Research by the University of South Australia and its partners shows that increasing student engagement with complex learning tasks significantly improves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This study suggests that teachers should focus on deep learning techniques to improve student outcomes.
High engagement, high returns. This is advice from education experts at the University of South Australia for teachers looking to improve student performance.
In a new study conducted in partnership with
flinders university
Researchers from the Melbourne School of Education found that fewer than a third of teachers engage students in complex learning, limiting students’ opportunities to develop critical thinking and solve problems. Did.
Researchers who filmed and assessed classroom content in South Australia and Victoria found that nearly 70% of student assignments consisted of simple questions and answers and notes, rather than activities that engaged students on a deeper level. I found that it is related to superficial learning such as taking things and listening to the teacher.
Emphasis on deep learning
UniSA researcher Dr Helen Stevenson said teachers needed more support to plan interactive and constructive lessons that foster deep learning.
“When it comes to learning, the greater the engagement, the deeper the learning. But too often, students are not very active and do passive work,” says Dr. Stevenson. Masu
“Our research suggests that about 70% of classroom content may be ‘passive’ (students have little observable input), or doing something simple like answering questions on a fact sheet. was considered to be “active”. While there is certainly a place for such tasks in the classroom, student learning is greatly enhanced when students spend more time doing complex activities that promote deep conceptual learning. Deep learning requires organizing knowledge into conceptual structures, which has been shown to improve information retention and improve learning outcomes. Deep learning also supports the knowledge needed for innovation. Making small changes to teachers’ existing lesson plans and instruction can significantly increase student engagement, which in turn improves overall outcomes. ”
She continues: “At a basic level, teachers need to consider how they can adjust existing classroom activities to place more tasks deeper into the learning scale. For example, suppose you watch a video. . Students can watch the video silently (this is “passive”). Watch the video and take notes using the presenter’s words (this is considered “active”). Write any questions that arise while watching the video (this is “constructive”). Or watch the video and discuss it with other students to generate different ideas (this is ‘interactive’). Interactive classroom engagement involves students participating in activities with other students and receiving stimulation that fosters deeper understanding. They make judgments, propose and criticize arguments and opinions, and come up with solutions to problems. These activities also help develop critical thinking and reasoning skills. All of these are predictive of learning gains. ”
Survey results regarding teacher awareness
Interestingly, one of the study’s key findings is that many teachers do not recognize or fully appreciate the importance of how classroom assignments can stimulate different modes of student participation. It seems like it hasn’t.
“Simply changing class activities from ‘active’ to ‘constructive’ can go a long way in improving student learning,” says Dr. Stevenson.
“Teachers should be supported to engage in professional development to shift their thinking to practices that support deeper learning and better outcomes for students.”
References: “Using the Extended ICAP-Based Coding Guide as a Framework for Analyzing Classroom Observations,” by Stella Vosniadou, Michael J. Lawson, Erin Bodner, Helen Stephenson, David Jeffries, and I Gusti Ngurah Darmawan; April 13, 2023 Education and teacher education.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104133
This research was funded by the Australian Research Council.
Source: scitechdaily.com
