The aim of this research was to develop an effective, generative, and practical approach to enhance students’ structure-property reasoning (SPR). The approach consists of an evaluation instrument... Show moreThe aim of this research was to develop an effective, generative, and practical approach to enhance students’ structure-property reasoning (SPR). The approach consists of an evaluation instrument that assesses the level of structure-property reasoning and a teaching practice to make structure-property reasoning more explicit for students.As base of the approach, the perspective for SPR was used as model for structure-property reasoning. With this model, we aimed to represent the relationship between chemical concepts and the skill of structure-property reasoning.The SPR-instrument combines a sorting task with a mapping task based on the perspective for SPR. The instrument was tested on secondary school students and first-year chemistry students. The results showed that the SPR-instrument can discriminate between these two groups.This teaching practice consists of demonstration experiments with two design principles, namely the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) approach and the perspective for SPR. The teaching practice was tested on Y-4 pre-university students. The results showed that the teaching practice contributed to the development of structure-property reasoning. The practicality of (re)designed demonstrations appeared to be as high as that of "traditional" demonstrations.The research showed that perspective for SPR (combined or not with POE-demonstrations) could bridge the gap in students’ chemical reasoning. Show less
Higher education curricula are regularly transformed to stay abreast of the diverse societal, technological, and domain-specific developments. To aid students’ learning, teachers use a wide range... Show moreHigher education curricula are regularly transformed to stay abreast of the diverse societal, technological, and domain-specific developments. To aid students’ learning, teachers use a wide range of resources to prepare students for this changing world. Nowadays, many educational resources are available online with open licenses, better known as open educational resources (OER). Yet, despite the opportunities OER can have to contribute to high quality and accessible education, reuse appears to remain low in higher education. Numerous OER initiatives have been initiated across the globe, but many tamp out after the project funding ends. Sustainable practices with OER are still constrained and limited empirical research has been undertaken to investigate how structural adoption of OER in higher education can be enhanced. This dissertation aimed to examine the challenges of OER adoption in higher education to contribute to insights into sustainability issues many OER initiatives encounter. Four studies were designed: (1) teachers’ current practices with OER and their need for support to foster OER adoption, (2) teachers’ assessments of OERs on quality, (3) the role of brokers in cultivating an inter-institutional community on OER, and (4) teachers’ perceived value of an inter-institutional community. Recommendations for future research and OER practices are presented. Show less
Work placement as a professional development programme for vocational teachers has been widely implemented. This dissertation provides insight into vocational teachers’ learning process in this... Show moreWork placement as a professional development programme for vocational teachers has been widely implemented. This dissertation provides insight into vocational teachers’ learning process in this programme within Chinese vocational education.Specifically, the first study generalised vocational teachers’ learning activities and outcomes in all various contexts with a systematic literature review, four categories of learning activities and eight types of learning outcomes were summarised. Then, the second study focused on vocational teachers’ motivational beliefs and engagement toward work placement. A quantitative analysis of questionnaire data displayed a significant relationship between them. Next, the third study utilised interviews to investigate vocational teachers’ learning activities, goals, and outcomes during work placement. The findings showed that vocational teachers employed seven categories of formal and informal activities in this programme and obtained many benefits about cognition, behaviour, emotion, and institution. The fourth and fifth studies both examined factors influencing vocational teachers’ transfer of learning from work placement to school practice. There were three categories of factors captured.The findings mentioned above contribute to a comprehensive understanding of vocational teachers’ professional learning in work placement. This will inspire policymakers, school leaders, and vocational teachers themselves to consider how to promote their learning in this programme. Show less
The Vietnamese education system before 2013 struggled with many emerging issues, including achievement obsession, inflexible teaching strategies, student passivity, and cumbersome and lacking... Show moreThe Vietnamese education system before 2013 struggled with many emerging issues, including achievement obsession, inflexible teaching strategies, student passivity, and cumbersome and lacking practice curriculum (see Le et al., 2022). Against that background, a comprehensive educational reform was initiated in 2013, emphasising students’ social and emotional learning and civic learning (Le et al., 2022). Vietnamese educational policymakers believe that promoting a democratic school environment would benefit students’ civic learning by empowering them to engage deeply in school decision-making (CPV, 2013; Ngo, 2015). Hence, the latest Education Reform in Vietnam focuses on promoting democracy in education which aims to make democratic acts of stakeholders (i.e., school leaders, teachers, students, and parents) feasible. The grassroots democracy regulation in Vietnamese schools requires decision-making based on consensus and deliberation of stakeholders (MOET, 2020). Thereby, the voice and leadership spirit of teachers and students in school affairs have been encouraged (Truong & Hallinger, 2017). Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training- MOET considers promoting a democratic learning environment as a fundamental mission in the latest educational reform in Vietnam. Yet, the policymakers still seem to squirm: what does a democratic school look like? How do we promote a democratic learning environment at the grassroots? As Gutmann (1987) has argued, democratic acts only occur when citizens can conceive the nature of the democracy they commit and pursue. However, the stakeholders in Vietnam have not been equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement and reach democratic commitment in their schools (Mai & Hall, 2017; Thanh, 2017). Therefore, having insights into stakeholders’ democratic beliefs and democratic practices is essential to sketch and adjust the current education strategy of democratisation education in Vietnam. This dissertation aims to provide a critical view of Vietnamese secondary school stakeholders’ awareness of democratic education regarding the core educational democratic values and democratic acts within either the ‘physical’ or digital learning environment. Show less
This thesis asked the research question of how a peer educator intervention about LGBT peers can impact the social acceptance of LGBT people among students in pre-vocational secondary education. It... Show moreThis thesis asked the research question of how a peer educator intervention about LGBT peers can impact the social acceptance of LGBT people among students in pre-vocational secondary education. It answered the question by conducting two studies about the intervention’s impact on attitudes towards LGB people and its impact on reflections about democratic acting and the relationship between these two concepts. Furthermore, it used process evaluations with peer educators and students to shed light on which activities and content most influence students' attitudes towards LGBT people. Although there were often small or no effects on the relationships between reflections on citizenship and attitudes towards LGB people, the process evaluations show that a peer educator intervention creates conditions of openness and safety. Thus, students feel free to exchange opinions about a contested topic similar to how they would in daily life. Students find this a good way to become aware of their attitudes towards LGBT people and learn new information on an intimate subject. Show less
The aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a Ecological Professional Development Model to support preservice biology teachers to direct their own subject-specific ecological professional... Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a Ecological Professional Development Model to support preservice biology teachers to direct their own subject-specific ecological professional development route. Various characteristics of the model were tested in isolation and in combination and an ecological approach to agency that could theoretically substantiate these characteristics was further developed. Show less
Contemporary professional music performance and teaching practices demand the ability to engage in a variety of collaborative settings with a broad range of competencies and skills. According to... Show moreContemporary professional music performance and teaching practices demand the ability to engage in a variety of collaborative settings with a broad range of competencies and skills. According to various studies, offering a wider variety of pedagogical approaches and implementing collaborative learning activities in conservatoire education would be beneficial for students' preparation for their prospective careers. However, collaborative learning has not yet been broadly and widely implemented in conservatories around the world. The aim of this research project was to increase understanding of which collaborative learning approaches already exist, and how implementation of collaborative learning could be supported. Four studies were conducted, including students, teachers, and leaders as stakeholders. Collaborative learning was found to support experiences and feelings of trust, safeness, friendship, and reinforced the development of collaborative and metacognitive skills. Also, learning activities and content of lessons appeared to be suitable for implementation of collaborative learning. A purposeful design of lessons is necessary, including a change to a student-centred learning environment. Yet, aspects of culture and tradition sustaining teacher-centred approaches, were found to hinder the process of implementing collaborative learning. Better connections to professional practice and society require a paradigm shift in teaching and learning in conservatoire education. Show less
This dissertation intended to examine how the multidimensionality of learner–learner interaction data and the multifacetedness of learner–learner interaction itself impact the measurement of... Show moreThis dissertation intended to examine how the multidimensionality of learner–learner interaction data and the multifacetedness of learner–learner interaction itself impact the measurement of learner–learner interaction in digital learning environments. The studies reported in this dissertation demonstrate that, on the one hand, the impact is reflected in the degree of variability with which learner–learner interaction is measured in research. The variability is determined both by the variety of the types of data on learner–learner interaction and by the variety of approaches that can be taken to the measurement of learner–learner interaction based on the different types of data. On the other hand, the impact is reflected in the intricacy with which the different aspects of learner–learner interaction, captured by the different approaches to the measurement of learner–learner interaction, interdepend in learning in digital learning environments. The studies, presented in this dissertation, taken collectively fulfil the triple function of (a) refining our understanding of learner–learner interaction; (b) guiding and improving our interpretation of research findings on learner–learner interaction; and (c) providing guidance and pointers for research and practice, together with identifying the potential pitfalls in researching learner–learner interaction. Show less
Strengthening the societal position of at-risk youth is challenging though necessary in order to create better opportunities for them to participate in society. Work is an important means to that... Show moreStrengthening the societal position of at-risk youth is challenging though necessary in order to create better opportunities for them to participate in society. Work is an important means to that end, enabling young people to live independently. Work also plays a role in the psychological need to express your vocational identity: who you are as a worker. Having a vocational identity means that you are aware of your capabilities, ambitions and values concerning work. A strong vocational identity helps to make choices and acts as a guide throughout working life. At-risk youth have vulnerable school careers and are at risk of dropping out. They attend programs at a low educational level and are at greater risk of unemployment. A strong vocational identity may counterbalance these risks as it can ensure these young people to learn about the work they could and want to do, and can provide for better work prospects. Special curricula and social programs for at-risk youth seek approaches to fostering vocational identity. This dissertation focuses on the relationships between individual characteristics of at-risk youth and their vocational identity, concentrates on the possible contribution of malleable characteristics, and provides insights into the treatment by mentors during individual mentoring. Show less
In various types of teacher professional development (TPD) programmes, peer feedback is commonly used as an effective learning activity for teachers, because it can provide valuable learning... Show moreIn various types of teacher professional development (TPD) programmes, peer feedback is commonly used as an effective learning activity for teachers, because it can provide valuable learning resources and triggers participants’ reflection and behaviour change. However, previous studies usually focus on the entire TPD programmes, instead of studying teacher peer feedback specifically. This dissertation set out to provide both an integrated framework for the practices of teacher peer feedback and an in-depth understanding of teacher peer feedback in the Chinese vocational education context. In total, five studies are included in the dissertation. The first study is a literature review that aims at modelling the implementation of peer feedback and providing fundamental information for future studies. The next four empirical studies are conducted in the Chinese VET context, and they separately focus on the effect of a peer feedback-based programme, teachers’ learning mechanisms through peer feedback, participants’ evaluations on feedback, and the characteristics of expert feedback. Show less
The current dissertation presents a review study and three empirical studies, focusing on the understanding of the state of the art of research about PjBL in higher education and the investigation... Show moreThe current dissertation presents a review study and three empirical studies, focusing on the understanding of the state of the art of research about PjBL in higher education and the investigation of the relation between PjBL and student outcomes in the context of Chinese higher education. Insights into the design and the implementation of PjBL curricula and their potential impact on student learning are informative for a broad array of higher education teachers and educational advisors. Show less
The research project focuses on teachers’ learning motivation and learning performance in professional learning activities. Three assumptions as follows: (1) the quality of teaching has been... Show moreThe research project focuses on teachers’ learning motivation and learning performance in professional learning activities. Three assumptions as follows: (1) the quality of teaching has been significantly improved after a period of study in professional learning activities (2) teachers’ teaching quality and their learning motivation are interrelated, (3) teacher personal characteristics and school working conditions are important for their learning motivation. To explore these topics, students and supervisors from professional learning activities are invited to evaluate teaching quality, teachers who differed in the experience with the programme from primary education participated in this project to explore their perceptions of learning motivation. The final results indicated that teachers' learning motivation is not related to teachers' teaching quality. Show less
Despite the value of technology integration for educational equity and quality being emphasized by numerous studies, many gaps exist about how technology integration can be approached in policy... Show moreDespite the value of technology integration for educational equity and quality being emphasized by numerous studies, many gaps exist about how technology integration can be approached in policy plans, implemented in pedagogical practices, and embraced by teachers, students, and parents. In the current dissertation, the focus is on teachers’ pedagogical practices with technology in primary and secondary education, contributing to a more detailed understanding of what happens to integrate technology into the teaching and learning processes. Given this goal, we examined the different teaching and technology practices considering the concerted efforts of various stakeholders at different levels and contexts. Five studies were performed on: (1) an overview of the link between local information and communications technology (ICT) policy plans and the ICT practices of rural schools; (2) rural teachers’ use of digital educational resources aimed at promoting digital equity and education for all; (3) rural teachers’ sharing of digital educational resources aimed at promoting teacher professional learning opportunities and development; (4) (a meta-analysis on) the effectiveness of various mobile technology usage on learning outcomes in primary and secondary education; (5) the relationships among teacher beliefs, classroom process quality, and student engagement in smart classroom learning environments in secondary education. Show less
This dissertation focuses on teacher professional learning and collaboration in secondary schools. Collegial collaboration is a widely acknowledged learning environment for teachers, in both... Show moreThis dissertation focuses on teacher professional learning and collaboration in secondary schools. Collegial collaboration is a widely acknowledged learning environment for teachers, in both research and policy, and collaborative initiatives are purposefully organized in secondary schools. Yet, insights into the context-dependent nature of teacher collaboration and the relation between collaboration and learning are lacking. Four studies were conducted, including one literature study, one large-scale questionnaire study and two multiple case studies, both cross-sectional and longitudinal. Together, the studies provide insights into how teachers collaborate, what factors influence collaboration, and how collaboration supports teacher learning. The results of this dissertation point to one school factor that has a direct and long-term effect: The integration of learning and collaboration initiatives by actively promoting, coordinating, and facilitating them in school. This dissertation furthermore shows how the course and the learning potential of short-term collaboration initiatives depend on the existence of a collaborative school culture. Collective reflection on teaching and student learning, design of lessons, and experimentation promote teacher learning, but adequate support is essential. Lastly, this dissertation indicates that challenging each other in dialogues is promising, although teachers’ continuity in participation and shared leadership in the group seem decisive in promoting teacher learning. Show less
The SpeakTeach method, Towards self-regulated learning of speaking skills in foreign languages in secondary schools: an adaptive and practical approach De SpeakTeach didactiek, Naar zelfregulerend... Show moreThe SpeakTeach method, Towards self-regulated learning of speaking skills in foreign languages in secondary schools: an adaptive and practical approach De SpeakTeach didactiek, Naar zelfregulerend leren bij spreek- en gespreksvaardigheid in moderne vreemde talen in het voortgezet onderwijs: een adaptieve en praktische aanpak Show less
The number of transnational students is quite substantial in Oman. In the Gulf Region, it is common to recruit non-Anglophone expatriate staff to teach on these programmes while they rarely have... Show moreThe number of transnational students is quite substantial in Oman. In the Gulf Region, it is common to recruit non-Anglophone expatriate staff to teach on these programmes while they rarely have prior experience in a Western university. In Oman, expatriate academics form a considerable majority of the teaching staff in transnational education (TNE). This means that for practically all of them the environment in which they teach is academically, culturally and sometimes also linguistically new to them. The same holds for the students as the vast majority come from the local government schools where Arabic is the medium of instruction in both primary and secondary school, and the British academic system is new to them.This raises the questions of how a TNE teaching and learning environment can be created that is in line with the expectations of the British programmes so that students can succeed academically, and secondly, how academics who teach on these programmes can be supported in their professional practice towards creating such an environment. The study took a holistic approach by investigating this environment from the points of view of an observer, the teachers and the students, and considered how these different perspectives informed a long-term continuing professional development (CPD) programme. Show less
For many students, algebraic formulas are abracadabra: they lack symbol sense. Symbol sense includes identifying the structure of algebraic formulas, giving meaning to them, and reasoning with and... Show moreFor many students, algebraic formulas are abracadabra: they lack symbol sense. Symbol sense includes identifying the structure of algebraic formulas, giving meaning to them, and reasoning with and about formulas. Besides basic skills, symbol sense is needed to solve algebraic problems and it is not known how to teach symbol sense systematically.In this research we have studied how teaching graphing formulas by hand (i.e. sketching a graph of a formula) could promote grade 11- and 12-students’ symbol sense. Our GQR-design (Graphing formulas through recognition and qualitative reasoning) is based on expert research and pays explicit attention to recognition of basic function families and features, and to qualitative reasoning, that focuses on the global shape of a graph, with global descriptions and ignoring what is not relevant. These aspects get little attention in regular education, that often focuses on algebraic manipulation.We found that students improved their insight into formulas and found a positive correlation between students’ abilities to graph formulas and their abilities to solve non-routine algebra problems with symbol sense. The students were able to use essential aspects of symbol sense, learned in the context of graphing formulas, such as taking a global view for recognition, qualitative reasoning, and questioning a formula, when solving algebra problems.In the future, when technology will take over the manipulation of algebraic formulas, symbol sense will become even more important. Graphing formulas could promote students’ symbol sense in upper secondary school, and therefore deserves a prominent place in mathematics curriculum. Show less
This thesis explored the question whether Scrum methodology might function as an appropriate scaffold to enhance students’ learning and to support teachers in context-based secondary chemistry... Show moreThis thesis explored the question whether Scrum methodology might function as an appropriate scaffold to enhance students’ learning and to support teachers in context-based secondary chemistry education. Context-based approaches have been designed and implemented to address several problems, including passive involvement of students and perceived irrelevance of chemistry.Scrum methodology is a project management framework which consists of specific ceremonies and artefacts to monitor the workflow of complex projects in businesses and industries.The Scrum characteristics were adjusted to the specific situation of a context-based learning environment. Five studies were conducted to reveal its impact on students’ learning as well as on teachers’ teaching. The results show that students participating in Scrum classes outperformed students participating in the control condition with regard to both cognitive and metacognitive learning outcomes. Moreover, the impact of Scrum methodology on students’ learning increased when teachers were able to apply a rich repertoire of didactical and pedagogical expertise, indicating that the role of a teacher remains invaluable.The findings provide evidence that the implementation of a project-management framework in an educational context scaffolds and strengthens students in their learning process, which in turn is beneficial for learning outcomes. Show less
Many religious education teachers and researchers see worldview identity development as one of the overarching goals of worldview/religious education (RE). But although didactic research into RE... Show moreMany religious education teachers and researchers see worldview identity development as one of the overarching goals of worldview/religious education (RE). But although didactic research into RE produced valuable theoretical insights into pupil’s worldview identity development, systematized descriptions of the teaching methods and underlying motivation of experienced RE teachers are still lacking. This study is meant to fill this gap. It examines the pedagogical-didactic views, didactic approaches, and goals of experienced first level qualified teachers in RE and, in particular, how they contribute to the worldview identity development of their students. I studied two things: the rationale of experienced RE teachers and their relational and didactic core practices. I carried out three sub-studies in co-analysis with the teachers themselves. Theories on worldview identity development functioned as ‘search lights’ to elicit practice-based information from individual teachers and deduce systemic connections. In a fourth sub-study, using the Delphi technique, a different group of RE teachers reflected on the descriptions of the core practices in order to reach consensus about a shared set of core practices. This resulted in descriptions of a rationale and eleven core practices which form part of the pedagogical-didactic repertoire of experienced RE teachers Show less
Research and design are two activities that are becoming increasingly important in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Research and design projects are often still... Show moreResearch and design are two activities that are becoming increasingly important in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Research and design projects are often still employed separately in school, while these activities are often connected in professional practice. The studies in this dissertation indicate that teachers and students of the Dutch subjects O&O (Dutch abbreviation for ‘research and design’) and NLT (Dutch abbreviation for ‘nature, life and technology’) already have some knowledge of ways in which research and design can be connected, and that this knowledge can be developed in a relatively short time. However, interviews with teachers and students showed that students often skipped the research part of the design cycle. This is remarkable, because students were able to state the relevance of research within design. A study in the context of the subject NLT showed that both teachers and students have a strong idea that design should start with a research component. This can be a limiting thought for students with different learning preferences. We therefore recommend to offer the research and design processes in a more differentiated and varied manner to students. Show less
