To date the research in the area of social emotional competence has focused on child-based intervention and outcomes. The findings cite effective approaches to assisting children in the area of social and emotional development involving promotion of appropriate social skills, explicit instruction of behavioral expectations, and support for emotional literacy and awareness (Wester -- Stratton, 1990; Hyson, 2004; Fox et al, 2003; Denham & Burton, 1996). These recommended practices requires teacher knowledge and skill, content knowledge in the area of social emotional developmental, and skills in using pedagogical techniques that support acquisition of the aforementioned areas. Educational researchers and specialists cannot begin to support the advancement of teacher practice in the area of social-emotional competence until they are clear on the methods and behaviors childcare professional currently employ. On the basis of a review of empirical literature, it is clear that limited descriptive information about childcare provider's pedagogical practices in the area of promoting social, emotional, and behavioral competence exists. The intent of this inquiry was to investigate childcare professionals' chosen methods in guiding children's social and behavioral development. After identifying which methods were used, the researcher sought to describe the childcare professional's intention when choosing to use specific pedagogical techniques during large- and small-group instruction. Specifically, the concentration of interest was on the methods used during teacher-initiated instruction (such as large and small group) to guide children's social skill building and behavioral expectation compliance. Research questions were examined using a mixed methodological framework with a descriptive research design component and a phenomenographic approach incorporating stimulated recall. Findings suggest childcare professionals readily and proficiently engage in explicit instruction around behavioral expectations. However, they rarely systematically instruct children on social skills. Childcare professionals seem to rely on the implicit nature of day to day interactions to embed social interactions and reactions. Further, childcare professionals seem to be primed for systematic instruction around the promotion of social skills. They are cognoscente of explicit techniques to guide behavioral expectation compliance but seem to have limited transference from this skill to explicit instruction in social skill acquisition. Additional findings and implications are provided in the text.

Die Tatigkeit die Leiter der Bildungsanstalten im Anerziehung der aktiven Unterrichtsmetoden.

Sparti socialinio bei kultūrinio gyvenimo kaita, informacinės visuomenės plėtra, globalizacija kelia Lietuvos švietimui naujus iššūkius, kurie lemia jau antrą dešimtmetį vykstančius jo pokyčius. Gyvenimo pokyčiai sąlygoja ugdymo idėjų kaitą, vyksta naujų efektyvesnių mokymo ir mokymosi teorijų bei metodų paieškos. Šiandieniame švietime svarbus pedagogų papildomų kompetencijų įgijimas, todėl vis didesnis dėmesys skiriamas perkvalifikavimo studijų organizavimui. Nes nuo pedagogų kvalifikacijos bei turimos kompetencijos, priklauso švietimo kokybė ir sėkminga švietimo įstaigų veikla. Šio mokslinio darbo tikslas yra išanalizuoti pedagogų požiūrį į mokymo ir mokymosi metodų panaudojimą perkvalifikavimo studijose. Darbo uždaviniai yra panagrinėti pedagogų perkvalifikavimo sampratą ir procesą Lietuvos švietimo reformų kontekste, aptarti suaugusiųjų mokymosi organizavimo ypatumus ir ištirti pedagogų, dalyvaujančių perkvalifikavimo programose, požiūrį į mokymo ir mokymosi metodų panaudojimą perkvalifikavimo studijose. Tyrimas parodė, kad pedagogų dalyvavimą perkvalifikavimo studijose dažniausiai lemia būtinybė įgyti dalykinę kvalifikaciją bei noras tobulėti, siekis įgyti pedagoginių ir psichologinių žinių. Tačiau šių studijų paskaitose taikomi mokymo(si) metodai dažniausiai tik dalinai tenkina besimokančių poreikius. Nustatyta, kad perkvalifikavimo studijose yra naudojami įvairūs mokymo metodai. Vyraujantys du tradiciniai mokymo(si) metodai – paskaita ir aiškinimas – geriausiai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The rapid alternation of social and cultural life, development of informative society, globalization challenges the education of Lithuania and condition changes of the past two decades. The changes of life determine the alteration of educational ideas, search for new and more effective theories and methods of teaching and learning. It is important in recent education for teachers to gain additional competence. Thus, greater attention is paid at the organization of retraining studies, as the quality of education and successful work of educational institutions depend on the teachers’ qualifications and competence. The aim of this research is to analyze teachers’ approach to the use of teaching and learning methods in the retraining studies. The objectives of the research are to study the conception of teachers‘ retraining and its process in the context of educational reforms in Lithuania, discuss the peculiarities of the organization of adult teaching, and survey teachers’ who participate in retraining programs approach to the use of teaching and learning methods in the retraining studies. The research clearly shows that usually teachers’ participation in the refresher course centers is due to the necessity to have the right qualification for the job and a wish for proper pedagogical and psychological knowledge. However, the teaching-learning methods used during the lectures only partly meet the requirements of the teachers. It is estimated that there are various teaching... [to full text]

Gyvename XXI amžiuje. Tai galimybių amžius, kuriame plėtojama daugybę sferų, atsiveria naujos galimybėms. Tai puikus laikas naujų iššūkių formavimuisi. Pažindami kitas kultūras, skatindami mobilumą mes išplečiam savo prioritetų ir galimybių ratą. Žinios tampa svarbiausiu objektu, galinčiu užtikrinti stabilumą tiek visuomeniniame, tiek socialiniame gyvenime. Visų sektorių glaudus bendradarbiavimas iškelia naujus iššūkius ir šalių švietimo sistemoms. Šiandieninis mokymas, orientuojasi į ugdytinį ir studijų procese pabrėžiami būdai, kitaip tariant, metodai, kuriais turinys pasieka adresatą. Žinoma, metodai egzistavo ir anksčiau, tačiau jų svarba nebuvo tokia reikšminga, kadangi mokymo proceso tikslai akcentavo žinių svarbą. Dabar akcentuojamas studentų kompetencijų kėlimas, gebėjimas savarankiškai mąstyti, planuoti, įgytas žinias apjungti su praktika. Todėl svarbu suprasti koks vaidmuo aukštajame moksle atitenka metodams, kokia dėstytojo pozicija ir veikla padeda įgyvendinti švietimo tikslus bei koks vaidmuo privalomas studentams. Darbe norėta išryškinti dėstymo metodų taikymo aukštųjų mokyklų edukacinėje praktikoje įvairovę ir jų pasirinkimą lemiančius veiksnius. Siekiant įgyvendinti užsibrėžtus tikslus, tyrimui atlikti buvo naudojama mokslinės literatūros analizė, parengta anketinė apklausa aukštųjų mokyklų studentams ir dėstytojams (kiekybinė duomenų analizė), atvirų klausimų anketa užsienio šalių dėstytojams (kokybinė duomenų analizė). Literatūros analizė parodė, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / We live in the twenty-first century. This is the time of opportunities. This is an exciting time for the formation of new challenges. Discovering other cultures, promoting mobility, we extend its range of priorities and opportunities. Knowledge becomes the most important subject, which could ensure the stability of both the public and social life. All sectors of the close cooperation brings new challenges and forms of education systems. Nowadays education is more oriented to person not only to knowledge giving culture. No imoratant became methods by which content has reached the target. Of course, the methods existed in the past, but their importance was not so significant because educational objectives stressed the importance of knowledge. Now focus on raising students' skills, the ability to think independently, to plan, combined with the knowledge gained by practice. It is therefore important to understand what the role of higher education accrue to the methods of what teacher's position and activities contribute to the implementation of education goals and what role mandatory for students. The work was supposed to highlight the teaching methods in higher education and educational practice, the diversity of their choice determinants. Literature analysis showed that there is no single universal, in all cases the proper approach to the learning process. Everyone must find their place in accordance with the purpose and situation. The experimental results showed that methods... [to full text]

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders often do not respond to common pedagogical strategies and traditional in vivo teaching approaches. From my observations, students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders learn best when material is presented through technology. Based on the information found in the literature review and personal observations from working with students with special needs, when students with Autism Spectrum Disorders receive video based instruction by watching recorded art lessons, they may learn to develop artistic skills and retain more art content knowledge with greater success than through traditional teaching methods. The purpose of this research study is to test the hypothesis that video based teaching methods can improve the learning of students with autism in a series of art lessons.

The nurturing of critical thinking skills is one of the cornerstones of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). This study investigated to what extent teachers create classroom climates that nurture the development of critical thinking abilities. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the importance and nature of the development of critical thinking skills, and to establish the relationship between classroom climate and the development of critical thinking abilities. The use of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques, the role of the teacher and the role of the learner during teaching and learning in the classroom were explored. The literature review provided the conceptual framework for the study, as well as the framework for designing a questionnaire that was utilized to obtain the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding the opportunities provided by teachers for the development of critical thinking abilities in the classroom. By means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive survey research, a self-constructed questionnaire was administrated to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Grade 9 and Grade 11 teachers (n=241) and learners (n=403) in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Department of Education. The triangulation of learner and teacher data revealed differences and similarities in opinion related to the classroom climates that teachers create for nurturing critical thinking. In essence, the data revealed that teachers are, to some extent, creating classroom climates that nurture critical thinking through their choice of teaching methods and strategies, questioning techniques and the learning activities that they choose. However, the responses did not convincingly indicate to the researcher that the nurturing of critical thinking skills takes place on a regular and frequent basis. According to the learner responses, it appeared that teaching and learning methods and strategies that promote interactive learning, are underutilized by the teachers. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to create classroom climates that promote the development of critical thinking skills. Key words: cognition, cognitive development, critical thinking, classroom climate, teaching methods and strategies, learning activities, questioning techniques. / M.Ed., North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Abstract When traditional lecture methods prove ineffective, some professors turn to alternative teaching styles. In particular, a flipped or inverted classroom, where students watch conceptual videos before coming to class and use class time for application and fine tuning of these concepts has become popular in recent years. However, little consensus exists on the efficacy of these strategies. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a flipped classroom structure implemented in a medical school course successfully improved student performance. To do so, I analyzed exam data from the University of Nebraska Medical Center before and after implementation of the alternate method in a course, and compared to another class taken in the same semester that did not undergo any change in teaching style. In addition, I investigated differences among particular student academic and demographic groups that may benefit from learning in an inverted classroom environment. My findings suggest that the flipped classroom strategy is advantageous to student learning and can significantly increase the performance of particular divisions of students such as those with lower-than-average MCAT scores and students who performed highly in their first year of medical school.

A positive classroom is more conducive to learning than a negative one. Since the teacher creates the classroom climate, it is important for him or her to follow certain didactic guidelines for creating the right climate. This study investigated the implementation of specific didactic guidelines for creating a climate the most conducive to learning. Kruger and Van Schalkwyk (1992:104) are of the opinion that if a classroom climate is hearty, warm and appealing, everybody is relaxed, and experiences the togetherness as pleasant. Such a setting offers each individual the opportunity for being his or her true self, and the teacher as well as the students are willing to open up and become involved. Should the classroom climate be stiff, cold and clinical, however, the participants become tense, stiff, and introverted. They become unwilling to reveal themselves to one another. The study was aimed at answering specific problem questions, namely: • What does a positive classroom climate entail? • Which didactic measures ensure a positive climate? • What is the current classroom climate at secondary schools? • Which methods and techniques can be implemented to create a positive climate? • Which didactic guidelines can be presented to teachers for optimising the classroom climate? The first two questions were investigated by means of a literature study. Certain findings led to the answers to the problem questions. The third question was answered through an empirical study aimed at determining the climate of a specific secondary school. The study revealed that the students in general experienced the climate as positive. Two control variables, namely gender and language, however, showed slight differences of opinion. Although the results showed no practical statistical significance, a difference was noted between the opinions of girls and boys, as well as between Afrikaans speaking students and students speaking African languages. The questionnaires the teachers completed, were based on the same guidelines for creating classroom climate as were found in the literature study. In chapter 5 various recommendations for further research in this field, relevant to South Africa in particular, were made since it is believed that the school situation here is unique. Further research can offer solutions to persistent problems. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000

This study was undertaken in the Johannesburg South district (D11). Primary school language teachers in this district (D11) were invited to participate in this study by means of a questionnaire. This study investigated which kind of teaching methods teachers are currently using to develop and enhance critical thinking skills of ESL learners in language classrooms. Teachers' knowledge of Blooms' Taxonomy of cognitive objectives and how to use this taxonomy to develop ESL learners' critical thinking skills were also scrutinized. Since many ESL learners' language proficiency in English is also limited the responses of the teachers indicated that this could have a negative influence on their critical thinking development. This study accentuates the need for the use of a variety of teaching methods to enhance ESL learners' critical thinking skills in language in the Johannesburg South District (D11). / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The nurturing of critical thinking skills is one of the cornerstones of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). This study investigated to what extent teachers provide opportunities for the development of critical thinking skills in Grade 8 in Mathematics classrooms. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the importance and nature of the development of critical thinking skills in the Mathematics classroom, and to establish how critical thinking could be nurtured during the teaching, learning and assessment of Mathematics. Various teaching methods and assessment strategies, types of learning material, a variety of classroom activities and how to create a classroom conducive to the development of critical thinking skills were explored. The literature review provided the framework to design a questionnaire that was utilized to obtain the perceptions of Grade 8 Mathematics teachers and learners regarding the opportunities provided for the development of critical thinking skills in Mathematics classrooms. By means of quantitative, non-experimental descriptive research, the self constructed, closed-ended questionnaire was administered to a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of Mathematics teachers (n = 92) and learners (n = 204) in the Ekurhuleni District of Gauteng, South Africa. The triangulation of learner and teacher data revealed that teachers do have an understanding of the importance of critical thinking in the Mathematics classroom, but that their understanding is not always fully translated into practical opportunities for the development of critical thinking skills. It was revealed that teachers do make use of questioning and allow learners to communicate during problem-solving, which are important strategies for the development of critical thinking. However, it was evident that teachers appear to be inhibiting the development of critical thinking skills by relying heavily on the use of textbooks and transmission of knowledge during teaching, and seem not to acknowledge the merits of cooperative learning and real life experiences during the teaching and learning of Mathematics. The study is concluded with recommendations on how to nurture and improve critical thinking in the Mathematics classroom. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Learning and Teaching)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.