Applying Relatedness to Explain Learning Outcomes of STEM Maker Activities

A growing interest has been observed among K-12 school educators to incorporate maker pedagogy into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to engage students in the design and making process. Both cognitive engagement and emotional engagement of students can be promoted through satisfying the psychological need of relatedness that concerns a sense of connection and belonging. How to support relatedness would influence the effective development of students’ cognitive competencies, namely creativity and critical thinking, and non-cognitive characteristics, namely interest and identity. Therefore, the present study investigated how two relatedness support strategies—real-world problems (RWP) and mentoring influence the development of student’s STEM-related cognitive competencies and non-cognitive characteristics in STEM marker activities. We implemented a 7-week intervention study with three classes of Grade 9 students (aged 13–15 years) in Hong Kong (n = 95). Three intervention conditions were designed in the experiment, comprising textbook problem (TBP), RWP, and RWP with mentoring (RWPM). Our analysis showed that (i) the differences in creativity among the three groups were non-significant, (ii) the RWP and RWPM groups showed stronger critical thinking than the TBP group, and (iii) the RWPM group exhibited stronger STEM interest and identity than the other two groups. This study revealed the effectiveness of adopting RWP strategy in developing secondary students’ perceived cognitive competencies (e.g., creativity and critical thinking) and the feasibility of employing a mentoring mechanism for cultivating learners’ perceived non-cognitive characteristics (e.g., STEM identity and interest). Hence, we also offered practical suggestions for teachers.

Penerapan Metode Kooperatif pada Kompetensi Afektif dan Kongnitif Siswa Kelas IV MI Muhammadiyah 1 Sukodadi

One way to increase student saturation in the learning process is through cooperative methods in Civics subjects, the purpose of this research is to improve Civics learning about globalization in the realm of affective and cognitive competencies. This research is Classroom Action Research with a qualitative approach consisting of two cycles. Each cycle consists of four stages, namely planning, implementing actions, observing or observing and reflecting. This research was conducted at MI Muhammadiyah I Sukodadi Lamongan in fourth grade students consisting of 13 male students and 12 female students using research methods in the form of tests, observations, interviews and questionnaires. The results showed that children's affective and cognitive abilities increased from cycle I to cycle II. This can be described as follows: Increasing the effectiveness of student learning outcomes in the use of cooperative methods in Civics learning increased from 70.66 to 79.00. Improved performance of students' attitudes and learning interest in the use of cooperative methods in Civics learning increased from 68.66 to 76.50. So it can be concluded that cooperative methods can improve students' affective and cognitive competencies.

MODELLING AND PROFILING STUDENT DESIGNERS’ COGNITIVE COMPETENCIES IN COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN

There are three approaches to studying designers – through their cognitive profile, design behaviors, and design artifacts (e.g., quality). However, past work has rarely considered all three data domains together. Here we introduce and describe a framework for a comprehensive approach to engineering design, and discuss how the insights may benefit engineering design research and education. To demonstrate the proposed framework, we conducted an empirical study with a solar energy system design problem. Forty-six engineering students engaged in a week-long computer-aided design challenge that assessed their design behavior and artifacts, and completed a set of psychological tests to measure cognitive competencies. Using a machine learning approach consisting of k-means, hierarchical, and spectral clustering, designers were grouped by similarities on the psychological tests. Significant differences were revealed between designer groups in their sequential design behavior, suggesting that a designer's cognitive profile is related to how they engage in the design process.

ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES FOR STEM LEARNING: TWO VIEWPOINTS, TWO OPINION

Background: Cognition-focused approach to education is one of the foundational factors for preparing the younger generation to further mastering the educational and informational space. Aim: The purpose is to determine the types of cognitive difficulties in students of STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in school, to determine a connection between cognitive abilities and skills, and to determine their significance for both sides of the educational process – the teachers, and the students. Methods: The basic method of the study is polling the respondents, using the questionnaire created by the study’s author, then analyzing and statistically processing the results. The study included three stages: identifying significant difficulties of students in performing educational activities within a specific discipline, identifying the most demanded cognitive abilities and skills, searching for connections, and determining the correspondence of cognitive abilities and skills. Results and Discussion: Types of studies that presented the most difficulties to students were identified and the interconnection between the cognitive competencies. Differences were revealed when comparing the answers of both groups of respondents about the complexity and importance of educational actions in the study of physics and mathematics and the attitude type of schoolchildren to the reproductive level of education or the clearest and memorable algorithms of actions. Competencies most significant to the success of the educational process were extrapolated. Correlation analysis in pairs of cognitive ability/cognitive skill made it possible to correct the initial ideas about their relationship. Conclusions: The data collected allowed establishing the complexity of the educational activities and significant cognitive subject-applied abilities and skills. Systematizing the results of studying the subjective opinions of students and teachers about the importance of cognitive competencies for STEM makes it possible to purposefully transform the educational process, taking into account the needs of its participants and society.

Diagnostics of cognitive competencies of multimodal texts interpreters

The article presents the results of interim stage of experimental research of psycholinguistic aspects of perception and understanding of extremist multimodal texts. Forensic linguists specializing in extremism, well-informed and poorly informed in extremist discourse non-experts had to assess and comment upon extremist and control multimodal texts. Here we present the results of quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of experimental data using linguistic semantics methods. The comprehension of sense in a multimodal text is constructed from established meanings of individual text components and detected semantic connections between them. Semantic and grammatical coordination of meanings of text components was the main mechanism of interpretation. Both experts and non-experts have been shown to interpret multimodal texts using the semantic and grammatical coordination mechanisms. The relationship between these mechanisms and the emergence of a distorted understanding of the text has been determined. We describe the phenomenon of recognition of physically small signs with a meaning that is important for the full interpretation of the meaning of the stimulus. Verbalization and search for semantic connections are methods for diagnosing distorted understanding of texts and non-recognition of signs. We demonstrate the possibilities of their application for assessing the cognitive competencies of multimodal text interpreters: the volume of their discursive ontology, the skill of paying attention to the details of the image, the quality of arbitrary attention, and tolerance to uncertainty.

Algorithmic approach to the study of morphological norms of adjectives in the 6th grade. Part 1. Grammatical characteristics of adjectives and norms of using short and full forms

The paper is aimed at considering the most complex morphological norms of adjectives and establishing algorithms for their training in terms of grammar and spelling. The study was focused on the morphological norms of degrees of comparison, full and short forms of qualitative adjectives, regulatory restrictions in the formation of some groups of adjectives. It is proposed that students should structure grammar and spelling material in the form of tables and algorithms during lessons, which enhances intensive assimilation of the educational material. The study shows that individual compilation of algorithms promotes a deeper and stronger assimilation of the morphological norms of adjectives, since a differentiated and individual approach to the organisation of this work activates students’ cognitive competencies and their ability to consciously apply the gained knowledge of morphological norms in speech practice.

Как основная образовательная программа связана с метапредметными результатами начального образования

The article compares two primary school educational programs: "School of Russia" and "Planet of Knowledge". The diagnostics of cognitive meta-subject results of students who have mastered these two programs is carried out. Original diagnostic methods are used. It is shown that the content of the program "School of Russia" does not have a specific impact on the development of cognitive meta-subject competencies. As for the students who have mastered the program "Planet of Knowledge", the results of mastering the action of analysis (on both formal and theoretical level) are higher than the "expected" results determined by the indicators of intellectual development. This may indicate a positive impact of the educational program "Planet of Knowledge" on the development of some cognitive competencies in primary school.