Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1392022
Jules Vonessen, Georgia Zellou
Coarticulation is a type of speech variation where sounds take on phonetic properties of adjacent sounds. Listeners generally display perceptual compensation, attributing coarticulatory variation to its source. Mandarin Chinese lexical tones are coarticulated based on surrounding tones. We tested how L1-Mandarin and naive listeners compensate for tonal coarticulation using a paired discrimination task. L1 listeners showed greater perceptual sensitivity to tonal differences than tone-naive listeners. Yet, both L1 and tone-naive listeners showed differences in sensitivity to differently-coarticulated versions of the rising tone presented in the same tonal context. In different tonal contexts, both groups showed similar patterns of perceptual compensation for tonal coarticulation. Thus, although L1 and naive Mandarin listeners show different sensitivities to tonal variation, they display similar compensatory patterns for tonal coarticulation.
{"title":"Perception of Mandarin tones across different phonological contexts by native and tone-naive listeners","authors":"Jules Vonessen, Georgia Zellou","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1392022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1392022","url":null,"abstract":"Coarticulation is a type of speech variation where sounds take on phonetic properties of adjacent sounds. Listeners generally display perceptual compensation, attributing coarticulatory variation to its source. Mandarin Chinese lexical tones are coarticulated based on surrounding tones. We tested how L1-Mandarin and naive listeners compensate for tonal coarticulation using a paired discrimination task. L1 listeners showed greater perceptual sensitivity to tonal differences than tone-naive listeners. Yet, both L1 and tone-naive listeners showed differences in sensitivity to differently-coarticulated versions of the rising tone presented in the same tonal context. In different tonal contexts, both groups showed similar patterns of perceptual compensation for tonal coarticulation. Thus, although L1 and naive Mandarin listeners show different sensitivities to tonal variation, they display similar compensatory patterns for tonal coarticulation.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"63 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141807116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Studies indicate that students who have access to highly qualified teachers tend to achieve at a higher rate, regardless of other factors. However, the essence of quality teaching and teacher quality has not been adequately established in these studies. Nonetheless, recent developments favoring integrations have led to three lines of teaching quality research: professional standards, value-added measures, and student evaluations. This study explores how the quality of mathematics and English language teachers is associated with students' achievement using a professional standard observation tool for student evaluation. A representative multistage sample of students and teachers selected from high schools in the East Gojjam Administrative Zone participated in the study. By using the domains in the Framework for Teaching (FfT) as indicators of teaching quality, the study identified the indicators that are associated with the academic achievement of students in mathematics and English subjects. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to study the relationships between the independent variables (teachers' quality indicators) and the dependent variable (students' grade 10 exam scores). Of the four domains of FfT, the delivery of instruction revealed a positive and significant association (sig = 016) with students' scores in the English language. The delivery of instruction encompasses communicating with students, using questioning and discussion techniques, and demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness, which are positively associated with students' scores in the English language. Conversely, managing classroom procedures was the only subdomain associated (sig = 014) with an increase in students' mathematics scores. Accordingly, suggestions are made for further research and practice.
{"title":"Impact of teaching quality on student achievement: student evidence","authors":"Mengistu Anagaw Engida, Ashagrie Sharew Iyasu, Yalemwork Mossu Fentie","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1367317","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1367317","url":null,"abstract":"Studies indicate that students who have access to highly qualified teachers tend to achieve at a higher rate, regardless of other factors. However, the essence of quality teaching and teacher quality has not been adequately established in these studies. Nonetheless, recent developments favoring integrations have led to three lines of teaching quality research: professional standards, value-added measures, and student evaluations. This study explores how the quality of mathematics and English language teachers is associated with students' achievement using a professional standard observation tool for student evaluation. A representative multistage sample of students and teachers selected from high schools in the East Gojjam Administrative Zone participated in the study. By using the domains in the Framework for Teaching (FfT) as indicators of teaching quality, the study identified the indicators that are associated with the academic achievement of students in mathematics and English subjects. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to study the relationships between the independent variables (teachers' quality indicators) and the dependent variable (students' grade 10 exam scores). Of the four domains of FfT, the delivery of instruction revealed a positive and significant association (sig = 016) with students' scores in the English language. The delivery of instruction encompasses communicating with students, using questioning and discussion techniques, and demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness, which are positively associated with students' scores in the English language. Conversely, managing classroom procedures was the only subdomain associated (sig = 014) with an increase in students' mathematics scores. Accordingly, suggestions are made for further research and practice.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141808589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1410795
Bashar M. Farran, Laura M Morett
This review discusses the effectiveness of visual and haptic cues for second language (L2) lexical tone acquisition, with a special focus on observation and production of hand gestures. It explains how these cues can facilitate initial acquisition of L2 lexical tones via multimodal depictions of pitch. In doing so, it provides recommendations for incorporation of multimodal cues into L2 lexical tone pedagogy.
{"title":"Multimodal cues in L2 lexical tone acquisition: current research and future directions","authors":"Bashar M. Farran, Laura M Morett","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1410795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1410795","url":null,"abstract":"This review discusses the effectiveness of visual and haptic cues for second language (L2) lexical tone acquisition, with a special focus on observation and production of hand gestures. It explains how these cues can facilitate initial acquisition of L2 lexical tones via multimodal depictions of pitch. In doing so, it provides recommendations for incorporation of multimodal cues into L2 lexical tone pedagogy.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"39 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141809632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1406611
H. Raboca, Florin Cărbunărean
This study investigates the relationship between students’ perceptions regarding faculty support and their overall level of academic motivation. Other aspects like types of academic motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation or amotivation) grounded in self-determination theory are also addressed. The findings indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between faculty support and the overall level of student’s academic motivation. At the same time, the results show that both psychological and functional support, as indicators of faculty support, have influence on different types of academic motivation. In this sense, faculty support has a moderate positive influence on student’sintrinsic academic motivation, respectively a moderate negative influence on academic amotivation. These results can be of interest for faculty decision makers. In other words, any educational policy or strategy adopted by faculty-level decision makers designed to help students improving their academic performance must include elements and activities related to providing support (at social, psychological, and functional level).
{"title":"Faculty support and students’ academic motivation","authors":"H. Raboca, Florin Cărbunărean","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1406611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1406611","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the relationship between students’ perceptions regarding faculty support and their overall level of academic motivation. Other aspects like types of academic motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation or amotivation) grounded in self-determination theory are also addressed. The findings indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between faculty support and the overall level of student’s academic motivation. At the same time, the results show that both psychological and functional support, as indicators of faculty support, have influence on different types of academic motivation. In this sense, faculty support has a moderate positive influence on student’sintrinsic academic motivation, respectively a moderate negative influence on academic amotivation. These results can be of interest for faculty decision makers. In other words, any educational policy or strategy adopted by faculty-level decision makers designed to help students improving their academic performance must include elements and activities related to providing support (at social, psychological, and functional level).","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"46 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141808582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1376805
Susanne Seifert, Lisa Paleczek, Martin Schöfl, Christoph Weber
Vocabulary knowledge plays a pivotal role in academic development, particularly among Grade 1 students. To support students in their academic development, effective assessment instruments in educational settings are crucial. The GraWo (Graz Vocabulary Test) is introduced as a tool designed to evaluate receptive vocabulary in German-speaking countries in print and in digital mode.This study aims to investigate mode effects in the GraWo among Grade 1 students, comparing vocabulary gains in digital and print versions. Additionally, it explores the influence of student characteristics, such as gender and language status, and examines item-level differences between the two modes in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of test performance.The research design entails a longitudinal approach, following children (n = 421) from the beginning to the end of Grade 1, varying the test modes (digital or print) only at second measurement (40% receiving the print version), while at first measurement all children worked with the digital version.Baseline comparisons of test mode groups indicated almost no significant differences. In terms of growth in vocabulary during Grade 1, an ANOVA with repeated measures revealed a main effect for time, indicating increased performance in both groups at second measurement. Moreover, an interaction effect between time and test mode group showed that the print group exhibited higher gains in the vocabulary test compared to the digital group. Further analysis using MNLFA confirmed that the print mode group outperformed the digital group overall and that four items were also individually affected by differences between the digital and print versions.The study emphasizes the need for nuanced investigations into the impact of test mode on student performance and suggests incorporating observational methods to comprehensively understand student interactions with digital and print modes. In acknowledging potential variations in performance, educators and policymakers need to tailor practices to accommodate the demands of hybrid test procedures and to consider the role of digital competence in shaping testing experiences.
{"title":"Unveiling mode effects in grade 1 vocabulary assessment: the intriguing influence of test mode","authors":"Susanne Seifert, Lisa Paleczek, Martin Schöfl, Christoph Weber","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1376805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1376805","url":null,"abstract":"Vocabulary knowledge plays a pivotal role in academic development, particularly among Grade 1 students. To support students in their academic development, effective assessment instruments in educational settings are crucial. The GraWo (Graz Vocabulary Test) is introduced as a tool designed to evaluate receptive vocabulary in German-speaking countries in print and in digital mode.This study aims to investigate mode effects in the GraWo among Grade 1 students, comparing vocabulary gains in digital and print versions. Additionally, it explores the influence of student characteristics, such as gender and language status, and examines item-level differences between the two modes in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of test performance.The research design entails a longitudinal approach, following children (n = 421) from the beginning to the end of Grade 1, varying the test modes (digital or print) only at second measurement (40% receiving the print version), while at first measurement all children worked with the digital version.Baseline comparisons of test mode groups indicated almost no significant differences. In terms of growth in vocabulary during Grade 1, an ANOVA with repeated measures revealed a main effect for time, indicating increased performance in both groups at second measurement. Moreover, an interaction effect between time and test mode group showed that the print group exhibited higher gains in the vocabulary test compared to the digital group. Further analysis using MNLFA confirmed that the print mode group outperformed the digital group overall and that four items were also individually affected by differences between the digital and print versions.The study emphasizes the need for nuanced investigations into the impact of test mode on student performance and suggests incorporating observational methods to comprehensively understand student interactions with digital and print modes. In acknowledging potential variations in performance, educators and policymakers need to tailor practices to accommodate the demands of hybrid test procedures and to consider the role of digital competence in shaping testing experiences.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"43 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141809582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1401718
Miluska Villar-Guevara, José Livia-Segovia, E. García-Salirrosas, Israel Fernández-Mallma
Teacher effectiveness is a burgeoning field. Those responsible for educational policies seem increasingly committed to this fact, since it is one of the most important factors that influence the success of a university student; for this reason, the study of this topic has gained relevance in recent years. Therefore, an instrument with adequate psychometric properties is needed to measure this construct in Spanish-speaking countries.The study had the purpose of translating, adapting, and evaluating the internal structure, providing evidence of reliability and validity of the Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Effectiveness (SETE) Scale in a Latin American sample.An instrumental study was carried out and through convenience sampling, data were collected from 1,000 university students from South America belonging to a private educational network. The participants were between 18 and 40 years old (M = 21.25, SD = 2.99). Analyzes used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 24 statistical software.Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided a 4-factor, 28-item fit model (CMIN/DF = 4.359; CFI = 0.956; SRMR = 0.030; RMSEA = 0.058). The results demonstrated good internal consistency (α = between 0.927 and 0.961; CR = between 0.927 and 0.962; AVE = between 0.646 and 0.799). Evidence of validity and reliability was obtained for the total sample.This adaptation and validation of the SETE scale makes it a valid, useful, reliable, and necessary tool that can be considered to evaluate teachers’ effectiveness from the perspective of university students.
{"title":"Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Effectiveness (SETE) scale: translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties in a Latin American sample","authors":"Miluska Villar-Guevara, José Livia-Segovia, E. García-Salirrosas, Israel Fernández-Mallma","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1401718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1401718","url":null,"abstract":"Teacher effectiveness is a burgeoning field. Those responsible for educational policies seem increasingly committed to this fact, since it is one of the most important factors that influence the success of a university student; for this reason, the study of this topic has gained relevance in recent years. Therefore, an instrument with adequate psychometric properties is needed to measure this construct in Spanish-speaking countries.The study had the purpose of translating, adapting, and evaluating the internal structure, providing evidence of reliability and validity of the Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Effectiveness (SETE) Scale in a Latin American sample.An instrumental study was carried out and through convenience sampling, data were collected from 1,000 university students from South America belonging to a private educational network. The participants were between 18 and 40 years old (M = 21.25, SD = 2.99). Analyzes used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 24 statistical software.Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided a 4-factor, 28-item fit model (CMIN/DF = 4.359; CFI = 0.956; SRMR = 0.030; RMSEA = 0.058). The results demonstrated good internal consistency (α = between 0.927 and 0.961; CR = between 0.927 and 0.962; AVE = between 0.646 and 0.799). Evidence of validity and reliability was obtained for the total sample.This adaptation and validation of the SETE scale makes it a valid, useful, reliable, and necessary tool that can be considered to evaluate teachers’ effectiveness from the perspective of university students.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"78 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141808073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1404076
Felix Bittmann
In educational sociology, it is of greatest interest to explain why some students are more successful than others and obtain higher educational qualifications or receive better grades, which can have long-lasting consequences. The present study compares the influence of early academic performance, which can be regarded as a proxy of overall intelligence, to the socio-economic status (SES) of the family, which measures how much a family can invest in the education of their offspring. Using large-scale German NEPS panel data (N = 5,208), the analyses test statistically how much variance of two outcome variables (acquisition of higher education eligibility and final grade) are explained by academic performance and SES; both measured approximately 9 years earlier at the beginning of secondary education. Dominance analyses reveal that performance has a larger influence (ca. 14% for both outcomes) than SES (ca. 8% for eligibility and ca. 4% for grades). Regression analyses show that high performance can better compensate for low SES than vice versa. These results indicate that performance is probably more relevant for academic success than the SES of one’s own family.
{"title":"Investigating how early academic performance and parental socio-economic status predict and explain successful completion of secondary education in Germany","authors":"Felix Bittmann","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1404076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1404076","url":null,"abstract":"In educational sociology, it is of greatest interest to explain why some students are more successful than others and obtain higher educational qualifications or receive better grades, which can have long-lasting consequences. The present study compares the influence of early academic performance, which can be regarded as a proxy of overall intelligence, to the socio-economic status (SES) of the family, which measures how much a family can invest in the education of their offspring. Using large-scale German NEPS panel data (N = 5,208), the analyses test statistically how much variance of two outcome variables (acquisition of higher education eligibility and final grade) are explained by academic performance and SES; both measured approximately 9 years earlier at the beginning of secondary education. Dominance analyses reveal that performance has a larger influence (ca. 14% for both outcomes) than SES (ca. 8% for eligibility and ca. 4% for grades). Regression analyses show that high performance can better compensate for low SES than vice versa. These results indicate that performance is probably more relevant for academic success than the SES of one’s own family.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"74 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141812911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1383711
B. A. Couch, L. Prevost, M. Stains, Ariel E. Marcy, Blake Whitt, James K. L. Hammerman, Amy N. Spiegel
Academic departments have been highlighted as key targets to sustainably transform the learning environments of postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in the United States. Despite STEM department chairs playing a critical role in shaping their unit, few studies have characterized how chairs view the teaching culture within their department and how cultural features influence instructional change. This study addressed this gap by applying the four-frames model for organizational change to analyze interviews conducted with 14 STEM department chairs at one research-intensive institution in the United States. The department chairs identified several challenges to supporting and advancing teaching culture. These challenges were mostly related to the structures and symbols frames and included an institutional emphasis on research over teaching, inadequate methods to evaluate effective teaching, and weak teaching feedback mechanisms available to faculty. The chairs also described how they leverage their power to affect people and thereby influence the teaching culture. For example, they strategically position teaching as an important aspect of the departmental culture during hiring processes and elevate certain groups of faculty who have demonstrated interest and efficacy in teaching. This study contributes to the literature by providing a rich description of the teaching culture in STEM departments at a research-intensive institution from the perspective of department chairs. This unique focus on department chairs helps identify opportunities for instructional reforms that are grounded in the reality of the departmental environment and provides a framework for considering how change might occur in STEM departments at research-intensive institutions. The opportunities identified emphasize the importance for department chairs to consider and leverage all four frames to enact instructional change.
{"title":"STEM department chairs’ perspectives on navigating teaching culture to influence instructional change: a four-frames model analysis","authors":"B. A. Couch, L. Prevost, M. Stains, Ariel E. Marcy, Blake Whitt, James K. L. Hammerman, Amy N. Spiegel","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1383711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1383711","url":null,"abstract":"Academic departments have been highlighted as key targets to sustainably transform the learning environments of postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in the United States. Despite STEM department chairs playing a critical role in shaping their unit, few studies have characterized how chairs view the teaching culture within their department and how cultural features influence instructional change. This study addressed this gap by applying the four-frames model for organizational change to analyze interviews conducted with 14 STEM department chairs at one research-intensive institution in the United States. The department chairs identified several challenges to supporting and advancing teaching culture. These challenges were mostly related to the structures and symbols frames and included an institutional emphasis on research over teaching, inadequate methods to evaluate effective teaching, and weak teaching feedback mechanisms available to faculty. The chairs also described how they leverage their power to affect people and thereby influence the teaching culture. For example, they strategically position teaching as an important aspect of the departmental culture during hiring processes and elevate certain groups of faculty who have demonstrated interest and efficacy in teaching. This study contributes to the literature by providing a rich description of the teaching culture in STEM departments at a research-intensive institution from the perspective of department chairs. This unique focus on department chairs helps identify opportunities for instructional reforms that are grounded in the reality of the departmental environment and provides a framework for considering how change might occur in STEM departments at research-intensive institutions. The opportunities identified emphasize the importance for department chairs to consider and leverage all four frames to enact instructional change.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"127 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141811341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1442806
Matthew Voigt
While research has explored racialized and gendered discourses in mathematics, there is a gap in understanding the experiences of Queer students and the discourses related to sexual identity in mathematics. This study aims to identify the discourses about mathematics that Queer STEM students describe in relation to their Queer identity and how they navigate these discourses.Using phenomenology, individual interviews were conducted with 17 Queer STEM students at four universities in the United States. The interviews explored their life histories, experiences in mathematics, and responses to vignettes depicting mathematical scenarios. Grounded theory was leveraged to analyze the interviews to build a framework for Queer discourses and navigational strategies.Seven Queer discourses in mathematics were identified with underlying notions of exclusion and irrelevancy. The most prevalent discourses cast Queer identity as being irrelevant (erasure), unseen (heteronormative), or discriminated against (marginalized) in mathematics. At the same time there were some beliefs that Queer identity acceptance was unknown (ambiguous) was treated equally (normalized) or was accepted and even valued in math. Key findings from the study help theory build an exclusion-irrelevancy space to network together mathematical discourses and highlight how Queer marginalization is acted upon based on notions of rightful presence and not mathematical success.This study highlights the need to recognize and address the marginalization of Queer students in mathematics. By understanding the discourses and navigational strategies employed by these students, educators can create more inclusive and equitable STEM environments. It is critical to recognize and build upon the unique strengths of Queer students in mathematics, rather than focusing only on the challenges they face.
{"title":"Identifying queer discourses and navigational strategies in mathematics for undergraduate STEM students","authors":"Matthew Voigt","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1442806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1442806","url":null,"abstract":"While research has explored racialized and gendered discourses in mathematics, there is a gap in understanding the experiences of Queer students and the discourses related to sexual identity in mathematics. This study aims to identify the discourses about mathematics that Queer STEM students describe in relation to their Queer identity and how they navigate these discourses.Using phenomenology, individual interviews were conducted with 17 Queer STEM students at four universities in the United States. The interviews explored their life histories, experiences in mathematics, and responses to vignettes depicting mathematical scenarios. Grounded theory was leveraged to analyze the interviews to build a framework for Queer discourses and navigational strategies.Seven Queer discourses in mathematics were identified with underlying notions of exclusion and irrelevancy. The most prevalent discourses cast Queer identity as being irrelevant (erasure), unseen (heteronormative), or discriminated against (marginalized) in mathematics. At the same time there were some beliefs that Queer identity acceptance was unknown (ambiguous) was treated equally (normalized) or was accepted and even valued in math. Key findings from the study help theory build an exclusion-irrelevancy space to network together mathematical discourses and highlight how Queer marginalization is acted upon based on notions of rightful presence and not mathematical success.This study highlights the need to recognize and address the marginalization of Queer students in mathematics. By understanding the discourses and navigational strategies employed by these students, educators can create more inclusive and equitable STEM environments. It is critical to recognize and build upon the unique strengths of Queer students in mathematics, rather than focusing only on the challenges they face.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"126 26","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141811479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1392920
S. Niu, Olli-Pekka Malinen, I. Ruokonen, Anitta Melasalmi, Signe Siklander, Xinghua Wang, Heyi Zhang, Tarja-Riitta Hurme, J. H. Moilanen, Xiaowei Li, Lijuan Wang
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) serves as a crucial foundation for children’s holistic growth and lifelong learning. Despite its significance, comparative analyses of leading ECEC documents across cultures remain limited. To address this gap, our study conducts a comparative analysis to identify key aspects and examine similarities and differences in national ECEC documents from China and Finland. Methodologically, we used a triangle of researchers from China and Finland. We employed qualitative content analysis to systematically identify, examine, and compare the key aspects in these two countries from the leading ECEC documents, i.e., the Chinese national ECEC guidelines and the Finnish ECEC national core curriculum. The findings reveal numerous similarities alongside notable differences. Both countries place a high value on ECEC, emphasizing principles that shape the learning environment and use diverse pedagogical methods. However, nuanced variations exist in the approaches. The Chinese documents feature more specific guidelines tailored to different age groups, accompanied by detailed pedagogical suggestions, while the Finnish national core curriculum offers general guidelines for all preschool age groups, complemented by the unique feature of individual development plans for each child. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, ECEC educators, and practitioners in international contexts. Future studies are needed to further explore the specific pedagogies in ECEC between these two nations and to analyze how the curriculum and educational guidelines are implemented in pedagogical practices.
{"title":"A comparative study of early childhood education and care national documents between China and Finland","authors":"S. Niu, Olli-Pekka Malinen, I. Ruokonen, Anitta Melasalmi, Signe Siklander, Xinghua Wang, Heyi Zhang, Tarja-Riitta Hurme, J. H. Moilanen, Xiaowei Li, Lijuan Wang","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1392920","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1392920","url":null,"abstract":"Early childhood education and care (ECEC) serves as a crucial foundation for children’s holistic growth and lifelong learning. Despite its significance, comparative analyses of leading ECEC documents across cultures remain limited. To address this gap, our study conducts a comparative analysis to identify key aspects and examine similarities and differences in national ECEC documents from China and Finland. Methodologically, we used a triangle of researchers from China and Finland. We employed qualitative content analysis to systematically identify, examine, and compare the key aspects in these two countries from the leading ECEC documents, i.e., the Chinese national ECEC guidelines and the Finnish ECEC national core curriculum. The findings reveal numerous similarities alongside notable differences. Both countries place a high value on ECEC, emphasizing principles that shape the learning environment and use diverse pedagogical methods. However, nuanced variations exist in the approaches. The Chinese documents feature more specific guidelines tailored to different age groups, accompanied by detailed pedagogical suggestions, while the Finnish national core curriculum offers general guidelines for all preschool age groups, complemented by the unique feature of individual development plans for each child. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, ECEC educators, and practitioners in international contexts. Future studies are needed to further explore the specific pedagogies in ECEC between these two nations and to analyze how the curriculum and educational guidelines are implemented in pedagogical practices.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"31 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141813397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}