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This study describes the first study conducted in Thailand that resulted in changes in science teachers' classroom environments. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of constructivist teaching on improving learning environments in Thai secondary school science classrooms. The study involved three phases. First, the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), an instrument for assessing students' perceptions of the actual and preferred classroom environment through the constructivist perspective, was validated for use in Thailand. Second, typical Thai secondary school science classrooms were described using quantitative and qualitative methods. Finally, the effectiveness of constructivist teaching on promoting improvement in classroom environments was evaluated through an action research process, involving the use of feedback on actual and preferred classroom environments. The sample consisted of seven secondary school science teachers and their 17 classes of 606 students in Nakornsawan Province, Thailand. Student Actual and Preferred Forms of the CLES, assessing Personal Relevance, Uncertainty, Critical Voice, Shared Control and Student Negotiation, were administered. Factor analysis and internal consistency reliability measures supported a five-factor structure for both actual and preferred forms. Students' attitudes to science were also measured. The actual and preferred environments of different classes were described based on profiles of classroom environment scores. / The results suggested that the average classroom in this study had relatively high levels of student perceived actual Uncertainty, Student Negotiation, and Personal Relevance, but the levels of Shared Control and Critical Voice were consistently lower. On all five scales, students preferred a more favourable classroom environment than what they perceived as being actually present. Three teachers, selected from the original sample, then participated in an attempt to improve their classroom environments through the use of a constructivist teaching approach. Changes in classrooms did occur, thus supporting the effectiveness of constructivist teaching in improving classroom learning environments and students' attitudes towards science in Thailand.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2413. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-205).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 122 p.; also includes graphics Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-107). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Education." Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-142).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.(Educational Psychology)) -- University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-77)

Orientador: Luci Banks Leite / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T20:33:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rocha_JulianoGuerra_M.pdf: 17630608 bytes, checksum: a7ed518dc2da3db4ce2bc552d71379b3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Esta dissertação estuda as marcas argumentativas nas narrativas infantis, direcionando um olhar para os textos narrativos escritos por crianças dos 6 aos 9 anos de idade, em processo de escolarização. Logo, as perguntas norteadoras desta investigação foram: Como se processa a argumentação nos textos de tipo predominantemente narrativo, escritos por crianças na fase inicial da escrita? Quais as marcas argumentativas que surgem em um texto do tipo narrativo, escrito por uma criança? Para tanto, foram analisados textos de caráter predominantemente narrativo, escritos por crianças do 1° ao 3° ano do Ensino Fundamental, identificando as marcas argumentativas que estão inscritas na materialidade do texto, à luz dos aportes da linguística textual - em particular, dos estudos de Koch e Travaglia - e da semântica argumentativa, conforme a elaboração de Ducrot em sua teoria da Argumentação na Língua (ADL). A análise desses dados - um corpus composto por cerca de 40 narrativas - foi conduzida, levando em conta dois níveis propostos por Nølke (1993) nos estudos da argumentação: o micro (palavras e itens lexicais) e o macro (discurso - texto). Considerando-se que, segundo esse autor, o nível micro tem uma repercussão na macroestrutura argumentativa, ambos os níveis estão intrinsecamente relacionados. Em relação ao nível micro, procuramos captar os efeitos argumentativos do uso de determinados tempos verbais e dos operadores argumentativos. No nível macro, aliamos a análise de duas modalidades de narrativas: as narrativas em/com diálogos e as narrativas de relatos pessoais, avaliando que, em certas modalidades de textos, a argumentação surgia de forma mais evidente. Os resultados apontaram para o fato de que ao narrar, a criança também argumenta; mais precisamente, ela não apenas conta uma história quando escreve um texto do tipo narrativo, como também opina, expressa pensamentos, se posiciona. Desta forma, no término desse trabalho, lançamos uma reflexão sobre a necessidade da implementação de propostas que incentivem o ensino da argumentação na escola, em particular na modalidade escrita, principalmente nas séries iniciais. / Abstract: This dissertation studies the argumentative marks in children's narratives by examining narrative texts written by 6 to 9-year-old children in the schooling process. Therefore, the questions directing this investigation were: How does argumentation develop in texts whose nature is predominantly narrative, written by children in the initial phase of learning how to write? Which are the argumentative marks that appear in a narrative text written by a child? To answer these questions we analyzed narrative texts of children enrolled in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades of an Elementary School, identifying the argumentative marks which can be found in the text materiality. The theoretical support for the analysis comes from Textual Linguistics - in special the studies of Koch and Travaglia - and from Argumentative Semantics, as developed by Ducrot in his Argumentation Within Language (AWL) theory. The analysis of the data - a corpus comprising around 40 narratives - was carried out taking into consideration the levels proposed by Nølke (1993) in argumentation studies: the micro level (words and lexical items) and the macro level (discourse, text). Considering that according to this author the micro level has repercussions on the argumentative macrostructure, both levels are seen as intrinsically related. Regarding the micro level, we tried to capture the argumentative effects of the use of certain verb tenses and argumentative operators. At the macro level we analyzed two kinds of narratives: narratives in/with dialogues and narratives involving personal accounts, recognizing that in certain types of texts argumentation emerges more clearly. The results pointed out that, when narrating, the child also arguments (that is, orients the interlocutor towards a conclusion); more precisely, they do not merely tell a story when writing a narrative text, but also express opinions, thoughts, take a stand. Therefore, at the end of this research work we ponder about the need to implement proposals that foster the teaching of argumentation in schools, in particular in written form, especially in the first years of schooling. / Mestrado / Psicologia Educacional / Mestre em Educação

In a description of language, Ellis (1994) claims that "the bedrock of L2 is its vocabulary" (p. 11); while for Lewis (1993), language consists of "grammaticalized lexis", not "lexicalized grammar", and Nation (2001) adds that attention to vocabulary is unavoidable. This status of vocabulary determines its pervasiveness and implies the need for attention as claimed by Meara (1980). In second and foreign language teaching and learning, instruction is an important contributor in the development and consolidation of vocabulary knowledge while Computer-Assisted Language Learning has been described as facilitative in mediating instruction and improving learner independence (Chapelle 1998, 2001; Warschauer, 1998).The present study investigates narrative comprehension, immediate and delayed vocabulary retention as a result of implicit and explicit teaching and learning of vocabulary (Hunt & Beglar, 2005), with a hypertext reading task. Many researchers support that enhanced vocabulary activities and reading for meaning affect vocabulary acquisition (Krashen, 1989, Zahar et al., 2001; Paribakht & Wesche, 1997; Lee & VanPatten, 2003). For others, the degree of involvement in the processing and the noticed properties of words determine the degree of retention (Groot, 2000; Smith, 2004).Seventy-eight fourth-semester students of French as a foreign language from six classes at an American university participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either the implicit or the explicit conditions, and received differential treatments. The subjects read the same enhanced electronic text with permanently highlighted target items in the explicit condition, and temporarily highlighted target items in the implicit condition. The target items were hyperlinked to the same textual, auditory, and graphic enhancements. The study also makes an overview of the effect of the motivation type on the subjects' performance levels.The statistical analyses reveal both strengths and weaknesses in the two modalities with regards to immediate and delayed retention; as one of the modalities favors immediate gain and the other longer-term retention. It is thus suggested that both modalities can be jointly implemented in a Computer-Assisted Teaching and Learning condition in order to achieve higher learning outcomes. The combination may favor the dual improvement in gain and retention in the learning process.