Michal Zion

The effects of metacognitive instruction embedded within an asynchronous learning network on scientific inquiry skills

The study is aimed at investigating the effects of four learning methods on students’ scientific inquiry skills. The four learning methods are: (a) metacognitive‐guided inquiry within asynchronous learning networked technology (MINT); (b) an asynchronous learning network (ALN) with no metacognitive guidance; (c) metacognitive‐guided inquiry embedded within face‐to‐face (F2F) interaction; and (d) F2F interaction with no metacognitive guidance. The study examined general scientific ability and domain‐specific inquiry skills in microbiology. Participants were 407 10th‐grade students (15 years old). The MINT research group significantly outperformed all other research groups, and F2F (group d) acquired the lowest mean scores. No significant differences were found between research groups (b) and (c). MINT makes significant contributions to students’ achievements in designing experiments and drawing conclusions. The novel use of metacognitive training within an ALN environment demonstrates the advantage of enhancing the effects of ALN on students’ achievements in science.

Curiosity and open inquiry learning

Asking questions is an activity central to inquiry learning. This research examined documents created during an open inquiry learning process of the Biomind programme for Israeli high school students. In addition, to understand how students express and develop curiosity in learning, we observed students during a molecular biology lesson, a subject not included in their inquiry project. We performed a grounded theory qualitative approach, based on content analysis. This paper presents four models for establishing logical associations between inquiry questions, and these can serve as a framework for the open inquiry plan. We found that students develop an open inquiry process on the basis of these models. In addition, we found that curious students conduct their inquiries by using the model providing the least degree of certainty, but a high degree of dynamic inquiry.

Developing Students' Metacognitive Awareness in Asynchronous Learning Networks in Comparison to Face-to-Face Discussion Groups

The main goal of the present study is to investigate empirically the effects of Asynchronic Learning Network (ALN) embedded within metacognitive instruction (META) on two components of metacognitive awareness: Knowledge about Cognition (KC) and Regulation of Cognition (RC). Participants were 202 tenth grade students: 102 students who studied under the ALN+META instructional method, and 100 students who studied under Face-to-Face interaction (F2F) embedded within META. Results indicated that ALN+META students significantly outperformed their F2F+META counterparts on both KC and RC. These results were strengthened by a qualitative analysis of RC under the different instructional methods. The improvement of RC behavior in the ALN+META written discourse clearly indicates the crucial effects of RC on the progress and success of the inquiry processes. ALN+META is a promising learning environment, carrying a great potential for enhancing metacognitive awareness among students.

Children's sense of place in desert towns: a phenomenographic enquiry

Set against the background of the call for sustainable development, a fostering of sense of place emerged as one of education for sustainabilitys chief goals. Heideggers concept of dwelling thinking guided us, in this research, to look beyond the emotional and cognitive attachment to a place toward a state of mind which is not limited to a specific place but can also be taken with the dweller wherever he or she goes. A qualitative tool based on analysis of childrens drawings was developed for characterizing dwelling thinking in desert towns’ children aged 9–10. The results clarified different forms of sense of place and pointed to practical methodologies for the enhancement of dwelling thinking in our quest for sustainability.

Peer-Assisted Learning via Face-to-Face or A-Synchronic Learning Network Embedded With or Without Metacognitive Guidance: Effects on Higher and Lower Achieving Students

The authors describe part of a larger study examining the conditions under which peer-assisted learning implemented in A-synchronic Learning Network (ALN) or Face-to-Face (F2F) supports learning. The present study focuses on the differential effects of these environments, on scientific inquiry skills of higher and lower achieving students. Participants were 407 tenth grade Israeli students who studied biology in 16 classrooms. Within each of the five participating schools, intact classrooms were randomly assigned into one of four conditions: ALN with metacognitive guidance (ALN+META), ALN with no meta-cognitive guidance (ALN), F2F with metacognitive guidance (F2F+META) and F2F with no metacognitive guidance (F2F). The findings indicate that, although under all conditions students improved their achievement on both the domain-specific inquiry skills examination and on the test of general scientific ability, significant differences between conditions were observed for lower achievers, but not for higher achievers. Lower achievers in the ALN+META condition scored significantly higher then their counterparts in the ALN or F2F+META conditions, who in turn scored significantly higher then the F2F students. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Teachers’ performances during a practical dynamic open inquiry process

The research goal of this study was to determine whether teachers who participated in an inquiry-based course were able to internalize a dynamic open inquiry process. This study focused on 25 science teachers who participated in an annual inquiry-based academic course. Several teaching tools helped teachers employ an open inquiry process. We concluded that the teaching tools applied by teachers in documenting their inquiry processes enabled them to express dynamic inquiry characteristics. The results indicate consistency between the criteria most frequent in teachers’ inquiries and the criteria running through their reflections. In addition, teachers implemented the dynamic inquiry criteria in their classroom teaching.

Tracking Invasive Birds: A Programme for Implementing Dynamic Open Inquiry Learning and Conservation Education.

Among potential topics in the new science of biodiversity, understanding the characteristics and impact of invasive birds is an attractive subject to include as part of junior high school biology studies. Birds are aesthetic and raise curiosity. Curiosity about birds, combined with field observations, can stimulate students to ask authentic questions. As birds are among the few wild vertebrates that one can easily observe, students can easily develop systematic methods to answer their questions and initiate a dynamic open inquiry process. The educational project ‘Tracking Invasive Birds’, presented here as a case study, is the result of a unique collaboration among conservation biologists, science educators and biology teachers. High school students participated in an open inquiry process facilitated by teachers, ecologists, and science educators. At the end of the inquiry process, these high school students conducted a bird watching tour for junior high school students. This paper shows how investigating a conservation environmental issue – invasive birds – contributes to the development of both dynamic open inquiry skills and environmental literacy among 11th‐ and 12th‐grade students.

Up and Down: Trends in Students’ Perceptions about Learning in a 1:1 Laptop Model – A Longitudinal Study

This is a five-year study conducted with junior high school students studying in a 1:1-laptop program in order to test the effects of the program on various measures related to the students: their attitudes, motivation, perceived school norms, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention towards learning with laptops, according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). These variables were tested at two dimensions: ‘duration of learning’ – the effect of learning in the program on the same students; ‘duration of program in school’ – the effect of the program on different students in different school years. Participants (N=770) answered a questionnaire structured according to motivational and TPB variables. Findings show that attitudes changed over time, but differently for each dimension. For the ‘duration of learning’, attitudes declined between 7 to 9 grade. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that students’ attitudes and self-efficacy explain part of their intention to learn with laptops, therefore ways of maintaining positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and strengthening school norms should be considered. However, for the ‘duration of program in school’, students’ attitudes increased over the years: The attitudes of students who started the program at a later stage were more positive than those who began earlier. This may indicate that students who experience the program at an advanced stage are better prepared, with more realistic expectations. Findings can assist teacher trainers and policymakers with the implementation of similar programs.

Developing Science Education Research Literacy among Secondary in-Service Teachers

Teachers’ understanding of science and science teaching influences their actions in the classroom, which eventually influences students’ conceptual understanding of science (Anderson, 2015; Schroeder, Scott, Tolson, Huang, & Lee, 2007; Sadler, Sonnert, Coyle, Cook-Smith, & Miller, 2013) and students’ attitudes toward science (Christidou, 2011; Osborne, Simon, & Collins, 2003).