Learners’ motivation and learning strategies in english foreign language (EFI) in Indonesian context

This paper focuses on the field of individual differences in English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning. Both motivation and language learning strategies in individual differences of students are emphasized among other factors. Motivation and language learning strategies are important to be understood as parts of student differences in English Foreign Language (EFL) learning in the context of learner-centered instruction. The issue of individual differences becomes important to develop the quality of EFL teaching and learning process. It summarizes the concept of motivation and language learning strategies, constraints in current English curriculum implementation, the importance of understanding motivation and language learning strategies in EFL teaching and learning, and poses those issues for further research on motivation and language learning strategies

Preservice teachers’ observations of their mentors’ teaching strategies for differentiated learning

Tensions exist between teacher-centred and learner-centred approaches with constructivism as being favoured for learning in the 21st Century. There is little evidence of teaching strategies being used in the field for differentiating student learning. In addition, preservice teachers need to learn about teaching strategies for which observations of their mentor teachers can provide practical applications. This study explores 16 preservice teachers’ observations of their mentors’ teaching strategies over a four-week professional experience. They provided a minimum of five written observations during this period. Findings indicated that these preservice teachers observed their mentors’ practices and recorded four key teaching strategies used to differentiate learning, namely: (1) designating facilitators for students’ learning, including teacher, peers, parents, and support staff such as teachers aides, (2) managing student groups, (3) contexts for learning, and (4) using a range of teaching aids (visual, auditory, games) and resources. Preservice teachers’ observations of their mentor teachers indicated that they can commence at early stages for identifying teaching strategies and how they work for differentiating student learning

Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Strategies

With the growing awareness of the importance of teaching and learning in universities and the need to move towards evidence-based teaching, it behooves the professions to re-examine their educational research methodology. While the what, how and why of student learning have become more explicit, the professions still struggle to find valid methods of evaluating the explosion of new innovation in teaching/learning strategies. This paper discusses the problems inherent in applying traditional experimental design techniques to advances in educational practic

Active learning strategies for an effective mathematics teaching and learning

Learning is an active enterprise, where three dimensions stand out, cognitive, social, and physical, and, in addition, not all students learn in the same way. Grounded on these ideas, this article reports a study that aims to understand and characterize the performance of pre-service teachers when experiencing active learning strategies during their mathematics classes. The participants were 48 future teachers of primary education (3-12 years old) that experienced paper folding, a gallery walk, and a math trail as active learning strategies. We followed a qualitative methodology, collecting data though observations, written productions, and photographic records. The analysis involved a qualitative and inductive approach resorting to content analysis. The results of the study show that the participants valued these experiences, due to their potential in the development of a diversity of mathematical concepts and abilities, and throughout them showed traits of cognitive, social, and physical engagement. Active learning provided collaborative work and mathematical communication enabling the emergence of different strategies to solve the proposed tasks. The participants were able to reflect and be aware of their ideas, mistakes, and difficulties, as well as of others, in a non-threatening environment, where movement was highlighted for not being a popular dimension in mathematics classes. Although more research is needed, the results encourage the use of active learning strategies as a valuable approach to teaching and learning.0D1E-4824-1244 | Ana Cristina Coelho BarbosaN/

A systemic framework for managing e-learning adoption in campus universities: individual strategies in context

There are hopes that new learning technologies will help to transform university learning and teaching into a more engaging experience for twenty-first-century students. But since 2000 the changes in campus university teaching have been more limited than expected. I have drawn on ideas from organisational change management research to investigate why this is happening in one particular campus university context. My study examines the strategies of individual lecturers for adopting e-learning within their disciplinary, departmental and university work environments to develop a conceptual framework for analysing university learning and teaching as a complex adaptive system. This conceptual framework links the processes through which university teaching changes, the resulting forms of learning activity and the learning technologies used – all within the organisational context of the university. The framework suggests that systemic transformation of a university’s learning and teaching requires coordinated change across activities that have traditionally been managed separately in campus universities. Without such coordination, established ways of organising learning and teaching will reassert themselves, as support staff and lecturers seek to optimise their own work locally. The conceptual framework could inform strategies for realising the full benefits of new learning technologies in other campus universities

Do Metacognitive Strategies Improve Student Achievement in Secondary Science Classrooms?

Increasing prevalence of high-stakes testing calls for focus on value-added teaching and learning practices. Following is an inquiry regarding metacognitive teaching and learning practices as it pertains to secondary science classrooms. Research shows that the orchestration and inclusion of metacognitive strategies in the science classroom improve achievement under the following preconditions: (1) are pervasively embedded in the educational structure; (2) are part of appropriately rigorous and relevant curriculum; (3) are supported by ‘metacognitive friendly’ teaching strategies; (4) are explicitly practiced by students and teachers; and (5) enable students to take responsibility for their own learning

What is ‘excellence’ in teaching?: the role of Learning Development Practitioners (LDPs) in supporting independent learning

In recent years ‘excellence’ in teaching has become an integral part of the strategic aims of most Higher Education Institutions. This has also impacted research agendas. Indeed, the HEA has recently invited proposals for new commissioned research projects to clarify the definition of ‘excellence’ in teaching. Both HE Learning and Teaching strategies and scholarly research associate ‘excellence’ in teaching with motivating and inspiring students, student-centred learning, and giving students the tools to become independent learners. Yet, recent research has suggested that the aims and practices of Learning Development Practitioners (LDPs) are not generally aligned to broader Learning and Teaching Strategies. Indeed, some researchers have suggested that the study skills support offered by LDPs actually contributes towards creating a generation of dependent learners, quite at odds with the strategic aims of most universities. This paper will argue the importance of aligning the aims and values of LDPs with broader Learning and Teaching strategies. It will do this by outlining practices currently adopted by the Centre for Achievement and Performance (CfAP) at the University of Northampton. These include marketing strategies, managing student expectations, encouraging students to take ownership of tutorials, nurturing confidence, and developing online material. Using a case study approach, the paper will highlight both the challenges and the instances where the centre has successfully aligned itself with broader Learning and Teaching strategies with positive outcomes for students. It will use these experiences to open up discussion on how to promote and achieve ‘excellent’ teaching in Learning Development departments across institutions

Performing Economics: A Critique of 'Teaching and Learning'

Economics students find difficulty in developing effective learning strategies; they would also welcome and benefit from a more pluralistic teaching of economics. Nevertheless, economics teaching has become less pluralistic over the recent past. Recent benchmark statements seem content to underwrite an essentially monist approach to the discipline in the hope that a deepening crisis in economics teaching can be averted by expanding teaching and learning programmes taking the content of teaching as given and instead concentrating on presentational reform. The paper argues that such teaching and learning strategies are part of the problem rather than its solution.

Strategic approaches to digital libraries and virtual learning environments (VLEs)

Pragmatic information strategies have important parallels with potentially effective strategies for introducing VLEs. Information strategies were marketed as tools for pursuing more efficient ways of conducting existing forms of research and teaching. Initially, e-learning platforms may well be best marketed as tools for facilitating existing forms of teaching carried out with transmission-based pedagogies