Education and Critical Thinking Development

Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods

1. Foundations of Qualitative Research in Education: An Introduction. Characteristics of Qualitative Research. Traditions of Qualitative Research. Theoretical Underpinnings. Ten Common Questions About Qualitative Research. Ethics. What Is to Come. 2. Research Design. Choosing a Study. Case Studies. Multi-Site Studies. Additional Issues Related to Design. Concluding Remarks. 3. Fieldwork. Gaining Access. First Days in the Field. The Participant/Observer Continuum. Doing Fieldwork in Another Culture. Researcher Characteristics and Special Problems with Rapport. Be Discreet. Research in Politically Charged and Conflict-Ridden Settings. Feelings. How Long Should an Observation Session Be? Interviewing. Visual Recording and Fieldwork. Triangulation. Leaving the Field. 4. Qualitative Data. Some Friendly Advice. Fieldnotes. The Process of Writing Fieldnotes. Transcripts from Taped Interviews. Documents. Photography. Official Statistics and Other Quantitative Data. Concluding Remarks. 5. Data Analysis. Analysis in the Field. Analysis After Data Collection. The Mechanics of Working with Data. Concluding Remarks. 6. Writing It Up. Writing Choices. More Writing Tips. Criteria for Evaluating Writing. Texts. A Final Point About Getting Started. 7. Applied Qualitative Research for Education. Evaluation and Policy Research. Action Research. Practitioner Uses of Qualitative Research. Appendix A. Examples of Observational Questions for Educational Settings. Appendix B. Examples of Fieldnotes. Glossary. References. Index.

Democracy and Education

First published in 1916, this classic continues to influence contemporary educational thought. Considered one of the great American philosophers, Dewey grapples with the nature of knowledge and learning as well as formal education's place, purpose, and process within a democratic society.

Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics

To test the hypothesis that lecturing maximizes learning and course performance, we metaanalyzed 225 studies that reported data on examination scores or failure rates when comparing student performance in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses under traditional lecturing versus active learning. The effect sizes indicate that on average, student performance on examinations and concept inventories increased by 0.47 SDs under active learning (n = 158 studies), and that the odds ratio for failing was 1.95 under traditional lecturing (n = 67 studies). These results indicate that average examination scores improved by about 6% in active learning sections, and that students in classes with traditional lecturing were 1.5 times more likely to fail than were students in classes with active learning. Heterogeneity analyses indicated that both results hold across the STEM disciplines, that active learning increases scores on concept inventories more than on course examinations, and that active learning appears effective across all class sizes--although the greatest effects are in small (n ≤ 50) classes. Trim and fill analyses and fail-safe n calculations suggest that the results are not due to publication bias. The results also appear robust to variation in the methodological rigor of the included studies, based on the quality of controls over student quality and instructor identity. This is the largest and most comprehensive metaanalysis of undergraduate STEM education published to date. The results raise questions about the continued use of traditional lecturing as a control in research studies, and support active learning as the preferred, empirically validated teaching practice in regular classrooms.

The Four-Phase Model of Interest Development

Building on and extending existing research, this article proposes a 4-phase model of interest development. The model describes 4 phases in the development and deepening of learner interest: triggered situational interest, maintained situational interest, emerging (less-developed) individual interest, and well-developed individual interest. Affective as well as cognitive factors are considered. Educational implications of the proposed model are identified.

The Culture of Education

In a masterly commentary on the possibilities of education, Bruner reveals how education can usher children into their culture, though it often fails to do so. Bruner looks past the issue of achieving individual competence to the question of how education equips individuals to participate in the culture on which life and livelihood depend.

The effect of concept mapping on students' anxiety and achievement in biology

Abstract The results of recent studies into the use of the concept mapping heuristic seem to demonstrate that meaningful learning results through its use in science classrooms. While this underscores the need to use more effective instructional strategies in science teaching, the issue of the intervening variable of anxiety in learning and science achievement, and the possible use of a metacognitive strategy in anxiety reduction have not been addressed. This study, therefore, sought to find out if the metacognitive strategy of concept mapping reduces anxiety and thereby enhances achievement in biology. A total of 51 (30 boys, 21 girls) senior secondary one (grade 10) students participated in this experiment. Two instruments—the Zuckerman Affect Adjective Checklist and the Biology Achievement Test—were used in pre‐ and posttest administrations to measure the treatment effect on anxiety and achievement, respectively. Findings support the stand that concept mapping is significantly more effective than the traditional/expository teaching strategy in enhancing learning in biology. In addition, it apparently reduces students' anxiety towards the learning of biology. A significant reduction of anxiety was noticed for male subjects.

Effects of two teaching methods on the achievement in and attitude to biology of students of different levels of scientific literacy

Fostering Critical Thinking Skills Using Integrated STEM Approach among Secondary School Biology Students

Globally, critical thinking skills have been acknowledged as an important goal of education and integrated STEM-based approaches have been reported to have the potential to enhance critical thinking. Therefore, this study examined integrated STEM instructional material for genetic learning to increase secondary school biology students’ critical thinking skills. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pre-test-post-test control group design. The sample size was made up of 112 students, two schools were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control group. The experimental group was made up of 58 students and the control group was 54. An integrated STEM approach module was developed for the experimental group, critical thinking skill test was used for pre-test and post-test data. The instrument yielded a reliability of between 0.71 - 0.76 for all the subskills of critical thinking skills. The pre-test results in all critical thinking subskills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation Wilks’ ˄ = .93, F (5, 94) = 1.370, p = (.24) > 0.05, indicating that the two groups were equivalent in their critical thinking skills before treatment. The findings of the within-group comparison show that the experimental group shows a significant difference between pre-test and post-test with a large effect size (d2=1.56) compared to the control group with a small effect size (d2=0.01). The between-group comparison using MANOVA shows a significant difference in students’ critical thinking skills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluating arguments (Wilks’ ˄ = .31, F (5,106) = .68, p = (0.00) < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that an integrated STEM approach was more effective in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills.

Relationship between STS approach, scientific literacy, and achievement in biology

Abstract This study set out to investigate the relationship between STS approach, scientific literacy (SL), and achievement in biology. A quasi‐experimental design of the nonequivalent group was employed. Four secondary schools, eight teachers, and 246 students from Nigeria were involved in the study. Two classes were randomly selected from each school and assigned to either the experimental or control group. Two instruments were used to collect data: an Achievement Test on Reproduction and Family Planning and a SL Scale. Results showed that there is no relationship between SL and achievement in biology. The split‐wise posttest regression showed a weak positive relationship between SL and achievement in biology for the experimental group and a no relationship for the control group. However, STS approach mediated between SL and achievement to effect a slightly stronger significant positive relationship. The slope of SL was greater when we controlled for instruction showing that the relationship between SL and achievement is not spurious when instruction is taken into account. We therefore conclude that STS approach might be affecting other variables in the science classroom that in turn affect achievement in the sciences. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 87: 31–39, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10012

Cognitive-behavioural reflective training for improving critical thinking disposition of nursing students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The importance of critical thinking in improving treatment practices in, for instance, the nursing profession, cannot be overemphasized. Despite this importance, empirical studies have shown that helping strategies to train learners on critical thinking disposition are needed. Given this knowledge gap, this study investigated the impacts of cognitive-behavioral reflective training for improving the critical thinking disposition of nursing students. METHOD: Of all the students screened, a total of 167 participants were assigned to the treatment group and waitlisted control group. A researchers-developed training program aimed at improving critical thinking disposition was delivered in English language by therapists. RESULTS: Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that there was no significant difference between the critical thinking disposition of nursing students in the treatment and control groups as measured by CTDI-M at the posttest. At the posttreatment and follow-up measures, there were consistently improved impacts of CBRT on the critical thinking disposition of nursing students in Nigeria as measured by CTDI-M. CONCLUSION: Following the results, we concluded that cognitive-behavioral reflective training was beneficial and had sustained improvement in enhancing the critical thinking disposition of nursing students.

The effect of concept mapping instructional strategy on the biology achievement of senior secondary school slow learners

The study investigated the comparative effectiveness of the expository and concept mapping instructional strategy of presenting secondary school biology concepts to slow learners. One hundred and twenty four biology slow learners were identified and randomly assigned to the expository group (n=62) and concept mapping group (n=62) and respectively taught the concept of photosynthesis. The groups were post-tested after two weeks of teaching for any significant differences in their biology achievement. Analysis of post-test scores indicated that the group taught by the concept mapping instructional strategy performed significantly (p&amp;lt;0.05) better than their expository group counterparts. Specifically, female slow learners taught with the concept mapping instructional strategy performed significantly (p&amp;lt;0.05) better than their male counterparts taught by the same method. These results have implications for biology teacher preparation, especially in the areas of teaching females and identifying slow learners and adopting effective methods of tackling their problems

Instructional Materials as Correlates of Students’ Academic Performance in Biology in Senior Secondary Schools in Osun State

Improving Secondary School Students' Achievement and Retention in Biology Through Video-based Multimedia Instruction

The study examined the effects of video-based multimedia instruction on secondary school students' achievement and retention in biology. In Nigeria, 120 students (60 boys and 60 girls) were randomly selected from four secondary schools assigned either into one of three experimental groups: Animation + Narration; Animation + On-screen Text; Animation + Narration + On-screen Text or a control group. The pretest, posttest experimental, and control group design was adopted. A 50-item multiple-choice objective test termed Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was used for collecting data. The validated BAT was tested for reliability using Kuder Richardson (KR20), which yielded 0.89. T-test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Scheffe’s post-hoc analysis were used in determining the significant differences among the four groups. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference among the experimental groups. Generally, students under multimedia instruction performed better than their colleagues in the conventional teaching method. However, students in conventional teaching method had better retention than other groups.

Influence of teachers’ self-efficacy on secondary school students’ self-efficacy in biology in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

It is widely proven by several studies that efficacy is an important factor in the teaching-learning process. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine whether teachers’ self-efficacy contributes to the development of students’ self-efficacy in Biology. This study was a descriptive research with survey type which used proportionate and stratified sampling techniques to select 98 secondary schools in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Proportionate, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 207 biology teachers and 392 SSS I and II biology students based on gender. The data collected were analysed using mean scores, chi-square, and regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that: 1) there was a positive correlation between teachers’ self-efficacy and students’ self-efficacy in biology; 2) the level of teachers’ self-efficacy was moderately high; and 3) female students have higher self-efficacy than male students in biology. The study concluded that teachers’ self-efficacy influences their students’ self-efficacy. Thus, it is recommended that biology teachers should be responsible and pay more attention to the development of their students’ self-efficacy irrespective of students’ gender.

Concept Mapping Strategy: An Effective Tool for Improving Students’ Academic Achievement in Biology

The study investigated the use of concept mapping teaching method on secondary school students’ academic achievement in biology. Two hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. The design of the study was quasi-experimental design with 122 Senior Secondary students selected purposively from two senior secondary schools in Adamawa state. Instrument used for data collection was an achievement test tagged Biology Students’ Achievement Test (BSAT) adapted from WAEC tests 2005 to 2010. The instrument was content validated by three experts and Cronbach alpha formula was used for testing its reliability. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained. The treatment lasted for six weeks and data were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The result revealed that, concept mapping method enhanced students’ academic achievement in biology. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between male and female students in the experimental group. It was recommended that, concept mapping method should be incorporated in the teaching of biology for meaningful learning and that workshops should be organized for in-service and practicing teachers on how to use concept mapping strategy.

Effectiveness of Guided Inquiry and Open Inquiry Instructionals Strategies in Improving Biology Students’ Achievement

In recent years, students' performance in Biology in the Senior Secondary Certificates Examination (SSCE) has not been encouraging. Studies have attributed fluctuating achievement of students in Biology to ineffective use of instructional strategies. If sustainable solution is not proffered to the issue of poor performance in Biology, it could hinder the fulfilment of educational goals for science, especially in the health sector. This study advocated the use of teaching strategies that will promote and encourage teachers to adopt learning strategies that will demand students to think critically and contribute effectively in class and the society at large. Therefore, this study was carried out to determined the effectiveness of guided and open inquiry instructional strategies on academic performance of secondary school students in Biology in Osun State. The non-equivalent pretest posttest quasi-experimental research design was used for the study. The population comprised all senior secondary school Biology students in Osun state. The sample consisted of Senior Secondary One (SS1) Biology students in their intact classes selected using multistage sampling procedure. Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was used to gather data for the study. Data collected were analysed using analysis of Covariance. From the study, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental groups taught Biology using guided inquiry and open inquiry strategies, and the control group taught Biology using conventional method. Open inquiry strategy improve students' performance better than the other groups. Also, guided inquiry stimulate students' performance than conventional method. The study concluded that Open inquiry is a better teaching strategy; as it was more effective in improving the academic performance of students in Biology in the study area.

A Survey of Biology Teachers Use of Activity-Oriented, Laboratory Practical Exercises to Promote Functional Biology Education

A major goal of science education is fostering students’ intellectual competencies such as independent learning, problem-solving, decision-making and critical thinking. This goal can only be achieved when students are actively involved in the teaching-learning process through activity-based, practical-oriented instructional methods involving the use of laboratories. This study therefore, investigated the extent to which the biology teachers employ activity-oriented, laboratory/practical instructional methods in order to improve the learning outcome of their students. The descriptive survey involved 73 Biology teachers randomly selected from all the six education zones of Anambra state, Nigeria. Four research questions were posed and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the conduct of the study. A 32-item structured questionnaire which has reliability co-efficient of 0.82 was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and t-tests. Results show that Biology teachers adopt practical-oriented strategies in teaching biology, conduct practical activities to a high extent, and perceive practical exercises as essential to effective teaching and learning of the subject. Provision of adequate number of laboratory materials, employment of adequate number of biology teachers, making provision for well designed laboratory activities in the curriculum and training of teachers on how to effectively combine theory with practical are some of the strategies that will encourage biology teachers to conduct practical lessons. There was no significant difference between male and female biology teachers in their responses to the different aspects investigated. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made that include that curriculum designers should incorporate guides for practical activities that go with each topic in the curriculum so as to encourage the teachers to teach theory with practical as a unified whole to increase students’ understanding and internalization of the facts and ideas taught.

Effect of Practical Work on Physics Learning Effectiveness: A Case of a Senior High School in Ghana

This study investigated the effect of practical work on students’ academic achievement, acquisition of scientific process, skills and attitudes towards the study of selected topics in electricity. Fifty (50) Form Two Physics students from a Senior High Technical School in the Kwaebibirem Municipal of the Eastern Region of Ghana participated in the study. Instruments used to collect data included a student learning evaluation form, questionnaire and pre-and-post-intervention tests. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Microsoft Excel 2010 Computer Software. The findings indicated that the students’ academic performance were enhanced, they acquired important scientific process skills needed for science practical work and developed positive attitudes towards science practical work. The study recommended that Physics teachers should adopt practical work as a teaching technique and as well be encouraged to teach concepts alongside with practical activities.

Integration of Practical Work into Teaching and Learning of Physics at the Senior High School Level

Practical work forms an integral part of teaching and learning as enshrined in the teaching physics syllabus designed for senior high schools in Ghana. This presupposes that the final grade of students is influenced by their performance in physics practical work. Hence, practical work in physics needs to be utilised to improve students’ performance. This study, therefore, sought to examine how practical work is integrated into the teaching and learning of physics at the senior high school level in the Volta Region of Ghana. In all, 16 physics teachers and 212 science students randomly sampled took part in the study. It was found that though teachers accept practical work as an essential ingredient for students’ understanding of concepts, they are not up-to-date on how practical work should be integrated into the teaching and learning of physics as prescribed by the syllabus for physics. Also, the teaching of practical work is done via group work, hands-on activity, interactive demonstrations, discussion and lecture. It is recommended that teachers should adopt integrating practical work into lessons instead of separating them from theory.

Developing Preservice Teachers’ Scientific Problem-Solving Skills Using a Pragmatic Approach to Physics: The Case of Gbewaa College of Education

This research aimed at developing preservice-teachers’ scientific problem-solving skills after taking part in active learning in an introductory science lesson in semester two of the 2020/2021 academic year. The researchers engaged 150 level hundred preservice-teachers for five (5) weeks. Pre-test and post-test designs were employed to collect data for both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Ten active learning practices were performed throughout the semester. The problem-solving assessment used was T-TEL and rubrics were used to develop the research instrument to evaluate preservice teachers’ problem-solving skills. A Sample group interview was conducted to obtain qualitative data on preservice teachers’ opinions of active learning activities. A sample t-test was used to compare problem-solving pre-test and post-test scores in the class. The data collected and content analysis was used to summarize preservice teachers’ opinions. The results revealed their problem-solving skills were highly improved after taking part in active learning processes at 0.05 confident levels. Preservice teachers expressed their opinions positively toward active learning processes and showed a willingness to participate actively in the next lesson using the same learning approach.