Thesis (M.A. (Recreation Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Colleges and universities throughout this great land are charged with the awesome responsibility of developing our youth into becoming productive, contributing citizens. More specifically, within these colleges and universities, instructors are instrumental in the development of students. Experiential learning, and, more importantly, reflective writing are important components of college instructors? repertoires. Learning is not complete without proper reflection. The purpose of this study was to examine upper-level undergraduate students? perceptions of learning in an agricultural leadership course that emphasized experiential learning methods. Specifically, this study examined student attitudes regarding experiential learning and if students used a surface or deep approach to learning. The respondents to the study included the students enrolled in ALED 340: Professional Leadership Development. This study employed procedures associated with mixed methods research. Within the quantitative portion of this study, the students were required to complete the revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire pre-intervention and post-intervention. The intervention consisted of teaching strategies associated with experiential learning with an emphasis on reflective writing. Based upon the students? self-reported answers, it was determined that post-intervention scores for the Deep Approach Scale and the Surface Approach Scale were statistically similar to the students? pre-intervention scores. Teaching strategies associated with experiential learning with an emphasis on reflective writing did not have an influence on the way the students approached learning. Within the qualitative portion of the study and as a course requirement, the students were asked to keep a reflective journal. Upon completion of the course, the students were asked to prepare a reflective paper, which served as a comprehensive reflection of the course. Three themes emerged from the students? reflective journals and papers?the students? perceptions of experiential learning, the indicators of a deep approach to learning, and how learning was maximized. In conclusion, the students benefited greatly from receiving instruction associated with experiential learning, and the students did foster a deep approach to learning, regardless of their answers to the revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire. Reflection completed the learning process for the students enrolled in ALED 340: Professional Leadership Development.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-137). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (PhD(Didactic Pedagogics))--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX231196.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Alberta, 2010. / "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta." Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on February 12, 2010) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-137). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-82).

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The reaction rate of a chemical process, and the factors that affect it, is an important concept in the secondary school chemistry curriculum. A number of studies have indicated that students have different conceptions of the reaction rate phenomenon, e.g. that volume is an influential factor. The way in which the teacher structures the lesson content and the students experience the lesson is important in helping students to develop appropriate conceptions. This study explores the efficacy of using variation theory as a pedagogical tool to improve student understanding of chemical reaction rates at the Secondary 4 level through group-based scientific investigation. A design-based research approach with a pretest and posttest was chosen, and phenomenography and variation theory were adopted as the theoretical framework. Learning is defined as a change in the way of experiencing something. What is to be learnt is defined as the “object of learning”, and aspects that are crucial to appropriating the object of learning are defined as “critical aspects”. To bring out the critical aspects that are to be discerned by students, certain patterns of variation, namely, generalization, contrast, separation and fusion, must be constituted. Two Secondary 4 chemistry classes in the same school were taught by one teacher. Lessons comprised three sections: a single period for introduction, a double period for experimentation and a single period for debriefing. The two classes were taught in the same way during the introduction and experimentation, but different debriefing sequences were used after the students’ experimental work. During the introduction and experimentation, “separation” was employed to help students develop a fair test concept and design an experiment to follow the progress of a chemical reaction. During experimentation, they were guided in how to discern the factors that affect two aspects of a reaction, i.e. the reaction rate and amount of products formed. In the debriefing session of the pilot and main studies, different “sequences of factors” and “sequences of aspects” were followed, respectively. Comparison was made between the pretest and posttest to trace students’ understanding of the reaction aspects. The quantitative data were analysed and triangulated with the post-lesson interview data and verbatim lesson record. The students’ learning outcomes showed that there had been substantial improvement in understanding of the skills and concepts involved, with the gap between the low- and high-score groups narrowing. A specific debriefing sequence was found to be conducive to learning. Further, discussing the interrelated factors tested in the experimental conditions consecutively and separating the two reaction aspects while fusing the factors appeared effective in highlighting the part-part and part-whole relationships. Here, “whole” refers to a reaction consisting of the “parts” constituted by the reaction rate and amount of products which in turn depend on various factors. The findings of this study suggest that variation theory is a powerful pedagogical tool in improving the understanding of students of lower academic ability. They thus have important implications for the planning of teaching-learning sequences in practical science lessons, particularly in scientific investigations that involve different task-pool results. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy