Interest, Instructional Strategies, and the Creation of Group Space

Research on small-group work and on whole class discussions has shown specific benefits for student learning. At the same time, research on interest stresses the generation of situational interest when particular learning conditions are met. This qualitative study explores whether the type of instructional strategy (small group vs. whole class discussion) influences triggering of situational interest about theoretical and practice-oriented pedagogical topics among preservice science teachers (N = 44). Triggering of interest was identified by participation rate, degree of comfort during interactions, and quality of arguments. Results show that whole class discussions of theoretical topics shifted towards practical teaching issues, while small groups sustained the theoretical nature of a topic. Both interaction patterns imply triggering of situational interest. But the small group interaction patterns indicate the collective construction of a “triple problem-solving space”, in which content, social/relational, and interest were balanced from the start; the whole class discussions needed first to renegotiate the content

Scott as a novelist

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University, 1931. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Language instruction educational programs and academic achievement of Latino English Learners: Considerations for states with changing demographics

Little research currently examines language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) in states with a more recent growth of the Latino English learner population. To meet this need, the authors examined the content each of the state LIEPs, focusing chiefly on the extent to which the types of language support, as well as the stipulations associated with them, are made explicit. Using US Census data from 1970 and 2009, the authors assessed LIEPs in the context of Latino population patterns and examined the relationship between the degree to which state LIEPs emphasize bilingual education and fourth-grade Latino English learners’ achievement patterns in reading, mathematics, and science achievement on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. Latino English learners in states with a higher proportion of Latinos tend to have higher achievement outcomes when policies emphasize bilingual education, but these states also have a longer history of Latino presence. Implications for high-growth states are discussed

Approaching Classroom Realities: Mixed Methods and Structural Equation Models in Science Education Research

This book addresses implications for Gold Standards of education research—especially in science education and literacy. These standards are meant to provide evidence-based educational outcomes found effective in randomized controlled trials, following patterns of evidence used in medical research. Similar expectations have emerged in other countries—from education ministries, for researchers working with U.S. colleagues, and for researchers with multinational and non-profit support.The current Gold Standard policy, developed in the United States through the 2001 No Child Left Behind [NCLB] Act and the 2002 Education Sciences Reform Act, attempts to improve the effects of schooling and enhance educational research. The contributions to this book explore perspectives on how best to implement multiple standards of education research

Constructing School Knowledge after the Wall: The Case of Textbook Publishing in the Former German Democratic Republic

Organisational ecology and world cultural perspectives are used to analyse the struggle of the former East German textbook publisher Volk und Wissen after reunification. We argue that the normative expectations of Western Germany with respect to instructional materials clearly emulate world cultural principles, and so Volk und Wissen\u27s transition into Germany\u27s fiercely competitive educational publishing market offers an interesting test of the effects of educational globalisation. Reliance on the marketing expertise of Cornelsen, a Western German firm that acquired Volk und Wissen in 1991, helped the firm survive, but also retaining a monist epistemological stance that was consistent with that of teachers trained in the socialist system

Instructional models for the acquisition of English as bridges into school science: effects on the science achievement of U.S. Hispanic English language learners

Science educators have suggested that, for minority and low-income students, gaps between home and school science cultures necessitate ‘border crossing’ for successful learning in science. Our analysis used National Assessment of Educational Progress 2000 and 2005 data to assess the impact of U.S. state-level policy regarding instructional models for language acquisition for the learning of science. Specifically, we assessed whether policy favouring structured English immersion led to better student outcomes than bilingual education among Hispanic English language learners in 4th and 8th grades in the U.S. We found significantly higher science achievement among 4th grade Hispanic ELLs in states with stronger bilingual emphasis in their policy, suggesting that policy support for bilingual education could provide a better bridge to span the cultural gap between home and school science, at least for younger students