Educational Psychology 302

1. Educational Psychology 302 Session 2

2. Why Do We Need Research? • Validate ________ theories • Determine the effectiveness of instructional methods • Explore and describe ___________

3. Historical Approaches to Assessing Value of Theories or Methods • Common Sense • Introspection • Anecdotal Evidence • _________ Research

5. Qualitative Research • Asks about social processes from within human interactions • Theories in which data are collected and analyzed and then a theory develops that is 'grounded' in the study • Inductive and deductive • ____________ sampling • Participant observation and interviews [using handwritten notes and audiotape]

6. Activities in Qualitative Research • Data collection terminated when __________ is reached - number of participants smaller than for quantitative • Researcher is the major instrument • Researcher goes where data leads • Building a bigger picture from little pieces Questions suggest broader understanding and deeper insight into human experience

7. Descriptive StudySeeks to understand the human experience in 'context' - wholistically Researcher searches for rich, detailed in-depth and valid data according to the individual's perception Searching for pattern and meaning; being open to new ideas and theories - thinking inductively

8. Correlational Studies • Tests __________ between two variables • Tests inter-relatedness of two ideas, issues, ideas, events

11. Experimental Designs (and their variations . . . attempt to establish _____ and ______, by manipulating the independent variable (the cause) to produce a measurable effect -the dependent variable; and eliminate potential alternative explanations for the findings by controlling extraneous variables

12. Types of Experimental Designs 1. Subjects are randomly assigned to 2 groups - experimental and control, 2. Pre-test/post-test design 3. Post-test only design 4. Factorial Design 5. Quasi-experimental designs

13. True Experiments Have Three Elements • Randomization • ________ • Manipulation

14. Control is Attained by: • allowing for no variation e.g., as in laboratory experiments • specifying the variation to be allowed e.g., homogenous groups on that variable • distributing the variation equally e.g., randomization

15. To infer causality requires that: • the causal variable (independent) and the effect variable (dependent) are associated with each other • the cause must precede the effect • the cause and effect must vary at the same pace • the relationship must not be explainable by another variable

16. Examining Teachers’ Beliefs About the Role of Technology in the Elementary Classroom Peggy A. Ertmer and Paul Addison Purdue University Molly Lane Bank One Eva Ross and Denise Woods Purdue University

17. Although teachers today recognize the importance of integrating technology into their curricula, successful implementation often is hampered by both external (first-order) and internal (second-order) barriers. This study was designed to examine the relationship between first- and second-order barriers to technology implementation by observing and interviewing several teachers within a single school who had achieved varying levels of integration. Although first-order barriers constrained all teachers’ efforts in this school, teachers responded differently to these constraints based at least in part on their beliefs about what constitutes effective classroom practice. Strategies for technology staff development are discussed.

18. Analysis of the Content and Purpose of Four Different Kinds of Electronic Communications Among Preservice Teachers Barbara B. LevinUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro

19. This study examines the content and purposes of four different types of electronic exchanges among a cohort of preservice elementary education majors across three semesters. Messages were exchanged (a) student to peer, (b) student to keypal, (c) student to instructor, and (d) student to group of peers using Web-based software that supported asynchronous, threaded discussions. The major purposes electronic communications served included opportunities for personal reflection, sharing teaching activities, and offering support. However, the peer-to-group messages fostered more reflective exchanges than other forms of one-to-one electronic communication studied.

20. Critical Reflection • Collaborative • Discourse oriented • Aimed at examining and challenging learner’ assumptions and beliefs of student learning

21. No description of event. Message unrelated to practice. Description “I’ve lost the address to the PBL file folder, can anyone tell me where to find it?” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective Thinking Colton & Sparks-Langer, 1993 Level 1

22. Description Events and experiences, described in simple, layperson terms, generally unattached to classroom activities. “I knew I was taking a big chance leaving my Toshiba laptop on a worktable for students to use. When I saw the thing lying on the ground I said to myself, ‘I told you so.’ Although none of the kids intended for the event to happen, they have a hard time with the give and take of teaming.” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 2

23. Descriptions of events and experiences employ pedagogical terms. Description “When we began our PBL unit on survival, we were unsure as to what to expect from the students, what to ask, and how to evaluate the process. We found the hardest part was developing the question. Once we found an open-ended, clear, solvable question (which took a lot of refining), the rest of the answers fell into place.” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 3

24. Description Explanation of events or experiences is accompanied by rationale of tradition or personal preference. “She used simulations because research on multiple intelligences says it works. Our principal pushes the multiple intelligences agenda too so it was worth it to give it a try.” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 4

25. Description Explanation of an event or experience using cause/effect principle. “I am a little mixed up. I said I would be happy to post what we have written as a guide to anyone else who was interested. I have posted our unit description on the network neighbor-hood. I was not aware of having to use any other template. I hope what we have posted is in order and will be beneficial to others as they develop their units.” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 5

26. Description Explanation provided that identifies cause and effect factors while also considering contextual factors. “One of the concerns I have is that problems which are made up and posed are seen as (and, in fact, are) both pretty thin and pretty obviously complete, and not the students’ (in the sense that they really can’t have ownership of them). By ‘thin’ I mean the real one is endlessly rich in complexity and detail in a way that a made-up one just can’t be. At some point a student pursuing some implication or puzzle will come up against something that the problem setter just didn’t have time to imagine.” Illustration Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 6

27. Description Explanation of events, experiences, or opinions that cites guiding principle and current context, while referencing moral and ethical issues. Illustration “The students need to be taught some problem-solving skills. One philosophy holds that there is a group of skills (Independent Study Skills) that need to be taught to the students, some of them through direct instruction. This means instruction in the process itself, not merely as it relates to the problem at hand. The students need to acquire these skills, and practice them, in order to be able to do PBL successfully. The skills are a lot like the Big Six and other models, but the emphasis is on direct instruction.” Taxonomy of Teacher Reflective ThinkingLevel 7