Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Lehigh University, 1999. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-202).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Georgia Southern University, 2005. / "A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education" ETD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-202) and appendices.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-138). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNR11638

Individual differences among humans are apparent in many environments and situations. Educators should be concerned about whether such differences are systematic to such an extent that they significantly affect the effectiveness of various pedagogical methods and training approaches. This paper investigates one type of individual difference - learning style - which may vary across cultures and which may be relevant for both accounting education and audit practice. Learning style is defined as an individual orientation to learning, utilizing four basic modes of learning to various degrees. Learning style measures were obtained from Norwegian and United States accounting students with varying experience levels. The learning styles for the US students were compared to data obtained in prior research and were found to be generally consistent with these studies. The Norwegian sample was compared to both the current United States results and prior research and was found to be significantly different from the US learning style preferences. Implications of these differences for both education and practice are explored.

This thesis focuses on how school textbooks and teachers present models of chemical bonding in upper secondary schools in Sweden. In science, as well as in science education, models play a central role, but research has shown that they often are difficult for students to understand. In science education, models are presented to students mainly through textbooks and teachers, and textbooks influence teachers’ teaching. The aim of this thesis was to investigate how textbooks and teachers present models of chemical bonding with respect to students’ difficulties in understanding. To analyze representations of models, an analytical framework based on research reports of students’ difficulties in understanding related to models in general and chemical bonding in particular was developed. The chapters of chemical bonding in five chemistry textbooks were analyzed. Further, ten Chemistry teachers’ lesson plans about chemical bonding and semi-structured interviews with the teachers concerning their teaching were analyzed. This analysis concerned teachers pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of teaching chemical bonding, with focus on knowledge of students’ difficulties in understanding and teaching strategies that take these difficulties into account. The results show that the teachers could specify examples of students’ learning difficulties, but the teaching strategies to promote the students’ understanding were limited. This indicates a deficient interaction between knowledge of difficulties in understanding and teaching strategies, two essential components of teachers’ PCK. Further, the models of chemical bonding represented in the textbooks and by the teachers might cause students’ difficulties in understanding. This indicates a gap between research of students’ difficulties in understanding and teaching practices as well as textbooks’ development. Further, the teachers’ representations of models were strongly influenced by the textbooks. Implications for textbooks’ authors, pre-service as well as in-service teachers are addressed. / <p>Papper 2 "Upper secondary teachers knowledge..." ingick i lic.uppsatsen som manuskript med titeln: "Swedish upper secondary teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge to teach chemical bonding". Nu publicerad. </p>

Despite the growing importance of science and technology in society, school students consider these subjects irrelevant and hard to learn. Teachers must therefore know how to teach science in ways that enhance students’ understanding and interest. This thesis explores various aspects of the teaching and learning of chemical bonding, an important topic in school chemistry that is primarily taught using models. Research has shown that students find chemical bonding difficult to understand, and that the use of models in science education contributes to this difficulty. I therefore investigated teachers’ knowledge of how to teach chemical bonding and ways of developing it to improve students’ understanding. To this end, I analysed chemistry textbooks and teachers’ lesson plans, and conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers about their teaching of chemical bonding. This revealed that the representations of chemical bonding used in textbooks and by teachers can cause students difficulties. The teachers were generally unaware of how these representations might affect students’ understanding, implying that their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) could be improved. To explore ways of incorporating research findings into teaching practice and developing teachers’ PCK, I conducted a learning study in which three secondary science teachers together explored and reflected on their own teaching practice. CoRe, a method for creating detailed descriptions of what, how, and why specific content is taught, was used to enhance the reflections and make the teachers’ PCK explicit. As a result, the teachers developed their representations of chemical bonding, became more aware of students’ understanding, and were better able to motivate their actions and choices of content and strategies. This thesis shows how professional development can bridge the gap between research and teaching practice, and how teachers’ PCK can be developed to improve students’ understanding. / Many complex real-world phenomena can only be understood using models that make the abstract visible and provide explanations, predictions, descriptions, or simplifications. However, research has shown that students have difficulties understanding models used in science education in general, and particularly chemical bonding models. This thesis examines various aspects of the teaching and learning of chemical bonding, and its presentation in textbooks and by teachers. It is shown that the representations used by teachers and in textbooks can cause students to have difficulties in understanding, which teachers were generally unaware of. Teachers rarely justify their choices specifically to overcome students’ difficulties, suggesting that their knowledge of how to teach chemical bonding could be improved. A learning study in which teachers collaboratively explored and reflected on their own teaching practice significantly improved their presentation of chemical bonding, their awareness of students’ understanding, and their ability to justify their choices. Overall, this work shows that there is a gap between research and teaching practice, and that effective ways of incorporating research results into teaching practice are needed to improve teaching and learning in chemistry.

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in math problem solving among students with learning disabilities (LD), low-achieving (LA) students, and average-achieving (AA) students. The primary interest was to analyze the problem representation processes students use to translate and integrate problem information as they solve math word problems. Problem representation processes were operationalized as (a) paraphrasing the problem and (b) visually representing the problem. Paraphrasing accuracy (i.e., paraphrasing relevant information, paraphrasing irrelevant linguistic information, and paraphrasing irrelevant numerical information), visual representation accuracy (i.e., visual representation of relevant information, visual representation of irrelevant linguistic information, and visual representation of irrelevant numerical information), and problem-solving accuracy were measured in eighth-grade students with LD (n = 25), LA students (n = 30), and AA students (n = 29) using a researcher-modified version of the Mathematical Processing Instrument (MPI). Results indicated that problem-solving accuracy was significantly and positively correlated to relevant information in both the paraphrasing and the visual representation phases and significantly negatively correlated to linguistic and numerical irrelevant information for the two constructs. When separated by ability, students with LD showed a different profile as compared to the LA and AA students with respect to the relationships among the problem-solving variables. Mean differences showed that students with LD differed significantly from LA students in that they paraphrased less relevant information and also visually represented less irrelevant numerical information. Paraphrasing accuracy and visual representation accuracy were each shown to account for a statistically significant amount of variance in problem-solving accuracy when entered in a hierarchical model. Finally, the relationship between visual representation of relevant information and problem-solving accuracy was shown to be dependent on ability after controlling for the problem-solving variables and ability. Implications for classroom instruction for students with and without LD are discussed.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate quality in learning in higher education in Rwanda by focusing on students’ learning and their employability. This focus allows for an understanding of key challenges for Rwandan higher education to emerge, at a time when more and more students are enrolling. Higher education is being rebuilt after the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda and the focus on quality in learning and preparing students for work life is thus timely and important. The empirical material comprises interviews with students, teachers and employers. Interpretation of this material is guided by perspectives on quality in learning: students’ approaches to learning, learning as transformation and employability. A meta-ethnographic analysis of the four articles on which the thesis is based generated five themes as central quality aspects of learning that could enhance the employability of graduates: becoming professional, skillful practices, becoming a learner, becoming responsible and international experience. The results illustrate that students have to some extent different views from employers and teachers regarding questions about quality in learning. Thus, it could be of value for policy makers and teachers to listen to what the students have to say when designing policy and curriculum in higher education in Rwanda. / Syftet med denna avhandling är att studera kvalitet i lärande i högre utbildning i Rwanda med fokus på studenters lärande och deras anställningsbarhet. Den förra som ett sätt att identifiera de mest centrala utmaningarna för studenters lärande i högre utbildning i Rwanda i en tid då fler och fler studenter deltar i högre utbildning. Den andra som ett sätt att få kunskap om hur väl förberedda studenter är efter avslutad utbildning i en tid då högre utbildning i Rwanda återbyggs efter folkmorden 1994. Det empiriska materialet består av intervjuer med studenter, lärare och arbetsgivare. Perspektiv på kvalitet i lärande i termer av studenters förhållningssätt till lärande, lärande som transformativt och anställningsbarhet, användes för att tolka materialet. En meta-etnografisk analys genomfördes av de fyra artiklar på vilka denna avhandling baseras. Fem kategorier centrala för kvalitet i lärande och något som kan bidra till ökad anställningsbarhet genererades: att bli professionell, skickliga praktiker, att bli en lärande person, att bli ansvarstagande, och internationellt erfarenhet. Resultaten illustrerar hur studenter i viss mån har annan syn på kvalitet i lärande i högre utbildning än vad lärarna och arbetsgivarna har. Därmed kan det vara viktigt för policymakare och lärare att lyssna på vad studenterna har att säga när policy och läroplan för högre utbildning i Rwanda revideras.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-193). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.