The Effects of STS-Infusion Instruction in Science on Fifth Graders¡¦ Learning Attitude, Critical Thinking, and Technological Creativity Abstract The main objectives of this study were to explore (a) the effects of STS-infusing instruction in science on learning attitude, critical thinking, and technological creativity; and (b) the relationships among learning attitude, critical thinking, and technological creativity. An unequal group pretest-posttest design was employed in this study. Eight fifth-grade classes of a public elementary school in Taina were selected based on purposive sampling. The participants were divided into the experimental group (n = 79 ) and the control group (n = 78 ). The experimental group received a twelve¡Vweek STS-Infusion instruction in the subject of Science, while the control group received regular instruction. The employed instruments included The Test of Technological Creativity, Critical Thinking Test¡XLevel I, The Questionnaire of Learning Attitude on Science, and the Questionnaire of Teaching Feedback. The analysis methods included Descriptive Statistics, t-test, Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Univariate Analysis of Variance, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance, and Multiple Stepwise Regression. The main findings in this study were: (a) the STS-Infusion Instruction had significant effects on upgrading the fifth graders¡¦ learning attitude toward Science; (b) the STS-Infusion Instruction did not have significant effects on improving the fifth graders¡¦ critical-thinking abilities; (c) the STS-Infusion Instruction had significant effects on improving the fifth graders¡¦ technological creativity; (d) students with different level of learning attitude toward Science did not perform differently on technological creativity; (e) students with different level of critical-thinking abilities did not perform differently on technological creativity; and (f) the STS instruction, critical-thinking abilities, and learning attitude toward Science could effectively predict the fifth graders¡¦ technological creativity. Finally, some suggestions were proposed for educational authorities, teachers, and future researchers.

The purpose of the study is to investigate factors of 7th graders learning attitude in mathematics. According to the result of this study, the research provides some suggestions for the education authorities, the schools and future study. The approaches used in this research are Questionnaire on Mathematics Learning Attitude. 168 7th graders were randomly sampled at a Junior High School in Kaohsiung City. The feedback undergoes a descriptive statistics, two-sample independent Student t test, Pearson Correlation among other statistical methods. The following are conclusions of the research: 1. Factors of influencing 7th graders Attitude in Mathematics are the following eight elements. They are confidence of learning, influence of teachers, concept about value of mathematics, influence of the art of teaching, efficacy of self-learning, effect of learning, pressure of learning, and fearlessness. 2. Confidence of learning, influence of teachers, concept about value of mathematics, efficacy of self-learning, effect of learning, fearlessness, and grades in mathematics have moderate related. 3. Concept about value of mathematics, effect of learning, influence of teachers, efficacy of self-learning, fearlessness, confidence of learning demonstrate significantly different degrees of respect on students whose grades between above 70 and under 70. 4. Confidence of learning, influence of teachers, concept about value of mathematics, efficacy of self-learning, effect of learning, fearlessness can forecast learning grades in mathematics. Ultimately, based up on the above findings, the researcher of this study proposed 3 suggestions for the authorities concerned and official staffs.

The purpose of this study was to explore foreign spouse children¡¦s mandarin capability, learning attitudes and social interactions, and analyzed the significant differences and predictors of their mandarin capability, learning attitudes and social interactions We conducted a purposive sampling selection to recruit 335 foreign spouse children who are 3rd to 6th graders in Kaohsiung city. All participants completed three scales of ¡§Mandarin Capability Scale¡¨, ¡§Learning Attitude Scale¡¨ and ¡§Interpersonal Relationships Scale¡¨ that developed by the investigator. In addition, 6 children with the highest total scores and the other 6 children with the lowest total scores on the three scales were interviewed for triangulation and consolidation of quantitative results. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson¡¦s product-moment correlation, and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to assess the similarities and differences among groups. The initial findings were as follows: 1. Children came from families of higher education parents presented significantly higher Mandarin capability than these children came from families of lower education parents. 2. Children came from democratic parenting practice presented significantly higher mandarin capability scores than those children with permissive parenting practices. 3. Younger children¡¦s learning attitudes scores were significantly higher than the elder children. 4. Children came from families of higher education parents presented significantly higher learning attitudes scores than those children came from families of lower education parents. 5.Girls¡¦ interpersonal relationships scores were significantly higher than those of the boys. 6. Children came from families of higher education parents presented significantly higher interpersonal relationships scores than those children came from families of lower education parents. 7. Children came from democratic parenting practice presented significantly higher scores on the dimension of ¡§interaction with family members¡¨ than those children with authoritarian parenting practice. 8. There were significantly positive correlations among children¡¦s Mandarin capability, learning attitude and interpersonal relationships. 9. The significant predictors of children¡¦s learning attitude scores were ¡§listening comprehension¡¨, ¡§grammar rhetorical ability¡¨, ¡§language use ability¡¨ and ¡§language expression ability¡¨ . 10. The significant predictors of children¡¦s interpersonal relationships scores were ¡§listening comprehension¡¨, ¡§language use ability¡¨ and ¡§language expression ability¡¨ . Recommendation from research results were suggested to further study of foreign spouses children¡¦s Mandarin capability, learning attitudes and social interactions.

In 2008, Kaohsiung City launched an English co-teaching program, which annually recruits 12 young American college graduates to promote English language instruction and cultural exchange. These young Americans serve as English teaching assistants (ETAs), whose main duty is to co-teach with local English teachers (LETs). This study aims to understand the students¡¦ learning English attitude and motivation in elementary schools participating in the LET and ETA co-teaching program, investigate the interaction effects of grade, cram school experience and LET and ETA co-teaching on students¡¦ English learning attitude and motivation and to offer a few concrete suggestions for the improvement of co-teaching program in public elementary schools based upon the results. The research adopted questionnaire survey method. The questionnaire was designed and distributed to 811 English teachers from 12 elementary schools in Kaohsiung City as the subjects. As a result, 618 were valid responded corresponding with a 76% of return rate. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA and Scheffe method were conducted for data analysis and finally come to the following results: 1. The interaction effects of co-teaching and grade on elementary school students¡¦ attitude toward LET teaching, self-English learning and overall English learning attitude are significant. 2. The interaction effects of co-teaching and cram school experience on elementary school students¡¦ self-evaluation of learning outcomes and overall English learning attitude are significant. 3. The interaction effects of co-teaching and grade on elementary school students¡¦ instrumental motivation, negative motivation and overall English learning motivation are significant. 4. The interaction effects of co-teaching and cram school experience on elementary school students¡¦ instrumental motivation are significant. Based on the results of the study, some suggestions are proposed to the educational authorities, schools, as well as future studies.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative learning in a liberal arts mathematics course and to examine any gender-related differences in the effects of cooperative learning in terms of achievement, composition of the cooperative groups, mathematics anxiety, attitudes toward mathematics, attendance, and retention. The quasi-experimental design compared a control section using individualized learning methods with three treatment sections using cooperative learning methods based on the Learning Together model of Johnson and Johnson (1991). The compositions of the three treatment groups varied: heterogeneous ability/heterogeneous gender, heterogeneous ability/homogeneous gender, and self-selected. The Academic Skills Assessment Program (ASAP) was used as a pre-test to show that the groups were equal. The Revised Math Attitude Scale and the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) were used as pre- and post-tests to measure changes in attitudes and anxiety. Achievement was measured by individual and group course grades. Group grades were determined by taking 67% of a student's individual exam score plus 33% of the group's average on the exam. Cooperative learning and composition of groups had no significant effect on achievement. The differences between individual and group grades were insignificant, and the group grading method benefited the grades of only five students. Attendance had a large effect on achievement, and the ASAP score and the Math Attitude Post-test were significant predictors of achievement. / The MARS post-test was negatively correlated with individual course grade. While no significant gender-related differences surfaced, some trends appeared. The ASAP, MARS, and Math Attitude pre-test scores were equal, however, females achieved slightly higher course grades than males. In each of the four research groups the individual course grades were higher for females than for males. Also, females had a larger decrease in mathematics anxiety with a drop of 22 points compared to the males' drop of 10 points. Males and females each improved their attitudes toward mathematics by only one point, however, in three of the four research groups, females had smaller attitude changes than males, and two of the cooperative learning groups had decreases in their attitude scores.

Being one of the most epoch making invention of the 21st century, computers have fundamentally altered every aspect of people&rsquo / s lives, including the education domain. Thus, for decades, computer-assisted language learning has received considerable amount of attention among researchers and language teachers by serving interactive, multi-sensory, and autonomous learning opportunities. In this respect, innumerable large or small-scale projects blazed a trail for other teachers to follow. The present study, therefore, is primarily concerned with the students&rsquo / attitudes towards computer-assisted language learning. Its main purpose is to investigate what the students&rsquo / attitudes are towards computer- assisted language learning (CALL) by also taking their attitude towards computer assisted learning (CAL) and foreign language learning (FLL) into consideration. Finally, factors affecting students&rsquo / attitudes and the relationships among computer assisted learning, computer assisted language learning and foreign language learning are also explored within the scope of the study. The findings demonstrate that most of the students have positive attitudes towards computer assisted learning, computer assisted language learning and foreign language learning. Age, grade, gender, years of studying English and prior CALL experience affect students&rsquo / attitudes. Moreover, students attitudes towards computer assisted language learning, computer- assisted language learning, and foreign language learning are, indeed, interrelated.

本研究旨在探討國民小學分散式領導對學生學習態度之影響，研究採用調查研究法，以臺北縣國民小學三至六年級級任教師為調查對象，預試問卷，共寄出210份預試問卷，回收199份問卷，回收率94.8%，扣除無效問卷5份，有效問卷為194份，，有效問卷比率92.4%，並以項目分析，二階驗證性因素分析、信度分析進行研究工具之研發。正式問卷發出748份問卷，回收665份問卷，回收率88.9%，扣除無效問卷42份，有效問卷為623份，有效問卷比率83.3%。並分別以平均數、標準差之描述性統計、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、皮爾森積差相關及結構方程模式等統計方式進行資料分析。 本研究獲致以下結論： 一、 國民小學整體分散式領導的現況介於符合和有些符合之間。各層面以成員的參與層面教師知覺程度最好，成員的動力層面較低。 二、 國民小學整體學生學習態度的現況介於符合和有些符合之間。各層面以社會科教師知覺程度最好，英語科較低。 三、 教師人口變項年齡、服務年資不同，知覺校長整體分散式領導達顯著差異。年齡越大，知覺校長分散式領導程度越高。服務年資的組間未達顯著差異。 四、 學校環境變項學校規模、學校區域、校長年資不同，教師知覺校長整體分散式領導達顯著差異。學校規模越小、學校區域偏遠、校長年資越小，知覺校長分散式領導程度越高。 五、 教師人口變項年齡、服務年資不同，教師知覺整體學生學習態度達顯著差異。年齡越大、服務年資越長，知覺整體學生學習態度越高。 六、 學校環境變項學校規模不同，教師知覺整體學生學習態度達顯著差異，事後比較，組間未達顯著差異。 七、 分散式領導與學生學習態度具有中度正相關。 八、 分散式領導對學生學習態度具有正向影響性。 關鍵詞：分散式領導、學習態度、國民小學 / This study aims to explore the relationship between the distributed leadership and students’ learning attitude in the elementary schools. The Survey Research Method is adopted, and the research objects are the third to sixth grade elementary school teachers in Taipei. A total of 210 pre-test questionnaires were distributed, with 194 invalid questionnaires. The effective rate was 92.4%. In this study, item analysis, second-order confirmatory factor analysis, and the reliability analysis are applied. 748 formal questionnaires are distributed, with 665 valid, representing 83.5% effective. With the use of SPSS 17.0 for Windows and LISREL 8.80 statistical software for analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Person product-moment correlation, and Structural Equation Models were employed in this study, and obtain the conclusion as follows: 1. The overall current conditions of distributed leadership in the elementary schools are good. Objects perform the best in the teacher’s perception of the member’s participation aspect while the member’s motivation performs the worst. 2. The overall current conditions of students’ learning attitude in the elementary schools are good. Among them, teachers in the Social Studies perceived the distributed leadership the best while the ones in the English the worse 3. There is significant difference for different teacher characteristics such as ages, years of service to perceived the principals’ distributed leadership. The older the age, the level of the principal distributed leadership perception the higher. There is no significant difference among the four different year-of-service groups. 4. With the different environmental variables in the school scale, school area, and principal’s years of service, the teachers significantly perceived the principal distributed leadership differently. The smaller the school, the level of principal distributed leadership perception the higher. The same results are obtained if the remoter the school, and the smaller the principal’s years of service, which means the level of principal distributed leadership perception is higher. 5. There is significant difference in the teacher perception of students’ learning attitude with different teacher characteristics such as ages, years of service. The older the teachers’ age, the level of students’ learning attitude perception the higher. 6. With the different scales of schools, the difference achieves significance in the way of teachers sensing the students’ learning attitude. Through post-hoc comparison, there is no difference among groups. 7. Distributed leadership has a significant positive correlation with students’ learning attitude. 8. Distributed leadership has a significant positive impact on students’ learning attitude. Keywords: distributed leadership, learning attitude, elementary school

本研究主要在探討幼兒時期「英語學習經驗」對國小階段「國語學習態度」與「國語學習成就表現」之影響性。研究中分別以「有/無學習英語」、「學習起始年段」、「學習年數」及「每週學習時數」作為幼兒時期英語學習經驗之代理變數；「國語學習態度」的評量包括認知、情感及行為三個成分；而「國語學習成就表現」係採用國語能力測驗分數與在校國語成績作為評量。 本研究採用問卷調查及深度訪談法，問卷調查方面，係以台北市文山區市立國小二年級339名學童及四年級341名學童為研究對象。訪談方面，共訪談44名學童、45位家長、以及15位國小教師。 本研究結果顯示，雖然幼兒時期英語學習經驗對學童國小階段的國語學習態度不具有顯著的影響性，但本研究獲得若干證據支持幼兒時期英語學習經驗有助於學童國小初期的國語學習成就表現。具體的研究結果指出：(一)幼兒時期「有學習英語」的學童，其小學二年級的平均國語能力測驗與國語學年成績優於幼兒時期「無學習英語」的學童；(二)幼兒時期「有學習英語」與「無學習英語」的學童，其小學四年級的平均國語學習成就表現無明顯差異。 另外，本研究從學童、家長及教師之深度訪談中，彙整出如下意見：(一)雖然幼兒時期英語學習與國語學習在時間上會產生相互排擠的問題，然在學習過程中，二者關係可以為正向或負向，而家長及教師的態度是其主要的中介變項；(二)當英語學習年段早於國語，或太晚學習國語，學童之學習態度較可能受影響；(三)幼兒時期英語學習年數愈長的學童會傾向認為國語的學習較英語難；(四)幼兒時期每週學習英語時數愈多，學習年數愈長，即有可能影響國語學習態度；(五)幼兒時期每週學習英語時數愈多，學習國語的時間相對減少，因此在小學初期，其國語學習成就會較差。然而，此影響會隨著日後學習及使用國語越多(年級越高)而降低。最後，本研究並提出若干建議供教育主管單位、國小教師、幼稚園教師及家長參考。 / This study aims to explore the impact of English learning experience in early childhood on Mandarin learning attitude and achievement at the stage of elementary school. Variables ‘English-learning dummy’ ‘age of English learning’ ‘number of years of learning English’ ‘hours per week in English-learning’ are used as proxies for experience of English learning. Learning attitude in Mandarin is measured in three dimensions (cognition, affection, and behavior), and learning achievement in Mandarin is represented by ‘score’ on Verbal Ability Development Test Battery(VADTB) and ‘academic achievement’ of Mandarin in school(MAA). Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview are concurrently used in this study. The Six hundred and eighty subjects were drawn from six elementary schools in Mucha Area of Taipei City. The other sample, used for in-depth interviews, includes 44 students, 45 parents, and 15 elementary school teachers. The results show that no relationship exists between English learning experience in early childhood and learning attitude at the stage of elementary school. However, some evidence indicates that English learning in early childhood does help Mandarin study at the subsequent stage. Specifically, this study demonstrates that, for the 2nd grade student group, VADTB and MAA scores of students with early childhood’s English learning experience are significantly higher than those students without any childhood English learning experience. In addition, MAA score of students with 2-3 years’ English experience prior to elementary school is significantly higher than those without any English experience. Moreover, the in-depth interviews with students, parents, and teachers indicate as follows: (1) there is a mixed outcomes when estimating the impact of early-childhood English learning on Mandarin learning, depending on teachers and parents’ attitude; (2) if students learn English before Mandarin, or learn Mandarin in later years, their attitude toward Mandarin learning will not be so positive; (3) the longer the students learn English in early childhood, the more they will prefer English. 4) Finally, suggestions are given in the end for policy making and people related.

本研究主要在探討臺北縣、市國民中學新移民子女學習態度與策略及學習成就之指標、內涵與現況，進一步建構預測分析的模式，再依研究結果提出建議。 為達上述目的，本研究係採取文獻分析法及問卷調查法進行研究， ，並以編製之「新移民子女學習態度與策略對學習成就影響問卷」為主要研究工具，以探討不同背景(包含學校所在地、性別、母親、家庭)之新移民子女其學習態度與策略對學習成就之影響；進一步以97學年度臺北縣、市國民中學新移民子女國三學生為實施調查之對象，問卷共計發出600份，回收410 份，有效問卷402份，可用率67%，調查結果應用SPSS12.0統計套裝軟體進行分析，問卷資料以平均數、標準差、t考驗、單因子變異數分析，以及積差相關、多元逐步迴歸分析等統計方法進行處理。並根據研究結果提出具體建議，提供學校行政單位、國中教師及未來研究之參考。 茲針對研究發現，歸納本研究之結論，敘述如下： 一、新移民子女學習態度與策略及學習成就的指標、內涵與現況 (一)新移民子女學習態度與策略包括學習動機、學習興趣、學習習慣、學習方法、學習信心、學習焦慮、學習過程、自我測驗八個向度，其整體、分向度得分均為中程度，其中以自我測驗得分最高。 (二)新移民子女學習成就包括國文領域、作文、英文領域、數學領域、自然領域、社會領域、總成績、PR值、最煩惱的領域、最感興趣的十個向度，其整體、分向度的得分，除PR值分向度為中程度外，其餘皆為中低程度。 二、不同背景變項在新移民子女學習態度與策略及學習成就之差異情形 (一)不同背景變項在新移民子女學習態度與策略的得分方面：研究發現在性別、母親教育程度、母親中文程度、家庭學習環境等方面有顯著差異，但在學校所在地、母親國籍上則無顯著差異。 (二)不同背景變項在新移民子女學習成就的得分方面：研究發現在學校、母親教育程度、母親中文程度、家庭學習環境等方面有顯著差異，但在性別、國籍上則無顯著差異。 三、新移民子女學習學習態度與策略及學習成就的相關情形 整體新移民子女學習態度與策略和其整體學習成就間呈現中度正相關，學習成就各分向度中，則以PR值和新移民子女學習態度與策略總量表的相關程度最高。 四、新移民子女學習學習態度各向度對學習成就的預測情形 新移民子女學習態度與策略之學習習慣、學習信心及學習興趣三向度對整體新移民子女學習成就的聯合預測力最佳。 / The purpose of this research is to discuss the targets and present situation of learning attitude , strategy and achievement of new immigrants’ children in Taipei city and Taipei county. According to the document analysis, we provide some suggestion. In order to reach this goal ,literature analysis and the questionnaire survey were used in this research. The samples of students were selected from the third grade of junior high schools with new immigrants’ children. All of the 600 questionnaires were distributed with 410 returned and 8 nullities. With the effective questionnaire of 402, All data had been dealt and analyzed by SPSS for Windows 10.0, descriptive statistics, three-way ANOVA and canonical correlation analysis. and the results obtained as follows: (1) the targets and present situation of learning attitude , strategy and achievement of new immigrants’ children a. the targets of learning attitude and strategy of new immigrants’ children including learning motivations, learning interests, learning habits, learning methods, learning confidence, learning anxiety, learning procedure , self-testing. All items are average and self-testing is the highest. b. Learning achievement including Chinese, writing, English, math, science, society, grades, PR’s value, annoying subject, interesting subject. All items are below average except PR’s value, which is in the average. (2) Different background influence the learning attitude, strategy and achievement of new immigrants’ children a. according to the research, the gender, the educational background of mother, the Chinese degree of mother, learning environment, have significant influence on learning attitude and strategy. b. the educational background of mother, the Chinese degree of mother,the learning environment, have significant influence on learning achievement. (3) Correlated situation between learning attitude , strategy and achievement of new immigrants’ children The whole learning attitude and strategy have positive reference to learning achievement . Among the learning achievement ,PR value is the most significant to attitude and strategy. (4) The forecast of learning attitude to learning achievement Learning habits, learning confidence, and learning interests are the best parts to learning achievement of new immigrants’ children.

Visual arts-based tasks have been used and continue to be used by educators to help support the learning needs of many students. Research findings pertaining to visual arts-based education have concluded that visual arts-based tasks can help to improve students’ social communication skills, support their learning in academic subject areas, and increase their learning engagement. In recognition of the potential benefits of integrating the arts into the curriculum, the Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) program provides students with opportunities to engage in arts-based activities. In 2003, the results of a national longitudinal study on the LTTA program revealed a strong relationship between students’ involvement in the arts and their learning and engagement. The investigators recommended that further research in this area was required; through my research, I sought to contribute to this area of study. It is within the setting of a visual arts-based LTTA program that this study was conducted. Data were collected to construct two multiple-perspective case studies—each involving a Grade 7 student with learning disabilities. Each multiple-perspective case study involved the student’s mother, classroom teacher, and LTTA artist-educator in order to explore the following research question: In what way did visual arts-based tasks incite the student’s learning attitude, engagement level, and feelings of academic self-efficacy within the subject area(s) being explored? Overall, the findings suggested that visual arts-based tasks incited positively each student’s learning attitude, engagement level, and feelings of academic self-efficacy within the respective subject area that the students identified as being one of their least favourite. Most notably, their engagement in the visual arts-based tasks activated each student’s meaningful processing skills and fostered their emotional engagement in the task and their learning. Limitations of this study and future research directions were considered. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-10-22 18:15:56.859