Antonia Larraín

Effects of Storybook Reading Style on Comprehension: The Role of Word Elaboration and Coherence Questions

Research Findings: Two studies examined the effects of specific reading styles on the comprehension of stories of at-risk preschool Chilean children. Study 1 examined the effect of word elaboration on story comprehension with 72 children. Children who were exposed to elaborations of unknown words during storybook reading achieved better comprehension than those who were not after vocabulary and narrative comprehension skills were controlled. This effect was mediated by childrens learning of the elaborated words and thus provides evidence for the causal role of word knowledge in story comprehension. Study 2 examined the effect of asking questions about coherence relations versus other kinds of open-ended questions such as requests for predictions, descriptions, and real-life connections. Children exposed to coherence questions achieved better story comprehension than those exposed to other open-ended questions after initial vocabulary, narrative comprehension skills, and attentiveness were controlled. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest the use of specific reading strategies for improving comprehension. Teaching rare words and asking coherence-related questions during reading leads to better understanding of the story. These are 2 easy methods that could be integrated into daily teaching practices to help improve childrens narrative comprehension.

Discurso y Pensamiento en el Aula Matemática Chilena

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo explorar la naturaleza de los procesos de pensamiento matematico presentes en el discurso de profesoras y profesores que ensenan en el segundo ciclo de educacion basica de escuelas publicas en Chile. Se codificaron 77 videos de clases de profesores participantes en el Sistema de Evaluacion Nacional Docente del Gobierno de Chile, en base a una rubrica que distinguia 4 formas de pensamiento matematico: resolucion mecanica de problemas, resolucion razonada de problemas, presentacion mecanica de la informacion y presentacion razonada de la informacion. Se realizaron analisis descriptivos y analisis multivariados de varianza. Los resultados evidencian que el pensamiento matematico docente esta focalizado en la presentacion mecanica de informacion y la resolucion mecanica de problemas. Los profesores que ensenan en 5o y 6o grado dedican significativamente menos tiempo a resolucion de problemas que los profesores que ensenan en 7o y 8o grado. Los resultados son coherentes con evidencia proveniente de otros estudios que muestran la adherencia de los profesores chilenos a una pedagogia intuitiva externalista, centrada en la practica repetida de procedimientos. Palabras clave: pensamiento publico, ensenanza de matematicas, estudio de video The goal of this study was to explore the nature of the processes of mathematical thinking evidenced in the discourse of teachers working at Chilean middle-school level public schools. Seventy seven classroom videos filmed as a part of the Chilean Government National Teaching Assessment System were coded according to a rubric that distinguished 4 forms of mathematical thinking: mechanic problem solving, reasoned problem solving, mechanic information presentation, and reasoned information presentation. Descriptive analysis and multivariate analyses of variance were performed. The results evidence that teachers’ mathematical thinking is focused on mechanic information presentation and mechanic problem solving. Teachers working in 5th and 6th grade classrooms significantly allocate less time to problem solving than teachers working in 7 th and 8 th grade classrooms. These results are coherent with previous evidence showing that Chilean teachers adhere to an intuitive pedagogy focused on the repeated practice of procedures.

La Comprensión Narrativa en Edad Preescolar: Un Instrumento para su Medición

La comprension narrativa es una habilidad fundamental en la alfabetizacion infantil, poco atendida por investigadores y educadores por las dificultades para comprenderla y medirla, sobre todo a edades tempranas. Se reportan resultados de un estudio cuyo objetivo fue elaborar y validar un instrumento para la medicion de la comprension narrativa en ninos en edad preescolar. Participaron 117 ninos y ninas chilenos entre 3 anos 6 meses y 5 anos 1 mes de edad, pertenecientes a jardines infantiles de la Region Metropolitana. Se encontro evidencia que apoya la confiabilidad y la validez concurrente del instrumento, de facil y rapida aplicacion y codificacion. Se discuten las implicancias de contar con un instrumento para medir comprension narrativa que sea adecuado a la poblacion preescolar chilena, asi como estudios futuros necesarios para mejorar el instrumento.

Profundidad y amplitud del vocabulario: ¿Cuál es su rol en la comprensión de historias en la edad pre-escolar?

Resumen Estudios recientes sugieren que la profundidad del vocabulario es más importante que la amplitud en determinar la capacidad para comprender textos. La relación entre amplitud del vocabulario, profundidad del vocabulario y comprensión del discurso no ha sido estudiada en la edad pre-escolar. Este informe reporta el resultado de dos estudios donde se examina esta relación en pre-escolares de distintas edades. Los resultados muestran que, en ambos grupos, la profundidad del vocabulario contribuye en forma significativa a la comprensión, incluso después de controlar el efecto de la amplitud. Esto refuerza la importancia de enseñar vocabulario en profundidad para el logro de una futura compresión lectora de Calidad.

Lectura compartida de cuentos y aprendizaje de vocabulario en edad preescolar: un estudio de eficacia

Resumen Este artículo reporta dos estudios que evalúan la efectividad de estrategias de enseñanza de palabras nuevas durante la lectura compartida a preescolares. El estudio 1 evalúa la efectividad de la instrucción explícita de palabras nuevas en su aprendizaje, comparando el efecto de lectura compartida con y sin definición. El estudio 2 buscó evaluar si definiciones más complejas y el trabajo adicional con las palabras desconocidas puede aumentar el aprendizaje y revertir el efecto diferencial en niños de alto y bajo vocabulario. Participaron niños de entre 3 y 5 años (112 y 62) que asisten a jardines infantiles públicos en Santiago. Los resultados sugieren que: (1) la elaboración de palabras afecta positivamente el aprendizaje pero no elimina la brecha en el aprendizaje de niños de alto y bajo vocabulario; (2) las definiciones simples son más efectivas y trabajar las palabras con el cuento es igualmente efectivo que trabajarlas con otros materiales.

El uso de discurso argumentativo en la enseñanza de ciencias: Un estudio exploratorio

Since the 1990s, there has been consensus about the relevance of argumentation for science teaching. However, although many studies have sought to study argumentation in the science classroom, most of them have been small in scale. This article presents an exploratory video study that aims to identify key dimensions to understand argumentation in science teaching, which can be useful in future large-scale studies. Three teachers (one male) from two State-subsidized schools participated. Eight lessons were video-recorded and analysed (grades five and seven). Results show that in order to grasp argumentation in science teaching it is important to take three dimensions into account: conceptual level, argumentative structure, and type of interaction.Resumen es: Desde los anos noventa existe un consenso creciente acerca de la importancia de la argumentacion para el aprendizaje de las ciencias. Sin embargo, aunque...

¿La Universidad de Chile promueve las habilidades de argumentación escrita: Un estudio exploratorio comparativo de estudiantes de educación universitaria y educación técnica

Argumentation skills play an important role in higher education. Empirical evidence shows that higher education students have better argumentation skills than their peers without university studies. However, it is still unknown whether this is a product of higher education or self-selection. The goal of this study was to explore written argumentation skills development in Chilean tertiary education, in order to contribute to the body of knowledge on the relationship between argumentation and higher education (university and vocational training). The written argumentation skills of 336 tertiary education students, from university and vocational training programs, were evaluated. The sample was comprised of five different programs from two Chilean institutions, and of two cohorts, evaluated at the beginning and end of the school year. Descriptive, correlational and covariance analyses were run. Results show that the participants are less skilled at formulating counter-arguments that in general, they significantly improve in the sub-aspects of acceptability and soundness; and when controlled for age and academic performance, university students improve significantly more than technical students, over the course of one year. Finally, results show that university students’ improvement is greater for those that have below average performance on the standardized test required for university admission in Chile (PSU). The implications for Chilean higher education is discussed.

‘More is not necessarily better’: curriculum materials support the impact of classroom argumentative dialogue in science teaching on content knowledge

Abstract Background Dialogic teaching, specifically the use of argumentation in teaching, is seen as promoting scientific literacy and understanding. However, international evidence consistently shows that the prevailing modes of classroom talk are monologic. The problem is how to transform science education into dialogic and argumentative spaces. One way to do this is through the use of curriculum materials that support and scaffold dialogic practices. Although there is growing interest in promoting argumentation through curriculum materials, their effect on students’ learning and the relationship between curriculum-supported argumentation and learning are still not clear. Purpose The aim of this study was to contribute to this knowledge gap. We replicated research conducted in the UK as part of the epiSTEMe project, in which curriculum materials supporting dialogic classroom talk were developed and evaluated through a randomised experimental study. Sample A total of 220 students (aged 10–11 years) from 18 classrooms participated in the study, with the classrooms spread across 18 public schools all located in Santiago, Chile. Design and method We conducted an experimental study randomised at school level. Eleven teachers delivered science lessons following a teaching programme especially developed to foster dialogic and argumentative classroom talk (the intervention group), and seven teachers delivered lessons in their usual way (the control group). Students were assessed individually using pre- and post-measures of science content knowledge and argumentative skills. Results The results showed that the intervention group obtained significantly higher pre- to post-gains on science content knowledge. Although the control group engaged in significantly more whole-class argumentative dialogue than the intervention group, this did not predict content knowledge learning in the control group. By contrast, in the intervention group the frequency of whole-class argumentative dialogue had a strong and positive effect on the delayed content knowledge post-test, controlling for initial measures.

Election through complaint and controversy for political power in Chile, 1874–1925

SUMMARY This article offers reflections on the power relations between the executive and legislative branches of the Chilean state by examining the way political parties leveraged the electoral system to balance the weight of each branch in the configuration of government. The period from 1874 to 1924 is framed by a cycle of reforms to Chile’s 1833 constitution that were pushed through by liberal sectors to limit the power of the executive under the country’s presidential regime, efforts that contributed to a final breakdown of the presidential regime following civil war in 1891. That year the victorious revolutionary forces implemented a parliamentarian system that remained in place until it was overthrown by a military coup. The literature on this process has studied the use of legislative manoeuvres such as obstruction, accusation and filibuster by political parties to weaken the executive power. Little has been written, however, about the way parties exploited the rules and procedures of the electoral system and, specifically, the use of official complaints and the process known as calificación (qualification) by which congress audited final election results. This article will help fill that void, focusing on understanding how both practices worked and the effects that the election reforms of 1874, 1884 and 1890 had on them.

Contra-argumentación en la escuela primaria: lo que los estudiantes pueden aprender

Resumen Los estudios disponibles acerca del desarrollo de la argumentación revelan resultados contradictorios. Mientras unos muestran que los niños desde la edad preescolar son capaces de comprender y elaborar todos los aspectos de la argumentación, otros señalan que la capacidad de elaborar contra-argumentos se desarrolla avanzada la adolescencia y es altamente dependiente de la experiencia universitaria. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar los resultados de la medición de habilidades de argumentación escrita en niños y niñas de quinto básico de educación municipal en Chile. Participaron 175 estudiantes (92 niñas) de 18 escuelas de Santiago. Los resultados muestran que los estudiantes a esa edad son, en su mayoría, capaces de construir argumentos simples y comprender los elementos básicos de un contra-argumento. Aún más, un porcentaje de niños es capaz de elaborar objeciones y contra-argumentos. Esto sugiere que, aunque la tendencia general de los niños es la justificación, no están incapacitados para contra-argumentar a esta edad. Más bien, pueden aprender a hacerlo.