Intersections of Micro-Level Contextual Factors and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge

Context is an essential component of educator knowledge development and practice. When K-12 learning environments shifted from traditional schools and classrooms to remote learning, teacher knowledge of context was challenged as students were situated in varied and unpredictable settings. In this chapter, researchers examine the ways in which purposeful attention to technological pedagogical knowledge in teacher development and practice can influence the impact of fluctuations in micro level teaching contexts in remote learning environments. To provide direction in enhancing knowledge across contexts, the authors focus on the cross curricular learning skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Particular attention is given to learning activities that can span across contexts, grade levels, and subject areas.

A Comparison of Burnout Experienced by Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers With Other Content Teachers During COVID- 19 Remote Teaching

Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences ◽

10.14307/jfcs113.3.27 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 113 (3) ◽

pp. 27-35

Author(s):

Tony Durr ◽

Nicole A. Graves ◽

Alison Wilson

Keyword(s):

Social Studies ◽

Language Arts ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Family And Consumer Sciences ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

Consumer Sciences ◽

K 12 ◽

During the spring of 2020, K-12 schools were turned upside-down. The COVID-19 pandemic essentially forced all schools across the nation to close their doors and move their learning environments online. The switch to remote learning put a great deal of stress and responsibility on teachers at all levels. The content taught by family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers presented those teachers with unique challenges that differentiated them from other content teachers in programs such as math, language arts, and social studies. With a sample of 97 teachers from Midwestern states, this study found that FCS teachers reported higher levels of depersonalization and lower feelings of personal accomplishment.

Implementing Augmented Reality Into Immersive Virtual Learning Environments - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

Finding a Path Forward for Integrating Augmented Reality Into K-12 Classrooms

10.4018/978-1-7998-4222-4.ch001 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-33

Author(s):

Marybeth Green ◽

Linda Challoo ◽

Mehrube Mehrubeoglu

Keyword(s):

Augmented Reality ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Problem Based Learning ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Areas ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Diverse Learning ◽

The Right ◽

K 12 ◽

Samr Model

The potential of augmented reality (AR) as a transformational tool has long been touted in academic circles. However, in order for AR to attain this goal, we must seriously examine previous research to determine if we are on the right path. This study examined 87 AR research studies situated in K-12 environments to determine what grade levels were involved, where the research being done was what content areas were involved, what kinds of triggers were used, and what learning environments were created through the use of AR. This research found that the majority of studies were situated in elementary contexts in science and math. Diverse learning environments were found including inquiry, problem-based learning, visualization, and gamification. Based on these findings, suggestions were made for future research including more research on students creating AR experiences, broadening the grade levels and content areas that are involved, and aiming future AR projects at the transformational level of the SAMR model.

Optimizing K-14 Instruction to Infuse 21st Century Skills

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2013.776 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1583 ◽

Author(s):

Deborah Day ◽

Cindy Guo ◽

Nicole Ferrari ◽

Heather Edgecumbe ◽

Christine Broadbridge

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

21St Century ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

21St Century Skills ◽

Thinking Skills ◽

Critical Thinking Skills ◽

Technological Fluency ◽

Subject Areas ◽

K 12 ◽

ABSTRACTThis multi-phased study investigates the learning outcomes of courses taught in the K-14 classroom. Specifically, the methods and practices teachers use to develop and encourage 21st Century Skills including critical thinking skills and technological fluency in all subject areas, STEM and non-STEM related, are of great interest. Currently, these skills are in high demand in fields which develop advanced materials and are the backbone of the National Academiesdeveloped Frameworks for K-12 Science Education. Phase I participants in this study included high school and college educators while Phase II of the study will involve K-14 students. In this study, educators were asked to rate their teaching self-efficacy in two primary areas: critical thinking skills and technological fluency. This included questions related to components in their current curriculum as well as methods of assessment [e.g., rubrics]. The instrument created to measure self-efficacy was based on a modified ‘Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument' (STEBI). All participants were from Connecticut. Results indicate that both STEM and non-STEM related subject areas offer an equally rich array of opportunities to effectively teach critical thinking and technological fluency at a variety of educational levels. The impact of Professional Development on teacher self-efficacy was of particular importance, especially in K-12 education.

One-to-One Technology in the K-12 Classroom

Education ◽

10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0255 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea H. Parrish

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

The United States ◽

Dynamic Learning ◽

Computing Device ◽

Access To Technology ◽

One To One ◽

K 12 ◽

In Toward a New Learning Ecology: Teaching and Learning in 1:1 Environments (cited under General Overviews), one-to-one learning environments are described as classrooms in which every student has access to a personal computing device (such as a laptop or a tablet) and continuous access to the Internet. This model for student computing was first discussed in educational research beginning in the 1980s, most notably in the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project, a research collaborative among public schools, universities, and research teams funded by Apple and outlined in The Evolution of Teachers’ Instructional Beliefs and Practices in High-Access-to-Technology Classroom: First-fourth Year Findings (cited under Origins of One-to-One Technology: Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow [ACOT]). The original premise, based on the work of computer scientist and mathematician Seymour Papert, is rooted in the idea that ubiquitous access to technology can create more dynamic learning environments. In recent years, the proliferation of mobile technology has caused a renewed interest in one-to-one computing, as the improved portability and functionality of technology tools coupled with advances in wireless Internet capability makes one-to-one computing attainable for many schools and districts. Despite the continued debate about the impact of technology on learning, the U.S. Department of Education elevated the concept of a one-to-one technology ratio from unique innovation to moral imperative in its document, Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update (cited under Resources). Even before this, the prevalence of one-to-one computing initiatives increased, both in the United States is discussed in The New Digital Learning Playbook: Understanding the Spectrum of Students’ Activities and Aspirations (cited under General Overviews) and around the world in Large-Scale 1:1 Computing Initiatives: An Open Access Database (cited under International Perspectives on One-to-One Technology). The growth of these initiatives has been accompanied by an increase in peer-reviewed research and evaluation reports that document the impact of one-to-one technology on teaching and learning. A topic that was once dominated by white papers and evaluation reports now boasts a growing body of peer-reviewed studies, research syntheses, and government reports. The references cited in this article provide a cross-section of these various forms of literature that depict the use of one-to-one technology in K-12 classrooms, including implementation resources for districts and key empirical findings.

Overcoming Current Challenges in the P-12 Teaching Profession - Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education ◽

Overcoming Educational Challenges Through Social and Emotional Learning

10.4018/978-1-7998-1177-0.ch001 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Laurel Miltenberger

Keyword(s):

Social And Emotional Learning ◽

Emotional Learning ◽

Academic Learning ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Relationship Skills ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Educational Challenges ◽

K 12 ◽

The purpose of the chapter is to examine the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) when supporting K-12 students in academic learning for success. Components of SEL such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making will be covered. A brief look at emotional intelligence is incorporated in the contents as well. The author provides evidence-based reasons why teaching SEL is beneficial for K-12 student success in numerous aspects of their educational career. Not only K-12 students be the focus of implementing SEL, but the teacher's role in implementing SEL in the classroom is explored. Various skills taught in SEL is discussed in detail as well as the impact of SEL at various grade levels.

Teacher and Parent Perspectives on NGSS Alignment Following Teacher Professional Development

Science Education International ◽

10.33828/sei.v32.i1.8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 72-79

Author(s):

Adam Channell ◽

◽

William Cobern ◽

David Rudge ◽

Amy Bentz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

United States ◽

Teacher Development ◽

The United States ◽

Classroom Implementation ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Teacher Professional ◽

Teachers And Parents ◽

Teachers Professional Development ◽

K 12

Abstract: This study examined United States K-12 science teacher interactions with parents during Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) reform following teachers’ professional development (PD) participation, as well as parent accounts of understanding and support for NGSS. Fourteen teachers and fifteen parents completed an online surveys and phone interviews. Themes, based on coded data, were constructed to represent relationships between teachers and parents during NGSS classroom implementation post-PD. We found that parents were generally unaware of NGSS and not well-informed about the changes the new standards brought to their child’s science classrooms. Despite parents’ lack of NGSS understanding, parents generally gave positive feedback about teachers’ science instruction. However, parents expressed concern about their child’s ability to transition between grade levels and subjects, the lack of an aligned textbook and homework assignments, and confusion with how to help their children at home in preparation for assessments. The results of this study suggest that it is important for school districts to inform parents adequately about the new NGSS curriculum and its implementation. While this study took place in the United States and pertains to NGSS, the findings are broadly applicable to teacher development and communications with parents during standards reform, regardless of country.

Hospital Homebound Students and K-12 Online Schooling: A Cross-Sectional Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34034 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Erik Black ◽

Richard E. Ferdig ◽

April Fleetwood ◽

Lindsay A. Thompson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Online Learning ◽

Online Education ◽

Learning Environments ◽

The United States ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cross Sectional Analysis ◽

K 12 ◽

Sectional Analysis ◽

BACKGROUND The United States public educational system encourages inclusion, integrating learners with different needs in the same classroom students, including those with chronic disability and illness. However, a small but significant number of students with chronic illnesses or disabilities may not be healthy enough to attend school in a traditional environment. Hospital homebound programs serve these children by providing educational instruction for those living with short-term and chronic disabilities in non-school settings. These programs are publicly supported, differing significantly from homeschooling where, traditionally, a child’s parent or guardian assumes responsibility for the delivery of educational services. The limited research exploring hospital homebound programs describes them as challenged, characterized by instructors who may lack the qualifications to teach critical core subject matters and teach with limited instructional time. As online learning continues to become more mainstream in the United States, it is important to explore the impact that the medium could have on students with differing needs. The flexibility afforded by online education may provide opportunities for learners with disability that necessitates absence from traditional learning environments. OBJECTIVE This study sought to describe how a subset of learners with disability, those with a hospital-homebound designation, perform in K-12 online classes, particularly as compared to non-hospital homebound counterparts. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was performed of all Florida Virtual School course enrollments from August 1, 2012, to July 31, 2018. Researchers analyzed 2,534-course enrollments associated with students who, at the time of their course enrollment, had hospital-homebound designation, and a comparison group of 5,470,591 enrollments from students without hospital-homebound status. RESULTS Hospital-homebound designed student academic performance was equivalent to their non-hospital homebound counterparts (P = .05 - .28). But, hospital-homebound course enrollments were 26% more likely to result in a withdrawal prior to grade generation (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Hospital-homebound students represent a population under-served by many education systems, including online education. The results of this study provided evidence that when they can remain enrolled, hospital-homebound learners experience equivalent academic outcomes in online learning environments. These findings suggest that healthcare professionals should be made aware of the potentially equivalent outcomes for their patients, and virtual schools should seek to identify and create supports for these students.

An examination of school reopening strategies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0251242 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0251242

Author(s):

Alfonso Landeros ◽

Xiang Ji ◽

Kenneth Lange ◽

Timothy C. Stutz ◽

Jason Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The United States ◽

Infection Prevalence ◽

Imperfect Detection ◽

Transmission Rates ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Transmission Reduction ◽

Surveillance Programs ◽

K 12 ◽

The Impact ◽

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to closure of nearly all K-12 schools in the United States of America in March 2020. Although reopening K-12 schools for in-person schooling is desirable for many reasons, officials understand that risk reduction strategies and detection of cases are imperative in creating a safe return to school. Furthermore, consequences of reclosing recently opened schools are substantial and impact teachers, parents, and ultimately educational experiences in children. To address competing interests in meeting educational needs with public safety, we compare the impact of physical separation through school cohorts on SARS-CoV-2 infections against policies acting at the level of individual contacts within classrooms. Using an age-stratified Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed model, we explore influences of reduced class density, transmission mitigation, and viral detection on cumulative prevalence. We consider several scenarios over a 6-month period including (1) multiple rotating cohorts in which students cycle through in-person instruction on a weekly basis, (2) parallel cohorts with in-person and remote learning tracks, (3) the impact of a hypothetical testing program with ideal and imperfect detection, and (4) varying levels of aggregate transmission reduction. Our mathematical model predicts that reducing the number of contacts through cohorts produces a larger effect than diminishing transmission rates per contact. Specifically, the latter approach requires dramatic reduction in transmission rates in order to achieve a comparable effect in minimizing infections over time. Further, our model indicates that surveillance programs using less sensitive tests may be adequate in monitoring infections within a school community by both keeping infections low and allowing for a longer period of instruction. Lastly, we underscore the importance of factoring infection prevalence in deciding when a local outbreak of infection is serious enough to require reverting to remote learning.

Universal ESL Scaffolding for the K-12 Teacher: A Literature Review

Research Journal of Education ◽

10.32861/rje.66.57.62 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 57-62

Author(s):

Marlynn Nicole Tatum ◽

Tonya Huber

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Esl Students ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Esl Teachers ◽

Professional Educators ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Instructional Scaffolding ◽

Temporary Support ◽

K 12 ◽

This review of the literature analyzes scaffolding as it relates to best practices in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom, grades K-12. As defined by many professional educators, instructional scaffolding is temporary support provided to students on an individual basis based on their needs. Despite the ever-increasing population of ESL students in K-12 classrooms, the ESL instructional approach lacks consistency from country to country, state to state, and classroom to classroom. There is a wealth of research on ESL instructional techniques, but a lack of studies on the impact of various approaches to instructional scaffolding. The articles in question address instructional scaffolding in different ways for different grade levels spanning K-12. Did one prevail as a potential universal scaffold? How might we, as educators, stop reinventing the wheel and rely on a sound methodology? Studies on scaffolding as it relates specifically to ESL student’s comprehension is limited. These findings have important implications for the practices of current and future ESL teachers.

Remote elementary education: a comparative analysis of learner development (part 1)

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning ◽

10.1108/jrit-08-2021-0055 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Stefan Kleinke ◽

David Cross

Keyword(s):

Elementary Education ◽

Learning Environment ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Standardized Test ◽

Local Politics ◽

Group Differences ◽

Content Type ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Subject Areas ◽

PurposeThe purpose of this two-part research was to investigate the effect of remote learning on student progress in elementary education. Part one, presented in this paper, examined achievement differences between learners in a fully remote learning environment and those in a hybrid setting.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative, quasi-experimental study with factorial design was used to investigate group differences in student achievement between the different learning environments. Ex-post-facto data from standardized test scores were utilized to examine in which ways the learning environment may have affected learner progress in two distinct subject areas crucial to elementary education: English language (ELA) and math.FindingsFindings revealed a significant difference between the two learning environments in both subject areas. While preexisting group differences, selection biases and testing inconsistencies could be effectively ruled out as potential causes for the observed differences, other factors such as developmental and environmental differences between the learning environments seemed to be influential. Therefore, the follow-on research aimed at further investigating and confirming the influence of such factors and will be presented in a Part 2 paper.Practical implicationsKnowledge of the observed differences in learning achievements between the different environments, as well as the factors likely causing them, may aid educators and school administrators in their decision processes when faced with difficult circumstances such as during the pandemic.Originality/valueWhen the SARS-CoV-2 virus started to rapidly spread around the globe, educators across the world were looking for alternatives to classroom instruction. Remote learning became an essential tool. However, in contrast to e-learning in postsecondary education, for which an abundance of research has been conducted, relatively little is known about the efficacy of such approaches in elementary education. Lacking this type of information, it seems that educators and administrators are facing difficult decisions when trying to align the often conflicting demands of public health, local politics and parent pressure with what may be best for student learning.