Category: Educational Administration and Leadership

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Educational Administration and Leadership Effective Teaching Approach Higher Education

The benefit of learning-by-teaching method with an imaginary audience

Learning-by-teaching is a generative learning activity in which learners explain the material in a lesson to others after studying it.  Wang and colleagues conducted an experiment with 96 college students from a university in central China to compare three versions of learning-by-teaching, all without audience interaction but with varied levels of social presence, thereby leading to different levels of extraneous processing, which causes learners to engage in cognitive processing irrelevant to the instruction purpose (e.g., distraction). Participants studied a 2-minute video on chemical synaptic transmission for 9 minutes and prepared a brief lesson of less than 5 minutes under a randomly assigned one of three conditions: (1) teach-to-camera – teach to an imaginary audience by creating a video lecture; (2) teach-to-student – teach to an audience face-to-face; (3) teach-to-group – teach to seven people physically present in the room. Audiences in the latter two conditions provided no feedback. Data collecting involved learning outcomes scores, self-reported questionnaires, pulse rate, and teaching process recordings.  Results indicated that:

  • Students in the teach-to-camera condition performed better than those in the other two conditions in terms of generative processing, (more idea units, elaborations, and monitoring statements in their explanation).
  • The teach-to-camera condition participants outperformed those in the teach-to-group condition in the retention test and the transfer test, and they scored better than those in the teach-to-student condition on the retention test.
  • The teach-to-camera condition participants also reported significantly lower social presence and pulse rate than the two other groups, and perceived lower state anxiety, teaching difficulty, and cognitive load in teaching than those in the teach-to-group condition.

The authors suggested that the better performance in learning-by-teaching resulting from teaching to a camera may be due to the absence of an audience which led to less social presence and in turn served to reduce extraneous processing or distraction (anxiety, cognitive load in teaching, pulse rate) and to enhance generative processing.

 

Source: Wang, F., Cheng, M., & Mayer, R. E. (2023, May 25). Improving learning-by-teaching without audience interaction as a generative learning activity by minimizing the social presence of the audience. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000801… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Maths and Science Learning

Relation between computational thinking and other cognitive abilities in kindergarteners

Due to the growing number of early coding education programs designed for young children, there is increasing research interest in whether acquiring computational thinking (CT) can be transferred to other key developmental outcomes. A recent study by Yang and colleagues examined the link between computational thinking to sequencing ability and self-regulation in kindergarten students.

Computational thinking was defined by researchers as the foundational concept needed to solve problems algorithmically, with solutions that can be reused in various contexts. Algorithmic thinking involves step-by-step operations that guide one towards achieving a goal. Based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of cognitive abilities, the researchers hypothesized that CT would be related to both sequencing ability and self-regulation.

Sequential ability, which entails identifying a series of steps to complete a task, was assessed by Picture Sequencing Task. Self-regulation comprising working memory, mental flexibility, and inhibitory control was measured by the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task. CT was measured by the computerized version TechCheck, which focused on six domains of CT for young children, namely algorithms, modularity, control structures, representation, hardware/software, and debugging. A random sample of 101 children (boys = 49, mean age = 5.25 years) from one public kindergarten in Beijing, China, participated in the study. After controlling children’s age, gender and family SES, results of regression indicated that CT was positively linked to sequencing ability (β = +0.27) and self-regulation (β = +0.47).

Utilizing direct measures of cognitive abilities, this cross-sectional study provided preliminary evidence supporting an association between CT and other intellectual abilities in early childhood. Further research, such as longitudinal studies and investigations involving other learning outcomes, is necessary to explore the role of CT in young children’s cognitive development.

 

Source (Open Access): Yang, W., Gao, H., Jiang, Y., & Li, H. (2023). Beyond computing: Computational thinking is associated with sequencing ability and self-regulation among Chinese young children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 64, 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.04.006… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

Putting evidence into practice: a framework for knowledge mobilization

Producing and making available evidence of effective educational programs is not enough to make it used in practice. Knowledge mobilization should be one of the key research areas to foster greater equity and responsiveness to educators’ needs. A study by Fitzgerald and Tipton focused on the communication of statistical data by studying how those data should be reported in order to facilitate decision-making based on evidence at school and policy levels.

The authors proposed three main considerations. First, using the expression “the message sent may not be the message received,” they highlight that researchers set norms often not understood by practitioners. To overcome this issue, participatory research methods should be used to set norms.

Second, practitioners and decision-makers are different from each other: they may work in large or small districts with diverse resources and educational backgrounds. The contexts where they work vary considerably based on the community they serve. To overcome this issue, a deep understanding of a community’s needs is necessary.

Finally, knowledge mobilization research needs other disciplines, such as data visualization, to create effective strategies to disseminate evidence.

 

Source: Fitzgerald, K. G., & Tipton, E. (2023). A knowledge mobilization framework: Toward evidence-based statistical communication practices in education research. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 0(0), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2209082… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Programme Evaluation

Do physical activities promote cognitive function of preschool children?

Physical activity, defined as bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in energy expenditure (World Health Organization), has been shown to be beneficial to developing cognitive function in children, where cognitive function (CF) refers to basal mental operation, such as perception, memory, and executive function. Physical activity (PA) intervention can be classified into two categories: acute PA, which involves a single short-term bout (between 10 – 40 min), and chronic PA, which entails multiple sessions per week or month for an extended period (e.g., 6 weeks). The underlying mechanisms of these two types of PA are different so the effect of PA interventions (acute vs chronic) on improving CF in children may also be different. Song and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of acute and chronic PA interventions on the cognitive function of preschool children.

Eligible studies were those that targeted preschool children aged 2-6 years, contained a sport or PA intervention component (e.g., yoga, aerobic, physical education session), and reported at least one cognitive outcome (e.g., attention, perception, logic and reasoning). The study identified 16 articles (4 acute PA and 12 chronic PA) that met the inclusion criteria. Following the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, a mean quality score of 5.6 out of 10 was found for those selected studies.

  • The 4 studies of acute PA found no effect on executive functions (g =0.04; 95% CI = [−12, 0.19]).
  • Overall, chronic PA interventions showed a moderate effect on CF (g = 0.49; 95% CI = [0.29, 0.69]). The effect on perception was strongest (g = 1.19; 95% CI = [0.64, 1.75]), followed by inhibitory control (g = 0.58; 95% CI = [0.17, 0.98]).
  • Two moderators were found significant: (1) intervention modality (curricula PA (g = 0.97) vs after school sports/PA program (g=0.34)); and (2) assessment (field battery/scale (g = 0.64) vs computerized test (g = 0.18)).

The undetermined effect of acute PA intervention on CF may be due to the inadequate number of studies. Moreover, this meta-analysis included a variety of cognitive tasks which may result in high heterogeneity. Thus, the findings have to be interpreted with caution.

 

Source: Song, H., Wang, J.-J., Zhang, B., Shi, L., & Lau, P. W. C. (2023). Do acute and chronic physical activity interventions affect the cognitive function of preschool children? A meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, 102419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102419… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Maths and Science Learning Secondary School Education

Towards equitable opportunities for advanced math

How can the United States bridge math proficiency gaps? Ensuring equitable opportunities for students to receive adequate preparation and access to advanced math is critical to the equation. This is due to the clear benefits of learning advanced math in high school, such as increased options for majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, higher rates of college acceptance, and greater opportunities for college scholarships and financial aid. Despite these benefits, a significant portion of high school students are either not being offered the opportunity to take or are opting out of advanced math courses. A recent report from RAND identified gaps in students’ opportunities to access advanced math and provided recommended support to address these gaps.

This report utilized data from nationally representative surveys of teachers and school leaders in kindergarten through grade 12 during the 2021-2022 school year. The findings indicated that fewer advanced math courses were offered in small high schools, rural high schools, and high schools primarily serving historically marginalized communities, and that uneven access to advanced math started before high school. In addition, math teachers who worked in high-poverty schools were likely to report skipping standards-aligned content and replacing the skipped content with material from prior grade levels. A large proportion of K-12 math teachers expressed the need for additional support in delivering high-quality math instruction.

The authors recommend the following to policymakers and education leaders: First, school districts should allocate funding towards implementing high-dosage tutoring programs for economically disadvantaged high schoolers; Second, education leaders should support teachers with high-quality training and standards-aligned curriculum materials; Third, district leaders should collaborate with regional colleges to make high-quality advanced courses accessible for all high school students; Fourth, education leaders and teachers should establish transparency in communication regarding the importance of course-taking.

 

Source (Open Access): Wolfe, R. L., Steiner, E. D., & Schweig, J. (2023). Getting Students to (and Through) Advanced Math: Where Course Offerings and Content Are Not Adding Up. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA827-10.html… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Higher Education Programme Evaluation

Taking math remediation at the same time as statistics helps community college students succeed

Although an associate degree has been shown to increase graduates’ earnings and job security, many community college students struggle to graduate. About 66% of community college students are mandated to take remedial classes, and 60% of the remedial courses required are for math. Remedial courses usually do not earn college credit, meaning students take longer to complete their education. A longer pathway increases the chances that students will not finish their degree, leading to lower earning potential for those who dropped out than those who finished their degree.

A recent study described the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), testing the benefits of a new program assigning students at risk of math challenges to additional support at the same time that they were taking statistics in their first year of community college. Several programs experimenting with this kind of corequisite support have provided students with background knowledge and instruction while students are also taking credit-bearing college courses. The RCT included 907 community college freshmen diagnosed as needing math remediation in 2013. Participation increased the likelihood of students earning an associate degree within 3 years by 50% (p = .02), and a bachelor’s degree within five years by 100%. Students who participated in this new program were also earning about $3,000 to $4,500 more 5-7 years after the program than those who did not participate in the program.

Still, even with these increases in graduation rates, only 25.9% of students participating in this corequisite math support program earned an associate degree within 3 years and 13.5% earned a bachelor’s degree within five years. More research should build on this finding to uncover additional supports to help more community college students earn degrees within fewer years.

 

Source: Douglas, D., Logue, A. W., & Watanabe-Rose, M. (2023). The long-term impacts of corequisite Mathematics Remediation with Statistics: Degree completion and wage outcomes. Educational Researcher, 52(1), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221138848… Read the rest