Exploring the experience of liminality in learners of secondary school physics

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThe idea of 'threshold concepts' has attracted attention and framed many enquiries into learning, particularly in higher education, since it was first proposed by Meyer and Land in 2003. It has formed the basis of a broadly-based scholarly community; however, it lacks some of the features of the kind of generative research programmes described by Lakatos. These include the lack of an explicit ontological and epistemological position and a lack of clarity around the fundamental concepts of transformation and liminality. Instead, much of the literature on threshold concepts uses metaphors and analogies and borrows from eclectic fields and traditions. This is particularly evident in discussions of the liminality found amongst learners when confronted by troublesome knowledge or cognitive conflicts. This empirically-based study proposes that it is possible to understand the philosophical perspectives underpinning threshold concepts in terms of a commitment to ontological realism combined with epistemological constructivism. This combination is evident elsewhere, notably in constructivist science education, in physics, and in the tension between classic Glaserian and Charmazian constructivist grounded theory. This study therefore uses a hybridised grounded theory approach, combined with a think-aloud method, in order to study experiences of liminality among pre-university learners faced with a threshold concept in physics. Learners used reflective self-dialogue and deliberative problem—solving strategies to reconcile a mismatch in explanations. Key characteristics of liminality were identified including threshold avoidance, two forms of stuckness, oscillation and mimicry. However, the use of grounded analysis resulted in a reinterpretation of liminality from a period during which transformative learning took place to one in which a learner actively explored the problem space; active exploratory learning emerged as a core category. This facilitated a change in perspective from teacher-centric to learner-centric, a resolution of the two forms of stuckness previously observed, and the development of a coherent narrative to explain oscillation and mimicry and to enable a resolution of the differences between the ‘possible breakthrough ideas’ observed during this study and the ‘eureka’ moments described in the literature. This reinterpretation enables the development of a new understanding of liminality which paves the way towards the development of threshold concepts as a theory of learning. It also demands a pedagogical refocusing from the remediation or avoidance of learner deficit to strategies for enabling learners to make the most of the liminal experience

Enhancing Free-text Interactions in a Communication Skills Learning Environment

Learning environments frequently use gamification to enhance user interactions.Virtual characters with whom players engage in simulated conversations often employ prescripted dialogues; however, free user inputs enable deeper immersion and higher-order cognition. In our learning environment, experts developed a scripted scenario as a sequence of potential actions, and we explore possibilities for enhancing interactions by enabling users to type free inputs that are matched to the pre-scripted statements using Natural Language Processing techniques. In this paper, we introduce a clustering mechanism that provides recommendations for fine-tuning the pre-scripted answers in order to better match user inputs

Improving Hybrid Brainstorming Outcomes with Scripting and Group Awareness Support

Previous research has shown that hybrid brainstorming, which combines individual and group methods, generates more ideas than either approach alone. However, the quality of these ideas remains similar across different methods. This study, guided by the dual-pathway to creativity model, tested two computer-supported scaffolds – scripting and group awareness support – for enhancing idea quality in hybrid brainstorming. 94 higher education students,grouped into triads, were tasked with generating ideas in three conditions. The Control condition used standard hybrid brainstorming without extra support. In the Experimental 1 condition, students received scripting support during individual brainstorming, and students in the Experimental 2 condition were provided with group awareness support during the group phase in addition. While the quantity of ideas was similar across all conditions, the Experimental 2 condition produced ideas of higher quality, and the Experimental 1 condition also showed improved idea quality in the individual phase compared to the Control condition

Promoting Andean children's learning of science through cultural and digital tools

Conference Theme: To see the world and a grain of sand: Learning across levels of space, time, and scaleIn Peru, there is a large achievement gap in rural schools. In order to overcome this problem, the study aims to design environments that enhance science learning through the integration of ICT with cultural artifacts, respecting the Andean culture and empower rural children to pursue lifelong learning. This investigation employs the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework, and the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology using an iterative process of design, implementation and evaluation of the innovative practice.published_or_final_versio

Studying Professional Learning from the Perspective of Wittgenstein's Picture of Language and Meaning

In professional learning, both practice and research have tended to limit focus on linear features of dissemination, the development of programmatic change approaches, and scientism. The aim of this dissertation is to find a grounding way to open up differently thinking about professionals learning in situ. By turning to Wittgenstein I shift the fundamentals underlying our talk about professional learning towards a picture of language and meaning. Reacting to the representationalist approach to language initiated by Frege, Wittgenstein sketches a picture of language and meaning consisting of the interrelated parts of language-games, grammar, and rules, focused around the use of signs. My view of Wittgenstein emphasizes language-games, and thus I emphasize moves and move-making (as per Sudnows picture of language as a moving between places). Professional learning, then, can be viewed as a matter of being able to play more relevant language-games and to have more and better moves to make and places to go. Understanding, in this picture, is a matter of being able to go on correctly in the contexts of community and the institution of language; thus I view professional learning not in terms of knowledge but rather in terms of meaning, i.e., mastery of the use of signs. I apply this picture of professional learning by exploring a species of the classic learning paradox, and then by considering the discourse of educators in actual learning sessions. A professional learning paradox emerges through application of Wittgensteins ideas concerning novices training into a practice, a paradox which oscillates throughout the thought of other theorists of education as well. Next, by applying this picture of professional learning in the case of educators peer-group learning discussions, I show how to view the learning efforts of professionals on the basis of their use of relevant signs. Insights drawn from taking up this perspective have to do with the ways in which the professional learners attempt to forge for themselves new connexions between signs. In sum, by turning to Wittgenstein and his picture of language and meaning, one finds the extraordinary in the ordinary

The student-produced electronic portfolio in craft education

The authors studied primary school students’ experiences of using an electronic portfolio in their craft education over four years. A stimulated recall interview was applied to collect user experiences and qualitative content analysis to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that the electronic portfolio was experienced as a multipurpose tool to support learning. It makes the learning process visible and in that way helps focus on and improves the quality of learning. © ISLS.Peer reviewe

Instructional Leadership and Deliberate Practice: A Framework for Improving Student Achievement

This study examined whether the theory of deliberate practice could be applied and expanded to the field of education to explain how school leaders successfully work with teachers to improve student achievement in schools with a high percentage of student identified as minority and low income. For the purpose of this study, deliberate practice is defined as practice that is (a) at an appropriate level, (b) provides informative feedback, (c) provides for opportunities for repetition, and (d) allows for correction of errors (Sternberg, Grigorenko, & Ferrari, 2002, p. 71). The researcher completed a qualitative case study of two public elementary schools in the Illinois with more than 50% of students identified as low income and minority that raised student achievement as evidenced by the schools being selected for the Illinois Spotlight Award or the Academic Improvement Award in 2011. The researcher collected data through principal interviews, a survey of all teachers, two separate interviews with each member of a subsample of teachers, and the observation of three professional development activities. The data from these sources were analyzed using the framework of deliberate practice. The results of the study indicate that the principals of the schools did use components of deliberate practice to increase student achievement. The principals actively worked to create intentional environments within their schools in which the principals expected and supported teachers to continuously refine their instructional practices to meet students\u27 needs and create an environment of deliberate practice for students. The principals created this environment by focusing on what teachers can do to improve student achievement, taking a balanced approach to utilizing assessment data to drive improvement efforts, and giving teachers flexibility to meet the changing needs of students while also setting foundational expectations for teachers

THE ROLE OF JAVANESE CULTURE IN CHARACTER BUILDING AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Nowadays, character education becomes a major concern in Indonesia. Character development has been done by various strategy, but the results is yet to be seen. Character development should beginin elementary school in order that the children's charactercould formed early so that it could be developed until they are mature. One of the efforts of character building is integrating the local wisdom in learning. One of them is the Javanese culture. Javanese culture has a variety of rules called the "unggah-ungguh" that always give good models to the public community, especially to the Javanese. Along with the times, the Javanese culture that upholds ethics began to degraded and replaced by foreign cultures that came later. The parents’ roles in instilling the Javanese culture to their children also decreased gradually. This paper will examine the Javanese culture’s roles toward the character building in elementary schools’ students. Descriptive method supported by a depth review of the literature and the previous studies is used in this paper as a method. Based on the results of these reviews, we obtain some information about the types and mechanisms of Javanese culture in character building of students, especially elementary school students