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.

The International Project for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) was formed in the 1950s (Postlethwaite, 1967). Since that time, the IEA has conducted many studies in the area of mathematics, such as the First International Mathematics Study (FIMS) in 1964, the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) in 1980-1982, and a series of studies beginning with the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) which has been conducted every 4 years since 1995. According to Stigler et al. (1999), in the FIMS and the SIMS, U.S. students achieved low scores in comparison with students in other countries (p. 1). The TIMSS 1995 “Videotape Classroom Study” was therefore a complement to the earlier studies conducted to learn “more about the instructional and cultural processes that are associated with achievement” (Stigler et al., 1999, p. 1). The TIMSS Videotape Classroom Study is known today as the TIMSS Video Study. From the findings of the TIMSS 1995 Video Study, Stigler and Hiebert (1999) likened teaching to “mountain ranges poking above the surface of the water,” whereby they implied that we might see the mountaintops, but we do not see the hidden parts underneath these mountain ranges (pp. 73-78). By watching the videotaped lessons from Germany, Japan, and the United States again and again, they discovered that “the systems of teaching within each country look similar from lesson to lesson. At least, there are certain recurring features [or patterns] that typify many of the lessons within a country and distinguish the lessons among countries” (pp. 77-78). They also discovered that “teaching is a cultural activity,” so the systems of teaching “must be understood in relation to the cultural beliefs and assumptions that surround them” (pp. 85, 88). From this viewpoint, one of the purposes of this dissertation was to study some cultural aspects of mathematics teaching and relate the results to mathematics teaching and learning in Vietnam. Another research purpose was to carry out a video study in Vietnam to find out the characteristics of Vietnamese mathematics teaching and compare these characteristics with those of other countries. In particular, this dissertation carried out the following research tasks: - Studying the characteristics of teaching and learning in different cultures and relating the results to mathematics teaching and learning in Vietnam - Introducing the TIMSS, the TIMSS Video Study and the advantages of using video study in investigating mathematics teaching and learning - Carrying out the video study in Vietnam to identify the image, scripts and patterns, and the lesson signature of eighth-grade mathematics teaching in Vietnam - Comparing some aspects of mathematics teaching in Vietnam and other countries and identifying the similarities and differences across countries - Studying the demands and challenges of innovating mathematics teaching methods in Vietnam – lessons from the video studies Hopefully, this dissertation will be a useful reference material for pre-service teachers at education universities to understand the nature of teaching and develop their teaching career. / Das International Project for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) wurde in den 1950er Jahren gegründet. Seitdem führte das IEA viele Studien in Bereich mathematischer Bildung durch, insbesondere die First International Mathematics Study (FIMS) im Jahre 1964, die Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) in den Jahren 1980–1982 und eine Reihe von Studien, die mit der Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) begann und seit 1995 alle vier Jahre durchgeführt wird. Nach Stigler et al. (1999) erreichten US-amerikanische Studenten bei FIMS und SIMS niedrigere Ergebnisse als Schüler anderer Länder (S. 1). Daher wurde TIMSS 1995 erweitert um eine ‘Videotape Classroom Study’ mit dem Ziel, „mehr über die unterrichtlichen und kulturellen Prozesse, die mit Leistung zusammenhängen“, zu erfahren (S. 1; Übersetzung vom engl. Original). Von den Ergebnissen der TIMMS 1995 Video Study ausgehend verglichen Stigler und Hiebert (1999) Unterricht mit „Gebirgszügen, die die Wasseroberfläche durchstoßen“, womit sie ausdrücken sollten, was die Bergspitzen sichtbar, große Teile des Gebirges aber unter dem Wasser verborgen sind (S. 73–78; Übersetzung vom engl. Original). Durch die wiederholte Analyse videographierter Unterrichtsstunden aus Deutschland, Japan und den USA entdeckten sie, dass „die Arten des Unterrichts innerhalb jedes Landes von Stunde zu Stunde ähnlich sind. Zumindest gibt es bestimmte wiederkehrende Aspekte [oder Skripte], welche für viele Stunden eines Landes typisch sind und die Stunden gegenüber anderen Ländern abgrenzen“ (S. 77f.). Sie entdeckten außerdem, dass Unterricht eine „kulturelle Aktivität“ ist, Unterrichtsarten also „verstanden werden müssen in Relation zu den kulturellen Überzeugungen und Annahmen, die sie umgeben“ (S. 85, 88). Hierauf aufbauend war es ein Ziel der Dissertation, kulturelle Aspekte des Mathematikunterricht zu untersuchen und die Ergebnisse mit Mathematikunterricht in Vietnam zu vergleichen. Ein weiteres Ziel war die Erhebung der Charakteristika vietnamesischen Mathematikunterricht durch eine Videostudie in Vietnam und der anschließende Vergleich dieser Charakteristika mit denen anderer Länder. Im Einzelnen befasste sich diese Dissertation mit den folgenden Forschungszielen: - Untersuchung der Charakteristika von Lehren und Lernen in unterschiedlichen Kulturen und vorläufiger Vergleich der Resultate mit dem Lehren und Lernen von Mathematik in Vietnam - Einführung der TIMSS und der TIMSS Video Study und der methodologischen Vorteile von Videostudien für die Untersuchung von Mathematikunterricht in Vietnam - Durchführung der Videostudie in Vietnam, um Unterrichtsskripte des Mathematikunterrichts in 8. Klassen in Vietnam zu identifizieren - Vergleich ausgewählter Aspekte des Mathematikunterrichts in Vietnam mit denen anderer Länder auf der Grundlage der Videostudie in Vietnam und Diskussion von Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschieden zwischen Ländern - Untersuchung der Herausforderungen für eine Innovation der Unterrichtsmethoden im Mathematikunterricht Vietnams Diese Dissertation entstand in der Hoffnung, dass sie eine nützliche Referenz für Lehramtsstudenten zum Verständnis der Natur des Unterrichts und zur Entwicklung der eigenen Lehrerpersönlichkeit darstellen möge.

The experiments described in this thesis tested whether encouraging the use of self-regulatory learning strategies enhances the effectiveness of autonomous study for novices in a learning domain. Previous research and theory have suggested that high-achieving students are proficient at self-regulating their learning, and they do so using a range of learning strategies for planning their study, monitoring the effectiveness of their efforts and elaborating their knowledge. Information processing theories of instructional design suggest that learning is optimal when working memory load is managed effectively. Accordingly, methods have been devised for reducing load associated with unnecessary task requirements, as well as dedicating additional capacity to the construction and automation of knowledge schemas. Less is known, however, about instructional methods for encouraging self-regulatory learning strategies. Experiments 1, 2 and 4 examined the effect of encouraging participants to reflect on their understanding of topics they had been taught previously. Although these participants were able to accurately estimate their level of understanding in some situations, they failed to consistently use this knowledge to guide their study of topics they had previously understood poorly. In light of this finding, Experiments 3 and 5 examined the effect of encouraging participants to plan a free study period, with the direction to prioritise the topics that they had understood the least well. This intervention had a modest positive effect on post-test performance. Experiment 6 examined the effect of encouraging two elaborative strategies, namely explanation generation and summarisation. The former benefited performance, whereas the effectiveness of the latter depended on the comprehensiveness of the summaries produced by the participants. Finally, Experiment 7 examined the effect of providing broad-spectrum instruction in learning strategies, with minimal requirements to engage in specific strategies. This intervention resulted in an overall benefit to performance. Overall, the results of this dissertation suggest that certain instructional aids for self-regulation yield benefits to the autonomous study by domain novices without overburdening working memory.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2005. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.A.T.) -- School for International Training, 2006 / Advisor -- Paul Levasseur

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The problem of this study is that of comparing a concurrent approach with the traditional (delayed) approach of presenting the alphabet and number/symbol keys on the typewriter keyboard. Ten experimental classes and ten control classes, of male and female high school beginning typewriting students in Texas, participated in the study. The experimental group was introduced the alphabet and number/symbol keys concurrently with drills coordinated with Century 21 Typewriting. The control group was introduced the alphabet and number/symbol keys according to Century 21 Typewriting. Both groups used three minutes of daily practice on number drills through Lesson 60.

There are many definitions of historical consciousness. This essay uses the definition where the focus is on the ability to see connections between past, present and future. The aim of the essay was to design two different teaching methods to use when teaching about historical consciousness and to explore how they affect the students’ performances at the examination. The analysis was also open to discuss in what way other factors can have affected the results of the experiment. For this reason, the study has an experimental design. Two classes where taught using two different teaching methods and were later tested on their ability to see and explain connections between past, present and future. The first method is the more traditional teaching method consisting of lectures and the other method is based on variation theory and consists mostly of group discussions. The experiment was done twice so that each class was able to try both teaching methods. The results showed that the teaching method does not affect the students’ performances to any great extent. It did show, though, that the more traditional teaching method could lead to greater variation in the contents of the students’ answers but to less variation between Rüsen’s four types of historical consciousness. Furthermore, the results showed that one of the other main factors that affect students’ performances could be the historical period that the students are working with and are tested on. However, these results would need further studies to confirm whether this is in fact the case. / Det finns många olika definitioner av historiemedvetande. Denna undersökning utgår från definitionen som fokuserar på förmågan att se kopplingar mellan dåtid, nutid och framtid. Syftet med uppsatsen var att designa två olika undervisningsmetoder och utföra ett experiment för att undersöka hur elevers prestationer påverkas vid ett examinerande moment som testar deras förmåga att uttrycka sitt historiemedvetande. Analysen av studien var även öppen för att diskutera hur andra faktorer kan ha påverkat utfallet av experimentet. Studien har därför en experimentell design. Två klasser undervisades med hjälp av två olika undervisningsmetoder och deras förmåga att se och förklara kopplingar mellan dåtid, nutid och framtid testades sedan på ett examinerande moment. Den första metoden är den mer traditionella undervisningsmetoden som framförallt innefattar genomgångar medan den andra metoden är baserad på variationsteorin och främst består av gruppdiskussioner. Experimentet gjordes två gånger så att båda klasserna hade möjlighet att prova båda undervisningsmetoder. Resultatet visade att undervisningsmetoden inte hade någon avgörande påverkan på elevernas prestationer. Det visade dock att den mer traditionella undervisningen skulle kunna leda till en större innehållsmässig variation i elevernas svar men också till mindre variation mellan vilken av Rüsens fyra typer av historiemedvetande som svaret utgår från. Vidare visade resultatet att den andra största faktorn som påverkar elevernas prestationer kan vara det faktamässiga innehållet, med andra ord den historiska tidsepoken, som arbetsområdet behandlar och som eleverna därmed också testas på. Fler studier skulle dock behöva utföras för att bekräfta dessa resultat.

Jana Hůlová, 2010: The proposal of a general scientific schooling trail Along the valley of the Mze river near Pavlovice community (Tachov region). The aim of this thesis is a project of a natural science educational path leading through the valley of the river Mze and through the environs of the town Pavlovice. This path should work as a practical, landscape supplement of biology and regional geography teaching, especially for schools near this particular locality. This thesis includes characterization of this area and a chapter dealing with the choice of the path, individual stands and their utilization. The path consists of 13 stands for which thematic informational texts were created. To each stand a subchapter was dedicated. These subchapters imply a description of the stand, working text, examples of educational improvement of the stand and examples of landscape work (questions and tasks). Attached materials are composed of photo documentation of the stands areas, historical postcards of Pavlovice and Josedova Hut and maps.