Meta-analyses as a privileged information source for informing teachers' practice?

Abstract. Inspired by evidence-based medicine, many researchers in the field of learning and instruction assume that meta-analyses are the best scientific information source to inform teachers' practice. This position is evaluated critically. For this purpose, I first clarify my fundamental assumptions about employing evidence for educational practice, as they form the basis for later argumentations (e.g., scientific evidence is just one of several important information sources for teachers). Then, the numerous disadvantages of meta-analyses as an information source for teachers are outlined (e.g., piecemeal information, partly inconsistent information) and, on this basis, I argue that they should not be considered a privileged source. Theories (including instructional models) provide some key advantages (e.g., coherent information) so that they should be seen as a prime information source. Nevertheless, theories also have some disadvantages so that teachers might be best advised to rely on multiple sources, and integrate them when trying to improve their practice. Finally, potential objections to theories as privileged information source are discussed.

Das Potenzial kooperativen Lernens ausschöpfen: Die Bedeutung der transaktiven Kommunikation für eine lernwirksame Zusammenarbeit

Zusammenfassung. Kooperatives Lernen eröffnet Chancen und birgt gleichzeitig Risiken für den Wissenserwerb. Der Beitrag arbeitet die Bedeutung der transaktiven Kommunikation als zentralen Wirkmechanismus für den genuinen Mehrwert kooperativen Lernens heraus. Unter transaktiver Kommunikation wird die fachinhaltliche Bezugnahme auf den Lernpartner verstanden, wobei niedrig-transaktive (z.B. paraphrasierende) von hoch-transaktiven (z.B. integrierenden) Äußerungen unterschieden werden. Es werden Bedingungen, unter denen sich transaktive Kommunikation positiv auf Lernprozesse auswirken kann, in den Bereichen individuelle Kommunikationsfähigkeiten, Gruppenzusammensetzung, Aufgabenstellung und methodisch-didaktische Umsetzung analysiert. Es wird deutlich, dass die Bedingungen eine transaktive Kommunikation sowohl zulassen als auch erfordern müssen, damit kooperatives Lernen effektiv sein kann. Daraus ergeben sich Ansatzpunkte für die Förderung transaktiver Kommunikation und somit für die Steigerung der Wirksamkeit kooperativen Lernens. Abschließend werden Forschungsdesiderata aufgezeigt.

Procedural Knowledge of Primary School Teachers in Madagascar for Teaching and Learning towards Land-Use- and Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires the empowerment of learners through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), already at primary level. Teacher education for the SDGs is a focus of ESD. However, many teachers in Madagascar are underqualified and show knowledge gaps regarding ESD. This paper aims at identifying starting points for an ESD-oriented further development of teacher training, considering regionally relevant issues. Teaching Sustainable Development issues requires procedural knowledge. This paper reports on (i) Malagasy primary school teachers’ (n = 286) teaching and learning prerequisites regarding land-use and health issues compared to expert knowledge, (ii) modeling teachers’ respective procedural knowledge with the Rasch Partial Credit Model and validation studies, and on (iii) comparison of groups of teachers differentiated by diversity dimensions, e.g., teaching at rural or urban schools. The teachers underestimated land-use and health courses of action regarding effectiveness and possibility of implementation, compared to experts. IRT modeling resulted in two distinct knowledge dimensions, i.e., land use and health (latent correlation: 0.31). Rural teachers showed higher procedural land-use knowledge than urban teachers. No differences occurred regarding health knowledge. The paper argues for ESD-focused reorientation of teacher training, considering regional specificities of land-use topics, e.g., regarding vanilla and rice cultivation in North-East Madagascar, and health topics.

Source selection and source use as a basis for evidence-informed teaching

Abstract. Pre-service teachers rarely deal with problematic classroom situations in an evidence-informed way. One reason is that they often hold unfavourable beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence for competently dealing with classroom problems. Unfavourable beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence may weaken not only their actual use, but also already the selection of scientific information sources. Furthermore, beliefs about the utility of non-scientific theories and evidence might play a role in this process. We assessed N = 202 pre-service teachers' beliefs about the utility of educational research, subjective theories and anecdotal evidence in dealing with problematic classroom situations. They were presented with a case vignette of a fictitious teacher's unsuccessful attempts to deal with a problematic classroom situation and asked to provide feedback. Before giving feedback, participants could select up to four different information sources, namely (a) an educational theory, (b) the results of an empirical study, (c) a subjective theory, or (d) anecdotal evidence. Results showed that participants had significantly more positive beliefs about the utility of anecdotal evidence compared to educational research and subjective theories. Moreover, they selected educational theory significantly less often than any other source, and anecdotal evidence more frequently than educational theory and evidence. However, in students' feedback, educational theory was used as often as anecdotal evidence and significantly more often than educational evidence and subjective theories. Students' beliefs about the utility of educational theories and evidence were predictive for both selection and use of scientific sources, albeit with rather small effect sizes. The selection and use of non-scientific sources was not predicted by students' beliefs. Pre-service teacher education should not only target future teachers' skill and knowledge acquisition regarding evidence-informed teaching, but also help them develop more favourable beliefs about the utility of scientific theories and evidence.

Knowledge of Student Teachers on Sustainable Land Use Issues–Knowledge Types Relevant for Teacher Education

For restructuring educational processes and institutions toward Sustainable Development, teachers’ knowledge and competences are crucial. Due to the high relevance of teachers’ content knowledge, this study aimed to (i) assess Sustainable Development-relevant knowledge by differentiating between situational, conceptual and procedural knowledge, (ii) find out via item response theory modelling how these theoretically distinguished knowledge types can be empirically supported, and (iii) link the knowledge dimension(s) to related constructs. We developed a paper-and-pencil test to assess these three knowledge types (N = 314). A two-dimensional structure that combines situational and conceptual knowledge and that distinguishes situational/conceptual knowledge from procedural knowledge, fits the data best (EAP/PV situational/conceptual: 0.63; EAP/PV procedural: 0.67). Student teachers at master level outperformed bachelor level students in situational/conceptual knowledge but master level students did not differ from students at bachelor level regarding procedural knowledge. We observed only slight correlations between the two knowledge dimensions and the content-related motivational orientations of professional action competence. Student teachers’ deficits in procedural knowledge can be attributed to the small number of Education for Sustainable Development-relevant courses attended. Systematically fostering procedural knowledge in teacher education could promote achieving cognitive learning objectives associated with Sustainable Development Goals in the long term.

Student Teachers’ Knowledge to Enable Problem-Solving for Sustainable Development

Education is a central strategy in terms of sustainable development (SD) and can contribute to solving global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change. Content knowledge represents one base for teaching education for sustainable development (ESD). Therefore, identifying teaching and learning prerequisites regarding SD challenges in teacher education is crucial. The focus of the paper was to assess and learn more about student teachers’ procedural knowledge regarding issues of biodiversity and climate change, by using an expert benchmark. The aims of the study are to describe and identify (i) differences between students’ and experts’ effectiveness estimations, (ii) differences in bachelor and master students’ procedural knowledge, and (iii) differences between procedural knowledge of students studying different ESD-relevant subjects. Student teachers at eight German universities (n = 236) evaluated the effectiveness of solution strategies to SD challenges. The results showed high deviations in the effectiveness estimations of experts and students and, therefore, differing procedural knowledge. The lack of student teachers’ interdisciplinary knowledge to reduce biodiversity loss and climate change seemed to be largely independent of their study program and ESD-relevant subject. One reason for this may be the generally low number of ESD-relevant courses they attended. This study suggests further longitudinal research in order to make clear statements about changes in SD-related knowledge during teacher education.