Browsing by Subject "Group work"
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Item An activity theory interpretation of university ESL students’ experiences of classroom group work(2011-12) Hardy, Jacques Wilburn; Schallert, Diane L.; Blyth, Carl S.; Horwitz, Elaine K.; Maxwell, Madeline M.; Muñoz, LindaThis study investigated the experiences of university-level ESL students engaged in classroom group projects. Using the lens of Activity Theory (Engeström, 1987, 2001; Leont’ev, 1976) I attempted to discover how students’ expectations and goals concerning small group work were enacted in their group interaction and participation. I conducted a qualitative case study of one class of nine students in a university-level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Advanced Listening and Speaking class. I observed all classes during a 3-month instructional term, recording students’ small group work. In addition, I conducted interviews with 4 focal student participants and their instructor. I investigated students’ goals and expectations for group work, as well as the dynamic interplay between these factors and the local context as it unfolded in the work and interaction of each group. I also investigated the sources, effects, and interconnections of contradictions that emerged within and between activity systems in which the students engaged. An analysis of students’ interaction and self reports indicated that students’ expectations about the objectives, partners, distribution of tasks, and suitability of artifacts for each group task influenced their task-related and social goals for group activity. As the groups worked, contradictions within current activity systems and between current and past activity systems emerged. These contradictions necessitated the formation of new goals and activities, thereby promoting or limiting opportunities for interaction. Creative forms of L2 interaction, including negotiation, joking, teasing, and discussions of language form, emerged in response to contradictions. However, other contradictions involving the division of labor within the group promoted conflict or constrained interaction.Item The gazebo project : a look into the benefits of student discourse in learning mathematics through a process of creating, critiquing, and revising a plan(2014-08) Dahanayake, Natasha Marianna; Riegle-Crumb, CatherineThe Gazebo Project is an open ended, generative, model eliciting project that was designed to allow students to develop their own understanding of fractions rather than receiving direct instruction. The students were placed in three different sections to work on the project, a group section that allowed for collaborative work, a peer tutoring section and an individual section. All students were given a pre-project clinical interview to assess their knowledge prior to beginning The Gazebo Project. They were then separated into one of the three sections for the project. The Gazebo Project charged the students with the task of designing a gazebo that would maximize the amount of seating and minimize the size of the entrance, which needed to be a whole side length. By challenging the students to minimize the entrance they were guided to explore the relationship between side length and number of sides. Upon completion of the project all students were then given a post-project clinical interview to determine the growth in their understanding of fractions. The study suggested that The Gazebo Project was effective in helping students develop their understanding of fractions, but only when the students worked in the group section or the peer tutoring section. The element of student discourse created an environment where students could create, and critique each other’s plan and in the process student discourse contributed to revised thinking. This study challenges educators to consider the benefits of open ended generative activities and discourse in student learning and also encourages the use of regular clinical interviews to assess student reasoning.Item It’s just about helping them feel safe : exploring the impact of a trauma-informed care group for pre-service teachers(2022-07-14) Bauer, Travis Duane; McCarthy, Christopher J.; French, Karen; Brown, Christopher; Ainslie, Rico; Whittaker, TiffanyEfforts to support students with experiences of trauma have been ascendant in the discourse of pedagogy and classroom management, many of which are called “Trauma-Informed Care” (TIC). Emerging research indicates that TIC constitutes a valuable resource for educators amid interpersonal challenges in the classroom. Relatively little research has explored the utility of TIC training for pre-service teachers, who already receive education in pedagogy and classroom management. The following study is a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods research design involving a three-session group giving pre-service teachers education in TIC and its application. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed to determine what effect the group sessions had on participants' knowledge of TIC and their understanding of trauma in the classroom. Results from participants in the intervention group show a shift in attitudes related to TIC characterized by factors including a deeper understanding of trauma and endorsement of biologically-informed skills to use in the classroom. Future directions suggest collaborative research between counselors, teacher trainers, and student teachers that help bridge TIC and trauma-informed pedagogy.Item Towards an ecological model for supporting teachers : a proposal for a study estimating the effect of a trauma-informed psychoeducational group intervention on reducing teacher stress(2019-12) Bauer, Travis Duane; McCarthy, Christopher J.Continued documentation of teacher stress among U.S. educators necessitates further research to meet their needs. Toxic stress—a debilitating stress response often triggered when exposed to effects of another’s trauma—has been identified as a driver for teacher stress, yet few researchers have conceptualized adequate interventions for them. The following proposal presents a trauma-informed psychoeducational group for secondary school teachers in Central Texas. Its purpose will be to examine the effect of trauma education on levels of stress, trauma awareness, and help-seeking among educators when compared to a control group. Paired t-tests will be used to determine any statistically significant differences between group means on outcome variables. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to examine results from a pilot version of the proposed study, the results of which are discussed in terms of future directions for trauma-informed group work with teachers