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Eric.ed.gov – Caring and Motivating Middle School Classrooms. Issue Brief

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Since 2009, the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (JGC) at Stanford University has worked in partnership with the Redwood City School District (RCSD) to gain a deeper understanding of classroom practices that promote motivation and achievement in middle school. Each spring, all middle school students in the district complete a survey about their motivational beliefs and their classroom experiences. The 2011 survey incorporated a new set of questions designed to capture students’ perceptions of classroom practices that convey care and support. This focus emerged from conversations with teachers and administrators and reflects RCSD’s commitment to building supportive classroom communities that emphasize effort and improvement. This research suggests that all middle school students in the district can benefit from practices that communicate care for… Continue Reading

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tandfonline.com – Service Learning in the Middle Grades: Learning by Doing and Caring

tandfonline.com har udgivet en rapport under søgningen “Teacher Education Mathematics”: Abstract Abstract Although service learning has been documented as a promising pedagogy for middle grades learners, it remains the exception rather than the rule in many middle schools. This qualitative study examined fifth grade students’ experience of a service-learning class. Using the tenets of service learning and experiential learning theory as the theoretical framework, we describe the findings of the study, identifying the importance of a culture of “doing” and problem solving; an integrated curriculum that was based in caring for others; a joyful environment in which to learn; and opportunities for competence and independence. We present the findings in relation to the theoretical framework and discuss the implications of this research for middle grades practice, teacher education, and future… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Science and Math Teachers as Instructional Designers: Linking ID to the Ethic of Caring

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this exploratory inquiry into the nature of the relationship between systematic instructional design models and teachers’ planning practices and needs, the researchers conducted open-­ended interviews with six teachers of science and math in order to discover how they conceptualized and practiced instructional design. The most important finding to emerge from this research was that, from the teachers’ perspective, caring must be a central component of any instructional design activity. Regardless of gender and grades taught, the teachers indicated that they need to be able to make instructional decisions based upon their caring relationships with individual learners. Link til kilde