Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12 Investigation and Design at the Center (2019) / Chapter Skim
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3 Learning and Motivation
3 Learning and Motivation
Pages 53-80
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, which may be affected by whether they see scientist or engineer as a plausible identity for a member of their group. As such, learning, interest, and motivation to learn are essential when considering students' involvement in science investigation and engineering design.
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Several themes that are part of a rich learning context are then discussed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the importance of interest and motivation for science investigation and engineering design.
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For example, the sense-making of groups as they work together on a phenomenon of design solution shapes the learning of the individuals working together. LEARNING THEORY THEMES Our view of learning for this report synthesizes the views of a number of significant reports on science education that each offered compilations of the current learning sciences research showing that learning occurs within and is inseparable from contexts.
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4. Learning involves social and emotional engagement in communities.
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. It is especially beneficial for learners and to societies in this scientifically and technologically advanced era when learning experiences facilitate the process of identity formation in which people come to think of themselves as engineering and science learners capable of doing investigation and design.
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Experiencing phenomena and challenges and making sense of them through developing and revising models, arguing from evidence, planning and carrying out an investigation, or constructing an evidence-based explanation are critical to the aspect of doing science and engineering. Through actions, learners can improve their understanding of conceptual relations through such sensemaking mechanisms as spatial metaphor and causal inference.
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Investigations may enhance science learning because they engage learners' embodied ways of knowing in service of perceptual, motoric, and procedural learning. Learning Involves Social and Emotional Engagement in Communities Learning is enhanced within a collaborative community in which language is used as a tool to express knowledge, argue explanations and solutions, and come to resolution regarding the validity of evidence to support or refute a proposed explanation (Osborne, 2010)
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Learning Is Historical Science education reforms often situate learning as a present-day, hereand-now neutral event that primarily involves the teacher or other knowledgeable other, the learner, and the materials and tools for science learning. A sociocultural view of learning with a focus on context acknowledges the historical, sociocultural nature of learning.
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These perceptions and expectations of persons with authority influenced what experiences Leonardi could access. The assistant principal viewed his access to a high-quality science learning experience as a vehicle to alter his classification as an underperforming student, but his teacher believed he did not deserve the access -- these contradictory perspectives feature the contested nature of social practice, a sociocultural perspective on the local end of the continuum.
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Learning Occurs Within and Is Inseparable from Contexts Learning, conceived as forming connections among concepts and changing perceptions and actions, is intricately linked to contexts. There are numerous examples of context as an intermediary of learning, but consistent illustrations appear in the Framework committee's treatment of progression, the common element, distinctly sectioned throughout the report, to practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas, as excerpted here: In the earliest grades, as students begin to look for and analyze patterns -- whether in their observations of the world or in the relationships between different quantities in data (e.g., the sizes of plants over time)
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The contexts of learning are important factors, and finding opportunities to cultivate motivation and interest in science investigation and engineering design is key. Motivation can evolve and change over time and elements of the student's learning environment can foster curiosity3 and interest that supports the motivation to learn (Hidi and Renninger, 2006)
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Theories of Motivation Due to the importance of interest and motivation for engagement in science investigation and engineering design and persistence in STEM more broadly, research has focused on student perceptions specific to science and engineering that can be barriers to motivation. In general, some learners have firm beliefs that they "just can't do" science or engineering; perceive stereotypes that exclude groups from feeling they can participate; have little experience with science or engineering outside of academic context; and/ or feel that learning in science or engineering has little inherent value to them (e.g., "When will I ever use this?
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. Intrinsic motivation is when a learner performs a particular activity for personal rewards, whereas extrinsic motivation is when a learner performs an activity to earn a reward or avoid a punishment.
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Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Influencing Interest and Motivation The quality of learning during science investigation and engineering design is dependent, in part, on the student's interest and motivation to engage during the investigation (Blumenfeld, Kempler, and Krajcik, 2006)
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Design Features to Promote Interest and Motivation through Science Investigation and Engineering Design Classrooms can be structured to make particular goals more or less salient and can shift or reinforce learners' interests (Maehr and Midgley, 1996)
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found that when learners self-describe the personal relevance of learning tasks, it can lead to improvements in interest and achievement as it allowed the learners to sense the value or make a connection between science and engineering and their own lives. Funds of knowledge are broadly defined as the historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual well-being (Gonzales, Moll, and Amanti, 2005)
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. Another method of utilizing socially or culturally situated learning is to design lessons to deliberately emphasize social and cultural connectedness.
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Cultural connectedness also affirms aspects of learners' identities by conveying the value of their backgrounds and experiences, as demonstrated in Dee and Prenner's (2017) research on cultural relevance by way of high school ethnic studies curriculum.
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also shows that when youth are supported in taking up STEM practices in ways that reflect deep and critical knowledge of the needs communities face, they persist in STEM learning toward more robust STEM/ engineering designs. An additional factor to be addressed for those groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering are persistent gendered and racial stereotypes in these fields (Buck et al., 2008; Museus et al., 2011)
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Learners are expected to use their knowledge to solve problems and make sense of phenomena by using disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. The science education community can use what is known about student learning and motivation to inform efforts, while also conducting further research to expand understanding of learning and motivation.
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. Several design guidelines from interest development research can be integrated into science and engineering learning environments to effectively increase learning during investigation and design activities.
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Constructivist and sociocultural perspectives on math ematical development. Educational Researcher, 23(7)
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American Educational Research Journal, 54(1)
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, Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences, Second Edition (pp.
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. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas.
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Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. Schneider, B., Krajcik, J., Lavonen, J., Salmela-Aro, K., Broda, M., Spicer, J., Bruner, J., Moeller, J., Linnansaari, J., Juuti, K., and Viljaranta, J
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. STEM motivation and persistence among underrepresented minority students: A social cognitive perspective.
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