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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 19, Issue 2, Article 12 (Dec., 2018) |
Analysis of Teaching Practices
Results stemming from the first stage of data analysis (i.e. determining the frequency of teaching practice) is summarized in Table 1.
Classroom Practices of Teachers with Diverging Learning Styles (TDLS)
A glance at Table 1 reveals that, according to observations through 10 hours of classes the teacher with a diverging learning style employed just 2 out of 9 activities which target the concrete experience learning skill (using problem sets and using examples). In this context, the teacher in question used the problem sets most of the time on 2 occasions, from time-to-time on 6 occasions, and rarely on 2 occasions, whereas examples were used for most of the time on 7 occasions, and from time-to-time on 3 occasions. Furthermore, the teacher was observed to employ just two out of five activities which target the reflective observation learning skill. The teacher with the diverging learning style made rare use of thought-provoking questions on 7 occasions through 10 hours of classes, while unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to engage in discussion and thinking in line with the flow of the course, were again employed rarely on 4 occasions. In her lessons, out of a total of six practices TDLS was observed to employ homework practice which target the active experiment learning skill, only rarely, on 3 occasions. On the other hand, the teacher was observed to make frequent use of the practice of teaching through presentation, in all her classes, out of a total of 5 practices which target the abstract conceptualization learning skill.
Table 1. The frequency of observation of each teaching practice employed by the participating teachers.
Diverging
Accommodatin
Assimilating
Converging
4 3 2 1 0 4 3 2 1 0 4 3 2 1 0 4 3 2 1 0 Concrete Experience
The classes make use of laboratory activities.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Students are made to observe certain events and cases related with the course contents.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - 1 9 - - - - 10 The students are made the read basic texts to remind the foundations of the topic to be covered.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 The students are made to engage in simulation / games during the course.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Field study work is carried out.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Motivating/attention grabbing/guiding films are used.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Reading activities are carried out.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Problem sets are utilized.
- 2 6 2 - - - 2 2 1 - 1 6 2 1 - 2 1 5 2 Examples are utilized.
- 7 3 - - - 1 3 1 - 1 3 6 - - - 7 3 - - Reflective Observation
The students are made to keep reflective notes, diaries, or journals.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Discussion technique is employed.
- - - - 10 - - - 1 4 - - - 1 9 - - 1 2 7 Brainstorming technique is utilized.
- - - - 10 - - - 1 4 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Thought provoking questions are asked.
- - - 7 3 - - - 2 3 - 1 - 1 8 - 1 1 4 4 Unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to discussion and thought in line with the flow of the course are asked.
- - - 4 6 - - - 1 4 - 1 - - 9 - 1 - 3 6 Active Experimentation
Simulations are employed.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Case studies are employed.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - 1 9 Laboratory activities are used.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Field study work is carried out.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Project work is carried out.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Homework is assigned.
- - 3 - 7 - - 1 - 4 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Abstract conceptualization
Teaching is effected through presentation.
- 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 9 1 - - The students are made to write articles about the subject, based on what they learn in or outside the class.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Model development activities are used.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Projects are executed.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Analogies are utilized.
- - - - 10 - - - - 5 - - - - 10 - - - - 10 Classroom Practices of Teachers with Accommodating Learning Style (TALS)
The analysis of Table 1 with a view to understanding the teaching practices employed by the teacher with the accommodating learning style reveals that the teacher in question employed just 2 out of a total of 9 activities which target the concrete experience learning skill (using problem sets and using examples), in her classes. In this context, the teacher had used the problem sets from time-to-time on 2 occasions, and rarely on 2 occasions, whereas examples were used for most of the time on 1 occasion, from time-to-time on 3 occasions, and rarely on 1 occasion. In her classes, TALS was observed to employ 4 out of 5 teaching practices which target the reflective observation learning skill. The teacher with the accommodating learning style made rare use of discussions on 1 occasion throughout the10 hours of teaching, while brainstorming techniques were used rarely on 7 occasions, thought provoking questions were employed rarely on 1 occasion, unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to engage in discussion and thinking in line with the flow of the course were again employed rarely, on 4 occasions. In her classes, the teacher was observed to employ only homework practice out of all classroom practices which target the active experiment learning skill, on just 1 occasion. Finally, TALS was observed to employ (most of the time) teaching through presentation activity among all the 5 teaching practices which target the abstract conceptualization learning skill.
Classroom Practices of Teachers with Assimilating Learning Style (TAsLS)
A consideration of Table 1 reveals that the teacher with an assimilating learning style employed 3 out of 9 teaching practices which focus on concrete experience learning skills. In this context, the teacher was observed to use problem sets most of the time on 1 occasion, from time-to-time on 6 occasions, rarely on 2 occasions, while examples were used always on 1 occasion, most of the time on 3 occasions, and from time-to-time on 6 occasions. Furthermore, the teacher was observed to make the students observe certain events and cases regarding the lesson contents, rarely on 1 occasion. The teacher was observed to utilize 3 out of 5 practices which focus on the reflective observation learning skill, employing a discussion technique rarely on 1 occasion, thought-provoking questions most of the time on 1 occasion, and rarely on another, and unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to engage in discussion and thinking in line with the flow of the lesson most of the time on 1 occasion. The TAsLS was observed not to use any of the 6 teaching practices which focus on active experiment learning skill, while she used teaching through presentation in all 5 teaching practices which focus on the abstract conceptualization learning skill, most of the time in all lessons.
Classroom Practices of Teachers with Converging Learning Style (TCLS)
A consideration of Table 1 reveals that the teacher with a converging learning style employed just 2 out of 9 teaching practices which focus on concrete experience learning skill. In this context, the teacher with the converging learning style was observed to use problem sets most of the time on 2 occasions, from time-to-time on 1 occasion, and rarely on 5 occasions, while examples were used most of the time on 7 occasions, and from time-to-time on 3 occasions. The TCLS was observed to employ, among a total of 5 teaching practices which focus on the reflective observation learning skill, the discussion technique from time-to-time on 1 occasion and rarely on 2 occasions, asking thought-provoking questions most of the time on 1 occasion, from time-to-time on 1 occasion, and rarely on 4 occasions, while unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to engage in discussion and thinking in line with the flow of the lesson were utilized most of the time on 1 occasion and rarely on 3 occasions. On the other hand, this teacher was observed to utilize only the case study practice out of all 6 teaching practices regarding the active experiment learning skill. The teacher with the converging learning style was observed to use the case study rarely on just 1 occasion in her classes. The TCLS's classroom activities, analyzed in the light of abstract conceptualization learning skill, reveal that the teacher employed only teaching through presentation out of all 5 teaching practices regarding this skill, most of the time on 9 occasions, and from time-to-time on 1.
Comparative Analysis of Teaching Practice
Results stemming from the second stage of data analysis (i.e. determining the average score of the teaching practice) are presented in Table 2.
Teaching activities which focus on the concrete experience learning skill
Table 2 suggests that teachers who took part in the study utilized just three of the activities which focus on the concrete experience learning skill: making students observe certain events and cases regarding the course contents, utilizing problem sets, and using examples. In this context, the practice of "using examples" among the teaching practices which focus on this skill was observed to be utilized at an acceptable level by all participating teachers, and hence had a general use average score above 2. An acceptable level of use of the problem sets, among all practices in this category, was unique to the teacher with the diverging learning style, and the general use average score for this activity was low, suggesting an underdeveloped level of use on the part of the remaining three teachers. On the other hand, only the teacher with the assimilating learning style was observed to make students observe certain events and cases regarding the course content, and then only at a very low level, far below the acceptable level of use, and considered to be not developed at all.
Teaching activities which focus on the reflective observation learning skill
Table 2 reveals that, among the teaching activities with a focus on the reflective observation learning skill, brainstorming techniques, asking thought-provoking questions, and using unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to engage in discussion and thinking in line with the flow of the course are the practices employed by the participating teachers. Three of the participants were observed to employ four of the reflective observation practices in their classes, while the fourth used just two. A review of the teachers' average of practice scores (AP) for each practice clearly reveals, on the other hand, that no practice regarding this learning skill was used at an acceptable level by the teachers. All the teaching practices in this context were marked by general use average scores of below 1, reflecting a level of use which was not developed at all with respect to their use in the classroom.
Table 2. Average Scores for the Frequency of Utilization of Teaching Practices (AP) by the Teachers
Classroom Practices
AP- Diverging AP- Accommodating AP- Assimilating AP- Converging Concrete Experience
The classes make use of laboratory activities.
Students are made to observe certain events and cases related with the course contents.
The students are made the read basic texts to remind the foundations of the topic to be covered.
The students are made to engage in simulation / games during the course.
Field study work is carried out.
Motivating/attention grabbing/guiding films are used.
Reading activities are carried out.
Problem sets are utilized.
Examples are utilized.
Reflective Observation
The students are made to keep reflective notes, diaries, or journals.
Discussion technique is employed.
Brainstorming technique is utilized.
Thought provoking questions are asked.
Unplanned key questions which would nonetheless encourage students to discussion and thought in line with the flow of the course are asked.
Active Experimentation
Simulations are employed.
Case studies are employed.
Laboratory activities are used.
Field study work is carried out.
Project work is carried out.
Homeworks are assigned.
Abstract Conceptualization
Teaching is effected through presentation.
The students are made to write articles about the subject, based on what they learn in or outside the class.
Model development activities are used.
Projects are executed.
Analogies are utilized.
Teaching activities which focus on the abstract conceptualization learning skill
Table 2 summarizing the classroom practices of teachers with different learning styles, reveals that among all the teaching activities which focus on the abstract conceptualization learning skill, only teaching through presentation was used by the teachers. None of the practices of having students write texts or develop models, project preparation, and utilization of analogies, which are considered as other practices focusing on this learning skill, could be observed. On the other hand, teaching through presentation, with reference to this skill, received high scores in terms of use on the part of the participating teachers, reflecting an excessive level of use of this practice.
