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Teachers’ Role in Students’ Learning at a Project-Based STEM High School: Implications for Teacher Education
Abstract
This study explored how teachers engage and support students at a project-based STEM high school to identify key elements defining students’ learning experiences in a project-based environment. Interviews and surveys provided students’ and teachers’ perspectives of challenges and supports in the project-based learning process. The teachers’ support was personal and caring, they challenged students and provided responsive guidance and advice, responding directly to students’ interests while retaining high standards and expectations; we saw that teachers’ caring in an environment of high expectations was crucial for student success. Identification of three critical elements of the teachers’ supports and challenges (student-centered projects, a focus on twenty-first century competencies, and strong teacher-student relationships) led to recommendations for teacher preparation such as providing preservice teachers with authentic experiences, celebrating failure as part of learning, explicitly teaching about project-based learning pedagogy, and stressing the importance of caring relationships and twenty-first century competencies.
... Researchers [5,29,30] have called for future studies to design preservice teacher training and professional development programs where teachers are learning through PBL so that they "can grasp the pedagogical approach required in PBL," (p. 15) [5]. ...
... Haatainen and Aksela [51] reported similar findings in their study. Taken together, the units portrayed greater focus and more meaningful sequencing of activities than what has been recently reported in the research literature [5,27,29]. Markula and Aksela [5] reported that more PBL features appeared in units developed by teachers participating in a university-led training program in comparison to the units from teachers that did not have any training. Even so, all the PBL units in their study tended to focus on 21 st Century skills rather than on standards-based concepts. ...
... Severance and Krajcik [28] reported that teachers in their study tended to conform PBL units to their instruction and frequently omitted science and engineering practices. Similarly, Han et al. [29] found that the teachers that participated in their PBL institute gained knowledge of PBL but designed and implemented PBL units that reflected aspects of their own instruction rather than PBL modeled in the institute. The activities in units from the current study emphasized science content and science and engineering practices [2], thus going beyond a focus on 21st-century skills [5]. ...
This case study explored changes in seven in-service middle school science teachers’ understandings of project-based learning (PBL) environments after participating in a summer institute on PBL. Of particular interest was their participation in the institute as learners in a PBL unit exploring the effect of land use on water quality in the watershed. We investigated how well teachers were able to apply their understanding of PBL as they designed their own units on water quality in their watershed. Research questions focused the study on how participation in a summer teacher institute on PBL prepared middle school teachers to describe key features of project-based learning environments, and how well they were able to incorporate these features in PBL units. Data collection included a qualitative pre/post PBL survey, teachers’ watershed units, and field notes from the institute. Findings from the pre and post survey showed that teachers demonstrated a vague understanding of essential features of PBL environments pre institute and a detailed understanding of PBL post institute. Teachers’ units varied in the degrees to which PBL features were exhibited. Strengths of the units included driving questions and benchmark lessons. Shortcomings included few opportunities for student-directed investigation of sub-driving questions.
... In research on PBL, there are studies that have addressed this problem from various points of view. Findings aligned with environmental complexity theory (Shernoff et al., 2016) have shown the influence of teacher (Bédard et al., 2010) and peer support (Barlow & Brown, 2020), and challenging tasks on student engagement and performance (Morrison et al., 2020). Another series of studies has shown that the concepts of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) can be a useful framework for the analysis of the motivations that cause students to engage in PBL (e.g. ...
... A review of high-quality studies by Haughery and Raman (2016) found that course rigor is one of the main determinants of engagement. In a recent qualitative study, Morrison et al. (2020) showed the positive influence of a challenging and teacher-supported context on student engagement and academic performance. Likewise, in a PBL approach focused on the autonomy of the student, the evidence tends to coincide in pointing out the importance of an expert orientation and a clear direction from the beginning since this will avoid confusion and reduce the stress produced by uncertainty, and thus help achieve goals (Bédard et al., 2012;Lee et al., 2016). ...
... These postulates have been partially or totally corroborated in research on PBL. Both a review (Haughery & Raman, 2016) and empirical studies (Barlow & Brown, 2020;Bédard et al., 2010;Lee et al., 2016;Morrison et al., 2020) highlight that for students to participate in the project and to have good results the courses must be rigorously designed. That is, in a PBL context there must be a challenging task, expert guidance and support from the beginning, and an atmosphere of peer cooperation. ...
Project-based learning (PBL) has been a methodology traditionally associated with student engagement and good results. However, not all experiences are sufficiently satisfactory. Comprehensive models that explain the success or failure of these experiences are still lacking. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanisms that explain student engagement and other satisfactory educational results of PBL. During two academic years, the Sustainable Urban Race (SUR) project was analyzed. In this project, students from secondary schools should design and build an electric vehicle using solar energy. In the present study, a multigroup analysis of structural equations was applied. The data showed a positive association of the challenging and support-enriched context with the students’ engagement, being partially mediated by the satisfaction of the competence needs, peer relationships and group autonomy. The study provides a useful framework for practitioners and researchers of student engagement in PBL.
... Researchers have also reported that teachers consider irrelevance to subject teaching and an unfamiliar teaching style among the significant negative aspects of PBL (Viro et al., 2020). Implementation of PBL should focus on teaching twenty-first century skills, being studentcentred, and building strong and personal interaction between students and teachers (Morrison et al., 2020). This requires both teachers and students to take on new roles. ...
... Although there were no driving questions, many of the projects that were centred around solving a problem still managed to demonstrate other characteristics of PBL and the qualities of a good driving question well (centred around solving a problem, use of socio-scientific issues, and local or familiar learning environments). This is in line with the findings of Morrison et al. (2020), who found that teachers are very aware of the importance of authenticity and working with real-world problems in PBL. However, although the driving question can be replaced with a central problem (Hasni et al., 2016), it has an important role in unifying the activities within a PBL unit (Thomas, 2000). ...
... Nevertheless, as collaboration, time and organisation of the projects have previously been found to be among the aspects of PBL that teachers find challenging (Viro et al., 2020;Aksela & Haatainen, 2019), it is not surprising that teachers would prefer to use PBL outside of regular lesson time and focus on developing students' soft skills, rather than focusing on content acquisition. However, spending sufficient time and covering central content have been identified among the central variables for successful PBL teaching in science education (Tal et al., 2006), in addition to building strong teacher-student relationships (Morrison et al., 2020). This indicates that for PBL to be a truly useful method for teachers, the recent changes in curricula towards less content and covering more skills (Novak & Krajcik, 2020) need to be sustained, and these changes need to be reflected in the standardised tests too. ...
The aim of this multiple-case study was to research the key characteristics of project-based learning (PBL) and how teachers implement them within the context of science education. K-12 science teachers and their students’ videos, learning diaries and online questionnaire answers about their biology related PBL units, within the theme nature and environment, were analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis ( n = 12 schools). The studied teachers are actively engaged in PBL as the schools had participated voluntarily in the international StarT programme of LUMA Centre Finland. The results indicate that PBL may specifically promote the use of collaboration, artefacts, technological tools, problem-centredness, and certain scientific practices, such as carrying out research, presenting results, and reflection within science education. However, it appeared that driving questions, learning goals set by students, students’ questions, the integrity of the project activities, and using the projects as a means to learn central content, may be more challenging to implement. Furthermore, although scientific practices had a strong role in the projects, it could not be defined how strongly student-led the inquiries were. The study also indicated that students and teachers may pay attention to different aspects of learning that happen through PBL. The results contribute towards a deeper understanding of the possibilities and challenges related to implementation of PBL and using scientific practices in classrooms. Furthermore, the results and the constructed framework of key characteristics can be useful in promoting research-based implementation and design of PBL science education, and in teacher training related to it.
... They know how to cleverly integrate those standards throughout curriculum and instruction (El Nagdi et al., 2018). Teachers drive formal STEM learning by developing and delivering hands-on, project-based instruction (Han et al., 2015Morrison et al., 2020;Wells, 2016). Advancing policies that effectively prepare new teachers and sharpen the effectiveness of those already practicing, particularly in the STEM disciplines, will have a positive impact on student performance (Allen et al., 2016;El Nagdi et al., 2018;Wang et al., 2020;Yoder et al., 2015). ...
... Although the words project-based learning (PRBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) are often used interchangeably, each approaches a situation through a problem scenario but, the result differs (Capraro & Slough, 2009). The PRBL comes out with an innovation or tangible creation of a product whereas PBL results in new knowledge (Archer, 2020;Capraro & Slough, 2009;El Sayary et al., 2015;Han et al., 2015Han et al., , 2016Morrison et al., 2020;Wells, 2016). Ideally, the integration of STEM disciplines within PBL allows the learner to holistically approach a real-world problem learning, the content and tools necessary to provide its answer (Capraro & Slough, 2009;El Sayary et al., 2015;Han et al., 2015Han et al., , 2016Morrison et al., 2020). ...
... The PRBL comes out with an innovation or tangible creation of a product whereas PBL results in new knowledge (Archer, 2020;Capraro & Slough, 2009;El Sayary et al., 2015;Han et al., 2015Han et al., , 2016Morrison et al., 2020;Wells, 2016). Ideally, the integration of STEM disciplines within PBL allows the learner to holistically approach a real-world problem learning, the content and tools necessary to provide its answer (Capraro & Slough, 2009;El Sayary et al., 2015;Han et al., 2015Han et al., , 2016Morrison et al., 2020). Additionally, teachers encourage the utilization of information technology (IT) as presentation tools and user-created content on an individual or group level, exposing students to digital and science computer literacies (Changpetch & Seechaliao, 2020;Nouri et al., 2020;Silva et al., 2020). ...
p style="text-align: justify;">Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is regarded as one of the formulas to embracing many of our imminent challenges. STEM education benefits the learners by encouraging interest in STEM disciplines. This daunting task needs everyone’s concerted efforts in creating and innovating mathematics teachers’ classroom practices Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to identify best practices for STEM education following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) by Moher et al. (2015). The reviewed articles were published from 2016 to 2020 and accessed using the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. Three themes for best practices were identified namely (a) core competencies encompassing 21st-century teaching skills; (b) instructional designs; and (c) requisite STEM execution. Results of PRISMA determined the dominant STEM practices were critical thinking, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, research-based pedagogy, problem-based learning and project-based learning, technological integration, accessibility, professional development and learning support, evidence of effectiveness, access to materials and practitioner support, and scalability. Mathematics teachers should determine the best STEM practices to employ even though there is a lack of studies on integrated STEM domains. When more students are interested in venturing and exploring into the field of STEM, the high demand for STEM related careers could be met by the younger generation.</p
... In recent years, the integration of STEM disciplines for effective STEM education has been further advocated, and the significance of "integrated STEM" education is addressed (Cheng et al., 2020;English, 2016;Johnson, 2013;Martín-Páez et al., 2019;Stohlmann et al., 2012;Thibaut et al., 2018;Zhou et al., 2022). Although STEM education emphasizes linking disciplines, how to achieve this is uncertain in curricula (Morrison et al., 2021). This is because historically, STEM disciplines have always been taught as separate disciplines at the first and secondary school level, and education at schools continues on a single discipline basis (Martín-Páez et al., 2019) . ...
... Although strategies to increase the effectiveness of TDCs for integrated STEM have been defined in the literature, it is challenging to put them into practice and realize the expected transformation in teachers. Most teachers have never experienced such a learning experience (Morrison et al., 2021). Teachers' existing teaching habits, pedagogical competencies in the lesson planning, collaborative working skills, and individual differences regarding collaborative working can create facilitating or hindering conditions while implementing the mentioned strategies. ...
Integrated STEM education is essential to ensure a more fair representation of disciplines. Failure to do so may result in incomplete learning about other disciplines under the name of STEM education. The implications on how TDCs should be designed for integrated STEM education are essential for in-class STEM education practices. This study compares the three teacher development courses (TDCs) accomplished to support teachers' professional development (PD) for integrated STEM education in terms of pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, and strategy. A holistic multiple-case study design was used in this study. Each TDC was considered a case study, and case-specific analyses were made. The findings obtained for each case were then compared. The first TDC included only computer science teachers and showed us the necessity of interdisciplinary work to enhance integrated STEM education. The second TDC showed that this work could be done by integrating the content knowledge of teachers from different disciplines, but the disadvantages of the second TDC were identifying real-world problems, the lack of response to the engineering approach for science and mathematics teachers, and the rigidity of the collaborative working strategy. In the third TDC, we used the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a resource to identify a real-world problem. Then, we focused on the role and purpose of "T"echnology. Finally, we gave the teachers learning tasks to work collaboratively with teachers in their disciplines first and teachers from other disciplines later. This study shows how a TDC should be designed effectively to support teachers' PD for integrated STEM education.
... Research suggests that a STEM education program should be compulsory for all STEM-related teachers (Herro & Quigley, 2017;Song, 2020). This is particularly true for practicing teachers because many teachers have never had this type of learning experience in their teacher education (Morrison et al., 2021). Nevertheless, adequate PD opportunities do not exist to help teachers experience integrating STEM into their teaching (Asghar et al., 2012;Stohlmann et al., 2012). ...
... In the design of such programs, the most critical expectations of teachers was to provide collaborative working environments, thus increasing their opportunities to work with colleagues from different disciplines and their capacity to do interdisciplinary work. Although there is an emphasis on an interdisciplinary connection in STEM education, it is unclear how this will be achieved in the curriculum (Morrison et al., 2021). Therefore, teachers from different subjects must encounter opportunities to work collaboratively in PD programs. ...
Teacher qualifications are a crucial element for successfully implementing integrated STEM education. Research suggests that a STEM education program should be compulsory for all STEM-related teachers. In this study, as STEM education researchers, we asked teachers from different disciplines about their expectations from a professional development (PD) program for integrated STEM education. Six hundred sixty-four teachers participated in the study. We examined the PD expectations of middle school science, mathematics, and computer science teachers regarding pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, benefits, and PD program design. In addition, we discussed how these expectations changed based on teachers' subjects. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. In terms of pedagogical knowledge, teachers want to use innovative approaches while integrating ICT into the learning and teaching process. Teachers' expectations of developing ICT competencies in terms of technological knowledge are at the forefront. In the design of such programs, the most critical expectations of teachers are to provide collaborative working environments, thus increasing their opportunities to work with colleagues from different disciplines and their capacity to do interdisciplinary work. Teachers' willingness to participate in a PD program related to integrated STEM education has four underlying expectations: student benefit, professional benefit, personal benefit, and context benefit. Teachers' expectations vary according to the subject area.
... For example, in the experimental class, students were challenged to make a device that was able to produce a more distant water rocket. Teachers can provide learning engagement by providing challenges to students (Duncan, 2020;Morrison et al., 2020). Meanwhile, in the comparison class that uses discovery learning, students learn to discover concepts through virtual lab experiments. ...
... Through authentic challenges, students are conditioned to face challenges in real life. This challenge makes students carry out a continuous learning process by continuously revising their understanding so that what is understood can be following the modeling made (Morrison et al., 2020). This is very good for the development of students' abilities because the hope is that students are not only expected to be able to solve problems (questions) in school but can be automated in solving various problems faced in everyday life. ...
This study aims to investigate the effect of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-Project Based Learning (STEM-PjBL) and discovery learning on students' problem-solving abilities. The research is a Quasi-Experiment with a Nonequivalent Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. The participants involved are 53 students of class X from a high school in Malang, where 28 students studied with STEM-PjBL, and 25 students studied with discovery learning. This research was conducted on the subject of impulse and momentum. In this analysis, researchers have developed problem-solving tools with a particular field approach to impulse and momentum topics in order to obtain an instrument with a reliability of 0.81. This instrument collects student problem-solving data before and after learning both in the experimental class and in the comparison class. Problem-solving skills data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The results showed a significant difference in the scores of students' problem-solving abilities in the experimental class and the comparison class (p<0.05). The problem-solving ability in the experimental class (Md=78.74) was higher than the comparison class (Md=70.00). In STEM-PjBL learning, students are better trained and challenged to solve problems in everyday life. Compared to the comparison class, learning in the experimental class is more able to accommodate students' ideas and make students more interested in learning. In conclusion, STEM-PjBL has a significant positive effect on improving students' problem-solving abilities rather than discovery learning.
... The PjBL model is an inquirybased learning strategy involving individuals and groups to construct their knowledge to complete projects and produce products through products, presentations, or performances for a certain period (Guo et al., 2020;Kai et al., 2021). In its application, students become learning centers, and teachers become facilitators by encouraging students to raise questions, discuss with groups about completion time, and solve a problem in the form of a project (Hall & Miro, 2016;Morrison et al., 2021). PjBL instructs students to work on projects independently or in groups based on predetermined steps and rules with a time limit given by the teacher (Hsu et al., 2018;MacLeod & Veen, 2020). ...
The gap in this study uses Augmented Reality media when the learning system takes place. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PjBL)—model in increasing mathematical understanding of concepts assisted by Augmented Reality. The method used in this study uses a quantitative methodology with a quasi-experimental research design with a nonequivalent control group design approach. The random cluster sampling technique was used for sampling in this study. The class used was ten science four class as the control class and ten science five class as the experimental class. Validity and reliability test were carried out with the help of Winstep 3.73 software and data analysis techniques using SPSS 24.0 for Windows software. The total question of the instrument is five, which contains indicators of mathematical understanding concepts. The results of this study are that the experimental class using the Augmented Reality-assisted Project Based Learning (PjBL) model is better than the control class using conventional models. The implications of this research are to assist teachers in improving students’ ability to mathematical understanding concepts and improve innovative learning methods in the classroom with the PjBL models and augmented reality.
... Support and guidance from teachers are regarded as critical factors that promote students' STEM learning and STEM interests. Many studies have shown the potential influence teachers can have in shaping students' STEM interests [19,20]. The quality of the teacher is reported to be strongly correlated to the student's achievement [21,22], which is measured by students' outlook toward teacher-adopted instructional practices [23,24], and teacher-mediated encouragement [25]. ...
This case study intends to comprehend students’ perceptions of social support in cultivating their interests and aspirations for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) degrees and careers. Survey-based quantitative research was employed, incorporating data from 1426 high school (grade 11th–12th) students in Qatar. The survey instrument encompassed four dimensions, i.e., (1) participants’ demographics, (2) STEM interests, (3) STEM supports/barriers and (4) STEM career aspirations to understand students’ perceptions. Spearman’s Rho correlation test demonstrated a positive correlation between students’ perceived social support (from family, teachers, and society) and their STEM interests (p < 0.01). Findings from the Mann-Whitney U test illustrated that females perceived enhanced social support (from teachers and society) in Qatar (p < 0.05). Even though teachers and society have been the stimulus to developing students’ STEM interests, there is still room to implement a policy for the consequential influence in constructing students’ STEM career aspirations. Thus, we believe these findings would urge policymakers to design tools that enable teachers and society to nurture, cultivate and sustain interest in STEM among the youth to meet Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
... Metode pembelajaran adalah prinsip dan strategi yang digunakan guru untuk membelajarkan siswa (Morrison et al., 2020). Efektivitas dari setiap proses pendidikan yang berorientasi pada keterampilan sangat bergantung pada kualitas belajar mengajar (Hattie & Donoghue, 2016). ...
Metode pembelajaran konvensional tidak memberikan kesempatan kepada siswa untuk berpartisipasi aktif pada proses pembelajaran. Hal ini mengakibatkan hasil belajar matematika siswa berada pada kategori rendah. Ketidakmampuan siswa dalam mengingat materi yang telah diajarkan oleh guru menjadi faktor utama rendahnya hasil belajar, khususnya di di SMP YP-PGRI 4 Makassar. Salah satu solusi untuk meminimalkan permasalahan siswa adalah melalui penerapan Project Based Learning (PjBL). Oleh karena itu, tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui apakah hasil belajar matematika yang diajar melalui Model Project based Learning PjBL lebih baik dibandingkan dengan siswa yang diajar melalui model pembelajaran Konvensional. Penelitian ini termasuk penelitian eksperimen dengan metode komparasi. Hasil yang ditemukan adalah rata-rata hasil belajar matematika siswa yang diajar dengan menggunakan model PjBL lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan rata-rata hasil belajar matematika siswa yang diajar dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran Konvensional. Oleh karena itu, Model PjBL menjadi rekomendasi untuk pembelajaran saat ini
... The planning of character education caring for the environment is developed by paying attention to several factors. See Teachers must build children's passion by involving their emotions to realize the importance of applying the value of caring for the environment [16]. This process is also created through open questions or observation of the situation and environmental conditions around the institution. ...
It is possible to develop an effective green society through environmental education in schools. Schools play a special role as places of learning. Schools can help students understand the impact of human behaviour on the planet. The Adiwiyata program is designed to create school citizens who are responsible for environmental protection and management through superior school operations to support sustainable development. The Adiwiyata program combines learning and behaviour to provide an effective way to change behavior. Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Mambaul Ulum I Bata-Bata Panaan Palengaan Pamekasan is expected to be a mediator of change in the community around the school. Schools need to be role models for creating a healthy and comfortable environment, as well as being role models for creating school citizens who care and are environmentally friendly. In this case, the school community is expected to be a role model and convey the nature of their concern for the environment to the surrounding community. The purpose of this research was the efforts of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Mambaul Ulum Bata-Bata Panan Palengan Pamekasan in creating environmentally friendly students by building character. Therefore, this research was a descriptive research, namely research that tried to explain a certain phenomenon, event, or event by using qualitative data. The data analysis used an interactive data analysis model. Namely through interviews, observation, and documentation. Based on the research here, the researcher concluded that self-development programs, disciplined learning processes, motivate the importance of cleanliness in the classroom and in the school environment, development of school environment health, and school culture. Inhibiting factor in MI. Mambaul Ulum Bata-Bata was a facility that breaks down quickly. Inhibiting factor in MI. Mambaul Ulum Bata-Bata were: limited land and finances.
... Metode pembelajaran adalah prinsip dan strategi yang digunakan guru untuk membelajarkan siswa (Morrison et al., 2020). Efektivitas dari setiap proses pendidikan yang berorientasi pada keterampilan sangat bergantung pada kualitas belajar mengajar (Hattie & Donoghue, 2016). ...
Metode pembelajaran konvensional tidak memberikan kesempatan
kepada siswa untuk berpartisipasi aktif pada proses pembelajaran. Hal
ini mengakibatkan hasil belajar matematika siswa berada pada
kategori rendah. Ketidakmampuan siswa dalam mengingat materi
yang telah diajarkan oleh guru menjadi faktor utama rendahnya hasil
belajar, khususnya di di SMP YP-PGRI 4 Makassar. Salah satu solusi
untuk meminimalkan permasalahan siswa adalah melalui penerapan
Project Based Learning (PjBL). Oleh karena itu, tujuan penelitian ini
adalah untuk mengetahui apakah hasil belajar matematika yang diajar
melalui Model Project based Learning PjBL lebih baik dibandingkan
dengan siswa yang diajar melalui model pembelajaran Konvensional.
Penelitian ini termasuk penelitian eksperimen dengan metode
komparasi. Hasil yang ditemukan adalah rata-rata hasil belajar
matematika siswa yang diajar dengan menggunakan model PjBL lebih
tinggi dibandingkan dengan rata-rata hasil belajar matematika siswa
yang diajar dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran Konvensional.
Oleh karena itu, Model PjBL menjadi rekomendasi untuk
pembelajaran saat ini
... Previous research has highlighted that students' effective learning depends on good acoustics (2). For instance: digital literacy (3), students' competence (4), and the role of a teacher (5). In ineffective teaching methods, students face severe issues in comprehending the class content leading to underperformance (6). ...
Mental health stigma undermines collaborative work and creates communication breakdowns for students to face real-world challenges. Moreover, project-based English learning in East-Asian nations is a significant challenge for advancing students’ effective learning, while students lack mental health self-awareness. Unawareness causes distractions and results in learning inefficiencies. Furthermore, without institutional support (IS) achieving effective learning could never be possible. Therefore, this study investigates the relationships between project-based learning (PBL) and mental health awareness (MHA) with effective English language teaching among university students in China. We also tested the moderation effect of IS in the relationships between PBL and MHA with effective English language learning (EEL). Using the purposive sampling technique, we collected valid responses from 713 students studying English as a foreign language in universities and colleges in Harbin, China. The findings interestingly supported the direct hypotheses between PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL. Moreover, the moderating role of IS established a significant effect on both PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL, respectively. Policymakers, practitioners, and academicians should understand that integrating PBL as an inclusive pedagogy method with proper IS may enhance effective learning; however, it will consume more time.
... Over the past 20 years, the research literature has supported the use of PBI as a tool for purposeful instruction [21][22][23][24]. Although there is no one definition of PBI, there is consensus around several elements that must be present for quality PBI: a driving question or problem to anchor student learning; a focus on learning goals; student participation in disciplinary practices; collaboration; scaffolding to support students; use of technology to enhance understanding; opportunities for students to receive and utilize feedback; and a tangible final product or artifact [9,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. ...
Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and project-based instruction (PBI) have both received increased attention as instructional approaches that allow for deep, authentic student learning. However, there has been little research that explores the overlap of these two related yet distinct approaches. In this case study, eight teacher-developed STEM PBI curriculum units for grades 1–8 were analyzed using content analysis methods. Each unit was scored for integrated STEM and PBI quality. Findings highlight strengths related to an authentic context for learning, opportunities for communication, and the development of a final product that is shared publicly. However, weaknesses were also apparent related to STEM content integration and learning goals, student voice and choice, assessment, and organization. Notably, the content analysis also illustrated that the units developed for elementary grades (1 and 5) were generally stronger than those units developed for middle-school grades (7 and 8). Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
... Caring can support healthy development and learning; engender trust and love; convey compassion, understanding, respect, and interest [20]; and reduce children's risk of exhibiting violent behaviors [21]. Teachers' caring is also crucial for students' success in an environment with high expectations [22]. In ECE, care constitutes a crucial part of educators' responsibilities, as it contributes to children's well-being, which is a pre-condition for their learning and development [23]. ...
Caring is a crucial aspect of early childhood education (ECE) and is an essential attribute possessed by kindergarten teachers. The sustainable development of ECE in aging China calls for the sustainable development of teachers’ caring. However, research into teachers’ caring in education for sustainable development in ECE has been scarce. This paper aims to emphasize a concern for the theme of caring in the sustainability of ECE and to provide a Chinese perspective on this topic. This study explored the path to promote the sustainability of teachers’ caring from the perspective of Chinese kindergarten teachers, based on an analytical framework of cognition, emotion, will, and behavior. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 Chinese kindergarten teachers. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA, qualitative data analysis software, and the descriptive analysis technique. Main themes were generated and then the views were aligned under the themes. Research shows that reading, leisure and art activities, cultural immersion, and mentoring practice can bring many benefits to the promotion of teachers’ caring. Continuous reading can awaken teachers’ caring conscience and promote the sustainability of caring cognition while sufficient leisure and art activities can generate their caring emotions and promote their sustainability. Cultural immersion can cultivate teachers’ caring beliefs and promote the sustainability of caring will while mentoring practice can shape teachers’ caring behaviors and promote their sustainability. The four paths cited above successfully helped teachers overcome the obstacles to caring that they faced and promoted their caring abilities. This study provides systematic paths for promoting the sustainability of kindergarten teachers’ caring and emphasizes their self-care as critical to ensuring teachers’ caring. The necessity of providing effective institutional and policy support to promote the sustainable development of teachers’ caring is suggested.
... Selanjutnya dalam sebuah jurnal pendidikan, dikemukakan bahwa melalui pembelajaran STEM, diperoleh hasil analisis kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa yang berkembang dengan baik. Perkembangan kemampuan berpikir kritis yang dimiliki siswa menjadi keterampilan bagi siswa dalam menyusun rencana praktik sistematis dan menjadi kekuatan dalam memecahkan masalah kontekstual (Erdoğan, 2019;Morrison et al., 2020). Dalam jurnal lainnya, dikatakan bahwa implementasi pendekatan pembelajaran STEM mampu meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa (Khoiriyahet al. 2018). ...
Pendekatan Science, Technology, Engineering, dan Mathematics (STEM) adalah pendekatan pembelajaran yang mengintegrasikan sains, teknologi, teknik dan matematika di dalam pembelajaran. Kemampuan berpikir kritis adalah kemampuan berpikir dan bertindak siswa berdasarkan pengetahuan yang dimillikinya sebagai hasil belajar yang meliputi interpretasi, analisis, evaluasi, dan inferensi. Motivasi belajar adalah dorongan yang ada dalam diri siswa untuk mengikuti pembelajaran matematika. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan motivasi belajar siswa kelas X MIA SMA Negeri 6 Palopo setelah diterapkan pendekatan STEM. Jenis penelitian ini yaitu pre-eksperimental. Populasi yaitu seluruh siswa kelas X MIA SMA Negeri 6 Palopo yang terdiri dari 5 kelas. Sampel yang diambil adalah satukelas yang dipilih secara acak. Metode analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode analisis statistik, baik analisis statistik deskriptif maupun statistik inferensial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa teerdapat peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan motivasi belajar siswa setelah diterapkan pendekatan STEM dalam pembelajaran. Kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa setelah diterapkan pendekatan STEM mengalami peningkatan dari kategori sangat rendah menjadi tinggi. Motivasi belajar siswa meningkat dari kategori tinggi menjadi sangat tinggi.
... Similarly, Sahin and Top (2015) found that students perceived an improvement in executive functioning skills, communication skills, and overall self-confidence when exposed to project-based learning. Fitzgerald (2020) and Morrison et al. (2021) PBL research identified students' perceptions of improved social-emotional skills and their feelings of being capable, independent, creative, and critical. Despite students' articulating their learning and the value of their learning experience, their voices are frequently overlooked when designing learning experiences. ...
Project-based learning (PBL) is an increasingly popular pedagogical method in K-12 settings. Students exposed to this approach have demonstrated higher academic performance than their peers who have not been exposed, as well as positive rates of self-efficacy and other non-academic skills. Using qualitative methods, including observation, artifact collection, interviews, and focus groups, this research explores biology students' perceptions of their project-based learning experiences. In particular, we leverage a student focus group to understand how students perceive their learning experience. In this focus group, students perceive project-based learning as a positive influence on their agency, self-efficacy, and learning experience as a whole. Significantly, students' accounts reveal how their positive perceptions of PBL correspond with purposefully designed elements of project-based learning. This article offers implications for teachers and educational leaders interested in how students perceive project-based learning and how they might integrate project-based learning into their classrooms.
... The 4-phase method implemented in this study has another shortcoming with regard to understanding of the inquiry procedures (SI 3, SI 4, and SI 5) and research conclusions as well as the difference between data and evidence (SI 6 and SI 7). Morrison et al. (2020) recommended to include many experiences for PSSTs involving problem-solving and inquiry learning emphasizing the twenty-first century competencies such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and time management in teacher preparation programs. The experiences that PSSTs had in the implementation of the present study are an attempt to achieve this purpose. ...
The intervention study presented in this paper explored pre-service science teachers’ (PSSTs) understanding of scientific inquiry (SI) and scientific practices (SPs) during a laboratory application in science education course. Thirty-nine secondary school PSSTs, who study in the Science Education Department in a public university in Turkey, enrolled in a 14-week-long course and volunteered to participate in the study. The participants were exposed to a method is called the 4-phase implementation that includes laboratory-based inquiry activities addressing SI and SPs and they completed microteaching presentations. Their understanding of SI and SPs was examined through the course period. The main data sources included Views about Scientific Inquiry (VASI) Instrument and concept maps were used to track the changes in these understandings. The findings indicated that PSSTs had inadequate understanding of inquiry on some aspects even after the treatment. Yet, the method had positive impact in PSSTs’ understanding inquiry especially in terms of facilitating the comprehension that scientific investigations begin with questions, there is no single method in investigations, and explanations are derived from collected data. The concept maps created by some of the participants also supported these results and revealed a more coherent and holistic understanding of SPs by integrating both epistemic and social components into their maps. However, PSSTs did not seem to have totally understood other aspects of inquiry including the inquiry procedures, the research conclusions, and the difference between data and evidence. Further implications are critically discussed in terms of designing future laboratory applications for science education courses.
... STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics components. Skills in conducting STEM learning play an important role in technological developments, and advances in technological development have almost positive and negative impacts [6]. ...
... Strengthening students' capabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is crucial for future economic and technological growth in many countries throughout the world (Morrison et al., 2020;Wilson, 2020). One critical need in the preparation of future teachers for work in educational environments involving student-centered exploration of STEM; for instance conceptual understanding, critical and creative thinking, and mathematical reasoning (Ramful et al., 2017). ...
The Ethnomathematics-based STEM (Ethno-STEM) approach is currently one of the topics that receive attention to improve students' conceptual understanding. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Ethno-STEM approach on students’ conceptual understanding. This study utilized quantitative data with a quasi-experiment. One class was chosen through a simple random sampling technique. The instruments used were conceptual understanding tests and an observation sheet of learning implementation. The data analysis techniques used were descriptive and inferential analysis, as well as the criteria of effect in instruction. Key findings point towards the importance of building an Ethno-STEAM approach that supports the conceptual understandings. Identification of critical elements of the teachers’ supports led to recommendations for teacher preparation for mathematical learning. We see the study as having value for research and practice by raising a new approach related to Ethno-STEAM and demonstrating the need for the development of theory to explain the relationships identified by this study. Key Words:
... This finding confirms the importance of characteristic local potential in an area, integrated into learning materials so that learning in schools be contextual. However, a real gap was found because many potential areas are not used as a learning material, such as findings from Zhang, et al. (2020); Morrison, et al. (2020) the creativity of teachers in using local learning resources is still low so that the impact on learning is not interesting in terms of content for students. Findings Chang, et al. (2019) strengthening that learning resources that are theoretical and do not present examples that are familiar to students do not stimulate students' desire to master the concepts. ...
The study aims to analyze the effect of the fish diversity book in Kampar District on the learning motivation and obstacles of Kampar High School students through online learning during the COVID-19 period. This type of research is a quasi-experimental study with research subjects in class XI SMA Kampar (Kampar High School). In its implementation, students were given a motivational questionnaire in the beginning, after that they were given the task of studying the types of fish in Kampar through the book files of fish diversity in Kampar District through online learning. After online learning, the post-test was given using a questionnaire evaluation of the motivation and online learning obstacles questionnaire. Parameters: learning motivation with five indicators, ten indicators of online obstacles. Motivation data collection using pre-test and post-test. Data is presented and analyzed descriptively. The results obtained an average score of post-test student learning motivation (77.7) increased compared to before studying diversity book (65.9) with an N-gain index of 0.34, 74% of respondents said online learning was more effective, 50% of respondents stated the ordinary school is better than online learning. The implementation of fish species diversity books through online learning is effective in increasing student learning motivation, but it is less effective in motivating desires, appreciation, and not being attractive enough. The obstacles of online learning at Kampar High School include internet network facilities and field practicum during the COVID-19 period.
Online project-based learning (PjBL) is an increasingly popular teaching approach in higher education, especially in teacher education. Implementing online PjBL differs across subjects, bringing many benefits while posing challenges for educators and pre-service teachers. This systematic review aims to investigate the implementation, effectiveness and challenges of adopting PjBL in teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review provided a thorough overview of research on PjBL in teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was carried out using the systematic review methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Several relevant articles from five different databases (Google Scholar, Mendeley, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Taylor & Francis Online) were collected using the keywords “project-based learning” and “teacher education” along with their synonyms. A final list of 26 included articles to be reviewed in this study is produced after the titles and abstracts screening and full texts evaluation using inclusion and exclusion criteria. This systematic review reveals that PjBL has been applied in teaching various subjects in teacher education with different types of projects and assessment methods. More importantly, integrating PjBL in teaching has been proven to positively impact the development of pre-service teachers’ knowledge, professional skills and learning attitudes. In addition, applying PjBL poses certain challenges for educators due to the requirements on teachers’ and students’ knowledge and skills as well as equipment and technology facilities. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic, if viewed positively, contributes to boosting educators’ motivation and facilitating the implementation of online PjBL. The study findings can be used as a reference for future PjBL research and contribute to the literature on PjBL in the context of teacher education.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are recognized as critical subjects that underlie innovation and national prosperity. Through inquiry-based learning, STEM subjects contribute to the development and application of these abilities. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to explore type of creative methods in STEM for secondary school students. Articles from 2017 till 2021 screened and analyzed using systematic literature review (SLR) and PRISMA protocol. Three online search engines used are Springer, Scopus, and Science Direct. The thematic analysis method is used to analyze the data. A total of 22 articles were chosen for the systematic analysis after being screened using the eligibility requirements. Result showed that the creative teaching methods involving STEM used in the current study were a problem and project-based learning, mathematical modelling, inquiry-based learning, design-based learning, tool-based pedagogy, student-centered learning, 5E instructional model, professional development, board games and role-play, STEM 7E-learning cycle and boundary-crossing. From twenty-two articles chosen, 77% used qualitative approach in existing literature of creative thinking. Our findings indicated that the distribution of STEM education in different countries such as Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain, and the US. At the end, STEM in mathematics education gives a positive out-turn overall.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, rehberli araştırma -sorgulama yaklaşımına göre göre fen öğretiminin ortaokul 6. sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarı ve kavramsal anlama düzeylerine etkisini belirlemektir. Çalışma grubunu, 2020-20121 eğitim-öğretim yılında Şanlıurfa ili Eyyübiye ilçesine bağlı bir köy ortaokulunda öğrenim gören 20' si deney ve 20'si kontrol grubunda olmak üzere toplam 40 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada veri toplama araçları olarak araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen Ses ve Özellikleri Ünitesi Akademik Başarı Testi ile Ses ve ÖzellikleriÜnitesi Kavramsal Anlama Testi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada ön test son test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada elde edilen veriler Wilcoxon İşaaretli Sıralar Testi ve Mann Whitney U-testi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Analiz bulgularına bakıldığında deney ve kontrol gruplarında bulunan ortaokul 6.sınıf öğrencilerinin ses ve özellikleri ünitesi ile ilgili başarı testi ve kavramsal anlama testi son test puanları arasında deney grubu lehine ististiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu görülmüştür. Bu bulgu ses ve özellikleri ünitesinin rehberli araştırma- sorgulama yaklaşımına göre öğretiminin deney grubunda bulunan 6. sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarı ve kavramsal anlama düzeylerini pozitif yönde artırdığını ve etkili bir yaklaşım olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışmada dikkat çeken bir bulgu tespit edilmiştir. İki aşamalı olan kavramsal anlama testinin çoktan seçmeli bölümünü doğru yanıtlayan öğrencilerin testin ikinci aşamasında bulunan ve açıklama gerektiren sorularda eksiklikleri olduğu görülmüştür. Çalışma yapılan okulun bir köy okulu olması ve çalışmanın Covid-19 pandemi sürecine denk gelmesi böyle bir sonucun doğmasında etkili olmuş olabilir.
In recent years, the integration of STEM disciplines has been increasingly advocated. It is crucial to prepare and support teachers for integrated STEM education. However, few studies in the literature explore collaborating with teachers from different disciplines. This study investigates the effect of the professional development (PD) program designed for integrated STEM education on teachers' pedagogical design competencies and the contribution of the PD program to teachers' integrated STEM understanding. The pedagogical design competencies of the teachers were examined in terms of the level of conformity of the lesson plans they prepared based on the 5E learning model and how they unified the computational thinking components into STEM education. The program comprised 48 h and five modules. 20 computer science (CS), ten mathematics, and ten science teachers working in middle schools participated in the study. The study shows that the lesson plans developed collaboratively by the teachers were at an acceptable level in terms of integrated STEM education. However, lesson plans need to be improved. Regarding computational thinking, the teachers were more efficient in associating simulation in CS education, data analysis in mathematics education, and data collection in science education compared to other components. They were insufficient in associating components such as parallelization in CS education and automation in science and mathematics education. The teachers stated that PD program strengthens their collaboration with colleagues, contributes to pedagogical design skills in integrated STEM lesson planning and integrating STEM disciplines, and improves their understanding of integrated STEM.
The article presents a multiple-case study examining the project-based learning model where mathematical projects of middle school student teams originate from different tasks on the topic of numerical sequences. Learning situations in PBL are identified and characterized using the analytical apparatus of the Theory of Didactic Situations. A long-term project can be conceptualized as a complex system of alternating didactic situations shaped by the interaction of students and teachers with the global milieu and the local milieu of each student team. Students' transition from open to a structured inquiry by self-constraining the milieu was a successful strategy that promoted acculturation to ways of mathematical exploration. The student project's milieu can be modified by introducing auxiliary problems containing elements necessary for future mathematical situations. The situations of institutionalization in PBL are dedicated to the processes of mathematical exploration as well as mathematical content. The practical principles for implementing PBL into mathematics instruction are presented.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1f2xO2cWY-qKLq
Adını Science (S), Technology (T), Engineering (E) ve Mathematics (M) terimlerinin ilk harflerinden alan STEM, gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan ülkelerde bireylerin rekabetçi piyasada yer bulabilmelerine olanak tanıyacak ve nitelikli iş gücüne katkı sağlayacak disiplinler arası bir yaklaşım olarak görülmektedir (Dugger, 2010; Kennedy ve Odell, 2014). Bu nedenle birçok ülke STEM eğitimine önem vermeye başlamıştır. Çünkü STEM eğitimi bireylerin problem çözme, eleştirel düşünme, analitik düşünme, yaratıcı düşünme, iletişim, karar verme, uyum yeteneği ve sosyal beceriler gibi 21. yy. becerilerini kazanmasında önemli bir rol oynamaktadır (Bybee, 2010; Corlu, 2014: DeJarnette, 2012; Kennedy ve Odell, 2014). Ayrıca öğrenilen bilgilerin uygulamaya dökülmesine fırsat verdiği içinde STEM eğitimi önem teşkil etmektedir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışmada STEM ürünlerinin geniş çaplı olarak ele alınması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaca ulaşabilmek için anlatım akışı
sırasıyla; STEM üzerine yapılan ulusal ve uluslararası makalelerin, kongrelerin, konferansların, sempozyumların, festivallerin, şenliklerin, fuarların, sergilerin ve projelerin incelenmesi başlıkları altında sunulacaktır.
While creativity and innovative thinking are highly valued in society overall, the inclusion of a creativity mindset as part of the pedagogical process has remained, for the most part, elusive. In this article, we discuss the importance of viewing productive failure as a critical component to fostering a creativity mindset in the classroom through an social constructivist approach. While creativity is generally considered an important aspect of learning and productivity, teachers often forgo opportunities to incorporate creative risk-taking and productive failure because of a lack of psychological safety within the social system of education, or due to teacher-centered pedagogical beliefs. We propose the idea that creative pathmaking requires an iterative approach, situated within a social constructivist context, that is supported through the use of mobile technology and structured to reward risk and productive failure.
This research aims to find out the influence of guided inquiry learning models on the ability of scientific literacy in high school students in the city of Tangerang. This research is a pre-experimental design study that aims to determine the ability of scientific literacy by using a guided inquiry learning model for high school students in the city of Tangerang in Newton’s law material. The research design used was One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design with a sample of 32 students of class X MIA 3 of SMAN 11 in Tangerang City. The average N-gain results for students of SMAN 11 Kota Tangerang amounting to 0.4060 are in the medium category. So it was concluded that the ability of scientific literacy by using the guided inquiry learning model of high school students in the Regency and City of Tangerang is in the medium category.
If the movement toward more project-based learning is to be successful, it’s essential to understand what teachers need to do to be effective in a project-based classroom. Pam Grossman, Christopher G. Pupik Dean, Sarah Schneider Kavanagh, and Zachary Herrmann surveyed experts and teachers and viewed classroom videos to identify a set of core practices for project-based teaching. Effective project-based educators promote subject-area learning; create relevant experiences; cultivate a classroom culture of production, feedback, reflection, and revision; and build student agency in learning communities.
The rapidly evolving and global field of STEM education has placed ever-increasing calls for interdisciplinary research and the development of new and deeper scholarship in and for STEM education. In this editorial, we focus on the topic of thinking, first with a brief overview of related studies and conceptions in the past. We then problematize a traditional conception of thinking in the context of STEM education, and propose possible alternative perspectives about thinking areas for future research.
This is a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine edited by Brett Moulding, Nancy Songer, and Kerry Brenner. The report discusses empirical foundations, conclusions and recommendations focused on the idea that centering science instruction around investigation and design can improve instruction in middle and high schools and help students learn to make sense of phenomena in the world around them. As current approaches constrain the opportunities afforded to students, changes to instructional approaches will require significant and sustained work by teachers, administrators, and policy makers. The report is also available by free pdf at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25216/science-and-engineering-for-grades-6-12-investigation-and-design
This quantitative study examined factors underlying middle and high school teachers’ choices about whether to use problem-based learning (PBL). Survey items measured respondents’ perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and the value and costs they placed on implementing PBL. Teachers who have taught with PBL (n = 126) had significantly more formal PBL professional development, higher levels of perceived competence and value for this pedagogy, perceived more support from peers, and perceived lower costs than did the non–PBL use teachers (n = 30). Findings highlight the importance of formal PBL professional development in increasing teachers’ intention to implement PBL and recommend the inclusion of experienced PBL teachers to share how the “costs” of implementing this pedagogy can also add “value” for teachers and their students.
Although the conditions for successful technology integration finally appear to be in place, including ready access to technology,
increased training for teachers, and a favorable policy environment, high-level technology use is still surprisingly low.
This suggests that additional barriers, specifically related to teachers' pedagogical beliefs, may be at work. Previous researchers
have noted the influence of teachers' beliefs on classroom instruction specifically in math, reading, and science, yet little
research has been done to establish a similar link to teachers' classroom uses of technology. In this article, I argue for
the importance of such research and present a conceptual overview of teacher pedagogial beliefs as a vital first step. After
defining and describing the nature of teacher beliefs, including how they are likely to impact teachers' classroom practice
I describe important implications for teacher professional development and offer suggestions for future research.
Background
Inclusive STEM (traditionally known to stand for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”) high schools are emerging across the country as a mechanism for improving STEM education and getting more and diverse students into STEM majors and careers. However, there is no consensus on what these schools are or should be, making it difficult to both evaluate their effectiveness and scale successful models. We addressed this problem by working with inclusive STEM high school leaders and stakeholders to articulate and understand their intended school models. This “bottom-up” approach is in contrast with other studies that have taken a “top-down,” literature-based approach to defining STEM schools. ResultsThrough this process, we identified 76 critical components of STEM schools and derived a theoretical framework of eight elements that represent the common goals and strategies employed by inclusive STEM high schools across the country: Personalization of Learning; Problem-Based Learning; Rigorous Learning; Career, Technology, and Life Skills; School Community and Belonging; External Community; Staff Foundations; and External Factors. This framework offers a clear picture of what exactly inclusive STEM schools are and common language for both researchers and practitioners. Interestingly, STEM disciplinary content did not emerge as a defining component across school models. Conclusions
Findings suggest that STEM school leaders and stakeholders view their STEM school identity as rooted in pedagogy, transferrable skills, school culture, and rigorous instruction across all subjects, including, but not restricted to, STEM. This raises questions about the goals of inclusive STEM high schools and the STEM discipline outcomes that we should reasonably expect to see from STEM schools.
This study aims to generate a conceptual framework for specialized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools. To do so, we focused on literature and found specialized STEM schools have existed for over 100 years and recently expanded nationwide. The current perception for these schools can be described as unique environments including advanced curriculum, expert teachers, and opportunities for internships and immersion. Researchers have categorized these schools with three types: (a) selective STEM schools, (b) inclusive STEM schools, and (c) schools with STEM-focused career and technical education (CTE). Finding from the studies exploring college and career readiness of students attending these schools revealed students from specialized STEM schools are performing slightly better on high-stake mathematics and science tests in comparison with students in traditional schools. Studies also showed students from specialized STEM schools are more interested in STEM, more willing to attend classes, more likely to pass state tests, and more likely to earn college degrees. After synthesizing the literature, we created a conceptual framework of effective learning environments for specialized STEM schools using an ecology metaphor. This framework included actors (students, teachers, community leaders, and role models), contextual factors (learning environments, curriculum, instructional strategies, advanced coursework, and technology use), and actions (teaching, learning, immersion, communication, partnering, mentoring, support, and assessment).
The purpose of this study was to investigate the linkage between the quality of the learning environment and the quality of students' experience in seven high school classrooms in six different subject areas. The quality of the learning environment was conceptualized in terms of environmental complexity, or the simultaneous presence of classroom challenge and classroom support. The students (N = 108) in each class participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) measuring their engagement and related experiential variables. Concurrently, environmental complexity and its subdimensions were observed and rated from video with a new observational instrument, The Optimal Learning Environments – Observational Log and Assessment (OLE-OLA). Using two-level HLM regression models, ratings from the OLE-OLA were utilized to predict student engagement and experiential variables as measured by the ESM. Results showed that environmental complexity predicted student engagement and sense of classroom self-esteem. Implications for research, theory and practice are discussed.
Multilevel modeling techniques were used with a sample of 643 students enrolled in 37 secondary school classrooms to predict future student achievement (controlling for baseline achievement) from observed teacher interactions with students in the classroom, coded using the Classroom Assessment Scoring SystemSecondary. After accounting for prior year test performance, qualities of teacher interactions with students predicted student performance on end-of-year standardized achievement tests. Classrooms characterized by a positive emotional climate, with sensitivity to adolescent needs and perspectives, use of diverse and engaging instructional learning formats, and a focus on analysis and problem solving were associated with higher levels of student achievement. Effects of higher quality teacher-student interactions were greatest in classrooms with fewer students. Implications for teacher performance assessment and teacher effects on achievement are discussed.
The present study focused on an in-depth understanding of student motivation and self-regulated learning in mathematics and science through cluster analysis. It examined the different learning profiles of motivational beliefs and self-regulatory strategies in relation to perceived teacher autonomy support, basic psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence, and relatedness), motivational regulations, and academic achievement. Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined the learning profiles of 782 students from eight secondary schools in Singapore. The cluster analyzes revealed four distinct learning profiles, and they were compared in association with perceived teacher autonomy support, needs satisfaction, motivational regulations, and grades. Cluster profiling enables teachers to have better understanding of their students' self-regulated learning so that they can apply effective teaching strategies to foster their motivation. The findings offer a perspective to secondary students' psychological needs along with some insights into their perceived task value and self-efficacy in the contexts of mathematics and science.
A multidisciplinary body of literature has established that students' affective relationships with teachers are associated with important academic and developmental outcomes. In this article, we explored late adolescents' active interpretations of what we call "being known" in high school. Distinct from a generalized perception of the school environment, namely, sense of school belonging, the concept of being known may provide a cohesive and efficient framework for understanding the intersections of developmental tasks, psychosocial perceptions, and effective teaching. Our focus group data with adolescents (M = 16.65 years old, N = 77) yielded three robust findings (a) moving beyond "just teach" teacher relationships; (b) providing instrumental support; and (c) engaging a benefit-of-the-doubt treatment of students. We examined each of these key themes to probe how connectedness is created or undermined through the moment-by-moment experiencing of relational structures characterized by students' perceptions of being known by adults in an educational context.
This study examined 21 preservice secondary teachers as they engaged in activities aimed at fostering an understanding of the epistemic roles that models, theory, and argument play in scientific inquiry. Findings indicate that instruction can help preservice teachers develop more sophisticated understandings of scientific models and promote incorporation of model-based lessons in their classrooms. However, even with scaffolding, the majority of these preservice teachers were unable to use theoretical models to ground their own empirical investigations. Two factors shaped participants’ thinking about these inquiries. One was previous school-related research experience, which influenced not only what they recognized as models but also the way they believed models could be incorporated into inquiry. The other was a widely held simplistic view of “the scientific method” that constrained the procedures and epistemic frameworks they used for investigations. On the basis of these findings, the authors offer a more focused, evidence-based design for instruction around model-based inquiry.
Person-centered education is a counseling-originated, educational psychology model, overripe for meta-analysis, that posits that positive teacher-student relationships are associated with optimal, holistic learning. It includes classical, humanistic education and today’s constructivist learner-centered model. The author reviewed about 1,000 articles to synthesize 119 studies from 1948 to 2004 with 1,450 findings and 355,325 students. The meta-analysis design followed Mackay, Barkham, Rees, and Stiles’s guidelines, including comprehensive search mechanisms, accuracy and bias control, and primary study validity assessment. Variables coded included 9 independent and 18 dependent variables and 39 moderators. The results showed that correlations had wide variation. Mean correlations (r= .31) were above average compared with other educational innovations for cognitive and especially affective and behavioral outcomes. Methodological and sample features accounted for some of the variability.
A meta-analytic approach was used to investigate the associations between
affective qualities of teacher–student relationships (TSRs) and students’
school engagement and achievement. Results were based on 99 studies,
including students from preschool to high school. Separate analyses were
conducted for positive relationships and engagement (k = 61 studies, N = 88,417
students), negative relationships and engagement (k = 18, N = 5,847), positive
relationships and achievement (k = 61, N = 52,718), and negative relationships
and achievement (k = 28, N = 18,944). Overall, associations of
both positive and negative relationships with engagement were medium to
large, whereas associations with achievement were small to medium. Some
of these associations were weaker, but still statistically significant, after correction
for methodological biases. Overall, stronger effects were found in the
higher grades. Nevertheless, the effects of negative relationships were stronger
in primary than in secondary school.
Cooperative behavior is important for well-functioning high school classrooms in which students trust their teachers and actively engage in academic tasks. Yet, discipline referrals for disruption and defiance are all too common and can result in lost instructional time and increased teacher stress. As such, more needs to be understood about trusting and cooperative interactions in classrooms. This study examined teachers' relational approach to discipline as a predictor of high school students' behavior and their trust in teacher authority. Findings from interviews and surveys with 32 teachers and 32 discipline-referred students supported a mediational model; the association between a relational approach to discipline and cooperative or defiant behavior was mediated by adolescents' perceptions of their teachers as trustworthy authority figures. Teachers may earn the trust and cooperation of students if they use relationship building to prevent discipline problems. Implications for school psychologists' consultation with teachers and the racial discipline gap are discussed. A majority of referrals for disciplinary problems originate in the classroom (Skiba, Mi-chael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002) and are issued for defiance and disruption (Gregory & Wein-stein, 2008; Skiba, Peterson, & Williams, 1997). Yet, high school teachers vary significantly in the number of referrals they give for discipline problems (Gregory, Nygreen, & Moran, 2006), which suggests that referrals for defiance are more likely to occur in some classrooms than in others. Little is understood about the pro-cesses between teachers and students that helps explain these trends in high school dis-cipline. The current study identified teachers' approach to discipline in high school class-rooms and how such an approach relates to the behavior of adolescents who have been issued referrals for defiance.
We present results of an investigation of preservice secondary mathematics and science teachers’ conceptions of project-based
instruction (PBI) and their enactments of PBI in apprentice (student) teaching. We evaluated their thinking and implementations
within a composite framework based on the work of education researchers. We analyzed survey responses, both qualitatively
and statistically, from three cohorts of preservice teachers both before and after apprentice teaching. In addition we interviewed
and observed a subset of these future teachers. We found that in general the preservice teachers held superficial views of
PBI, as compared to the researcher framework. Participants reported time and curriculum restrictions as major barriers; however,
teachers for whom enactment of PBI was presented as an explicit goal, and who were given support toward that end, were more
likely to enact authentic implementations, regardless of previous reservations about PBI. Without this additional scaffolding,
even teachers with high affinity for PBI were unlikely to implement it authentically.
KeywordsProject based instruction-Preservice teachers-Teacher preparation-Project based learning
Positive school climates have been found to have favorable effects on adolescent health risk behaviors and mental health outcomes.
However, the mechanisms by which teacher behavior may promote such effects in high schools have not been extensively studied.
Based on social control theory and a social developmental-contextual model, it was predicted that by respecting students’
points of view and decision making capabilities, teachers can help build respectful school climates that encourage healthy
norms of behavior. Structural equation modeling with a nationally representative sample of 476 youth ages 14–18 supported
the model. Adolescents who reported higher teacher support and regard for student perspectives in their high schools were
more likely to see their schools as having respectful climates and healthy norms of drug use which was associated with lower
levels of personal drug use. Students in such schools also reported greater social belonging and fewer symptoms of depression.
The current research is based on the phenomenological-qualitative
paradigm. The goal was to examine the significant experiences,
attitudes, and pedagogical practices of 17 Israeli student teachers in
the science-teaching track regarding the use of project-based learning
(PBL) as a pedagogical method, which they implemented in
elementary schools during their practicum. During the first semester
of the practicum, the student teachers were instructed to implement
a PBL approach as part of their teaching assignment. During the
second semester, they were instructed to teach the science lessons
using any teaching method of their choice. Data were collected via
in-depth interviews, reflective reports, lesson plans, and lesson observations,
and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method.
Findings indicate that the quality of student-teachers’ experiences
changed throughout the practicum, from frustration and difficulty, to
coping with and overcoming the difficulties, which led to a sense of
success and satisfaction. Additionally, it was found that student
teachers developed positive attitudes towards the principles of PBL
pedagogy, as a result of their implementing a PBL approach earlier in
the practicum. Finally, findings indicate that the experience of implementing
PBL in the course of the teaching practicum is an important
step, which led science student-teachers to experience success and
satisfaction, develop positive attitudes towards student-centered,
inquiry-based learning, and adopt several principles and aspects of
PBL pedagogy in their pedagogical practices.
The research study deals with the development of professional identity of 17 student-teachers during their pedagogical practicum while team-teaching science classes using a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Data were collected from in-depth interviews as well as reflective reports and analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Findings indicate that the student-teachers' professional identity was shaped by meaningful experiences in two dimensions: overcoming challenges while leading PBL and involvement in fruitful and supportive cooperation with their peers. The student-teachers progressed from group-focused to self-focused professional identity, indicating professional growth, empowerment, and substantial gains in self-confidence.
Interpersonal relationships during adolescence can be powerful avenues for personal development. As school is a universal context for youth, positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) are one potential source for such developmentally promotive relationships. Unfortunately, research has shown a decline in the quality of teacher-student interactions as students progress through PK-12, which suggests a missed developmental opportunity. More research is needed to identify factors that contribute to positive TSRs, especially during adolescence. Utilizing qualitative methods, this study explores adolescent perceptions of TSRs in order to identify and understand key interactions and characteristics of high-quality, positive TSRs. We identified two overarching themes that emerged from our qualitative analysis: teacher noticing and teacher investment. Within these themes, we also examined the role of “free” and “same-level” conversations in promoting positive TSRs. Our findings contribute to research aimed at understanding specific processes that occur within positive youth-adult relationships. Specifically, we find promise in key teacher-student interactions that fulfill adolescents’ developmental needs including autonomy, competence and connection. Our findings emphasize the importance of the student perspective and that capitalizing on positive TSRs during adolescence can be a powerful way to promote positive youth development.
Despite the increasing number of inclusive STEM schools, little is known about the cultural dimensions that influence STEM curriculum and instruction within these schools. This paper describes research conducted at three inclusive STEM schools, one each at the elementary, middle, and high school level. We explored similarities and differences in cultural dimensions across the schools with specific attention to how these differentially influence teachers’ perceptions and enactment of STEM curriculum and instruction across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Our cross-case analysis revealed structural aspects (school vision, community partnerships, course scheduling, and testing pressures) as well as professional orientations (i.e., instructional practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and teacher content knowledge) that appear particularly important to student learning experiences at each grade level. Navigating these factors of STEM school culture requires teachers to not only be knowledgeable but also to draw on a professional orientation that encourages collaboration and risk-taking. We discuss implications for teacher education and STEM school development.
Although education experts are increasingly advocating the incorporation of integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum units to address limitations in much current STEM teaching and learning, a review of the literature reveals that more often than not such curriculum units are not mediating the construction of in-depth STEM knowledge. In this paper, we conjecture that the challenge of generating integrated STEM curriculum units that overcome this limitation and facilitate in-depth learning of and about STEM can be met by the use of three types of big ideas: within-discipline big ideas that have application in other STEM disciplines, cross-discipline big ideas, and encompassing big ideas. We provide a six-component framework (together with an example of the framework in action) that can be used to scaffold pre- and in-service teachers’ development of integrated STEM curriculum units based around these types of big ideas. The paper concludes by discussing possible directions for future research and development in this field.
Supportive teacher-student relationships are associated with increased levels of engagement and higher levels of achievement. Yet, studies also show that higher achieving students typically receive the most encouragement. Moreover, many studies of teacher-student relationships pertain to elementary and middle school students; by the time students reach high school, interactions with specific teachers may not be salient determinants of engagement. In this study we examine the relationship between supportive relationships with teachers and engagement in high school math and science courses. Data on teacher support and engagement collected concurrently from a student’s math and science teachers allow us to examine the within-student association between supportive relationships and engagement.
This study explores how a project-based approach, based on gifted education pedagogy, was implemented in a public school program where the majority of students were from low-income families. The 2 first-grade teachers in this study were able to change their teaching practices to include more strategies commonly found in gifted programs such as brainstorming, creating surveys, and collecting data. The teachers also indicated a greater comfort level with a child-centered and project-based approach to curricular units over the course of the study. In addition, classroom observations indicated students were better behaved when engaged in project and small-group activities, as seen in classroom observations. This paper also highlights several challenges to implementing project-based approaches in the early childhood classroom. Teachers in this study perceived barriers to implementing the project approach that they had been taught in their professional development course. They felt constraints from their school context, as well as from their own beliefs and assumptions about their students. They often had difficulty assuming the role of facilitator and releasing control of learning to the students. However, as the teachers in this study implemented the new approaches, they were able to overcome many of the internal and external limitations that they expressed prior to beginning the units. This study has practical implications for reform initiatives related to the identification of strengths and talents in students who are typically underserved in gifted programs.
Although student engagement with the intellectual work of school is important to students' achievement and to their social and cognitive development, studies over a span of two decades have documented low levels of engagement, particularly in the classroom. Examining several theoretical perspectives that attempt to explain engagement through comprehensive frameworks, this study evaluates the effect on engagement of school reform initiatives that are consistent with the theories. The study also investigates whether patterns exist in students' engagement, whether the patterns are consistent across grade levels, and whether class subject matter (mathematics or social studies) differentially affects engagement. The sample includes 3.669 students representing 143 social studies and mathematics classrooms in a nationally selected sample of 24 restructuring elementary, middle, and high schools. Because of the nature of the nested data (students nested within classrooms nested within schools), the analysis is conducted using hierarchical linear modeling in its three-level application (HLM3L). The reform initiatives, which are consistent with the theories, eliminate personal background effects. Together with classroom subject matter, they substantially influence engagement. The results are generally consistent across grade levels.
This study was conducted at an innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics high school, providing a rich contextual description of the teaching and learning at the school, specifically focusing on problem solving and inquiry approaches, and students' motivation, social interactions, and collaborative work. Data were collected through interviews with teachers and students, classroom observations, school meetings, school design and planning efforts, student surveys, and student standardized test scores. We saw that the teaching and learning at the school were typically inquiry and problem based and that student motivation, collaboration, and social interactions were strong due to the environment of inquiry and problem-based teaching and learning.
Principal funding for First Things First comes from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Depart-ment of Education. Additional support to supplement the core project comes from the Ford Founda-tion, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. A grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts for MDRC's research methodology initiatives was an important source of funding for the First Things First Classroom Observation Study. Dissemination of MDRC publications is supported by the following funders that help finance MDRC's public policy outreach and expanding efforts to communicate the results and implications of our work to policymakers, practitioners, and others: Alcoa Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Open Society Institute, and The Starr Foundation. In addition, earnings from the MDRC Endowment help sustain our dissemination efforts.
As former and current STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) school teachers in Singapore, we explore the challenges we both experienced while teaching at different STEM schools. Through this article, we make a case for the teacher preparation programs locally and around the world to give more attention to a changing education landscape with emerging specialized STEM schools. Nonetheless, even though specialized STEM teacher preparation is needed, we also caution that having such a specialized program may limit teachers' horizontal transition to mainstream schools and awareness of the contextualized needs of more diverse learners.
National curricula need to change drastically to comply with the competences needed for the 21st century. In this paper eight frameworks describing 21st century competences were analysed. A comprehensive search for information about 21st century competences was conducted across the official websites of the selected frameworks, resulting in 32 documents that were analysed in detail. Travers and Westbury’s framework of curriculum representations was used to determine horizontal and vertical consistency between the frameworks. The frameworks were compared on their underlying rationales and goals, their definition of 21st century competences, and the recommended strategies for the implementation and assessment of these skills in educational practice. In addition three international studies were examined to analyse how various countries (EU member states, OECD countries) and schools (SITES studies) deal (or not) with 21st century competences. The findings indicate a large extent of alignment between the frameworks about what 21st century competences are and why they are important (horizontal consistency), but intentions and practice seemed still far apart, indicating lack of vertical consistency. The implications of the implementation of 21st century competences in national curriculum policies are discussed and recommendations are provided.
Recent calls for teacher preparation to become more grounded in practice prompt the questions: Which practices? and perhaps more fundamentally, what counts as a model of instruction worth learning for a new professional—i.e., the beginner's repertoire? In this report, we argue the following: If a defined set of subject-specific high-leverage practices could be articulated and taught during teacher preparation and induction, the broader teacher education community could collectively refine these practices as well as the tools and other resources that support their appropriation by novices across various learning-to-teach contexts. To anchor our conversation about these issues, we describe the evolution, in design, and enactment, of a “candidate core” and a suite of tools that supported the approximation of equitable and rigorous pedagogy for several groups of beginning science teachers. Their struggles and successes in taking up ambitious practice informed not only our designs for a beginner's repertoire but also a system of tools and socioprofessional routines that could foster such teaching over time. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:878–903, 2012
Using in‐depth interviewing, participant observations, and the review of historical and curricular documents, this paper describes and analyzes two Latino community‐based small high schools—the Dr Pedro Albizu Campos High School (PACHS) and El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice (El Puente). The findings suggest that these schools are successful because they foment a culture of high academic expectations for their students, value high‐quality interpersonal relationships between students and teachers, and privilege the funds of knowledge that students and their respective communities bring to school. Based on these findings, a theory of critical care emerges that embodies these necessary conditions if small high schools created for and by communities of color are to succeed. Finally, the implications of this theory of critical care and its impact are discussed within the framework of small urban high school reform in the US.
The program of research on teacher–student relationships described in this issue is an important part of the field of classroom learning environments, although it has its own distinctive and significant features. The questionnaire on teacher interaction (QTI), the main instrument used in this research, follows the strong tradition in learning environments research of using the perceptions of the participants in the classroom. Although this research program originated in the Netherlands, it now is truly international and the QTI has been translated into and validated in over a dozen languages. Not only has past research consistently replicated the advantages of positive teacher–student relationships in terms of promoting improved student outcomes, but positive teacher–student relationships also are worthwhile process goals of education. In the future, it would be desirable for the QTI to be used more frequently by teachers as a feedback instrument for guiding improvements in their classroom relationships with their students, and that qualitative data-collection methods are used more often in conjunction with the use of the QTI in research on teacher–student interaction.
Optimal Learning Environments to Promote Student Engagement analyzes the psychological, social, and academic phenomena comprising engagement, framing it as critical to learning and development. Drawing on positive psychology, flow studies, and theories of motivation, the book conceptualizes engagement as a learning experience, explaining how it occurs (or not) and how schools can adapt to maximize it among adolescents. Examples of empirically supported environments promoting engagement are provided, representing alternative high schools, Montessori schools, and extracurricular programs. The book identifies key innovations including community-school partnerships, technology-supported learning, and the potential for engaging learning opportunities during an expanded school day. Among the topics covered: Engagement as a primary framework for understanding educational and motivational outcomes.Measuring the malleability, complexity, multidimensionality, and sources of engagement.The relationship between engagement and achievement.Supporting and challenging: the instructor’s role in promoting engagement.Engagement within and beyond core academic subjects.Technological innovations on the engagement horizon. Optimal Learning Environments to Promote Student Engagement is an essential resource for researchers, professionals, and graduate students in child and school psychology; social work; educational psychology; positive psychology; family studies; and teaching/teacher education.
This study explores how a project-based approach, based on gifted education pedagogy, was implemented in a public school program where the majority of students were from low-income families. The 2 first-grade teachers in this study were able to change their teaching practices to include more strategies commonly found in gifted programs such as brainstorming, creating surveys, and collecting data. The teachers also indicated a greater comfort level with a child-centered and project-based approach to curricular units over the course of the study. In addition, classroom observations indicated students were better behaved when engaged in project and small-group activities, as seen in classroom observations. This paper also highlights several challenges to implementing project-based approaches in the early childhood classroom. Teachers in this study perceived barriers to implementing the project approach that they had been taught in their professional development course. They felt constraints from their school context, as well as from their own beliefs and assumptions about their students. They often had difficulty assuming the role of facilitator and releasing control of learning to the students. However, as the teachers in this study implemented the new approaches, they were able to overcome many of the internal and external limitations that they expressed prior to beginning the units. This study has practical implications for reform initiatives related to the identification of strengths and talents in students who are typically underserved in gifted programs. (Contains 1 table.)
Reports a cross-cultural analysis of dispositions and philosophical beliefs underpinning the ethical dimension of exemplary teachers' roles. Knowing students is a necessary condition for caring; respect is indispensable for establishing classroom relationships; and an ethic of care is a prerequisite for effective teaching and optimal student learning. Contains 21 references. (MLH)
This study examined relations between the student–teacher trust relationship and school success, including school adjustment, academic motivation and performance. Data were collected from 318 7th‐grade Korean middle school students (170 males, 148 females). All intercorrelations were positively correlated and correlation coefficients were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that the student–teacher trust relationship uniquely contributed to students’ performance through school adjustment and academic motivation. This discussion examines theoretical, empirical and practical implications of the trust relationship as a key predictor of adolescents’ school adjustment, academic motivation and performance.
In this article, the authors provide an argument for future directions for teacher education, based on a re‐conceptualization of teaching. The authors argue that teacher educators need to attend to the clinical aspects of practice and experiment with how best to help novices develop skilled practice. Taking clinical practice seriously will require teacher educators to add pedagogies of enactment to an existing repertoire of pedagogies of reflection and investigation. In order to make this shift, the authors contend that teacher educators will need to undo a number of historical divisions that underlie the education of teachers. These include the curricular divide between foundations and methods courses, as well as the separation between the university and schools. Finally, the authors propose that teacher education be organized around a core set of practices in which knowledge, skill, and professional identity are developed in the process of learning to practice during professional education.
This research examined whether 5th-grade students' (N = 602) perceptions of the classroom social environment (teacher support, promotion of mutual respect, promotion of task-related interaction, student support) were related to their engagement in the classroom (self-regulation and task-related interaction) and whether those relations were mediated by personal motivational beliefs (mastery goals, academic and social efficacy). Teacher support, promotion of interaction, and student support were related to both types of engagement, and those relations were fully or partially mediated by motivational beliefs. Relations with promoting mutual respect were not significant.
One goal of project-based science is to promote the development of scientific discourse communities in classrooms. Holding rich high school scientific discussions is challenging, especially when the demands of content and norms of high school science pose challenges to their enactment. There is little research on how high school teachers enact scientific discussions using project-based science curricula, making the kinds of necessary embedded supports unclear. To address that gap in the research literature, this study analyzed curriculum supports and embedded educative features for the enactment of science discussions in one high school project-based science curriculum. Through a study of teacher enactment and a comparison of the curriculum discussion supports, we observed that while teachers increased their attempts to engage in inquiry-based discussion practices where supports were offered, they relied on heavily on traditional “recitation” formats, demonstrating that existing curricular supports were not developed enough to support dialogic classroom interactions. We hypothesize about conditions that may contribute to the pervasiveness of typical discourse practices in high school science discussions. We argue for expanded curricular discussion supports for teachers and design research on developing discussions in high school project-based science classrooms to examine how such supports are taken up, dismissed, or modified in practice. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed94:395–427, 2010
Reform efforts in science education emphasize the importance of supporting students' construction of knowledge through inquiry. Project-based science (PBS) is an ambitious approach to science instruction that addresses concerns of reformers. A sample of 142 10th- and 11th-grade students enrolled in a PBS program completed the 12th-grade 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science test. Compared with subgroups identified by NAEP that most closely matched our student sample, White and middle class, PBS students outscored the national sample on 44% of NAEP test items. This study shows that students participating in a PBS curriculum were prepared for this type of testing. Educators should be encouraged to use inquiry-based approaches such as PBS to implement reform in their schools. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 410–422, 2002
This paper describes the conceptual framework, methodology, and some results from a project on the Emotions of Teaching and Educational Change. It introduces the concepts of emotional intelligence, emotional labor, emotional understanding and emotional geographies. Drawing on interviews with 53 teachers in 15 schools, the paper then describes key differences in the emotional geographies of elementary and secondary teaching. Elementary teaching is characterized by physical and professional closeness which creates greater emotional intensity; but in ambivalent conditions of classroom power, where intensity is sometimes negative. Secondary teaching is characterized by greater professional and physical distance leading teachers to treat emotions as intrusions in the classroom. This distance, the paper argues, threatens the basic forms of emotional understanding on which high-quality teaching and learning depend.