<p dir="ltr">The study investigates the effectiveness of productive failure learning using a contrasting-cases design of ill-structured problems followed by well-structured problems. Fifty-one future elementary school teachers, enrolled in an undergraduate physics course were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: a) ill-structured followed by well-structured problems (IS-WS), b) well-structured followed by well-structured problems (WS-WS), and c) ill-structured followed by ill-structured problems (IS-IS). The study hypothesized that the first condition with a contrasting-case design would outperform the non-contrasting-case design. After solving treatment problems in their respective conditions, all the participants took a post-test that comprised both ill-structured and well-structured problems. The one-way and two-way ANOVA results showed that while productive failure learning (IS-WS) outperformed WS-WS on both procedural and conceptual knowledge in the well-structured post-test, there was no significant difference between the three learning conditions in the ill-structured post-test. The findings indicated that structuring instruction lies on a continuum between highly structured and unstructured. For higher-level physics education, productive failure learning provided the optimum balance of discovery learning via ill-structured problems and guided instruction via well-structured problems to activate prior knowledge, draw attention to critical features of the canonical concept, and facilitate motivation and excitement within learners, resulting in effective learning.</p>

<h2>Abstract</h2><p dir="ltr">Currently, only 22% of high school graduates meet the basic requirements for one or more college courses in mathematics, science, reading, or English signifying fewer students with the skills to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Smithsonian Science Education Center, 2015). In contrast, science and engineering employment in the United States has grown more rapidly than the overall workforce and now represents 5% of all jobs which is projected to increase to 8% by 2029 (Khan et al., 2020). The current statistics represent a future labor force entering the labor market without the skills needed to obtain a large portion of future occupations. To bridge this gap, the U.S. Federal government outlined a vision with three goals to provide Americans access to high-quality STEM education to increase the skills of the future workforce (National Science & Technology Council, 2018). The three goals include 1) building a strong foundation for STEM literacy; 2) increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM; 3) preparing the STEM workers for the future (National Science & Technology Council, 2018). As the economy and workforce develop in future years, students will require a high-quality STEM education to enter this growing workforce to meet the goals of the federal government and the needs of future occupations. Robotic platforms are diverse and have the ability to provide students with instant feedback, integrate multiple subjects during the design challenge, and support self-efficacy development through mastery events where students practice skills until they receive a favorable result. Robotics in a life-centered context could interest a diverse range of young adults into STEM career fields. This study implements robotic learning activies in an assistive technology context which centers around improving the lives of living organisms.</p>

<p>This research uses the composition practices of three experienced letterpress typesetters as a case study for the development of a methodology for studying human-technology interaction. This methodology tries to take seriously the implications that theories of materiality have for empirical research in writing and technology.</p> <p>Data was collected from three experienced typesetters, each of whom was observed setting type for two hours, then interviewed for 1 ½ to 2 hours, using observation footage to inform interview questions. Interview transcripts and observation footage were then coded for observable material intra-actions and the influences that characterized those actions and brought them into being.</p> <p>Data analysis produced six desiderata, or desires for design, that emerged as driving the composition process: 1) a desire to use the technology, 2) a desire for efficiency, 3) a desire to imitate/defer to historical practices, 4) a desire for letter-level correctness, 5) attention to aesthetics, and 6) a desire to communicate.</p>

<p>  </p> <p>This study used two instruments for data collection: The Intelligence Survey (IS) and Multiple Framed Teaching Strategy Index (MIFTSI). Permission was requested and given to use the two instruments from the developers Luo and Huang. Educators who teach entrepreneurship education courses in one higher institution in the south-south of Nigeria are the primary source of data collection for this study. The study participants were those who volunteered to participate in the survey through their email addresses. The data collection used a Qualtrics questionnaire consisting of the Intelligence Survey and Multiple Framed Teaching Strategy Index, including five demographic questions. </p>

<p>Best possible self (BPS) is one of the most widely used positive psychology interventions shown in the laboratory to effectively improve participants’ overall well-being in both the short- and long-term. However, limited research has been conducted in real-world contexts. This dissertation aims to explore the practical application of BPS integrated into the instructional design for reflective activities in real-world class settings. Three papers were included in this dissertation conducted in both undergraduate (preservice teachers) and graduate (novice instructional designers) classes: the first paper examined BPS’s effects in promoting preservice teachers’ overall well-being through a quantitative method; the second paper measured BPS’s effects in improving preservice teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration through a quantitative approach; the third paper explored novice instructional designers’ attitudes towards BPS and the relationships with their well-being (gains) and personality through mixed methods. </p> <p>The first paper (chapter 2) examined BPS’s long-term effects in improving participants’ overall well-being compared with the control group through a quasi-experimental design. Results from a 2 × 3 mixed ANOVA indicate that BPS did not significantly improve the participants’ well-being over time compared with the control group. In fact, the control group performed better than treatment one month after the intervention. This result aligns with findings of well-being during COVID-19. </p> <p>The second paper (chapter 3) measured BPS’s effect in improving preservice teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration. Even though the results show that BPS did not improve participants’ attitudes towards technology integration statistically significantly compared with the control group (possibly because of impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic), the results are promising because: first, inside the treatment group, the result shows BPS improved participants’ attitudes significantly; second, under the pandemic, literature reported that BPS was not as effective as in normal situations; however, the activities in the control group might be more effective under the pandemic.</p> <p>The third paper (chapter 4) explored novice instructional designers’ attitudes towards BPS and the relationship between attitudes, well-being, and personality. Pearson correlation results show significant correlations among attitudes, subjective well-being (gains), and openness to experience. In addition, the results from open-ended questions confirmed participants’ positive attitudes towards the BPS. Taken together, the findings from three papers contribute to the practical application of BPS in real-world class settings, especially under the unique pandemic situation. More studies are needed to explore the application of positive psychology interventions in instructional design in real-world settings.</p>

<p>  </p> <p>The highly diverse character of US universities provides an opportunity for writing programs to (re)examine the extent to which their current administrative, curricular, and pedagogical practices support a growing student population with unique linguistic, cultural, and educational backgrounds, resources, and needs. This dissertation research aimed to explores the ways in which writing programs address the increasing diversity in writing pedagogy education, as a key component of writing program administration work. The main goal of this research was to investigate how writing program administrators and teacher educators in my study context represent our current reality regarding engagement with the increased linguistic and cultural diversity in the activity of teaching to the newest members of the writing program, i.e., graduate teaching assistants. Analyses of data collected through semi-structured interviews and educational materials suggest that while issues surrounding diversity and multilingual students have been addressed in writing pedagogy education, there is still room for more work, especially integrative, (trans)disciplinary diversity work that will help turn the graduate composition practicum, as the main context for writing pedagogy education in writing programs, into a space where new writing teachers can navigate diversity in order to learn how to actively engage with and pedagogically respond to it in their writing instruction in the era of superdiversity. </p>

<p dir="ltr">This thesis explores the dynamic evolution of cartoons as a medium of public pedagogy, focusing on the portrayal of morality, the changing landscape of moral narratives across networks or studios through time, and its intricate influence on relationships. Cartoons, spanning from the American classic era of Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! to the contemporary phenomena of The Dragon Prince and Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, act as potent agents of social education. Understanding cartoons as an accessible form of public pedagogy, this research examines the moral dichotomy of good and evil archetypes depicted in these animations. By analyzing the diverse approaches of networks and studios across time, this thesis uncovers the nuances of moral storytelling, revealing the intricate interplay of social values and creative choices. Furthermore, the thesis investigates the portrayal of relationships within these moral contexts, emphasizing the impact of animated narratives on societal perceptions of interpersonal connections.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine belonging at classroom and academic domain levels, extending research that has primarily investigated general school and classroom-level belonging. This examination accounts for the context-specific, instructional, and domain experiences of students’ belonging. More specifically, the goals of the research were to investigate the relations between belonging in science class with engagement, and to contrast students’ perspectives of science classroom belonging in traditional compared to inquiry curricular contexts. Middle school students from traditional and inquiry science contexts completed self-reported measures of science classroom belonging and science engagement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate students’ experiences of belonging in science class. Science classroom belonging was correlated with science engagement, with students from inquiry contexts reporting higher belonging and engagement quality. In both contexts, students reported common social, academic and contextual sources of belonging, with additional emphasis on content-based and interpersonal interactions. In comparing justifications between contexts on the role of competence for experienced belonging, students in traditional contexts reflected on self-focused, intrapersonal competence, while students in inquiry contexts reflected on interpersonal forms of competence. Students’ differentiated reports and conceptualization of belonging were related to contextual supports for involvement in authentic disciplinary practice and peer responsiveness.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:31:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edilene de Oliveira Francisco Souza.pdf: 904468 bytes, checksum: ffc19a1a499bf24a03a9979f8a3bd7ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-07 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Literacy is a topic that is constantly present on the agenda of teacher training programs, in election campaigns, in political speeches and academics. There are many publications that deal with the theme, and each new publication, new questions, new methodologies and new hypotheses arise in trying to find solutions to address the difficulties faced by schools in teaching reading and writing. Aiming point out ways to improve the process of teaching and learning of reading and writing, this research, based on the political and epistemological assumptions proposed by Paulo Freire, indicates possible paths to achieving literacy practices critical and significant. This study is part of a broader research developed in Paulo Freire Chair of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, coordinated by Professor Dr. Ana Maria Saul, who investigates the presence of referential freireanos in Brazilian education. The town of Embu das Artes was chosen in this research to investigate how assumptions about critical literacy freireanos materialize in policy and practice curriculum this school system. The results demonstrate the possibility of reinventing the thought of Paulo Freire, the floor of the school, in the context of critical literacy / A alfabetização é um tema que está constantemente presente em pauta de programas de formação de educadores, em campanhas eleitorais, em discursos políticos e acadêmicos. Muitas são as publicações que tratam sobre o tema e, em cada nova publicação, novos questionamentos, novas hipóteses e novas metodologias surgem na tentativa de se buscar soluções para resolver as dificuldades enfrentadas pelas escolas em ensinar a ler e a escrever. Objetivando apontar caminhos para melhoria no processo de ensino-aprendizagem da leitura e da escrita, essa pesquisa, fundamentada nos pressupostos políticos e epistemológicos propostos por Paulo Freire, indica possíveis caminhos para a concretização de práticas de alfabetização crítica e significativa. Esse estudo integra uma pesquisa mais ampla desenvolvida na Cátedra Paulo Freire da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, coordenada pela professora Dra. Ana Maria Saul, que investiga a presença dos referenciais freireanos na educação brasileira. O município de Embu das Artes foi escolhido nessa pesquisa para investigar como os pressupostos freireanos sobre alfabetização crítica se concretizam na política e na pratica curricular dessa rede de ensino. Os resultados demonstram a possibilidade de reinvenção do pensamento de Paulo Freire, no chão da escola, no contexto da alfabetização crítica

This research is focused on the intersection of secondary teachers’ data-use to inform instructional decisions and their teaching of STEM in STEM-focused high schools. Teaching STEM requires presenting more than just the content knowledge of the STEM domains. The methods of inquiry (e.g., scientific inquiry, engineering design) are skills that should be taught as part of STEM activities (e.g., science labs). However, under the data- and standards-based accountability focus of education, it is unclear how data from STEM activities is used in instructional decision-making. While teachers give tremendous weight to the data they collect directly from their observations of their classrooms, it is data from standardized testing that strongly influences practices through accountability mandates. STEM education alters this scenario because, while there is a growing focus on teaching STEM, important aspects of STEM education are not readily standardized. This mixed-methods study will examine the perspectives of 9th through 12th grade science and mathematics teachers, in STEM-focused schools, on data-use and STEM teaching. We developed a framework, adapted from existing frameworks of data-use, to categorize these perspectives and outline contexts influencing them. Through a concurrent triangulation design we will combine quantitative and qualitative data for a comprehensive synthesis of these perspectives.