Culturally Responsive Instruction for English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orosco, Michael John; O'Connor, Rollanda

2014-01-01

This case study describes the culturally responsive instruction of one special education teacher with Latino English language learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities in an urban elementary school setting. This study was situated in a social constructivist research based framework. In investigating this instruction with ELLs, this study focused…

Strategies for Career-Long Teacher Education. Teacher Education Yearbook VI.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, D. John, Ed.; Byrd, David M., Ed.

This collection of papers examines the current standard practice of confining teacher preparation to 4 years of coursework, discussing the growing interest in career-spanning teacher education. Section 1, "Teacher Cognition, Constructivist Teacher Education, and the Ethical and Social Implications of Schooling: Overview and Framework"…

The Translation of Teachers' Understanding of Gifted Students into Instructional Strategies for Teaching Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Soonhye; Oliver, J. Steve

2009-01-01

This study examined how instructional challenges presented by gifted students shaped teachers' instructional strategies. This study is a qualitative research grounded in a social constructivist framework. The participants were three high school science teachers who were teaching identified gifted students in both heterogeneously- and…

Bridging the Chasm: Emerging Model of Leadership in Intercollegiate Athletics Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, John C., III

2011-01-01

This dissertation examined how the executive leadership model influenced the leadership and governance of intercollegiate athletics. The focus centered on understanding the role of Athletic Directors who concurrently serve as institutional Vice Presidents using the Social Constructivist framework. Qualitative analysis was utilized to achieve the…

The Impact of Coteaching on End-of-Course Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Beverly N.

2013-01-01

Coteaching is an instructional strategy that improves the achievement of students with disabilities, but few researchers examined the impact of coteaching on general-education students. Vygotsky's social-constructivist perspective of learning, the zone of proximal development, was the theoretical framework used in this research study. The…

The Personal Struggles of "National" Educators Working in "International" Schools: An Intercultural Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savva, Maria

2017-01-01

This paper looks at how personal struggles associated with the overseas setting caused changes in the intercultural perspective of 30 Anglophone educators working in international schools. Situated within a social constructivist framework, interview methods were utilised to build a collective narrative shared by educators. Findings reveal that…

"Setting up for the Next Big Thing": Undergraduate Women Engineering Students' Postbaccalaureate Career Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kathleen N.; Gayles, Joy Gaston

2017-01-01

Using social cognitive career theory and the cognitive information processing model as frameworks, in this constructivist case study we examined the career-related experiences and decisions of 10 women engineering undergraduate seniors who accepted full-time positions. From the data analysis 3 major themes emerged: critical undergraduate…

Are You an Online Team Player? A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawlings, Melody

2014-01-01

The purpose of this pilot case study was to answer the following research questions: How do previous experiences affect students' attitudes toward online teamwork? When do students' attitudes toward online teamwork first develop and why? Using a social constructivist framework, a qualitative case study design was utilized to conduct an online…

An Educational Historical Narrative Study of Visualization in the Progressive Art Pedagogy of Lowenfeld

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cromarty, Edward

2017-01-01

This study utilizes an educational historical narrative research method to understand the unique viewpoint of Lowenfeld toward visualization as a holistic concept in progressive art education. Employing a social constructivist framework, it explores the problem that the emphasis in education on the surface elements of standardized subject-based…

The Implementation of a Social Constructivist Approach in Primary Science Education in Confucian Heritage Culture: The Case of Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

H?ng, Ngô Vu Thu; Meijer, Marijn Roland; Bulte, Astrid M. W.; Pilot, Albert

2015-01-01

Social constructivism has been increasingly studied and implemented in science school education. Nevertheless, there is a lack of holistic studies on the implementation of social constructivist approach in primary science education in Confucian heritage culture. This study aims to determine to what extent a social constructivist approach is…

Becoming a Secondary School Teacher in England and France: Contextualising Career "Choice"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreau, Marie-Pierre

2015-01-01

This article explores the circumstances in which individuals become secondary school teachers in England and France. Using a social constructivist theoretical framework, it specifically considers how national contexts play out in this decision. The findings presented in this paper draw on a corpus of 60 interviews with a sample of teachers based…

Using Illustrations to Depict Preservice Science Teachers' Self-Efficacy: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greco, Robert Del; Bernadowski, Carianne; Parker, Susan

2018-01-01

This qualitative case study conducted at a small private university in the U.S. found that preservice teacher self-efficacy increased over the course of four semesters when taught inquiry-based instruction from a Social Constructivist Theoretical framework. This study utilized "A Draw a Science Teacher Test Checklist (DASTT-C)" created…

Trying to Include but Supporting Exclusion Instead? Constructing the Roma in Slovak Educational Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miškolci, Jozef; Kovácová, Lucia; Kubánová, Martina

2017-01-01

Based on a social constructivist theoretical framework, this research study examines how the design of proinclusive educational policies and the general public construct the Roma students and parents in Slovakia. For this purpose, data from two selected educational policies and five focus groups conducted in five regions in Slovakia were analyzed.…

A Framework and a Methodology for Developing Authentic Constructivist e-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zualkernan, Imran A.

2006-01-01

Semantically rich domains require operative knowledge to solve complex problems in real-world settings. These domains provide an ideal environment for developing authentic constructivist e-learning environments. In this paper we present a framework and a methodology for developing authentic learning environments for such domains. The framework is…

Constructing Media Artifacts in a Social Constructivist Environment to Enhance Students' Environmental Awareness and Activism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karahan, Engin; Roehrig, Gillian

2015-02-01

Current science education reforms and policy documents highlight the importance of environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. As "environmental problems are socially constructed in terms of their conceptualized effects on individuals, groups, other living things and systems research based on constructivist principles provides not only a coherent framework in which to theorize about learning, but also a context for understanding socially constructed issues" (Palmer and Suggate in Res Pap Educ 19(2), 2004, p. 208). This research study investigated the impacts of the learning processes structured based on the theories of constructionism and social constructivism on students' environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. Students constructed multimedia artifacts expressing their knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and activism about environmental issues through a constructionist design process. In addition, a social networking site was designed and used to promote social interaction among students. Twenty-two high school environmental science students participated in this study. A convergent mixed methods design was implemented to allow for the triangulation of methods by directly comparing and contrasting quantitative results with qualitative findings for corroboration and validation purposes. Using a mixed method approach, quantitative findings are supported with qualitative data (student video projects, writing prompts, blog entries, video projects of the students, observational field notes, and reflective journals) including spontaneous responses in both synchronous and asynchronous conversations on the social network to provide a better understanding of the change in students' environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. The findings of the study indicated that students' environmental awareness and perceived need for activism were improved at different scales (personal, community, global) throughout the constructionist and social constructivist learning processes.

Coming to Grips with Radical Social Constructivisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, D. C.

This essay distinguishes two broad groups - psychological constructivists and social constructivists - but focusses upon the second of these, although it is stressed that there is great within group variation. More than half of the paper is devoted to general clearing of the ground, during which the reasons for the growing acrimony in the debates between social constructivists and their opponents are assessed, an important consequence of these debates for education is discussed, and an examination is carried out of the radical social constructivist tendency to make strong and exciting but untenable claims which are then backed away from (a tendency which is documented by a close reading of the early pages in Bloors classic book). The last portion of the essay focuses upon social constructivist accounts of the causes of belief in science - the more radical of which denegrate the role of warranting reasons, and which give an exalted place to quasi-anthropological or sociological studies of scientific communities.

Managing Mobile Relationships: Children's Perceptions of the Impact of the Mobile Phone on Relationships in Their Everyday Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Emma

2010-01-01

This article explores English children's use of mobile phones in managing and maintaining friendships and relationships in their everyday lives. Based on the accounts of 30 young people aged between 11 and 17, this research adopts a social constructivist perspective to offer a theoretical framework which explores how children themselves actually…

Learners' Metaphorical Images about Classroom Management in a Social Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akar, Hanife; Yildirim, Ali

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the conceptual change teacher candidates went through in the process of a constructivist-learning environment in Classroom Management Course. Teacher candidates' metaphorical images about classroom management were obtained before and after a social constructivist curriculum implementation. Prior to the…

Knowledge Construction in Wikipedia: A Systemic-Constructivist Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oeberst, Aileen; Halatchliyski, Iassen; Kimmerle, Joachim; Cress, Ulrike

2014-01-01

We propose a systemic-constructivist perspective for analyzing knowledge construction. In contrast to theories that focus on individuals as actors, the systemic-constructivist approach emphasizes the relevance of social systems and regards the construction of knowledge as a self-referential process that takes place in social systems. We propose…

Applying a Constructivist-Developmental Practice-Based Learning Framework to the Recreation Internship Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Patricia J.; Sable, Janet R.

2011-01-01

The recreation internship is one of the most critical components of professional preparation education, yet educators have done little to explore the experience from a constructivist-developmental growth perspective. This article presents a practice-based learning framework that shows promise for fostering moral development among recreation…

Using Pupil Perspective Research to Inform Teacher Pedagogy: What Caribbean Pupils with Dyslexia Say about Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackman, Stacey

2011-01-01

The transformative potential of pupils' voices is well documented in past research by Pedder and McIntyre; and Cooper and McIntyre. In this qualitative research, I utilise a social constructivist framework by Vygotsky to ask pupils with dyslexia about the kinds of teacher strategies that they find helpful to their learning at secondary school in…

Reconstructing Mathematics Pedagogy from a Constructivist Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Martin A.

1995-01-01

Begins with an overview of the constructivist perspective and the pedagogical theory development upon which a constructivist teaching experiment with 20 prospective elementary teachers was based. Derives a theoretical framework for mathematics pedagogy with a focus on decisions about content and mathematical tasks. (49 references) (Author/DDD)

Towards Concept Understanding Relying on Conceptualisation in Constructivist Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badie, Farshad

2016-01-01

This research works within the framework of constructivist learning (based on constructivist epistemology) and examines learning as an activity of construction, and it posits that knowledge acquisition (and learning) are transformative through self-involvement in some subject matter. Thus it leads, through this constructivism to a pedagogical…

Teachers' Concerns about Adopting Constructivist Online Game-Based Learning in Formal Curriculum Teaching: The VISOLE Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jong, Morris S. Y.

2016-01-01

Our work is set against the backdrop of the pervasive discussion of harnessing online games to provide students with new constructivist learning opportunities. Upon the theoretical foundation, we have developed Virtual Interactive Student-Oriented Learning Environment (VISOLE), a teaching framework for implementing constructivist online game-based…

The Experiences and Personal Religious Beliefs of Egyptian Science Teachers as a Framework for Understanding the Shaping and Reshaping of Their Beliefs and Practices about Science-Technology-Society (STS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansour, Nasser

2008-01-01

This research investigates the role of experience in relation to teachers' beliefs and practices. The study adopted a social-cultural constructivist perspective using an interpretive approach. The research was guided by teachers' interpretations of their experiences related to teaching science through Science-Technology-Society (STS) issues. These…

Praxis and reflexivity for interprofessional education: towards an inclusive theoretical framework for learning.

PubMed

Hutchings, Maggie; Scammell, Janet; Quinney, Anne

2013-09-01

While there is growing evidence of theoretical perspectives adopted in interprofessional education, learning theories tend to foreground the individual, focusing on psycho-social aspects of individual differences and professional identity to the detriment of considering social-structural factors at work in social practices. Conversely socially situated practice is criticised for being context-specific, making it difficult to draw generalisable conclusions for improving interprofessional education. This article builds on a theoretical framework derived from earlier research, drawing on the dynamics of Dewey's experiential learning theory and Archer's critical realist social theory, to make a case for a meta-theoretical framework enabling social-constructivist and situated learning theories to be interlinked and integrated through praxis and reflexivity. Our current analysis is grounded in an interprofessional curriculum initiative mediated by a virtual community peopled by health and social care users. Student perceptions, captured through quantitative and qualitative data, suggest three major disruptive themes, creating opportunities for congruence and disjuncture and generating a model of zones of interlinked praxis associated with professional differences and identity, pedagogic strategies and technology-mediated approaches. This model contributes to a framework for understanding the complexity of interprofessional learning and offers bridges between individual and structural factors for engaging with the enablements and constraints at work in communities of practice and networks for interprofessional education.

Risk in Science Instruction. The Realist and Constructivist Paradigms of Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Julia; Hammann, Marcus

2017-11-01

Risk is always present in people's lives: diseases, new technologies, socio-scientific issues (SSIs) such as climate change, and advances in medicine—to name just a few examples—all carry risks. To be able to navigate risks in everyday life, as well as to participate in social debate on risk-related issues, students need to develop risk competence. Science education can be a powerful tool in supporting students' risk competence, which is an important component of scientific literacy. As there are different definitions of risk within the scientific community, the aims of this article are (1) to review the literature on two major theoretical frameworks for conceptualising risk, the realist, and the constructivist paradigms of risk and (2) to connect both in order to suggest a working definition of what can be understood as risk competence in science instruction.

Stigma, Social Structure, and the Biomedical Framework: Exploring the Stigma Experiences of Inpatient Service Users in Two Belgian Psychiatric Hospitals.

PubMed

Sercu, Charlotte; Bracke, Piet

2017-07-01

The study discusses the stigma experiences of service users in mental health care, within the debate on the role of the biomedical framework for mental health care and power relations in society. Interview data of inpatient users ( n = 42) and care providers ( n = 43) from two Belgian psychiatric hospitals were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach: Findings offer insight into how stigma experiences are affected by social structure. Stigma seemed to be related to the relation between care providers and service users their social position. The concept "mental health literacy" is used to frame this finding. In paying attention to the specific cultural and normative context, which influences the relationship between mental health literacy and stigma, it is further possible to cast some light on the meaning of the biomedical model for the construction and maintenance of power relations in mental health care and broader society.

Radical Conversations: Part One Social-Constructivist Methods in the ABE Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, Bill

2008-01-01

For the past 40 years adult learning theory has stressed the need for adults to share in the planning of their own learning and socially construct new knowledge by building on their background knowledge and life experiences. Despite growing acceptance of social-constructivist pedagogies in community-based literacy programs and even corporate…

Supporting Social Constructivist Learning through the KEEP SLS ePortfolio System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xuesong; Olfman, Lorne; Firpo, Daniel

2010-01-01

Traditional ePortfolio systems are usually used as an individual learning unit, or an assessment tool in education. However, these systems often lack social constructivist learning features such as sharing, peer review, and group collaboration. This paper describes a new ePortfolio system that supports both personal and social constructivist…

Fostering Early Adolescents' Motivation: A Longitudinal Study into the Effectiveness of Social Constructivist, Traditional and Combined Schools for Prevocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroet, Kim; Opdenakker, Marie-Christine; Minnaert, Alexander

2016-01-01

Over the past decades, many schools have adapted towards social constructivism with the aim of enhancing students' motivation. There are a variety of perspectives in educational theory, with social constructivist views standing in contrast to traditional views. Hence, we compared students' motivation (levels and developments) in social…

The Listening Partners program: an initiative toward feminist community psychology in action.

PubMed

Bond, L A; Belenky, M F; Weinstock, J S

2000-10-01

The Listening Partners intervention is described and analyzed as a synthesis of feminism and community psychology, within a developmental framework. Working from an empowerment perspective, this social action, peer group intervention supported a community of poor, rural, isolated, young, White mothers to gain a greater voice, claim the powers of their minds, and collaborate in developmental leadership--creating settings that promote their own development and that of their families, peers, and communities. High quality dialogue, individual and group narrative, and collaborative problem-solving were emphasized, in a feminist context affirming diversity, inclusiveness, strengths, social-contextual analyses, and social constructivist perspectives. The power of enacting a synergy of feminism and community psychology is highlighted.

Constructivism and the projective assessment of meaning in Rorschach administration.

PubMed

Raskin, J D

2001-08-01

Constructivist perspectives on the Rorschach are outlined. I discuss ways in which constructivism complements and adds to existing Rorschach methodologies. It is suggested hat the constructivist emphasis on personally and socially constructed meanings is very consistent with many of the ways the Rorschach has been used and resonates with recent emphases on the Rorschach as a representational task. Furthermore, constructivist perspectives on Rorschach also provide an opportunity to supplement Exner's (1993, 1995) efforts to standardize and norm the Rorschach in a way that maintains the instrument's historic and admirable attention to relational elements of assessment and psychotherapy. I present a variety of meaning-based techniques for conducting Rorschach assessment, incorporating both the constructivist and social constructionist perspective.

Representation of People's Decisions in Health Information Systems. A Complementary Approach for Understanding Health Care Systems and Population Health.

PubMed

Gonzalez Bernaldo de Quiros, Fernan; Dawidowski, Adriana R; Figar, Silvana

2017-02-01

In this study, we aimed: 1) to conceptualize the theoretical challenges facing health information systems (HIS) to represent patients' decisions about health and medical treatments in everyday life; 2) to suggest approaches for modeling these processes. The conceptualization of the theoretical and methodological challenges was discussed in 2015 during a series of interdisciplinary meetings attended by health informatics staff, epidemiologists and health professionals working in quality management and primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, together with sociologists, anthropologists and e-health stakeholders. HIS are facing the need and challenge to represent social human processes based on constructivist and complexity theories, which are the current frameworks of human sciences for understanding human learning and socio-cultural changes. Computer systems based on these theories can model processes of social construction of concrete and subjective entities and the interrelationships between them. These theories could be implemented, among other ways, through the mapping of health assets, analysis of social impact through community trials and modeling of complexity with system simulation tools. This analysis suggested the need to complement the traditional linear causal explanations of disease onset (and treatments) that are the bases for models of analysis of HIS with constructivist and complexity frameworks. Both may enlighten the complex interrelationships among patients, health services and the health system. The aim of this strategy is to clarify people's decision making processes to improve the efficiency, quality and equity of the health services and the health system.

The Problem of Pseudoscience in Science Education and Implications of Constructivist Pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugaloglu, Ebru Z.

2014-04-01

The intrusion of pseudoscience into science classrooms is a problem in science education today. This paper discusses the implications of constructivist pedagogy, which relies on the notions of viability and inter-subjectivity, in a context favourable to the acceptance of pseudoscience. Examples from written statements illustrate how prospective science teachers in Turkey readily accept pseudoscientific explanations of the origin of species. Constructivist pedagogy underestimates, if not ignores, the difficulty of holding rational discussions in the presence of pseudoscientific or absolute beliefs. Moreover, it gives a higher priority to learners' exposure to alternative constructions through social negotiation than to furthering their appreciation of science. Under these circumstances, self-confirmation and social pressure to accept existing pseudoscientific beliefs may be unanticipated consequences of social negotiation. Considering the aim of science education to foster an appreciation of science, the implications of constructivist pedagogy are, or should be, of great concern to science educators.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Students' Classification of Food Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton-Ekeke, Joy-Telu; Thomas, Malcolm

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a teaching method (TLS (Teaching/Learning Sequence)) based on a social constructivist paradigm on students' conceptualisation of classification of food. Design/methodology/approach: The study compared the TLS model developed by the researcher based on the social constructivist paradigm…

Joining the Struggle: White Men as Social Justice Allies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Christopher Edward; Mather, Peter

2015-01-01

This study explored the experience of White men as they sought to support individuals from oppressed groups and participate in a community with other allies like themselves. This research was conducted from a social constructivist epistemological paradigm and informed by a constructivist grounded theory methodology. The following research…

A Constructivist View of Reprimand in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancuso, James C.; Eimer, Bruce N.

1982-01-01

Shortcomings of contingency management techniques used for student discipline are delineated, and personal construct studies with some pertinence to classroom reprimand are reviewed. Behavior science specialists should be involved in the constructivist approach, which considers the individual psychological frameworks that students and teachers…

Learning and Collective Knowledge Construction With Social Media: A Process-Oriented Perspective

PubMed Central

Kimmerle, Joachim; Moskaliuk, Johannes; Oeberst, Aileen; Cress, Ulrike

2015-01-01

Social media are increasingly being used for educational purposes. The first part of this article briefly reviews literature that reports on educational applications of social media tools. The second part discusses theories that may provide a basis for analyzing the processes that are relevant for individual learning and collective knowledge construction. We argue that a systems-theoretical constructivist approach is appropriate to examine the processes of educational social media use, namely, self-organization, the internalization of information, the externalization of knowledge, and the interplay of externalization and internalization providing the basis of a co-evolution of cognitive and social systems. In the third part we present research findings that illustrate and support this systems-theoretical framework. Concluding, we discuss the implications for educational design and for future research on learning and collective knowledge construction with social media. PMID:26246643

The Significance of Constructivist Classroom Practice in National Curricular Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booyse, Celia; Chetty, Rajendra

2016-01-01

Evidence of the value of constructivist theory in the classroom is especially important for educational practice in areas of poverty and social challenge. Research was undertaken in 2010 into the application of constructivist theory on instructional design. The findings of this research are particularly relevant to the current curricular crisis in…

The effectiveness of constructivist science instructional methods on middle school students' student achievement and motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, John

A problem facing science educators is determining the most effective means of science instruction so that students will meet or exceed the new rigorous standards. The theoretical framework for this study was based on reform and research efforts that have informed science teachers that using constructivism is the best method of science instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the constructivist method of science instruction affected student achievement and student motivation in a sixth grade science classroom. The guiding research question involved understanding which method of science instruction would be most effective at improving student achievement in science. Other sub-questions included the factors that contribute to student motivation in science and the method of science instruction students receive that affects motivation to learn science. Quantitative data were collected using a pre-test and post-test single group design. T-test and ANCOVA were used to test quantitative hypotheses. Qualitative data were collected using student reflective journals and classroom discussions. Students' perspectives were transcribed, coded and used to further inform quantitative findings. The findings of this study supported the recommendations made by science reformists that the best method of science instruction was a constructivist method. This study also found that participant comments favored constructivist taught classes. The implications for social change at the local level included potential increases in student achievement in science and possibly increased understanding that can facilitate similar changes at other schools. From a global perspective, constructivist-oriented methods might result in students becoming more interested in majoring in science at the college level and in becoming part of a scientifically literate work force.

The Constructivist Concept: Primacy of the Obscure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoresen, Carl E.

1988-01-01

Responds to Mahoney and Lyddon's review of constructivism in previous article by raising questions about how the conceptual framework of constructivism can be further examined or challenged scientifically, how a constructivist orientation can be used in clinical and counseling work, and what role behavior plays. (NB)

Social constructivist learning environment in an online professional practice course.

PubMed

Sthapornnanon, Nunthaluxna; Sakulbumrungsil, Rungpetch; Theeraroungchaisri, Anuchai; Watcharadamrongkun, Suntaree

2009-02-19

To assess the online social constructivist learning environment (SCLE) and student perceptions of the outcomes of the online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice that was designed based on social constructivism theory. The online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice in pharmaceutical marketing and business was carefully designed by organizing various activities, which were intended to encourage social interaction among students. The Constructivist Online Learning Environment Survey (COLLES) was applied to assess the SCLE. Course evaluation questionnaires were administered to assess student perceptions of this online module. The result from the COLLES illustrated the development of SCLE in the course. The students reported positive perceptions of the course. An online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice in pharmaceutical marketing and business was effective in promoting SCLE.

Social Constructivist Learning Environment in an Online Professional Practice Course

PubMed Central

Sakulbumrungsil, Rungpetch; Theeraroungchaisri, Anuchai; Watcharadamrongkun, Suntaree

2009-01-01

Objective To assess the online social constructivist learning environment (SCLE) and student perceptions of the outcomes of the online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice that was designed based on social constructivism theory. Design The online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice in pharmaceutical marketing and business was carefully designed by organizing various activities, which were intended to encourage social interaction among students. The Constructivist Online Learning Environment Survey (COLLES) was applied to assess the SCLE. Course evaluation questionnaires were administered to assess student perceptions of this online module. Assessment The result from the COLLES illustrated the development of SCLE in the course. The students reported positive perceptions of the course. Conclusion An online introductory module of pharmacy professional practice in pharmaceutical marketing and business was effective in promoting SCLE. PMID:19513147

The Effect of Cooperative Learning Method and Systematic Teaching on Students' Achievement and Retention of Knowledge in Social Studies Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korkmaz Toklucu, Selma; Tay, Bayram

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Many effective instructional strategies, methods, and techniques, which were developed in accordance with constructivist approach, can be used together in social studies lessons. Constructivist education comprises active learning processes. Two active learning approaches are cooperative learning and systematic teaching. Purpose…

Using Social Constructivist Pedagogy to Implement Liberal Learning in Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Jennifer D.; Teckchandani, Atul

2015-01-01

This article outlines how decision sciences instructors, by pairing Liberal Learning (LL) philosophy with Social Constructivist Pedagogy (SCP), can lead the way in transforming business education. It outlines how these educators can cultivate more critical thinking and creativity in their classrooms in order to prepare students for the "real…

Exploring Constructivist Social Learning Practices in Aiding Russian-Speaking Teachers to Learn Estonian: An Action Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiilo, Tatjana; Kutsar, Dagmar

2012-01-01

Based on appreciative inquiry and threshold concepts from an intercultural learning perspective, the article makes insights into the constructivist social learning practice of Estonian language learning amongst Russian-speaking teachers in Estonia. The application of educational action research methodology, more specifically that of Bridget…

Constructing Media Artifacts in a Social Constructivist Environment to Enhance Students' Environmental Awareness and Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karahan, Engin; Roehrig, Gillian

2015-01-01

Current science education reforms and policy documents highlight the importance of environmental awareness and perceived need for activism. As "environmental problems are socially constructed in terms of their conceptualized effects on individuals, groups, other living things and systems research based on constructivist principles provides…

La complexite de l'implantation de l'approche socio-constructiviste et de l'integration des TIC (The Complexity of Implementing the Socio-constructivist Approach and Integrating ICT).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viens, Jacques; Renaud, Luc

2001-01-01

The education programs of Quebec have a social constructivist focus characterized by project teaching, learner autonomy, cooperation, and metacognition. However, important technological and pedagogical hurdles must be overcome before these new practices can be implemented. (Author/SV)

How do small groups make decisions? : A theoretical framework to inform the implementation and study of clinical competency committees.

PubMed

Chahine, Saad; Cristancho, Sayra; Padgett, Jessica; Lingard, Lorelei

2017-06-01

In the competency-based medical education (CBME) approach, clinical competency committees are responsible for making decisions about trainees' competence. However, we currently lack a theoretical model for group decision-making to inform this emerging assessment phenomenon. This paper proposes an organizing framework to study and guide the decision-making processes of clinical competency committees.This is an explanatory, non-exhaustive review, tailored to identify relevant theoretical and evidence-based papers related to small group decision-making. The search was conducted using Google Scholar, Web of Science, MEDLINE, ERIC, and PsycINFO for relevant literature. Using a thematic analysis, two researchers (SC & JP) met four times between April-June 2016 to consolidate the literature included in this review.Three theoretical orientations towards group decision-making emerged from the review: schema, constructivist, and social influence. Schema orientations focus on how groups use algorithms for decision-making. Constructivist orientations focus on how groups construct their shared understanding. Social influence orientations focus on how individual members influence the group's perspective on a decision. Moderators of decision-making relevant to all orientations include: guidelines, stressors, authority, and leadership.Clinical competency committees are the mechanisms by which groups of clinicians will be in charge of interpreting multiple assessment data points and coming to a shared decision about trainee competence. The way in which these committees make decisions can have huge implications for trainee progression and, ultimately, patient care. Therefore, there is a pressing need to build the science of how such group decision-making works in practice. This synthesis suggests a preliminary organizing framework that can be used in the implementation and study of clinical competency committees.

Patterns of Instructional Discourse that Promote the Perception of Mastery Goals in a Social Constructivist Mathematics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrone, Anastasia Steffen; Harkness, Shelly S.; D'Ambrosio, Beatriz; Caulfield, Richard

2004-01-01

Elementary education students enrolled in an experimental mathematics course participated in this study. The course is taught using a social constructivist approach and is designed to improve students' mathematical problem-solving ability and deepen their understanding of mathematics. The research question for the present study is as follows: In…

Differentiated Function of School in Socio-Culturally Disadvantaged Context: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caliskan, Zuhal Zeybekoglu; Simsek, Hasan; Kondakci, Yasar

2017-01-01

This study analyses the functioning of a school as a social system in an atypical context with the purpose of generating propositions to tackle educational problems confronted by socially and economically disadvantaged groups attending these schools. Adopting the constructivist grounded theory, the analysis suggests that there is a kind of…

Toward a Post-Constructivist Ethics in/of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael

2013-01-01

Constructivist epistemologies focus on ethics as a system of values in the mind--even when previously co-constructed in a social context--against which social agents compare the actions that they mentally plan before performing them. This approach is problematic, as it forces a wedge between thought and action, body and mind, universal and…

The Effect of Constructivist Learning Principles Based Learning Materials to Students' Attitudes, Success and Retention in Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaduman, Hidir; Gultekin, Mehmet

2007-01-01

The present study aims to investigate whether the learning materials that based on constructivist learning principles have an effect on fifth grade Social Studies students' attitudes, their academic success and their retention. The study was conducted at Sehit Ali Gaffar Okkan Elementary School, Eskisehir. The participants of the study were 5th…

The Consideration of a Constructivist Evaluation Framework in Adult Guidance Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hearne, Lucy

2011-01-01

This article explores the findings of a doctoral study that examined the measurement of individual progression in the Irish Adult Education Guidance Initiative. The critical constructivist stance of the study challenges the prevalence of the positivist paradigm to evaluate long-term outcomes in adult guidance. The research highlights the…

Preservice Elementary School Teachers' Conceptual Understanding of Place Value within a Constructivist Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murawska, Jaclyn Marie

2013-01-01

This research study examined the development of 43 preservice elementary school teachers' conceptual understanding of place value after participating in a research-based constructivist unit of instruction in place value. The preservice teachers were enrolled in one of three terms of an elementary mathematics methods course in a private midwestern…

Consistency between Constructivist Profiles and Instructional Practices of Prospective Physics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ates, Ozlem; Unal Coban, Gul; Kaya Sengoren, Serap

2018-01-01

This study aims to explain the extent to which prospective physics teachers' views and practices are consistent with the constructivist framework. A case study design was employed as the research approach. The study was conducted with 11 prospective physics teachers attending a state university in Turkey. Data was collected through semi-structured…

Learning Theory Foundations of Simulation-Based Mastery Learning.

PubMed

McGaghie, William C; Harris, Ilene B

2018-06-01

Simulation-based mastery learning (SBML), like all education interventions, has learning theory foundations. Recognition and comprehension of SBML learning theory foundations are essential for thoughtful education program development, research, and scholarship. We begin with a description of SBML followed by a section on the importance of learning theory foundations to shape and direct SBML education and research. We then discuss three principal learning theory conceptual frameworks that are associated with SBML-behavioral, constructivist, social cognitive-and their contributions to SBML thought and practice. We then discuss how the three learning theory frameworks converge in the course of planning, conducting, and evaluating SBML education programs in the health professions. Convergence of these learning theory frameworks is illustrated by a description of an SBML education and research program in advanced cardiac life support. We conclude with a brief coda.

The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Monitor the Implementation of Social Constructivist Learning Environments in Grade 9 Science Classrooms in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luckay, Melanie B.; Laugksch, Rudiger C.

2015-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of an instrument that can be used to assess students' perceptions of their learning environment as a means of monitoring and guiding changes toward social constructivist learning environments. The study used a mixed-method approach with priority given to the quantitative data collection. During…

Course Management Systems as Tools for the Creation of Online Learning Environments: Evaluation from a Social Constructivist Perspective and Implications for Their Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papastergiou, Marina

2006-01-01

The Internet and the Web offer academic institutions solutions for covering the massive demand for education and transition towards student-centered, social constructivist educational models, in accordance with the demands of the knowledge-based society. This article reports on an investigation aimed at presenting a synthesis of recent research on…

An Investigation into the Organization Levels of Social Studies Teachers with Regard to Constructivist Learning Environments in Terms of Several Variables=Sosyal Bilgiler Ögretmenlerinin Yapilandirmaci Ögrenme Ortamlarini Düzenleme Düzeylerinin Çesitli Degiskenlere Göre Incelenmesi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çaliskan, Hüseyin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the performance and conditions of elementary-level social studies teachers, and how such variables affect their overall ability to create a constructivist learning environment. The research group was composed of 241 social studies teachers. A Turkish translation of the work "Constructivist…

Integrating Curriculum: Developing Student Autonomy in Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuksel, Ulku

2010-01-01

The need to combine social constructivist activities with cognitive constructivist ones has emerged which incorporates personalized learning approaches. Characteristics of education and educational institutions of the third millennium indicate that flexibility, inclusiveness, collaboration, authenticity, relevance and extended institutional…

Development of Constructivist Theory of Mind from Middle Childhood to Early Adulthood and Its Relation to Social Cognition and Behavior

PubMed Central

Weimer, Amy A.; Parault Dowds, Susan J.; Fabricius, William V.; Schwanenflugel, Paula J.; Suh, Go Woon

2016-01-01

Two studies examined the development of constructivist theory of mind (ToM) during late childhood and early adolescence. In Study 1 a new measure was developed to assess participants’ understanding of the interpretive and constructive processes embedded in memory, comprehension, attention, comparison, planning, and inference. Using this measure, Study 2 tested a mediational model in which prosocial reasoning about conflict mediated the relation between constructivist ToM and behavior problems in high school. Results showed that the onset of constructivist ToM occurs between late childhood and early adolescence, and that adolescents who have more advanced constructivist ToM have more prosocial reasoning about conflict, which in turn mediated the relation with fewer serious behavior problems in high school, after controlling for academic performance and sex. In both studies, females showed more advanced constructivist ToM than males in high school. PMID:27821294

Is Learning Only a Cognitive Process? Or Does It Occur in a Sociocultural Environment?: "Constructivism" in the Eyes of Preschool Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öztürk, Duygu Saniye

2016-01-01

This study aims to identify the views of preschool teachers about learning within the framework of the cognitive and sociocultural constructivist approach and reveal the practical applications of constructivist learning in the 2006 Preschool Curriculum. Participants were ten preschool teachers working at three preschools in Bolu, Turkey and data…

Re-Conceptualizing Teacher Authority: When to Exact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzuo, Pei-Wen; Chen, Der-Thanq

2011-01-01

Background: This paper re-conceptualizes issues related to teacher authority by integrating the constructivist (including social constructivist) and critical perspectives. The traditional perspectives perceive that teacher authority inhibits children's autonomy of learning. This perspective has been largely challenged by two groups of studies--the…

Perceptions of Constructivist Pedagogy in Project Lead the Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capers, Gesa Maria

In 2016, six of six American Nobel Prize winners in science were immigrants. The numbers of U.S. educated graduates who enter the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields have been on the decline, and policymakers and educators have continually sought new policies and programs to try resolve this problem with long-term solutions. In recent years, several Alabama schools have implemented Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a program that is aimed toward promoting students' interest in STEM. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how Alabama's educators perceived the use of constructivist pedagogy in PLTW on student learning behaviors and student interests in science and mathematics. Piaget's developmental theory and Vygotsky's social developmental theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. The data collection procedure for this multiple case study included one-on-one interviews with 23 educators in four Alabama PLTW schools. Themes that emerged from the study included motivation and enthusiasm, critical thinking and problem solving, career awareness, student interest in science and math, collaboration, hands-on learning, confidence and engagement, perceived problems, and satisfaction with PLTW. All interviewees perceived that with PLTW's emphasis on constructivist pedagogy, students were excited, engaged, practiced critical thinking and problem solving skills, and that participation in PLTW had a positive effect on the students' learning behaviors and interests in science and mathematics.

A planning-oriented sustainability assessment framework for peri-urban water management in developing countries.

PubMed

Starkl, Markus; Brunner, Norbert; López, Eduardo; Martínez-Ruiz, José Luis

2013-12-15

DPSIR and the three-pillar model are well-established frameworks for sustainability assessment. This paper proposes a planning-oriented sustainability assessment framework (POSAF). It is informed by those frameworks but differs insofar as it puts more emphasis on a constructivist conception which recognises that sustainability needs to be defined anew for each planning problem. In finding such a consensus definition, POSAF uses participatory scenario analysis and participatory planning, technical feasibility study, participatory assessment, analysis of trade-offs and social networks in an unusual combination and for goals that differ from the original conceptions of these methods. POSAF was applied in a peri-urban area of Mexico City for the design of improved water service provision, integrating solid waste management. It supported consensus amongst users about the importance of environmental issues, informed planners about the values of stakeholders and users, detected local differences, and identified possible conflicts at an early stage of decision-making. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Science Teacher Education in the Twenty-First Century: a Pedagogical Framework for Technology-Integrated Social Constructivism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barak, Miri

2017-04-01

Changes in our global world have shifted the skill demands from acquisition of structured knowledge to mastery of skills, often referred to as twenty-first century competencies. Given these changes, a sequential explanatory mixed methods study was undertaken to (a) examine predominant instructional methods and technologies used by teacher educators, (b) identify attributes for learning and teaching in the twenty-first century, and (c) develop a pedagogical framework for promoting meaningful usage of advanced technologies. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an online survey, personal interviews, and written reflections with science teacher educators and student teachers. Findings indicated that teacher educators do not provide sufficient models for the promotion of reform-based practice via web 2.0 environments, such as Wikis, blogs, social networks, or other cloud technologies. Findings also indicated four attributes for teaching and learning in the twenty-first century: (a) adapting to frequent changes and uncertain situations, (b) collaborating and communicating in decentralized environments, (c) generating data and managing information, and (d) releasing control by encouraging exploration. Guided by social constructivist paradigms and twenty-first century teaching attributes, this study suggests a pedagogical framework for fostering meaningful usage of advanced technologies in science teacher education courses.

Constructivism in Theory and in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schcolnik, Miriam; Kol, Sara; Abarbanel, Joan

2016-01-01

The article describes the change in teacher training from instructivist to constructivist. The author defines constructivism and discusses its two main approaches: cognitive and social constructivism. The author then compares an instructivist versus a constructivist classroom and focuses on how they are different in terms of the level of…

Walking the Talk: Putting Constructivist Thinking into Practice in Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Maureen Keohane; And Others

1993-01-01

The constructivist approach of the Teacher as Composer project used analog experiences that replicate thinking and social demands. Classroom constraints, inservice limitations, and teacher mindsets impeded its application. Personal narratives and principles of children's thinking helped bridge the gap between theory and practice. (SK)

Relationships among Constructivist Learning Environment Perceptions, Motivational Beliefs, Self-Regulation and Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingir, Sevgi; Tas, Yasemin; Gok, Gulsum; Vural, Semra Sungur

2013-01-01

Background: There are attempts to integrate learning environment research with motivation and self-regulation research that considers social context influences an individual's motivation, self-regulation and, in turn, academic performance. Purpose: This study explored the relationships among constructivist learning environment perception variables…

Development of constructivist theory of mind from middle childhood to early adulthood and its relation to social cognition and behavior.

PubMed

Weimer, Amy A; Parault Dowds, Susan J; Fabricius, William V; Schwanenflugel, Paula J; Suh, Go Woon

2017-02-01

Two studies examined the development of constructivist theory of mind (ToM) during late childhood and early adolescence. In Study 1, a new measure was developed to assess participants' understanding of the interpretive and constructive processes embedded in memory, comprehension, attention, comparison, planning, and inference. Using this measure, Study 2 tested a mediational model in which prosocial reasoning about conflict mediated the relation between constructivist ToM and behavior problems in high school. Results showed that the onset of constructivist ToM occurs between late childhood and early adolescence and that adolescents who have more advanced constructivist ToM have more prosocial reasoning about conflict, which in turn mediated the relation with fewer serious behavior problems in high school, after controlling for academic performance and sex. In both studies, girls showed more advanced constructivist ToM than boys in high school. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employees' and Managers' Accounts of Interactive Workplace Learning: A Grounded Theory of "Complex Integrative Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armson, Genevieve; Whiteley, Alma

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate employees' and managers' accounts of interactive learning and what might encourage or inhibit emergent learning. Design/methodology/approach: The approach taken was a constructivist/social constructivist ontology, interpretive epistemology and qualitative methodology, using grounded theory…

Examining the social and scientific roles of invention in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calabrese-Barton, Angela

1998-03-01

I have been drawn to the construct of “invention” and “inventive acts” because in my research involving how homeless children construct science and the self-in-science, an overwhelming theme has been the multiple ways in which self-identity in science has been described by the children through a language of invention. Using post-modern feminism and science and technologies studies, I examine the multiple uses and definitions of “invention” in science in order to develop a theory of invention and inventive acts around the themes: invention as a social act, invention as a recursive and socially linked process, and embodied agency. I use this framework to examine the construct of “invention” in two different case studies involving the science education of urban homeless children. Finally, I link this discussion of invention and inventive acts with current international reform initiatives revolving around constructivist science teaching and learning.

The potential of critical social theory as an educational framework for people with epilepsy.

PubMed

Bennett, Louise; Bergin, Michael; Wells, John S G

2016-01-01

Effective education can support people with epilepsy to develop the attributes and skills required to function as equal partners with clinical service providers, make informed decisions, and competently self-manage their healthcare. However, despite knowledge deficits, unmet information needs, and a poor sense of empowerment, the study of education for people with epilepsy is often neglected and is a poorly understood component of holistic practice within epilepsy healthcare. Historically, the only debate with regard to education and people with epilepsy has been guided either within a positivist or within a constructivist philosophy. We argue that new pedagogies are warranted, recognizing the views of people with epilepsy regarding their illness. Therefore, this paper explores the potential of an educational framework for people with epilepsy based upon critical social theory (CST). By utilizing a CST approach for education, people with epilepsy are engaged with as active 'participants'. This is a key difference that distinguishes CST from other metatheoretical frameworks. It has the potential to support people with epilepsy to acquire the skills and confidence to manage the biopsychosocial challenges associated with their condition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Change in Teacher Candidates' Metaphorical Images about Classroom Management in a Social Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akar, Hanife; Yildirim, Ali

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the conceptual change teacher candidates went through in a constructivist learning environment in a classroom management course. Within a qualitative case study design, teacher candidates' metaphorical images about classroom management were obtained through document analysis before and after they were…

Is Constructivism Risky? Social Anxiety, Classroom Participation, Competitive Game Play and Constructivist Preferences in Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hills, Thomas

2007-01-01

Constructivism in practice is a challenging endeavor that invites teachers and students to engage in problems that elicit uncertainty. This article investigates the relationship between preferences for constructivist approaches and other classroom behaviors that influence the development of future teachers. The theoretical premise for this…

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls

PubMed Central

Fawkner, Samantha

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls’ perspectives of how significant others’ influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Results: Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. Conclusion: The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls’ perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity. PMID:29405881

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Laird, Yvonne; Fawkner, Samantha; Niven, Ailsa

2018-12-01

Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls' perspectives of how significant others' influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls' perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity.

The influence of social information on children's statistical and causal inferences.

PubMed

Sobel, David M; Kirkham, Natasha Z

2012-01-01

Constructivist accounts of learning posit that causal inference is a child-driven process. Recent interpretations of such accounts also suggest that the process children use for causal learning is rational: Children interpret and learn from new evidence in light of their existing beliefs. We argue that such mechanisms are also driven by informative social cues and suggest ways in which such information influences both preschoolers' and infants' inferences. In doing so, we argue that a rational constructivist account should not only focus on describing the child's internal cognitive mechanisms for learning but also on how social information affects the process of learning.

"Me? Teach Science?" Exploring EC-4 Pre-Service Teachers' Self Efficacy in an Inquiry-Based Constructivist Physics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narayan, Ratna; Lamp, David

2010-01-01

In this qualitative and interpretive study, we investigated factors that influenced elementary preservice teachers' self-efficacy in a constructivist, inquiry-based physics class. Bandura's (1977) theory of social learning was used as a basis to examine preservice teacher's self-efficacy. Participants included 70 female EC-4 preservice teachers…

Study of the Influence of Social Relationships among Students on Knowledge Building Using a Moderately Constructivist Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonso, Fernando; Manrique, Daniel; Martínez, Loïc; Viñes, José M.

2015-01-01

The main objective of higher education institutions is to educate students to high standards to proficiently perform their role in society. Elsewhere we presented empirical evidence illustrating that the use of a blended learning approach to the learning process that applies a moderate constructivist e-learning instructional model improves…

The Role of the Constructivist Learning Theory and Collaborative Learning Environment on Wiki Classroom, and the Relationship between Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alzahrani, Ibraheem; Woollard, John

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to discover the relationship between both the social constructivist learning theory and the collaborative learning environment. This relationship can be identified by giving an example of the learning environment. Due to wiki characteristics, Wiki technology is one of the most famous learning environments that can show the…

Inclusive Education for International Students: Applications of a Constructivist Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stipanovic, Natalie; Pergantis, Stephanie Irlene

2018-01-01

International students are a globally growing population that have numerous risk factors to their successful matriculation. One classroom tool university instructors have to combat these risk factors is utilizing an inclusive pedagogical framework. Instructors of international students that wish to apply an inclusive pedagogy to meet the needs of…

Communication, Constructivism, and Transfer of Knowledge in the Education of Bilingual Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olivares, Rafael A.

2002-01-01

Discusses a theoretical framework to educate bilingual learners that links the communicative approach and the constructivist approach to learning with the transfer of knowledge from one language to another. The framework is illustrated in the communication, constructivism, and transference of knowledge (CCT) model where bilingual students use…

The Practicality of Statistical Physics Handout Based on KKNI and the Constructivist Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, S. Y.; Afrizon, R.

2018-04-01

Statistical physics lecture shows that: 1) the performance of lecturers, social climate, students’ competence and soft skills needed at work are in enough category, 2) students feel difficulties in following the lectures of statistical physics because it is abstract, 3) 40.72% of students needs more understanding in the form of repetition, practice questions and structured tasks, and 4) the depth of statistical physics material needs to be improved gradually and structured. This indicates that learning materials in accordance of The Indonesian National Qualification Framework or Kerangka Kualifikasi Nasional Indonesia (KKNI) with the appropriate learning approach are needed to help lecturers and students in lectures. The author has designed statistical physics handouts which have very valid criteria (90.89%) according to expert judgment. In addition, the practical level of handouts designed also needs to be considered in order to be easy to use, interesting and efficient in lectures. The purpose of this research is to know the practical level of statistical physics handout based on KKNI and a constructivist approach. This research is a part of research and development with 4-D model developed by Thiagarajan. This research activity has reached part of development test at Development stage. Data collection took place by using a questionnaire distributed to lecturers and students. Data analysis using descriptive data analysis techniques in the form of percentage. The analysis of the questionnaire shows that the handout of statistical physics has very practical criteria. The conclusion of this study is statistical physics handouts based on the KKNI and constructivist approach have been practically used in lectures.

Perceived discrimination among Latino immigrants in new destinations: The case of Durham, NC1

PubMed Central

Flippen, Chenoa A.; Parrado, Emilio A.

2015-01-01

This paper draws on original survey data to assess the prevalence of perceived discrimination among Latin American immigrants to Durham, NC, a “new immigrant destinations” in the Southeastern United States. Even though discrimination has a wide-ranging impact on social groups, from blocked opportunities, to adverse health outcomes, to highlighting and reifying inter-group boundaries, research among immigrant Latinos is rare, especially in new destinations. Our theoretical framework and empirical analysis expand social constructivist approaches that view ethnic discrimination as emerging from processes of competition and incorporation. We broaden prior discussions by investigating the specific social forces that give rise to perceived discrimination. In particular, we examine the extent to which perceptions of unequal treatment vary by gender, elaborating on the situational conditions than differentiate discrimination experiences for men and women. We also incorporate dimensions unique to the contemporary Latino immigrant experience, such as legal status, family migration dynamics, and transnationalism. PMID:26848208

Lessons that non-scientists can teach us about the concept of energy: a human-centred approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leggett, Monica

2003-03-01

Energy is not only a core concept in physics but also a major issue in our post-Kyoto world. When using a constructivist approach to teaching, we need to be aware of students' preconceptions. A palette of alternative frameworks, which includes those used by adults within the community, can facilitate this. An exploration of energy issues with non-scientists within the community has generated some relevant insights. Participants' concepts of energy were multifaceted. Most had a strong personal component, but also social, technical and cosmic dimensions. Although many participants were uncomfortable with the terms `renewable' and `sustainable', they clearly articulated the social and technical requirements for a shift away from current fossil fuel dependency. However, the law of conservation of energy, a core belief of physicists, appeared to be totally absent from their concept of energy.

Cultural competence: a constructivist definition.

PubMed

Blanchet Garneau, Amélie; Pepin, Jacinthe

2015-01-01

In nursing education, most of the current teaching practices perpetuate an essentialist perspective of culture and make it imperative to refresh the concept of cultural competence in nursing. The purpose of this article is to propose a constructivist definition of cultural competence that stems from the conclusions of an extensive critical review of the literature on the concepts of culture, cultural competence, and cultural safety among nurses and other health professionals. The proposed constructivist definition is situated in the unitary-transformative paradigm in nursing as defined by Newman and colleagues. It makes the connection between the field of competency-based education and the nursing discipline. Cultural competence in a constructivist paradigm that is oriented toward critical, reflective practice can help us develop knowledge about the role of nurses in reducing health inequalities and lead to a comprehensive ethical reflection about the social mandate of health care professionals. © The Author(s) 2014.

Social Work Learning Spaces: The Social Work Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zufferey, Carole; King, Sue

2016-01-01

This paper explores the contribution of a physical learning space to student engagement in social work education. Drawing on a constructivist methodology, this paper examines the findings of a survey conducted with students and staff in a social work and human service programme about their experiences of a Social Work Studio learning space. The…

Qualitative Research Literature: A Bibliographic Essay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Jim

1998-01-01

Presents selected literature that exemplifies (in theory and in practice) four methodological frameworks that have found wide application in qualitative studies: symbolic interactionism, phenomenological description, constructivist hermeneutics, and critical studies. (Author/LRW)

Discordant indigenous and provider frames explain challenges in improving access to arthritis care: a qualitative study using constructivist grounded theory.

PubMed

Thurston, Wilfreda E; Coupal, Stephanie; Jones, C Allyson; Crowshoe, Lynden F J; Marshall, Deborah A; Homik, Joanne; Barnabe, Cheryl

2014-06-11

Access to health services is a determinant of population health and is known to be reduced for a variety of specialist services for Indigenous populations in Canada. With arthritis being the most common chronic condition experienced by Indigenous populations and causing high levels of disability, it is critical to resolve access disparities through an understanding of barriers and facilitators to care. The objective of this study was to inform future health services reform by investigating health care access from the perspective of Aboriginal people with arthritis and health professionals. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology we investigated Indigenous peoples' experiences in accessing arthritis care through the reports of 16 patients and 15 healthcare providers in Alberta, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between July 2012 and February 2013 and transcribed verbatim. The patient and provider data were first analyzed separately by two team members then brought together to form a framework. The framework was refined through further analysis following the multidisciplinary research team's discussions. Once the framework was developed, reports on the patient and provider data were shared with each participant group independently and participants were interviewed to assess validity of the summary. In the resulting theoretical framework Indigenous participants framed their experience with arthritis as 'toughing it out' and spoke of racism encountered in the healthcare setting as a deterrent to pursuing care. Healthcare providers were frustrated by high disease severity and missed appointments, and framed Indigenous patients as lacking 'buy-in'. Constraints imposed by complex healthcare systems contributed to tensions between Indigenous peoples and providers. Low specialist care utilization rates among Indigenous people cannot be attributed to cultural and social preferences. Further, the assumptions made by providers lead to stereotyping and racism and reinforce rejection of healthcare by patients. Examples of 'working around' the system were revealed and showed potential for improved utilization of specialist services. This framework has significant implications for health policy and indicates that culturally safe services are a priority in addressing chronic disease management.

Examining Deaf Students' Equitable Access to Science vis-a-vis Contemporary Pedagogical Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Annemarie D.

As a Deaf individual, it is important to ensure the growth of the Deaf community as science-literate members of society. While many predecessors have contributed to the body of research in Deaf pedagogy, there is still much to be done in safeguarding Deaf learners' equitable access to science education. One area of concern is in narrowing the statistically significant gap in Climate Change knowledge between Deaf students' and Hearing students' at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It is within this topic that the writing-to-learn-science framework is practiced and Deaf students in the Laboratory Science Technology program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf participate in a study to assess whether or not the use of writing-to-learn-science strategies help them become better scientists, writers and learners. In this study, the social constructivist framework (Vygotsky, 1987) is used to study the impact of the use of the Berland and Reiser (2009) argumentation framework, so that they write-to-learn-science through the steps of sense-making, articulation and persuasion.

Reconstructing constructivism: causal models, Bayesian learning mechanisms, and the theory theory.

PubMed

Gopnik, Alison; Wellman, Henry M

2012-11-01

We propose a new version of the "theory theory" grounded in the computational framework of probabilistic causal models and Bayesian learning. Probabilistic models allow a constructivist but rigorous and detailed approach to cognitive development. They also explain the learning of both more specific causal hypotheses and more abstract framework theories. We outline the new theoretical ideas, explain the computational framework in an intuitive and nontechnical way, and review an extensive but relatively recent body of empirical results that supports these ideas. These include new studies of the mechanisms of learning. Children infer causal structure from statistical information, through their own actions on the world and through observations of the actions of others. Studies demonstrate these learning mechanisms in children from 16 months to 4 years old and include research on causal statistical learning, informal experimentation through play, and imitation and informal pedagogy. They also include studies of the variability and progressive character of intuitive theory change, particularly theory of mind. These studies investigate both the physical and the psychological and social domains. We conclude with suggestions for further collaborative projects between developmental and computational cognitive scientists.

The Translation of Teachers' Understanding of Gifted Students Into Instructional Strategies for Teaching Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Soonhye; Steve Oliver, J.

2009-08-01

This study examined how instructional challenges presented by gifted students shaped teachers’ instructional strategies. This study is a qualitative research grounded in a social constructivist framework. The participants were three high school science teachers who were teaching identified gifted students in both heterogeneously- and homogeneously-grouped classrooms. Major data sources are classroom observations and interviews. Data analysis indicated that these science teachers developed content-specific teaching strategies based on their understanding of gifted students, including: (a) instructional differentiation, e.g., thematic units, (b) variety in instructional mode and/or students’ products, (c) student grouping strategies and peer tutoring, (d) individualized support, (e) strategies to manage challenging questions, (f) strategies to deal with the perfectionism, and (g) psychologically safe classroom environments.

Learning Hypotheses and an Associated Tool to Design and to Analyse Teaching-Learning Sequences. Special Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buty, Christian; Tiberghien, Andree; Le Marechal, Jean-Francois

2004-01-01

This contribution presents a tool elaborated from a theoretical framework linking epistemological, learning and didactical hypotheses. This framework lead to design teaching sequences from a socio-constructivist perspective, and is based on the role of models in physics or chemistry, and on the role of students' initial knowledge in learning…

Upholding Equality and Social Justice: A Social Constructivist Perspective on Emancipatory Career Guidance Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassot, Barbara

2012-01-01

After several years of political agendas focused on social inclusion, career guidance practice needs to return to its roots of promoting equality and social justice. This conceptual article argues that for many years there has been an overreliance on theories focused on the individual, and examines the relationship between social structures and…

Systemic-constructivist couple therapy (SCCT): Description of approach, theoretical advances, and published longitudinal evidence.

PubMed

Reid, David W; Doell, Faye K; Dalton, E Jane; Ahmad, Saunia

2008-12-01

The systemic-constructivist approach to studying and benefiting couples was derived from qualitative and quantitative research on distressed couples over the past 10 years. Systemic-constructivist couple therapy (SCCT) is the clinical intervention that accompanies the approach. SCCT guides the therapist to work with both the intrapersonal and the interpersonal aspects of marriage while also integrating the social-environmental context of the couple. The theory that underlies SCCT is explained, including concepts such as we-ness and interpersonal processing. The primary components of the therapy are described. Findings described previously in an inaugural monograph containing extensive research demonstrating the long-term utility of SCCT are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding adolescent type 1 diabetes self-management as an adaptive process: A grounded theory approach.

PubMed

Chilton, Roy; Pires-Yfantouda, Renata

2015-01-01

To develop a conceptual understanding of the process of adapting to the self-management of type 1 diabetes during adolescence. Participants were recruited from a National Health Service paediatric diabetes service within the south-west of England which runs six countywide diabetes clinics. Thirteen interviews were conducted using a social constructivist grounded theory approach. The findings illustrate how self-management can be understood in terms of a continuum-based framework, ranging from difficulties with, to successful self-management. Adaptation within the continuum can further be understood by specific transitional phases and process mechanisms, providing further depth to individuals' experiences of adaptation. This investigation provides a conceptual understanding of the complex issues adolescents encounter while adapting to and integrating a diabetes self-management regime into their lives. It provides an invaluable framework for exploring psychological mechanisms and contextualising them within a self-management continuum. Implications for healthcare professionals are discussed and further research proposes whether the model could be applicable to other chronic illnesses.

Rethinking Task Design for the Digital Age: A Framework for Language Teaching and Learning in a Synchronous Online Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampel, Regina

2006-01-01

This article discusses a framework for the development of tasks in a synchronous online environment used for language learning and teaching. It shows how a theoretical approach based on second language acquisition (SLA) principles, sociocultural and constructivist theories, and concepts taken from research on multimodality and new literacies, can…

Constructing Apprenticeship: A Contemporary Interpretation of Medieval Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pannabecker, John R.

1991-01-01

A social constructivist approach is used to study apprenticeship in the textile industry in medieval Paris. Issues of inertia, the dynamics of change, diversity, access to corporations, and the effect of social interactions and conflict on solving problems are examined. (SK)

A Dynamic Social Feedback System to Support Learning and Social Interaction in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoms, Brian

2011-01-01

In this research, we examine the design, construction, and implementation of a dynamic, easy to use, feedback mechanism for social software. The tool was integrated into an existing university's online learning community (OLC). In line with constructivist learning models and practical information systems (IS) design, the feedback system provides…

Extremely Ego-Oriented Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todorovich, John R.

2009-01-01

Social constructivists posit that learning involves social interactions among individuals in a given place and time. Since teachers play a significant role in how social interactions are developed and determined in the school classroom, it is important to learn how teachers make decisions about their teaching behaviors and interactions with their…

How to Structure Group Work? Conditions of Efficacy and Methodological Considerations in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafont, Lucile; Rivière, Camille; Darnis, Florence; Legrain, Pascal

2017-01-01

This article is grounded in social constructivist perspectives of learning: its purpose is to provide an overview of the "Interactions Sociales et Acquisition" (ISA) [Social Interactions and Acquisition] French group's research that examines how a peer-assisted learning (PAL) group context facilitates students' acquisition of motor and…

Who Benefits from Virtuality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Barry; Hedberg, John G.; Wright, Rob

2000-01-01

Discusses the use of constructivist frameworks to develop effective and successful learning environments, including educational software. Topics include technology supporting reform; virtuality and multimedia; attributes of interactive multimedia and virtual reality; and examples of context and learner active participation. (Contains 35…

Race in California's prison fire camps for men: prison politics, space, and the racialization of everyday life.

PubMed

Goodman, Philip

2014-09-01

The vast majority of social scientists agree that race is "socially constructed." Yet many scholars of punishment and prisons still treat race as static, self-evident categories. One result is that not enough is known about the production, meanings, and consequences of race as experienced by prisoners and those who guard and manage them. The author's research on California's prison fire camps uncovers the micro-level ways in which race is performed and imbued with meaning; he reveals how racial understandings color people and settings. One puzzle is that prisoners in California's fire camps will fight natural disasters side by side, sharing water and provisions, but separate into racial groups when in the camp itself. In part to answer this (and in part to develop better understandings of race and prisons more generally), the author unpacks the variegated nature of punishment and the spatialization of race and advocates for research that is faithful to the constructivist framework.

Socially Mediated Metacognition and Learning to Write

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Shirley

2009-01-01

Writing can be viewed as a recursive process involving both cognitive and metacognitive processes. Task, environment, individual cognition and affective processes all impact on producing written text. Recent research on the development of metacognition in young children has highlighted social constructivist and socio-cultural factors.…

From Monologue to Dialogue: Interpreting Social Constructivism with a Bakhtinian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishra, Rishabh Kumar

2015-01-01

At present it is a well-established idea that the construction of knowledge is a process of co-construction of meanings through participation in socially negotiated and discursive activity. The pedagogic translation of this idea owes its root to a social constructivist perspective of development and learning. It envisages teaching-learning as a…

Reconstructing constructivism: Causal models, Bayesian learning mechanisms and the theory theory

PubMed Central

Gopnik, Alison; Wellman, Henry M.

2012-01-01

We propose a new version of the “theory theory” grounded in the computational framework of probabilistic causal models and Bayesian learning. Probabilistic models allow a constructivist but rigorous and detailed approach to cognitive development. They also explain the learning of both more specific causal hypotheses and more abstract framework theories. We outline the new theoretical ideas, explain the computational framework in an intuitive and non-technical way, and review an extensive but relatively recent body of empirical results that supports these ideas. These include new studies of the mechanisms of learning. Children infer causal structure from statistical information, through their own actions on the world and through observations of the actions of others. Studies demonstrate these learning mechanisms in children from 16 months to 4 years old and include research on causal statistical learning, informal experimentation through play, and imitation and informal pedagogy. They also include studies of the variability and progressive character of intuitive theory change, particularly theory of mind. These studies investigate both the physical and psychological and social domains. We conclude with suggestions for further collaborative projects between developmental and computational cognitive scientists. PMID:22582739

Adult Student Identity in an Intergenerational Community College Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasworm, Carol

2005-01-01

What is the nature of an adult student identity? Based in social constructivist theory, this study explored coconstructed understandings of culturally and socially mediated student identities through a select group of adult undergraduates in intergenerational community college classroom contexts. Key findings elaborated the coconstruction of two…

Exploring the Impacts of Social Networking Sites on Academic Relations in the University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rambe, Patient

2011-01-01

Social networking sites (SNS) affordances for persistent interaction, collective generation of knowledge, and formation of peer-based clusters for knowledge sharing render them useful for developing constructivist knowledge environments. However, notwithstanding their academic value, these environments are not necessarily insulated from the…

Supporting Social Awareness in Collaborative E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambropoulos, Niki; Faulkner, Xristine; Culwin, Fintan

2012-01-01

In the last decade, we have seen the emergence of virtual learning environments. Initially, these environments were a little more than document repositories that tutor used unicast to the students. Informed in part by social constructivist theories of education, later environments included capabilities for tutor-student and student-student,…

Cognitive and Social Constructivism: Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Katherine C.; Kalina, Cody J.

2009-01-01

An effective classroom, where teachers and students are communicating optimally, is dependent on using constructivist strategies, tools and practices. There are two major types of constructivism in the classroom: (1) Cognitive or individual constructivism depending on Piaget's theory, and (2) Social constructivism depending on Vygotsky's theory.…

The SNAP Platform: Social Networking for Academic Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkwood, Keith

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce an enterprise-wide Web 2.0 learning support platform--SNAP, developed at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach: Pointing to the evolution of the social web, the paper discusses the potential for the development of e-learning platforms that employ constructivist, connectivist,…

Online Social Media Applications for Constructivism and Observational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbati, Lydia

2013-01-01

Web 2.0 technologies have a range of possibilities for fostering constructivist learning and observational learning. This is due to the available applications which allow for synchronous and asynchronous interaction and the sharing of knowledge between users. Web 2.0 tools include online social media applications which have potential pedagogical…

Strengthening Career Human Agency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Charles P.

2006-01-01

Rooted in A. Bandura's (1982, 2001b) social cognitive theory, the notion of human agency has received considerable attention in vocational and career psychology for the last 2 decades, especially with the recent emergence of social constructivist thinking in the field. This article continues in the same direction. In reviewing the notion of human…

The Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in an Intensive French as a Second-Language Program: From Theory to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joy, Rhonda; Murphy, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

This paper portrays the activity system of eight classes of Grade 6 children with special educational needs in an Intensive French as a second-language education program. Classroom norms and tools reflected a social-interactionist and social-constructivist approach with scaffolding, social interaction, multiple modes of representing, holistic,…

Science, religion, and constructivism: constructing and understanding reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyay, Bhaskar

2010-03-01

There have been debates about the place of religion in science and in what ways knowledge that is produced through religion can aid in the learning and teaching of science. The discord between science and religion is mainly focused on whose knowledge is better in describing and explaining the reality. Constructivist epistemology seems to give some scholars hope in the possibility that the discord between science and religion can be ameliorated and that their expressions of reality can co-exist. In this forum contribution I present some Hindu perspectives to re-interpret how science and Hinduism explain reality. I have used only few Hindu perspectives based on selected Hindu writings, particularly Vedanta, to expand on objectivity and reality. Finally, I recommend that social constructivism may be a better framework in keeping science and religion discord at bay.

Philosophical approaches to the nursing informatics data-information-knowledge-wisdom framework.

PubMed

Matney, Susan; Brewster, Philip J; Sward, Katherine A; Cloyes, Kristin G; Staggers, Nancy

2011-01-01

Although informatics is an important area of nursing inquiry and practice, few scholars have articulated the philosophical foundations of the field or how these translate into practice including the often-cited data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (DIKW) framework. Data, information, and knowledge, often approached through postpositivism, can be exhibited in computer systems. Wisdom aligns with constructivist epistemological perspectives such as Gadamerian hermeneutics. Computer systems can support wisdom development. Wisdom is an important element of the DIKW framework and adds value to the role of nursing informaticists and nursing science.

Part of What We Do: Teacher Perceptions of STEM Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stubbs, Eric A.; Myers, Brian E.

2016-01-01

This study explored three high school agriculture teachers' perceptions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration through interviews. The approach was constructivist and data were analyzed according to the framework of integrated STEM education presented in a National Academy of Sciences report. Each participant…

Theoretical Grounding: The "Missing Link" in Suicide Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, James R.

2001-01-01

Discusses the strengths and limitations of the current pragmatic focus of research in suicidology and presents an argument for theoretical grounding as a precursor for continued advancement in this area. Presents an existential-constructivist framework of "meaning creation" as a theoretical heuristic for understanding suicide. Outlines general…

Citizen Science as a REAL Environment for Authentic Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Nathan J.; Scott, Siri; Strauss, Andrea Lorek; Nippolt, Pamela L.; Oberhauser, Karen S.; Blair, Robert B.

2014-01-01

Citizen science projects can serve as constructivist learning environments for programming focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for youth. Attributes of "rich environments for active learning" (REALs) provide a framework for design of Extension STEM learning environments. Guiding principles and design strategies…

Developing an Inclusive Democratic Classroom "in Action" through Cooperative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson-Patrick, Kate

2012-01-01

This paper examines how Cooperative learning (CL) and democracy can be examined in relation to one another. CL supports a social constructivist view of students learning together to form knowledge through direct interaction. The overriding benefits of CL are that that it is an effective strategy for maximising both social and academic learning…

Comments in MOOCs: Who Is Doing the Talking and Does It Help?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swinnerton, B.; Hotchkiss, S.; Morris, N. P.

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the characteristics and behaviour of learners on nine Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on the FutureLearn platform in 2014 and 2015. FutureLearn's social constructivist approach, which emphasizes learning through social interaction, makes the focus on forum posting within these MOOCs particularly appropriate. This study…

Gender Gaps in Group Listening and Speaking: Issues in Social Constructivist Approaches to Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Darryl; Gambell, Trevor; Randhawa, Bikkar

2005-01-01

Because of its centrality to school success, social status, and workplace effectiveness, oral and aural skills development has been increasingly emphasized in Canadian curricula, classrooms and, very recently, large-scale assessment. The corresponding emphasis on group processes and collaborative learning has aimed to address equity issues in…

Critical Race Theory-Social Constructivist Bricolage: A Health-Promoting Schools Research Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyika, Lawrence; Murray-Orr, Anne

2017-01-01

While the current literature recognises the capacity of diverse methodologies to provide informative understandings of health-promoting schools (HPS), there is a paucity of examples to show how different research strategies can be used. We address this knowledge gap by examining the significance of a critical race theory-social constructivist…

On the Making of Hard Times and Good Times: The Social Construction of Resource Stress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann, Anna

1995-01-01

A study of two colleges examined how the president's communicative behavior affects organizational life, viewed from a social constructivist perspective. It is concluded that the president can inadvertently create hard times even in good financial circumstances and abate them during serious financial decline. (Author/MSE)

Patterns of Non-Verbal Social Interactions within Intensive Mathematics Intervention Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jonathan Norris; Harkness, Shelly Sheats

2016-01-01

This study examined the non-verbal patterns of interaction within an intensive mathematics intervention context. Specifically, the authors draw on social constructivist worldview to examine a teacher's use of gesture in this setting. The teacher conducted a series of longitudinal teaching experiments with a small number of young, school-age…

Co-Regulation of Student Motivation and Emergent Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaslin, Mary

2009-01-01

In this article I outline a co-regulation model of identity that is based on an emergent interaction perspective derived from Vygotskian theory. I use this model to suggest the role of motivation in identity development. The co-regulation approach is one of many modern attempts (e.g., social cognitive, social constructivist, sociocultural) to…

Empowering Students in the Process of Social Inquiry Learning through Flipping the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jong, Morris Siu-Yung

2017-01-01

The "flipped classroom" is an educational strategy about inverting the traditional use of in-class time for conducting lower-level learning activities and out-of-class time for conducting higher-level learning activities. "Guided social inquiry learning" (GSIL), which is a scaffolded constructivist pedagogic approach, has been…

Toward a neural basis for peer-interaction: what makes peer-learning tick?

PubMed Central

Clark, Ian; Dumas, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Many of the instructional practices that have been advanced as intrinsically motivating are inherent in socio-constructivist learning environments. There is now emerging scientific evidence to explain why interactive learning environments promote the intrinsic motivation to learn. The “two-body” and “second person” approaches have begun to explore the “dark matter” of social neuroscience: the intra- and inter-individual brain dynamics during social interaction. Moreover, studies indicate that when young learners are given expanded opportunities to actively and equitably participate in collaborative learning activities they experienced feelings of well-being, contentment, or even excitement. Neuroscience starts demonstrating how this naturally rewarding aspect is strongly associated with the implication of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway during social interaction. The production of dopamine reinforces the desire to continue the interaction, and heightens feelings of anticipation for future peer-learning activities. Here we review how cooperative learning and problem-solving interactions can bring about the “intrinsic” motivation to learn. Overall, the reported theoretical arguments and neuroscientific results have clear implications for school and organization approaches and support social constructivist perspectives. PMID:25713542

The Reporting of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks in American Social Studies Textbooks: A Muslim Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saleem, Mohammed M.; Thomas, Michael K.

2011-01-01

This study analyzes the reporting of the September 11th terrorist attacks in social studies textbooks from a Muslim perspective and reports on findings from a study of the responses of American Muslim children to the treatment of the events of September 11th in social studies textbooks. Constructivist grounded theory was used to centralize the…

Complementary medicines in medicine: Conceptualising terminology among Australian medical students using a constructivist grounded theory approach.

PubMed

Templeman, Kate; Robinson, Anske; McKenna, Lisa

2015-02-01

Terminology around the use of complementary medicines (CM) within medical discourse is ambiguous. Clear collective discourse within the medical context is required. This study reports the findings of a Constructivist Grounded Theory Method study used to explore medical students' conceptualisation of terminology and associated value components around CMs as evidenced within their discourse community. The results show that terminology surrounding CMs within medicine is politically charged and fraught with value judgements. Terms used to describe CMs were considered, many of which were deemed problematic. Categorisation of specific medicines was also deemed inappropriate in certain contexts. Conceptualisation of CM terminology, categorisation and value implications, discriminated between levels of evidence for CMs and provided insights into the social change of medicine towards emergence of an evidence-based integrative approach. The results show that terminology surrounding CM is a social construct consistent with fluid conceptualisation and operationalisation in different social contexts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship between constructivist supervisory practices, school climate, and student proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science: Evidence from NELS:88

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molnar, John Alexander

In an effort to improve instruction and student learning, school reform efforts have become prevalent. School reformers have examined many aspects of the school experience, including learning theories such as behaviorism and constructivism, the changing roles of teachers and supervisors, and even the concept of the school itself. The theoretical framework for this study centered around constructivist learning theory. The study itself focused on the application of constructivist learning theory to the supervisory process. The study examined five areas of interest: (a) teachers' perceptions of constructivist supervisory behavior; (b) teachers' perceptions of efficacy and control in the classroom; (c) teachers' perceptions of school climate; (d) teachers' perceptions of job satisfaction, and (e) the influences of each of the aforementioned on student proficiency in mathematics, reading, and science. Data for the study was drawn from the first follow-up survey of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88). NELS: 88 investigated a wide variety of factors that influence the educational process. The first follow-up focuses on environmental factors that affect teachers and students. Variables were selected from the NELS:88 data set that represented the areas to be examined. Factor analysis and correlational analysis were applied to ensure that the variables were measuring distinct constructs and to determine ways they could be grouped for analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to determine relationships among the individual and composite variables, controlling for student and teacher demographic factors. The results of the study suggest that varying relationships do exist between constructivist supervisory practices and the constructs measuring school climate and job satisfaction. The results also suggest that varying relationships exist between each of these factors and student proficiency in mathematics, reading, and science. Specifically, school climate, job satisfaction, and student proficiency were influenced by constructivist supervisory practices that included teachers' freedom to experiment with teaching and teachers' control over texts and materials.

Facilitating Facilitators: Enhancing PBL through a Structured Facilitator Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salinitri, Francine D.; Wilhelm, Sheila M.; Crabtree, Brian L.

2015-01-01

With increasing adoption of the problem-based learning (PBL) model, creative approaches to enhancing facilitator training and optimizing resources to maintain effective learning in small groups is essential. We describe a theoretical framework for the development of a PBL facilitator training program that uses the constructivist approach as the…

Developing Constructivist Learning Environments: A Management Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haartsen-Geven, Manon; Sandberg, Jacobijn

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to provide insight in the critical factors involved in creating an optimum in developing technology for educational innovation, for each stakeholder, in any relevant context and at any time. Design/methodology/approach: From literature review, four diagrams were constructed to contain the critical factors…

Classroom Management Strategies and Behavioral Interventions to Support Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilpatrick, Robin Sue Holzworth

2010-01-01

This mixed method project study identified the need for effective classroom management strategies to dissuade student noncompliant behavior and to ensure academic success for all students. Enhancing classroom management practices is vital to improved student achievement and teacher self-efficacy. Within a constructivist framework, it is critical…

Biracial Multiracial Lesbian Gay Bisexual Queer Student Leaders Making Meaning of Their Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunstman, Robert Jason

2017-01-01

Five biracial multiracial lesbian gay bisexual queer student leaders shared stories about their undergraduate experiences at a prestigious southern university. Critical cultural and constructivist paradigm provided the framework for supporting this narrative inquiry. Through multiple interviews, participants shared stories of their background,…

Constructivists Online: Reimagining Progressive Practice. Occasional Paper Series 34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freidus, Helen, Ed.; Welsh Kruger, Mollie, Ed.; Goss, Steven, Ed.

2015-01-01

In this issue of the Occasional Paper Series, the authors reimagine progressive pedagogy within the framework of digital pedagogy and online practice. The issue begins with "Notes from the Special Issue Editors," Helen Freidus, Mollie Welsh Kruger & Steven Goss. In the first set of essays, "Inside the Online Classroom," the…

Role of Teachers in Constructivistic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karpagam, S.; Ananthasayanam, R.

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to explain learner centered methodology of teaching at the school level due to implementation of National curriculum frame work for school (2005), since NCF [National Curriculum Framework] 2005 emphasizes the process of constructing knowledge i.e. learning to learn, willing to unlearn, and relearn as a new paradigm of learning…

Barrows' Integration of Cognitive and Clinical Psychology in PBL Tutor Guidelines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughan, Kareen

2013-01-01

Scholars have noted PBL is consistent with John Dewey's educational theories and with constructivist philosophies. This paper explores the similarities between the assumptions within Howard Barrows' principles for the PBL tutor's actions with Dewey's theories that address teacher behaviors and with Carl Rogers's conceptual frameworks that support…

Developing Reflective Dispositions through Collaborative Knowledge-Building during Small Group Bible Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toh, Tze Keong; Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling; Chai, Ching Sing

2017-01-01

This article explores the use of a constructivist pedagogical approach to cultivate reflective dispositions during small group Bible study. Conducted in a local church Bible class setting (n = 12), the instructional design emulated the reflective thinking process, while adopting collaborative knowledge-building as its pedagogical framework.…

Understanding Teaching or Teaching for Understanding: Alternative Frameworks for Science Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildy, Helen; Wallace, John

1995-01-01

Describes the findings of a study that involved exploring the classroom practices of an experienced physics teacher to enable researchers to reexamine assumptions about good teaching. Asserts that a broader view of good science teaching is needed than that proposed by the constructivist literature. (ZWH)

Realist Evaluation: An Emerging Theory in Support of Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Gary T., Ed.; Julnes, George, Ed.; Mark, Melvin M., Ed.

1998-01-01

The five articles of this sourcebook, organized around the five-component framework for evaluation described by W. Shadish, T. Cook, and L. Leviton (1991), present a new theory of realist evaluation that captures the sensemaking contributions of postpositivism and the sensitivity to values from the constructivist traditions. (SLD)

Describing Physics Student Teachers' Orientations through Lesson Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karal, Isik Saliha

2017-01-01

Recent educational reforms realized in teacher education programs (TEPs) and secondary physics syllabus were aimed at placing the learning and teaching approaches in a constructivist framework. For this reason, student teachers in pre-service TEPs are expected to develop orientations adopting student-centred teaching approaches. The purpose of…

E-Portfolio Evaluation and Vocabulary Learning: Moving from Pedagogy to Andragogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharifi, Maryam; Soleimani, Hassan; Jafarigohar, Manoochehr

2017-01-01

Current trends in the field of educational technology indicate a shift in pedagogical assumptions and theoretical frameworks that favor active involvement of self-directed learners in a constructivist environment. This study probes the influence of electronic portfolio evaluation on vocabulary learning of Iranian university students and the…

Teachers' tendencies to promote student-led science projects: Associations with their views about science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bencze, J. Lawrence; Bowen, G. Michael; Alsop, Steve

2006-05-01

School science students can benefit greatly from participation in student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects. For various possible reasons, however, students tend not to be engaged in such inquiries. Among factors that may limit their opportunities to engage in open-ended inquiries of their design are teachers' conceptions about science. To explore possible relationships between teachers' conceptions about science and the types of inquiry activities in which they engage students, instrumental case studies of five secondary science teachers were developed, using field notes, repertory grids, samples of lesson plans and student activities, and semistructured interviews. Based on constructivist grounded theory analysis, participating teachers' tendencies to promote student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects seemed to correspond with positions about the nature of science to which they indicated adherence. A tendency to encourage and enable students to carry out student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects appeared to be associated with adherence to social constructivist views about science. Teachers who opposed social constructivist views tended to prefer tight control of student knowledge building procedures and conclusions. We suggest that these results can be explained with reference to human psychological factors, including those associated with teachers' self-esteem and their relationships with knowledge-building processes in the discipline of their teaching.

Evaluation of an Educational Computer Programme as a Change Agent in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muwanga-Zake, Johnnie Wycliffe Frank

2007-01-01

I report on benefits from 26 teacher-participant evaluators of a computer game designed to motivate learning and to ease conceptual understanding of biology in South Africa. Using a developmental, social constructivist and interpretative model, the recommendation is to include the value systems and needs of end-users (through social dialogue);…

Stroking the Net Whale: A Constructivist Grounded Theory of Self-Regulated Learning in Virtual Social Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasperiuniene, Judita; Zydziunaite, Vilma; Eriksson, Malin

2017-01-01

This qualitative study explored the self-regulated learning (SRL) of teachers and their students in virtual social spaces. The processes of SRL were analyzed from 24 semi-structured individual interviews with professors, instructors and their students from five Lithuanian universities. A core category stroking the net whale showed the process of…

Designing Social Media into University Learning: Technology of Collaboration or Collaboration for Technology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tay, Elaine; Allen, Matthew

2011-01-01

Using the example of an undergraduate unit of study that is taught both on-campus and externally, but uses Internet-based learning in both cases, we explore how social media might be used effectively in higher education. We place into question the assumption that such technologies necessarily engage students in constructivist learning; we argue…

The Use of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) within a Constructivist Learning Environment to Develop Core Competencies in Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fire, Nancy; Casstevens, W. J.

2013-01-01

Achieving foundation-level practice behaviors to develop social work core competencies involves integrating learning across a curriculum. This article focuses on two phases of foundation-level course redevelopment aimed to support graduate students in accomplishing this outcome. The first phase involved restructuring the course to become a…

"This Bird Can't Do It 'Cause This Bird Doesn't Swim in Water": Sibling Teaching during Naturalistic Home Observations in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Nina; Della Porta, Sandra; Recchia, Holly; Funamoto, Allyson; Ross, Hildy

2015-01-01

Social-constructivist models of learning highlight that cognitive development is embedded within the context of social relationships characterized by closeness and intimacy (Vygotsky, 1978). Therefore, in contrast to prior research employing semistructured paradigms, naturalistic sibling-directed teaching was examined during ongoing interactions…

The Role of Perceptions of Friendships and Peers in Learning Skills in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koekoek, Jeroen; Knoppers, Annelies

2015-01-01

Background: Most research on how children learn when using the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach has focused on cognitive dimensions in teaching games models. A social constructivist perspective suggests, however, that learning also takes place during social interactions. Since the process of learning game skills tends to have a…

Thinking through every step: how people with spinal cord injuries relearn to walk.

PubMed

Jordan, Meggan M; Berkowitz, Dana; Hannold, Elizabeth; Velozo, Craig A; Behrman, Andrea L

2013-08-01

In this article we explore how people with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) create meaning out of their changing bodies as they undergo a therapeutic intervention called locomotor training (LT). Therapeutic interventions like LT are used to promote the recovery of walking ability among individuals with iSCI. The chronological nature of this study--interviews at three points throughout the 12-week intervention--enhances understanding of the recovering self after spinal cord injury. Drawing on a constructivist theoretical framework, we organize data according to three narrative frames. Participants interpreted LT as (a) a physical change that was meaningful because of its social significance, (b) a coping strategy for dealing with the uncertainty of long-term recovery, and (c) a moral strategy to reconstitute the self. We offer findings that lay the conceptual groundwork for generating new knowledge about what is important to people with iSCI as they relearn how to walk.

[Health didactics: undergraduates' nursing representations and the use of an innovative teaching strategy].

PubMed

de Domenico, Edvane Birelo Lopes; Matheus, Maria Clara Cassuli

2009-09-01

This study aimed at analyzing the representations regarding the relationships between Nursing and Education practices, to reveal expectations regarding the course Fundamentals, Methods and Techniques of Teaching and evaluate the use of the Projects Method. Method this is a qualitative evaluation research performed between April and June 2007 with first-year nursing students of a Baccalaureate Degree Program. The data were analyzed based on the Social Representations framework and the constructivist postulates. The students revealed that their learning expectations were related with the contents of didactics, human communication, and the teaching-learning process. The Projects Method was considered capable of providing dynamism, interest towards the content, and the ability to associate theory and practice, in addition to having favored the amplitude and appreciation of the educate/care binomial. In conclusion, health didactics contents are capable of generating students' interest, especially when an innovative methodology is used.

Do scientific theories affect men's evaluations of sex crimes?

PubMed

Dar-Nimrod, Ilan; Heine, Steven J; Cheung, Benjamin Y; Schaller, Mark

2011-01-01

Evolutionary psychology accounts of gender differences in sexual behaviors in general and men's sexual aggression, in particular, has been criticized for legitimizing males' sexual misconduct. To empirically assess such critiques, two studies examined how men's judgments of male sex crimes (solicitation of sex from a prostitute; rape) are influenced by exposure to (a) evolutionary psychological theories and (b) social-constructivist theories. Across two studies, a consistent pattern emerged compared with a control condition (a) exposure to evolutionary psychology theories had no observable impact on male judgments of men's criminal sexual behavior, whereas (b) exposure to social-constructivist theories did affect judgments, leading men to evaluate sex crimes more harshly. Additional results (from Study 2) indicate that this effect is mediated by perceptions of male control over sexual urges. These results have implications for journalists, educators, and scientists. Aggr. Behav. 37:440-449, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Do scientific theories affect men’s evaluations of sex crimes?

PubMed Central

DAR-NIMROD, ILAN; HEINE, STEVEN J.; CHEUNG, BENJAMIN Y.; SCHALLER, MARK

2012-01-01

Evolutionary Psychology accounts of gender differences in sexual behaviors in general and men’s sexual aggression in particular, have been criticized for legitimizing males’ sexual misconduct. To empirically assess such critiques, two studies examined how men’s judgments of male sex crimes (solicitation of sex from a prostitute; rape) are influenced by exposure to (a) evolutionary psychological theories, and (b) social-constructivist theories. Across two studies a consistent pattern emerged: compared to a control condition, (a) exposure to evolutionary psychology theories had no observable impact on male judgments of men’s criminal sexual behavior, whereas (b) exposure to social-constructivist theories did affect judgments, leading men to evaluate sex crimes more harshly. Additional results (from Study 2) indicate that this effect is mediated by perceptions of male control over sexual urges. These results have implications, for journalists, educators, and scientists. PMID:21678431

Board Games Play Matters: A Rethinking on Children's Aesthetic Experience and Interpersonal Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Mei-Ju

2017-01-01

There has been a growing awareness of the contribution of play to the young children's learning and development. This study aims to investigate the implement of board games play on children's aesthetic experience and interpersonal understanding in Montessori and Constructivist classrooms. With the underlying framework follows a developmentally…

Reconstructing Constructivism: Causal Models, Bayesian Learning Mechanisms, and the Theory Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopnik, Alison; Wellman, Henry M.

2012-01-01

We propose a new version of the "theory theory" grounded in the computational framework of probabilistic causal models and Bayesian learning. Probabilistic models allow a constructivist but rigorous and detailed approach to cognitive development. They also explain the learning of both more specific causal hypotheses and more abstract framework…

Administrative Perceptions on the Role of the School Library Media Specialist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Kayla

2013-01-01

Despite the efforts of local school library media specialists to promote their programming, many administrators do not understand the roles and responsibilities of the school library media specialist. Using a constructivist theoretical framework, this study was designed to examine the local school administrators' perceptions of the role of the…

Implementing an Innovative Method to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raikou, Natassa; Karalis, Thanassis; Ravanis, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

In the contemporary international field of education and particularly in Science Education, there is a tendency of limiting the teacher to the role of a passive recipient of knowledge produced in research, followed by the transfer of that knowledge to the classroom. Meanwhile, the dominant tendencies on forming constructivist frameworks, where…

The Crossover Generation: Baby Boomers and the Role of the Public Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Kirsty; Bannister, Marion; Sullivan, Jen

2010-01-01

The article explores the concept of baby boomers as a "crossover" generation, one that embodies characteristics of previous and later generations. The context is the retirement of the baby boomers and its potential impact on the public library. Ethnographic method within a constructivist framework was used, employing the techniques of…

Techniques in Marriage and Family Counseling, Volume Two. The Family Psychology and Counseling Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watts, Richard E., Ed.

This volume presents a collection of practical strategies for enhancing communication between couples and families. Experts in the field outline proven techniques from cognitive and constructivist/constructionist frameworks, structural and strategic orientations, and couple/family play therapy. Chapters are: (1) "Letter for a Change: Using Letter…

Theorizing Teacher Identity: Self-Narratives and Finding Place in an Audit Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bullough, Robert V., Jr.

2015-01-01

Noting the need for richer theories of identity and identity formation in education, the author describes aspects of D. P. McAdams' psychosocial constructivist framework enriched by select concepts drawn from Life Course research for conceptualizing and analyzing identity development within audit-driven societies and educational systems. Drawing…

Leading though Language Learning and Teaching: The Case of Gandhi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Sarah Elaine

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to link the notions of language learning and leadership, using Gandhi as a case study. Theoretical Framework: This work is studied through a constructivist lens, and is further influenced by Educational Leadership thinkers such as Michael Fullan (2006). Methodology: Choosing a broad general theme of interest…

Proceedings of the Annual Technology Literacy Conference. (7th, Alexandria, Virginia, February 6-9, 1992).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Dennis, Ed.

The following papers are included in these proceedings: "Weaving Technology and Human Affairs" (B. Hazeltine); "Positivist and Constructivist Understandings about Science and Their Implications for STS Teaching and Learning" (B. Reeves; C. Ney); "A Modular Conceptual Framework for Technology and Work" (D. Blandow); "A Time of Uncertainty: The…

Evolution of Students' Ideas about Natural Selection through a Constructivist Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumgartner, Erin; Duncan, Kanesa

2009-01-01

Educating students about the process of evolution through natural selection is vitally important because not only is it the unifying theory of biological science, it is also widely regarded as difficult for students to fully comprehend. Anderson and colleagues (2002) describe alternative ideas and misconceptions about natural selection as highly…

Transforming School and Society: Examining the Theoretical Foundations of Scholar-Practitioner Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampton, Keri

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine, using the tenets of cultural theory, critical theory, constructivist theory, and transformational theory as a lens, selected theoretical foundations of the scholar-practitioner. These foundations form the framework for understanding the nature of the scholar-practitioner construct and provide insight into…

Mental Rolodexing: Senior Chemistry Majors' Understanding of Chemical and Physical Properties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeFever, Ryan S.; Bruce, Heather; Bhattacharyya, Gautam

2015-01-01

Using a constructivist framework, eight senior chemistry majors were interviewed twice to determine: (i) structural inferences they are able to make from chemical and physical properties; and (ii) their ability to apply their inferences and understandings of these chemical and physical properties to solve tasks on the reactivity of organic…

Online Group Work Patterns: How to Promote a Successful Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, I.; Tinoca, L.; Pereira, A.

2011-01-01

Participation is a complex process, engaging the whole person, implying cognitive, emotional and relational aspects. In online open and distant learning, group work is a commonly used strategy, given its collaborative nature and constructivist framework ([Bates and Poole, 2003], [Garrison and Anderson, 2003] and [Jonassen, 2005]). In this context,…

Epistemological Separation of Research and Teaching among Graduate Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinchin, Ian Miles; Hatzipanagos, Stylianos; Turner, Nancy

2009-01-01

Development of a more scholarly approach to teaching at university may expose the novice university teacher to an apparent conflict in belief systems about teaching and learning (i.e. epistemological beliefs). Educational research is explicit in its recognition of a constructivist framework, whilst other academic research is often embedded more…

Internal Voices, External Constraints: Exploring the Impact of Military Service on Student Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Sharon L. M.

2017-01-01

Using a conceptual framework constructed from elements of self-evolution, epistemological reflection, and constructivist adult learning theories, I examined how 8 student veterans progressed toward the developmental stage of self-authorship and what role, if any, their military training or experience played in that development. The findings from…

Affect and Learning: An Exploratory Look into the Role of Affect in Learning with AutoTutor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Scotty D.; Graesser, Arthur C.; Sullins, Jeremiah; Gholson, Barry

2004-01-01

The role that affective states play in learning was investigated from the perspective of a constructivist learning framework. We observed six different affect states (frustration, boredom, flow, confusion, eureka and neutral) that potentially occur during the process of learning introductory computer literacy with AutoTutor, an intelligent…

Beyond Universal Design for Learning: Guiding Principles to Reduce Barriers to Digital & Media Literacy Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing instruction to address the wide range of learner variation in today's inclusive classrooms, can be applied effectively to broaden access, understanding, and engagement in digital and media literacy learning for ALL. UDL supports constructivist learning principles. UDL strategies and…

Pupils' Representations of Electric Current before, during and after Instruction on DC Circuits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psillos, D.; And Others

1987-01-01

Reported are compulsory education pupils' representations of electric current in a constructivist approach to introducing direct current (DC) circuits. Suggests that the pupils views can be modelled after an energy framework. Makes suggestions about the content, the apparatus and the experiments used in teaching DC circuits. (CW)

Double-Checking the Race Box: Examining Inconsistency between Survey Measures of Observed and Self-Reported Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saperstein, Aliya

2006-01-01

Social constructivist theories of race suggest no two measures of race will capture the same information, but the degree of "error" this creates for quantitative research on inequality is unclear. Using unique data from the General Social Survey, I find observed and self-reported measures of race yield substantively different results when used to…

Bilingual Writing as an Act of Identity: Sign-Making in Multiple Scripts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabuto, Bobbie

2010-01-01

This article explores early bilingual script writing as an act of identity. Using multiple theoretical perspectives related to social semiotics and social constructivist perspectives on identity and writing, the research presented in this article is based on a case study of an early biliterate learner of Japanese and English from the ages of 3-7.…

Designing a Primary Science Curriculum in a Globalizing World: How Do Social Constructivism and Vietnamese Culture Meet?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

H?ng, Ngô Vu Thu; Meijer, Marijn Roland; Bulte, Astrid M. W.; Pilot, Albert

2017-01-01

The implementation of social constructivist approaches to learning science in primary education in Vietnamese culture as an example of Confucian heritage culture remains challenging and problematic. This theoretical paper focuses on the initial phase of a design-based research approach; that is, the description of the design of a formal, written…

The Analysis of Interactivity in a Teaching and Learning Sequence of Rugby: The Transfer of Control and Learning Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llobet-Martí, Bernat; López-Ros, Víctor; Vila, Ignasi

2018-01-01

Background: The social constructivist perspective emphasises that learning is a process of self-construction of knowledge in a social context. Game-centred approaches, such as teaching games for understanding, have been used in accordance with this perspective. The process of transferring learning responsibility takes place when the learner is…

College Students' Perceived Learning Environment and Their Social Media Engagement in Activities Unrelated to Class Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alt, Dorit

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the connection between students' perceived constructivist learning environment and their involvement in activities unrelated to class work via social media engagement (SME), while considering the moderating role of their openness to diversity and challenge (ODC) in explaining both variables. Another aim was to…

Epistemological Anarchy and the Many Forms of Constructivism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geelan, David R.

Constructivism has become an important referent for research and practice in science education. A variety of more or less divergent forms of constructivism have developed: discussion between these is occasionally heated. Six such forms are briefly described in order to provide an overview of the field of constructivist theory. A scheme for characterising constructivist writing on the basis of its relative emphasis on (a) personal versus social construction of knowledge and (b) objectivist versus relativist views of the nature of science is suggested. Issues of theory creation and reflexivity, central to constructivist practice, are discussed. It is suggested that debate about the "best" form of constructivism is counterproductive. A more powerful approach to epistemology is that described by Feyerabend, the holding in dialectical tension of a variety of incompatible perspectives: The following essay is written in the conviction that anarchism, while perhaps not the most attractive political philosophy, is certainly excellent medicine for epistemology, and for the philosophy of science (Feyerabend, 1975, 17, italics in original).

Deconstructing Constructivism: Modeling Causal Relationships Among Constructivist Learning Environment Factors and Student Outcomes in Introductory Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komperda, Regis

The purpose of this dissertation is to test a model of relationships among factors characterizing aspects of a student-centered constructivist learning environment and student outcomes of satisfaction and academic achievement in introductory undergraduate chemistry courses. Constructivism was chosen as the theoretical foundation for this research because of its widespread use in chemical education research and practice. In a constructivist learning environment the role of the teacher shifts from delivering content towards facilitating active student engagement in activities that encourage individual knowledge construction through discussion and application of content. Constructivist approaches to teaching introductory chemistry courses have been adopted by some instructors as a way to improve student outcomes, but little research has been done on the causal relationships among particular aspects of the learning environment and student outcomes. This makes it difficult for classroom teachers to know which aspects of a constructivist teaching approach are critical to adopt and which may be modified to better suit a particular learning environment while still improving student outcomes. To investigate a model of these relationships, a survey designed to measure student perceptions of three factors characterizing a constructivist learning environment in online courses was adapted for use in face-to-face chemistry courses. These three factors, teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence, were measured using a slightly modified version of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) instrument. The student outcomes investigated in this research were satisfaction and academic achievement, as measured by standardized American Chemical Society (ACS) exam scores and course grades. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to statistically model relationships among the three presence factors and student outcome variables for 391 students enrolled in six sections of a general chemistry course taught by four instructors at a single university using a common textbook. The quantitative analysis of student data was supported by investigating the instructor's approach to teaching using instructor responses to a modified version of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI), semi-structured interview questions, and information available in the course syllabus. The results of the SEM analysis indicate that incoming math ability, as measured by ACT math scores, has the largest effect on student academic achievement in introductory chemistry courses. Of the three presence factors, cognitive presence has the largest direct effect on academic achievement and student satisfaction. Teaching presence has a direct effect on satisfaction similar in size to the effect of cognitive presence. The relationship between social presence and student outcomes is found to be relatively small. Given the role that both teaching and social presence play in influencing cognitive presence, these results suggest that classroom teachers should emphasize the development of a learning environment with a large degree of cognitive presence where students take ownership of their own learning process. This type of learning environment can be supported by specific instructor behaviors such as facilitating discussions and implementing group work focused on collaboration and developing shared understandings.

Mental health service user participation in Chinese culture: a model of independence or interdependence?

PubMed

Tang, Jessica Pui-Shan; Tse, Samson Shu-Ki; Davidson, Larry; Cheng, Patrick

2017-12-22

Current models of user participation in mental health services were developed within Western culture and thus may not be applicable to Chinese communities. To present a new model of user participation, which emerged from research within a Chinese community, for understanding the processes of and factors influencing user participation in a non-Western culture. Multiple qualitative methods, including focus groups, individual in-depth interviews, and photovoice, were applied within the framework of constructivist grounded theory and collaborative research. Diverging from conceptualizations of user participation with emphasis on civil rights and the individual as a central agent, participants in the study highlighted the interpersonal dynamics between service users and different players affecting the participation intensity and outcomes. They valued a reciprocal relationship with their caregivers in making treatment decisions, cooperated with staff to observe power hierarchies and social harmony, identified the importance of peer support in enabling service engagement and delivery, and emphasized professional facilitation in advancing involvement at the policy level. User participation in Chinese culture embeds dynamic interdependence. The proposed model adds this new dimension to the existing frameworks and calls for attention to the complex local ecology and cultural consistency in realizing user participation.

Using a Systematic Approach and Theoretical Framework to Design a Curriculum for the Shaping Healthy Choices Program.

PubMed

Linnell, Jessica D; Zidenberg-Cherr, Sheri; Briggs, Marilyn; Scherr, Rachel E; Brian, Kelley M; Hillhouse, Carol; Smith, Martin H

2016-01-01

To examine the use of a systematic approach and theoretical framework to develop an inquiry-based, garden-enhanced nutrition curriculum for the Shaping Healthy Choices Program. Curriculum development occurred in 3 steps: identification of learning objectives, determination of evidence of learning, and activity development. Curriculum activities were further refined through pilot-testing, which was conducted in 2 phases. Formative data collected during pilot-testing resulted in improvements to activities. Using a systematic, iterative process resulted in a curriculum called Discovering Healthy Choices, which has a strong foundation in Social Cognitive Theory and constructivist learning theory. Furthermore, the Backward Design method provided the design team with a systematic approach to ensure activities addressed targeted learning objectives and overall Shaping Healthy Choices Program goals. The process by which a nutrition curriculum is developed may have a direct effect on student outcomes. Processes by which nutrition curricula are designed and learning objectives are selected, and how theory and pedagogy are applied should be further investigated so that effective approaches to developing garden-enhanced nutrition interventions can be determined and replicated. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The nature and impact of stigma towards injured workers.

PubMed

Kirsh, Bonnie; Slack, Tesha; King, Carole Anne

2012-06-01

Many injured workers experience high levels of stigma and discrimination, which compound their physical injuries and cause social and psychological harm. Despite a growing awareness of the prevalence of such stigma, there is little research that focuses on the sources, nature and consequences of stigma with respect to the lives of injured workers. The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge related to stigma towards injured workers, specifically to explain the nature and processes of stigma and their influence on injured workers' lives. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, data from focus groups (n = 28 participants) and individual interviews (n = 18) were analyzed to discern how stigma is exhibited and perpetuated, and its impact on the lives of injured workers. The study culminated in a preliminary theoretical framework that delineates the key components of the manifestations and impacts of stigma that includes stereotypes, unethical practices and maltreatment negatively affecting work, relationships and the mental health of injured workers. The development of sound conceptualizations in this area can advance our understanding of stigma processes and provide a framework for anti-stigma efforts. The findings have implications for public education, workplace interventions and services for injured workers.

Systemic Influences on Career Development: Assisting Clients to Tell Their Career Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Mary L.; Watson, Mark B.

2008-01-01

A challenge for career theory informed by constructivism is how to apply it in practice. This article describes a career counseling intervention based on the constructivist Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development and the qualitative career assessment instrument derived from it, the My System of Career Influences (MSCI; M. McMahon, W.…

Rap Music Literacy: A Case Study of Millennial Audience Reception to Rap Lyrics Depicting Independent Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody-Ramirez, Mia; Scott, Lakia M.

2015-01-01

Using a feminist lens and a constructivist approach as the theoretical framework, we used rap lyrics and videos to help college students explore mass media's representation of the "independent" Black woman and the concept of "independence" in general. Students must be able to formulate their own concept of independence to…

How Female Professionals Successfully Process and Negotiate Involuntary Job Loss at Faith-Based Colleges and Universities: A Grounded Theory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Debra Jayne

2015-01-01

Using a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006), this qualitative study examined how eight female senior-level professionals employed at faith-based colleges and universities processed and navigated the experience of involuntary job loss and successfully transitioned to another position. The theoretical framework of psychological…

"From the Intuitive to the Intentional": Designing a Constructivist Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backenroth, Ofra Arieli; Katz, Meredith Lynn

2017-01-01

Online programs are becoming more ubiquitous in higher education; however, there has been a lack of research on the merit of this style of educating. Using the concept of constructivism as a framework, the idea that individuals construct their own understanding of world experiences, the authors generated a case study to explore the efficacy of…

Learning to Liaise and Elide "Comme il Faut": Evidence from Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicoladis, Elena; Paradis, Johanne

2011-01-01

Liaison and elision in French are phonological phenomena that apply across word boundaries. French-speaking children make errors in contexts where liaison/elision typically occurs in adult speech. In this study, we asked if acquisition of French liaison/elision can be explained in a constructivist framework. We tested if children's liaison/elision…

Promise and Possibility for Aspiring Principals: An Emerging Leadership Identity through Learning to Do Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batagiannis, Stella C.

2011-01-01

This case study explored the promise and possibility of doing action research both for aspiring principals engaged in such research and for professors using it as pedagogy for teaching educational leadership. The study of a class of graduate students aspiring to be principals had a constructivist theoretical framework. The research design…

Work-Centered Approach to Insurgency Campaign Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

a constructivist or sensemaking philosophy by defining data, information , situation awareness , and situation understanding in the following manner...present paper explores a new approach to understanding transnational insurgency movements –an approach based on a fundamental analysis of the knowledge ...country or region. By focusing at the fundamental level of knowledge creation, the resulting framework allows an understanding of insurgency

Elder women's perceptions around optimal perinatal health: a constructivist grounded-theory study with an Indigenous community in southern Ontario

PubMed Central

Kandasamy, Sujane; Vanstone, Meredith; Oremus, Mark; Hill, Trista; Wahi, Gita; Wilson, Julie; Davis, A. Darlene; Jacobs, Ruby; Anglin, Rebecca; Anand, Sonia Savitri

2017-01-01

Background: Women play important roles in translating health knowledge, particularly around pregnancy and birth, in Indigenous societies. We investigated elder Indigenous women's perceptions around optimal perinatal health. Methods: Using a methodological framework that integrated a constructivist grounded-theory approach with an Indigenous epistemology, we conducted and analyzed in-depth interviews and focus groups with women from the Six Nations community in southern Ontario who self-identified as grandmothers. Our purposive sampling strategy was guided by a Six Nations advisory group and included researcher participation in a variety of local gatherings as well as personalized invitations to specific women, either face-to-face or via telephone. Results: Three focus groups and 7 individual interviews were conducted with 18 grandmothers. The participants' experiences converged on 3 primary beliefs: pregnancy is a natural phase, pregnancy is a sacred period for the woman and the unborn child, and the requirements of immunity, security (trust), comfort, social development and parental responsibility are necessary for optimal postnatal health. Participants also identified 6 communal responsibilities necessary for families to raise healthy children: access to healthy and safe food, assurance of strong social support networks for mothers, access to resources for postnatal support, increased opportunities for children to participate in physical activity, more teachings around the impact of maternal behaviours during pregnancy and more teachings around spirituality/positive thinking. We also worked with the Six Nations community on several integrated knowledge-translation elements, including collaboration with an Indigenous artist to develop a digital story (short film). Interpretation: Elder women are a trusted and knowledgeable group who are able to understand and incorporate multiple sources of knowledge and deliver it in culturally meaningful ways. Thus, tailoring public health programming to include elder women's voices may improve the impact and uptake of perinatal health information for Indigenous women. PMID:28526704

Elder women's perceptions around optimal perinatal health: a constructivist grounded-theory study with an Indigenous community in southern Ontario.

PubMed

Kandasamy, Sujane; Vanstone, Meredith; Oremus, Mark; Hill, Trista; Wahi, Gita; Wilson, Julie; Davis, A Darlene; Jacobs, Ruby; Anglin, Rebecca; Anand, Sonia Savitri

2017-05-18

Women play important roles in translating health knowledge, particularly around pregnancy and birth, in Indigenous societies. We investigated elder Indigenous women's perceptions around optimal perinatal health. Using a methodological framework that integrated a constructivist grounded-theory approach with an Indigenous epistemology, we conducted and analyzed in-depth interviews and focus groups with women from the Six Nations community in southern Ontario who self-identified as grandmothers. Our purposive sampling strategy was guided by a Six Nations advisory group and included researcher participation in a variety of local gatherings as well as personalized invitations to specific women, either face-to-face or via telephone. Three focus groups and 7 individual interviews were conducted with 18 grandmothers. The participants' experiences converged on 3 primary beliefs: pregnancy is a natural phase, pregnancy is a sacred period for the woman and the unborn child, and the requirements of immunity, security (trust), comfort, social development and parental responsibility are necessary for optimal postnatal health. Participants also identified 6 communal responsibilities necessary for families to raise healthy children: access to healthy and safe food, assurance of strong social support networks for mothers, access to resources for postnatal support, increased opportunities for children to participate in physical activity, more teachings around the impact of maternal behaviours during pregnancy and more teachings around spirituality/positive thinking. We also worked with the Six Nations community on several integrated knowledge-translation elements, including collaboration with an Indigenous artist to develop a digital story (short film). Elder women are a trusted and knowledgeable group who are able to understand and incorporate multiple sources of knowledge and deliver it in culturally meaningful ways. Thus, tailoring public health programming to include elder women's voices may improve the impact and uptake of perinatal health information for Indigenous women. Copyright 2017, Joule Inc. or its licensors.

Skepticism, truth as coherence, and constructivist epistemology: grounds for resolving the discord between science and religion?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staver, John R.

2010-03-01

Science and religion exhibit multiple relationships as ways of knowing. These connections have been characterized as cousinly, mutually respectful, non-overlapping, competitive, proximate-ultimate, dominant-subordinate, and opposing-conflicting. Some of these ties create stress, and tension between science and religion represents a significant chapter in humans' cultural heritage before and since the Enlightenment. Truth, knowledge, and their relation are central to science and religion as ways of knowing, as social institutions, and to their interaction. In religion, truth is revealed through God's word. In science, truth is sought after via empirical methods. Discord can be viewed as a competition for social legitimization between two social institutions whose goals are explaining the world and how it works. Under this view, the root of the discord is truth as correspondence. In this concept of truth, knowledge corresponds to the facts of reality, and conflict is inevitable for many because humans want to ask which one—science or religion—gets the facts correct. But, the root paradox, also known as the problem of the criterion, suggests that seeking to know nature as it is represents a fruitless endeavor. The discord can be set on new ground and resolved by taking a moderately skeptical line of thought, one which employs truth as coherence and a moderate form of constructivist epistemology. Quantum mechanics and evolution as scientific theories and scientific research on human consciousness and vision provide support for this line of argument. Within a constructivist perspective, scientists would relinquish only the pursuit of knowing reality as it is. Scientists would retain everything else. Believers who hold that religion explains reality would come to understand that God never revealed His truth of nature; rather, He revealed His truth in how we are to conduct our lives.

Exploring arts-based knowledge translation: sharing research findings through performing the patterns, rehearsing the results, staging the synthesis.

PubMed

Rieger, Kendra; Schultz, Annette S H

2014-04-01

Cultivation of knowledge translation (KT) strategies that actively engage health professionals in critical reflection of their practice and research-based evidence are imperative to address the research-practice gap. While research-based evidence is exponentially growing, our ability to facilitate uptake by nurses and other health professionals has not kept pace. Innovative approaches that extend epistemological bias beyond a singular standpoint of postpositivism, such as the utilization of arts-based methods, expand the possibility to address the complexities of context, engage audience members, promote dissemination within communities of practice, and foster new audiences interested in research findings. In this paper, we address the importance of adopting a social constructivist epistemological stance to facilitate knowledge translation to diverse audiences, explore various arts-based knowledge translation (ABKT) strategies, and open a dialogue concerning evaluative tenets of ABKT. ABKT utilizes various art forms to disseminate research knowledge to diverse audiences and promote evidence-informed practice. ABKT initiatives translate knowledge not based upon a linear model, which views knowledge as an objective entity, but rather operate from the premise that knowledge is socially situated, which demands acknowledging and engaging the learner within their context. Theatre, dance, photography, and poetry are art forms that are commonly used to communicate research findings to diverse audiences. Given the emerging interest and importance of utilizing this KT strategy situated within a social constructivist epistemology, potential challenges and plausible evaluative criteria specific to ABKT are presented. ABKT is an emerging KT strategy that is grounded in social constructivist epistemological tenets, and holds potential for meaningfully sharing new research knowledge with diverse audiences. ABKT is an innovative and synergistic approach to traditional dissemination strategies. This creative KT approach is emerging as potent transformational learning tools that are congruent with the relational nature of nursing practice. ABKT facilitates learning about new research findings in an engaging and critical reflective manner that promotes learning within communities of practice. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Three Generations of Distance Education Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Terry; Dron, Jon

2011-01-01

This paper defines and examines three generations of distance education pedagogy. Unlike earlier classifications of distance education based on the technology used, this analysis focuses on the pedagogy that defines the learning experiences encapsulated in the learning design. The three generations of cognitive-behaviourist, social constructivist,…

Foundations of Responsibility for Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillen, Annemie

2008-01-01

Children's vulnerability asks for people taking up responsibility for children. In this contribution, three different ways of thinking on foundations of (ethical and spiritual) responsibility for children are discussed, namely, a liberalist, a social-constructivist and a naturalist paradigm. The author argues that cultural and natural elements are…

Teaching Literature to Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Richard W.; Appleman, Deborah; Hynds, Susan; Wilhelm, Jeffrey

2006-01-01

This text for pre-service and in-service English education courses presents current methods of teaching literature to middle and high school students. The methods are based on social constructivist/socio-cultural theories of literacy learning, and incorporate research on literary response conducted by the authors. "Teaching Literature to…

Cognitive Apprenticeship as an Instructional Strategy for Solving Corporate Training Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Peter; Miller, Ronald; Monroe, Eula

2009-01-01

Cognitive apprenticeship is a teaching approach proponed by social constructivist educators that scaffolds upon students' "zones of proximal development" in authentic situations. It is an effective approach used by teachers of instructional technology when teaching student practitioners. Nevertheless, implementation of instructional design…

Interviews: Linking Leadership Theory to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Deborah N.; Roebuck, Deborah B.

2010-01-01

Leadership educators use various tools to enable their students to learn about leadership. This article describes the assignment "Interview with a Leader" which the authors have incorporated into several different leadership courses. Grounded in constructivist and social learning theories, the authors have found this assignment to be…

A constructivist grounded theory of generalist health professionals and their mental health work.

PubMed

Brunero, Scott; Ramjan, Lucie M; Salamonson, Yenna; Nicholls, Daniel

2018-05-30

Generalist health professionals, often without formal mental health training, provide treatment and care to people with serious mental illness who present with physical health problems in general hospital settings. This article will present findings from a constructivist grounded theory study of the work delivered by generalist health staff to consumers with mental illness on the general medical/surgical wards of two metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, Australia. The results analysed included three participant observations, two focus groups, and 21 interviews and hospital policy and protocol documents. A substantive theory of mental health work in general hospital settings is illustrated which conceptualizes the following categories: (i) the experience: conflicting realities and ideals; (ii) The Context: facilitating social distancing; and (iii) the social processes: invisibility affecting confidence. The categories are understood through the theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism with the theory providing insights into how the generalist health professionals understand their sense of self or identity. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Meanings of well-being from the perspectives of youth recently diagnosed with psychosis.

PubMed

Lal, Shalini; Ungar, Michael; Malla, Ashok; Frankish, Jim; Suto, Melinda

2014-02-01

The phenomenon of well-being has attracted a surge of attention in mental health policy, clinical practice and research internationally. Yet, the definitions of well-being remain elusive, and there is limited understanding on its meanings from the perspectives of youth mental health service users. This study explored the meanings of well-being from the perspectives of youth mental health service users diagnosed with psychosis in the past 3 years. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews and participant-photography elicited focus groups with 17 youth recruited from an early intervention program for psychoses and a mental health program specializing in the delivery of psychiatric services to street youth. Analysis combined the methods of constructivist grounded theory and narrative inquiry. The findings illustrate five key themes in participants' conceptualizations of well-being: multidimensionality; active oriented states; social environment; identity; and normality. Dimensions of well-being identified in participants' accounts include: psychological, physical, emotional, moral/virtuous, financial/material, spiritual, and social aspects. Our heuristic framework for conceptualizing well-being, grounded in the narrative accounts of youth participants, can inform the future planning and design of interventions, research, and outcome measures pertaining to the well-being of youth recently diagnosed with psychosis.

Passion in the performing arts: clarifying active occupational participation.

PubMed

Mullen, Rachel; Davis, Jane A; Polatajko, Helene J

2012-01-01

Active participation in daily occupations is a vital part of everyday life, social participation and healthy life long human development; however, enablers of active participation are not well understood. Passion, a strong tendency towards an activity that a person finds meaningful and spends a lot of time doing, is a potential enabler. Accordingly, it is important to understand how an individual's passion for a specific occupation plays out across the occupational life course. To explore the experience of passion across the life course of older adults involved in the performing arts. Seven older adults involved in, or retired from, the performing arts, who consider themselves passionate about their occupation. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to explore, through interviews with older adults, passion for performing arts across the life course. Emerging themes supported development of an initial theoretical framework explicating active participation and passion. It centers on passion as an enabler of occupational participation through different modes, and suggests barriers to that enablement process. Findings suggest that passion has an important role in continued active participation in an occupation; however, barriers, such as social and financial, can derail the pursuit of a passionate occupation.

Dismantling the White Supremacy Embedded in Our Classrooms: White Faculty in Pursuit of More Equitable Educational Outcomes for Racially Minoritized Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Chayla

2017-01-01

An investigation of the literature revealed that racial consciousness and the behaviors of White faculty in the classroom appeared linked. A conceptual framework, Racial Consciousness and Its Influence on the Behaviors of White Faculty in the Classroom, was subsequently developed and tested in this constructivist grounded theory study. Findings…

An Exploration of School Leadership Perspectives on the Disproportionate Placement of African American Males in the Serious Emotional Disability Category of Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattocks, LaVerne Lynette

2016-01-01

Since 1968, researchers have been questioning the pertinence of special education programs and the prevalence of African American males identified for participation. This exploration uses a constructivist grounded theory framework to inquire about administrative perspectives on the disproportionate number of African American males in special…

Graduating Physical Education Student Teachers Perceptions of a Critically Oriented HPE Curriculum: (Re)Constructing Constructivist Frameworks in PETE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyall, Glenn

2017-01-01

This study investigated the beliefs of a cohort of graduating Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers regarding their understanding of the critically oriented HPE Curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this case study research, data were gathered through a survey questionnaire and a series of semi-structured interviews as the students neared…

A Teaching-Learning Sequence of Colour Informed by History and Philosophy of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maurício, Paulo; Valente, Bianor; Chagas, Isabel

2017-01-01

In this work, we present a teaching-learning sequence on colour intended to a pre-service elementary teacher programme informed by History and Philosophy of Science. Working in a socio-constructivist framework, we made an excursion on the history of colour. Our excursion through history of colour, as well as the reported misconception on colour…

I Did That Wrong and It Sounded Good: An Ethnographic Study of Vernacular Music Making in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezquerra, Victor N.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine vernacular music making in higher education. The participants, undergraduate music education majors (N = 23 for Fall, N = 10 for Spring), were investigated throughout the course of the 2012-2013 academic year. A constructivist philosophical framework was applied and data were collected using…

A Design-Based Research Capturing Science Teachers' Practices of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Integration Using the New Literacy Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Hsu, Hui-Yin

2017-01-01

Technology integration in K-12 classrooms is usually teacher-centered and has insufficient impact on students' learning. The purpose of this project is to facilitate science teachers' use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools to shift their practices from teacher-centered methods to constructivist,…

Academically at-risk students' perceptions of a constructivist high school biology pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeney, Heidi

Successful completion of the Living Environment, one state's high school biology course, is a state graduation requirement. The academically at-risk students enrolled in one suburban public high school had been disproportionately unsuccessful at achieving a passing grade in this course. In response, a constructivist biology curriculum was created to address the needs of at-risk students in a heterogeneous ability classroom. There is a gap in current research on students' perceptions of their learning experiences; consequently, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to obtain at-risk students' perceptions of a constructivist-based curriculum and to clarify what aspects of the Living Environment course assisted in their success. Eight academically at-risk students who successfully passed the Living Environment course were surveyed to seek their perceptions of the curricular and pedagogical change. These data were analyzed using the typological method with the inclusion of both inductive and predetermined categories. The students stated a preference for group work and active engagement. They also found that the binder system introduced in the course kept them better organized and helped them increase academic performance. Students perceived that effort was required but was rewarding. Findings derived from this study may contribute to social change by assisting teachers in tailoring curriculum and pedagogical decisions. This study provided a voice for the academically at-risk student and, in doing so, may contribute to social change by providing insight to teachers and administrators that can help students succeed academically, increase graduation rates, and enhance employment opportunities.

Pedagogy 2.0 in Pre-Service Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seifert, Tami

2017-01-01

The article reviews the use of Web 2.0 environment in teacher education, emphasizing the constructivist social pedagogy approach. Pedagogical abilities of Web 2.0 tools are discussed, demonstrating their applications in teaching various subjects, especially to assist collaborative and creative learner-oriented teaching. Contributions of these…

Historic Preservation and Elementary Student Extracurricular Community Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ronald V.

2016-01-01

Elementary students survey buildings in an extracurricular community service project to learn social studies and historic preservation. From these experiences students formed values and dispositions by engaging in a constructivist process of creating knowledge by examining their community. They gathered data, transformed it into information, and…

Internet and Computer Technology Hazards: Perspectives for Family Counselling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oravec, Jo Ann

2000-01-01

Explores the social construction of the various computer hazards that households are encountering, such as computer addiction and children's access to on-line pornography. Discusses these issues in terms of constructivist counseling perspectives that are sensitive to cultural and environmental contexts. Outlines specific strategies for countering…

Organizational Epistemology, Education and Social Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, David

2007-01-01

Organizational learning or epistemology has emerged in order to manage the creation of knowledge and innovation within contemporary capitalism. Its insights are being applied also to the public sector. Much of the research in organizational learning has drawn upon the discipline of psychology, particularly constructivist theory. Two approaches in…

The Views of the Teachers about the Mind Mapping Technique in the Elementary Life Science and Social Studies Lessons Based on the Constructivist Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seyihoglu, Aysegul; Kartal, Ayca

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to reveal the opinions of teachers on using the mind mapping technique in Life Science and Social Studies lessons. The participants of the study are 20 primary education teachers. In this study, a semi-structured interview technique was used. For content analysis, the themes and codes were defined, based on the views…

"I Just See All Children as Children": Teachers' Perceptions about Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leatherman, Jane M.

2007-01-01

This narrative study examined teachers' perceptions of their inclusive classrooms. Eight early childhood teachers responded to open-ended interview questions about their experiences teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom environment. The social constructivist view of teaching and learning is highlighted as the…

Using the "Zone" to Help Reach Every Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silver, Debbie

2011-01-01

Basically everything associated with maximizing student engagement, achievement, optimal learning environment, learning zone, and the like can be attributed to the work of Lev Vygotsky (1978). A Russian psychologist and social constructivist, Vygotsky (1896-1934) proposed a concept so fundamental to the theory of motivation that it undergirds…

Harriet Jacobs: Using Online Slave Narratives in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolick, Cheryl Mason; McGlinn, Meghan M.

2004-01-01

Teachers most interested in a constructivist approach to historical instruction often use new technology to provide realistic, inquiry-based learning situations for their students. Recent research in social studies learning has de-emphasized student memorization of facts and text-based instruction in favor of engaging students in historical…

Knowledge Building by Full Integration with Virtual Reality Environments and Its Effects on Personal and Social Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fialho, Francisco Antonio Pereira; Catapan, Araci Hack

1999-01-01

Argues that the creation of distributed environments for constructivist learning is a challenge which requires a multidisciplinary development and support team. Outlines recommended strategies for the collective creation of virtual worlds which can improve learning. Contains 11 references. (Author/WRM)

Constructive Use of Authoritative Sources in Science Meaning-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeo, Jennifer; Tan, Seng Chee

2010-01-01

Researchers are skeptical about the role of authoritative sources of information in a constructivist learning environment for fear of usurping students' critical thinking. Taking a social semiotics perspective in this study, authoritative sources are regarded as inscriptions of cultural artifacts, and science learning involves meaning-making of…

A Frame-Reflective Discourse Analysis of Serious Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Igor; Warmelink, Harald; Zhou, Qiqi

2016-01-01

The authors explore how framing theory and the method of frame-reflective discourse analysis provide foundations for the emerging discipline of serious games (SGs) research. Starting with Wittgenstein's language game and Berger and Luckmann's social constructivist view on science, the authors demonstrate why a definitional or taxonomic approach to…

Dialogue as a Tool for Meaning Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruni, Angela Suzanne Dudley

2013-01-01

In order to empower citizens to analyze the effects, risk, and value of science, a knowledge of scientific concepts is necessary (Mejlgaard, 2009). The formal educational system plays a role in this endeavor (Gil-Perez & Vilches, 2005). One proposed constructivist practice is the use of social learning activities using verbalized, shared…

Constructivist Foundations of Intercultural Education: Implications for Research and Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leutwyler, Bruno; Petrovic, Danijela S.; Mantel, Carola

2012-01-01

Research uncovering different images of Intercultural Education seems to be relevant in various contexts. This paper describes and compares two, the Swiss and the Serbian contexts; two countries with very different histories and with very different political and social constellations. For the Swiss context, migration flows have changed…

Safe Space Oddity: Revisiting Critical Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmond, Melissa

2010-01-01

Inspired by an incident in a social work graduate classroom in which she was a teaching assistant, the author reflects on her commitment to constructivist teaching methods, critical theory, and critical pedagogy. Exploring the educational utility of notions such as public space and safe space, the author employs this personal experience to examine…

Silenced by Religion: Reflections on Situations from College English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Margaret E.

2008-01-01

The social constructivist and cultural studies bent of so many writing and rhetoric classes emphasizes inclusivity, encouraging students to share their ideas and to broaden their understanding of a range of cultural concerns. Most often, the students professors strive to include are those from ethnic subcultures that have been historically…

Moving from Structured to Open Inquiry: Challenges and Limits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zion, Michal; Mendelovici, Ruthy

2012-01-01

The article provides science educators with definitions of inquiry and its levels, relating them to real-world scientific processes. Such an educational shift entails a fundamental cultural change in the epistemology of science learning in schools, shifting it from "instructionism" to social constructivist learning. The highest level of…

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamez, Octavio

2012-01-01

This study presents the results of a social constructivist mixed methods investigation into the perceptions and experiences of elementary teachers participating in professional learning communities (PLCs). In order to better understand the dynamics involved in PLCs, this research used a team development model from human resources literature. Of…

A Hockey Night in Canada: An Imagined Conversation between Theorists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogel, Curtis

2010-01-01

In this paper, various methodological issues surrounding the sociological study of sport are explored. Through an imagined dialogue between two graduate students at a hockey game, this work brings together three divergent approaches to social enquiry: Positivist Grounded Theory, Constructivist Grounded Theory, and Actor-Network Theory. This paper…

Using Queer Theory to Explore Lesbian College Students' Multiple Dimensions of Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abes, Elisa S.; Kasch, David

2007-01-01

By introducing queer theory to Abes and Jones's (2004) constructivist narrative inquiry of lesbian college students' perceptions of their multiple identities, we retell the developmental narrative of one participant's negotiation of her sexuality, religion, gender, and social class. This queer retelling of a developmental story shows how…

Perceptions of Community College Students and Faculty on Persistence in Developmental Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aofrate, Lisa H.

2016-01-01

Attrition for entry-level, non-traditional college students taking developmental reading courses is a concern for higher education institutions. Students need to complete basic developmental reading courses in order to progress in their vocational or collegiate studies. This phenomenological study followed a social constructivist approach to…

What Does the Mean Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watier, Nicholas N.; Lamontagne, Claude; Chartier, Sylvain

2011-01-01

The arithmetic mean is a fundamental statistical concept. Unfortunately, social science students rarely develop an intuitive understanding of the mean and rely on the formula to describe or define it. According to constructivist pedagogy, educators that have access to a variety of conceptualizations of a particular concept are better equipped to…

Investigating Science Collaboratively: A Case Study of Group Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinicola, Debra A.

2009-01-01

Discussions of one urban middle school group of students who were investigating scientific phenomena were analyzed; this study was conducted to discern if and how peer interaction contributes to learning. Through a social constructivist lens, case study methodology, we examined conceptual change among group members. Data about science talk was…

Western Science and Islamic Learners: When Disciplines and Culture Intersect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robottom, Ian; Norhaidah, Sharifah

2008-01-01

This article reports on two research projects (one in Malaysia and one in Australia) that studied the experiences of Islamic background learners studying western science. Conceptually, this research program is conducted within a socially constructivist discourse and employs both quantitative and qualitative forms of data collection. The article…

Constructivist Research in Educational Technology: A Retrospective View and Future Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Inae; Choi, Jeong-Im; Chang, Kyungwon

2007-01-01

Along with a socially urgent impetus for revolutionary reform of an educational environment appropriate to the 21st century society, constructivism is highlighted in various fields related to education as an alternative educational ideology and approach. Despite its radical shift from traditional learning environments, and the diverse…

Threshold Concepts in Entrepreneurship--The Entrepreneurs' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatt, Lucy

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present research into the entrepreneurs' perspective of concepts critical to thinking as an entrepreneur, in order to inform enterprise and entrepreneurship course design in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Taking a social constructivist approach, using a Delphi-style method, semi-structured…

Comparative Analysis of Palm and Wearable Computers for Participatory Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopfer, Eric; Yoon, Susan; Rivas, Luz

2004-01-01

Recent educational computer-based technologies have offered promising lines of research that promote social constructivist learning goals, develop skills required to operate in a knowledge-based economy (Roschelle et al. 2000), and enable more authentic science-like problem-solving. In our research programme, we have been interested in combining…

Scientific literacy for decisionmaking and the social construction of scientific knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingle, Wade H.; Gaskell, P. James

Citizens are often required to make decisions about socioscientific issues in a climate characterized by conflict within both the scientific community and the larger society. Central to the process of decisionmaking is a critical examination of the relevant scientific knowledge involved. Individuals capable of performing this task can be considered scientifically literate in a decisionmaking sense. In this article we explore two ways of critically examining scientific knowledge in the context of a current socioscientific dispute: NASA's Galileo Mission to Jupiter. The two approaches we outline, termed the positivist and social constructivist positions, are examined in terms of their inherent views concerning the nature of scientific knowledge, in particular their use of constitutive and contextual values when evaluating knowledge claims. Because the social constructivist position acknowledges the importance of contextual values, it provides citizens with accessible standards for evaluating scientific knowledge claims. The positivist position, on the other hand, relies on constitutive values which we show are normally inaccessible to ordinary citizens. The positivist position, however, is most closely associated with the predominant social issues approach to science-technology-society (STS) education. Implications little consensus about which statements are fact (i.e., will remain stable when challenged) and which opinion, (i.e., will be modified when challenged). All knowledge is potentially unreliable when one is dealing with a socioscientific dispute.The adoption of a social constructivist view of scientific knowledge and its inherent way of evaluating knowledge claims clearly has implications for future approaches to STS education. Although one approach might be to offer a course in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, this would not be useful without reference to the way in which such knowledge can help students to understand the context of a conflict within the society of scientists and the larger society. As Rosenthal (1989) argues, a synthesis is needed in which social issues are seen as a vehicle for studying the social studies of science and the social issues are seen as a way of making sense of social aspects of science. However, this way of teaching STS may be difficult to implement. In British Columbia, for example, science teachers have resisted efforts to include the social context of science within a traditional university-oriented physics course (Gaskell, 1992) and to teach a grade 11 social issues oriented sicence and technology course (Gaskell, 1989). This may be because the current social issues approach is most compatible with traditional science content as it is now taught: it simply shows the relevance of textbook knowledge (ready-made science) to contemporary probles. The shift to the approach suggested above will require a more drastic reorganization of the curriculum, one that may be resisted by the current stakeholders in science education (Duschl, 1988; Gaskell, 1989).

Toward "Hybridised" Faculty Development for the Twenty-First Century: Blending Online Communities of Practice and Face-to-Face Meetings in Instructional and Professional Support Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Catherine F.

2010-01-01

This manuscript begins with a synthesis of research on communities, communities of practice (CoPs), and the potential for their development in online forums, while specifically discussing the value of virtual CoPs for educational professionals in higher education. Working within constructivist and sociocultural frameworks, this manuscript…

A Review and Discussion of Epistemological Commitments, Metacognition, and Critical Thinking with Suggestions on Their Enhancement in Internet-Assisted Chemistry Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chin-Chung

2001-07-01

Recently, educators have focused on students' internal control of learning. Epistemological commitments, metacognition, and critical thinking are relevant considerations when addressing this topic. This paper explores the relationships among these domains as a theoretical framework for enhancing chemistry education. The framework shows that these domains share many commonalities. For example, they all focus on learners' self-reflection and they all are rooted in the constructivist theory. This paper further proposes a role for Internet technology in helping students develop appropriate epistemological commitments, metacognitive skills, and critical thinking.

Courage to care for our United States veterans: A constructivist way of teaching and learning for future nurses.

PubMed

Magpantay-Monroe, Edna R

2018-01-01

The knowledge and skills in providing veteran centered care is essential. The purpose of this retrospective evaluation is to examine a faculty's reflections on a BSN psychiatric mental health curriculum initiative that provides knowledge and skills regarding veterans care through several avenues to senior nursing students. This qualitative study use self-reflections through a constructivist view of teaching and learning as the framework. Open discussions in didactic about the unique psychological health issues of veterans formed a foundational knowledge for the students. The seminar time was used to discuss real veteran case situations. Simulation provided opportunities to address veteran resources. Problem based projects use available evidence to solve veteran health issues. The educators show their commitment to the compassionate and caring ideals of our profession by fostering an educational environment where future nurses can truly learn about veteran centered care. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Essay for Educators: Epistemological Realism Really is Common Sense

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobern, William W.; Loving, Cathleen C.

2008-04-01

“What is truth?” Pontius Pilot asked Jesus of Nazareth. For many educators today this question seems quaintly passé. Rejection of “truth” goes hand-in-hand with the rejection of epistemological realism. Educational thought over the last decade has instead been dominated by empiricist, anti-realist, instrumentalist epistemologies of two types: first by psychological constructivism and later by social constructivism. Social constructivism subsequently has been pressed to its logical conclusion in the form of relativistic multiculturalism. Proponents of both psychological constructivism and social constructivism value knowledge for its utility and eschew as irrelevant speculation any notion that knowledge is actually about reality. The arguments are largely grounded in the discourse of science and science education where science is “western” science; neither universal nor about what is really real. The authors defended the notion of science as universal in a previous article. The present purpose is to offer a commonsense argument in defense of critical realism as an epistemology and the epistemically distinguished position of science (rather than privileged) within a framework of epistemological pluralism. The paper begins with a brief cultural survey of events during the thirty-year period from 1960-1990 that brought many educators to break with epistemological realism and concludes with comments on the pedagogical importance of realism. Understanding the cultural milieu of the past forty years is critical to understanding why traditional philosophical attacks on social constructivist ideas have proved impotent defenders of scientific realism.

Elementary General Education Teachers' Knowledge of and Experience Teaching Students with Disabilities in Science and Social Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Diane

In Grades 3 to 5 at a suburban southeastern elementary school, the percentage of students with disabilities (SWDs) who do not meet state standards in science and social studies is greater than that of their nondisabled peers. To address this disparity, district administrators required that proficiency ratings increase for SWDs without providing general education (GE) teachers with training. A qualitative bounded case study was used to understand how GE teachers constructed their knowledge of and met SWDs instructional needs and to understand GE teachers' needs as they worked toward meeting the district goals. Piaget's constructivist learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. A purposeful sample of 6 GE teachers, 2 each from Grades 3-5 whose classrooms included SWDs, volunteered to participate in open-ended interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using provisional coding and pattern coding. A primary finding was that the participants identified teacher collaboration and professional development necessary to accommodate SWDs in the GE setting. This finding led to a recommendation that school leaders provide ongoing professional development for GE teachers as well as ongoing opportunities for collaboration between GE and special education teachers. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change by providing GE teachers instructional strategies and accommodations for meeting the learning needs of SWDs to increase the number and percentage of SWDs who meet the state standards and district goals in science and social studies.

How patients with gout become engaged in disease management: a constructivist grounded theory study.

PubMed

Howren, Alyssa; Cox, Susan M; Shojania, Kam; Rai, Sharan K; Choi, Hyon K; De Vera, Mary A

2018-06-01

Prior qualitative research on gout has focused primarily on barriers to disease management. Our objective was to use patients' perspectives to construct an explanatory framework to understand how patients become engaged in the management of their gout. We recruited a sample of individuals with gout who were participating in a proof-of-concept study of an eHealth-supported collaborative care model for gout involving rheumatology, pharmacy, and dietetics. Semistructured interviews were used. We analyzed transcripts using principles of constructivist grounded theory involving initial coding, focused coding and categorizing, and theoretical coding. Twelve participants with gout (ten males, two females; mean age, 66.5 ± 13.3 years) were interviewed. The analysis resulted in the construction of three themes as well as a framework describing the dynamically linked themes on (1) processing the diagnosis and management of gout, (2) supporting management of gout, and (3) interfering with management of gout. In this framework, patients with gout transition between each theme in the process of becoming engaged in the management of their gout and may represent potential opportunities for healthcare intervention. Findings derived from this study show that becoming engaged in gout management is a dynamic process whereby patients with gout experience factors that interfere with gout management, process their disease and its management, and develop the practical and perceptual skills necessary to manage their gout. By understanding this process, healthcare providers can identify points to adapt care delivery and thereby improve health outcomes.

Dialogue as a tool for meaning making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruni, Angela Suzanne Dudley

In order to empower citizens to analyze the effects, risk, and value of science, a knowledge of scientific concepts is necessary (Mejlgaard, 2009). The formal educational system plays a role in this endeavor (Gil-Perez & Vilches, 2005). One proposed constructivist practice is the use of social learning activities using verbalized, shared cognition among learners. In an effort to investigate the effects of verbally shared cognition, this project sought to determine if social learning opportunities affect the mastery of content in gateway biology courses and to identify the types of dialogue students engage in during cognitive collaboration. Fifty-seven students enrolled in a small southern community college were randomly assigned into treatment groups for each of nine units of instruction. The treatment variable was participation in verbalized social learning activities. Treatment differences based on a pretest/posttest design were analyzed using various statistical methods and recorded student discussions were analyzed for characteristics of talk based on a model developed by Mercer. Findings support the use of social learning activities as a way to improve content knowledge. Students in the treatment group had higher posttest and gain scores than those in the control group, with statistical significance reached in some cases. Types of talk were examined to support the constructivist method of learning. Findings support the use of non-confrontational talk as the vector of meaning making within the classroom.

Survey Exploring Views of Scientists on Current Trends in Chemistry Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vamvakeros, Xenofon; Pavlatou, Evangelia A.; Spyrellis, Nicolas

2010-02-01

A survey exploring the views of scientists, chemists and chemical engineers, on current trends in Chemistry Education was conducted in Greece. Their opinions were investigated using a questionnaire focusing on curricula (the content and process of chemistry teaching and learning), as well as on the respondents’ general educational beliefs and their underlying epistemological views. The aim of this work was to investigate the respondents’ opinions and, if possible, to identify the areas where convergence or even consensus occurred. The results showed that some of the items on the research questionnaire produced a high degree of agreement with the respondents’ views, while a few others were exactly the opposite. These items are considered to be representative of more widespread views. In order to explore the diverging opinions, the items on the research questionnaire that showed great variance were analyzed to determine, whether or not there were significant inter-item correlations among subgroups of participants with different demographic characteristics. Postgraduate studies, professional occupation, age/experience, and career within or outside the wide educational sector were among the main factors that significantly influenced the research results. The study did not reveal any single belief framework underlying the opinions of the respondents. Nevertheless, three specific approach frameworks—ACADEMIC, CONSTRUCTIVIST and SCIENTIFIC REALISM—were analyzed to determine which had the highest degree of agreement. It was found that the SCIENTIFIC REALISM framework and the curriculum emphasis characteristic of the context-based CTSE (Chemistry, Technology, Society and Environment) prevailed, as they produced a significantly higher mean score. The ACADEMIC framework followed with a moderate mean score and the CONSTRUCTIVIST framework had a lower mean score.

Indonesian teachers' epistemological beliefs and inclusive education.

PubMed

Sheehy, Kieron; Budiyanto; Kaye, Helen; Rofiah, Khofidotur

2017-01-01

A growing number of children with intellectual disabilities attend inclusive schools in Indonesia. Previous research has suggested that teachers' type of school and experience influences their beliefs about inclusive education. This research collected questionnaire data from 267 Indonesian teachers and compared the responses from those working in inclusive, special and regular schools regarding their epistemological and pedagogical beliefs. The results showed that teachers in inclusive schools expressed stronger social constructivist beliefs than those in other schools. However, it was teachers' epistemological beliefs, rather than their type of school or experience, which were the significant predictor of their beliefs about inclusive education. The findings suggest that international epistemological research needs to have a more nuanced view of constructivist models of learning to better understand and inform how inclusive pedagogy is being enacted in different contexts.

Observation of Communication by Physical Education Teachers: Detecting Patterns in Verbal Behavior

PubMed Central

García-Fariña, Abraham; Jiménez-Jiménez, F.; Anguera, M. Teresa

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the verbal behavior of primary school physical education teachers in a natural classroom setting in order to investigate patterns in social constructivist communication strategies before and after participation in a training program designed to familiarize teachers with these strategies. The participants were three experienced physical education teachers interacting separately with 65 students over a series of classes. Written informed consent was obtained from all the students' parents or legal guardians. An indirect observation tool (ADDEF) was designed specifically for the study within the theoretical framework, and consisted of a combined field format, with three dimensions, and category systems. Each dimension formed the basis for building a subsequent system of exhaustive and mutually exclusive categories. Twenty-nine sessions, grouped into two separate modules, were coded using the Atlas.ti 7 program, and a total of 1991 units (messages containing constructivist discursive strategies) were recorded. Analysis of intraobserver reliability showed almost perfect agreement. Lag sequential analysis, which is a powerful statistical technique based on the calculation of conditional and unconditional probabilities in prospective and retrospective lags, was performed in GSEQ5 software to search for verbal behavior patterns before and after the training program. At both time points, we detected a pattern formed by requests for information combined with the incorporation of students' contributions into the teachers' discourse and re-elaborations of answers. In the post-training phase, we detected new and stronger patterns in certain sessions, indicating that programs combining theoretical and practical knowledge can effectively increase teachers' repertoire of discursive strategies and ultimately promote active engagement in learning. This has important implications for the evaluation and development of teacher effectiveness in practice and formal education programs. PMID:29615943

Observation of Communication by Physical Education Teachers: Detecting Patterns in Verbal Behavior.

PubMed

García-Fariña, Abraham; Jiménez-Jiménez, F; Anguera, M Teresa

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the verbal behavior of primary school physical education teachers in a natural classroom setting in order to investigate patterns in social constructivist communication strategies before and after participation in a training program designed to familiarize teachers with these strategies. The participants were three experienced physical education teachers interacting separately with 65 students over a series of classes. Written informed consent was obtained from all the students' parents or legal guardians. An indirect observation tool (ADDEF) was designed specifically for the study within the theoretical framework, and consisted of a combined field format, with three dimensions, and category systems. Each dimension formed the basis for building a subsequent system of exhaustive and mutually exclusive categories. Twenty-nine sessions, grouped into two separate modules, were coded using the Atlas.ti 7 program, and a total of 1991 units (messages containing constructivist discursive strategies) were recorded. Analysis of intraobserver reliability showed almost perfect agreement. Lag sequential analysis, which is a powerful statistical technique based on the calculation of conditional and unconditional probabilities in prospective and retrospective lags, was performed in GSEQ5 software to search for verbal behavior patterns before and after the training program. At both time points, we detected a pattern formed by requests for information combined with the incorporation of students' contributions into the teachers' discourse and re-elaborations of answers. In the post-training phase, we detected new and stronger patterns in certain sessions, indicating that programs combining theoretical and practical knowledge can effectively increase teachers' repertoire of discursive strategies and ultimately promote active engagement in learning. This has important implications for the evaluation and development of teacher effectiveness in practice and formal education programs.

Creating an Articulate Classroom: Examining Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences of Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Annie Therese

2011-01-01

This paper examines the continuing "issue" of developing classrooms where talk is used as means of building concepts and understanding. As curriculum guidance increasingly refers to "exploratory talk" and "dialogic talk", it questions why practice seems resistant to change, despite the promotion of social constructivist approaches to learning in…

Smartphones Give You Wings: Pedagogical Affordances of Mobile Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochrane, Thomas; Bateman, Roger

2010-01-01

Built on the foundation of four years of research and implementation of mobile learning projects (m-learning), this paper provides an overview of the potential of the integration of mobile Web 2.0 tools (based around smartphones) to facilitate social constructivist pedagogies and engage students in tertiary education. Pedagogical affordances of…

Radical Conversations: Part Two--Cultivating Social-Constructivist Learning Methods in ABE Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, Bill; Kiser, Madeline

2008-01-01

In many U.S. prisons an overuse of individualized instruction silences literacy learners and reinforces oppressive notions about what knowledge is and whose knowledge counts. In these classrooms, methods that invite learners to tap their background knowledge, reflect on their worlds, and dialogue with others to construct meaning--commonplace in…

Waking Up to Difference: Teachers, Color-Blindness, and the Effects on Students of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro Atwater, Sheri A.

2008-01-01

Color-blindness, the ideology that "race should not matter" in how individuals are treated, is often confused with "race does not matter" (Neville, 2000). The historical, social, and political origins of color-blind racial attitudes are outlined here. Developmental and constructivist theories are used to illustrate how…

Counselling Sexual-Violence Survivors: The Evolution of Female Counsellors' Critical Political Consciousness and the Effects on Their Intimate Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrity, Mary Kate

2011-01-01

This social constructivist/constructionist research explores changes in female therapists' intimate relationships after they began working with survivors of female sexual violence. Discourse analysis found that working with survivors shifted participants' initially naive understanding of female sexual violence, as they developed a critical…

Constructivist Viewpoints for School Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Science. Research Report 131.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahtee, Maija, Ed.; Pehkonen, Erkki, Ed.

This research report contains a fairly concise overview of the role of constructivism in the teaching of mathematics and science in Finland. Included papers have been grouped into three parts. The first part, "General Considerations," consists of the seven articles on theoretical considerations, social constructivism, teachers' and pupils'…

Modeling Pedagogy for Teachers Transitioning to the Virtual Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canuel, Michael J.; White, Beverley J.

2014-01-01

This study is a review of the creation and evolution of a professional development program modeled on social constructivist principles and designed for online educators in a virtual high school who transitioned from the conventional classroom to the virtual educational environment. The narrative inquiry focuses on the critical events within the…

Inclusive Education in Guyana: A Call for Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajodhia-Andrews, Amanda; Frankel, Elaine

2010-01-01

This study examines inclusive education within Guyana for children with special needs (zero to eight years), from the perspectives of policy makers, teachers, and parents (n = 22). The study is framed within a social-constructivist perspective, and uses grounded theory for the collection and analysis of data. Four themes emerged from the data as…

Social Networking, Workplace, and Entertainment Literacies: The Out-of-School Literate Lives of Newcomer Adolescent Immigrants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Mary Amanda

2014-01-01

Using a New Literacy Studies perspective that recognizes multiple literacies that are meaningful within their sociocultural traditions, this collective case study investigated the range, form, and purpose of the out-of-school literacies of four Latina/o adolescent English learners. The qualitative methodology employed constructivist interviews,…

Constructing a Language Assessment Knowledge Base: A Focus on Language Assessment Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inbar-Lourie, Ofra

2008-01-01

The competencies required for conducting assessment in the educational context have recently been reformulated in view of social constructivist perspectives and the acknowledgement of the role of classroom assessment in promoting learning. These changes have impacted the knowledge base language assessors need to obtain, and hence the contents of…

A Social Constructivist Approach to Introducing Skills for Employment to Foundation Degree Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutt, L.; Gray, C.; Turner, R.; Swain, J.; Hulme, S.; Pomeroy, R.

2013-01-01

Expectations for higher education providers to produce graduates ready for the workplace have shaped provision, with the introduction of the Foundation Degree, and expectations of an employability component within higher education programmes. This paper reports on an intervention for three groups of foundation degree students, which introduces…

Impact of Collaborative Project-Based Learning on Self-Efficacy of Urban Minority Students in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Pearl; Hernandez, Anthony; Dong, Jane

2015-01-01

This paper presents an interdisciplinary research project that studies the impact of collaborative project-based learning (CPBL) on the development of self-efficacy of students from various ethnic groups in an undergraduate senior-level computer networking class. Grounded in social constructivist and situated theories of learning, the study…

Environmental Education: From the Perspective of Scientific Knowledge for Constructivist Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giron, Graciela; Vasquez-Martinez, Claudio-Rafael; López, Juan Sánchez; Bañuelos, Antonio Ayón

2012-01-01

Environmental education is not merely a modern form for the didactics of natural science, but is, on the contrary, an educational process that integrates ecological knowledge, philosophy, politics, economics and sociology, among others. This is because its purpose is to change the relationships of production, social structures of economics and…

Pre-Service Primary Teachers Negotiating Physical Education Identities during the Practicum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Tim; Kosnik, Clare

2016-01-01

This research examined the ways in which pre-service primary teachers' experiences of physical education during the practicum influenced the development of their identities as teachers of physical education. Guided by a social constructivist view of identity, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 pre-service teachers over one academic…

Dialogue and Connectivism: A New Approach to Understanding and Promoting Dialogue-Rich Networked Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravenscroft, Andrew

2011-01-01

Connectivism offers a theory of learning for the digital age that is usually understood as contrasting with traditional behaviourist, cognitivist, and constructivist approaches. This article will provide an original and significant development of this theory through arguing and demonstrating how it can benefit from social constructivist…

Transforming Traditional Lectures into Problem-Based Blended Learning: Challenges and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalsgaard, Christian; Godsk, Mikkel

2007-01-01

This paper presents our experiences and the challenges identified in transforming traditional lecture-based modules at a university into problem-based blended learning within a social constructivist approach. Our experiment was, among other factors, motivated by an urgent need to meet new curriculum requirements by reducing the lecturing time in a…

Epistemological Beliefs and Knowledge Sharing in Work Teams: A New Model and Research Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinberg, Frankie J.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge-sharing model that explains individual members' motivation to share knowledge (knowledge donation and knowledge collection). Design/methodology/approach: The model is based on social-constructivist theories of epistemological beliefs, learning and distributed cognition, and is organized…

Boxes with Fires: Wisely Integrating Learning Technologies into the Art Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Diane C.

2009-01-01

By integrating and infusing computer learning technologies wisely into student-centered or social constructivist art learning environments, art educators can improve student learning and at the same time provide a creative, substantive model for how schools can and should be reformed. By doing this, art educators have an opportunity to demonstrate…

The Implementation of an Intercultural Competence Syllabus to Prepare Study-Abroad Students for Global Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kural, Faruk; Bayyurt, Yasemin

2016-01-01

This study presents the outcome of the implementation of a process-oriented model of an intercultural competence (IC) and English as a lingua franca (ELF)-awareness development syllabus to prepare government-sponsored Turkish international sojourners for global communication in English L1 countries. Based on social constructivist research…

LSQuiz: A Collaborative Classroom Response System to Support Active Learning through Ubiquitous Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caceffo, Ricardo; Azevedo, Rodolfo

2014-01-01

The constructivist theory indicates that knowledge is not something finished and complete. However, the individuals must construct it through the interaction with the physical and social environment. The Active Learning is a methodology designed to support the constructivism through the involvement of students in their learning process, allowing…

The Language of Collaboration: Dialogue and Identity in Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crafton, Linda; Kaiser, Eileen

2011-01-01

This article explores several professional development models currently being used in the US and in other countries to support teacher learning, including coaching, mentoring and communities of practice. While in some contexts the activities of the participants are informed by social constructivist views of learning, the authors argue that…

"Managing by Not Managing": How Gay Engineering Students Manage Sexual Orientation Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Bryce E.

2017-01-01

From a social constructivist paradigm I explored the experiences of 7 openly gay engineering students to understand how, if at all, they made sense of the intersections between their engineering and sexual orientation identities. By eliciting stories through individual and focus group interviews, a narrative approach allowed me to capture the…

Student Connections of Linear Algebra Concepts: An Analysis of Concept Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapp, Douglas A.; Nyman, Melvin A.; Berry, John S.

2010-01-01

This article examines the connections of linear algebra concepts in a first course at the undergraduate level. The theoretical underpinnings of this study are grounded in the constructivist perspective (including social constructivism), Vernaud's theory of conceptual fields and Pirie and Kieren's model for the growth of mathematical understanding.…

Perceptions of the Environment for Eating and Exercise in a Rural Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maley, Mary Maly; Warren, Barbour S.; Devine, Carol M.

2010-01-01

Objective: To understand how members of a rural community perceive the effect of the built, natural, and social environments on their food choice and physical activity behaviors. Methods: A constructivist community environmental assessment was conducted including 17 individual qualitative interviews, 2 focus groups, and photo elicitation (n = 27)…

Simulation Methodology in Nursing Education and Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford-Hemming, Tonya

2012-01-01

Simulation is often used in nursing education as a teaching methodology. Simulation is rooted in adult learning theory. Three learning theories, cognitive, social, and constructivist, explain how learners gain knowledge with simulation experiences. This article takes an in-depth look at each of these three theories as each relates to simulation.…

Organizational Climate and Emotional Intelligence: An Appreciative Inquiry into a "Leaderful" Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoder, Debra Marie

2005-01-01

In an era of unprecedented challenges and rapid change, community colleges need effective leadership that brings out the best in people, organizations, and communities. This qualitative study was based on interpretive research using appreciative inquiry (AI). AI is based on social constructivist theory and is a collaborative and highly…

Constructivist Pedagogies for Olympism Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culpan, Ian; McBain, Sue

2012-01-01

Olympism as a philosophical concept has been highly contested and challenged for its relevancy in a contemporary world. Some scholars argue that Olympism is simply a relic of the modern age and has little educative and/or social legitimacy. Others argue that despite the criticism and its contested nature it remains one of the most coherent and…

Literacy Teaching Aids from High/Scope Educational Research Foundation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas, 2005

2005-01-01

High/Scope's approach to education is a blend of Jean Piaget's constructivist theory of child development and the best of traditional teacher experience. The High/Scope approach is about helping students gain knowledge and skills in important content areas, such as language and literacy, initiative and social relations, movement, music, and…

Enabling the Development of Student Teacher Professional Identity through Vicarious Learning during an Educational Excursion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steenekamp, Karen; van der Merwe, Martyn; Mehmedova, Aygul Salieva

2018-01-01

This paper explores the views of student teachers who were provided vicarious learning opportunities during an educational excursion, and how the learning enabled them to develop their teacher professional identity. This qualitative research study, using a social-constructivist lens highlights how vicarious learning influenced student teachers'…

A Study of Students' Attitudes towards Using ICT in a Social Constructivist Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Silin; Kwok, David

2017-01-01

This study aims to examine the factors that support or hinder students' attitudes towards using information and communication technology (ICT) in problem-based learning (PBL) using the technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) among polytechnic students. A total of 737 first-year polytechnic students in Singapore participated in the…

Designing Effective Spaces, Tasks and Metrics for Communication in Second Life within the Context of Programming LEGO NXT Mindstorms™ Robots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallance, Michael; Martin, Stewart; Wiz, Charles; van Schaik, Paul

2010-01-01

Science education is concerned with the meaningful pursuit of comprehension, knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes. In Vygotskian social constructivist learning, personal interpretation, decision-making and community cooperation fosters long-term understanding and transference of learned concepts. The construction of…

Inclusive Education and the "No Child Left Behind Act": Resisting Entrenchment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hulgin, Kathleen Maria; Drake, Bob M.

2011-01-01

This article examines inclusive education in view of the current US policy climate. The "No Child Left Behind Act" provides the opportunity to examine dominant social forces and the underlying theories of mechanism and positivism that run counter to a constructivist approach to inclusive education. The incompatibility of these theories…

Retrospective Evaluation of a Collaborative LearningScience Module: The Users' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Dorothy; Siraj, Saedah; Alias, Norlidah; Leng, Chin Hai

2013-01-01

This study focuses on the retrospective evaluation of collaborative mLearning (CmL) Science module for teaching secondary school science which was designed based on social constructivist learning theories and Merrill's First Principle of Instruction. This study is part of a developmental research in which computer-mediated communication (CMC)…

Beyond Social Constructivist Perspectives on Assessment: The Centring of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shay, Suellen

2008-01-01

Over the past few decades assessment has been heralded for its key role in the improvement of teaching and learning. However, more recently there have been expressions of uncertainty about whether assessment is in fact delivering on its promised potential. Against this backdrop of uncertainty and circumspection this paper offers a critical…

Doing and Seeing Things Differently: A 25-Year Retrospective of Mathematics Education Research on Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieran, Carolyn

1994-01-01

Contains two parts: (1) excerpts from interviews with Thomas Kieren and Thomas Romberg, and (2) a discussion of the evolution of views of mathematical learning and understanding, including constructivist interpretations, situated cognition, innovative perspectives on classroom research, and the inclusion of a social-interactionist Vygotskian…

Know Your Role: Black College Students, Racial Identity, and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Dafina-Lazarus

2015-01-01

This article is a report of a critical constructivist study of racial identity and performance among 13 Black, traditional-age students enrolled at three different colleges, two historically Black and one predominantly White. The study's approach understood identity to be socially constructed and reliant upon community affirmation and validation.…

Developing Global Leaders: Building Effective Global- Intercultural Collaborative Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivy, Karen Lynne-Daniels

2017-01-01

This paper shares the findings of a study conducted on a virtual inter-cultural global leadership development learning project. Mixed Methods analysis techniques were used to examine the interviews of U.S. and Uganda youth project participants. The study, based on cultural and social constructivist learning theories, investigated the effects of…

Appraising the Qualities of Social Work Students' Theoretical Knowledge: A Qualitative Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Bommel, Marijke; Boshuizen, Henny P. A.; Kwakman, Kitty

2012-01-01

Higher professional education aims to prepare students for entering practice with an adequate theoretical body of knowledge. In constructivist programmes, authentic learning contexts and self-directed learning are assumed to support knowledge learning and the transition from education to practice. Through an in-depth exploration, this case study…

Criteria for Assessing Good Theory in Human Resource Development and Other Applied Disciplines from an Interpretive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln, Yvonna S.; Lynham, Susan A.

2007-01-01

Utilizing Patterson's (1983) eight criteria for assessing theory in applied fields from a conventional (empirical-analytical) perspective, these criteria are evaluated and where applicable reconstructed from an interpretive (social constructivist) perspective of theory building research and assessment. Four additional criteria are proposed and…

A Longitudinal View of the Liberal Arts Curriculum a Decade after Merger: A Multiple Case Study of Community Colleges in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Louisiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Ann; Wilson, Kristin

2015-01-01

This study is an examination of the state of the liberal arts curriculum in community colleges in three geographic regions of the United States. From a constructivist paradigm and using globalization theory as a theoretical framework, this multiple case study examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum change in…

Online and Face-to-Face Anatomy Dissection Labs: A Comparison of Levels of Achievement in Learning Outcomes and Perception of Learning and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Jenna L.

2017-01-01

This quantitative study examined levels of achievement in learning outcomes when using a face-to-face dissection lab compared to an online dissection lab. Constructivist theory and Understanding by Design learning framework were at the core of this research study design. Data was collected from 24 health science students at a private Midwestern…

The Effect of Classroom Teachers' Attitudes toward Constructivist Approach on Their Level of Establishing a Constructivist Learning Environment: A Case of Mersin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uredi, Lutfi

2013-01-01

This study aims to determine the attitudes of classroom teachers towards constructivist approach and to analyze the effect of their attitudes towards constructivist approach on their level of creating a constructivist learning environment. For that purpose, relational screening model was used in the research. The research sample included 504…

Consensus, contracts, and committees.

PubMed

Moreno, J D

1991-08-01

Following a brief account of the puzzle that ethics committees present for the Western Philosophical tradition, I will examine the possibility that social contract theory can contribute to a philosophical account of these committees. Passing through classical as well as contemporary theories, particularly Rawls' recent constructivist approach, I will argue that social contract theory places severe constraints on the authority that may legitimately be granted to ethics committees. This, I conclude, speaks more about the suitability of the theory to this level of analysis than about the ethics committee phenomenon itself.

The effect of constructivist teaching strategies on science test scores of middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaca, James L., Jr.

International studies show that the United States is lagging behind other industrialized countries in science proficiency. The studies revealed how American students showed little significant gain on standardized tests in science between 1995 and 2005. Little information is available regarding how reform in American teaching strategies in science could improve student performance on standardized testing. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study using a pretest/posttest control group design was to examine how the use of a hands-on, constructivist teaching approach with low achieving eighth grade science students affected student achievement on the 2007 Ohio Eighth Grade Science Achievement Test posttest (N = 76). The research question asked how using constructivist teaching strategies in the science classroom affected student performance on standardized tests. Two independent samples of 38 students each consisting of low achieving science students as identified by seventh grade science scores and scores on the Ohio Eighth Grade Science Half-Length Practice Test pretest were used. Four comparisons were made between the control group receiving traditional classroom instruction and the experimental group receiving constructivist instruction including: (a) pretest/posttest standard comparison, (b) comparison of the number of students who passed the posttest, (c) comparison of the six standards covered on the posttest, (d) posttest's sample means comparison. A Mann-Whitney U Test revealed that there was no significant difference between the independent sample distributions for the control group and the experimental group. These findings contribute to positive social change by investigating science teaching strategies that could be used in eighth grade science classes to improve student achievement in science.

The CLER model: thinking through change. Configurations of social relationships. Linkages to carry communications. Environment(s) inside and around systems. Resources for enabling implementation for incorporating change.

PubMed

Bhola, H S

1994-05-01

The CLER model is presented to nursing professionals as a model for planning and implementing change in interpersonal, institutional and cultural settings. It is useful for generating other models by modeling reality as actually encountered by change agents and adopters. The CLER model is related philosophically to systems thinking (that there is interdependence among social entities), dialectical thinking (that there is mutual shaping among social processes) and constructivist thinking (that human beings take part in creating their own reality).

Using Wiki in Teacher Education: Impact on Knowledge Management Processes and Student Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biasutti, Michele; EL-Deghaidy, Heba

2012-01-01

The current study reports on the use of Wiki as an online didactic tool to develop knowledge management (KM) processes in higher education. This study integrates social constructivist principles to learning where learners are pro-active and collaborative through higher order cognitive processes. The study was administered in two countries, namely…

Exploring Student Practices, Teacher Perspectives, and Complex Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies: A Socio-Constructivist Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahser-Herro, Danielle C.

2010-01-01

The increasing gap between students at-home and in-school use of the Internet has been widely documented by researchers across many disciplines. After reviewing literature suggesting (1) students' online practices outside of school are significantly social, meaningful, and markedly different than opportunities afforded in school, and (2) research…

Impact of Structured Group Activities on Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about Classroom Motivation: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansfield, Caroline F.; Volet, Simone E.

2014-01-01

Pre-service teachers' beliefs about classroom motivation, and how these beliefs may be developed during initial teacher preparation, is a relatively new aspect of enquiry in the fields of motivation and teacher education. An empirical study, grounded in a social constructivist perspective, was designed to examine the impact of providing…

Transforming Undergraduate Science Teaching: Social Constructivist Perspectives. Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Peter C., Ed.; Gilmer, Penny J., Ed.; Tobin, Kenneth, Ed.

This book comes at a time when epistemological reform is sweeping through the global community of science education. Since the 1970s, the theories of knowing embodied in the teaching activities of school science teachers have been undergoing a major transformation toward more learner-sensitive standpoints. Undergraduate science teaching however,…

Subjective Experience and the Preparation of Activist Teachers: Confronting the Mean Old Snapping Turtle and the Great Big Bear.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kugelmass, Judy W.

2000-01-01

Describes the use of autobiographical storytelling, personal myths, and visual imagery in preparing elementary and special educators for activist roles in creating effective, inclusive schools. Graduate students were presented with a social-constructivist perspective toward the content and process of schooling. Examples of materials produced by…

My Journey of Learning and Teaching Mathematics from Traditionalism to Constructivism: A Portrayal of Pedagogic Metamorphosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belbase, Shashidhar

2006-01-01

This dissertation depicts my paradigmatic shift from traditionalist approach to constructivist approach of teaching and learning of mathematics. I have used autoethnography as the genre of writing and research that connects the personal to the cultural placing the self within a social context (Reed-Danahay, 1997). Employing autoethnography, I have…

What to Teach and How to Teach It: Elementary Teachers' Views on Teaching Inquiry-Based, Interdisciplinary Science and Social Studies in Urban Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santau, Alexandra O.; Ritter, Jason K.

2013-01-01

Inquiry-based and interdisciplinary teaching practices exemplify constructivist approaches to education capable of facilitating authentic student learning; however, their implementation has proven particularly challenging within certain contexts in the United States. This qualitative study considers one such context via an investigation of…

Learner-Content, Learner-Instructor, and Learner-Learner Interaction in a Web-Enhanced, Internet Videoconference AP Calculus Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Einfeld, Dana Hobbs

2014-01-01

The purpose of this action research was to investigate how the use of technology promotes interaction to foster high school students' mathematical understanding. This mixed method study is guided by social-constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and framed within Moore's (1989) model of learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner…

Exploring In-Service Teachers' Perceptions on Values-Based Water Education via Interactive Instructional Strategies that Enhance Meaningful Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoe, Ng Khar

2007-01-01

Instructional strategies determine the approaches an educator may take to achieve learning objectives. Research has shown that sets of strategies or instructional models anchored on social constructivist learning theories were found to be effective in enhancing active participation. It is particularly influential and meaningful in many areas of…

Reflective Journal Writing as a Tool to Teach Aspects of Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-karasneh, Samih M.

2014-01-01

This article analyses the impact of a constructivist approach to learning in Jordan, where a traditional context of passive/receptive philosophy of teaching prevails. Student teachers were introduced to journal writing. It was expected that their experiences with journal writing would afford them a better understanding of how it would affect their…

The Impact of Cooperative Learning Methods on Elementary Preservice Education Teachers' Mathematics Achievement and Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Elijah Raford, Jr.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to address the gap in research regarding the use of cooperative learning instructional methods in college mathematics courses to prepare future teachers. Bruner's constructivist theory and social interdependence theory guided this study. The research questions focused on the effects of the use of cooperative learning…

Tutor Feedback on Draft Essays: Developing Students' Academic Writing and Subject Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Court, Krista

2014-01-01

Providing feedback on draft essays is an accepted means of enacting a social-constructivist approach to assessment, aligning with current views on the value of formative feedback and assessment for learning (AFL). However, the use of this process as a means of improving not only content but also students' academic writing skills has not been…

ICT-Mediated Science Inquiry: The Remote Access Microscopy Project (RAMP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, John

2007-01-01

The calls for the transformation of how science is taught (and what is taught) are numerous and show no sign of abating. Common amongst these calls is the need to shift from the traditional teaching and learning towards a model that represents the social constructivist epistemology. These calls have coincided with the Internet revolution. Through…

The Importance of School Leaders' Engagement in Socialising Newly Qualified Teachers into the Teaching Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engvik, Gunnar; Emstad, Anne Berit

2017-01-01

This article focuses on the importance of school leaders' commitment to socialising newly qualified teachers (NQTs) into the teaching profession. Framed by a social constructivist perspective, the article is based on four challenges novice teachers face as described by four school leaders. The aim is to illuminate how school leaders have…

Constructivism and Reflectivism as the Logical Counterparts in TESOL: Learning Theory versus Teaching Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

al Mahmud, Abdullah

2013-01-01

The gist of the entire constructivist learning theory is that learners are self-builders of their learning that occurs through a mental process in a social context or communication setting, and teachers as facilitators generate learning by creating the expected environment and/or utilizing the process. This article theoretically proves…

"Dicks are for Chicks": Latino Boys, Masculinity, and the Abjection of Homosexuality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora, Richard

2013-01-01

Employing social constructivist theories and the concept of abjection from gender studies, this article examines how and why a group of low-income, USA-born Dominican and Puerto Rican middle-school boys constructed masculine identities by invoking and repudiating homosexuality. Ethnographic data from a 2.5-year study indicate that the abjection of…

Problem-Based Learning in Web-Based Science Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Heeyoung; Chung, Ji-Sook; Kim, Younghoon

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how general problem-based learning (PBL) models and social-constructivist perspectives are applied to the design and development of a Web-based science program, which emphasizes inquiry-based learning for fifth grade students. The paper also deals with the general features and learning process of a Web-based…

Snakes or Ladders? An Examination of the Experiences of Two Teacher Leaders Returning to Classroom Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munroe, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Teachers who have held leadership roles at the school, district, or provincial level have the potential to contribute to student and school success when they return to classroom teaching. The contrasting experiences of two teacher leaders who returned voluntarily to classroom teaching are analyzed using Owens's (2004) social constructivist theory…

Two Viewpoints on the Challenges of ICT in Education: Knowledge-Building Theory vs. a Pragmatist Conception of Learning in Social Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kivinen, Osmo; Piiroinen, Tero; Saikkonen, Loretta

2016-01-01

The paper contrasts two different approaches to the educational challenges of the ubiquitous, rapidly developing information and communication technologies (ICT). The first is the constructivist "knowledge building" theory spearheaded by Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia and recently further developed by Kai Hakkarainen and Sami…

Flying, Feathery and Beaked Objects: Children's Mental Models about Birds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahi, Berat

2016-01-01

Purpose of this research is to state preschool students' mental model about birds by analyzing their drawing. This is a hermeneutical phenomenology research that is based on social constructivist philosophy. Typical case sampling method has used in order to form working group of this research. Working group consisting of 325 children who are in…

Algebra I Achievement of Eighth Grade Mexican American Students Using Cooperative Learning versus Traditional Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunrasi, John Bosco Tuptip

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine constructivist-based algebra lessons and a cooperative construct to address the achievement gap between White (non-Hispanic) and Mexican American 8th grade students at a southern California middle school. The lessons were designed to facilitate social interdependence which promoted peer-to-peer interaction…

Investigating the Activity Design and Development Skills of Geography Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meydan, Ali

2017-01-01

As geography program has been discussed with the constructivist approach, it has become necessary to enhance the lessons with activities. Geography teachers implement the activities in course books, on the one hand, and also use the activities other teachers prepared or the activities in social network websites, on the other. However, what is more…

Impact of Professional Learning Community Participation on Teachers' Thinking about Classroom Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padwad, Amol; Dixit, Krishna K.

2008-01-01

Teacher education seems to exhibit a shift from product-oriented mode to social constructivist, process-oriented mode of working. The emergence of professional learning communities (PLCs) of teachers may be seen as one manifestation of this shift. PLCs are increasingly seen as an effective channel for teacher learning and professional development.…

Pilot Study on Kindergarten Teachers' Perception of Linguistic and Musical Challenges in Nursery Rhymes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefebvre, Pascal; Bolduc, Jonathan; Pirkenne, Christel

2015-01-01

Nursery rhymes provide a unique learning context for preschoolers in regard to their emergent literacy and musical development. According to Vygotsky's social constructivist theory (1978), in order for learning to occur, children must face challenges, and adults must provide support to guide them toward mastery of new skills. The current pilot…

A Storybook Method for Exploring Young Children's Views of Illness Causality in Relation to the Familial Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Caroline; Stephens, Christine

2012-01-01

In this paper we describe a method for exploring young children's views of illness causality in social context. Studies of children's conceptualisation of illness have predominantly focused on the nature of children's knowledge rather than locating that knowledge within socio-cultural contexts. Adopting a socio-constructivist perspective we sought…

A Computer Environment for Beginners' Learning of Sorting Algorithms: Design and Pilot Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kordaki, M.; Miatidis, M.; Kapsampelis, G.

2008-01-01

This paper presents the design, features and pilot evaluation study of a web-based environment--the SORTING environment--for the learning of sorting algorithms by secondary level education students. The design of this environment is based on modeling methodology, taking into account modern constructivist and social theories of learning while at…

Engaging Social Constructivist Teaching in the Diverse Learning Environment; Perspectives from a First Year Faculty Member

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flint, Emilia S.

2016-01-01

It is no secret that the student attending university classes today is different from the learner of several years ago (Blakefield, 2013). Educators have been recently encouraged to shift the paradigm of traditional lecture-style education to incorporate service-learning and experiential activities involving media and technology whenever possible…

Embracing Your Inner "Guide on the Side": Using Neuroscience to Shift the Focus from Teaching to Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Mary K.; West, Bettina; Bell-Angus, Barbara

2016-01-01

This article explores the effect of incorporating the precepts of neuroscience in a social constructivist theory of learning on student performance in an introductory course in marketing. The authors delivered the pilot class in a flipped format because it facilitates including the neuroscience considerations of dual coding, working memory,…

Reflections on the Invisible: The Missing Social Context in Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare-Mustin, Rachel T.

Constructivist approaches to therapy that view the therapist and patient as equal participants in co-creating a new dialogue render aspects of experience invisible. What is missing is an awareness of the dominant structures in society and the dominant ways of thinking and speaking. Three key factors need to be understood: first, the way meanings…

Users' Acceptance and Use of Moodle: The Community Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baytiyeh, Hoda

2013-01-01

The open source course management system Moodle, which a great number of organizations worldwide have adopted, is designed to help instructors deliver course materials to their students from a social constructivist perspective. The aim of this research is evaluate the acceptance and use of Moodle as an open source application from the viewpoint of…

Learner-Centeredness and EFL Instruction in Vietnam: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dang, Hung

2006-01-01

Although learner-centeredness has been widely applied in instruction in the world, this approach has only been cautiously adopted in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching at some institutions in Vietnam. Taking a social constructivist view, this case study explores how a learner-centred perspective is employed in EFL teaching at a teacher…

Learning Morality in Peer Conflict: A Study of Schoolchildren's Narratives about Being Betrayed by a Friend

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Elly; Doornenbal, Jeannette

2006-01-01

This article discusses the narratives of Dutch schoolchildren from varied cultural-ethnic backgrounds discussing experiences of being betrayed by a friend, and the lessons they learned from the experience. In line with earlier social constructivist research in western societies, the authors found that peers and friends acted as highly emotional…

Effects of a Science Education Module on Attitudes towards Modern Biotechnology of Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klop, Tanja; Severiens, Sabine E.; Knippels, Marie-Christine P. J.; van Mil, Marc H. W.; Ten Dam, Geert T. M.

2010-01-01

This article evaluated the impact of a four-lesson science module on the attitudes of secondary school students. This science module (on cancer and modern biotechnology) utilises several design principles, related to a social constructivist perspective on learning. The expectation was that the module would help students become more articulate in…

Truth and Truthfulness in the Sociology of Educational Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Michael; Muller, Johan

2007-01-01

The aim of this article is to reflect on and explore questions of truth and objectivity in the sociology of educational knowledge. It begins by reviewing the problems raised by the social constructivist approaches to knowledge associated with the "new sociology of education" of the I970s. It suggests that they have significant parallels…

Mexican American Women's Adherence to Hemodialysis Treatment: A Social Constructivist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tijerina, Mary S.

2009-01-01

Mexican Americans have as much as a six-times greater risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than non-Hispanic white Americans, and women show a faster rate of decline in diabetic renal functioning. The leading treatment for ESRD is hemodialysis, an intensive, complex treatment regimen associated with high levels of patient nonadherence. Previous…

Computer-Supported Team-Based Learning: The Impact of Motivation, Enjoyment and Team Contributions on Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Elizabeth Avery; Wu, Dezhi; Passerini, Katia

2010-01-01

The benefits of teamwork and collaboration have long been advocated by many educational theories, such as constructivist and social learning models. Among the various applications of collaborative learning, the iterative team-based learning (TBL) process proposed by Michaelsen, Fink, and Knight (2002) has been successfully used in the classroom…

Raising Student Achievement: A Closer Look into Magnet Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Octavio

2010-01-01

The need to address social and economic changes has focused greater attention on our public education system and the need to better equip students with the skills needed for a global society. This quantitative study was grounded in the principles of the constructivist learning theory. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the added…

Evaluating the Use of a Wiki for Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Feng; Beaumont, Chris

2010-01-01

A wiki is able to provide a learning environment which is closely aligned with the social-constructivist approach and is more natural than many tools where open collaboration and the exchange of ideas are important. This case study analyses and evaluates essential aspects for the successful deployment of a wiki in a higher education setting using…

Towards a Cyber-Constructivist Perspective (CCP) of Educational Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luppicini, Rocci

2003-01-01

This theoretical paper uses cybernetic-based approaches and communications theory to advance knowledge of constructivist learning. Explores a cyber-constructivist perspective (CCP) as a tool for increasing awareness of factors that may contribute to effective constructivist educational design within learning communities, and discusses advantages…

Constructivist Learning: Understanding and Experience in IT Tertiary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Shang; Coldwell-Neilson, Jo; Goscinski, Andrzej

2013-01-01

This paper firstly introduces the concept of constructivist learning which advocates that students actively construct knowledge themselves with teachers' assistance. Based on the six important elements of constructivist learning and teaching planning approach, detailed examples of designing the six constructivist elements of situation, groupings,…

Changing the attitudes and practices of professional developers through a constructivist model: The Technical Assistance Academy for Mathematics and Science Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Karen Jungblut

For much of this century, mathematics and science have been taught in a didactic manner that is characterized by a passive student and a lecturing teacher. Since the late eighties national standards have encouraged professional developers specializing in mathematics and science education to deliver the messages of inquiry-based learning, active student engagement, and learner-constructed knowledge to the teachers they support. Follow-up studies of professional development programs, however, found that telling teachers was no more effective than telling students. Information transmitted in a passive setting was not transferring into effective classroom practices. This phenomenological case study was conducted to determine the effects of a constructivist-oriented professional development experience, the Technical Assistance Academy, in changing the practices and attitudes of mathematics and science professional developers regarding the use of constructivist strategies in workshop design. This study focused on 45 professional developers who participated in the Technical Assistance Academy. Data from a 2 1/2 year period were collected from session evaluations, journal reflections, a follow-up interview, and site visits that included observations and collaborative planning. Content analysis procedures were used to find common themes among the data. Use of new skills developed as a result of participation in the Technical Assistance Academy was determined using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model Levels of Use framework (Hall & Hord, 1987). Changes in attitude were determined by examining participants' journal reflections related to common constructivist themes such as those discussed by Fosnot (1996c): learning is developmental, disequilibrium and reflection facilitate learning, and the construction of "big ideas" results from the opportunity to struggle with new information. Results verified that all 45 participants demonstrated some level of use, and that most were in the 3 highest of 5 levels of use: mechanical (11%), routine (16%), refinement (27%), integration (24%), and renewal (22%). Participants reported valuing (a) active engagement necessary for the developmental progression of learning to occur, (b) their own disequilibrium, (c) opportunity to reflect, and they acknowledged a clearer understanding and appreciation of the big ideas in workshop design such as networking, collaboration, content and staff development standards, equity, and community building. Results support the conclusion that learning about constructivist instructional strategies in a long-term program that models them positively affects participants' attitudes and enhances their use of similar strategies in the design of professional development experiences for others. Knowledge developed in a constructivist setting transferred into effective facilitator practices.

Validity in work-based assessment: expanding our horizons.

PubMed

Govaerts, Marjan; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2013-12-01

Although work-based assessments (WBA) may come closest to assessing habitual performance, their use for summative purposes is not undisputed. Most criticism of WBA stems from approaches to validity consistent with the quantitative psychometric framework. However, there is increasing research evidence that indicates that the assumptions underlying the predictive, deterministic framework of psychometrics may no longer hold. In this discussion paper we argue that meaningfulness and appropriateness of current validity evidence can be called into question and that we need alternative strategies to assessment and validity inquiry that build on current theories of learning and performance in complex and dynamic workplace settings. Drawing from research in various professional fields we outline key issues within the mechanisms of learning, competence and performance in the context of complex social environments and illustrate their relevance to WBA. In reviewing recent socio-cultural learning theory and research on performance and performance interpretations in work settings, we demonstrate that learning, competence (as inferred from performance) as well as performance interpretations are to be seen as inherently contextualised, and can only be under-stood 'in situ'. Assessment in the context of work settings may, therefore, be more usefully viewed as a socially situated interpretive act. We propose constructivist-interpretivist approaches towards WBA in order to capture and understand contextualised learning and performance in work settings. Theoretical assumptions underlying interpretivist assessment approaches call for a validity theory that provides the theoretical framework and conceptual tools to guide the validation process in the qualitative assessment inquiry. Basic principles of rigour specific to qualitative research have been established, and they can and should be used to determine validity in interpretivist assessment approaches. If used properly, these strategies generate trustworthy evidence that is needed to develop the validity argument in WBA, allowing for in-depth and meaningful information about professional competence. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Grounded theory: a methodological spiral from positivism to postmodernism.

PubMed

Mills, Jane; Chapman, Ysanne; Bonner, Ann; Francis, Karen

2007-04-01

Our aim in this paper is to explain a methodological/methods package devised to incorporate situational and social world mapping with frame analysis, based on a grounded theory study of Australian rural nurses' experiences of mentoring. Situational analysis, as conceived by Adele Clarke, shifts the research methodology of grounded theory from being located within a postpositivist paradigm to a postmodern paradigm. Clarke uses three types of maps during this process: situational, social world and positional, in combination with discourse analysis. During our grounded theory study, the process of concurrent interview data generation and analysis incorporated situational and social world mapping techniques. An outcome of this was our increased awareness of how outside actors influenced participants in their constructions of mentoring. In our attempts to use Clarke's methodological package, however, it became apparent that our constructivist beliefs about human agency could not be reconciled with the postmodern project of discourse analysis. We then turned to the literature on symbolic interactionism and adopted frame analysis as a method to examine the literature on rural nursing and mentoring as secondary form of data. While we found situational and social world mapping very useful, we were less successful in using positional maps. In retrospect, we would argue that collective action framing provides an alternative to analysing such positions in the literature. This is particularly so for researchers who locate themselves within a constructivist paradigm, and who are therefore unwilling to reject the notion of human agency and the ability of individuals to shape their world in some way. Our example of using this package of situational and social worlds mapping with frame analysis is intended to assist other researchers to locate participants more transparently in the social worlds that they negotiate in their everyday practice.

A blended learning approach for teaching computer programming: design for large classes in Sub-Saharan Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayu Bati, Tesfaye; Gelderblom, Helene; van Biljon, Judy

2014-01-01

The challenge of teaching programming in higher education is complicated by problems associated with large class teaching, a prevalent situation in many developing countries. This paper reports on an investigation into the use of a blended learning approach to teaching and learning of programming in a class of more than 200 students. A course and learning environment was designed by integrating constructivist learning models of Constructive Alignment, Conversational Framework and the Three-Stage Learning Model. Design science research is used for the course redesign and development of the learning environment, and action research is integrated to undertake participatory evaluation of the intervention. The action research involved the Students' Approach to Learning survey, a comparative analysis of students' performance, and qualitative data analysis of data gathered from various sources. The paper makes a theoretical contribution in presenting a design of a blended learning solution for large class teaching of programming grounded in constructivist learning theory and use of free and open source technologies.

Testing the predictions of the existential constructivist theory of suicide in a college student sample.

PubMed

Lockman, Jennifer D; Servaty-Seib, Heather L

2018-04-01

There is a lack of empirically supported theories explaining suicidal ideation and few theories describe how suicidal ideation can be prevented in the context of normative human development. Rogers (2001) proposed an existential constructivist theory of suicide (ECTS) wherein existential distress and the inability to reconstruct meaning from adverse life events contribute to suicidal ideation. The ECTS includes a distinct focus on meaning reconstruction from adverse life events, which is congruent with existing research on college students and developmental frameworks used by counseling psychologists. Thus, in the present study, we tested the predictions of the ECTS in a college student sample. We collected data online from 195 college students (i.e., ages 18-25) attending a large, Midwestern university and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. Findings provided partial support for the original ECTS. Post hoc analyses of an alternate ECTS model indicated that existential distress mediated the negative association between meaning reconstruction and suicidal ideation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Constructing cardiovascular fitness knowledge in physical education

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tan; Chen, Ang; Chen, Senlin; Hong, Deockki; Loflin, Jerry; Ennis, Catherine

2015-01-01

In physical education, it has become necessary for children to learn kinesiological knowledge for understanding the benefits of physical activity and developing a physically active lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which cognitive assignments about healthful living and fitness contributed to knowledge growth on cardiorespiratory fitness and health. Fourth grade students (N = 616) from 15 randomly sampled urban elementary schools completed 34 cognitive assignments related to the cardiorespiratory physical activities they were engaged in across 10 lessons. Performance on the assignments were analyzed in relation to their knowledge gain measured using a standardized knowledge test. A multivariate discriminant analysis revealed that the cognitive assignments contributed to knowledge gain but the contribution varied assignment by assignment. A multiple regression analysis indicated that students’ assignment performance by lesson contributed positively to their knowledge growth scores. A content analysis based on the constructivist learning framework showed that observing–reasoning assignments contributed the most to knowledge growth. Analytical and analytical–application assignments contributed less than the constructivist theories would predict. PMID:25995702

Tangible User Interfaces and Contrasting Cases as a Preparation for Future Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Bertrand; Blikstein, Paulo

2018-04-01

In this paper, we describe an experiment that compared the use of a Tangible User Interface (physical objects augmented with digital information) and a set of Contrasting Cases as a preparation for future learning. We carried out an experiment (N = 40) with a 2 × 2 design: the first factor compared traditional instruction ("Tell & Practice") with a constructivist activity designed using the Preparation for Future Learning framework (PFL). The second factor contrasted state-of-the-art PFL learning activity (i.e., students studying Contrasting Cases) with an interactive tabletop featuring digitally enhanced manipulatives. In agreement with prior work, we found that dyads of students who followed the PFL activity achieved significantly higher learning gains compared to their peers who followed a traditional "Tell & Practice" instruction (large effect size). A similar effect was found in favor of the interactive tabletop compared to the Contrasting Cases (small-to-moderate effect size). We discuss implications for designing socio-constructivist activities using new computer interfaces.

The Roles of Teacher Efficacy in Instructional Innovation: Its Predictive Relations to Constructivist and Didactic Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nie, Youyan; Tan, Gim Hoon; Liau, Albert Kienfie; Lau, Shun; Chua, Bee Leng

2013-01-01

Constructivist instruction has been implemented in the current instructional innovation in Singapore. Large scale survey study was conducted to examine the roles of teacher efficacy in implementing the innovative constructivist instruction. The results showed that the positive correlation between teacher efficacy and constructivist instruction was…

A Systemic-Constructivist Approach to the Facilitation and Debriefing of Simulations and Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kriz, Willy Christian

2010-01-01

This article introduces some basic concepts of a systemic-constructivist perspective. These show that gaming simulation corresponds closely to a systemic-constructivist approach to learning and instruction. Some quality aspects of facilitating and debriefing simulation games are described from a systemic-constructivist point of view. Finally, a…

How Constructivist-Based Teaching Influences Students Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seimears, C. Matt; Graves, Emily; Schroyer, M. Gail; Staver, John

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide details about the beneficial processes the constructivist pedagogy has in the area of teaching science. No Child Left Behind could possibly cause detrimental effects to the science classroom and the constructivist teacher, so this essay tells how constructivist-based teaching influences students and their…

Butching it up: an analysis of same-sex female masculinity in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Kuru-Utumpala, Jayanthi

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to examine the embodiment of female masculinity as experienced by 12 gender-non-conforming lesbians in Sri Lanka. By drawing on western feminist and queer theories, it critiques western theories in relation to a non-western subjectivity, attempting to unravel the seemingly empowering, albeit problematic, category of female masculinity. Data gathered through qualitative interviews address one key research question: how do gender-non-conforming lesbians in Sri Lankan embody female masculinity? As the discussion unfolds, this paper analyses the ways they view themselves, the extent to which their actions and behaviours fit within a masculine framework and the ways in which notions of desire are felt and understood in relation to their understanding of gender. In terms of theory, the analysis is located in social constructivist theory, while drawing on a postmodernist approach. Theoretically, the concept of female masculinity allows a woman embodying masculinity to dislodge men and maleness from it. The reality within a Sri Lankan experience, however, can at times be different, as this paper reveals.

A Drawing and Multi-Representational Computer Environment for Beginners' Learning of Programming Using C: Design and Pilot Formative Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kordaki, Maria

2010-01-01

This paper presents both the design and the pilot formative evaluation study of a computer-based problem-solving environment (named LECGO: Learning Environment for programming using C using Geometrical Objects) for the learning of computer programming using C by beginners. In its design, constructivist and social learning theories were taken into…

The Social Mediation of a Moral Dilemma: Appropriating the Moral Tools of Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Val D.; Chambers, Elisha A.

2006-01-01

Much effort, on a philosophical and a research basis, has been applied to the subject of moral development framed within a constructivist, Piagetian stage-type format. These efforts have focused on the process of the individual's construction of a moral base and the individual's corresponding level of moral development. At this point in time,…

Mass Media and Global Warming: A Public Arenas Model of the Greenhouse Effect's Scientific Roots.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuzil, Mark

1995-01-01

Uses the Public Arenas model to examine the historical roots of the greenhouse effect issue as communicated in scientific literature from the early 1800s to modern times. Utilizes a constructivist approach to discuss several possible explanations for the rise and fall of global warming as a social problem in the scientific arena. (PA)

The Effects of Integrating LEGO Robotics into a Mathematics Curriculum to Promote the Development of Proportional Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casler-Failing, Shelli L.

2017-01-01

This mixed methods, action research case study sought to investigate the effects of incorporating LEGO robotics into a seventh grade mathematics curriculum focused on the development of proportional reasoning through the lens of Social Constructivist Theory. Quantitative data was collected via pre- and post-tests from the mathematics class of six…

Does Space Matter? Impact of Classroom Space on Student Learning in an Organic-First Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthyala, Rajeev S.; Wei, Wei

2013-01-01

A number of studies have reported on the positive impact of social constructivist approaches on learning in introductory chemistry courses. However, the widespread use of such approaches is being hampered to a certain degree by uncertainty as to whether one needs a special type of classroom. In this study, we investigated student learning in two…

Promoting Social-Constructivist Pedagogy through Using Webquests in Teaching EFL Pre-Service Teachers in Macedonia: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zlatkovska, Emilija

2012-01-01

Using critical ethnography (Carspecken, 1996), by employing classroom observations, interviews, and survey data collection, this study explored the process of introducing a WebQuest lesson, i.e. specific web-supported and inquiry-based lessons as part of the teacher training curriculum at a Macedonian university and the potential impact of the…

Cloud Pedagogy: Utilizing Web-Based Technologies for the Promotion of Social Constructivist Learning in Science Teacher Preparation Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barak, Miri

2017-01-01

The new guidelines for science education emphasize the need to introduce computers and digital technologies as a means of enabling visualization and data collection and analysis. This requires science teachers to bring advanced technologies into the classroom and use them wisely. Hence, the goal of this study was twofold: to examine the…

Classroom Use of Multimedia-Supported Predict--Observe--Explain Tasks in a Social Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearney, Matthew

2004-01-01

This paper focuses on the use of multimedia-based predict--observe--explain (POE) tasks to facilitate small group learning conversations. Although the tasks were given to pairs of students as a diagnostic tool to elicit their pre-instructional physics conceptions, they also provided a peer learning opportunity for students. The study adopted a…

Seventh Grade Students' Conceptual Understanding about Citizenship: Does a Constructivist Social Studies Program Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabanci, Osman; Kurnaz, Sefika; Yürük, Nejla

2016-01-01

Many studies have shown that students at different age levels come into classrooms with a variety of alternative conceptions. Commonly held alternative conceptions are the main source of the difficulties that students and teachers face in learning and teaching. The aim of this study was to compare the conceptual understanding of students who were…

Dyads versus Groups: Using Different Social Structures in Peer Review to Enhance Online Collaborative Learning Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pozzi, Francesca; Ceregini, Andrea; Ferlino, Lucia; Persico, Donatella

2016-01-01

The Peer Review (PR) is a very popular technique to support socio-constructivist and connectivist learning processes, online or face-to-face, at all educational levels, in both formal and informal contexts. The idea behind this technique is that sharing views and opinions with others by discussing with peers and receiving and providing formative…

Social Constructivist Approach to Web-Based EFL Learning: Collaboration, Motivation, and Perception on the Use of Google Docs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Sarah Hsueh-Jui; Lan, Yu-Ju

2016-01-01

This study reports on the differences in motivation, vocabulary gain, and perceptions on using or the Google Docs between individual and collaborative learning at a tertiary level. Two classes of English-as-a-Foreign Language (EFL) students were recruited and each class was randomly assigned into one of the two groups--individuals or…

Risk in Science Instruction: The Realist and Constructivist Paradigms of Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Julia; Hammann, Marcus

2017-01-01

Risk is always present in people's lives: diseases, new technologies, socio-scientific issues (SSIs) such as climate change, and advances in medicine--to name just a few examples--all carry risks. To be able to navigate risks in everyday life, as well as to participate in social debate on risk-related issues, students need to develop risk…

A Novel Learning Environment: Case Study of the Pan African e-Network Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nanda, Silima; Saxena, Ashlesh

2013-01-01

The constructivist form of learning creates such an environment where the learners are not only active but they become actors' i.e members and contributors of the social and information space without taking into consideration the geographic boundaries. Such an innovative form of distance education was initiated in India in the year 2007 and it was…

The Taboo and "Noa" of Teaching Science-Technology-Society (STS): A Constructivist Approach to Understanding the Rules of Conduct Teachers Live By.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, J. Randy

This study qualitatively investigates the taboo and "noa" topics of Science-Technology-Society (STS) taught in two local cultures. Taboos are beliefs that constrain behavior by making those behaviors perceived as threatening by the members of the social group forbidden and improper for discussion. "Noa" is the Polynesian word…

The Effect of Constructivist Science Teaching on 4th Grade Students' Understanding of Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakici, Yilmaz; Yavuz, Gulben

2010-01-01

In the last three decades, the constructivist approach has been the dominant ideology in the field of educational research. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of constructivist science teaching on the students' understanding about matter, and to compare the effectiveness of a constructivist approach over traditional teaching methods.…

Contextualizing Obesity and Diabetes Policy: Exploring a Nested Statistical and Constructivist Approach at the Cross-National and Subnational Government Level in the United States and Brazil

PubMed Central

Gómez, Eduardo J.

2017-01-01

Background: This article conducts a comparative national and subnational government analysis of the political, economic, and ideational constructivist contextual factors facilitating the adoption of obesity and diabetes policy. Methods: We adopt a nested analytical approach to policy analysis, which combines cross-national statistical analysis with subnational case study comparisons to examine theoretical prepositions and discover alternative contextual factors; this was combined with an ideational constructivist approach to policy-making. Results: Contrary to the existing literature, we found that with the exception of cross-national statistical differences in access to healthcare infrastructural resources, the growing burden of obesity and diabetes, rising healthcare costs and increased citizens’ knowledge had no predictive affect on the adoption of obesity and diabetes policy. We then turned to a subnational comparative analysis of the states of Mississippi in the United States and Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil to further assess the importance of infrastructural resources, at two units of analysis: the state governments versus rural municipal governments. Qualitative evidence suggests that differences in subnational healthcare infrastructural resources were insufficient for explaining policy reform processes, highlighting instead other potentially important factors, such as state-civil societal relationships and policy diffusion in Mississippi, federal policy intervention in Rio Grande do Norte, and politicians’ social construction of obesity and the resulting differences in policy roles assigned to the central government. Conclusion: We conclude by underscoring the complexity of subnational policy responses to obesity and diabetes, the importance of combining resource and constructivist analysis for better understanding the context of policy reform, while underscoring the potential lessons that the United States can learn from Brazil. PMID:29179290

Relationships among constructivist learning environment perceptions, motivational beliefs, self-regulation and science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kingir, Sevgi; Tas, Yasemin; Gok, Gulsum; Sungur Vural, Semra

2013-11-01

Background. There are attempts to integrate learning environment research with motivation and self-regulation research that considers social context influences an individual's motivation, self-regulation and, in turn, academic performance. Purpose. This study explored the relationships among constructivist learning environment perception variables (personal relevance, uncertainty, shared control, critical voice, student negotiation), motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, intrinsic interest, goal orientation), self-regulation, and science achievement. Sample. The sample for this study comprised 802 Grade 8 students from 14 public middle schools in a district of Ankara in Turkey. Design and methods. Students were administered 4 instruments: Constructivist Learning Environment Survey, Goal Achievement Questionnaire, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and Science Achievement Test. LISREL 8.7 program with SIMPLIS programming language was used to test the conceptual model. Providing appropriate fit indices for the proposed model, the standardized path coefficients for direct effects were examined. Results. At least one dimension of the constructivist learning environment was associated with students' intrinsic interest, goal orientation, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and science achievement. Self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictor of both mastery and performance avoidance goals rather than the approach goals. Intrinsic value was found to be significantly linked to science achievement through its effect on self-regulation. The relationships between self-efficacy and self-regulation and between goal orientation and science achievement were not significant. Conclusion. In a classroom environment supporting student autonomy and control, students tend to develop higher interest in tasks, use more self-regulatory strategies, and demonstrate higher academic performance. Science teachers are highly recommended to consider these findings when designing their lessons. For the creation of such a learning environment, teachers can design open-ended inquiry activities in which students have opportunities to take responsibility, reflect on their views, and accomplish challenging tasks.

Achieving meaningful mathematics literacy for students with learning disabilities. Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt.

PubMed

Goldman, S R; Hasselbring, T S

1997-01-01

In this article we consider issues relevant to the future of mathematics instruction and achievement for students with learning disabilities. The starting point for envisioning the future is the changing standards for mathematics learning and basic mathematical literacy. We argue that the shift from behaviorist learning theories to constructivist and social constructivist theories (see Rivera, this series) provides an opportunity to develop and implement a hybrid model of mathematics instruction. The hybrid model we propose embeds, or situates, important skill learning in meaningful contexts. We discuss some examples of instructional approaches to complex mathematical problem solving that make use of meaningful contexts. Evaluation data on these approaches have yielded positive and encouraging results for students with learning disabilities as well as general education students. Finally, we discuss various ways in which technology is important for realizing hybrid instructional models in mathematics.

Love, madness and social order: love melancholy in France and England in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

PubMed

Altbauer-Rudnik, Michal

2006-01-01

The concept of "illness's social course" can be approached from two stand-points. We can trace both the way the social world shapes the course of an illness and the way an illness' symptoms shape the social world. The purpose of this study is to locate the specific illness of love melancholy in a specific historical and social context, namely that of France and England in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, in order to explain the intense discussion on the disorder during that period. This attempt is done with respect to the two dimensions of the concept of "illness' social course" and in the light of constructivist commentary on psychological disorders, which regards them as local stress idioms shaped by a specific social and cultural context.

Teacher beliefs about teaching science through Science-Technology-Society (STS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massenzio, Lynn

2001-07-01

Statement of the problem. As future citizens, students will have the enormous responsibility of making decisions that will require an understanding of the interaction of science and technology and its interface with society. Since many societal issues today are grounded in science and technology, learning science in its social context is vital to science education reform. Science-Technology-Society (STS) has been strongly identified with meeting this goal, but despite its benefits, putting theory into practice has been difficult. Research design and methodology. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher beliefs about teaching science through STS. The following broad research questions guided the study: (1) What are the participants' initial beliefs about teaching science through STS? (2) What beliefs emerge as participants reflect upon and share their STS instructional experiences with their peers? A social constructivist theoretical framework was developed to plan interactions and collect data. Within this framework, a qualitative methodology was used to interpret the data and answer the research questions. Three provisionally certified science teachers engaged in a series of qualitative tasks including a written essay, verbal STS unit explanation, reflective journal writings, and focus group interviews. After implementing their STS unit, the participants engaged in meaningful dialogue with their peers as they reflected upon, shared, and constructed their beliefs. Conclusions. The participants strongly believed in STS as a means for achieving scientific and technological literacy, developing cognition, enhancing scientific habits of mind and affective qualities, and fostering citizen responsibility. Four major assertions were drawn: (a) Participants' initial belief in teaching for citizen responsibility did not fully align with practice, (b) Educators at the administrative level should be made aware of the benefits of teaching science through STS, (c) Social interactions such as peer talk and cooperative learning can be a medium for thought development for both teachers and students, and (d) Teacher preparation programs must include informal assessments that evaluate social interactions. Since teachers directly influence student learning through classroom practices and usually act on what they believe, exploring teacher beliefs is crucial to science education reform.

Using a Multicultural Social Justice Framework to Analyze Elementary Teachers' Meanings of Multicultural Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kye, Hannah Anne

In response to the persistent gaps in science opportunities and outcomes across lines of race, class, gender, and disability, decades of science reforms have called for "science for all." For elementary teachers, science for all demands that they not only learn to teach science but learn to teach it in ways that promote more equitable science learning opportunities and outcomes. In this qualitative case study, I use a framework of multicultural social justice education to examine three teachers' beliefs and practices of multicultural science education. The teachers, one preservice and two in-service, taught elementary science in a month-long summer program and met weekly with this researcher to discuss connections between their expressed commitments about teaching toward social justice and their work as science teachers. The data sources for this study included audio recordings of weekly meetings, science lessons, and semi-structured individual interviews. These data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to define the most salient themes and categories among the individual teachers and across cases. I found that the teachers' beliefs and practices aligned with traditional approaches to school and science wherein science was a set of scripted right answers, diversity was only superficially acknowledged, and multiculturalizing the curriculum meant situating science in unfamiliar real world contexts. These meanings of science positioned the teacher as authority and operated outside of a structural analysis of the salience of race, culture, gender, and disability in students' science learning experiences. As they taught and reflected on their teaching in light of their social justice commitments, I found that the teachers negotiated more constructivist and student-centered approaches to science education. These meanings of science required teachers to learn about students and make their experiences more central to their learning. Yet they continued to only acknowledge student diversity rather than critically examine perceptions and practices. Implications for this study include continuing support for teachers focused on applying a structural and explicit analysis of oppression and marginalization in science, so that they are prepared to recognize and teach science as a means of empowering students, disrupting inequity, and changing society.

Portraiture of constructivist parental involvement: A model to develop a community of practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dignam, Christopher Anthony

This qualitative research study addressed the problem of the lack of parental involvement in secondary school science. Increasing parental involvement is vital in supporting student academic achievement and social growth. The purpose of this emergent phenomenological study was to identify conditions required to successfully construct a supportive learning environment to form partnerships between students, parents, and educators. The overall research question in this study investigated the conditions necessary to successfully enlist parental participation with students during science inquiry investigations at the secondary school level. One hundred thirteen pairs of parents and students engaged in a 6-week scientific inquiry activity and recorded attitudinal data in dialogue journals, questionnaires, open-ended surveys, and during one-one-one interviews conducted by the researcher between individual parents and students. Comparisons and cross-interpretations of inter-rater, codified, triangulated data were utilized for identifying emergent themes. Data analysis revealed the active involvement of parents in researching with their child during inquiry investigations, engaging in journaling, and assessing student performance fostered partnerships among students, parents, and educators and supported students' social skills development. The resulting model, employing constructivist leadership and enlisting parent involvement, provides conditions and strategies required to develop a community of practice that can help effect social change. The active involvement of parents fostered improved efficacy and a holistic mindset to develop in parents, students, and teachers. Based on these findings, the interactive collaboration of parents in science learning activities can proactively facilitate a community of practice that will assist educators in facilitating social change.

Iranian EFL Teachers' Perception, Familiarity and Use of Web 2.0 Tools in TEFL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahrokni, Seyed Abdollah; Sadeqjoola, Leila

2015-01-01

Following social-constructivist approaches in education, there has been a growing interest in employing Web 2.0 technologies in language classes. While the effectiveness of these digital teaching crafts has been corroborated in many studies (see Crook et al., 2008, for a survey), there is always doubt if they have reached a normalized state in L2…

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It: "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

Expanding Learning and Social Interaction through Intelligent Systems Design: Implementing a Reputation and Recommender System for the Claremont Conversation Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoms, Brian

2009-01-01

In this dissertation I examine the design, construction and implementation of an online blog ratings and user recommender system for the Claremont Conversation Online (CCO). In line with constructivist learning models and practical information systems (IS) design, I implemented a blog ratings system (a system that can be extended to allow for…

Investigating the Impact of a LEGO(TM)-Based, Engineering-Oriented Curriculum Compared to an Inquiry-Based Curriculum on Fifth Graders' Content Learning of Simple Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marulcu, Ismail

2010-01-01

This mixed method study examined the impact of a LEGO-based, engineering-oriented curriculum compared to an inquiry-based curriculum on fifth graders' content learning of simple machines. This study takes a social constructivist theoretical stance that science learning involves learning scientific concepts and their relations to each other. From…

A Grounded Theory Study of the Re-Entry Process of Teen Parents' Return to School after Dropping Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melton, Brenda L.

2013-01-01

Without the rich stories of the experiences of teen parents who drop out of school and then re-enter, we do not have a total picture of the dropout phenomenon and how best to address the issues for this marginalized group. Using the research strategies of Charmaz' social constructivist grounded theory, Melton has gathered detailed stories about…

From Language Learner to Language User in English-Medium Higher Education: Language Development Brokers outside the Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaj-Ward, Lia

2017-01-01

This article explores, from within the social constructivist paradigm and drawing on data from twenty-one semi-structured interviews with international postgraduate university students approaching the end of a one-year full-time taught Masters degree in the UK, the range of language development brokers that have had an impact on these students'…

Radical constructivism: Between realism and solipsism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Delgado, Alberto

2002-11-01

This paper criticizes radical constructivism of the Glasersfeld type, pointing out some contradictions between the declared radical principles and their theoretical and practical development. These contradictions manifest themselves in a frequent oscillation between solipsism and realism, despite constructivist claims to be an anti-realist theory. The paper also points out the contradiction between the relativism of the radical constructivist principles and the constructivist exclusion of other epistemological or educational paradigms. It also disputes the originality and importance of the radical constructivist paradigm, suggesting the idea of an isomorphism between radical constructivist theory and contemplative realism. In addition, some pedagogical and scientific methodological aspects of the radical constructivist model are examined. Although radical constructivism claims to be a rational theory and advocates deductive thinking, it is argued that there is no logical deductive connection between the radical principles of constructivism and the radical constructivist ideas about scientific research and learning. The paper suggests the possibility of an ideological substratum in the construction and hegemonic success of subjective constructivism and, finally, briefly advances an alternative realist model to epistemological and educational radical constructivism.

Integrated and implicit: how residents learn CanMEDS roles by participating in practice.

PubMed

Renting, Nienke; Raat, A N Janet; Dornan, Tim; Wenger-Trayner, Etienne; van der Wal, Martha A; Borleffs, Jan C C; Gans, Rijk O B; Jaarsma, A Debbie C

2017-09-01

Learning outcomes for residency training are defined in competency frameworks such as the CanMEDS framework, which ultimately aim to better prepare residents for their future tasks. Although residents' training relies heavily on learning through participation in the workplace under the supervision of a specialist, it remains unclear how the CanMEDS framework informs practice-based learning and daily interactions between residents and supervisors. This study aimed to explore how the CanMEDS framework informs residents' practice-based training and interactions with supervisors. Constructivist grounded theory guided iterative data collection and analyses. Data were collected by direct observations of residents and supervisors, combined with formal and field interviews. We progressively arrived at an explanatory theory by coding and interpreting the data, building provisional theories and through continuous conversations. Data analysis drew on sensitising insights from communities of practice theory, which provided this study with a social learning perspective. CanMEDS roles occurred in an integrated fashion and usually remained implicit during interactions. The language of CanMEDS was not adopted in clinical practice, which seemed to impede explicit learning interactions. The CanMEDS framework seemed only one of many factors of influence in practice-based training: patient records and other documents were highly influential in daily activities and did not always correspond with CanMEDS roles. Additionally, the position of residents seemed too peripheral to allow them to learn certain aspects of the Health Advocate and Leader roles. The CanMEDS framework did not really guide supervisors' and residents' practice or interactions. It was not explicitly used as a common language in which to talk about resident performance and roles. Therefore, the extent to which CanMEDS actually helps improve residents' learning trajectories and conversations between residents and supervisors about residents' progress remains questionable. This study highlights the fact that the reification of competency frameworks into the complexity of practice-based learning is not a straightforward exercise. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Constructivist Instructional Practices and Teacher Beliefs Related to Secondary Science Teaching and Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Adrienne Fleurette

The purpose of this mixed method research study was to examine the constructivist beliefs and instructional practices of secondary science teachers. The research also explored situations that impacted whether or not student centered instruction occurred. The study revealed science teachers held constructive beliefs pertaining to student questioning of the learning process and student autonomy in interacting with other learners. Teachers held the least constructivist beliefs pertaining to student teacher collaboration on lesson design. Additionally, teacher beliefs and practice were not congruent due to instructional practices being deemed less constructivist than reported. The study found that curricular demands, teacher perceptions about students, inadequate laboratory resources, and the lack of teacher understanding about the components of constructivist instruction inhibited student centered instruction. The results of this study led to six recommendations that can be implemented by school districts in collaboration with science teachers to promote constructivist instruction.

[Epistemic injustice during the medical education process in the hospital context].

PubMed

Consejo-Y Chapela, Carolina; Viesca-Treviño, Carlos Alfonso

2017-01-01

The educational model adopted by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Faculty of Medicine is constructivist; it is a model based on competence development. It aims to provide learning environments that incorporate real activities (it helps the students to develop social negotiation skills, as part of their integral learning; it encourages them to take a critical and reflexive approach; and it is also a student-centered model). However, many challenges arise when this model is implemented in the context of hospital environments. Therefore, our aim was to analyse the hospital as an hermeneutical community and as a power relations scenario, contrary to the constructivist model. In the analysis of a conflict between a chief of a medical department and an undergraduated medical intern, we use Miranda Fricker's categories discriminatory epistemic injustice, and testimonial injustice, as well as Foucault's power relationships and knowledge. The program implementation is placed in the context of power relations and different disciplinary methods that could affect the training process of the students, whose educational background belongs to the constructivist model. This in part is due to the existence of informal normative structures that are hidden in the process of medical knowledge construction at the hospital scenario. Practices of epistemic discriminatory injustice in the hospital environment increase vulnerability conditions for medical students in their education process.

A new paradigm for nursing: the potential of realism.

PubMed

Wainwright, S P

1997-12-01

Realism has been the dominant approach in the philosophy of science for the last 20 years. Realist philosophy has also been widely employed across a range of social sciences. Unfortunately, these powerful intellectual currents have not reached the shores of nursing which appears trapped in a time-warped debate about 'qualitative' (constructivist) and 'quantitative' (positivist) approaches. This paper argues that both positivism and constructionism are seriously flawed as philosophies of social and natural science. This is in marked contrast with realism which is a philosophy of both the natural and social sciences. I therefore propose that realism should be adopted as a radically different new paradigm for a unified biopsychosocial nursing.

Evaluation of an Educational Computer Programme as a Change Agent in Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muwanga-Zake, Johnnie Wycliffe Frank

2007-12-01

I report on benefits from 26 teacher-participant evaluators of a computer game designed to motivate learning and to ease conceptual understanding of biology in South Africa. Using a developmental, social constructivist and interpretative model, the recommendation is to include the value systems and needs of end-users (through social dialogue); curriculum issues (learning theories in the ECP and those the education authorities recommend, as well as ECP-curriculum integration); the nature of the subject the ECP presents (e.g., Nature of Science); and the compatibility of the ECP with school computers.

The effects of a professional development program for physics teachers on their teaching and the learning of their students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Mee-Kyeong

The purposes of the study were (1) to investigate the effects of the 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program on classroom teaching and student learning and (2) to examine the effectiveness of Constructivist/STS approaches in terms of student perceptions regarding their science classrooms, student attitudes toward science, and student creativity. The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program which focused on Constructivist/STS approaches was carried out at the University of Iowa for visiting Korean physics teachers. Several methods of data collection were used, including observations by means of classroom videotapes, teacher perception surveys, teacher interviews, and student surveys. The data collected was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Major findings include: (1) The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program did not significantly influence teacher perceptions concerning their teaching in terms of Constructivist/STS approaches in their classrooms. (2) The 2000 Iowa Professional Development Program significantly influenced improvement in teaching practices regarding Constructivist/STS approaches. (3) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches perceived their learning environments as more constructivist than did those taught with traditional methods. (4) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches improved significantly in the development of more positive attitudes toward science, while such positive attitudes decreased among students taught with traditional methods. (5) Students taught with Constructivist/STS approaches improved significantly in their use of creativity skills over those taught in traditional classrooms. (6) Most teachers favored the implementation of Constructivist/STS approaches. They perceived that students became more interested in lessons utilizing such approaches over time. The major difficulties which the teachers experienced with regard to the implementation of Constructivist/STS teaching include: inability to cover required curriculum content; getting away from textbooks; acceptance by parents, community, and supervisors; motivating students to be involved in classroom activities; and lack of materials for Constructivist/STS teaching. The results imply that efforts to improve educational conditions, in tandem with more consistent and ongoing professional development programs, are necessary to encourage teachers to use what they learned, to keep their initial interest and ideas alive, and to contribute specifically to the reform of science education.

Intelligent cooperation: A framework of pedagogic practice in the operating room.

PubMed

Sutkin, Gary; Littleton, Eliza B; Kanter, Steven L

2018-04-01

Surgeons who work with trainees must address their learning needs without compromising patient safety. We used a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine videos of five teaching surgeries. Attending surgeons were interviewed afterward while watching cued videos of their cases. Codes were iteratively refined into major themes, and then constructed into a larger framework. We present a novel framework, Intelligent Cooperation, which accounts for the highly adaptive, iterative features of surgical teaching in the operating room. Specifically, we define Intelligent Cooperation as a sequence of coordinated exchanges between attending and trainee that accomplishes small surgical steps while simultaneously uncovering the trainee's learning needs. Intelligent Cooperation requires the attending to accurately determine learning needs, perform real-time needs assessment, provide critical scaffolding, and work with the learner to accomplish the next step in the surgery. This is achieved through intense, coordinated verbal and physical cooperation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Social-Constructivist Approach in Physical Education: Influence of Dyadic Interactions on Tactical Choices in an Instructional Team Sport Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damis-Paraboschi, Florence; Lafont, Lucile; Menaut, Andre

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of dyadic verbal peer interactions in a team sport such as handball. Participants, 20 boys and 20 girls aged between 11 and 12, were assigned to two learning condition groups. The task was an instructional setting in team handball (2 attackers against 1 defender in each half court). The…

Teaching Controversial Topics in the Humanities and Social Sciences in Ireland: Using Structured Academic Controversy to Develop Multi-Perspectivity in the Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruen, Jennifer; Crosbie, Veronica; Kelly, Niamh; Loftus, Maria; Maillot, Agnès; McGillicuddy, Áine; Péchenart, Juliette

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study had two main objectives: The first was to explore the extent to which a group of University lecturers feel that they are prepared to deal with controversial issues in their classrooms. The second was to elicit their views on a didactic approach known as Structured Academic Controversy (SAC). SAC is a constructivist teaching…

Competing Constructivisms: The Negotiation of PTSD and Related Stigma Among Post-9/11 Veterans in New York City.

PubMed

Elliott, Luther; Bennett, Alexander S; Szott, Kelly; Golub, Andrew

2018-05-23

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stands as a form of psychopathology that straddles moral and psychiatric domains. Grounded in discrete instances of trauma, PTSD represents an etiological outlier in an era of increased attention to the genetics of mental illness and a prime location for social constructivist analyses of mental illness. This examination of PTSD narratives-as voiced in qualitative interviews and focus groups with 50 veterans of the recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars living in New York City-attends to the processes through which veterans conceive and navigate PTSD symptoms and diagnoses. In so doing we highlight the social constructivist positions undertaken by veterans themselves as they varyingly challenge and internalize symptomology in dialogue with psychiatric definitions and the stigma associated with PTSD. Findings demonstrate the rejection of classic psychopathological etiology-in brain disease, for example-by many veterans as well as the complex balancing of benefit and stigma that veterans undertake when making decisions about presenting to psychiatric clinicians. Drawing on veterans' accounts, we argue for greater cultural specificity in characterizing the diagnosis-seeking behavior of trauma survivors and a greater appreciation for the contradictions and compromise related to both acceptance and rejection of a mental health diagnosis.

Towards a Cyber-Constructivist Perspective (CCP) of Educational Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luppicini, Rocci

2003-01-01

This theoretical paper utilizes cybernetic-­based approaches (Bopry, 1999; Wiener, 1954) and communications theory (Habermas, 1984, 1990; Krippendorff, 1994) to advance knowledge of constructivist learning. I argue that past educational research literature on constructivist learning is partly responsible for limiting how educational designers…

Virtual school teacher's science efficacy beliefs: The effects of community of practice on science-teaching efficacy beliefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzoff, Phuong Pham

The purpose of this study was to examine how much K-12 science teachers working in a virtual school experience a community of practice and how that experience affects personal science-teaching efficacy and science-teaching outcome expectancy. The study was rooted in theoretical frameworks from Lave and Wenger's (1991) community of practice and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy beliefs. The researcher used three surveys to examine schoolteachers' experiences of a community of practice and science-teaching efficacy beliefs. The instrument combined Mangieri's (2008) virtual teacher demographic survey, Riggs and Enochs (1990) Science-teaching efficacy Beliefs Instrument-A (STEBI-A), and Cadiz, Sawyer, and Griffith's (2009) Experienced Community of Practice (eCoP) instrument. The results showed a significant linear statistical relationship between the science teachers' experiences of community of practice and personal science-teaching efficacy. In addition, the study found that there was also a significant linear statistical relationship between teachers' community of practice experiences and science-teaching outcome expectancy. The results from this study were in line with numerous studies that have found teachers who are involved in a community of practice report higher science-teaching efficacy beliefs (Akerson, Cullen, & Hanson, 2009; Fazio, 2009; Lakshmanan, Heath, Perlmutter, & Elder, 2011; Liu, Lee, & Lin, 2010; Sinclair, Naizer, & Ledbetter, 2010). The researcher concluded that school leaders, policymakers, and researchers should increase professional learning opportunities that are grounded in social constructivist theoretical frameworks in order to increase teachers' science efficacy.

Narrative research in psychotherapy: a critical review.

PubMed

Avdi, Evrinomy; Georgaca, Eugenie

2007-09-01

This paper is a review of studies which utilise the notion of narrative to analyse psychotherapy. Its purpose is to systematically present this diverse field of research, to highlight common themes and divergences between different strands and to further the development and integration of narrative research in psychotherapy. The paper reviews studies which employ an applied textual analysis of narratives produced in the context of psychotherapy. Criteria for inclusion of studies are, firstly, the analysis of therapeutic and therapy-related texts and, secondly, the adoption of a narrative psychological perspective. The studies were examined on the basis of the notion of narrative they employ and the aspects of client narratives they focus on, and were grouped accordingly in the review. The majority of the studies reviewed assume a constructivist approach to narrative, adopt a representational view of language, focus primarily on client micro-narratives and relate to cognitive-constructivist and process-experiential psychotherapeutic approaches. A smaller group of studies assume a social constructionist approach to narrative and a functional view of language, focus on micro-narratives, highlight the interactional and wider social aspects of narrative and relate to postmodern trends in psychotherapy. The range of conceptualisations of narrative in the studies reviewed, from a representational psychological view to a constructionist social view, reflects tensions within narrative psychology itself. Moreover, two trends can be discerned in the field reviewed, narrative analysis of therapy, which draws from narrative theory and utilises the analytic approaches of narrative research to study psychotherapy, and analyses of narrative in therapy, which study client narratives using non-narrative qualitative methods. Finally, the paper highlights the need for integration of this diverse field of research and urges for the development of narrative studies of psychotherapy which employ a broader social understanding of narrative production and transformation.

Textbooks and Constructivist Pedagogy in Saudi Arabian School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Abdulkareem, Rashid; Hentschke, Guilbert C.

2014-01-01

Constructivist "theories" of teaching and learning have continued to grow in popularity among educational policy makers, but it is far less certain whether constructivist teaching "practices" have found their way into most classrooms. Textbooks, arguably the most important non-personnel instructional resource in classrooms,…

A Constructivist View of Music Education: Perspectives for Deep Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Sheila

2006-01-01

The article analyzes a constructivist view of music education. A constructivist music classroom exemplifies deep learning when students formulate questions, acquire new knowledge by developing and implementing plans for investigating these questions, and reflect on the results. A context for deep learning requires that teachers and students work…

Transforming Constructivist Learning into Action: Design Thinking in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheer, Andrea; Noweski, Christine; Meinel, Christoph

2012-01-01

In an ever changing society of the 21st century, there is a demand to equip students with meta competences going beyond cognitive knowledge. Education, therefore, needs a transition from transferring knowledge to developing individual potentials with the help of constructivist learning. Advantages of constructivist learning, and criteria for its…

ICT and Constructivist Strategies Instruction for Science and Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kong, Ng Wai; Lai, Kong Sow

2005-01-01

Concept learning in science and mathematics had often times been taught based on assumptions of alternative concepts or even in some instances based on misconceptions. Some educational researchers favour a constructivist approach in teaching science and mathematics. The constructivist literature existing makes use of alternative conceptions as…

Constructivist Meta-Practices: When Students Design Activities, Lead Others, and Assess Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, David S.; Caza, Arran; Turesky, Elizabeth Fisher; Putzel, Roger; Nelson, Eric; Luechtefeld, Ray

2016-01-01

New educators may feel overwhelmed by the options available for engaging students through classroom participation. However, it may be helpful to recognize that participatory pedagogical systems often have constructivist roots. Adopting a constructivist perspective, our paper considers three meta-practices that encourage student participation:…

Constructivist Learning Environment among Palestinian Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeidan, Afif

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the constructivist learning environment among Palestinian science students. The study also aimed to investigate the effects of gender and learning level of these students on their perceptions of the constructivist learning environment. Data were collected from 125 male and 101 female students from the…

Science Teachers' Perceptions of Implementing Constructivist Principles into Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Saundra M.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to examine the differences in beliefs and perceptions about the implementation of constructivist principles into instruction, in support of the National Science Education Standards, for science teachers who adopt constructivist principles and those who do not. The study also examined correlations between a…

Pre-Service Teachers' Constructivist Teaching Scores Based on Their Learning Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kablan, Zeynel; Kaya, Sibel

2014-01-01

This study examined the relationship between pre-service teachers' constructivist teaching and their learning styles based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. The Learning Styles Inventory-3 was administered at the beginning of the semester to determine preferred learning style. The Constructivist Teaching Evaluation Form was filled out by…

Constructivist Approach to Teacher Education: An Integrative Model for Reflective Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vijaya Kumari, S. N.

2014-01-01

The theory of constructivism states that learning is non-linear, recursive, continuous, complex and relational--Despite the difficulty of deducing constructivist pedagogy from constructivist theories, there are models and common elements to consider in planning new program. Reflective activities are a common feature of all the programs of…

Millennial Expectations and Constructivist Methodologies: Their Corresponding Characteristics and Alignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Timothy L.

2008-01-01

In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on constructivist methodologies and their potential benefit for learners of various ages (Brandt & Perkins, 2000; Brooks, 1990). Although certain aspects of the constructivist paradigm have replaced several aspects of the behaviorist paradigm for a large contingency of stakeholders (particularly,…

Comparison of Student Learning about Diffusion and Osmosis in Constructivist and Traditional Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christianson, Roger G.; Fisher, Kathleen M.

1999-01-01

Reports on the effects of constructivist versus traditional teaching approaches on university students' learning about osmosis and diffusion. Students understood diffusion and osmosis more deeply in the constructivist-informed classroom, which used small discussion groups rather than traditional large lecture groups. Suggests ways to improve…

A Bold Step Forward: Juxtaposition of the Constructivist and Freeschooling Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiatul, Victoria Oliaku

2015-01-01

This article discusses the juxtaposition of learning within the parallel structure of the constructivist and freeschooling models of education. To begin, characteristics describing the constructivist-learning model are provided, followed by a summary of the major components of the freeschooling-learning model. Finally, the parallel structure…

The Relationship between Pre-Service Science Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs and Preferences for Creating a Constructivist Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saylan, Asli; Armagan, Fulya Öner; Bektas, Oktay

2016-01-01

The present study investigated the relationship between pre-service science teachers' epistemological beliefs and perceptions of a constructivist learning environment. The Turkish version of Constructivist Learning Environment Survey and Schommer's Epistemological Belief Questionnaire were administered to 531 pre-service science teachers attending…

Relationships between Students' Conceptions of Constructivist Learning and Their Regulation and Processing Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Rikers, Remy M. J. P.; Schmidt, Henk G.

2008-01-01

The present study investigated relationships between students' conceptions of constructivist learning on the one hand, and their regulation and processing strategies on the other hand. Students in a constructivist, problem-based learning curriculum were questioned about their conceptions of knowledge construction and self-regulated learning, as…

Children, Objects, and Relations: Constructivist Foundations in the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swann, Annette C.

2008-01-01

This article examines how children's construction of relationships in exploring materials helps to explain the constructivist foundations of the Reggio Emilia approach. A quasi-naturalistic study of 12 preschool children, ages 3 and 4 years, individually exploring different kinds of collage papers reveals a range of constructivist categories…

Analyzing and Critiquing the Concepts of Professional Autonomy and Accountability through the Prisms of Decentralization and Constructivist Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Arthur; Koren, Andrej

2012-01-01

This analysis and synthesis explores constructs of professional autonomy and accountability using constructivist theory and practice to examine the organizational dynamics of centralization/decentralization, particularly as applied to educational organizations. Major schools of constructivist thought are explored to shed light on…

An exploration of the relationship between teacher beliefs and practices: Lessons from a self-study of a fourth- and fifth-grade science teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connell, Shelley Sha'ron

2007-12-01

This study was an investigation of the relationship between teacher beliefs and teaching practices. The relationship was explored to address reported inconsistencies among teacher beliefs, teaching practices and reform goals reported over the past 30 years. A self-study methodology was employed to collect data in a fourth-grade (n = 12) and a fifth-grade (n = 7) class at a private elementary school. Data were collected using a reflective journal and the Traditional Versus Inquiry-Based Classroom Behaviors instrument. Self-data were triangulated with critical judgment data from focus groups and interviews with students, parents, and a peer teacher observer. Data were collected and analyzed in four segments: (a) teacher beliefs, (b) teaching practices, (c) congruency between teacher beliefs and teaching practices, and (d) factors that influence congruency. Teacher beliefs were listed at the start of the school year and analyzed in narrative format. Teaching practices were recorded in the journal and analyzed through coding. The relationship between beliefs and practices was explored on two levels, following Haney & McArthur's (2002) modified theory of planned behavior. First, congruency between beliefs and practices was determined, yielding beliefs that were either central (congruent with practices) or peripheral (incongruent with practices) to the author's belief system. Second, congruency between central beliefs and two categories of teaching principles was determined, yielding three subdivisions: constructivist core (congruent with constructivist principles), emerging core (congruent with general principles) and conflict core (incongruent with constructivist principles) beliefs. Data analysis showed 16 central beliefs (those congruent with practice) in operation. The study finding was that teacher beliefs and practices were largely congruent for this one teacher. This contrasted most published reports. Coupling application of the TPB and modified TPB, congruence appeared to be largely influenced by teacher reflection on classroom experiences and student outcomes, as well as three belief factors about teaching by constructivist principles: (a) beliefs about positive or negative outcomes (b) beliefs about social pressure and (c) beliefs about external factors that impact one's ability. Implications for future professional development include categorizing beliefs, pairing with mentors identified as having constructivist core beliefs and the use of reflective practice during field experiences.

A Preliminary Discourse Analysis of Constructivist-Oriented Mathematics Instruction for a Student with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xin, Yan Ping; Liu, Jia; Jones, Sarah R.; Tzur, Ron; Si, Luo

2016-01-01

Reform efforts in mathematics education arose, in part, in response to constructivist works on conceptual learning. However, little research has examined how students with learning disabilities (LD) respond to constructivist-oriented instruction in mathematics, particularly in moment-to-moment interactions. To understand the nature of…

The Many Faces of Constructivist Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golding, Clinton

2011-01-01

Although constructivist discussions in the classroom are often treated as if they were all of the same kind, in this paper I argue that there are subtle but important distinctions that need to be made. An analysis of these distinctions shows that there is a continuum of different constructivist discussions. At one extreme are teacher-directed…

An Ever-Changing Meaning: A Career Constructivist Application to Working with African Refugees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, L. Marinn; Gibbons, Melinda M.

2012-01-01

Refugees are expected to determine how to integrate past experiences into their lives in a new culture. Constructivist approaches to counseling allow refugees opportunities to determine how to integrate these experiences into their future career choices. Refugee experiences throughout the resettlement process and a constructivist career counseling…

The Effects of a Constructivist Intervention on Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPietro, Kathryn

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pre-service teachers' participation in a constructivist intervention supported by technology on their confidence in their own ability to plan and create six technology-supported, constructivist, learning activities, as well as to understand their perceptions of the experience. Participants…

Teaching-to-Learn: A Constructivist Approach to Shared Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milbrandt, Melody K.; Felts, Janet; Richards, Brooke; Abghari, Neda

2004-01-01

In the spring of 2003, three Atlanta area high school art teachers implemented constructivist lessons to see how students would accept responsibility for their own learning and peer-teaching situations. Each teacher selected at least one class in which to implement a variety of constructivist strategies. The teachers then selected a goal in their…

Art-Based Research of Constructivist Teaching=Umjetnicki utemeljeno istraživanje konstruktivisticke nastave

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topolovcan, Tomislav

2016-01-01

This paper provides a critical analysis of art-based research in education, that is, in constructivist learning and teaching. It presents the methodological features and advantages of art-based research in terms of the axiological, ontological and epistemological features of the constructivist, participatory and critical scientific paradigm, and…

Embracing Both a Constructivist Counseling Approach and a Specific Religious Tradition: Is It a Leap of Faith?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watts, Richard E.

2011-01-01

Given that constructivist approaches to counseling and religious faith traditions have divergent views regarding the understanding and perception of reality, the question arises, "Can a counselor embrace both a constructivist counseling approach and a particular religious tradition?" Using a diversity within unity perspective, the author argues…

Reconstructing Christian Ethics: Exploring Constructivist Practices for Teaching Christian Ethics in the Masters of Divinity Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danaher, William

2009-01-01

This article reflects on an effort to incorporate constructivist pedagogies (learner-centered, inquiry-guided, problem-based models of teaching) into an introductory class on Christian Ethics in an M.Div. curriculum. Although some students preferred more traditional pedagogies, the majority found that constructivist pedagogies better accommodated…

Effectiveness of a Constructivist-Based Science Camp for Gifted Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Hope E.; Zoellner, Brian

2016-01-01

Constructivist-based pedagogy is particularly applicable to gifted secondary students in the sciences due to the increased background knowledge of the population and the nature of the study of science. This research was an investigation of the effectiveness of a residential constructivist-based summer learning experience in aquatic biology and…

Constructivist Tenets Applied in ICT-Mediated Teaching and Learning: Higher Education Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asamoah, Moses Kumi; Oheneba-Sakyi, Yaw

2017-01-01

This study describes how a professor-instructor of a Master of Arts (MA) programme in Contemporary Issues in an Adult Education classroom applied constructivist tenets to address an ICT-mediated teaching and learning class. The study provides an analysis of the professor's constructivist pedagogical approach in designing curriculum, engaging in…

What Is Constructionism in Psychiatry? From Social Causes to Psychiatric Classification.

PubMed

van Riel, Raphael

2016-01-01

It is common to note that social environment and cultural formation shape mental disorders. The details of this claim are, however, not well understood. The paper takes a look at the claim that culture has an impact on psychiatry from the perspective of metaphysics and the philosophy of science. Its aim is to offer, in a general fashion, partial explications of some significant versions of the thesis that culture and social environment shape mental disorders and to highlight some of the consequences social constructionism about psychiatry has for psychiatric explanation. In particular, it will be argued that the alleged dependence of facts about particular mental disorders and about the second order property of being a mental disorder on social facts amounts to a robust form of constructivism, whereas the view that clinician-patient interaction is influenced by cultural facts is perfectly compatible with an anti-constructivist stance.

What Is Constructionism in Psychiatry? From Social Causes to Psychiatric Classification

PubMed Central

van Riel, Raphael

2016-01-01

It is common to note that social environment and cultural formation shape mental disorders. The details of this claim are, however, not well understood. The paper takes a look at the claim that culture has an impact on psychiatry from the perspective of metaphysics and the philosophy of science. Its aim is to offer, in a general fashion, partial explications of some significant versions of the thesis that culture and social environment shape mental disorders and to highlight some of the consequences social constructionism about psychiatry has for psychiatric explanation. In particular, it will be argued that the alleged dependence of facts about particular mental disorders and about the second order property of being a mental disorder on social facts amounts to a robust form of constructivism, whereas the view that clinician–patient interaction is influenced by cultural facts is perfectly compatible with an anti-constructivist stance. PMID:27148086

Constructivist-Informed Pedagogy in Teacher Education: An Overview of a Year-Long Study in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Coll, Richard

2002-01-01

This year-long study exposed preservice elementary teachers in Fiji to pedagogy based on a constructivist view of learning in order to improve their content knowledge and provide them with greater confidence to teach science. Qualitative and quantitative analysis indicated that the constructivist-based teaching approach led to improved learning,…

Analyzing the Classroom Teachers' Levels of Creating a Constructivist Learning Environments in Terms of Various Variables: A Mersin Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Üredi, Lütfi

2014-01-01

In this research, it was aimed to analyze the classroom teachers' level of creating a constructivist learning environment in terms of various variables. For that purpose, relational screening model was used in the research. Classroom teachers' level of creating a constructivist learning environment was determined using the "constructivist…

Employing Constructivist Models of Culture Teaching for Enhanced Efficacy in Pre-Departure, Cross-Cultural Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashby, Wendy

2012-01-01

This article presents a case for adopting a constructivist approach in the teaching of culture to federal, business and civilian personnel. In support of this argument, the author: (1) outlines the history of culture teaching as it progresses from behaviorist through cognitive to constructivist orientations; (2) argues that a constructivist…

Web-Based Designed Activities for Young People in Health Education: A Constructivist Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Juliette D. G.

2006-01-01

Modern Health Education in primary schools is increasingly using computer technologies in a variety of ways to enhance teaching and learning. Here, a Constructivist approach for a web-based educational activity for Grade 7 is discussed using an example of designing a healthy Food Handling Manual in the food industry. The Constructivist principles…

The Methods of Teaching Course Based on Constructivist Learning Approach: An Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altun, Sertel; Yücel-Toy, Banu

2015-01-01

This purpose of this study is to investigate how the course designed based on constructivist principles has been implemented, what actions have been taken to solve problems and what thoughts have arisen in the minds of teacher candidates with regard to the constructivist learning approach. In this study, an action research was employed which…

Influences of Constructivist-Oriented Nutrition Education on Urban Middle School Students' Nutrition Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaughtry, Nate; Fahlman, Mariane; Martin, Jeffrey J.; Shen, Bo

2011-01-01

Background: Health professionals are looking to nutrition-based youth health interventions in K-12 schools to combat the growing obesity crisis; however, none have explored the influences of interventions guided by constructivist learning theory. Purpose: This study examined the influences of a constructivist-oriented nutrition education program…

Applying the Subject "Cell" through Constructivist Approach during Science Lessons and the Teacher's View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogru, Mustafa; Kalender, Suna

2007-01-01

In this study our purpose is to determine how the teachers are applying the constructivist approach in their classes by classifying the teachers according to graduated faculty, department and their years in the duty. Besides understanding the difference of the effects of constructivist approach and traditional education method on student success…

Students' Opinions about Their Ninth Grade Biology Textbook: From the Perspective of Constructivist Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çimer, Atilla; Coskun, Sibel

2018-01-01

The study aimed to determine students' opinions about their ninth grade biology textbook that had been created in accordance with the constructivist learning approach. On the basis of a detailed literature review of studies on textbooks; questionnaires used for assessment of textbooks; and constructivist learning approach, a questionnaire was…

Constructivist-Visual Mind Map Teaching Approach and the Quality of Students' Cognitive Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhindsa, Harkirat S.; Makarimi-Kasim; Anderson, O. Roger

2011-01-01

This study compared the effects of a constructivist-visual mind map teaching approach (CMA) and of a traditional teaching approach (TTA) on (a) the quality and richness of students' knowledge structures and (b) TTA and CMA students' perceptions of the extent that a constructivist learning environment (CLE) was created in their classes. The sample…

An online community of practice to support evidence-based physiotherapy practice in manual therapy.

PubMed

Evans, Cathy; Yeung, Euson; Markoulakis, Roula; Guilcher, Sara

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how a community of practice promoted the creation and sharing of new knowledge in evidence-based manual therapy using Wenger's constructs of mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire as a theoretical framework. We used a qualitative approach to analyze the discussion board contributions of the 19 physiotherapists who participated in the 10-week online continuing education course in evidence-based practice (EBP) in manual therapy. The course was founded on community of practice, constructivism, social, and situated learning principles. The 1436 postings on 9 active discussion boards revealed that the community of practice was a social learning environment that supported strong participation and mutual engagement. Design features such as consistent facilitation, weekly guiding questions, and collaborative assignments promoted the creation and sharing of knowledge. Participants applied research evidence to the contexts in which they worked through reflective comparison of what they were reading to its applicability in their everyday practice. Participants' shared goals contributed to the common ground established in developing collective knowledge about different study designs, how to answer research questions, and the difficulties of conducting sound research. An online longitudinal community of practice utilized as a continuing education approach to deliver an online course based on constructivist and social learning principles allowed geographically dispersed physiotherapists to be mutually engaged in a joint enterprise in evidence-based manual therapy. Advantages included opportunity for reflection, modeling, and collaboration. Future studies should examine the impact of participation on clinical practice. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Adaptation and innovation: a grounded theory study of procedural variation in the academic surgical workplace.

PubMed

Apramian, Tavis; Watling, Christopher; Lingard, Lorelei; Cristancho, Sayra

2015-10-01

Surgical research struggles to describe the relationship between procedural variations in daily practice and traditional conceptualizations of evidence. The problem has resisted simple solutions, in part, because we lack a solid understanding of how surgeons conceptualize and interact around variation, adaptation, innovation, and evidence in daily practice. This grounded theory study aims to describe the social processes that influence how procedural variation is conceptualized in the surgical workplace. Using the constructivist grounded theory methodology, semi-structured interviews with surgeons (n = 19) from four North American academic centres were collected and analysed. Purposive sampling targeted surgeons with experiential knowledge of the role of variations in the workplace. Theoretical sampling was conducted until a theoretical framework representing key processes was conceptually saturated. Surgical procedural variation was influenced by three key processes. Seeking improvement was shaped by having unsolved procedural problems, adapting in the moment, and pursuing personal opportunities. Orienting self and others to variations consisted of sharing stories of variations with others, taking stock of how a variation promoted personal interests, and placing trust in peers. Acting under cultural and material conditions was characterized by being wary, positioning personal image, showing the logic of a variation, and making use of academic resources to do so. Our findings include social processes that influence how adaptations are incubated in surgical practice and mature into innovations. This study offers a language for conceptualizing the sociocultural influences on procedural variations in surgery. Interventions to change how surgeons interact with variations on a day-to-day basis should consider these social processes in their design. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Orientation to Self and Career: Constructivist Theory and Practice in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grier-Reed, Tabitha L.; Conkel-Ziebell, Julia L.

2009-01-01

As the world of work becomes increasingly dynamic and complex, career courses must shift to reflect the growing diversity of those in the beginning stages of career exploration. Constructivist career development has emerged as one way to help young adults meet the challenges of the 21st century. Yet, there is a dearth of constructivist career…

The effect of pedagogy informed by constructivism: A comparison of student achievement across constructivist and traditional classroom environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatlin, Linda Sue

Implicit in the call for educational reform in the teaching of science has been the suggestion that pursuing constructivist principles in science teaching will lead to improvement in student achievement. (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990; National Research Council, 1995; NSTA, 1992). The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two types of pedagogy; didactic/traditional and constructivist-informed pedagogy on student achievement. Secondly, this study examined the relationship between students' and teachers' perception of constructivism in classroom environments. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest and delayed posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this study. Subjects involved in this study included two teachers and their respective students from a suburban public school district in the South. The sample consisted of two groups, one taught by traditional/didactic instruction (n = 25) and the other taught by constructivist informed pedagogy (n = 26). Data for this study was collected using the Constructivist Learning Environmental Survey, The Science Classroom Observation Rubric, the Teaching Practices Assessment, and a demographic survey. Ancillary data was collected with the Student Outcome Assessment and interpretive methodologies. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (p < .05; pretest as covariate) was used to measure the effects of constructivist informed and traditional pedagogy on student achievement. Student achievement was measured with a researcher-designed pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. A significance difference was found on the science achievement posttest where the students receiving the traditional pedagogy scored higher than the students taught by the constructivist pedagogy. However, the scores of students receiving constructivist-informed pedagogy showed a slight increase on the delayed posttest, while the traditionally taught students' scores decreased, thus the difference in the achievement of the two groups was diminished over time. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the ancillary data from the Student Outcome Assessment. (p < .05) Among 51 students tested, those who received the constructivist informed pedagogy had higher retention, approaching significance of the biology concepts tested over time. Ancillary data was used to assist the interpretation of the assessment measurements. Using ratios of students' and teachers' scores of perceived constructivist attributes in their classroom appeared to be an effective way for teachers to compare student perceptions with their own.

In the ruins of representation: identity, individuality, subjectification.

PubMed

Papadopoulos, Dimitris

2008-03-01

This paper explores a threefold shift in our understanding of identity formation and self-relationality: from an essentialist understanding of identity, to discursive and constructivist approaches, to, finally, the notion of embodied subjectification. The main target of this paper is to historicize these ideas and to localize them in the current social and political conditions of North-Atlantic societies. The core argument is that these three steps in reformulating the concept of identity correspond to an emerging form of subjectivity, affirmative subjectivity, which is bound to the proliferation of the post-Fordist reorganization of the social and political realm. The three theoretical shifts and their social situatedness will be illustrated through a rereading of some ideas from Lev S. Vygotsky's late theory, Michel Foucault's account of government and Jacques Rancière's political philosophy.

Teaching Science for Social Justice: An Examination of Elementary Preservice Teachers' Beliefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eslinger, James C.

This qualitative study examines the beliefs and belief changes of eleven elementary preservice teachers about teaching science for social justice. Using constructivist grounded theory, it forwards a new theory of belief change about teaching science for social justice. The theory posits that three teaching and learning conditions may facilitate belief change: preservice teachers need to recognize (1) the relationship between science and society; (2) the relationship between individuals and society; and (3) the importance of taking action on socioscientific issues. This research responds to calls by critical scholars of teacher education who contend that beliefs in relation to equity, diversity, and multiculturalism need to be explored. They have found that many preservice teachers hold beliefs that are antithetical to social justice tenets. Since beliefs are generally considered to be precursors to actions, identifying and promoting change in beliefs are important to teaching science for social justice. Such a move may lead to the advancement of curricular and pedagogical efforts to promote the academic participation and success in elementary science of Aboriginal and racialized minority students. The study was undertaken in a year-long science methods course taught by the researcher. It was centered on the preservice teachers -- their beliefs, their belief changes, and the course pedagogies that they identified as crucial to their changes. However, the course was based on the researcher-instructor's review of the scholarly literature on science education, teacher education, and social justice. It utilized a critical -- cultural theoretical framework, and was aligned to the three dimensions of critical nature of science, critical knowledge and pedagogy, and sociopolitical action. Findings indicate that, at the beginning of the year, preservice teachers held two types of beliefs (liberal and critical) and, by the end of the course, they experienced three kinds of shifts in beliefs (minimal, substantial, and refined). The shifts in beliefs were attributed by preservice teachers to specific pedagogies. Yet their initial beliefs also served as filters to the pedagogies, consequently impacting their degrees of belief change. Therefore, this study reveals elements of unpredictability when engaging in teaching science for social justice.

Student veterans' construction and enactment of resilience: A constructivist grounded theory study.

PubMed

Reyes, A T; Kearney, C A; Isla, K; Bryant, R

2018-02-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Resilience is an ability and a process that allows an individual to develop positive adaptation despite challenges and adversities. Many military veterans returning to college after their military service have difficulty transitioning to civilian life. Although some research exists that explores factors related to the resilience of college student veterans, limited theoretical descriptions exist that explain how student veterans construct resilience, and how resilience is enacted and enhanced in their academic and personal (non-academic) lives. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The resilience of student veterans involves a complex process of transitioning from military to civilian life and an iterative journey between positive adaptation and transient perturbations. Student veterans' resilience is a result of integrating and resolving various aspects of their academic and personal challenges. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Nurses can apply this grounded theory as a practical framework for equipping student veterans with effective strategies to develop and enhance resilience. Nurses can employ a holistic approach of care in their interactions with military veterans and student veterans that includes fostering psychological resilience, helping to manage their multiple non-academic responsibilities and supporting their academic success. Introduction Adjusting to college life is one of the most difficult experiences in a military veteran's transition to civilian life. Many military veterans returning to college not only encounter academic challenges, but also deal with physical and psychiatric disabilities, loss of military camaraderie and social disconnect. These often negatively affect their personal and academic lives. Hence, it is important to explore resilience to best support student veterans as they transition from military to civilian life. Aim The aim of this study was to explore how student veterans construct and enact resilience within their personal and academic lives. Method Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 20 military veterans enrolled as undergraduate students at a U.S. university. Results The process of "integrating," which represents student veterans' construction and enactment of resilience, was the core category. This category has three subcategories: (1) the aspects; (2) the expressions; and (3) the enactments of resilience. Implications for practice Nurses can use this grounded theory as the practical framework for their interactions with military veterans, and more particularly with supporting student veterans in their academic lives, in their personal lives and in the transition from military to civilian life. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Study of Secondary Science Teacher Efficacy and Level of Constructivist Instructional Practice Implementation in West Virginia Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Amanda Kristen

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of use of selected constructivist instructional practices and level of teacher efficacy in West Virginia secondary science classrooms. The study next sought to determine if a relationship existed between level of use of the constructivist practices and teacher efficacy. In addition the study…

Development and validation of a method for measuring depth of understanding in constructivist learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guarino, Lucia Falsetti

A method for measuring depth of understanding of students in the middle-level science classroom was developed and validated. A common theme in the literature on constructivism in science education is that constructivist pedagogy, as opposed to objectivist pedagogy, results in a greater depth of understanding. Since few instruments measuring this construct exist at the present time, the development of such a tool to measure this construct was a significant contribution to the current body of assessment technologies in science education. The author's Depth of Understanding Assessment (DUA) evolved from a writing measure originally designed as a history assessment. The study involved 230 eighth grade science students studying a chemical change unit. The main research questions were: (1) What is the relationship between the DUA and each of the following independent variables: recall, application, and questioning modalities as measured by the Cognitive Preference Test; deep, surface, achieving, and deep-achieving approaches as measured by the Learning Process Questionnaire; achievement as measured by the Chemical Change Quiz, and teacher perception of student ability to conceptualize science content? (2) Is there a difference in depth of understanding, as measured by the DUA, between students who are taught by objectivist pedagogy and students who are taught by constructivist pedagogy favoring the constructivist group? (3) Is there a gender difference in depth of understanding as measured by the DUA? (4) Do students who are taught by constructivist pedagogy perceive their learning environment as more constructivist than students who are taught by objectivist pedagogy? Six out of nine hypothesis tests supported the validity of the DUA. The results of the qualitative component of this study which consisted of student interviews substantiated the quantitative results by providing additional information and insights. There was a significant difference in depth of understanding between the two groups favoring the constructivist group, however, since only two teachers and their students participated in the study, the significance of this result is limited. There was a significant gender difference in depth of understanding favoring females. Students in the constructivist group perceived their learning environment to be more constructivist than students in the objectivist group.

Liminality and decision making for upper limb surgery in tetraplegia: a grounded theory.

PubMed

Dunn, Jennifer A; Hay-Smith, E Jean C; Whitehead, Lisa C; Keeling, Sally

2013-07-01

To explore, from the perspective of the person with tetraplegia, the issues that influenced decision making about upper limb surgery and develop a conceptual framework describing the decision making process. Purposive and theoretical sampling of 22 people with tetraplegia, followed by interviews. Ten people had upper limb surgery and 12 had not. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed with constructivist grounded theory. Participants responded to the offer of surgery in one of three ways: yes, let me have it; no thanks; or possibly. Many influences on the decision about surgery had a temporal element, such as hope for the cure or recovery from SCI, inadequate physical or social supports while rehabilitating, life roles and goals, and the avoidance of re-hospitalization. The conceptual framework illustrated that many participants entered a liminal state within which they required a stimulus to review their decision about upper limb surgery. Decision making is a temporal process, and for some the process was a prolonged and liminal one. Therefore, multiple offers for surgery are required to allow for changing thoughts and circumstances throughout an individual's lifetime. Flexibility with regard to timing for surgery and type of rehabilitation may increase the uptake, especially for women. • Multiple offers for upper limb surgery are required throughout an individual's lifetime to account for changing thoughts and priorities. • Identification of the type of support required (informational, emotional) may assist in decreasing the time taken to make the decision about surgery. • Flexibility in surgical and rehabilitation options, especially for women, may increase the uptake of surgery.

A feminist critique of foundational nursing research and theory on transition to motherhood.

PubMed

Parratt, Jenny A; Fahy, Kathleen M

2011-08-01

is using 'transition to motherhood theory' the best way to guide midwives in providing woman-centred care? contemporary research about changes to women's embodied sense of self during childbearing is influenced by foundational research and theory about the transition to motherhood. Rubin and Mercer are two key nursing authors whose work on transition to motherhood theory still shapes the ways in which a woman's experience of change during childbearing is understood in midwifery. using a feminist post-structural framework, Rubin and Mercer's theory and research is described, critiqued and discussed. Rubin and Mercer used pre-existing theories and concepts that had the effect of finding similarities and discarding differences between women. Rubin and Mercer's theory and research is an expression of humanistic philosophy. This philosophy creates frameworks that have an assumed, disempowered role for childbearing women. Their research used a logico-empirical, quantitative approach. Qualitative interpretive or constructivist approaches offer more appropriate ways to study the highly individualised, embodied, lived experience of a woman's changing self during childbearing. Rubin and Mercer's theory is baby-centred. Transition to motherhood theory privileges the position of experts in directing how a woman should become a mother. This has the effect of making midwives agents for the social control of women. Rubin and Mercer's transition to motherhood theory is a well-intentioned product of its time. The theory is inconsistent with contemporary midwifery philosophy which promotes a woman-centred partnership between the midwife and the woman. The usefulness of this outdated nursing theory in midwifery teaching, research or practice is debatable. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Teacher Perceptions in a Professional Development Program for a Middle Grade Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deloney, Dericka B.

The standards-based framework requires teachers to evaluate and in some cases change their instructional approach to more student-centered and inquiry-based in an effort to help students meet the standards. The rationale for this study was to determine the skills needed for teachers to be effective in a standard-based, problem-based learning (PBL) constructivist classroom. Traditionally, teachers in this school district transitioning from teacher to student-centered classrooms need new skills when implementing this type of instruction. A qualitative case study design served to highlight the research questions for this project study. The participants in this study participated in data collection activities that include a multiple-choice survey, an interview, and the sharing of their PBL units. Artifacts, professional development teaching resources, from the workshop added credence to the survey and interview responses. The findings from each research question addressed the teachers' perception of their understanding and the obstacles of instructional design, development, and implementation the participants encountered. The results of this study indicated that teachers had problems with designing and implementing this instructional strategy due to lack of time and resources. This data assisted the development of district specific PBL sustainable professional development program that could be adaptable to other curriculums and school systems. Social change resulting from this study could include a framework for developing K-12 professional development as well as instructional programs that incorporates PBL curriculum design to enhance the student's inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that in turn should change their academic achievement and scores on high stakes test in science.

Medical anthropology: toward a third moment in social science?

PubMed

Dressler, W W

2001-12-01

This article about medical anthropology was inspired by the work of Pierre Bourdieu, specifically, his efforts to reconcile the antinomy of a "social structuralist" and a "cultural constructivist" perspective. These perspectives are often opposed in the literature, but, in Bourdieu's view, human life cannot be studied without taking into account both how individuals are situated within and constrained by social structures and how those individuals construct an understanding of and impose meaning on the world around them. I argue that the special subject matter of medical anthropology--human health--demands that a synthetic approach be taken in our theory and research. I illustrate this argument with examples from my own research on social and cultural factors associated with blood pressure, and I point to other examples of this synthesis in medical anthropology. The results of this research hold promise for the continuing refinement of culture theory.

Adopting a constructivist approach to grounded theory: implications for research design.

PubMed

Mills, Jane; Bonner, Ann; Francis, Karen

2006-02-01

Grounded theory is a popular research methodology that is evolving to account for a range of ontological and epistemological underpinnings. Constructivist grounded theory has its foundations in relativism and an appreciation of the multiple truths and realities of subjectivism. Undertaking a constructivist enquiry requires the adoption of a position of mutuality between researcher and participant in the research process, which necessitates a rethinking of the grounded theorist's traditional role of objective observer. Key issues for constructivist grounded theorists to consider in designing their research studies are discussed in relation to developing a partnership with participants that enables a mutual construction of meaning during interviews and a meaningful reconstruction of their stories into a grounded theory model.

The Obstacles for the Teaching of 8th Grade TR History of Revolution and Kemalism Course According to the Constructivist Approach (An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method Design)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karademir, Yavuz; Demir, Selcuk Besir

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to ascertain the problems social studies teachers face in the teaching of topics covered in 8th grade TRHRK Course. The study was conducted in line with explanatory sequential mixed method design, which is one of the mixed research method, was used. The study involves three phases. In the first step, exploratory process…

Who regulates ethics in the virtual world?

PubMed

Sharma, Seemu; Lomash, Hitashi; Bawa, Seema

2015-02-01

This paper attempts to give an insight into emerging ethical issues due to the increased usage of the Internet in our lives. We discuss three main theoretical approaches relating to the ethics involved in the information technology (IT) era: first, the use of IT as a tool; second, the use of social constructivist methods; and third, the approach of phenomenologists. Certain aspects of ethics and IT have been discussed based on a phenomenological approach and moral development. Further, ethical issues related to social networking sites are discussed. A plausible way to make the virtual world ethically responsive is collective responsibility which proposes that society has the power to influence but not control behavior in the virtual world.

Constructivisms from a genetic point of view: a critical classification of current tendencies.

PubMed

Sánchez, José Carlos; Loredo, José Carlos

2009-12-01

In this paper, we propose a critical classification of contemporary constructivist orientations. Our fundamental theoretical reference is the notion of genesis, understood as the construction of reality in a way that is neither relativist nor positivist-realist. We identify a nucleus of classic, genetic constructivism that revolves around the ideas of Baldwin, Piaget and Vygotsky and discuss two tendencies that distort the spirit of that nucleus: objectivism and subjectivism. Objectivism rules out the psychological, constructive activity of the subject, subordinating (or just reducing) it to objective structures either from nature (like genetic endowment or neural functioning), or from culture (like language or social practices). Subjectivism completely detaches the objectivity of knowledge from its construction on the part of the subject, reducing it to the mere product of individual interest, view, or irrationality. Thus, subjectivism is the non-constructive way to conceive the subject. Then, we attempt to show the dialectics that exists between these two tendencies and the scope of our criteria by analysing a representative (non exhaustive) group of authors who are defined as constructivists or who bring important elements to the debate about constructivism.

Framing and the health policy process: a scoping review.

PubMed

Koon, Adam D; Hawkins, Benjamin; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-07-01

Framing research seeks to understand the forces that shape human behaviour in the policy process. It assumes that policy is a social construct and can be cast in a variety of ways to imply multiple legitimate value considerations. Frames provide the cognitive means of making sense of the social world, but discordance among them forms the basis of policy contestation. Framing, as both theory and method, has proven to generate considerable insight into the nature of policy debates in a variety of disciplines. Despite its salience for understanding health policy debates; however, little is known about the ways frames influence the health policy process. A scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley framework was conducted. The literature on framing in the health sector was reviewed using nine health and social science databases. Articles were included that explicitly reported theory and methods used, data source(s), at least one frame, frame sponsor and evidence of a given frame's effect on the health policy process. A total of 52 articles, from 1996 to 2014, and representing 12 countries, were identified. Much of the research came from the policy studies/political science literature (n = 17) and used a constructivist epistemology. The term 'frame' was used as a label to describe a variety of ideas, packaged as values, social problems, metaphors or arguments. Frames were characterized at various levels of abstraction ranging from general ideological orientations to specific policy positions. Most articles presented multiple frames and showed how actors advocated for them in a highly contested political process. Framing is increasingly an important, yet overlooked aspect of the policy process. Further analysis on frames, framing processes and frame conflict can help researchers and policymakers to understand opaque and highly charged policy issues, which may facilitate the resolution of protracted policy controversies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Stories of pain and health by elderly Pakistani women in Norway.

PubMed

Sverre, Beate Lie; Solbrække, Kari Nyheim; Eilertsen, Grethe

2014-11-01

This ethnographic study investigates the stories of elderly Pakistani women living in Norway. Migration studies indicate that elderly migrant women are passive, ill victims caught in a marginalized position due to age, ethnicity and gender, and thus have little access to opposition and agency. To broaden the picture it is necessary to develop an innovative approach to understand what is implicated in the process of migration. The importance of considering life conditions that surrounds potential health promotion behaviors of immigrants is stressed by several researchers. However, up to now limited research guided by this perspective has been done in Norway. Therefore, this study explored how elderly Pakistani women in Norway promote their health and well-being through some distinct social interactions. The intention is to bring awareness to how health, even by so-called disadvantaged social groups, may take place. These practices are important to take into consideration when developing health-promoting policies for elderly immigrants. An ethnographic study of 15 Pakistani women, aged 53-75, was carried out in a multisided fieldwork in Oslo using participant observation and ethnographic interviews. The analytical approach was inspired by the constructivist theoretical framework of narrative ethnography. The elderly Pakistani women in Norway construct stories of living in-between cultures and experiences of acculturative stress caused by being elderly, immigrants and women. However, this analysis also suggests that through distinct social relationships, primarily in the context of a voluntary organization, elderly Pakistani women do health by the way they interact and construct a repertoire of social identities. The healing practices taking place among elderly Pakistani women may counteract the negative health outcomes associated with age, migration and gender implications for immigrant health-promoting policy in Norway may be to increase the establishment and allocate funds to sustain voluntary organizations run by and for immigrants. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Rural self-reliance: the impact on health experiences of people living with type II diabetes in rural Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Page-Carruth, Althea; Windsor, Carol; Clark, Michele

2014-01-01

The objective of the study was to explore whether and how rural culture influences type II diabetes management and to better understand the social processes that rural people construct in coping with diabetes and its complications. In particular, the study aimed to analyse the interface and interactions between rural people with type II diabetes and the Australian health care system, and to develop a theoretical understanding that reflects constructs that may be more broadly applicable. The study applied constructivist grounded theory methods within an interpretive interactionist framework. Data from 39 semi-structured interviews with rural and urban type II diabetes patients and a mix of rural health care providers were analysed to develop a theoretical understanding of the social processes that define diabetes management in that context. The analysis suggests that although type II diabetes imposes limitations that require adjustment and adaptation, these processes are actively negotiated by rural people within the environmental context to fit the salient social understandings of autonomy and self-reliance. Thus, people normalized self-reliant diabetes management behaviours because this was congruent with the rural culture. Factors that informed the actions of normalization were relationships between participants and health care professionals, support, and access to individual resources. The findings point to ways in which rural self-reliance is conceived as the primary strategy of diabetes management. People face the paradox of engaging with a health care system that at the same time maximizes individual responsibility for health and minimizes the social support by which individuals manage the condition. The emphasis on self-reliance gives some legitimacy to a lack of prevention and chronic care services. Success of diabetes management behaviours is, however, contingent on relative resources. Where there is good primary care, there develops a number of downstream effects including a sense of empowerment to manage difficult rural environmental circumstances. This has particular bearing on health outcomes for people with fewer resources.

Rural self-reliance: the impact on health experiences of people living with type II diabetes in rural Queensland, Australia

PubMed Central

Page-Carruth, Althea; Windsor, Carol; Clark, Michele

2014-01-01

Objective The objective of the study was to explore whether and how rural culture influences type II diabetes management and to better understand the social processes that rural people construct in coping with diabetes and its complications. In particular, the study aimed to analyse the interface and interactions between rural people with type II diabetes and the Australian health care system, and to develop a theoretical understanding that reflects constructs that may be more broadly applicable. Methods The study applied constructivist grounded theory methods within an interpretive interactionist framework. Data from 39 semi-structured interviews with rural and urban type II diabetes patients and a mix of rural health care providers were analysed to develop a theoretical understanding of the social processes that define diabetes management in that context. Results The analysis suggests that although type II diabetes imposes limitations that require adjustment and adaptation, these processes are actively negotiated by rural people within the environmental context to fit the salient social understandings of autonomy and self-reliance. Thus, people normalized self-reliant diabetes management behaviours because this was congruent with the rural culture. Factors that informed the actions of normalization were relationships between participants and health care professionals, support, and access to individual resources. Conclusions The findings point to ways in which rural self-reliance is conceived as the primary strategy of diabetes management. People face the paradox of engaging with a health care system that at the same time maximizes individual responsibility for health and minimizes the social support by which individuals manage the condition. The emphasis on self-reliance gives some legitimacy to a lack of prevention and chronic care services. Success of diabetes management behaviours is, however, contingent on relative resources. Where there is good primary care, there develops a number of downstream effects including a sense of empowerment to manage difficult rural environmental circumstances. This has particular bearing on health outcomes for people with fewer resources. PMID:24964859

Framing and the health policy process: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Koon, Adam D; Hawkins, Benjamin; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-01-01

Framing research seeks to understand the forces that shape human behaviour in the policy process. It assumes that policy is a social construct and can be cast in a variety of ways to imply multiple legitimate value considerations. Frames provide the cognitive means of making sense of the social world, but discordance among them forms the basis of policy contestation. Framing, as both theory and method, has proven to generate considerable insight into the nature of policy debates in a variety of disciplines. Despite its salience for understanding health policy debates; however, little is known about the ways frames influence the health policy process. A scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework was conducted. The literature on framing in the health sector was reviewed using nine health and social science databases. Articles were included that explicitly reported theory and methods used, data source(s), at least one frame, frame sponsor and evidence of a given frame’s effect on the health policy process. A total of 52 articles, from 1996 to 2014, and representing 12 countries, were identified. Much of the research came from the policy studies/political science literature (n = 17) and used a constructivist epistemology. The term ‘frame’ was used as a label to describe a variety of ideas, packaged as values, social problems, metaphors or arguments. Frames were characterized at various levels of abstraction ranging from general ideological orientations to specific policy positions. Most articles presented multiple frames and showed how actors advocated for them in a highly contested political process. Framing is increasingly an important, yet overlooked aspect of the policy process. Further analysis on frames, framing processes and frame conflict can help researchers and policymakers to understand opaque and highly charged policy issues, which may facilitate the resolution of protracted policy controversies. PMID:26873903

A cross-age study of students' conceptual understanding of interdependency in seed dispersal, pollination, and food chains using a constructivist theoretical framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Shirley Mccraw

2003-06-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate students' understanding of interdependency across grade levels. Interdependency concepts selected for this study included food chains, pollination, and seed dispersal. Children's everyday concepts and scientific concepts across grade levels represented the focus of conceptual understanding. The researcher interviewed a total of 24 students across grade levels, six students each from grades 3, 7, and 10, and 6 college students. Data were collected by means of interviews and card sorts. A constructivist theoretical framework formed the groundwork for presenting the focus of this study and for interpreting the results of the interview data. Results were analyzed on the basis of identifying student responses to interview questions as either everyday concepts or as scientific concepts, along with transition through the zone of proximal development (ZPD) by mediation, as developed by Vygotsky. Results revealed that children across grade levels vary in their everyday and scientific understanding of the three interdependency concepts. Results for seed dispersal showed little evidence of understanding for grade 3, that is, seed dispersal was not within the zone of proximal development (ZPD) for grade 3 students. Students in grades 7 and 10 showed a developing transition within the zone of proximal development from everyday to scientific understanding, and college students demonstrated scientific understanding of seed dispersal. For pollination and food chains, results showed that grades 3, 7, and 10 were in transition from everyday to scientific understanding, and all college students demonstrated scientific understanding. The seed dispersal concept proved more complex than pollination and food chains. The findings of this study have implications for classroom teachers. By understanding the dynamic nature of the ZPD continuum for students, teachers can plan instruction to meet the needs of each student.

Death of a Simulated Pediatric Patient: Toward a More Robust Theoretical Framework.

PubMed

McBride, Mary E; Schinasi, Dana Aronson; Moga, Michael Alice; Tripathy, Shreepada; Calhoun, Aaron

2017-12-01

A theoretical framework was recently proposed that encapsulates learner responses to simulated death due to action or inaction in the pediatric context. This framework, however, was developed at an institution that allows simulated death and thus does not address the experience of those centers at which this technique is not used. To address this, we performed a parallel qualitative study with the intent of augmenting the initial framework. We conducted focus groups, using a constructivist grounded theory approach, using physicians and nurses who have experienced a simulated cardiac arrest. The participants were recruited via e-mail. Transcripts were analyzed by coders blinded to the original framework to generate a list of provisional themes that were iteratively refined. These themes were then compared with the themes from the original article and used to derive a consensus model that incorporated the most relevant features of each. Focus group data yielded 7 themes. Six were similar to those developed in the original framework. One important exception was noted; however, those learners not exposed to patient death due to action or inaction often felt that the mannequin's survival was artificial. This additional theme was incorporated into a revised framework. The original framework addresses most aspects of learner reactions to simulated death. Our work suggests that adding the theme pertaining to the lack of realism that can be perceived when the mannequin is unexpectedly saved results in a more robust theoretical framework transferable to centers that do not allow mannequin death.

Empowering Students in Science through Active Learning: Voices From Inside the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Sabrina Ann

Preparing students for success in the 21st century has shifted the focus of science education from acquiring information and knowledge to mastery of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher and student perspectives of the relationship between (a) active learning, problem solving, and achievement in science and (b) the conditions that help facilitate this environment. Adapting a social constructivist theoretical framework, high school science teachers and students were interviewed, school records analyzed, curriculum documents studied, and classes observed. The findings revealed that students were engaged with the material in an active learning environment, which led to a sense of involvement, interest, and meaningful learning. Students felt empowered to take ownership of their learning, developed the critical thinking skills necessary to solve problems independently and became aware of how they learn best, which students reported as interactive learning. Moreover, student reflections revealed that an active environment contributed to deeper understanding and higher skills through interaction and discussion, including questioning, explaining, arguing, and contemplating scientific concepts with their peers. Recommendations are for science teachers to provide opportunities for students to work actively, collaborate in groups, and discuss their ideas to develop the necessary skills for achievement and for administrators to facilitate the conditions needed for active learning to occur.

Exploring reforms while learning to teach science: Facilitating exploration of theory-practice relationships in a teacher education study group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Jacob G.

This dissertation inserts a new view into an old problem in teacher education. The study explores the theory-practice gap, the large distance between what preservice science teachers experience in schools, are able to enact, and are told they should hold themselves to in their practice. It does so by narrowing the focus of analysis to a secondary science study group and examining how the facilitator uses sociocultural constructivism to promote discussion. The analysis surfaces key communicative moves made by the facilitator and preservice teachers that yield fruitful discussion of theory-practice relationships. Additionally, the study's use of discourse analysis as a methodology and intertextuality as a conceptual framework opens new directions for applied sociolinguistic research and scholarship in science teacher education. Findings from the study focus on what was discussed and how explorations of theory-practice relationships were facilitated. Preservice teachers in the study group engaged in meaningful conversations about constructivist theory and its application to their students and teaching of science. They discussed many science education topics such as planning science lessons that actively engage students, assessment of content understanding, and management of content-based activities. Discussions of broader science education goals, including implementation of inquiry or development of collaborative communities, were not promoted. Examination of the facilitation illuminates a number of strategies found to be helpful in supporting these explorations. This study shows that facilitation can successfully support preservice teachers to construct understanding of social constructivist assumptions underlying the National Science Education Standards (NSES), as well as a few components of the Standards themselves. The focus on the underlying assumptions suggests that science teacher education should focus on these so that preservice teachers can build a strong foundation from which to later implement broader science education reform efforts. The study group serves as a bridging structure between university courses and classroom experiences to support preservice teacher navigation of theory-practice relationships in the context of their classroom teaching. The study group contributes to helping preservice teachers navigate the theory-practice gap by complementing other teacher education structures to achieve this long-standing goal.

The impact of a dedicated Science-Technology-Society (STS) course on student knowledge of STS content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, Paul E.

In the last half century, public awareness of issues such as population growth, environmental pollution and the threat of nuclear war has pressured science education to reform to increase student social responsibility. The emerging Science-Technology-Society (STS) movement addressed these concerns by developing numerous strategies and curricula. Considerable diagnostic research has been conducted on student knowledge of the nature of science, but not on the wider scope of STS content (e.g., the nature of science and technology and their interactions with society). However, researchers have not widely studied the impact of comprehensive STS curricula on students' knowledge of STS content nor the nature of STS teaching practice that influenced this knowledge gain. This study examined student success and teacher performance in a special STS course in Ontario, Canada. Research questions focused on the STS content knowledge gain by students completing this course and the impact of the STS teachers' teaching practices on this knowledge gain. Student data were collected using pre-course and post-course assessments of students' STS content knowledge. Teacher data were obtained using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and videotapes. Statistical analysis indicated that, after completing the STS course, students significantly increased their STS content knowledge as measured by the Views on Science Technology Society instrument. Gender and academic achievement had no significant impact on this knowledge gain, implying that this course, as taught by these teachers, could appeal to a wide range of students as a general education course. The second part of the study indicated that detailed research is needed on the relationship between STS teaching practice and student STS content knowledge gain. The small sample size prevents generalizations but initial indications show that factors such constructivist teaching practices and strong teacher STS content knowledge may generate greater student knowledge gains than didactic teaching and weak teacher STS content knowledge. In this limited sample, it was found that constructivist teaching practice can overcome weak teacher STS content knowledge in increasing student STS content knowledge. In addition, other factors such as problem-solving and decision-making skills need to be studied as part of an overall framework for STS teaching.

The Development of Wisdom: A Social Ecological Approach.

PubMed

Igarashi, Heidi; Levenson, Michael R; Aldwin, Carolyn M

2018-02-07

This study examined the development of wisdom within the context of difficult life events (DLEs), and the importance of individuals and their social environments in this process of growth. Social support has long been studied in adulthood, yet less is known about the ways social transactions can promote wisdom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with men (n = 14) and women (n = 36), ages 56-91 years (M = 71.71; SD = 8.8) who described a DLE and how they coped with it. The analysis was guided by constructivist grounded theory. DLEs included those from childhood through later life. When personal meaning was disrupted by adversity, the social environment played a key role in facilitating new perspectives that corresponded with aspects of wisdom: self-knowledge, compassion, comfort with uncertainty, and accepting complexity. Wisdom is often studied as an individual characteristic, but this study highlighted the relevance of a social ecological perspective to understanding how wisdom development is also facilitated through social transactions. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Science Anxiety, Science Attitudes, and Constructivism: A Binational Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Fred B.; Kastrup, Helge; Udo, Maria; Hislop, Nelda; Shefner, Rachel; Mallow, Jeffry

2013-08-01

Students' attitudes and anxieties about science were measured by responses to two self-report questionnaires. The cohorts were Danish and American students at the upper secondary- and university-levels. Relationships between and among science attitudes, science anxiety, gender, and nationality were examined. Particular attention was paid to constructivist attitudes about science. These fell into at least three broad conceptual categories: Negativity of Science Toward the Individual, Subjective Construction of Knowledge, and Inherent Bias Against Women. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed that these dimensions of constructivist attitudes were equally applicable and had the same meaning in both cultures. Gender differences in mean levels of constructivist attitudes were found; these varied across the two cultures. Constructivist beliefs were associated with science anxiety, but in different ways for females and males, and for Danes and Americans. In agreement with earlier studies, females in both the US and Danish cohorts were significantly more science anxious than males, and the gender differences for the Americans were larger than those for the Danes. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for reducing science anxiety by changing constructivist beliefs.

Identifying common values among seven health professions: An interprofessional analysis.

PubMed

Grace, Sandra; Innes, Ev; Joffe, Beverly; East, Leah; Coutts, Rosanne; Nancarrow, Susan

2017-05-01

This article reviews the competency frameworks of seven Australian health professions to explore relationships among health professions of similar status as reflected in their competency frameworks and to identify common themes and values across the professions. Frameworks were compared using a constructivist grounded theory approach to identify key themes, against which individual competencies for each profession were mapped and compared. The themes were examined for underlying values and a higher order theoretical framework was developed. In contrast to classical theories of professionalism that foreground differentiation of professions, our study suggests that the professions embrace a common structure and understanding, based on shared underpinning values. We propose a model of two core values that encompass all identified themes: the rights of the client and the capacity of a particular profession to serve the healthcare needs of clients. Interprofessional practice represents the intersection of the rights of the client to receive the best available healthcare and the recognition of the individual contribution of each profession. Recognising that all health professions adhere to a common value base, and exploring professional similarities and differences from that value base, challenges a paradigm that distinguishes professions solely on scope of practice.

Beyond Metaphor: Formalising in Mathematical Understanding within Constructivist Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pirie, Susan E. B.; Kieren, Thomas E.

1994-01-01

Discusses formalizing in mathematics and provides anecdotal illustrations of formalizing in a constructivist environment, using students aged 12 and 8 involved in fraction work. (Contains 19 references.) (MKR)

The congruence of perceptions and behaviors exhibited by twelve successful middle school teachers in implementingScience/Technology/Society/Constructivist practices in Iowa Scope, Sequence, and Coordination schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yutakom, Naruemon

1997-11-01

The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate teacher perceptions about teaching and the strategies they use in teaching for successful middle school teachers purporting to use Science/Technology/Society and Constructivist practices in Iowa Scope, Sequence, and Coordination (SS&C) schools and (2) to note the congruence between these perceptions and the actual behaviors exhibited by these teachers. Multiple methods of data collection used to discern the actual behaviors included observation by means of classroom videotapes, a teacher perception survey, teacher interviews, instructional documents, teacher stories, demographic information concerning teachers from the Iowa-SS&C database, and a student survey. Findings include: (1) Successful SS&C teachers report that they use STS/Constructivist teaching practices; further, interviews indicated that they also have knowledge and understanding of the science content and pedagogy which are consistent with the STS/Constructivist philosophy. These perceptions and this knowledge influence their stated goals, rationale for teaching, understanding of the teaching and learning processes, and ideas about needed professional development. (2) Successful SS&C teachers exhibit a wide range of STS/Constructivist teaching behaviors. The five most common of these are: (a) acceptance of a variety of student responses, (b) students apply their knowledge in meeting everyday challenges, (c) student-student verbal interactions encouraged, (d) students encouraged to use higher order thinking skills, (e) a variety of assessment tools were used. Over 31% of the questions the teachers ask are higher order level questions; the average wait-time for the teachers is 3.4 seconds following each question. (3) Students report that SS&C teachers provide learning environments that are relevant and meaningful to them and that student-student interaction is encouraged. They do not report involvement with planning, conducting lessons, and assessing their own learning. (4) Teacher beliefs and knowledge about STS/Constructivist philosophy influence their teaching behaviors. The practices of seven of the teachers match their perceptions. One teacher exhibited fewer STS/Constructivist strategies than he reported to be the situation while four practiced more STS/Constructivist strategies than they reported.

Constructivism and the use of performance assessment in science: A comparative study of beliefs among preservice and inservice teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarski, Marsha H.

Reform efforts in science education stress the importance of preservice and inservice teacher education in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. A change in current student assessment practices is seen as the catalyst in the reform of curriculum and instruction. Recommended for assessment of the proposed inquiry-based science programs are performance-based assessments (National Research Council, 1996). The constructivist philosophy, the foundation for these reform efforts, proposes that knowledge acquisition by the learner is a result of the interaction between what is brought to the learning situation and what is experienced while in it. Literature supports the use of constructivist-based instructional strategies for preservice and inservice teacher education (American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Measurement in Education, and National Education Association, 1990). Literature also provides support for the importance of teacher beliefs in relation to the successful transfer of these instructional strategies (Keegan, 1992; Nespor, 1987). There is not supporting evidence related to constructivist instructional strategies and teacher beliefs transferring to the use of performance assessment. This study identified whether preservice and inservice teachers differed with respect to their beliefs about constructivist-based learning strategies and performance assessment. It also identified whether teacher beliefs held about constructivist-based learning strategies were related to the construction of assessments they developed for use in their classrooms. Education majors enrolled in a Northeastern university's assessment course and inservice teachers from three Northeast public school districts participated in this study. Results of a 36-item belief survey, administered to preservice and inservice teachers, and a 10-item checklist, used to score assessment examples provided by the teachers, concluded that attitudes toward constructivist-based learning strategies is a predictor for group membership with the inservice teacher group. There is a correlation between attitudes toward constructivism and attitudes related to the benefits of using performance assessments for both the preservice and inservice groups. There is not a significant correlation between constructivist attitudes and using performance assessment. Although teachers in this study hold constructivist attitudes and acknowledge the benefits of using performance assessment, they do not use performance assessments.

Reflecting on Jens Rasmussen's legacy (2) behind and beyond, a 'constructivist turn'.

PubMed

Le Coze, Jean-Christophe

2017-03-01

This article is the second part of a study on the legacy of Jens Rasmussen. The first article, subtitled 'A Strong Program for a Hard Problem', looks back on his 30 years of scientific contribution, from 1969 to 2000. This second article explores and investigates some of the intellectual roots which influenced his thinking, using them as a basis to understand some limits and move forward. Indeed, historically oriented studies such as this one are not only tributes to researchers, but a way to differentiate and contrast our present situation with the past in order to integrate contemporary trends, be they theoretical or empirical, or oriented towards research and new models. In the first section of this article, I offer a synthesis of the background covered in the previous article, but I use a tree here as a graphical complement. Branches of the tree show the many fruitful directions opened by Jens Rasmussen, directions which inspired many researchers. In the second part, I address what I believe to be behind this wealth of engineering legacy: cybernetics. I contend that cybernetics has had a profound influence on his thinking and provided him key principles for his inspiring and successful models. To develop the tree image, one might say that cybernetics is the trunk of the tree. Finally, in the third part, I take the opportunity to explore the relevance of extending and sensitising his program to constructivist discourses. After an introduction to this discourse, identifying four types of constructivisms (cognitive, social, epistemological and anthropological), I characterise this move as a 'constructivist turn'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Objectivist Critique of Relativism in Mathematics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowlands, Stuart; Graham, Ted; Berry, John

Many constructivists tag as `absolutist' references to mathematics as an abstract body of knowledge, and stake-out the moral high-ground with the argument that mathematics is not only utilised oppressively but that mathematics is, in-itself, oppressive. With much reference to Ernest's (1991) Philosophy of Mathematics Education this tag has been justified on the grounds that if mathematics is a social-cultural creation that is mutable and fallible then it must be social acceptance that confers the objectivity of mathematics. This paper argues that mathematics, albeit a social-cultural creation that is mutable and fallible, is a body of knowledge the objectivity of which is independent of origin or social acceptance. Recently, Ernest (1998) has attempted to express social constructivism as a philosophy of mathematics and has included the category of logical necessity in his elaboration of the objectivity of mathematics. We argue that this inclusion of logical necessity not only represents a U-turn, but that the way in which Ernest has included this category is an attempt to maintain his earlier position that it is social acceptance that confers the objectivity of mathematics.

Constructivism in Science and Science Education: A Philosophical Critique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nola, Robert

This paper argues that constructivist science education works with an unsatisfactory account of knowledge which affects both its account of the nature of science and of science education. The paper begins with a brief survey of realism and anti-realism in science and the varieties of constructivism that can be found. In the second section the important conception of knowledge and teaching that Plato develops in the Meno is contrasted with constructivism. The section ends with an account of the contribution that Vico (as understood by constructivists), Kant and Piaget have made to constructivist doctrines. Section three is devoted to a critique of the theory of knowledge and the anti-realism of von Glaserfeld. The final section considers the connection, or lack of it, between the constructivist view of science and knowledge and the teaching of science.

Effectiveness of constructivist approach on students achievement in mathematics: A case study at primary school in Kuantan, Pahang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samsudin, Syafiza Saila; Ujang, Suriyati; Sahlan, Nor Fasiha

2016-06-01

This study was conducted on students in Year 3 at Sekolah Kebangsaan Air Putih, Kuantan. The study used a constructivism approach in simplest fraction topic in Mathematics. Students were divided into 2 groups; the control group and the experimental group. Experimental group was taught using Constructivist Approach whereas the control group student was taught using the Traditional Approach. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of constructivist learning approach the topic of Simplest Fraction. It also aimed to compare the student's achievement between the constructivist approach and traditional approach. This study used the instrument in pre-test, post-test, questionnaires and observation. The data were analyzed with SPSS 15.0 for window. The finding shows there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test for experimental group after using constructivism approach in learning process. The mean scores (76.39) of the post-test is higher than the mean scores (60.28) for pre-test. It is proved that constructivist approach is more efficient and suitable for teaching and learning in simplest fraction topic in the classroom compared to traditional approaches. The findings also showed interest and the positive perception of this approach.

An exploration of the science teaching orientations of Indian science teachers in the context of curriculum reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri

This study explores the concepts and behaviors, otherwise referred to as orientations, of six Indian science teachers and the alignment of these orientations to the 2005 India National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). Differences in teachers' orientations across grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary) and school types (public versus private) are also examined to determine how contextual factors may influence this alignment. First, a content analysis of the NCF-2005 was completed to identify the overarching principles of the NCF-2005 and goals specific to the teaching and learning of science. Interviews with school principals were also analyzed to understand how the goals of NCF-2005 were communicated to schools and teachers. Together, these data sources served to answer research question one. Next, profiles were created based on three interviews with each teacher and several observations of their teaching. These profiles provide a point of reference for answering the remaining three research questions. Findings include teacher's orientations falling along a continuum from traditionalist in nature to inquiry/constructivist in nature. Stark contrasts were found between traditionalist orientations and the goals of NCF-2005, with much of this contrast due to the limited pedagogical content knowledge these teachers have regarding students' scientific thinking, curriculum design, instructional strategies, and assessment. Inquiry/constructivist teachers' orientations, while more in line with reform, still have a few key areas of pedagogical content knowledge needing attention (e.g., knowledge of assessment and a variety of purposes for constructivist instructional strategies). In response to the final research question, several contextual factors contributed to teachers' orientations including environmental constraints, such as limited resources and large class sizes, cultural testing pressures, and limited accessibility to professional development. Suggestions for improving the implementation of NCF-2005 in India's classrooms are discussed according to various stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, curriculum designers, professional developers).

Developing genetic competency in undergraduate nursing students through the context of human disease and the constructivist framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tribble, Leta Meole

Nowhere is the influence of genetics more extensively seen than in medicine. More precise diagnostic testing, prevention methods, and risk counseling have resulted from recent decades of genetics research, including the Human Genome Project (HGP). The expansion in genetics knowledge and related technologies will drive a major paradigm shift from diagnosis and treatment to preventive medicine. Resulting from this predicted shift are educational challenges for healthcare professionals including both physicians and nurses. The largest group of healthcare providers is registered professional nurses whose work allows a unique and holistic view of patients and families, often caring for patients throughout the life span. Nurses need to understand basic genetic concepts including the role of genes in common diseases, to identify individuals at risk through the collection of informed family histories, to provide information about genetic testing and informed consent, and to know when and how to make appropriate referrals to genetic specialists. The purpose of this study was to expand the clinical application and use of genetic principles in patient management and care. To do this, a survey of South Carolina nursing educators from twenty two nursing programs was conducted to determine the extent of genetic content in the curriculum. The second part of the study was teaching a semester course in human genetics to undergraduate nursing students, a need identified in the literature review and supported by results of the nursing programs survey. Through the use of clinical case studies, PBL activities, and "shrink wrapped" lectures, all congruent with the constructivist viewpoint of learning, student's objective post-intervention measurements indicated significant improvement in content knowledge with an effect size of 1.6 and significant improvement in their ability to analyze and draw the family history in a pedigree format. An attitudinal tool used to assess student preferences of teaching approaches indicated preference for all three constructivist methods over traditional lecture.

Cognitive conflict as a teaching strategy in solving chemistry problems: A dialectic-constructivist perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niaz, Mansoor

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of teaching experiments within a dialectic-constructivist framework based on the following considerations: (a) Cognitive conflicts used in the teaching experiments must be based on problem-solving strategies that students find relatively convincing: (b) after having generated a cognitive conflict, it is essential that the students be provided with an experience that could facilitate the resolution of the conflict; and (c) the teaching strategy developed is used by an interactive constructivist approach within an intact classroom. The study was based on two sections of freshman students who had registered for Chemistry I at the Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela. One of the sections was randomly designated as the control group and the other as the experimental group. To introduce cognitive conflict, the experimental group was exposed to two teaching experiments dealing with stoichiometry problems based on the concept of limiting reagent. Students in the control group were exposed to the same problems - however, without the cognitive conflict teaching experiments format. To evaluate the effect of the teaching experiments, both groups were evaluated on five different problems at different intervals during the semester, referred to as posttests. All posttests formed part of the regular evaluation of the students. Results obtained show the advantage of the experimental group on four of the posttests. It is concluded that the experimental treatment was effective in improving performance on the immediate posttests. It was observed that some students protect their core belief [see Lakatos, I. (1970). Falsification and the methodology of scientific research programmes. In I. Lakatos & A. Musgrave (Eds.), Criticism and the growth of knowledge (pp. 91-196). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] in stoichiometry (establishing equivalent relations between different elements or compounds) by ignoring the conflicting data, just as conflicting (anomalous) data do not necessarily convince a scientist to abandon a particular theory.Received: 23 September 1993; Revised: 29 August 1994;

A constructivist theoretical proposition of cultural competence development in nursing.

PubMed

Blanchet Garneau, Amélie; Pepin, Jacinthe

2015-11-01

Cultural competence development in healthcare professions is considered an essential condition to promote quality and equity in healthcare. Even if cultural competence has been recognized as continuous, evolutionary, dynamic, and developmental by most researchers, current models of cultural competence fail to present developmental levels of this competence. These models have also been criticized for their essentialist perspective of culture and their limited application to competency-based approach programs. To our knowledge, there have been no published studies, from a constructivist perspective, of the processes involved in the development of cultural competence among nurses and undergraduate student nurses. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical proposition of cultural competence development in nursing from a constructivist perspective. We used a grounded theory design to study cultural competence development among nurses and student nurses in a healthcare center located in a culturally diverse urban area. Data collection involved participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 24 participants (13 nurses and 11 students) working in three community health settings. The core category, 'learning to bring the different realities together to provide effective care in a culturally diverse context', was constructed using inductive qualitative data analysis. This core category encompasses three dimensions of cultural competence: 'building a relationship with the other', 'working outside the usual practice framework', and 'reinventing practice in action.' The resulting model describes the concurrent evolution of these three dimensions at three different levels of cultural competence development. This study reveals that clinical experience and interactions between students or nurses and their environment both contribute significantly to cultural competence development. The resulting theoretical proposition of cultural competence development could be used not only to guide initial and continuing nursing education, but also to help redefine quality of care in a culturally diverse context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unweaving misconceptions: Guided learning, simulations, and misconceptions in learning principles of natural selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weeks, Brian E.

College students often come to the study of evolutionary biology with many misconceptions of how the processes of natural selection and speciation occur. How to relinquish these misconceptions with learners is a question that many educators face in introductory biology courses. Constructivism as a theoretical framework has become an accepted and promoted model within the epistemology of science instruction. However, constructivism is not without its skeptics who see some problems of its application in lacking necessary guidance for novice learners. This study within a quantitative, quasi-experimental format tested whether guided online instruction in a video format of common misconceptions in evolutionary biology produced higher performance on a survey of knowledge of natural selection versus more constructivist style learning in the form of student exploration of computer simulations of the evolutionary process. Performances on surveys were also explored for a combination of constructivist and guided techniques to determine if a consolidation of approaches produced higher test scores. Out of the 94 participants 95% displayed at least one misconception of natural selection in the pre-test while the study treatments produced no statistically significant improvements in post-test scores except within the video (guided learning treatment). These overall results demonstrated the stubbornness of misconceptions involving natural selection for adult learners and the difficulty of helping them overcome them. It also bolsters the idea that some misconceptions of natural selection and evolution may be hardwired in a neurological sense and that new, more long-term teaching techniques may be warranted. Such long-term strategies may not be best implemented with constructivist techniques alone, and it is likely that some level of guidance may be necessary for novice adult learners. A more substantial, nuanced approach for undergraduates is needed that consolidates successful teaching strategies to adult students that is based on current research.

Community centrality and social science research.

PubMed

Allman, Dan

2015-12-01

Community centrality is a growing requirement of social science. The field's research practices are increasingly expected to conform to prescribed relationships with the people studied. Expectations about community centrality influence scholarly activities. These expectations can pressure social scientists to adhere to models of community involvement that are immediate and that include community-based co-investigators, advisory boards, and liaisons. In this context, disregarding community centrality can be interpreted as failure. This paper considers evolving norms about the centrality of community in social science. It problematises community inclusion and discusses concerns about the impact of community centrality on incremental theory development, academic integrity, freedom of speech, and the value of liberal versus communitarian knowledge. Through the application of a constructivist approach, this paper argues that social science in which community is omitted or on the periphery is not failed science, because not all social science requires a community base to make a genuine and valuable contribution. The utility of community centrality is not necessarily universal across all social science pursuits. The practices of knowing within social science disciplines may be difficult to transfer to a community. These practices of knowing require degrees of specialisation and interest that not all communities may want or have.

Community centrality and social science research

PubMed Central

Allman, Dan

2015-01-01

Community centrality is a growing requirement of social science. The field's research practices are increasingly expected to conform to prescribed relationships with the people studied. Expectations about community centrality influence scholarly activities. These expectations can pressure social scientists to adhere to models of community involvement that are immediate and that include community-based co-investigators, advisory boards, and liaisons. In this context, disregarding community centrality can be interpreted as failure. This paper considers evolving norms about the centrality of community in social science. It problematises community inclusion and discusses concerns about the impact of community centrality on incremental theory development, academic integrity, freedom of speech, and the value of liberal versus communitarian knowledge. Through the application of a constructivist approach, this paper argues that social science in which community is omitted or on the periphery is not failed science, because not all social science requires a community base to make a genuine and valuable contribution. The utility of community centrality is not necessarily universal across all social science pursuits. The practices of knowing within social science disciplines may be difficult to transfer to a community. These practices of knowing require degrees of specialisation and interest that not all communities may want or have. PMID:26440071

Constructive Cognition: Cognitive Therapy Coming of Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenberg, Leslie S.

1988-01-01

Responds to Mahoney and Lyddon's review in previous article and notes that it clarifies differences between rationalist and constructivist approaches to cognitive theory. Asserts that principles of constructivist therapy are highly consistent with principles of experiential therapy. (NB)

Multidimensional Knowledge Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuh, Kathy L.

Multidimensional knowledge structures, described from a constructivist perspective and aligned with the "Mind as Rhizome" metaphor, provide support for constructivist learning strategies. This qualitative study was conducted to seek empirical support for a description of multidimensional knowledge structures, focusing on the…

The role of legitimation in the professional socialization of second-year undergraduate athletic training students.

PubMed

Klossner, Joanne

2008-01-01

Professional socialization during formal educational preparation can help students learn professional roles and can lead to improved organizational socialization as students emerge as members of the occupation's culture. Professional socialization research in athletic training is limited. To present the role of legitimation and how it influences the professional socialization of second-year athletic training students. Modified constructivist grounded theory and case study methods were used for this qualitative study. An accredited undergraduate athletic training education program. Twelve second-year students were selected purposively. The primary sample group (n = 4) was selected according to theoretical sampling guidelines. The remaining students made up the cohort sample (n = 8). Theoretically relevant data were gathered from 14 clinical instructors to clarify emergent student data. Data collection included document examination, observations, and interviews during 1 academic semester. Data were collected and analyzed through constant comparative analysis. Data triangulation, member checking, and peer-review strategies were used to ensure trustworthiness. Legitimation from various socializing agents initiated professional socialization. Students viewed trust and team membership as rewards for role fulfillment. My findings are consistent with the socialization literature that shows how learning a social or professional role, using rewards to facilitate role performance, and building trusting relationships with socializing agents are important aspects of legitimation and, ultimately, professional socialization.

Galactic Structure: A Constructivist Approach to Teaching Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domenech, Antonio; Casasus, Elena

1991-01-01

An astrophysics course based on the constructivist approach to science teaching is described. The study of galactic structure is given as an example. Direct experiences and observations, representative-symbolic language, organized knowledge, and formal strategies are emphasized. (KR)

Designing and Implementing a Constructivist Chemistry Laboratory Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakely, Alan

2000-01-01

Describes a constructivist chemistry laboratory approach based on students' personal experiences where students had the opportunity to develop their own experimental processes. Points out both the fruitfulness and difficulties of using a graduate student as a teaching assistant. (YDS)

A Constructivist Cloud Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Dave

1996-01-01

Describes a lab involving a cloud formation activity that uses the constructivist learning model to get students more involved in creating the lab. Enables students to develop a greater understanding of the concepts involved and more interest in the lab's outcomes. (JRH)

Teaching Probability: A Socio-Constructivist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Sashi

2015-01-01

There is a considerable and rich literature on students' misconceptions in probability. However, less attention has been paid to the development of students' probabilistic thinking in the classroom. This paper offers a sequence, grounded in socio-constructivist perspective for teaching probability.

Epistemology, culture, justice and power: non-bioscientific knowledge for medical training.

PubMed

Kuper, Ayelet; Veinot, Paula; Leavitt, Jennifer; Levitt, Sarah; Li, Amanda; Goguen, Jeannette; Schreiber, Martin; Richardson, Lisa; Whitehead, Cynthia R

2017-02-01

While medical curricula were traditionally almost entirely comprised of bioscientific knowledge, widely accepted competency frameworks now make clear that physicians must be competent in far more than biomedical knowledge and technical skills. For example, of the influential CanMEDS roles, six are conceptually based in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). Educators frequently express uncertainty about what to teach in this area. This study concretely identifies the knowledge beyond bioscience needed to support the training of physicians competent in the six non-Medical Expert CanMEDS roles. We interviewed 58 non-clinician university faculty members with doctorates in over 20 SSH disciplines. We abstracted our transcripts (meaning condensation, direct quotations) resulting in approximately 300 pages of data which we coded using top-down (by CanMEDS role) and bottom-up (thematically) approaches and analysed within a critical constructivist framework. Participants and clinicians with SSH PhDs member-checked and refined our results. Twelve interrelated themes were evident in the data. An understanding of epistemology, including the constructed nature of social knowledge, was seen as the foundational theme without which the others could not be taught or understood. Our findings highlighted three anchoring themes (Justice, Power, Culture), all of which link to eight more specific themes concerning future physicians' relationships to the world and the self. All 12 themes were cross-cutting, in that each related to all six non-Medical Expert CanMEDS roles. The data also provided many concrete examples of potential curricular content. There is a definable body of SSH knowledge that forms the academic underpinning for important physician competencies and is outside the experience of most medical educators. Curricular change incorporating such content is necessary if we are to strengthen the non-Medical Expert physician competencies. Our findings, particularly our cross-cutting themes, also provide a pedagogically useful mechanism for holistically teaching the underpinnings of physician competence. We are now implementing our findings into medical curricula. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

The Impact of Financial Hardship on Single Parents: An Exploration of the Journey From Social Distress to Seeking Help.

PubMed

Stack, Rebecca Jayne; Meredith, Alex

2018-01-01

Single parent families are at high risk of financial hardship which may impact on psychological wellbeing. This study explored the impact of financial hardship on wellbeing on 15 single parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using constructivist thematic analysis. Participants described food and fuel poverty, and the need to make sacrifices to ensure that children's basic needs were met. In some cases, participants went without food and struggled to pay bills. Isolation, anxiety, depression, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts were described. However, participants reported that psychological services not able to take the needs of single parents in to account. Support for single parents must acknowledge the impact of social circumstances and give more consideration economic drivers of distress.

Impact of social factors on labour discrimination of disabled women.

PubMed

Mondéjar-Jiménez, José; Vargas-Vargas, Manuel; Meseguer-Santamaría, María-Leticia; Mondéjar-Jiménez, Juan-Antonio

2009-01-01

Disabled women suffer from a double labour discrimination due to their gender and their disability. In rural areas, in addition, they also suffer from a lack of specific services, the isolation of the disabled associations, problems with public transport, the dispersion of population centres, and a limited access to information that could improve their chances of entering the labour market. The current work adopts a constructivist perspective on disability and offers a preliminary examination of the influence of social factors, such as the rural or urban nature of the disabled women's place of residence, the assistance they receive from their family or outside the family, the quantity of information they receive about the labour market, and their educational level, on the activity and employment status of this group of people.