Refine
Document Type
- Article (2)
Language
- English (2)
Has Fulltext
- yes (2)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (2)
Keywords
- - (2)
- Aufgabenanalyse (1)
- Mathematics (1)
- Mathematik (1)
- Motivational support (1)
- Motivationsförderung (1)
- Physics (1)
- Physik (1)
- STEM teachers (1)
- Task analysis (1)
The term evidence-based practice has gained importance in teacher education as well as in everyday school life. Calls from policymakers, academics, and society have become increasingly apparent that teachers’ professional actions should not exclusively be based on subjective experiential knowledge but also on empirical evidence from research studies. However, the use of evidence comes along with several challenges for teachers such as often lacking applicability of available sources or limited time resources. This case study explores how teachers at secondary schools think about the relevance and usage of evidence-based information in practice as well as the barriers associated with it. As we see a particular need for evidence-based teaching in STEM disciplines, we focus on these subjects. A thematic analysis of the data indicates that the teachers generally rate relevance highly, for instance seeing opportunities for support and guidance. However, the actual use of evidence-based information in the classroom is rather low. The teachers most frequently mentioned the feasibility of implementation in class as a quality indicator of evidence-based information. Based on the data, we discuss possible conclusions to promote evidence-based practice at schools. Furthermore, the study opens up directions for further research studies with representative teacher samples in various disciplines.
Fostering student motivation is an important educational goal. However, motivation in the classrooms is rather heterogeneous, particularly in mathematics and physics. This study examines the potential of (textbook) tasks to promote student motivation. Based on self-determination theory (SDT) and theory of interest , a low-inference coding scheme was developed and validated by applying the framework of item response theory (IRT) to assess the motivational potential of tasks. Current ninth grade mathematics and physics tasks ( N = 254 task units) were analyzed using the categories differentiated instruction, real-life context, autonomy support, competence support , and support for relatedness . Additionally, differences between mathematics and physics tasks were examined. Results indicate the coding scheme’s high interrater reliabilities and empirical validity. Furthermore, we found only a low occurrence of motivational features in mathematics and physics tasks, with few subject-specific differences in favor of mathematics. The coding scheme can contribute to optimizing motivation-supportive instructional designs.