published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Many learners find the study of introductory computer programming difficult. This is also true of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and we need an improved understanding of how they learn programming. After reviewing the constructivist approach to teaching and learning and investigating ADHD, this study explored strategies for constructive learning of introductory programming. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Karplus learning cycle to teach introductory programming. This was done through qualitative research from an interpretive perspective. Action research techniques were employed and data analysed using grounded theory methods. Four major constructivist teaching categories emerged, all of which support the use of the Karplus cycle. It is concluded that the three-phase Karplus cycle can be used to assist these learners learn introductory programming. However, it needs to be understood more broadly and the middle phase broken into two subphases to ensure effective learning. / Mathematical Sciences / M. Sc. (Mathematical Sciences)

In a globally interdependent world, teachers are charged with preparing learners for a complex, interactive world. This educational challenge requires teachers to develop learners with critical, creative and conceptual minds, while still teaching the required content. Therefore developing the individual learner's ability to construct personalised meaning for new concepts is a prerequisite for the classroom. So is the development of the learner's ability to solve increasingly complex problems in the learning area as well as in daily life. This revivefies the question of how to plan, structure and assess in order to accommodate these requirements while enhancing learner abilities and achiement. / Teacher Education / D.Ed. (Didactics)

Education systems are currently undergoing transformational changes throughout the world and one of these changes is a shift from a philosophy of positivist paradigm to constructivist paradigm of teaching. Accordingly, constructivists claim children actively construct their knowledge rather than absorb information spoken to them by teachers. Therefore, the constructivist teaching of Geography places emphasis on the fact that learners should think more, understand and responsible for their own learning. This study thus focused on the practice of constructivist methods in the teaching of Geography at preparatory secondary schools of Ethiopia. Geography is colourful and an outdoor oriented subject in which learners could get good opportunities to construct their knowledge through various in-and-out of school activities. Thus, constructivist methods are useful for Geography learners to develop their intellectual capacity for life-long learning and for generic skills such as critical thinking, information processing, problem solving, decision-making, etc. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the merits and reasons for teacher dominance in the pedagogy of Geography and to suggest learner-centered teaching strategies in the context of constructivist principles on learners’ learning activities to liberate them from passive learning pedagogy. The study was confined to six Higher Education Preparatory Secondary Schools out of 20 preparatory schools of the South Wollo Administrative Zone of Amhara state of Ethiopia. It employed mixed-method approaches (qual-quant) and descriptive survey design. The target population for this study was 1053 Social Science learners and 12 Geography departmental heads and teachers. Among 1053 learners 199 learners were sampled through random sampling technique. But all Geography teachers and departmental heads were taken as the main participants through purposive sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews, observation, documents and questionnaire were the main data collection instruments for the study. Data that were collected through interviews, observation and open-ended questionnaire were analysed inductively using narrations and descriptions through words, phrases and statements, whereas the data collected from documents were organised in the form of tables and analysed via percentage and mean. However, data that were collected through close-ended questionnaires were edited, coded, classified, tabulated and organised in the form of tables havebeen analysed through frequency, percentage and mean via SPSS software. Based on the analysed data, findings were depicted. The findings of the study revealed that Geography is a unique discipline and its syllabus was prepared in line with the country’s education policy which encourages constructivist approaches of teaching. However, majority of teachers frequently practice traditional teaching methods. Moreover, the study also identified that lack of teachers’ professional training about the practice of a variety of learner-centered methods and continuous assessment techniques, lack of experience about learner-centered teaching methods both on the part of teachers and learners, low interest and commitment on the part of teachers, teachers’ failure to utilise teaching materials, placing of less competent learners in the Social Science stream, learners’ low interest to learn and incapability to learn through learner-centered methods, learners’ low engagement in the teaching activities, learners’ disturbance, shortage of time, absence of plasma TV transmission and shortage of resources such as school facilities, instructional media, reference books, Geography room, department room, pedagogical center, lounge and scarcity of budget were considerable hindrances on the implementation of Geography syllabus through the constructivist approaches of teaching methods. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made to the concerned bodies to alleviate the hindrances and to encourage the practice of constructivist teaching methods and making the learners free from teachers’ dependency. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Orientador: Telma Pileggi Vinha / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T08:41:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wrege_MarianaGuimaraes_M.pdf: 3360591 bytes, checksum: 4ecb61ee3732715032f7e4344ba4e53a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Divergindo-se das escolas tradicionais ao longo dos últimos cento e cinquenta anos, a literatura nos aponta outras propostas educacionais que buscam romper com esse paradigma tradicional de educação. Atualmente, um desses movimentos é denominado de "educação democrática". Mesmo que existam diferenças, tais escolas possuem três características comuns: a gestão participativa pelos estudantes e educadores; relações não hierárquicas; e a organização pedagógica com centro de estudos, sem currículos compulsórios, em que os alunos definem suas trajetórias de aprendizagem. Foi somente a partir de 1996, com a nova Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação no Brasil que foi possível este novo modelo de escola, já que permitiu maior autonomia das instituições educativas com relação ao currículo. No entanto, as escolas democráticas no país (educação formal) são poucas e recentes. Não obstante a importância de tais experiências, ainda são escassos os estudos científicos que as abordem. Tratando-se de um estudo descritivo exploratório, esta pesquisa objetivou caracterizar o ambiente sociomoral e o trabalho com o conhecimento em uma escola que busca implementar uma proposta de educação democrática e que faça parte da Rede Internacional de Educação Democrática (IDEN), assim como investigar as dificuldades que encontra nesta implementação. Os participantes foram os alunos do 4º e do 5º anos do Ensino Fundamental, seus professores e a equipe de especialistas. Os procedimentos empregados na coleta de dados foram: sessões de observação sistemáticas, entrevistas individuais e o recolhimento de documentos tais como: registro das ocorrências, agendas, atividades pedagógicas realizadas pelos alunos, planejamento dos professores, Projeto Político Pedagógico e Regimento Escolar, dentre outros. A análise dos dados foi qualitativa e pautada no construtivismo piagetiano. Os resultados mostraram que o ambiente sociomoral é mais cooperativo e harmonioso, a interação social é continuamente valorizada e os alunos participam de algumas decisões com relação ao uso dos espaços comuns, aos materiais que podem ou não trazer à escola, dentre outras, nas assembleias da escola. Evidencia-se o diálogo e o vínculo de afeto na relação entre professores e alunos que, contudo, permanecem assimétricas. As relações entre pares são harmoniosas e recíprocas. Os conflitos são, em geral, resolvidos pelos próprios alunos e algumas vezes há intervenção direta dos adultos, que acabam resolvendo tais problemas por eles ou valendo-se de censuras. O trabalho com o conhecimento é mais prazeroso e significativo. As artes articulam-se com projetos realizados ao longo do ano e que culminam em uma peça teatral. São os professores quem decidem sobre o que, quais e como serão realizadas as atividades, havendo pouca participação dos educandos neste processo. Muitas atividades ainda são baseadas na memorização e cópia e há, implicitamente, a obrigatoriedade de realização das propostas pelos alunos. Encontrou-se ainda que tanto os educadores quanto as crianças gostam de estar na escola e a veem como diferente das demais, no sentido de proporcionar atividades mais prazerosas, divertidas, de não haver provas nem lição de casa, além de dar uma certa margem de liberdade para que todos coloquem suas opiniões. / Abstract: Diverting from traditional schools over the last hundred and fifty years, the literature points to other educational proposals that seek to break the traditional paradigm of education. Currently, this movement is called "democratic education". Even if there are differences in each experience, these schools have three common characteristics: participatory management by students and educators, non-hierarchical relationships and educational organization as "research centers" in which students define their learning trajectories without having a compulsory curriculum. It was only after 1996, with the new Brazilian Law of Directives and Bases of Education, that it was possible to have this new model of school, as this law allowed greater autonomy of educational institutions in relation to the curriculum. However, democratic schools in Brazil (formal education) are few and recent. Despite the importance of such experiences, there are still scarce scientific studies that addresses them. This is an exploratory descriptive study that aimed to characterize the sociomoral environment and the work with knowledge in a school that seeks to implement a democratic education proposal. The selected school had to take part of the International Democratic Education Network (IDEN). We also aimed to investigate the difficulties they found in this implementation process. The participants were: students in the 4th and the 5th years of elementary school, their teachers and staff experts. The procedures used in data collecting sessions were: systematic observation, individual interviews and gathering of documents, such as: registration of events, calendars, educational activities carried out by students, teacher planning, among others. Data analysis was qualitative and based on Piaget's constructivism. The results showed that the sociomoral atmosphere in the school is more cooperative and harmonious. Social interaction is continuously valued and students participate in some decisions regarding the use of common spaces, materials that may or may not bring to school, among others, in the school meetings. It highlights the dialogue and the bond of affection in the relationships between teachers and students, however, it remains asymmetrical. Peers relationships are harmonious and reciprocal. Conflicts are usually resolved by the students and sometimes there are direct interventions from adults, who end up solving such problems for the children. The work with knowledge is more pleasurable and meaningful. The arts are linked to projects carried out throughout the year and that culminate in a play. The teachers decide what, where and how the activities will be carried out, with little participation of students in this process. Many activities are still based on memorization and copying, and there is, implicitly, the obligation to carry out the proposals by the students. It was also found that both, educators and children, enjoy being at school and see it as different from the others, providing pleasurable activities, no tests or homework, and that it gives a certain margin of freedom for everybody. / Mestrado / Psicologia Educacional / Mestre em Educação

No description available.

This project addresses the integration of a career and technical (vocational) construction curriculum with academic curriculum. Career and technical (vocational) curriculum in the past has been developed to address specific content. This construction curriculum inegrates inherent academic aspects.

This project was developed to address the complex issue of disseminating information to high school students via the World Wide Web. Topics include: the need for greater communication among instructors, students and parents, the need to utilize instructional design techniques, the backwards design process in the development of web based projects; and the need to integrate internet technology for promoting instruction and learning.