Book Description

Four contributing factors are essential for student learning: metacognition, educationally sound curricular design, instructional delivery characterized by interactive lecturing and active learning, and formative and summative assessments of learning. In this collection, the authors open with the proposition that all teachers must ensure students develop their metacognitive skills, reflect deeply about thinking, and learn how to apply concepts, while continually encouraging students to question their understanding and ask questions to gain clarity. Next, the authors attempt to advance the argument that effective pedagogy of school mathematics requires teachers deep knowledge of the subject matter, appreciation of historical perspectives, awareness of the current worldwide teaching standards, and integration of using concrete problems with fostering growth mindset as the psychological foundation of productive thinking. A study is presented which was conducted in two provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal in South Africa in two male correctional centres. The authors report on some of the strategies used at the two facilities to overcome educational challenges concerning the teaching and learning of offenders. The chapter recommends that these centres should address their infrastructural challenges while incorporating computer-based learning as part of their curriculum practices. In another study, this compilation examines how explicit instruction on text structure and the use of authentic texts as writing models helped a class of second graders learn to write sequential text. Sequential text is categorized as one text structure used by authors writing informational text. Students as young as second grade are expected to know the sequence text structure and to provide textual evidence within their sequential text. Following this, students perceptions, practices and performance were examined while using a LMS (Moodle) in a blended learning environment. This is a case study based on the log files of 335 students who attended an academic course on ICT Integration in Education for over three years. Learning design was conducted during the course based on problem-solving in blended learning environments. Another study aims to compare primary school students' attitudes towards inclusion in relation to the direct contact or lack thereof with classmates who are physically impaired. The results suggest that coexistence with persons with functional diversity in the school environment, and especially in physical education, could improve attitudes towards inclusion. In the quest to promote the development of the whole person, some schools have introduced modifications to educational processes to foster the wellbeing of their students under a new umbrella term known as positive education. This collection proposes that instead of targeting generic outcomes of wellbeing, measures should be based on school-specific wellbeing constructs, such as provided by the PROSPER (Positivity, Relationships, Outcomes, Strength, Purpose, Engagement, and Resilience) framework. The study for the final chapter was conducted with a case study approach in two active learning classrooms as the investigated case units. Nine teachers and three persons from the service staff focus group were interviewed, and answers from the semi-structured interviews were analysed by use of the qualitative data analysis tool Atlas.ti.