Teachers' and students' understanding of scientific exposition : how importance and interest influence what is assessed and what is discussed /
This investigation examined the textual and contextual
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1994.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=741945361&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | This investigation examined the textual and contextual factors that contribute to teachers' understanding of what is important to remember from expository text, and how teachers convey this understanding to their students via assessment techniques and discussion practices. Six biology teachers and one of each of their classes from a high school in the Southwest participated in this study. Baseline data were gathered for six weeks to develop profiles for each teacher and to examine the classroom practices that existed. This data consisted of importance and interest ratings, recalls, and questions of an expository chapter, audiotapes and of three classroom lessons, and interviews of the teachers. After the baseline data were gathered, four teachers were randomly chosen to receive information on distinguishing and delivering important and interesting content. The six-hour workshop included information regarding factors that hinder and facilitate students' determination of important and interesting information from text and effective methods for conveying important and interesting content. Following the workshop, data were gathered for another six weeks in a similar manner as the baseline data, except the use of videotapes. Before and after the workshop, importance and interest ratings and recalls were analyzed to examine the teachers' and students' ability to determine structural importance as well as students' ability to determine instructional importance. Transcripts of audiotaped and videotaped lessons were also analyzed for the pedagogical methods that the teachers used i n conveying their lessons. The data analysis of the classroom discourse included how the teacher elicited students" responses during discussion, the number of students involved in classroom discourse, and the amount of time that the teacher and the students talked about content information. Additionally, graphic displays of the classroom discourse patterns were presented. The results of the treatment indicated changes in teacher behavior regarding variability in individual importance ratings, decreased relationship in importance and interest ratings, higher recall, and a higher frequency of highlevel questions. Further results of the treatment included decreased teacher talk, increased student and peer talk, and an increase in the ratio of student-to-teacher talk, favoring the students. Changes in teacher discourse patterns were also observed. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Curriculum and Instruction". |
| Physical Description: | xiii, 274 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |