This study, using a quasi-experimental research design, investigates connections between pedagogy and social psychology by applying social psychological theories of group work and interaction to collaborative learning, a current trend in pedagogical techniques. It was hypothesized that by creating a setting in which students would be evaluated based in part on the performance of their peers would improve their individual performance. The incentive (a percentage of their grade) would hypothetically motivate students to teach their peers effectively; thus they would be taking a vested-interest role in becoming a co-teacher to their partner. This study was implemented by examining two sections of Introduction to Sociology which were taught concurrently and in exactly the same manner, with the only difference between the classes being the vested-interest feature present in the experimental class and absent from the control class. While this technique was determined not to have any statistical significance on the students' final grades, it did indicate that other factors involved in group work and collaborative learning might influence student outcomes or perceived student outcomes. Students in the experimental course exhibited more signs of anxiety about their grades, expressed more concern about their partners' abilities, and gave the instructor significantly lower ratings than the control class. However, students in the experimental class also came to class more often. These findings may indicate that placing a grade on group work, while effective in encouraging attendance, does not significantly alter the output of the group. Instead, this increased pressure about partners' performance may diminish the effectiveness of the group as students tend to see that the performance of their partners as outside of their own control.

This study determined the instructional approaches and teaching techniques and materials reading specialists perceived to be the most effective for the seventh and eighth grade remedial reading courses mandated by Texas House Bill 246. It also determined the most effective inservice procedures for training teachers assigned to teach these courses. Fifty-four Texas reading specialists, representing school districts, service centers, and colleges and universities, participated as panelists in the Delphi, completing three rounds of questionnaires. Perceived recommendations were rated by panelists according to levels of effectiveness.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This thesis reports on my investigation into undergraduate students' knowledge of financial literacy (FL) and explores ways of improving their FL by using and experimenting with alternative Financial Literacy Education (FLE) methods and techniques. In attempting this, I report on the educational interventions that I attempted. These are critical literacy approaches that included drama teaching techniques that formed part of a praxis approach to FLE. Low levels of financial literacy are of great concern in South Africa because South Africans have high rates of debt which the researcher asserts are an indication of misconceptions, misunderstanding, and also a lack of financial literacy. South Africa needs to have undergraduate students that are financially literate who apply critical reasoning to make critical financial decisions.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka transspråkande i svenskämnets skrivundervisning i årskurs 4–6 utifrån ett lärarperspektiv. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har systematiska observationer och semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts. Observationerna genomfördes i fyra olika klassrum där transspråkande tillämpades i skrivundervisningen och sedan genomfördes fyra intervjuer med undervisande lärare. Studien utgår från den sociokulturella teorin i samband med teorin om transspråkande och de teorispecifika begreppen mediering och proximal utvecklingszon. Studiens resultat visar bland annat att framgångsrika arbetssätt med transspråkande i skrivandet är muntliga, textbaserade samt visuella arbetssätt. De medverkande lärarnas uppfattningar om transspråkande i skrivundervisningen är att det verkar som identitetsstärkande för flerspråkiga elever och att det ökar elevernas förståelse för det svenska språket. Lärarna anser dock att tidsbristen och känslan av otillräcklighet är de största problemen med ämnet.

Frederick Jackson Turner was a prominent American Historian who lived during America's Progressive Movement of the early twentieth century. Turner's most seminal piece, The Significance of the Frontier in American History, commonly referred to as The Frontier Thesis, challenged the accepted assumption that American culture stemmed from European ancestors. Turner resisted conventional wisdom that did not take into account the struggles and advances of the pioneers of the West. Turner believed the experiences of the pioneers forced them to adapt and modify their European roots, thus developing a distinct and separate culture from Europe. As a university professor, training a plethora of doctoral students in the field of history, Turner embraced the changes in educational thought of the time; including the importance of lifelong learning and the need to continually re-evaluate previously held beliefs. To Turner, a university professor's priority was to facilitate learning experiences that helped develop students into independent and competent critical thinkers. One way Turner differed from his contemporaries was the way he studied and wrote about history. Turner subscribed to the ideal that all aspects of historical events, incorporating information that set a complete context of the event itself was essential. The historiography Turner employed is considered a standard today. The Progressive Era also brought a wave of reformation in political, social and educational thought. Adult education programs began to develop throughout the nation. Adults for the first time had low cost opportunities outside of collegial studies to expand their professional expertise, literacy skills, and appreciation for art and entertainment. Adult education thinkers also began to systematically research and study ways in which adults best learn. The impetus of this study was to examine Turner's educational and career efforts juxtaposed with adult learning theory, principles and practices as an embedded university elite and active planner and participant of alternative adult education programs. As such, this study investigated Turner as an educator outside the field of adult education, who emulated the principles, practices and value structure of adult learning theory. / Ph. D.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:31:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Antonio Renato Cecconello.pdf: 3272317 bytes, checksum: 0ac8bc5c9b429592e7f75f43df90f1a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-04-01 / This thesis presents a diagnosis of the impacting factors in the learning process regarding students of a business school in the city of São Paulo. These students have demonstrated academic performance and level of involvement below expectations. The theoretical framework considers the need of learning and mobilization concepts of Bernard Charlot; the way Marco Antonio Moreira understands meaningful learning; the three dimensions of learning and its obstacles pointed out by Knud Illeris; the importance of Involvement highlighted by Astin, the concept of learning environment according to Astin and Antonio; and the relevance to learn that Vera Lucia Felicetti gives to commitment. Based on the main question: Which factors are important to mobilize business students to learn? , the objective of this work is to identify the key factors encouraging or limiting mobilization to learn the content related to Business Administration. It is an exploratory research using mixed approaches, such as field study and documental field surveys. The data collection was done using an online questionnaire that was answered by 144 enrolled students, and consistence cross-checking was made using documental data from 194 graduates from the first semester of 2014. Data were tabulated and classified by gender, period and semesters. The diagnosis shows that students appear to study for the test but not to learn. The tabulated data indicates that the students do not properly associate commitment to engagement. In spite of the existing commitments, the proper engagement was not taken into account, based on related behaviors such as: poor reading level before classes, low involvement and participation in the classes, susceptibility to distracting factors and rates of performance, absence, repetition and school evasion. Two of the analyzed factors were identified as critical factors to the students lack of mobilization to learn, commitment and teaching techniques / Essa tese apresenta o diagnóstico dos fatores que impactam no aprendizado do aluno do curso de graduação em Administração de uma IES da cidade de São Paulo. O alunado tem apresentado resultados acadêmicos e nível de envolvimento abaixo das expectativas. O referencial teórico considera a necessidade de aprender e os conceitos de mobilização para a aprendizagem de Bernard Charlot; a forma como Marco Antonio Moreira entende a aprendizagem significativa, as três dimensões da aprendizagem e seus obstáculos considerados por Knud Illeris, a importância envolvimento destacada por Astin, os conceitos sobre o ambiente estudantil de Astin e Antonio e a importância do comprometimento na aprendizagem dada por Vera Lucia Felicettti. A partir da questão principal: Quais fatores são relevantes na mobilização do aluno do curso de graduação em Administração para a aprendizagem? , o objetivo do trabalho é a identificação dos fatores que facilitam e/ou dificultam as ações de mobilização para a aprendizagem de conteúdos relacionados ao curso de graduação em Administração. Pesquisa exploratória com abordagem mista e uso dos métodos estudo de campo e de levantamento documental. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de questionário eletrônico junto a 144 alunos dos semestres letivos e verificação cruzada com o histórico dos 194 formandos 2014-1. Os dados foram tabelados e correlacionados por gênero, período e semestres. O diagnóstico mostra que o aluno parece estudar para a prova, não para aprender. Os dados tabulados indicam que o aluno não associa de forma adequada compromisso e comprometimento. Apesar dos compromissos existentes, o comprometimento efetivo não foi considerado, a partir dos comportamentos declarados de: baixo volume de leituras previamente às aulas; pouco envolvimento na participação em aulas; suscetibilidade a fatores de distração e nos níveis de faltas, notas, reprovações e evasão escolar. Dois dos fatores analisados foram identificados como críticos à falta de mobilização para a aprendizagem, comprometimento e prática didática

This thesis discusses brain-based methodology and how educators can use brain-based techniques to impact, support, and advance cognitive growth. Current research on learning and memory is enabling educators to better understand how the brain learns and what environmental factors assist in or detract from student learning. Brain-based learning techniques are considered by brain-based researchers as one way to create a learning environment that fosters student learning at individual academic levels while concurrently challenging each student and promoting academic growth. Teachers can further student academic advancement through the direct manipulation of the classroom environment rather than by purchasing a particular program that promises results.

This diploma thesis follows up on the bachelor thesis which dealt with the phenomenon of silent letters and which was created by the same author. This bachelor thesis has revealed that Czech learners tend to mispronounce every fifth word containing a silent letter which should be seen as alarming. The diploma thesis therefore tries to find some way how to change this situation. The theoretical part of this thesis focuses on the analysis of various techniques and materials which are concerned with silent letters. In the practical part this materials are adjusted to the needs of the Czech learners in order to create a battery of activities which would cover this area of pronunciation. In the next step these activities will be introduced in English classrooms. In the research we will monitor the progress of the respondents over a larger period of time and assess how effective the created activities are.

Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka hur lärare på mellanstadiet undervisar språkutvecklande för att främja den muntliga förmågan hos flerspråkiga elever. Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i den sociokulturella teorin. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har observation och intervju använts som insamlingsmetod. Genomförandet av observationer gjordes i tre klassrum på olika skolor i södra Sverige. Vidare genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer muntligt med lärarna som deltog under respektive observation. Studiens resultat pekar bland annat på att smågruppssamtal är ett främjande arbetssätt för den flerspråkiga elevens muntliga utveckling. Smågruppssamtal bidrar till muntlig kommunikation där eleverna får lyssna, prata och repetera tillsammans. I arbetet med flerspråkiga elevers muntliga förmåga, framkommer det också att boksamtal är ett främjande arbetssätt som bidrar till att elever vågar uttrycka sig muntligt. Lärarna anser dock att det saknas resurser och förutsättningar för att utveckla flerspråkiga elevers muntliga förmåga på ett sätt som hade önskats.

This study aimed at determining whether the use of indigenous techniques of communication can have a positive impact on the motivation of the learner of English as a foreign language in Cameroon. By indigenous techniques of communication we mean techniques like role-play, songs, the telling of folktales, riddles and proverbs. This work is intended as a contribution to the search for improvement of student motivation and enthusiasm, whereby they can be more responsive as they participate spontaneously in learning English as a foreign language. Some writers agree that it is beneficial to learn a foreign language using the material that the learners are familiar with (Lado 1964, Gee 1987, Post and Rathet 1996). The telling of folktales, role-play, songs, and the use of riddles and proverbs are found in all societies and every indigenous society uses them in teaching in one way or the other. Most foreign language learners are familiar with them. Their abundance in the Cameroonian society presents an excellent opportunity for foreign language teaching/learning. My interest in this research has been substantially influenced by my experience of working for almost a decade with learners of English as a foreign language in Francophone secondary/high schools in Cameroon. This work led me to the realization that students respond to English language teaching with very little motivation and enthusiasm. They make little or no progress in learning the language, much less in communicating in it. One of the major questions I have often asked myself is why Francophone students find English language learning boring and what could be done to solve the problem of teaching English to these students. I have tried on a number of occasions to tell folktales or teach a song in class when I found the students were bored with the lessons and discovered that the students immediately became alert. Their alertness was probably not for the direct purpose of making any linguistic gain but for the sheer entertainment of listening to a story or taking part in the singing, all of which they seemed to enjoy. Based on this positive change in the students, it was hypothesized that the introduction of some indigenous techniques of communication in the foreign language classroom might help improve its learning. The results from this study indicate that the recommendations for the use of these techniques in language teaching will help improve on the present negative attitude of foreign language learners. This study is significant to foreign language teaching/learning in all developing countries but most especially to the Cameroonian educational system where the study was carried out. Its relevance is due to the fact that most of the facilities that are presently used for the teaching of foreign languages in advanced countries are absent in developing countries. To help improve on the enthusiasm of the learner of a foreign language therefore, educational planners should resort to the use of indigenous techniques, which this study has found out could be very helpful in any foreign language classroom if properly applied. / Es ist allgemein anerkannt, dass es für Schüler, die eine Fremdsprache erlernen sollen, von Vorteil ist, wenn ihnen vertrautes Material im Unterricht verwendet wird (Lado 1964, Post und Rathet 1996). Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist deshalb, die positive Wirkung von indigenen Kommunikationsstrategien und –techniken auf die Lernermotivation kamerunische Schülern und Schülerinnen zu ermitteln, welche Englisch als Fremdsprache erwerben. Unter indigenen Kommunikationstechniken verstehen wir Rollenspiele, Lieder, das Erzählen von Märchen, Rätseln und Sprichwörtern. Die vorliegende Studie soll einen Beitrag bei der Suche nach Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten von Schülermotivation und Enthusiasmus leisten und dazu beitragen, das Schülerinteresse durch spontanes, teilnehmendes Erlernen zu wecken.