educational contexts. Evidence of the benefits of learning in natural environments (LINE) continues to be amassed. LINE affords direct benefits as diverse as educational, health and psychological and indirect benefits ranging from social to financial. Research into the value of LINE has failed to address the full range of benefits. Instead, there has been a narrow focus on easily measurable outcomes and a desire to seek answers to simplistic questions such as "does LINE raise standards more than learning in the classroom?" An attempt is made to outline the full range of benefits which are available to all school students. The outcomes include: benefits to individual participants (knowledge and understanding; skills; attitudes and behaviours; health and well-being; self-efficacy and self-worth); benefits to teachers, schools and the wider community, and benefits to the natural environment sector. Several barriers exist to the effective delivery of LINE. These barriers can be grouped into those that challenge the natural environment sector and those that challenge schools. The challenges facing the sector include a lack of a coordinated effective approach to working with schools at a local level. The challenges facing schools include those frequently mentioned such as the risk of accidents, cost and curriculum pressures. However, another set of challenges exists, at local, institutional and personal levels. These challenges include teachers' confidence, self-efficacy and their access to training in using natural environments close to the school and further afield.

  3. Barriers and Benefits to Learning in Natural Environments: Towards a Reconceptualisation of the Possibilities for Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dillon, Justin

    2012-12-01

    Policies designed to increase public engagement with biodiversity advocate increased education across a range of educational contexts. Evidence of the benefits of learning in natural environments (LINE) continues to be amassed. LINE affords direct benefits as diverse as educational, health and psychological and indirect benefits ranging from social to financial. Research into the value of LINE has failed to address the full range of benefits. Instead, there has been a narrow focus on easily measurable outcomes and a desire to seek answers to simplistic questions such as "does LINE raise standards more than learning in the classroom?" An attempt is made to outline the full range of benefits which are available to all school students. The outcomes include: benefits to individual participants (knowledge and understanding; skills; attitudes and behaviours; health and well-being; self-efficacy and self-worth); benefits to teachers, schools and the wider community, and benefits to the natural environment sector. Several barriers exist to the effective delivery of LINE. These barriers can be grouped into those that challenge the natural environment sector and those that challenge schools. The challenges facing the sector include a lack of a coordinated effective approach to working with schools at a local level. The challenges facing schools include those frequently mentioned such as the risk of accidents, cost and curriculum pressures. However, another set of challenges exists, at local, institutional and personal levels. These challenges include teachers' confidence, self-efficacy and their access to training in using natural environments close to the school and further afield.

  4. U.S. Declining Global Rankings in Math and Science and the Impact on Our National Security: Policy Options to Elicit Another Sputnik Moment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    to school adequately prepared. Self-regulation is the ability of students to take the necessary steps to ensure they are prepared to learn . A self... schools where students are provided with a positive social learning environment that promotes self-efficacy and emulation in the classroom that has... learning process. In 2002, approximately 26 percent of student in the U.S. came to school chronically unprepared (National Center for Education

  5. Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The information available here is presented as a tool to help school districts and facility planners design the next generation of learning environments so that the school facility will help, rather than hinder, schools in achieving their core mission

  6. LGBTQ Literature in Middle School Classrooms: Possibilities for Challenging Heteronormative Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dinkins, Elizabeth G.; Englert, Patrick

    2015-01-01

    This paper uses a case study approach to examine how the heteronormative nature of one middle school setting and classroom environment shapes the climate of safety, support and learning for LGBTQ students when they are engaged in studying a novel with a gay character. Heteronormative environments inform and shape positioning of and by students and…

  7. The Role of Virtual Learning Environment in Improving Information and Communication Technology Adoption in Teaching Exploring How Virtual Learning Environments Improve University Teacher's Attitudes about the Use of Information and Communication Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ageel, Mohammed

    2012-01-01

    The adoption of ICT-enabled teaching in contemporary schools has largely lagged behind despite its obvious and many benefits, mainly because teachers still hold ignorant, misinformed and highly negative attitudes towards ICT-enabled teaching. This article aimed at investigating the effect of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) on university…

  8. Why Teacher Voice Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahlenberg, Richard D.; Potter, Halley

    2014-01-01

    Kahlenberg and Potter report on research that shows when teachers are engaged in school decisions and collaborate with administrators and each other, school climate improves. The authors add, this promotes a better learning environment for students, which raises student achievement, and a better working environment for teachers, which reduces…

  9. Indoor Air Quality in High Performance Schools

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    High performance schools are facilities that improve the learning environment while saving energy, resources, and money. The key is understanding the lifetime value of high performance schools and effectively managing priorities, time, and budget.

  10. Indoor Air Quality in High Performance Schools

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2017-02-14

    High performance schools are facilities that improve the learning environment while saving energy, resources, and money. The key is understanding the lifetime value of high performance schools and effectively managing priorities, time, and budget.

  11. The Learning Environment Associated with Information Technology Education in Taiwan: Combining Psychosocial and Physical Aspects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Chia-Ju; Zandvliet, David B.; Hou, I.-Ling

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated perceptions of senior high school students towards the Taiwanese information technology (IT) classroom with the What Is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) survey and explored the physical learning environment of the IT classroom using the Computerised Classroom Environment Inventory (CCEI). The participants included 2,869…

  12. Validation of the "Chinese Language Classroom Learning Environment Inventory" for Investigating the Nature of Chinese Language Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lian, Chua Siew; Wong, Angela F. L.; Der-Thanq, Victor Chen

    2006-01-01

    The Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory (CLCEI) is a bilingual instrument developed for use in measuring students' and teachers' perceptions toward their Chinese Language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools. The English version of the CLCEI was customised from the English version of the "What is…

  13. Interactivity in the Online Learning Environment: A Study of Users of the North Carolina Virtual Public School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingerham, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Recent studies of online learning environments reveal the importance of interaction within the virtual environment. Abrami, Bernard, Bures, Borokhovski, and Tamim (2011) identify and study 3 types of student interactions: student-content, student-teacher, and student-student. This article builds on this classification of interactions as it…

  14. Student Teacher Views of Text in Early Learning Environments: Images from Sweden and New Zealand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mellgren, Elisabeth; Margrain, Valerie

    2015-01-01

    A total of 659 photographs of text in early childhood environments were gathered by student teachers in New Zealand and Sweden, replicating an earlier Swedish study [Gustafsson, K., & Mellgren, E. (2002)." Using text in pre-school: A Learning Environment." "Early Child Development and Care", 172(6), 603-624]. The findings…

  15. Outdoor Education Activities for Elementary School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Connie L.

    Outdoor education is an informal method of teaching and learning which offers opportunities for elementary school students, regardless of intellectual abilities, to learn about and appreciate their environment and acquire skills with which to enjoy a lifetime of creative, productive, and healthful living. Outdoor education can enrich, vitalize,…

  16. Using Invitational Learning to Address Writing Competence for Middle School Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ornelles, Cecily; Black, Rhonda S.

    2012-01-01

    This study describes the process of creating an Invitational Learning environment to improve the writing competence of middle school students in two special education classes. Teacher-student interactions were coded according to Purkey and Novak's (1996) Intentionality/Invitation Quadrant with levels corresponding to intentionally disinviting,…

  17. Daylighting in Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willi, John G.

    2003-01-01

    Describes how one elementary school was designed to be a flexible, innovative campus that connects learning and the learning environment. The celebration of nature is carried out in many ways within the building. Students are exposed to great vistas from every interior location. Daylighting is infused throughout the school to reinforce the desire…

  18. Transforming School Grounds into Natural Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keetch, Tammy

    1996-01-01

    Discusses the benefits as well as the concerns of changing traditional asphalt and turf grass grounds into educational resources. Benefits include an opportunity for hands-on learning, a softer and more creative area for play, a reduction in school ground violence among students, an ecologically improved landscape, and a reduction in maintenance…

  19. Tensions and Dilemmas in Leading Australia's Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurr, David; Drysdale, Lawrie

    2012-01-01

    In this article we address several tensions and dilemmas that are impacting on Australian principals and other school leaders. The first section explores areas associated with improving teaching and learning and includes discussion of education trends, the construction of new learning environments and the implication of these for more…

  20. Acoustics in Physical Education Settings: The Learning Roadblock

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Stu; Mendel, Lisa Lucks

    2010-01-01

    Background: The audibility of teachers and peers is an essential factor in determining the academic performance of school children. However, acoustic conditions in most classrooms are less than optimal and have been viewed as "hostile listening environments" that undermine the learning of children in school. While research has shown that…

  1. The School Climate Improvement "Process": Essential Elements. School Climate Brief, Number 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National School Climate Center, 2012

    2012-01-01

    Student learning and development are a function of both individual and systemic factors. Individual factors include students' motivation as well as their intellectual and social abilities. Systemic factors include teacher quality, administrative leadership, community engagement, and learning environments. The increasing numbers of children living…

  2. Learning Mathematics in the Mobile Phone Environment: Students' Emotions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daher, Wajeeh

    2011-01-01

    Researchers point at the importance of emotions and its study in mathematics education. This research examines middle school students' emotions during learning mathematics outdoors using the mobile phone. The constant comparison method was used to analyze 30 middle school students' emotions while carrying out 15 outdoor activities using the mobile…

  3. It's a Zoo out There!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henson, Kate

    2008-01-01

    Zoos can provide exciting educational opportunities for students to learn about a wide range of science subject matter. Zoos and similar nonschool sites have the added advantage of getting students out of school and into another environment, demonstrating that science learning can take place anywhere--not only in formal school settings. Through…

  4. Exploring Blended Learning for Science Teacher Professional Development in an African Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boitshwarelo, Bopelo

    2009-01-01

    This paper explores a case of teacher professional development in Botswana where a blended learning solution was attempted. The analysis of the implementation environment reveals deficiencies in policy, schools (workplaces), and training providers. The paper concludes with three recommendations: 1) Schools should support ongoing teacher learning…

  5. A model of influences on the clinical learning environment: the case for change at one U.S. medical school.

    PubMed

    Fleit, Howard B; Iuli, Richard J; Fischel, Janet E; Lu, Wei-Hsin; Chandran, Latha

    2017-03-23

    The learning environment within a school of medicine influences medical students' values and their professional development. Despite national requirements to monitor the learning environment, mistreatment of medical students persists. We designed a program called WE SMILE: We can Eradicate Student Mistreatment In the Learning Environment with a vision to enhance trainee and faculty awareness and ultimately eliminate medical student mistreatment. We provide a description of our program and early outcomes. The program has enhanced student awareness of what constitutes mistreatment and how to report it. Faculty members are also aware of the formal processes and procedures for review of such incidents. Our proposed model of influences on the learning environment and the clinical workforce informs the quality of trainee education and safety of patient care. Institutional leadership and culture play a prominent role in this model. Our integrated institutional response to learning environment concerns is offered as a strategy to improve policy awareness, reporting and management of student mistreatment concerns. Our WE SMILE program was developed to enhance education and awareness of what constitutes mistreatment and to provide multiple pathways for student reporting, with clear responsibilities for review, adjudication and enforcement. The program is demonstrating several signs of early success and is offered as a strategy for other schools to adopt or adapt. We have recognized a delicate balance between preserving student anonymity and informing them of specific actions taken. Providing students and other stakeholders with clear evidence of institutional response and accountability remains a key challenge. Multiple methods of reporting have been advantageous in eliciting information on learning environment infringements. These routes and types of reporting have enhanced our understanding of student perceptions and the specific contexts in which mistreatment occurs, allowing for targeted interventions. A common platform across the healthcare professions to report and review concerns has afforded us opportunities to deal with interprofessional issues in a respectful and trustworthy manner. We offer a model of learning environment influences with leadership and institutional culture at the helm, as a way to frame a comprehensive perspective on this challenging and complex concern.

  6. Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Terry T-K; Sorensen, Dina; Davis, Steven; Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Celentano, Joseph; Callahan, Kelly

    2013-01-01

    We developed a new tool, Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture, to provide practitioners in architecture and public health with a practical set of spatially organized and theory-based strategies for making school environments more conducive to learning about and practicing healthy eating by optimizing physical resources and learning spaces. The design guidelines, developed through multidisciplinary collaboration, cover 10 domains of the school food environment (eg, cafeteria, kitchen, garden) and 5 core healthy eating design principles. A school redesign project in Dillwyn, Virginia, used the tool to improve the schools’ ability to adopt a healthy nutrition curriculum and promote healthy eating. The new tool, now in a pilot version, is expected to evolve as its components are tested and evaluated through public health and design research. PMID:23449281

  7. Ecological Correlates of Children's Subjective School Outcomes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marjoribanks, Kevin

    1981-01-01

    Path analytic techniques examined relations between children's subjective school outcomes and measures of their family and school learning environments. A home interview assessed parents' orientations to education and children's perceptions of schools were obtained. Children's perceptions have links with school-related outcomes even when family…

  8. District-Wide PBIS Team Questions Related to Using the PBIS Framework to Transition Students with Challenging Behaviors from an Alternative School to a Neighborhood School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jolivette, Kristine; Swoszowski, Nicole C.; Josephs, Nikki L.; McDaniel, Sara C.; Ennis, Robin Parks

    2012-01-01

    Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) and those with challenging behaviors are often served in alternative education (AE) settings due to behavior that interferes with their learning and the learning of others to a degree that warrants placement outside of the traditional, neighborhood school environment. Placement in AE…

  9. An Integrated Look at Middle School Engagement and Learning in Digital Environments as Precursors to College Attendance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Z.; Baker, Ryan S.; Heffernan, Neil T.

    2017-01-01

    Middle school is an important phase in the academic trajectory, which plays a major role in the path to successful post-secondary outcomes such as going to college. Despite this, research on factors leading to college-going choices do not yet utilize the extensive fine-grained data now becoming available on middle school learning and engagement.…

  10. Effects of Language of Instruction on Learning of Literacy Skills among Pre-Primary School Children from Low-Income Urban Communities in Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hungi, Njora; Njagi, Joan; Wekulo, Patricia; Ngware, Moses

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates the relationship between the language of instruction and learning of literacy skills among pre-primary school children in a multilingual environment. The sample consists of 1867 learners from low-income urban households, attending 147 low-cost private pre-primary schools located in low-income areas of Nairobi, Kenya. About…

  11. The Influence of Teaching Methods and Learning Environment to the Student's Learning Achievement of Craft and Entrepreneurship Subjects at Vocational High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munawaroh

    2017-01-01

    This research aims to explain the influence of teacher's teaching methods and learning environment to the learning achievement in class XI with the competency of accounting expertise to the subjects of craft and entrepreneurship, according to the students, the subject was very heavy and dull. The population in this research are students in class…

  12. Finnish upper secondary students' collaborative processes in learning statistics in a CSCL environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaleva Oikarinen, Juho; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

    2014-04-01

    This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in statistics. The main aim of this study is to examine how student collaboration occurs in learning statistics in a CSCL environment. The data include material from videotaped classroom observations and the researcher's notes. In this paper, the inter-subjective phenomena of students' interactions in a CSCL environment are analysed by using a contact summary sheet (CSS). The development of the multi-dimensional coding procedure of the CSS instrument is presented. Aptly selected video episodes were transcribed and coded in terms of conversational acts, which were divided into non-task-related and task-related categories to depict students' levels of collaboration. The results show that collaborative learning (CL) can facilitate cohesion and responsibility and reduce students' feelings of detachment in our classless, periodic school system. The interactive .pdf material and collaboration in small groups enable statistical learning. It is concluded that CSCL is one possible method of promoting statistical teaching. CL using interactive materials seems to foster and facilitate statistical learning processes.

  13. Charter School Discipline: Examples of Policies and School Climate Efforts from the Field

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kern, Nora; Kim, Suzie

    2016-01-01

    Students need a safe and supportive school environment to maximize their academic and social-emotional learning potential. A school's discipline policies and practices directly impact school climate and student achievement. Together, discipline policies and positive school climate efforts can reinforce behavioral expectations and ensure student…

  14. Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Turning Crumbling Schools into Environments for Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Federation of Teachers, 2006

    2006-01-01

    This report was based on the responses of more than 1,000 school employees to a survey on the physical environment at their schools. Many of the responses revealed some startling building conditions, from students who have to wear coats and gloves in class to rats and mice entering classrooms through windows and cracks in walls. The report…

  15. Exploring Two Teachers' Engagement with Their Students in an Online Writing Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annamalai, Nagaletchimee; Tan, Kok Eng

    2015-01-01

    Little research in the ESL context has examined the online teaching and learning activities in high schools. One main reason is the lack of appropriate theoretical framework rather than the learners or the environment. Using data from twelve high school students and two teachers from two Malaysian schools, the current study adapted Borup et al.'s…

  16. Facilitating Exploratory Learning in Schools through Virtual Worlds: Experiences from a Course Run at a School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iqbal, Ahmer

    2012-01-01

    The following paper examines the results of a research study in which a virtual world, Quest Atlantis (QA), was used to engage students in exploratory learning to teach about water quality issues. The main aim of the research was to find out how new digital learning environments and educational technology, such as virtual worlds, can be introduced…

  17. Intertwining Digital Content and a One-to-One Laptop Environment in Teaching and Learning: Lessons from the Time to Know Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosen, Yigal; Beck-Hill, Dawne

    2012-01-01

    This study provides a comprehensive look at a constructivist one-to-one computing program's effects on teaching and learning practices as well as student learning achievements. The study participants were 476 fourth and fifth grade students and their teachers from four elementary schools from a school district in the Dallas, Texas, area. Findings…

  18. The Relationship between Classroom Environment and the Learning Style Preferences of Gifted Middle School Students and the Impact on Levels of Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rayneri, Letty J.; Gerber, Brian L.; Wiley, Larry P.

    2006-01-01

    Inconsistent performance by gifted students has been a source of frustration for both parents and educators for decades. Several studies on gifted under achievement point to a connection between student learning styles and classroom performance.This study examined the learning styles of gifted middle school students, student perceptions of the…

  19. Resources for Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The information available here is presented as a tool to help school districts and facility planners design the next generation of learning environments so that the school facility will help schools in achieving their core mission of educating children.

  20. Translating school health research to policy. School outcomes related to the health environment and changes in mathematics achievement.

    PubMed

    Snelling, Anastasia M; Belson, Sarah Irvine; Watts, Erin; George, Stephanie; Van Dyke, Hugo; Malloy, Elizabeth; Kalicki, Michelle

    2015-10-01

    This paper describes an exploration of the relationship between mathematic achievement and the school health environment relative to policy-driven changes in the school setting, specifically with regard to physical education/physical activity. Using school-level data, the authors seek to understand the relationship between mathematics achievement and the school health environment and physical education minutes. This work provides a description of the aspects of the school health environment, an exploration of the interrelationships between school health and student achievement, and an assessment of the effects of the school health policy and practice on student performance and health status. Based on these findings, we identify additional research necessary to describe the relationship between obesity and learning in children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The Malaysia DREEM: perceptions of medical students about the learning environment in a medical school in Malaysia

    PubMed Central

    Al-Naggar, Redhwan A; Abdulghani, Mahfoudh; Osman, Muhamed T; Al-Kubaisy, Waqar; Daher, Aqil Mohammad; Nor Aripin, Khairun Nain Bin; Assabri, Ali; Al-Hidabi, Dawood A; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham B Mohamed; Al-Rofaai, Ahmed; Ibrahim, Hisham S; Al-Talib, Hassanain; Al-Khateeb, Alyaa; Othman, Gamil Qasem; Abdulaziz, Qaid Ali; Chinna, Karuthan; Bobryshev, Yuri V

    2014-01-01

    Background Students’ perceptions of their learning environment, by defining its strengths and weaknesses, are important for continuous improvement of the educational environments and curriculum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of their learning environment, among medical students in Malaysia. Various aspects of the education environment were compared between year levels and sex. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2012. A total number of 438 medical students participated in this study, and the response rate was 87.6%. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Comparisons of the mean scores of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) subscales were calculated. The t-test was used to determine statistically significant differences. Results The majority of the study participants were female, Malay, and from year 3 (68.7%, 65.3%, and 55.7%; respectively). Analysis of each of the 50 items of the DREEM inventory showed that 47 items scored ranged between 2.00 and 3.00, and three items scored below 2.00. These were identified as problem areas in this medical school that are required to be critically addressed. The overall score showed that the medical students’ perceptions were positive. The students’ perception toward educational environment was positive for all five DREEM subscales. Conclusion The study found that, in general, the perceptions of the participants about the learning environment were positive. Nevertheless, the study also found there is a need for curriculum improvement in this school and identified priority areas for such improvement. PMID:24959093

  2. The Malaysia DREEM: perceptions of medical students about the learning environment in a medical school in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Al-Naggar, Redhwan A; Abdulghani, Mahfoudh; Osman, Muhamed T; Al-Kubaisy, Waqar; Daher, Aqil Mohammad; Nor Aripin, Khairun Nain Bin; Assabri, Ali; Al-Hidabi, Dawood A; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham B Mohamed; Al-Rofaai, Ahmed; Ibrahim, Hisham S; Al-Talib, Hassanain; Al-Khateeb, Alyaa; Othman, Gamil Qasem; Abdulaziz, Qaid Ali; Chinna, Karuthan; Bobryshev, Yuri V

    2014-01-01

    Students' perceptions of their learning environment, by defining its strengths and weaknesses, are important for continuous improvement of the educational environments and curriculum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore students' perceptions of their learning environment, among medical students in Malaysia. Various aspects of the education environment were compared between year levels and sex. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2012. A total number of 438 medical students participated in this study, and the response rate was 87.6%. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Comparisons of the mean scores of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) subscales were calculated. The t-test was used to determine statistically significant differences. The majority of the study participants were female, Malay, and from year 3 (68.7%, 65.3%, and 55.7%; respectively). Analysis of each of the 50 items of the DREEM inventory showed that 47 items scored ranged between 2.00 and 3.00, and three items scored below 2.00. These were identified as problem areas in this medical school that are required to be critically addressed. The overall score showed that the medical students' perceptions were positive. The students' perception toward educational environment was positive for all five DREEM subscales. The study found that, in general, the perceptions of the participants about the learning environment were positive. Nevertheless, the study also found there is a need for curriculum improvement in this school and identified priority areas for such improvement.

  3. General relativity in upper secondary school: Design and evaluation of an online learning environment using the model of educational reconstruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kersting, Magdalena; Henriksen, Ellen Karoline; Bøe, Maria Vetleseter; Angell, Carl

    2018-06-01

    Because of its abstract nature, Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity is rarely present in school physics curricula. Although the educational community has started to investigate ways of bringing general relativity to classrooms, field-tested educational material is rare. Employing the model of educational reconstruction, we present a collaborative online learning environment that was introduced to final year students (18-19 years old) in six Norwegian upper secondary physics classrooms. Design-based research methods guided the development of the learning resources, which were based on a sociocultural view of learning and a historical-philosophical approach to teaching general relativity. To characterize students' learning from and interaction with the learning environment we analyzed focus group interviews and students' oral and written responses to assigned problems and discussion tasks. Our findings show how design choices on different levels can support or hinder understanding of general relativity, leading to the formulation of design principles that help to foster qualitative understanding and encourage collaborative learning. The results indicate that upper secondary students can obtain a qualitative understanding of general relativity when provided with appropriately designed learning resources and sufficient scaffolding of learning through interaction with teacher and peers.

  4. Integrating Video-Capture Virtual Reality Technology into a Physically Interactive Learning Environment for English Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Jie Chi; Chen, Chih Hung; Jeng, Ming Chang

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study is to design and develop a Physically Interactive Learning Environment, the PILE system, by integrating video-capture virtual reality technology into a classroom. The system is designed for elementary school level English classes where students can interact with the system through physical movements. The system is designed to…

  5. A Virtual Learning Environment for the Continuation of Education and Its Relationship with the Mental Well-Being of Chronically Ill Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Chang; Van Winkel, Lies

    2016-01-01

    Research has shown that the continuation of education by chronically ill adolescents is an important way to avoid social isolation, psychosocial problems and the accumulation of learning difficulties. In this light, virtual learning environments (VLEs), which connect sick adolescents to their schools, play an important role in ensuring that the…

  6. Diagnosing Learners' Problem-Solving Strategies Using Learning Environments with Algorithmic Problems in Secondary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiesmuller, Ulrich

    2009-01-01

    At schools special learning and programming environments are often used in the field of algorithms. Particularly with regard to computer science lessons in secondary education, they are supposed to help novices to learn the basics of programming. In several parts of Germany (e.g., Bavaria) these fundamentals are taught as early as in the seventh…

  7. Exploring the Relationship between Virtual Learning Environment Preference, Use, and Learning Outcomes in 10th Grade Earth Science Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Ming-Chao; Tutwiler, M. Shane; Chang, Chun-Yen

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between the use of a three-dimensional Virtual Reality Learning Environment for Field Trip (3DVLE[subscript (ft)]) system and the achievement levels of senior high school earth science students. The 3DVLE[subscript (ft)] system was presented in two separate formats: Teacher Demonstrated Based and Student…

  8. Promoting Argumentation in Primary Science Contexts: An Analysis of Students' Interactions in Formal and Informal Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simon, S.; Johnson, S; Cavell, S.; Parsons, T.

    2012-01-01

    The paper reports on the outcomes of a study that utilized a graphical tool, Digalo, to stimulate argumentative interactions in both school and informal learning settings. Digalo was developed in a European study to explore argumentation in a range of learning environments. The focus here is on the potential for using Digalo in promoting…

  9. Effects of Cues and Real Objects on Learning in a Mobile Device Supported Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Tzu-Chien; Lin, Yi-Chun; Paas, Fred

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated whether arrow-line cues can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of learning in a mobile device supported learning environment on leaf morphology of plants, either with or without the use of real plants. A cued and un-cued condition, in which primary school students used text and pictures on a tablet PC, were compared…

  10. Students' perceptions of effective learning experiences in dental school: a qualitative study using a critical incident technique.

    PubMed

    Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Hogan, Sarah

    2006-02-01

    Students' views of their educational experience can be an important source of information for curriculum assessment. Although quantitative methods, particularly surveys, are frequently used to gather such data, fewer studies have employed qualitative methods to examine students' dental education experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore characteristics of effective learning experiences in dental school using a qualitative method. All third-year (seventy) and fourth-year (seventy) dental students enrolled in one midwestern dental school were invited to participate. Fifty-three dental students (thirty-five male and eighteen female; thirty-two third-year and twenty-one fourth-year) were interviewed using a critical incident interview technique. Each student was asked to describe a specific, particularly effective learning incident that he or she had experienced in dental school and a specific, particularly ineffective learning incident, for comparison. Each interview was audiotaped. Students were assured that only the interviewer and one additional researcher would have access to the tapes. Data analysis resulted in identification of key themes in the data describing characteristics of effective learning experiences. The following characteristics of effective learning experiences were identified: 1) instructor characteristics (personal qualities, "checking-in" with students, and an interactive style); 2) characteristics of the learning process (focus on the "big picture," modeling and demonstrations, opportunities to apply new knowledge, high-quality feedback, focus, specificity and relevance, and peer interactions); and 3) learning environment (culture of the learning environment, technology). Common themes emerged across a wide variety of learning incidents. Although additional research is needed, the characteristics of effective learning experiences identified in this study may have implications for individual course design and for the dental school curriculum as a whole.

  11. How Can Innovative Learning Environments Promote the Diffusion of Innovation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Osborne, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Schools implementing innovative learning environments (ILEs) face many challenges, including the need to discard previously cherished practices and behaviours, adjust mindsets, and invent successful new ways of operating. Leaders can support these processes by implementing structures that: i) support ongoing, distributed, participatory innovation;…

  12. Space ALIVE!: A Multimedia-Enhanced Collaborative Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Looi, Chee-Kit; Ang, D.

    2000-01-01

    Discusses online text-based collaborative learning environments such as Multi-User Dimensions (MUDs) and Object-Oriented MUDs (MOOs) and describes a multimedia-enhanced, Web-based MOO (WOO) called SpaceALIVE! that was the subject of a pilot project with Singapore secondary school students. (Contains 15 references.) (LRW)

  13. (Re)Designing Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edutopia, 2002

    2002-01-01

    This 20-page issue explores the opportunity for creating 21st century learning environments that not only focus on different kinds of educational architecture but also emphasize how time is used, teacher-student relationships, collaboration, the benefits of real-world projects, and community involvement. In Minnesota, high school juniors and…

  14. Nursing Student Perceptions of Structural Empowerment.

    PubMed

    Moore, Shelley C; Ward, Karen S

    To meet role expectations for nurses, nurses must feel empowered. Faculty contributions to the learning environment for nursing students are critical. A descriptive analysis of student perceptions of empowerment within the learning environment was conducted using a form of Kanter's Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire; 203 participants from schools in 17 different states completed surveys. Subjects demonstrated moderate degrees of structural empowerment in their learning environment. This positive finding can be further investigated and used to fully prepare future nurses.

  15. Unpacking socio-economic risks for reading and academic self-concept in primary school: Differential effects and the role of the preschool home learning environment.

    PubMed

    Crampton, Alexandria; Hall, James

    2017-09-01

    Uncertainty remains concerning how children's reading and academic self-concept are related and how these are differentially affected by social disadvantage and home learning environments. To contrast the impacts of early socio-economic risks and preschool home learning environments upon British children's reading abilities and academic self-concept between 7 and 10 years. n = 3,172 British children aged 3-10 years and their families. A secondary analysis of the nationally representative UK EPPE database. Multilevel structural equation modelling calculated the direct, indirect, and total impacts of early socio-economic risks (0-3 years) and preschool home learning environments (3-5 years) upon children's reading ability and academic self-concept between 7 and 10 years. Early socio-economic risk had different effects upon children's reading ability and academic self-concept. Early socio-economic risks affected children's reading at ages 7 and 10 both directly and indirectly via effects upon preschool home learning environments. By contrast, early socio-economic risks had only indirect effects upon children's academic self-concept via less stimulating home learning environments in the preschool period and by limiting reading abilities early on in primary school. Although the impacts of early socio-economic risks are larger and more easily observed upon reading than upon academic self-concept, they can impact both by making it less likely that children will experience enriching home learning environments during the preschool period. This has implications for social policymakers, early educators, and interventionists. Intervening early and improving preschool home learning environments can do more than raise children's reading abilities; secondary benefits may also be achievable upon children's self-concept. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  16. iSocial: delivering the Social Competence Intervention for Adolescents (SCI-A) in a 3D virtual learning environment for youth with high functioning autism.

    PubMed

    Stichter, Janine P; Laffey, James; Galyen, Krista; Herzog, Melissa

    2014-02-01

    One consistent area of need for students with autism spectrum disorders is in the area of social competence. However, the increasing need to provide qualified teachers to deliver evidence-based practices in areas like social competence leave schools, such as those found in rural areas, in need of support. Distance education and in particular, 3D Virtual Learning, holds great promise for supporting schools and youth to gain social competence through knowledge and social practice in context. iSocial, a distance education, 3D virtual learning environment implemented the 31-lesson social competence intervention for adolescents across three small cohorts totaling 11 students over a period of 4 months. Results demonstrated that the social competence curriculum was delivered with fidelity in the 3D virtual learning environment. Moreover, learning outcomes suggest that the iSocial approach shows promise for social competence benefits for youth.

  17. Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Educational Environment Supported by Computer Aided Presentations at Primary School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kose, Erdogan

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the educational environment supported by computer aided presentations at primary school. The effectiveness of the environment has been evaluated in terms of students' learning and remembering what they have learnt. In the study, we have compared experimental group and control group in…

  18. Middle School and High School Students Who Stutter: A Qualitative Investigation of School Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cobb, Tiffany R.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and further understand the ways in which middle school and high school students perceive their school experiences within the school environment. School has an important impact on the social development of children (Milsom, 2006). Learning is not done individually as classrooms are inherently social…

  19. Family and school influences on cognitive development.

    PubMed

    Rutter, M

    1985-09-01

    Family and school influences on cognitive development are reviewed in terms of the empirical research findings on (i) variations within the ordinary environment; (ii) family intervention studies; (iii) the effects of abnormal environments; (iv) extreme environmental conditions; (v) variations within the ordinary school environment; and (vi) preschool and school intervention studies. It is concluded that environmental effects on IQ are relatively modest within the normal range of environments, but that the effects of markedly disadvantageous circumstances are very substantial. Cognitive development is influenced both by direct effects on cognition and by indirect effects through alterations in self-concept, aspirations, attitudes to learning and styles of interaction with other people.

  20. The Future of America's Schools. Psychology's Role in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

    An environment in which children feel secure and achieve a sense of emotional well-being is an environment in which children can learn. Today, psychology's greatest contributions to education are those that promote student welfare and enhance educational effectiveness and student achievement. Schools mirror society; both are struggling with issues…

  1. Meeting the Challenge: Providing High-Quality School Environments through Energy Performance Contracting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birr, David

    2000-01-01

    Energy performance contracting allows schools to pay for needed new energy equipment and modernization improvements with savings from reduced utility and maintenance costs. Improved energy efficiency reduces demand for burning fossil fuels, which reduces air pollution, leading to improved learning environments and budgets (through improved average…

  2. A Song of Faith...a Song of Hope: Nathan Goldblatt School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nesslerodt, Pamela S.; Schaffer, Eugene C.

    1999-01-01

    This case study focuses on the ways an inner-city elementary school addresses the needs of students growing up in a "socially toxic" environment by providing a safe and orderly learning environment. Describes the implementation of the ideas of Mortimer Adler and the Paideia Program (1984). (SLD)

  3. Creating Learning Places for Teachers, Too.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frase, Larry E.; Conley, Sharon C.

    This book advances the premise that teachers, in addition to students, must be viewed as customers of the school. Teachers' jobs and work environments must therefore be redesigned for maximum professional growth and development. Unless teachers are supported in developing a quality work environment, efforts to improve schools will be marginally…

  4. Creativity in Technology Education Facilitated through Virtual Reality Learning Environments: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorsteinsson, Gisli; Page, Tom

    2007-01-01

    Innovation Education (IE) is a new subject area in Icelandic schools. The aim of the subject is to train students to identify the needs and problems in their environment and to develop solutions: a process of ideation. This activity has been classroom based but now a Virtual Reality Learning Environment technology (VRLE) has been designed to…

  5. Assessing High Order Thinking of Students Participating in the "WISE" Project in Israel.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tal, Revital; Hochberg, Nurit

    2003-01-01

    Studied the higher order thinking of 53 Israeli ninth graders in 3 schools using the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) learning environment to study about malaria. Findings show that all students used higher order thinking skills and that their English was good enough to use the WISE learning environment in the Israeli setting. (SLD)

  6. Instructional Leadership: The Role of Heads of Schools in Managing the Instructional Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manaseh, Aaron Mkanga

    2016-01-01

    Scholars and practitioners agree that instructional leadership (IL) can be one of the most useful tools for creating an effective teaching and learning environment. This paper investigates the instructional leadership practices engaged in by heads of secondary schools to enhance classroom instruction and students learning, particularly the way…

  7. Letting in the Sun: Native Youth Transform Their School with Murals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Alejandro; Hall, McClellan

    2007-01-01

    From a visual perspective, many disadvantaged students are assigned to schools that are dark, shabby and lifeless--more like a factory or fortress than a place for learning. Equally lifeless is the standard test-driven curriculum which utterly fails to tap the interests and talents of these students. Stultified learning environments are…

  8. Principal Perspectives about Policy Components and Practices for Reducing Cyberbullying in Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunley-Jenkins, Keisha Janine

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study explores large, urban, mid-western principal perspectives about cyberbullying and the policy components and practices that they have found effective and ineffective at reducing its occurrence and/or negative effect on their schools' learning environments. More specifically, the researcher was interested in learning more…

  9. Using Social Media to Reinforce Environmental Learning and Action-Taking for School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warner, Alan; Eames, Chris; Irving, Robyn

    2014-01-01

    Environmental experiences often engage learners and create an intention to act, which is then not followed through once the learner is removed from the environment. This study utilized an exploratory, interpretive framework with younger primary school classes to investigate if transfer of learning from field trip experiences "in" and…

  10. Whatever It Takes: A Mixed Methods Study Evaluating the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities across a District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    French, N. Shalene

    2013-01-01

    Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide the basis for meeting the challenges and expectations in today's educational environment. Effective PLCs provide the framework for school improvement and ultimately impact student academic success. School leadership is fundamental in this process (Bennis, 2009; Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009;…

  11. Motivating Mathematics Learning through an Integrated Technology Enhanced Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Many developed nations have a serious problem with a shortage in the supply of numerate graduates, fuelled by their school students' negative attitudes towards their future study of mathematics. At the same time, the smart phone and other personal sensing technological devices are becoming commonplace amongst students in schools and universities.…

  12. Does Online Game-Based Learning Work in Formal Education at School? A Case Study of VISOLE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jong, Morris S. Y.

    2015-01-01

    VISOLE (Virtual Interactive Student-Oriented Environment) is a teacher-facilitated pedagogical approach to integrating constructivist online game-based learning into formal curriculum teaching in school education. This paper reports a case study on the implementation of VISOLE in secondary Geography education. We compared the pedagogical…

  13. A New Creative Learning Centre at a Girls School in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Amanda

    2007-01-01

    Brisbane Girls Grammar School's new Creative Learning Centre was conceived to group arts studies which were previously scattered across the campus and to serve all students as a meeting place and technology hub. The building is specifically designed to provide the most flexible and innovative environment for teenaged girls, having special regard…

  14. Hey, We See It Differently! Lessons on Team Dynamics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walz, Lynn; Vandercook, Terri; Medwetz, Laura; Nelson, Marilyn; Thurlow, Martha

    This monograph summarizes lessons learned from the 5 years that the Together We're Better (TWB) program worked to create inclusive learning environments in four Minnesota school districts. Each of the partner districts established a collaborative core planning team to provide leadership and management of efforts toward school change and inclusive…

  15. Pre-Service Teacher Training at the Museum School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stetson, Ranae; Stroud, Nicole Devlin

    2014-01-01

    This article describes the powerful and long-term partnership between a museum preschool and a local university teacher preparation program. The authors describe the unique and rich learning environment of the Museum School and its dramatic and positive impact on pre-service teacher training. The hands-on learning experiences taught at the Museum…

  16. The Self-Schedule System for Instructional-Learning Management in Adaptive School Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Margaret C., Ed.

    The studies in this monograph are designed to examine the implementation processes of an innovative instructional program and the relationship between the implementation process and the achievement of certain program goals in school settings. The monograph is a contribution to the technical aspects of designing and implementing innovative…

  17. Case Study III: The University of Washington and Bellevue School District Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coburn, Cynthia E.; Penuel, William R.; Geil, Kimberly E.

    2015-01-01

    This design-research partnership involves learning scientists, design researchers, and graduate students from the Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center and the College of Education at the University of Washington (UW), and district staff, teachers, and students from the Bellevue School District (BSD). The goal of their work is…

  18. Blended Learning with Everyday Technologies to Activate Students' Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vesisenaho, Mikko; Valtonen, Teemu; Kukkonen, Jari; Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Hartikainen, Anu; Karkkainen, Sirpa

    2010-01-01

    Schools are facing challenges to meet the demands of the information society and the student generation of today. Not only are students carrying their mobile phones everywhere, they are also familiar with different online environments, especially social software. This situation can be seen both a challenge and a chance for schools, as mobile…

  19. Falling into LINE: School Strategies for Overcoming Challenges Associated with Learning in Natural Environments (LINE)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards-Jones, Andrew; Waite, Sue; Passy, Rowena

    2018-01-01

    As the benefits of outdoor learning have become of increasing interest to the education sector, so the importance of understanding and overcoming challenges associated with this pedagogy has gained greater significance. The Natural Connections Demonstration Project recruited primary, secondary, and special schools across south-west England with a…

  20. Blending Arts and Academics with a Community Spirit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Jennifer; Roberts, Patricia

    2013-01-01

    AIM Academy of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania is a K-12 school modeled after the Lab School of Washington. AIM promises its 200 students and their parents a unique and innovative learning environment. Applying the latest techniques proven to help children who learn differently, AIM Academy taps into students' talents in ways that are both fully…

  1. Impact of a Freshman Academy on Student Performance at a Comprehensive Public High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, Jose Angel, Jr.

    2012-01-01

    Previous high school research has highlighted the importance of students' freshman year. Limited research has supported the implementation of a smaller learning community, also known as a freshman academy. The theoretical framework of the study was based on stage environment fit, adolescence development and smaller learning community theories. The…

  2. Learning Computer Science Concepts with Scratch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meerbaum-Salant, Orni; Armoni, Michal; Ben-Ari, Mordechai

    2013-01-01

    Scratch is a visual programming environment that is widely used by young people. We investigated if Scratch can be used to teach concepts of computer science (CS). We developed learning materials for middle-school students that were designed according to the constructionist philosophy of Scratch and evaluated them in a few schools during two…

  3. We Are Familia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Almendariz, Abe Lujan; Villarreal, Micha; Rodriquez, Roy C.

    2001-01-01

    Describes the family-based administrative structure of the Alicia Chacon International School, a magnet elementary school in El Paso, Texas. Students are motivated to learn within the school's family environment through involvement in cultural activities, multilingual instruction, and family participation. (PKP)

  4. Gardening as a Learning Environment: A Study of Children's Perceptions and Understanding of School Gardens as Part of an International Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowker, Rob; Tearle, Penni

    2007-01-01

    This article considers the impact of the early stages of an international project, Gardens for Life (GfL), on children's perceptions of school gardening and on their learning. The project involved 67 schools in England, Kenya and India and focused on the growing of crops, recognising the importance of both the process and product of this activity…

  5. A Case Study of a Learner's Transition from Mainstream Schooling to a School for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN): Lessons for Mainstream Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pillay, Jace; Di Terlizzi, Marisa

    2009-01-01

    Currently there is an international shift towards inclusive education, a means of education according to which the learner is schooled in the least restrictive environment possible, to overcome his or her challenges to learning and development. Bearing this in mind we considered the experiences of a learner with learning difficulties who transited…

  6. Technologically Enhanced Language Learning in Primary Schools in England, France and Spain: Developing Linguistic Competence in a Technologically Enhanced Classroom Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Macrory, Gee; Chretien, Lucette; Ortega-Martin, Jose Luis

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on an EU-funded project (Ref: 134244-2007-UK-COMENIUS-CMP) that explored the impact of technology, notably video-conferencing, on primary school children's language learning in England, France and Spain. Data were gathered from the children in the project, their teachers and also from trainee teachers placed in the schools. The…

  7. A Brief Measure of Adolescent Perceptions of School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Nick; La Salle, Tamika; Ashby, Jeffrey S.; Meyers, Joel

    2014-01-01

    Student perceptions of school climate represent the ways students feel about the school environment. These include perceptions regarding safety, teaching and learning, and relationships within the school. It has been found that student perceptions of school climate are positively correlated with academic achievement (Brookover et al., 1978), and…

  8. Virtual Learning Environment for Interactive Engagement with Advanced Quantum Mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedersen, Mads Kock; Skyum, Birk; Heck, Robert; Müller, Romain; Bason, Mark; Lieberoth, Andreas; Sherson, Jacob F.

    2016-06-01

    A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats cannot. We present our virtual learning environment StudentResearcher, which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures, and gamification into a learning path for quantum mechanics at the advanced university level. StudentResearcher is built upon the experiences gathered from workshops with the citizen science game Quantum Moves at the high-school and university level, where the games were used extensively to illustrate the basic concepts of quantum mechanics. The first test of this new virtual learning environment was a 2014 course in advanced quantum mechanics at Aarhus University with 47 enrolled students. We found increased learning for the students who were more active on the platform independent of their previous performances.

  9. Technology-Supported Learning Environments in Science Classrooms in India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gupta, Adit; Fisher, Darrell

    2012-01-01

    The adoption of technology has created a major impact in the field of education at all levels. Technology-supported classroom learning environments, involving modern information and communication technologies, are also entering the Indian educational system in general and the schools in Jammu region (Jammu & Kashmir State, India) in…

  10. Learning the Basics with Calculus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stroup, Walter M.

    2005-01-01

    A critical issue related to the use of simulation environments in school-based learning is the relationship between the use of these environments and the structure of traditional curricula. Teachers are often caught in the bind of attempting to address significantly raised standards for what all students should know, yet receiving very little…

  11. The Contribution of Perceived Classroom Learning Environment and Motivation to Student Engagement in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tas, Yasemin

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated middle school students' engagement in science in relation to students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment (teacher support, student cohesiveness, and equity) and motivation (self-efficacy beliefs and achievement goals). The participants were 315 Turkish sixth and seventh grade students. Four hierarchical…

  12. Selecting Educational Equipment and Materials for School and Home.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moyer, Joan, Ed.

    This revised publication focuses on selection issues relating to multicultural anti-bias curriculum, diversity, and inclusion while giving special consideration to the use of computers in classrooms. The first part of the booklet deals with the learning environment. The first article, "Creating the Learning Environment: Context for Learning…

  13. Fans: An Integral Element of the Green Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolgelenter, Nina

    2011-01-01

    School districts' ongoing efforts to promote sustainability in America's education facilities are helping raise awareness of social responsibility and promoting the positive effects that greening their learning environments has on the general health and productivity of students. One institution that's taking the lead in this movement is Chandler…

  14. The Impact on Homes with a School-Provided Laptop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bu Shell, Shawna M.

    2012-01-01

    For decades, educational policy advocates have argued for providing technology to students to enhance their learning environments. From filmstrips (Oppenheimer, 1997) to desktop computers (Cuban, 2002) to laptops (Silvernail, 2009; Warschauer, 2006), they have attempted to change the environment and style in which students learn, and how tools can…

  15. Different Children's Perspectives on Their Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandberg, Gunilla

    2017-01-01

    This article reports and discusses findings from an ethnographic case study, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of how different children perceive their learning environment in the first grade of primary school, with regard to social as well as academic aspects. The theoretical framework is based on an interactional perspective, where…

  16. The "Double-Edged Sword" of the Adult Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Sara; Mitchell, Jane

    2013-01-01

    The vocational education and training sector plays a critical role in the provision of educational opportunities for young adults who have left school prior to completing a qualification. Some research has found that a major factor that supports student re-engagement in formal education is the "adult learning environment" that…

  17. The Components of Good Acoustics in a High Performance School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, William

    2009-01-01

    Acoustics has received greater importance in the learning environment in recent years. In August 2000, The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) published the study "Classroom Acoustics: A Resource for Creating Learning Environments with Desirable Listening Conditions" providing a framework for understanding the qualities, descriptors of the…

  18. Differences in Business Undergraduate Perceptions by Preferred Classroom Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blau, Gary; Mittal, Neha; Schirmer, Michael; Ozkan, Bora

    2017-01-01

    Online education continues to grow at business schools. The authors compared undergraduate business student perceptions across three different classroom learning delivery environments: online, hybrid, and face to face. Based on the survey responses using two independent samples, the authors' analyses found that students who preferred online…

  19. Spaces for Learning: Development and Validation of the School Physical and Campus Environment Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zandvliet, David; Broekhuizen, Avril

    2017-01-01

    The study of learning environments involves describing educational contexts and identifying empirical relationships among subject matter (curriculum), teaching practices and other environmental variables. In recent years, this has become a growing field of academic inquiry within elementary, secondary and post-secondary research. Investigations of…

  20. Effects of a Facility Dog on Student Learning and Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Jordana; Maldonado, Nancy

    2013-01-01

    Educators must consider alternative teaching strategies. Facility dogs as an instructional enhancement are an innovative teaching approach. This case study, guided by human-animal bond theory, investigated how the presence of a trained facility dog, Smooch, affected the school environment. Interviews, field notes and observations were used to…

  1. Real Learning in a Virtual World: A Case Study of the School of Information Studies' Learning Centre in Second Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hay, Lyn; Pymm, Bob

    2011-01-01

    Following a review of the online delivery of distance education programs within the School of Information Studies (SIS) program at Charles Sturt University, a team of academics worked with an external consultant to design a purpose built SIS Learning Centre in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world environment in which people (via their avatars) may…

  2. Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Office of Safe and Healthy Students, US Department of Education, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Each school day, our nation's schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the…

  3. Critical Connections: Health and Academics

    PubMed Central

    Michael, Shannon L; Merlo, Caitlin L; Basch, Charles E; Wentzel, Kathryn R; Wechsler, Howell

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND While it is a national priority to support the health and education of students, these sectors must better align, integrate, and collaborate to achieve this priority. This article summarizes the literature on the connection between health and academic achievement using the Whole School, Whole Community, and Whole Child (WSCC) framework as a way to address health-related barriers to learning. METHODS A literature review was conducted on the association between student health and academic achievement. RESULTS Most of the evidence examined the association between student health behaviors and academic achievement, with physical activity having the most published studies and consistent findings. The evidence supports the need for school health services by demonstrating the association between chronic conditions and decreased achievement. Safe and positive school environments were associated with improved health behaviors and achievement. Engaging families and community members in schools also had a positive effect on students' health and achievement. CONCLUSIONS Schools can improve the health and learning of students by supporting opportunities to learn about and practice healthy behaviors, providing school health services, creating safe and positive school environments, and engaging families and community. This evidence supports WSCC as a potential framework for achieving national educational and health goals. PMID:26440816

  4. Critical connections: health and academics.

    PubMed

    Michael, Shannon L; Merlo, Caitlin L; Basch, Charles E; Wentzel, Kathryn R; Wechsler, Howell

    2015-11-01

    While it is a national priority to support the health and education of students, these sectors must better align, integrate, and collaborate to achieve this priority. This article summarizes the literature on the connection between health and academic achievement using the Whole School, Whole Community, and Whole Child (WSCC) framework as a way to address health-related barriers to learning. A literature review was conducted on the association between student health and academic achievement. Most of the evidence examined the association between student health behaviors and academic achievement, with physical activity having the most published studies and consistent findings. The evidence supports the need for school health services by demonstrating the association between chronic conditions and decreased achievement. Safe and positive school environments were associated with improved health behaviors and achievement. Engaging families and community members in schools also had a positive effect on students' health and achievement. Schools can improve the health and learning of students by supporting opportunities to learn about and practice healthy behaviors, providing school health services, creating safe and positive school environments, and engaging families and community. This evidence supports WSCC as a potential framework for achieving national educational and health goals. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of School Health published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American School Health Association.

  5. A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway.

    PubMed

    Lieblein, Vaiva Sunniva Deraas; Warne, Maria; Huot, Suzanne; Laliberte Rudman, Debbie; Raanaas, Ruth Kjærsti

    2018-12-01

    Although high school graduation is important for living conditions and health throughout life, many students do not complete. In Norway's northern most county, Finnmark, up to 45% of students do not complete high school. Contrary to prior research that has primarily focused on causes for dropout, this study's aim was to deepen understanding of factors that support high school attendance. A strengths-based participatory approach using photovoice addressed attendance factors as perceived by seven participating students from one high school in Finnmark. Qualitative content analysis of data generated through group dialogue about participant-generated photos and individual interviews identified six factors important for students' school attendance: a supportive school environment, a good learning environment, recuperation and recreation, family and friends, goals and ambitions, and place attachment. Related aspects of a supportive environment and belongingness, where school staff made important contributions to promoting a positive environment, were essential.

  6. Middle School Buildings for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses "pods,""team areas," and "houses" as middle school physical environments that support the type of learning opportunities young adolescents need. Offers examples of such school designs from Cleveland, Tennessee; British Columbia; and Milledgeville, Georgia. Concludes by suggesting specifications for new middle school buildings. (EV)

  7. Moving Past Curricula and Strategies: Language and the Development of Adaptive Pedagogy for Immersive Learning Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hand, Brian; Cavagnetto, Andy; Chen, Ying-Chih; Park, Soonhye

    2016-04-01

    Given current concerns internationally about student performance in science and the need to shift how science is being learnt in schools, as a community, we need to shift how we approach the issue of learning and teaching in science. In the future, we are going to have to close the gap between how students construct and engage with knowledge in a media-rich environment, and how school classroom environments engage them. This is going to require a shift to immersive environments where attention is paid to the knowledge bases and resources students bring into the classroom. Teachers will have to adopt adaptive pedagogical approaches that are framed around a more nuanced understanding of epistemological orientation, language and the nature of prosocial environments.

  8. Beyond Performance Data: Improving Student Help Seeking by Collecting and Displaying Influential Data in an Online Middle-School Science Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daley, Samantha G.; Hillaire, Garron; Sutherland, LeeAnn M.

    2016-01-01

    Technology makes possible abundant new opportunities to capture and display data in online learning environments. We describe here an example of using these opportunities to improve students' use of the rich supports available in online learning environments. We describe an example of a blended learning experience that uses an online inquiry-based…

  9. Gearsketch: An Adaptive Drawing-Based Learning Environment for the Gears Domain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leenaars, Frank A.; Joolingen, Wouter R.; Gijlers, Hannie; Bollen, Lars

    2014-01-01

    GearSketch is a learning environment for the gears domain, aimed at students in the final years of primary school. It is designed for use with a touchscreen device and is based on ideas from drawing-based learning and research on cognitive tutors. At the heart of GearSketch is a domain model that is used to transform learners' strokes into…

  10. What Can Technology Offer to Linguistically Diverse Classrooms? Using Multilingual Content in a Computer-Based Learning Environment for Primary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Laere, Evelien; Rosiers, Kirsten; Van Avermaet, Piet; Slembrouck, Stef; van Braak, Johan

    2017-01-01

    Computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) have the potential to integrate the linguistic diversity present in classrooms as a resourceful tool in pupils' learning process. Particularly for pupils who speak a language at home other than the language which is used at school, more understanding is needed on how CBLEs offering multilingual content…

  11. Year 9 Student Voices Negotiating Digital Tools and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in a Bilingual Managed Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freihofner, Ulla; Smala, Simone; Campbell, Chris

    2016-01-01

    The increase in the use of educational technologies in Australian high schools has sparked this investigation into how Year 9 (13 to 14 years of age) students experience and negotiate a new technology enhanced learning environment in a bilingual classroom setting. The paper is about examining the students' language practices in German and English…

  12. A Framework to Support Mobile Learning in Multilingual Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jantjies, Mmaki E.; Joy, Mike

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a multilingual mobile learning framework that can be used to support the pedagogical development of mobile learning systems which can support learning in under-resourced multilingual schools. The framework has been developed following two empirical mobile learning studies. Both studies were conducted in multilingual South…

  13. A Case Study of Learning Architecture and Reciprocity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Anne B.

    2009-01-01

    This ethnographic case study follows the trajectory of one child's learning disposition, reciprocity, and its relationship to the "learning architecture" of her early childhood and primary school learning environments, over eighteen months. Learning dispositions are coping strategies or habits of mind, and tendencies to respond to and select from…

  14. Student Learning Theory Goes (Back) to (High) School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginns, Paul; Martin, Andrew J.; Papworth, Brad

    2014-01-01

    Biggs' 3P (Presage-Process-Product) model, a key framework in Student Learning Theory, provides a powerful means of understanding relations between students' perceptions of the teaching and learning environment, learning strategies, and learning outcomes. While influential in higher education, fewer tests of the model in secondary education…

  15. The Integration of technology in teaching mathematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muhtadi, D.; Wahyudin; Kartasasmita, B. G.; Prahmana, R. C. I.

    2017-12-01

    This paper presents the Transformation of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) of three pre-service math teacher. They participate in technology-based learning modules aligned with teaching practice taught school and became characteristic of teaching method by using the mathematical software. ICT-based learning environment has been the demands in practice learning to build a more effective approach to the learning process of students. Also, this paper presents the results of research on learning mathematics in middle school that shows the influence of design teaching on knowledge of math content specifically.

  16. Learning through school meals?

    PubMed

    Benn, Jette; Carlsson, Monica

    2014-07-01

    This article is based on a qualitative multiple case study aimed at evaluating the effects of free school meal interventions on pupils' learning, and on the learning environment in schools. The study was conducted at four schools, each offering free school meals for 20 weeks. At each school individual and focus group interviews were conducted with students in grades 5 to 7 and grades 8 to 9. Furthermore, students were observed during lunch breaks, and interviews were conducted with the class teacher, headmaster and/or the person responsible for school meals. The purpose of the article is to explore the learning potentials of school meals. The cross-case analysis focuses on the involved actors' perceptions of the school meal project and the meals, including places, times and contexts, and the pupils' concepts and competences in relation to food, meals and health, as well as their involvement in the school meal project. The analysis indicates that the pupils have developed knowledge and skills related to novel foods and dishes, and that school meals can contribute to pupils' learning, whether this learning is planned or not. However, if school meals are to be further developed as an arena for learning, greater consideration must be given to the interaction between pupil, school meal and teacher than in the school meal projects presented in this study, and the potentials for learning through school meals clarified and discussed in the schools. Studying the school meal projects raises a number of dilemmas, such as whether the lunch break should be a part of or a break from education, are school meals a common (school) or private (parent) responsibility, and questions about pupils' and teachers' roles and participation in school meals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Using Instructional Pervasive Game for School Children's Cultural Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Cheng-Ping; Shih, Ju-Ling; Ma, Yi-Chun

    2014-01-01

    In the past ten years, mobile learning (m-learning) has created a new learning environment that enables learners, through active learning aids. Instructional pervasive gaming (IPG) seems to be an innovative way introduced to enhance m-learning. This study employed a theoretical IPG model to construct a cultural-based pervasive game. Individual and…

  18. Concept Cartoons Supported Problem Based Learning Method in Middle School Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balim, Ali Günay; Inel-Ekici, Didem; Özcan, Erkan

    2016-01-01

    Problem based learning, in which events from daily life are presented as interesting scenarios, is one of the active learning approaches that encourages students to self-direct learning. Problem based learning, generally used in higher education, requires students to use high end thinking skills in learning environments. In order to use…

  19. The "Big Box"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gran, Warren; Krudwig, Kevin

    2007-01-01

    The small-schools movement has revolutionized educational concepts, design and construction. By reconfiguring large high schools into smaller learning academies, districts believe they can educate students more effectively. However, planners face numerous challenges in creating or renovating small schools, especially in urban environments where…

  20. Adjusted Framework of M-Learning in Blended Learning System for Mathematics Study Field of Junior High School Level VII

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugiyanta, Lipur; Sukardjo, Moch.

    2018-04-01

    The 2013 curriculum requires teachers to be more productive, creative, and innovative in encouraging students to be more independent by strengthening attitudes, skills and knowledge. Teachers are given the options to create lesson plan according to the environment and conditions of their students. At the junior level, Core Competence (KI) and Basic Competence (KD) have been completely designed. In addition, there had already guidebooks, both for teacher manuals (Master’s Books) and for learners (Student Books). The lesson plan and guidebooks which already exist are intended only for learning in the classroom/in-school. Many alternative classrooms and alternatives learning models opened up using educational technology. The advance of educational technology opened opportunity for combination of class interaction using mobile learning applications. Mobile learning has rapidly evolved in education for the last ten years and many initiatives have been conducted worldwide. However, few of these efforts have produced any lasting outcomes. It is evident that mobile education applications are complex and hence, will not become sustainable. Long-term sustainability remains a risk. Long-term sustainability usually was resulted from continuous adaptation to changing conditions [4]. Frameworks are therefore required to avoid sustainability pitfalls. The implementation should start from simple environment then gradually become complex through adaptation steps. Therefore, our paper developed the framework of mobile learning (m-learning) adaptation for grade 7th (junior high school). The environment setup was blended mobile learning (not full mobile learning) and emphasize on Algebra. The research is done by R&D method (research and development). Results of the framework includes requirements and adaptation steps. The adjusted m-learning framework is designed to be a guidance for teachers to adopt m-learning to support blended learning environments. During mock-up prototype, the adjusted framework demonstrates how to make successful implementation of early blended mobile learning through framework. The Social area is in focus of adaptation because participation is important to improve the sustainability. From the short practice of mock-up prototype, blended mobile learning can be an effective pedagogical model in supporting students in inquiry-based learning.

  1. The deaf and the classroom design: a contribution of the built environmental ergonomics for the accessibility.

    PubMed

    Martins, Laura Bezerra; Gaudiot, Denise Mariasimões Freire

    2012-01-01

    In any concept of school design, classroom occupies the central place. Dimensions, lighting, the equipment needed, ventilation are old questions already answered, even in form of laws and standards adopted. However, the best use of available materials and physical conditions of comfort is not sufficient for a classroom design guaranteed success. The classroom should provide deaf students elements to facilitate the learning process, eliminating as much as possible the obstacles created by lack of hearing and allowing them to have the same access to learning as a listener student. As users of a school building, teachers, students, parents and staff are the best evaluators of the physical environment of schools. The environmental comfort is a largest ally of pedagogy. The learning comes from the perception and the concentration of students in the classroom. The purpose of this study is to detect the role of direct perception (physical) and indirect (intangible) elements that informs and have symbolic value, and propose layouts for accessible classrooms to deaf students. The ergonomics of the built environment evaluation methods could use the participatory design method tools as basis to assessing how users perceive and use the school environment.

  2. Investigating engagement, thinking, and learning among culturally diverse, urban sixth graders experiencing an inquiry-based science curriculum, contextualized in the local environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelley, Sybil Schantz

    This mixed-methods study combined pragmatism, sociocultural perspectives, and systems thinking concepts to investigate students' engagement, thinking, and learning in science in an urban, K-8 arts, science, and technology magnet school. A grant-funded school-university partnership supported the implementation of an inquiry-based science curriculum, contextualized in the local environment through field experiences. The researcher worked as co-teacher of 3 sixth-grade science classes and was deeply involved in the daily routines of the school. The purposes of the study were to build a deeper understanding of the complex interactions that take place in an urban science classroom, including challenges related to implementing culturally-relevant instruction; and to offer insight into the role educational systems play in supporting teaching and learning. The central hypothesis was that connecting learning to meaningful experiences in the local environment can provide culturally accessible points of engagement from which to build science learning. Descriptive measures provided an assessment of students' engagement in science activities, as well as their levels of thinking and learning throughout the school year. Combined with analyses of students' work files and focus group responses, these findings provided strong evidence of engagement attributable to the inquiry-based curriculum. In some instances, degree of engagement was found to be affected by student "reluctance" and "resistance," terms defined but needing further examination. A confounding result showed marked increases in thinking levels coupled with stasis or decrease in learning. Congruent with past studies, data indicated the presence of tension between the diverse cultures of students and the mainstream cultures of school and science. Findings were synthesized with existing literature to generate the study's principal product, a grounded theory model representing the complex, interacting factors involved in teaching and learning. The model shows that to support learning and to overcome cultural tensions, there must be alignment among three main forces or "causal factors": students, teaching, and school climate. Conclusions emphasize system-level changes to support science learning, including individualized support for students in the form of differentiated instruction; focus on excellence in teaching, particularly through career-spanning professional support for teachers; and attention to identifying key leverage points for implementing effective change.

  3. LEARN-TEACH: a pilot to boost Ocean Literacy in High Schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grigorov, Ivo; Payne, Diana; Vogt, Bynna; Knappe, Charlotte; Riedel, Werner

    2017-04-01

    Raising the Ocean Literacy of all levels of society is now a policy priority for the European Commission. The long-term objective is better appreciation of the socio-economic benefits and ecosystem services that the marine environment provides, and encourage better stewardship of the seas. One long-term, and potentially self-sustainable, concept is to put sufficient mutual incentives in place so that researchers, teachers and students in high-schools science and mathematics classes accessorize school curricula with the latest marine research results and knowledge. Summary of preliminary teachers consultations at Copenhagen International School suggest that teachers are prepared and willing to include recent marine research, research data and knowledge in high school science classes and carry over the research data to mathematics/statistics classes and exercises. However the active participation of researchers is sought to provide guidance and translation of latest research findings, and point to real data sources. LEARN-TEACH Pilot`s main objective is to test a long-term scalable and locally applicable solution for engaging young people in marine environment issues and challenges. LEARN-TEACH sustainability of concept relies on mutual training and clear mutual incentives. For the teachers, it allows an opportunity to understand and inject recent research in the school curriculum in order to "increase the level of knowledge among the population of the marine environment". For the researchers, LEARN-TEACH is tailored as a tool for outreach and dissmination, as well as exposing young marine researchers to the challenges of translating and communicating research to non-academic audiences, and potentially an alternative career. The presentation will demonstrate how LEARN-TEACH can be embedded in every research grant in any EU region, and how it can add a competitive edge at research grant proposal evaluation. The content is based on the "Blue Schools" initiative of Horizon 2020 SeaChange Consortium, an EC Ocean Literacy project (www.seachangeproject.eu)

  4. A Peer-Assisted Learning Experience in Computer Programming Language Learning and Developing Computer Programming Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altintas, Tugba; Gunes, Ali; Sayan, Hamiyet

    2016-01-01

    Peer learning or, as commonly expressed, peer-assisted learning (PAL) involves school students who actively assist others to learn and in turn benefit from an effective learning environment. This research was designed to support students in becoming more autonomous in their learning, help them enhance their confidence level in tackling computer…

  5. Inequalities in School Climate in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jain, Sonia; Cohen, Alison K.; Huang, Kevin; Hanson, Thomas L.; Austin, Gregory

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: School climate, or the physical and social conditions of the learning environment, has implications for academic achievement. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors examine how school climate varies by school-level characteristics in California using administrative data and the California School…

  6. Light Moves: Integrating Daylight into School Design from the Start

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brossy de Dios, Eric; Rogic, Tinka; Vaughn, Wendell

    2010-01-01

    Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of daylight on the learning environment. Enhanced student performance and mood, increased teacher and student attendance, reduced energy costs, as well as a positive effect on the environment are some of the improvements seen in school buildings that use well-planned daylighting concepts. Looking at…

  7. The Effect of PBIS on the School Environment and Test Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buettner, Denise A.

    2013-01-01

    Since the beginning of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program in the Study School District there has not been an evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing student discipline referrals and student suspensions and its success in promoting a positive learning environment leading to improved academic achievement. This study…

  8. Schoolchildren and Drugs: The Fancy That Has Not Passed. Kappan Special Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawley, Richard A.

    1987-01-01

    Explores the destructive effects of student drug use on students, teachers, and the learning environment of public schools. Discusses healthy child development and the historical background of illegal drug use, and suggests strategies to produce a drug- and alcohol-free school environment with firm, clear institutional policies. (MLH)

  9. Technology and Group Leadership Training: Teaching Group Counseling in an Online Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krieger, Kenin M.; Stockton, Rex

    2004-01-01

    As online learning and pedagogy advances, more collegiate-level courses are being held in online environments. This article includes an illustration of such a course for school counselors, administrators, and mental health counselors who currently design and conduct counseling groups for school-aged children as well as suggestions for…

  10. Architecting the "Third Teacher": Solid Foundations for the Participatory and Principled Design of Schools and (Built) Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Tony

    2017-01-01

    This issue of the "European Journal of Education" examines a crucially important, though largely overlooked, area in educational design research: architecting and building physical educational environments. Effective policymaking in school design necessitates the negotiated, shared and timely input of key educational stakeholders,…

  11. Positive Behavior Supports: A Study of Implementation at the Intermediate School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hasson, Robert C., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    Public schools are faced with the ever-increasing pressure of maintaining a safe learning environment while continuously improving student performance. Also, there has been a growing concern among administrators and teachers for implementing an effective discipline plan that will keep students in class and engaged in learning as much as possible.…

  12. Improving Mathematics Teaching and Learning Experiences for Hard of Hearing Students with Wireless Technology-Enhanced Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Chen-Chung; Chou, Chien-Chia; Liu, Baw-Jhiune; Yang, Jui-Wen

    2006-01-01

    Hard of hearing students usually face more difficulties at school than other students. A classroom environment with wireless technology was implemented to explore whether wireless technology could enhance mathematics learning and teaching activities for a hearing teacher and her 7 hard of hearing students in a Taiwan junior high school.…

  13. Enhancing Learning Environments through Solution-based Knowledge Discovery Tools: Forecasting for Self-Perpetuating Systemic Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsantis, Linda; Castellani, John

    2001-01-01

    This article explores how knowledge-discovery applications can empower educators with the information they need to provide anticipatory guidance for teaching and learning, forecast school and district needs, and find critical markers for making the best program decisions for children and youth with disabilities. Data mining for schools is…

  14. Motivating the Learning of Science Topics in Secondary School: A Constructivist Edutainment Setting for Studying Chaos

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertacchini, Francesca; Bilotta, Eleonora; Pantano, Pietro; Tavernise, Assunta

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we present an Edutainment (education plus entertainment) secondary school setting based on the construction of artifacts and manipulation of virtual contents (images, sound, and music) connected to Chaos. This interactive learning environment also foresees the use of a virtual theatre, by which students can manipulate 3D contents…

  15. Assessing Middle School Student Participation in Online vs. Face-to-Face Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oravetz, Cathleen L.

    2011-01-01

    Educators have observed reluctance in middle school students to vocally engage in small group learning tasks, the result of which could be a decrease in student learning. The same students have been observed collaborating with peers outside of the classroom when using technology. The purpose of this study is to determine if technology provides a…

  16. Relational Teaching with Black Boys: Strategies for Learning at a Single-Sex Middle School for Boys of Color

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Joseph Derrick

    2016-01-01

    Background/Context: Positive teacher-student relationships are critical for Black boys' learning across single-sex and coeducational environments. Limited attention to these relationships by school professionals is rooted in deficit-oriented conceptions of boyhood and Black masculinity. The popular message of deficiency and pathology is clear:…

  17. Technology-Based Participatory Learning for Indigenous Children in Chiapas Schools, Mexico

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heredia, Yolanda; Icaza, Jose I.

    2012-01-01

    This research created a technology-based learning environment at two schools belonging to the National Council of Educational Development (CONAFE) for indigenous children in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The purpose of the study was to describe the educational impact of using the Classmate PC netbooks and the Sugar Educational Platform in the…

  18. Improving the Capacity of School System Leaders and Teachers to Design Productive Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheppard, Bruce; Dibbon, David

    2011-01-01

    In this article we report on the results of an innovative research partnership with the largest school district in one Canadian province where we are exploring how educational leadership practices and the factors that influence these practices interact to impact student learning. This article makes a clear connection between leadership and student…

  19. Freedom Schools Then and Now: A Transformative Approach to Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Marcia

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical and conceptual link between Ella Baker's Freedom School model and Paulo Freire's demand for critical education and emancipatory learning. Ella Baker, situated in the daunting environment of the Civil Rights Movement, saw education as a tool for social mobility for Mississippi residents in 1964.…

  20. Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education: An Administrative Guide to Creating Heterogeneous Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villa, Richard A.; And Others

    This collection of papers offers advice on restructuring education to create heterogeneous schools, with the goal of creating happy, comfortable, and successful learning environments for all the children and adults who learn and teach in them. Section I, titled "A Rationale for Restructuring and the Change Process," contains the following papers:…

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