5,041 research outputs found

    Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

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    Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

    Comparison between the Use of Lecture and Workbook in Improving the Academic Performance of Students in Ecology

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    This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of lecture and workbook in improving the academic performance of students in ecology in Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Philippines. This an action research that made use of actual scores and interventions to improve the academic performance of 44 students enrolled in Ecology. There were 22 students in the A group (lecture) and another 22 students in B group (workbook). The use of pure lecture was applied to group A (lecture) and workbook was utilized to group B. The frequency, percentage and average mean were utilized to compare the performance of   both groups in the pre-test and post-test. T-test was used to determine the difference of students’ performance. Both groups, group A (lecture) and group B (workbook) performed poorly (59%) before the utilization of lecture to group A and workbook to group B as interventions. The average performance of group A (lecture) after the implementation of lecture as intervention was very good (89%) with 21.38% progress while group B (workbook) got (90%) equivalent to very good performance with 23.09% progress. Both groups have improved in their academic performance in ecology after the utilization of interventions but the use of workbook was more advantageous

    Perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in an Online RN to BSN Program

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    Basic nursing education is no longer sufficient to meet the escalating demands of today\u27s complex healthcare environment. Recognizing the need for the advanced cognitive skills incurred by these demands, increasing numbers of registered nurses (RNs) have been enrolling in online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. The problem identified in the RN to BSN degree completion program at a large Midwestern university was the lack of information as to how online teaching and learning strategies were experienced by students. Research has demonstrated that the online community of inquiry (CoI) model facilitates higher order thinking through collaborative learning strategies and the interaction of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate the perceptions of RNs enrolled in the program about a recently completed course utilizing a 34-item CoI survey and semi-structured interviews. The data from 109 completed survey responses were analyzed via descriptive statistics and indicated that student perceptions of social and teaching presence were lower than perceptions of cognitive presence, meaning that the perceived establishment of online relationships and instructor engagement were not as high as were the perceived experiences of higher order thinking. Interviews with 15 purposefully selected students were analyzed for emergent themes and suggested limited online collaboration, which is considered to be fundamental to higher order learning. Based on these findings, a faculty development workshop was designed using the CoI model to encourage collaboration. A potential increase in RN proficiency in higher order thinking fostered by the CoI model will optimize the quality of patient-related decisions, minimize medical errors, and provide the impetus to challenge the status quo in health care

    A Narrative Inquiry on Chinese International Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on Developing Critical Thinking in the U.S.

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    Guided by transformative learning theory and Perry\u27s scheme of intellectual and ethical development, this dissertation study examines Chinese international doctoral students\u27 critical thinking development process in the US. The two research questions that guided this study are: (1) How do Chinese international doctoral students understand and conceptualize critical thinking? and (2) How have Chinese international doctoral students developed critical thinking during their doctoral studies in the U.S.? Narrative method design is applied to the study, which interviews eight participants. Using narrative thematic analysis of data, four key themes emerged from the study: a) awareness of critical thinking in Western versus Chinese context, b) sufficient understanding of critical thinking, c) transformation versus amplification, and d) developing critical thinking relying on self and others. Through participants\u27 narratives, this study enriches our understanding of Chinese international doctoral students\u27 journey towards elevated critical thinking. The study sheds light on how critical thinking develops in Western and Chinese contexts, influenced by cultural factors, education, and personal agency. The study has provided valuable insights into different ways of comprehending and advancing critical thinking. As a result, the study enhances our understanding of the journey of Chinese international doctoral students toward elevated critical thinking, by providing valuable insights into educational theory and international adult learning experiences. These findings have implications for educational practices, highlighting the need for personalized support systems and culturally sensitive approaches. It emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that fosters independent inquiry and sophisticated epistemological beliefs. The research makes a significant contribution to the literature on critical thinking, cross-cultural education, and transformative learning

    The Use of Problem-Based Learning Model to Improve Quality Learning Students Morals

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    Model of moral cultivation in MTsN Bangunharja done using three methods, classical cultivation methods, extra-curricular activities in the form of religious activities, scouting, sports, and Islamic art, and habituation of morals. Problem base learning models in MTsN Bangunharja applied using the following steps: fi nd the problem, de fi ne the problem, Determine the facts, develop provisional estimates, Investigate, Enhance the problem has been de fi ned, concluded alternatives to solving collaboratively, test solutions to problems. The problem base learning and teaching models is proven to improve the quality of the character of students in MTsN Bangunharja. This is evidenced by the results of statistical calculations that generate t values of 26.35, while t table amounted to 1.7109. Keywords: moral education, problem base learnin

    The Impact of an Interprofessional Education Curriculum on the Clinical Practice of Physical Therapy Doctoral Students

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    As the healthcare system has continued to change in the 21st century, the creation of a more collaborative practice-ready workforce is necessary. Interprofessional education (IPE) is an accepted mechanism to cultivate interprofessional collaborative practice in health care providers to improve quality of care and address workforce needs. Development of interprofessional collaborative practice requires synergies of the health care and education systems to develop and deliver an effective IPE curriculum. This study examined the impact of an IPE curriculum on the clinical practice of physical therapy doctoral students through a mixed-methods approach. The IPE curriculum was rooted in the established Interprofessional Learning Continuum and linked to core competencies from the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Quantitative procedures examined student clinical performance in the immediate internship following completion of the curriculum, and these criteria were compared to historical norms. Qualitative procedures sought to determine if areas of clinical performance were influenced by the curriculum and examine how students translated learning into the clinical environment. The results of this study identified numerous areas of significant impact of interprofessional learning on patient care in the clinical environment, although none of the quantitative measures identified significant differences. Several salient themes were identified which recognize the multidimensional nature of patient care in the complex clinical environment, involving an interplay of communication, experience, role understanding, and interprofessional interactions all being strongly developed within the IPE curriculum. These findings contribute to the literature calling for mixed methods analyses of influences of IPE of health care students on clinical practice in order to better understand and further develop interprofessional practice

    The necessity and possibility of powerful ‘regional’ knowledge: curriculum change and renewal

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    © 2016 Taylor & Francis. The paper argues that powerful regional knowledge is necessary and possible and that there are historical precedents supporting these claims. Regional knowledge is being used in a double sense: the first Bernsteinian, the second in relation to knowledge generated outside the academy. Both are important if the debate is not to be confined solely to the global north and if the curriculum is to be responsive to geo-political realities. In order to think critically about access to higher education, we need to consider the sorts of knowledge, engagement, and opportunities that are open to newer actors. This includes recognising the contextual nature of professional practice and also that social movements beyond the academy can and do challenge academic knowledge. The paper concludes that many of issues addressed are not capable of theoretical resolution alone and that we need more empirical work to inform curriculum change and renewal

    Secondary English Teachers\u27 Experiences on Critical Thinking for African American Male Students

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    African American male students (AAMSs) can benefit from literacy instruction that is student-based and geared towards using higher-level thinking skills. The conceptual framework was guided by Dewey\u27s constructivism theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore whether high school English language arts (ELA) teachers in an urban-suburban Midwest region of the United States have sufficient knowledge and skills to incorporate higher order thinking skills (HOT) instruction for AAMSs. Five ELA teachers from a low-performing, urban-suburban high school in the Midwest region of the United States participated in semistructured interviews; observations were conducted in the classroom, and lesson plans were reviewed. Patterns, categories, and themes emerged through using the coding process by breaking down the data into units and then grouped according to their characteristics. According to the findings, participants from this study suggested that problem- solving was the main higher level thinking skill for AAMSs. These local ELA teachers also used the Socratic questioning method as their primary instructional strategy but limited constructivist activities for AAMSs to engage during the instructional process. The findings from the data collection support the development of a professional training program. The professional development program could help teachers engage AAMSs in increasing their academic endeavors. ELA teachers can participate in professional learning communities by communicating concerns about AAMSs, using HOT skills to increase AAMSs literacy performance, become change agents, and promote a positive social change by using constructivist practices into school curriculum and instructions for AAMSs, eventually closing the achievement gap

    GARDEN-BASED LEARNING IN A REGGIO EMILIA INSPIRED SWEDISH PRESCHOOL WITH A PERMACULTURE GARDEN A case study

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    Aim: This study aims to get an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the garden and garden-based learning in an educational environment of a Swedish preschool that is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and has a permaculture garden. Theory: Social constructivism has been adopted as the theoretical framework for this study to gain an understanding of learning processes in the environment of a preschool. The theoretical perspective supported the interpretation and discussion of the research findings. Method: This study is a qualitative case study that is informed by the constructivist research paradigm. The case study is designed as a single-case study with the rationale of an unusual case (Yin, 2018). Observations, interviews, photography, and research diary were applied as data collection methods. 11 pedagogues were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The findings from observations, photography, and research diary have been analysed simultaneously to the research process, which was essential for formulating the interview questions. The interviews have been transcribed and in the first instance they have been analysed inductively, from the ground up. Afterwards, the transcripts have been coded with NVivo, a data analysis programme, which lead to 83 codes that were merged into seven themes. Results: The research findings indicate that the preschool garden becomes a meeting place, a changeable environment, a place of well-being, and a living-learning environment. Further, the findings suggest that teaching and learning in the garden and with its materials become a co-construction between children and pedagogues. Also, learning becomes experiential learning with all senses and an active and contextual driven process for both, the children, and pedagogues. Teaching becomes guiding and co-construction instead of instruction. Garden-based learning in the environment of a preschool requires curiosity, knowledge, a will to try and learn, and responsiveness towards the garden and the children from the pedagogues. Challenges of garden-based learning emerging in the study are the coordination between the work with and the needs of the children and the garden, and the utilization of the garden as an additional learning environment
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