This thesis deals with the elaboration of learning problem-tasks related to the Standards for elementary education in the field of Chemistry. The author of this thesis worked on this topic within a project under National Institute for Education. The starting point for creating the tasks, illustrating and concretely expounding the Standards is the concept of science literacy. In this principle in chemistry instruction a broader context and a transfer to everyday life are applied. Learning tasks were created on the base of: science literacy and the results of Czech pupils in its testing, context of standards in Czech curricular system, elements of problem-based learning, types of learning tasks and cognitive parameters. During the elaboration of the tasks a pilot testing of selected learning tasks was realized. The results of the pilot testing were used in further designing more problem-tasks to cover one expected outcome in every topic of Chemistry within the elementary school curriculum. According to the methodology described in this thesis, a material named Methodical comments and tasks to the standards for primary education - Chemistry was created. This material contains a coherent set of learning problem-tasks illustrating two- thirds of the indicators from the standards for elementary education...

Pavlína Panáčková Učitelství pro první stupeň ZŠ 5. ročník ABSTRACT (MOTIVATION OF PUPILS FOR LEARNING AT PRIMARY SCHOOL) The master thesis deals with motivational quality of semantic support during teaching at first grade at primary school. The theory section consists of four parts. The first part concerns motivation and its sources and motivational problems at school and at the same time it is about communication. The specifics of learning pupils at primary schoo are in chapter 2. The last part deals with the didactic justification of the evocative and motivational function of semantic support for learning. At the same time we are looking for an answer to the question. Does semantics have more meaning in some subjects depending on the type of learning? The aim of the practical part is to find the answer to the question: How does the using of semantic supports influence the pupils' knowledge and their relation to learning? The research contains interviews of the teachers with main topic of semantics and its application during teaching. At the same time, the questionnaire survey is applied to pupils of the third class which compares three types of Mathematics - classical mathematics, Hejny method with semantic focus and Hejny method focused structurally. The thesis contains results evaluation of...

Teaching mathematics means teaching learners to think – wrote Polya in How to Solve It? 1957. This paper intends to offer mathematics teachers suggestions for incorporating reading, writing, and speaking practices in the teaching of mathematics. Through explicit examples and explanations we intend to share ways of engaging students in deep learning of mathematics, especially using and producing written and oral texts. More specifically, we plan to broaden and deepen teachers’ understanding of strategies for guiding students’ thinking so that they grasp mathematical concepts and processes, and also bridge the divide between mathematical processes, and written and oral communication. This paper presents a core math lessons which provides numerous opportunities for the students to get actively engaged in the lesson and think about the new concepts, algorithms and ways of solving problems/ exercises. The lesson was designed for the 7th graders (13 year-olds). It was chosen to illustrate teaching by using reading and writing for understanding math processes. The teacher’s reflections after the lesson and some samples of the students’ work and feedback are included in the paper. The material in this paper is based on the author’s own extensive teaching experience; and her work in the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking project in Romania.

The aim of this thesis is to create a collection of tasks that would address the students of secondary schools, secondary vocational schools and grammar schools by using a spreadsheet. Collection of tasks will respond to the theoretical background, which is mainly based on the requirements for the knowledge and skills to work with spreadsheets in the curricula of the Czech and Slovak secondary schools and ECDL standards. Other theoretical bases are the analysis of learning tasks in the books, a survey among secondary school teachers, through which we discover how the spreadsheet is used and what tasks the students dealt with this application. Collection of tasks will offer a wide range of tasks of varying difficulty allowing cross-curricular use. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

In this study, I investigated the interactions between multiple intelligences and performance of learners in open-ended digital learning tasks, and to suggest possible approaches to the teaching and learning process using computers in Tanzania. With the current introduction of computers in the education system in Tanzania, the qualities of instruction and learner participation in learning computer application skills and achievement have not necessarily shown improvement (Nelson, Post,&Bickel, 2003; Tilya, 2003). It is imperative for computer teachers to know the pedagogical strategies that can help them use the current technology effectively. Researchers in instructional design have suggested instructional methods that incorporate methods that encourage the use of learner-centered instruction, incorporating activity oriented methods, and problem solving that are designed around real-world problems (Huba&Freed, 2000). Learners will be able use their knowledge effectively, reveal their uniqueness as learners, and learn computer application skills in a social setting (Gardner, 1983; Wiggins, 1993, 1998; Teele, 2000; Huba&Freed, 2000). The theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner (1983) was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The theory postulates that that everybody has at least eight intelligences which reflect different ways of interacting with the world. In an effort to achieve quality learning, learning must be based on multiple approaches with a series of activities which are authentic in nature and have to be completed by the learners. The study was conducted in Tanzania using a qualitative research design. Four secondary schools were selected and 40 learners doing computer studies course participated in the study. Four intelligences from the theory of multiple intelligences were assessed: logic-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial and interpersonal intelligences. Assessment was done using performance assessment procedures. The findings indicated that there are distinctive intelligence profiles apart from the four intelligences that were investigated in this study. Despite the intelligence profiles of the learners, didactical issues that will enhance ICT adoption in the education environment are important. These include the use of authentic tasks, performance assessment to acknowledge learners unique performance abilities across several intelligences and teachers familiarization in the use of performance assessment procedures. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

Teaching mathematics means teaching learners to think – wrote Polya in How to Solve It? 1957. This paper intends to offer mathematics teachers suggestions for incorporating reading, writing, and speaking practices in the teaching of mathematics. Through explicit examples and explanations we intend to share ways of engaging students in deep learning of mathematics, especially using and producing written and oral texts. More specifically, we plan to broaden and deepen teachers’ understanding of strategies for guiding students’ thinking so that they grasp mathematical concepts and processes, and also bridge the divide between mathematical processes, and written and oral communication. This paper presents a core math lessons which provides numerous opportunities for the students to get actively engaged in the lesson and think about the new concepts, algorithms and ways of solving problems/ exercises. The lesson was designed for the 7th graders (13 year-olds). It was chosen to illustrate teaching by using reading and writing for understanding math processes. The teacher’s reflections after the lesson and some samples of the students’ work and feedback are included in the paper. The material in this paper is based on the author’s own extensive teaching experience; and her work in the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking project in Romania.

The study explores the meaning of knowing how to reason about justice in civics in upper secondary school. This is examined through the analysis of students’ conceptions of justice, and of their conceptions of civic reasoning about justice. It is also examined through the analysis of civic education practise. In the study, teaching was designed using Variation Theory and the theory of intersubjectivity in Activity Theory, and examined and evaluated in three Learning Studies. The empirical material consists of filmed and transcribed research lessons and interviews, as well as of written pre- and post-tests. The material was first analysed using phenomenography, and then analysed using content-oriented conversation analysis. Students’ conceptions of justice were found to move between the conception of justice as (A) a universal value, (B) a personal value or (C) a value of principle. Students’ conceptions of civic reasoning about justice were found to move between three conceptions: (a) reporting about justice, (b) analysing causes of different perspectives on justice or (c) critical reasoning about principles of justice. The critical aspects of knowing how to reason about justice in civics that students needed to discern were the relativity of justice, the basis for arguments for principles of justice and the analysing as well as the criticizing aspects of reasoning. The subject-knowledge that the teachers expressed in their teaching was one condition of the practise of civics that was found to be of importance for the students’ learning. Others were the assumed purpose of the practise of civics and a genuine need for the intended knowledge in the practice. Communicative actions that seem to facilitate these conditions are real learning tasks and a subject-specific language and variation of critical aspects as mediating tools. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of justice in political science and to the practise of civics education.

Im Rahmen eines Dissertationsvorhabens am Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut für Agrar- und Gartenbauwissenschaften der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin wurde die „Entwicklung beruflicher Handlungskompetenz in der gärtnerischen Berufsausbildung durch die Anwendung des Lernfeldkonzepts“ untersucht und in einem pädagogischen Unterrichtsexperiment an gartenbaulichen Berufsschulen in sechs Bundesländern durchgeführt. Damit eine durchgängige Kompetenz- und Outcome-Orientierung Berücksichtigung finden kann, erweiterte der Autor die Untersuchung zur Kompetenzentwicklung um die Aspekte Kompetenzmessung und Kompetenzbewertung. Basierend auf einer Arbeitsprozessanalyse zum Ausbildungsberuf Gärtner der Fachrichtung Garten- und Landschaftsbau wurden im Dialog mit dem Berufsstand Kriterien und Indikatoren beruflicher Handlungskompetenz von Landschaftsgärtnern definiert sowie berufliche Handlungsfelder (Tätigkeitsfelder) gebildet, aus denen Lernfelder abgeleitet und ein lernfeldstrukturierten Rahmenlehrplan für den berufsbezogenen Unterricht der Berufsschule konzipiert werden konnte. So war es möglich, handlungs- und kompetenzorientierte Lernaufgaben für den Berufsschulunterricht zu entwickeln, die sich an berufstypischen Arbeitssituationen orientieren. Durch die Bearbeitung dieser Lernaufgaben wurden bei den Versuchspersonen didaktisch begründete Lernhandlungen ausgelöst und angestrebte Kompetenzen entwickelt, die mittels eines standardisierten Bewertungsbogens durch Beobachtung (Fremdeinschätzung) und Befragung (Selbsteinschätzung) gemessen werden konnten. Die Bewertung ausgeprägter Kompetenzen erfolgte durch den Einsatz eines outcome-orientierten Abschlusstests „Virtuelle Kleinbaustelle“. Diese schriftliche Mehrfach-Situations-Aufgabe wurde nach Maßgabe eines systematischen Bewertungsrahmens unter Berücksichtigung der Anschlussfähigkeit an DQR und EQR ausgewertet, sodass auf den Erwerb beruflicher Handlungskompetenz in der Ausbildung zum Landschaftsgärtner geschlossen werden kann. / Within a PhD project at the Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin the “development of vocational action competencies regarding the training of gardeners based on the application of the concept of domains of learning” was studied in a teaching experiment at six horticultural vocational schools in six German states. To allow for a consistent focus on competencies and outcome, aspects of competencies measurement and competencies evaluation were included in the study of competency development. Based on an analysis of work processes in occupational training of landscape gardeners, criteria and indicators of vocational action competencies in this field were defined in collaboration with the gardening profession; furthermore, vocational fields of activities were developed. On their basis “domains of learning” (“Lernfelder”) could be derived and accordingly a framework curriculum could be developed for vocational lessons at vocational schools. In this manner it was possible to develop activity- and competence oriented learning tasks for lessons at vocational schools. These learning tasks focus on typical work situations in landscape gardening. When the test persons performed these learning tasks, didactically meaningful learning activities were initiated and the test persons developed the desired competencies. These competencies were measured by means of a standardized evaluation form by observation (external evaluation) and questioning (self-evaluation). The evaluation of profound competencies was carried out using an outcome-oriented final examination tool “small virtual building site”. This written multi-situation task was evaluated according to a systematic evaluation frame under consideration of compatibility with GQF and EQF, so that conclusions can be drawn regarding the acquisition of vocational action competencies during the training for landscape gardener.