This study of laboratory based instruction at higher secondary school level was an attempt to gain some insight into the effectiveness of three laboratory instruction methods: cooperative group instruction method, individualised instruction method and lecture demonstration method on biology achievement and retention. A Randomised subjects, Pre-test Post-test Comparative Methods Design was applied. Three groups of students from a year 11 class in Pakistan conducted experiments using the different laboratory instruction methods. Pre-tests, achievement tests after the experiments and retention tests one month later were administered. Results showed no significant difference between the groups on total achievement and retention, nor was there any significant difference on knowledge and comprehension test scores or skills performance. Future research investigating a similar problem is suggested / Master of Education (Hons)

<p>This study’s purpose was to examine which main forms of teaching methods that occurs in the Swedish nine-year compulsory school and how often learning through social collaboration take place. The study contained literature and interviews with eight teachers. Our research-questions were: What is the teacher’s opinion about different teaching methods, their opinion about learning and teaching and if there were any difference between the teachers teaching younger or older students regarding teaching methods? Our conclusions of this study were that ”lecture-methods” is the most common among teachers. In the beginning of the nine-year compulsory school the teachers chooses and controls the student’s methods for learning. Later when the students gets older and more experienced the teachers expects them to take more responsibility and decisions of their own. Collaboration between the student’s occurred, but the teacher’s ambition seldom was that the students could learn from each other. The teachers purpose were that the students shall practice their social skills, cooperation and to form a strong group. </p>

This study’s purpose was to examine which main forms of teaching methods that occurs in the Swedish nine-year compulsory school and how often learning through social collaboration take place. The study contained literature and interviews with eight teachers. Our research-questions were: What is the teacher’s opinion about different teaching methods, their opinion about learning and teaching and if there were any difference between the teachers teaching younger or older students regarding teaching methods? Our conclusions of this study were that ”lecture-methods” is the most common among teachers. In the beginning of the nine-year compulsory school the teachers chooses and controls the student’s methods for learning. Later when the students gets older and more experienced the teachers expects them to take more responsibility and decisions of their own. Collaboration between the student’s occurred, but the teacher’s ambition seldom was that the students could learn from each other. The teachers purpose were that the students shall practice their social skills, cooperation and to form a strong group.

Mathematics is perceived as a difficult subject to many students internationally and Sweden ranks among EU/OECD countries that perform poorly, cited in the TIMSS 2007 assessments. The aim of this essay is to investigate the causes of the poor performance in Mathematics in many of Swedish Secondary schools and it will contribute to the solutions of this problem. The framework of this essay takes into consideration issues on; school curriculum, instruction of knowledge by teachers, construction of knowledge by students, their interactions and experiences in the situation of learning. Teaching methods have been seen as the starting point upon which students can be invited to carry out communications, reasoning and arguments in mathematics. This can be useful in developing capabilities of solving mathematical problems as recommended in Secondary School regulations book. The interviewed teachers’ experiences and approaches in selecting teaching methods have been interpreted to correspond with students’ involvement in learning mathematics. The essay has found out that there is a positive effect on understanding mathematics if teachers can select teaching methods that suits a specific object of learning. This however, has left one disturbing question for further researchers to answer; to whether it is enough for highly motivated and hard working students to study mathematics based on memorized wisdom (ideas) as it does not promote mathematical awareness.

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College professors face many pressing challenges: staying current in their disciplines, becoming familiar with new technology, responding to national accountability issues, publishing scholarly research in their fields, and facilitating student learning in their classes. Teaching and learning are complex processes. Humor is a powerful instructional resource. The purpose of this study is to understand how and why college professors intentionally use humor in the classroom and what influence humor has on their teaching. This qualitative study focuses on ten college professors who have a reputation for using humor in their classrooms. I conducted semi-structured interviews with these faculty and made four classroom observations. The interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three major findings emerged from the research. First, humor, for these professors, is a constitutive part of their identities as teachers. The professors articulated the belief that their sense of humor and the ways they used humor in the classroom made them better teachers. Their teaching identities were created as they learned from their own teaching mentors, developed their personal teaching philosophies, and became confident enough to show their own personalities in their classrooms. The second finding was that these professors have constructed very student-centered, positive classroom climates. All of them recognized the benefits of humor for their students and were aware of the advantages of humor for the learning process and to foster bonds between students and teacher. They also said humor made their jobs as teachers more satisfying. They were also cognizant of appropriate and inappropriate uses of humor and were careful exactly how they used humor in their teaching. The final finding refers to how a professor may be viewed as a performer. These professors have constructed teaching identities that allow them to go into the classroom and present information often in a dramatic, striking manner. The teachers in this study have developed teaching methods that capture the students? attention, and the techniques often reflect theatrical styles or approaches that make them feel like performers.

A well established curriculum model which some claim has a socio-cultural component is the Sport Education model (Siedentop, Mand and Taggart, 1986). Others suggest that this model, with development, could be an appropriate vehicle for socio-critical learning outcomes that have lifelong meaning and value (Penney, Clarke and Kinchin, 2002, Taggart, 2004). An interest in developing an understanding of the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of a Physical Education curriculum and teaching methods used to facilitate socio-critical learning outcomes is the motivation behind this research project. Through interviewing two secondary school students, their perceptions of the influence of Sport Education on their sport thinking and actions were explored to ascertain if, soci-cultural and socio-critical learning may indeed be realistic outcomes of the Sport Education model. The research provided evidence that students gave a lot of thought to specific incidents within the Sport Education unit and acted on these thoughts within the unit. Elements of critical thinking and critical action are evident in the research. Students also reported thinking about their sport involvement both from a participation point of view and also about the nature of their involvement, for example helping others, in out of school contexts. Both expressed intentions of actions they may take in sport out of school due to the influence of Sport Education. The two students' perceptions of the influence of the Sport Education model on their sport thinking and sport action has shown that educational outcomes of a socio-cultural nature can be achieved through the model.

This thesis researches how six of the English teachers in the public upper-secondary schools in Växjö teach novels in English and how their methods influence the gaining of cultural capital for the students. The cultural capital theory is based on Pierre Bourdieu and what he states about cultural capital being one of the factors that may allow a person to shift social status without having any economic capital. Another matter that Bourdieu addresses is that school is one of the institutions where cultural capital may be gained (Bourdieu “Practical Reason” 19). Because school is the one common ground students have, it is the one place where they all have the same chance of developing, regardless of social status. The connection between gaining cultural capital and novels in English is explained with the theory of John Guillory and what he states about English novels being a part of cultural capital. The novels that the school possesses and uses form a school canon that does not only reflect the school’s values but its culture as well (Guillory 38). When the students read these novels they therefore gain the cultural capital that the school reflects. How well this cultural capital is gained depends on the teachers and their methods. The study has been conducted by interviewing two English teachers from each of the three schools about their methods and choice of novel. The analysis has uncovered that all the teachers have similar methods and the variations that exists depends on the students they have. Consequently the amount of knowledge and cultural capital gained by the students depends on what kind of students the teacher has and which method he/she therefore chooses to use.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, 2004. / "A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Bibliography.

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