Hochschulschriftenserver der Pädagogischen Hochschule Freiburg
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The Impact of System Models on Systems Thinking in the Context of Climate Change in Elementary School
Full text linkIn the context of climate change, the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) is of particular importance in schools. Developing key competencies, such as systems thinking to understand complex relationships, is essential in teaching students how to solve sustainability-related problems through ESD. Previous research has shown that using system models in the classroom can foster systems thinking. This study investigated the effects of using alternative system models with varying visualization of temporal developments in developing different facets of systems thinking based on a heuristic structural competence model. Overall, 293 elementary school students were assigned to one of four groups (a qualitative system model without time representation vs. a qualitative system model with time representation vs. a quantitative system model with time representation vs. the control group) and participated in a five-lesson classroom intervention in pre-post-test design. The results showed a large effect of fostering systems thinking in all experimental groups compared to the control group. The qualitative system models led to higher learning gains than the quantitative system model, especially with system modeling and solving complex problems, which requires higher systems thinking skills. The results were interpreted by referring to situational interest in interacting with the respective system model
Implementing the four-component instructional design model in professional development programs: a systematic review with a focus on teachers
Full text linkThe four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model is designed to support complex learning by facilitating the transfer of theoretical knowledge into practice. This study presents a systematic research synthesis on the implementation of the 4C/ID model in training programs with a special focus on teachers. Specifically, we investigate how the four components and 10 steps of 4C/ID are applied in training programs, for which professional fields and real-life tasks it is used, the concreteness of the instructional design, and the effects on learning. A special focus is on the model's implementation in teacher education. A systematic database search following PRISMA guidelines yielded 55 relevant studies, which were systematically coded and analyzed. Surprisingly, we found only a few papers of n = 11 on in-service training with 4C/ID for teachers. Our findings indicate that many studies referencing the 4C/ID model lack detailed descriptions of its implementation. To complement our qualitative synthesis, we conducted a quantitative subanalysis, applying a multilevel meta-analysis to estimate the overall effect size of training programs based on pre-post comparisons. The results yielded a moderate positive effect ( g = 0.76, SE = 0.31, p = 0.014), suggesting that the 4C/ID model has a meaningful impact on learning outcomes. These findings underscore the need for more structured reporting and further research on the implementation of 4C/ID, particularly in teacher education
Improving learning from instructional videos in primary education: the use of a mindfulness meditation
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According to the Cognitive Load Theory as well as research regarding cognitive development in childhood, the use of instructional videos in primary education brings challenges. Particularly, primary students should be supported to maintain their attention on the instructional information. In the current experiment, performing a mindfulness meditation before video reception was investigated as a short intervention to promote subsequent learning-relevant processes. Overall, 180 students were either assigned to the meditation or filler task condition. We furthermore explored prior knowledge in the instructional topic and thus, quasi-experimental divided the participants into 3rd and 4th graders. Students learned the process of division of long numbers without a calculator by watching an instructional video. Results revealed that the mindfulness meditation enhanced mental effort as well as retention performance. Furthermore, 3rd graders particularly benefited from the meditation because, in contrast to the 4th graders, attention processes and germane processes were particularly promoted. Results are discussed by creating synergies between the Cognitive Load Theory and cognitive development research as well as research regarding meditational practices in educational contexts
Umweltgeschichten für den Unterricht. Die Graphic Novel „Welt im Wandel“
Full text linkDer Beitrag stellt die Graphic Novel "Welt im Wandel" als pädagogisches Werkzeug vor, um Schülerinnen emotional und inhaltlich an die globale Umweltkrise heranzuführen. Die Novel besteht aus fünf Geschichten, die historische Ursachen, aktuelle Probleme und zukünftige Szenarien behandeln. Durch die Kombination von Text und Bild wird eine niederschwellige Annäherung an komplexe Themen ermöglicht. Sie bietet weiterführende Fragen und Bearbeitungsvorschläge und knüpft an die Bildungsziele der "Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung" an. Die Novel eignet sich für den Einsatz in verschiedenen Schulfächern und fördert die Empathiefähigkeit sowie die Reflexion und das Engagement der Schülerinnen
Unlocking math potential in students from lower SES backgrounds – using instructional scaffolds to improve performance
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Socioeconomic status (SES) influences school success. Students with lower SES may face challenges that this study aims to address through instructional scaffolding. To be effective, such support needs to consider students’ individual strengths and weaknesses. In this study, 321 sixth-grade students used an e-textbook about fractions. They were randomly assigned to receive either adaptive task difficulty, explanatory feedback, or dynamic visualizations as scaffolds or no scaffolding. We assessed their fraction knowledge at pre- and post-test and eigth cognitive and motivational-affective characteristics. Latent profile analyses identified three profiles. Students with lower SES (below the nationwide average) are commonly associated with a profile that has unfavorable learning prerequisites. A linear mixed model revealed that adaptive task difficulty significantly benefited students in this profile. Implementing adaptive task difficulty in math classes might mitigate challenges associated with lower SES, enhancing educational success and equity by addressing individual prerequisites and learning needs
Embodied engagement: fostering caring thinking in a multimodal singing-based learning environment for refugee children
Full text linkVarious initiatives have implemented music programs aimed at fostering refugee children’s resilience and flourishing. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the design of these educational settings with respect to the crucial role of embodiment. Hence, the challenge remains: What approaches can guide educators working with vulnerable groups? Evidence on the effects of embodied musical practices conveys a potential that resonates with fundamentals of Caring Thinking (CT) that stresses embodied, affective components. This study aims to design a Multimodal Singing-Based Learning Environment (MSLE) fostering CT among primary school-aged refugee children. Utilizing a Design-Based Research (DBR) framework, this study develops and iteratively refines the MSLE. It does so by employing the Mosaic Approach, which integrates a range of child-centered methods. Thus, the data encompass thematic drawings and videographed group activities. Focusing on the bodily dimension of children’s musical engagement, the paper explores bodily indicators of caring thinking among n = 6 7- to 10-year-old refugee children. Eight interventional workshop sessions incorporated singing in an Atelier Concept (clay sculpturing or shadow play) with a focus on symbolic expression based on the children’s affections. All sessions were videographed. Thematic analysis is used to develop patterns within the data. Initial findings suggest that integrating singing-based embodied learning practices with CT through nonverbal storytelling positively impacts children’s sense of belonging. Findings also indicate that rhythmic breathing techniques may enhance children’s regulation and relaxation responses . Singing traditional songs appears to facilitate social cohesion among participants from heterogeneous backgrounds. Additionally, group singing is associated with increased emotional expression and may attenuate symptoms of anxiety . The findings also highlight the necessity for facilitators to employ responsive pedagogical strategies to align interventions with the evolving developmental trajectories of the children. By focusing on the bodily dimension of musical engagement, the research contributes to the growing body of literature on how music education can support vulnerable populations
Prior knowledge activation as preparation prior to instruction: does the coverage of relevant prior knowledge affect learning?
Full text linkTwo-phase instructional designs such as Productive and Vicarious Failure employ preparatory activities before explicit instruction. It is assumed that during this preparatory activity, students need to activate their prior knowledge in order to be prepared for subsequent instruction. However, empirical findings on this preparatory mechanism are scarce, and causal evidence is lacking. In an experimental design ( N = 165), we manipulated secondary school students’ relevant prior knowledge activation by systematically varying the coverage of conceptual components of the targeted concept in solution attempts that students study in the preparatory phase: Students received solution attempts with either a high or a low coverage of conceptual components. The results reveal that students do not necessarily have to activate relevant prior knowledge covering all aspects of the targeted concept prior to instruction. Activating some relevant knowledge can prepare students for subsequent instruction and benefit students of all levels of prior knowledge. Moreover, we provide first evidence that students’ prior knowledge activation becomes visible in their intermediate knowledge
Science Education for Collective Agency in the Climate Crisis: A Social Identity Approach
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In this era of climate crisis, science education must educate climate-literate citizens capable of steering the required transformation. According to the Vision III of scientific literacy, students need to be equipped with the civic ability to translate scientific knowledge into a values-driven transformation. However, if the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement is taken seriously, not only individual but also (and even more so) collective agency is of great importance to achieve rapid decarbonisation. Currently, science education focuses on promoting personal climate action of individual actors, neglecting the collective dimension and the way group processes shape the appraisal of and response to the climate crisis. To explore how science education can foster collective agency, we utilise the Social Identity Model of Pro-environmental Action (SIMPEA) from the field of environmental psychology. The SIMPEA describes how the three basic social identity processes of ingroup identification, collective efficacy beliefs and ingroup norms and goals influence the appraisal of and response towards a crisis. Based on the SIMPEA, we identify principles of education for transformation (PET) with the potential to enable group identification by individuals, which in turn shape appraisal and response, influencing whether an individual takes action in both the private and public spheres. This conceptual paper discusses five PETs and explores how and which social identity processes they can trigger. The PETs demonstrate that science education has a high potential to facilitate collective agency in the context of climate change. Furthermore, we synthesise key elements of social identity formation in science education, such as the usage of speculative projections into the future
From Goal to Success: How Learning Goals and Relevant Knowledge Activation Promote Learning from Problem Solving Before Instruction
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Problem solving prior to instruction (PS-I) involves complex learning mechanisms such as prior knowledge activation across two learning phases. Goal formulations of such learning phases may interact with these mechanisms. We examine how differences in goal type (problem-solving vs. learning goal) and specificity (specified vs. unspecified goal) affect students’ prior knowledge activation and learning. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, we varied the goal formulation in a PS-I design. Participants were randomly assigned to four conditions: specified and unspecified learning goals as well as specified and unspecified problem-solving goals. We analyzed the effect of goal type and specificity, and their combination, on students’ conceptual learning and prior knowledge activation by analyzing the quantity and relevance of generated solution attempts. We additionally considered how learner characteristics, such as students’ mastery-goal orientation, interacted with the experimental manipulation. Specified goals led to higher solution relevance, which mediated effects on learning outcomes. Learning goals resulted in better conceptual knowledge than problem-solving goals but did not affect solution quantity. Students with a pre-existing mastery-goal orientation achieved superior learning outcomes with learning goals, suggesting a motivational effect. Our findings highlight the importance of goal formulation in instructional designs such as PS-I. Learning goals in PS-I can enhance conceptual learning, particularly for students with a mastery-goal orientation. Specified goals that allow for relevant solution generation are crucial for effective prior knowledge activation, especially in traditional PS-I settings with problem-solving goals
CID: a framework for the cognitive analysis of composite instructional designs
Full text linkInstruction often spans multiple phases (e.g., phases of discovery learning, instructional explanations, practice) with different learning goals and different pedagogies. For any combination of multiple phases, we use the term composite instructional design (CID). To understand the mechanisms underlying composite instructional designs, we propose a framework that links three levels (knowledge, learning, instruction) across multiple phases: Its core element is the specification of learning mechanisms that explain how intermediate knowledge (i.e., the knowledge state between instructional phases) generated by the learning processes of one phase impacts the learning processes of a following phase. The CID framework serves as a basis for conducting research on composite instructional designs based on a cognitive analysis, which we exemplify by discussing existing research in light of the framework. We discuss how the CID framework supports understanding of the effects of composite instructional designs beyond the individual effects of the single phases through an analysis of effects on intermediate knowledge (i.e., the knowledge state resulting from a first instructional phase) and how it alters the learning processes initiated by the instructional design of a second phase. We also aim to illustrate how CID can help resolve contradictory findings of prior studies (e.g., studies that did or did not find beneficial effects of problem solving prior to instruction). Methodologically, we highlight the challenge of altering one learning mechanism at a time as experimental variations on the instructional design level often affect multiple learning processes across phases