2008-08-27

Schunk - Ed Psych Review 2008

Metacognition, Self-Regulation, and Self-Regulated Learning: Research Recommendations
Educational Psychology Review

Dale H. Schunk

Much research has been conducted on metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning, but the articles in this special issue make it clear that we still have many unanswered questions. Recommendations for research include providing clear definitions of processes, identifying relevant theories, ensuring that assessments clearly reflect processes, linking processes with academic outcomes, conducting more educational developmental research, and tying processes firmly with instructional methods. Collectively, these recommendations will enhance our understanding of metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning and will lead to solid implications for educational policy and practice.

McNeill - Science Education 2008

Teachers' use of curriculum to support students in writing scientific arguments to explain phenomena

Sci Ed 1-36, 2008

Katherine L. McNeill

The role of the teacher is essential for students' successful engagement in scientific inquiry practices. This study focuses on teachers' use of an 8-week chemistry curriculum that explicitly supports students in one particular inquiry practice, the construction of scientific arguments to explain phenomena in which students justify their claims using evidence and reasoning. Participants included 6 teachers and 568 students. Videotapes, teacher questionnaires, and student pre- and posttests were analyzed to develop case studies that characterized the support the teachers provided their students for scientific argumentation and subsequent student learning. Patterns from the case studies suggest that one particular instructional practice, the way teachers defined scientific argumentation, characterized teachers' support and influenced the other practices they used in their classrooms. In some cases, the teachers' definitions of scientific argumentation did not align with the intended learning goal in the curriculum materials. These teachers' greater simplification of this complex inquiry practice resulted in decreased learning gains in terms of students' ability to write scientific arguments to explain phenomena using appropriate evidence and reasoning. Educative curriculum materials can have a positive impact on teachers' classroom support for scientific argumentation, but how the teachers use these materials influences student learning.

Othman Treagust Chandrasegaran - IJSE 2008

An Investigation into the Relationship between Students' Conceptions of the Particulate Nature of Matter and their Understanding of Chemical Bonding
International Journal of Science Education, Volume 30, Issue 11 September 2008 , pages 1531 - 1550

Jazilah Othman; David F. Treagust; A. L. Chandrasegaran

A thorough understanding of chemical bonding requires familiarity with the particulate nature of matter. In this study, a two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument consisting of ten items (five items involving each of the two concepts) was developed to assess students' understanding of the particulate nature of matter and chemical bonding so as to identify possible associations between students' understandings of the two concepts. The instrument was administered to 260 Grades 9 and 10 students (15-16 years old) from a secondary school in Singapore. Analysis of students' responses revealed several alternative conceptions about the two concepts. In addition, analysis of six pairs of items suggested that students' limited understanding of the particulate nature of matter influenced their understanding of chemical bonding. The findings provide useful information for challenging students' alternative conceptions about the particulate nature of matter during classroom instruction in order to enable them to achieve better understanding of chemical bonding.

Fazio Guastella Sperandeo-Mineo Tarantino - IJSE 2008

Modelling Mechanical Wave Propagation: Guidelines and experimentation of a teaching-learning sequence
International Journal of Science Education, Volume 30, Issue 11 September 2008 , pages 1491 - 1530

Claudio Fazio; Ivan Guastella; Rosa Maria Sperandeo-Mineo; Giovanni Tarantino

The present paper reports the design process and the experimentation of a teaching-learning sequence about the concept of mechanical wave propagation and the role played by media where waves are propagating. The sequence focuses on the central issue of the relationships between observable phenomena, like macroscopic behaviours of waves, and their interpretation and/or explanation in terms of corpuscular characteristics of media. We describe the design process with respect to the general framework of the Educational Reconstruction Model and the pedagogical tools used. Results of a teaching/learning experiment, involving a sample of 75 high school students, are also reported. Data analysis is mainly based on qualitative research methods. The main focus is on students' representations of phenomena and on the cognitive strategies put in action in order to modify or support their descriptive and interpretative mental models. Results are discussed by pointing out the efficacy of strategies focusing on the process of constructing predictive conceptual models and by identifying the concept of 'level of analysis' as different ways to look at the same phenomenon

JRST chemistry articles - JRST 2008

Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Volume 45, Number 7/September 2008

Classification of chemical reactions: Stages of expertise pp.771-793
Marilyne Stains, Vicente Talanquer

Seeking effectiveness and equity in a large college chemistry course: an HLM investigation of PeerLed Guided Inquiry pp.794-811
Scott E. Lewis, Jennifer E. Lewis

National Board Certification NBC as a catalyst for teachers learning about teaching: The effects of the NBC process on candidate teachers PCK development pp.812-834
Soonhye Park, J. Steve Oliver

Representations of nature of science in high school chemistry textbooks over the past four decades pp.835-855
Fouad AbdElKhalick, Mindy Waters, AnPhong Le