Minding the Gap: A (Re)consideration of Influences on Student Success

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-71
Author(s):  
Tracy Worthington
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Home School ◽  
Academically Successful ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment

Drawing partly on publicly accessible commentary on 2015 Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) scores (Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development, [OECD], 2016),i this article reminds educators of the need to reflect on past, present, and possible future interventions and strategies to help all students be academically successful. Discussion includes how a STEM/STEAM-based 21st century skills framework can have a positive impact on student achievement by creating an engaging, challenging, rigorous, student-centered teaching and learning environment. The article stresses the importance of taking a unified ecological approach involving home, school, and community settings when attempting to understand how and why students have been academically successful, and conversely unsuccessful. Reminding educators of the importance of reform across the entire PK-21 setting, this article provides a timely (re)discussion of a perennial yet crucial educational topic on how to meet the needs of current and future students in a rapidly changing world.

Supporting Mobile Learners

2012 ◽  
pp. 36-56
Author(s):  
Krassie Petrova ◽  
Chun Li
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Short Text ◽  
Physical Location ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
Communications Services

Mobile learning (mLearning) is a form of technology supported learning that may meet the needs of learners who frequently change their physical location (‘mobile learners’). Ubiquitous mobile data technologies like SMS (Short Text messaging Service) allow designing learning and communications services that support student-centered teaching and learning. This paper presents the results of an action research (AR) project in which an SMS based mLearning service was integrated with classroom teaching in the context of international students studying English before enrolling in regular academic courses with English as the language of instruction. The findings of the two AR cycles suggest that the mLearning approach has added flexibility to the course design and has motivated students to improve academically. The concept and the methodology can be extended to other contexts.

scholarly journals Unpacking middle school achievement: how students perceive the effect of home, school, and community influences on their academic success

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tracy A. Worthington
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Home School ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Community Influences ◽  
School And Community ◽  
And Coping

This transcendental phenomenological study set out to determine the nature and extent of influence on student success, as perceived by selected rising seventh-grade students at a particular mid-West middle school (grades 6-8), through analysis of a student-centered narrative. In particular, this study sought to ascertain how and why certain students believe they were successful, and how students perceive home, school, and community people and places to be positive and negative influences on their success in and outside of school. Analysis revealed that students see themselves ("self"), as well as individuals and places outside the home and school ("places and faces"), along with rewards and punishments (a "double-edged sword"), as combined influences on their success. Analysis of the student narrative also led to the development of an ecological footprint for the selected school, which revealed more influence from the macro-system than previously suggested by prior research. As such, it may be wise for schools, families, and community agencies, programs and individuals to develop mental health and coping strategies and programs to promote student success. Keywords: ecological systems theory, student voice, student success, middle school

scholarly journals The Implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in a Year 9 Mathematics Classroom: A Study in Brunei Darussalam

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haji Mohammad Redzuan Haji Botty ◽  
Masitah Shahrill ◽  
Jainatul Halida Jaidin ◽  
Hui-Chuan Li ◽  
Maureen Siew Fang Chong
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Brunei Darussalam ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The 1960S

<p>Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a constructivist, student-centered instructional strategy in which students work collaboratively to solve problems and reflect on their learning experiences to advance or gain new knowledge. PBL was originally developed in medical school programs at the McMaster University in Canada in the 1960s. Since then, much research has highlighted the benefits of PBL for developing students’ mathematical knowledge in more flexible and novel ways than traditional teacher-centered teaching approaches. However, there has been a lack of studies examining how PBL can be applied to mathematics teaching and learning, since studies that have investigated the implementation of PBL outside a medical context are sparse in Brunei Darussalam. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to fill this research gap by exploring the implementation process of PBL in a Year 9 mathematics classroom and its possible impact on students’ learning in mathematics in the context of Brunei Darussalam. The participants of the study consisted of 17 Year 9 students (ages 14-15) from a secondary school in Brunei Darussalam The findings from our study showed that the implementation of PBL helped motivate the students to collaboratively work as a group and learn from their peers and therefore, gradually reduced their dependence on the teacher during the course of the intervention. The results from the students’ performances on the pre-test and the post-test also provided evidence to show that the implementation of PBL could have a positive impact on the students’ learning in mathematics. Directions for future mathematical PBL implementation are also discussed and offered. </p>

scholarly journals Flexibility in access, interaction and assessment: The case for web-based teaching programs

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Teaching Program ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Teaching Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

<span>Potential benefits in re-engineering higher education using Internet-based programs appear promising (Hicks 1997, Geoghegan 1996). The objective of this paper is to report the outcomes of a web-based teaching program trial involving 550 undergraduate business students. The program, called </span><em>TopClass</em><span>, provides for private email, public conference discussions, easy and consistent delivery of resources and progress testing via the WWW. Prior Internet experience was very low. Students reported the program provided increased support for their learning, improved access and interactivity. 94% of students felt it would have a positive impact on their grade and 72% would like many or all aspects of the program used in other subjects. Academics seeking to utilise web-based teaching technology to enhance the teaching and learning environment would find these results helpful.</span>

Unpacking Middle School students’ perceptions regarding influences on academic success

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-64
Author(s):  
Tracy Worthington
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
First Year ◽  
School Students ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Community Influences ◽  
Sixth Grade Students

This single site case study examined influences on student success, as perceived by twelve selected sixth grade students (ages 11-12), at a mid-West U.S. middle school (grades 6-8). Using a strengths-based positivist approach, it examined how and why participants thought they had been academically successful during their first year of secondary school. Analysis of the resulting student-centered narrative applied elements of ecological systems theory to determine home, school, and community influences on academic success. This study reinforces the importance of listening to students, recognising the role student voice can have to improve the overall teaching and learning environment.

scholarly journals Great expectations: Promoting factors in the use of eLearn@USM

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.10) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Mohamad M ◽  
Abdul Rabu S. N ◽  
Kamaruddin K. N. A
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Great Expectations ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Local Students

21st century marked the advancement of teaching and learning environment. E-Learning has been regarded as part and parcel of educational platform that is recognized by many institutions. University Sains Malaysia, as one of the renowned higher educational institutions in Malaysia has introduced eLearn@USM an online learning platform. This paper explores the possible factors that promote the use of eLearn@USM among local and international postgraduate students.  Through qualitative methodology, two local students and two international students were interviewed. The findings showed that there are various factors that promote the use of eLearn@USM among local and international postgraduate students. From the analysis, international students have more intrinsic motivation factor such as the curiosity to learn, the challenges of the eLearn@USM activities, the cooperation from students and instructor for some subject. Meanwhile, local students are more influenced by the extrinsic motivation such as marks and also the obligation to instruction order. Initiated from the findings, the study concludes that there is a need for new directions and strategies on the use of eLearn@USM for both instructors and students. This will eventually raise more interest among the students to use eLearn@USM. Overall, apart from setting up an e-learning platform from sharing and collaborating and further solving issues and sharing resources, more importantly, there is a need to know the promoting factors of the platform towards the learners. Therefore, this study is significant to enlighten the motivational factors among students in using online platform.  

scholarly journals The early impact of initiatives to close attainment gaps at UCL

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind Mary Duhs ◽  
Julie Evans ◽  
Paulette Williams ◽  
Parama Chaudhury
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Inclusive Curriculum ◽  
Attainment Gap ◽  
University College London ◽  
Minority Ethnic

  This article provides an overview of core aspects of efforts to close the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) attainment gap across University College London (UCL). Although the main ‘Catalyst Student Success’ project focuses on home undergraduate students, at UCL we are also using similar approaches to enhance inclusivity in postgraduate courses. The focus in this paper is nevertheless on undergraduates. The detailed use of student attainment data by the UCL Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics is outlined and discussed to underpin the introduction of the use of UCL’s ‘Inclusive Curriculum Health Check’ (ICHC) – UCL BAME Attainment Project 2018 – as a framework for the initiatives taken by departments. A table with the initial responses from the departments in one faculty is presented and selected points are discussed. The value and potential of the initiatives recommended through the ICHC are explored in a table which links systematic review evidence (Schneider and Preckel, 2017) to the ICHC. Staff actions in partnership with students are designed primarily to have a positive impact on the experience and outcomes of BAME students, but the research evidence suggests that favourable effects will accrue for all students.  

scholarly journals The Role Of Collaborative Scholarship In The Mentorship Of Doctoral Students

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Terrance Cahill ◽  
MaryAnn Clark
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Faculty Scholarship ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

The work of a professor is the “scholarship of teaching” (Boyer, 1990).  The strength of the teaching and learning environment is fostered by a dynamic interplay between the mentor (scholar) and the mentee (student).  Boyer (1990) suggests that in order to be a scholar, one must have “a recognition that knowledge is acquired through research, through synthesis, through practice, and through teaching.” However, as the academy has placed increased emphasis on research productivity as a concrete measure of scholarship, faculty may lose sight of what it means to view teaching as a scholarship. For example, if mentorship collaborations (student/faculty, faculty/faculty) are not viewed as scholarship activities, faculty may limit the amount or depth of student mentorship or peer collaborations to pursue their own research endeavors and thereby compromise the scholarship of teaching. Research is needed to gain an understanding of how faculties view collaborative research in relation to the scholarship of teaching.  The purpose of this paper is to first briefly describe the student-centered mentorship model for doctoral students proposed by Zipp and Olson (2008); second, to address the question, “Should the outcomes associated with this model be recognized as faculty scholarship?”; and third, to present pilot data of faculty perceptions on the role of collaborative scholarship in the mentorship of doctoral students.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION: ACTIVE LEARNERS

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-21
Author(s):  
Sevinç GÜLSEÇEN
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Electronic Music ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Technology Literacy ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning

It is argued that the digital technology has made possible the vast range of applications and media forms including virtual reality, digital special effects, digital film, digital television, electronic music, computer games, multimedia, the Internet, the World Wide Web, digital telephony and so on [8]. Digital transformation has been particularly influential in new directions of society.Providing schools with digital technology promises a high return on investment. The presence of computers and Internet access raises technology literacy and skills, better preparing the future generations to participate in the information society [12]. To this end, schools represent ideal access points because they cover a large part of the population, especially in developing countries. Starting from 1990s, many educators have been realised the potential of Internet for educational purposes and began to introduce it into classrooms. According to [10] the popularity of web-based teaching and learning lies in the strengths of its distributed nature and the case of its browsing facility. Both the use of digital technology and increased interest in student-centered learning may lead to a significant change of the teacher’s role, as well as the recognition of the active role of the learner in the learning process.

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