The cross-cultural study on the effect of the use of student-generated visualization as a study strategy for middle school science concept learning /
The researcher applied quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine first whether or not the use of student-generated visualization as a study strategy affects middle school students' understanding of textual materials on science topics. Secondly, the relative effectiveness of student-g...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2003.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=765674541&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | The researcher applied quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine first whether or not the use of student-generated visualization as a study strategy affects middle school students' understanding of textual materials on science topics. Secondly, the relative effectiveness of student-generated visualization on paper and on computers was explored. Thirdly, the differential impact of using visualization as a study strategy across Texan and Taiwanese cultures was investigated. Six intact science classes of 92 Texan 8th graders were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: the control group, the experimental/paper group, and the experimental/computer group. Further, 2 intact 8th grade science classes of 60 Taiwanese participants were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups: the control group, and the experimental/paper group. Students in the control groups watched science-related videotapes that did not address visualization as a study strategy. The experimental/paper groups attended visualization workshops in which they learned how to visualize on paper in their regular classrooms; and the experimental/computer group attended the computer-based visualization workshop in which they learned how to visualize on computers in the computer lab. After the workshops, the control groups were given several science essays for unguided and independent study. The experimental/paper groups and the experimental/computer group were given the same science essays to study as were the control groups. However, they were also asked to use their learned visualization skills to create visual representations that showed interrelationships among concepts on paper or on computers during their study time. When the study time was over, students were given a science comprehension posttest to measure their understanding of the concepts in the texts. The results showed that student-generated visualization had a positive impact on both Texan and Taiwanese eighth graders' science concept learning, but it did not impact one cultural group more than the other. Visualization as a study strategy had positive effects regardless of whether students used paper or computers to generate their visualizations. Given the training in visualization, middle school students were able to generate visual representations that showed interrelationships among concepts to demonstrate their understanding. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Educational Psychology". |
| Physical Description: | xiii, 203 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-131). |