Preservice elementary school teachers' knowledge of fractions: a mirror of students' knowledge?

This research analyses preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions. Fractions are notoriously difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Previous studies suggest that student learning of fractions may be limited by teacher understanding of fractions. If so, teacher education has a key role in solving the problem. We first reviewed literature regarding students' knowledge of fractions. We did so because assessments of required content knowledge for teaching require review of the students' understanding to determine the mathematics difficulties encountered by students. The preservice teachers were tested on their conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions, and on their ability in explaining the rationale for a procedure or the conceptual meaning. The results revealed that preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions indeed is limited and that last-year preservice teachers did not perform better than first-year preservice teachers. This research is situated within the broader domain of mathematical knowledge for teaching and suggests ways to improve instruction and student learning

Culture-based artefacts to inform ICT design: foundations and practice

Cultural aspects frame our perception of the world and direct the many different ways people interact with things in it. For this reason, these aspects should be considered when designing technology with the purpose to positively impact people in a community. In this paper, we revisit the foundations of culture aiming to bring this concept in dialogue with design. To inform design with cultural aspects, we model reality in three levels of formality: informal, formal, and technical, and subscribe to a systemic vision that considers the technical solution as part of a more complex social system in which people live and interact. In this paper, we instantiate this theoretical and methodological view by presenting two case studies of technology design in which culture-based artefacts were employed to inform the design process. We claim that as important as including issues related to culture in the ICT design agenda—from the conception to the development, evaluation, and adoption of a technology—is the need to support the design process with adequate artefacts that help identifying cultural aspects within communities and translating them into sociotechnical requirements. We argue that a culturally informed perspective on design can go beyond an informative analysis, and can be integrated with the theoretical and methodological framework used to support design, throughout the entire design process

Cultural Factors Influencing Japanese Female College Students\u27 Perceptions of Learning in a Web-Based Environment: Implications for Web-Based Instructional Designers

The burst of the Japanese bubble economy in 1992 brought about many reforms in Japanese education. One example of these reforms is the recent introduction of web-based instruction into Japanese classrooms. Since traditional Japanese education has been greatly influenced by elements of Confucianism, many educators are concerned about the integration of web-based instruction with traditional Japanese teaching methods. The purposes of this study were to investigate Japanese female junior college students\u27 attitudes and/or perceptions of learning in a web-based environment, and to measure performance between students in a traditional teacher-centered course with another group of students learning via web-based instruction. This study utilized a mixed-methodology design to investigate the following two research questions: (a) What cultural factors related to Confucianism influence Japanese freshman female college students\u27 perceptions of learning in a web-based environment, and (b) Are there significant differences between pre and posttest mean scores on the Pre-TOEFL Test of those Japanese female college students taking a TOEFL preparation course via web-based instruction, and the mean pre and posttest scores of another group of Japanese female college students taking a similar course in a teacher-centered class? Sixty Japanese female college students aged 18–19 years old participated in the study. The students were randomly assigned by last name into a Treatment group which took a TOEFL course via web-based instruction, and a Control group which studied via a teacher-centered class. For the qualitative section, six students from the Treatment group were interviewed three times each; before, during, and after the treatment. Results indicated a movement away from cultural influences of Confucianism as the treatment progressed. For the quantitative investigation, a Pre-TOEFL test was given to both groups before and after the treatment. Results indicated there were significant differences of the pre and posttest mean scores at the .05 level within each group; however, there was no significant difference in the gain scores between the groups. Incorporating results from both the qualitative and quantitative sections provided implications for instructional designers of web-based courses for Japanese female college students. Because the study was limited to the sample population, results cannot be generalized to the larger Japanese population, therefore, recommendations for further research were listed

Evaluating teachers’ professional development initiatives : towards an extended evaluative framework

Evaluating teachers’ professional development initiatives (PDI) is one of the main challenges for the teacher professionalisation eld. Although di erent studies have focused on the e ectiveness of PDI, the obtained e ects and evaluative methods have been found to be widely divergent. By means of a narrative review, this study provides an extended framework to guide the evaluation of (the e ectiveness of ) PDI. Furthermore, and in accordance with this framework, an overview of measurement instruments that are currently in use is provided. The study concludes with implications for educational research and developers of PDI

Using a gamified monitoring app to change adolescents' snack intake : the development of the REWARD app and evaluation design

Background: As the snacking pattern of European adolescents is of great concern, effective interventions are necessary. Till now health promotion efforts in children and adolescents have had only limited success in changing adolescents' eating patterns and anthropometrics. Therefore, the present study proposes an innovative approach to influence dietary behaviors in youth based on new insights on effective behavior change strategies and attractive intervention channels to engage adolescents. This article describes the rationale, the development, and evaluation design of the 'Snack Track School' app. The aim of the app is to improve the snacking patterns of Flemish 14- to 16-year olds. Methods: The development of the app was informed by the systematic, stepwise, iterative, and collaborative principles of the Intervention Mapping protocol. A four week mHealth intervention was developed based on the dual-system model with behavioral change strategies targeting both the reflective (i.e., active learning, advance organizers, mere exposure, goal-setting, monitoring, and feedback) and automatic processes (i.e., rewards and positive reinforcement). This intervention will be evaluated via a controlled pre-post design in Flemish schools among 1400 adolescents. Discussion: When this intervention including strategies focused on both the reflective and automatic pathway proves to be effective, it will offer a new scientifically-based vision, guidelines and practical tools for public health and health promotion (i.e., incorporation of learning theories in intervention programs)

Technology-enhanced learning as a site for interdisciplinary research

This briefing on Interdisciplinary Research is the fifth publication of its kind emerging from the Technology Enhanced Learning Research programme (TEL). TEL is a £12m programme running from 2007-2012 with eight large interdisciplinary projects aiming to combine technological and pedagogical expertise to improve outcomes for learners. The programme is funded jointly by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. TEL also commissions analyses of key theoretical, practical and policy issues across and beyond the eight projects, and in the wider TEL field

Teachers' Burnout Profile- Risk and protective factors

Background: Burnout syndrome represents a factual risk for school teachers during their career. Several factors have been analyzed as stress sources enabled to menace teachers’ general well-being; nevertheless, protective factors mostly related to their personal resources may differently characterize teachers’ profiles. Objectives: The current study aimed to define different teachers’ profiles based on their burnout levels and attitudes towards job (i.e., job satisfaction, self-efficacy, attitudes toward professional growth, collective efficacy, positive and negative emotions, and hedonic balance). attitudes towards job Methods: Participants were 266 school teachers (F=69.1%) ranging from 26 to 65 years old (M=48.95; SD=8.31), with teaching experience ranged from 1 to 41 years (M=21.72; SD=10.36). Data were collected by three self-report questionnaires: Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Attitudes towards job questionnaires, School Collective efficacy. Results: Cluster analysis approach showed two distinct teacher’s profiles named at-risk and non at-risk teachers. Main differences were due to burnout levels, attitudes toward job and extra-mansions at work. No differences were found related to teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics and their years of experience. Conclusions: The two teachers’ profiles resulting from the cluster analysis show several similarities, including collective efficacy and job satisfaction levels. Results are discussed in relation as to how teachers’ positive emotions towards their job can work as protective factors against the risk of burnou

A Creative Design and Implementation of Student-led Flipped Classroom Model in English Learning

The paper begins with the introduction of the origin and wide application of flipped classroom model (hereafter refers to as FCM) in American schools, and then analyzes the basic connotations and framework of FCM with creative thinking. Five famous American FCMs are illustrated in detail and compared in different areas, which are used for reference in the design of our own future class. The highlight and creation of the paper is presented in Part III expounding the creative design and practice of Student-led FCM in English learning in Chinese high schools. It includes the elaborate design of pre-class independent learning with two indispensable components of Chinese FCM: micro-course and in-class activity learning with group discussion. The paper finally demonstrates a case study of Student-led FCM in English class designed and implemented by the students in Dalian Yuming Senior High School tentatively, providing inspiration and references for the creative application of Student-led FCM in Chinese high schools

Childhood aggression and the co-occurrence of behavioural and emotional problems

Childhood aggression and its resulting consequences inflict a huge burden on affected children, their relatives, teachers, peers and society as a whole. Aggression during childhood rarely occurs in isolation and is correlated with other symptoms of childhood psychopathology. In this paper, we aim to describe and improve the understanding of the co-occurrence of aggression with other forms of childhood psychop