To support university students' learning, teaching should build on students' prior knowledge. Therefore, teachers need skills to pay attention to students' knowledge in teaching-learning situations. Teachers' underlying conceptual knowledge affects the way they see and interpret situations in classrooms, which is called professional vision. This…

Purpose: This paper aims to explore methods of teaching sustainability and business ethics, relevant to the modern demand for student's skills and knowledge. The study explores the challenges of teaching a business school undergraduate-level course and argues that a constructivist pedagogy is a suitable epistemological approach for designing a…

This case study investigates the variety of constructivist approaches to teaching evident in classroom practice. Teaching practices associated with constructivist perspectives have been prevalent in curriculum reforms for some time. Meanwhile, constructivist approaches have been critically discussed in scholarly literature, revealing problematic…

For the last three decades, moderate constructivism has become an increasingly prominent perspective in science education. Researchers have defined characteristics of constructivist-oriented science classrooms, but the implementation of such science teaching in daily classroom practice seems difficult. Against this background, we conducted a…

This article reports a study on an encounter between preschoolers and contemporary photography. The article has two aims: first, it elucidates preschoolers' meaning-making when viewing photographs, and second, it investigates the possible benefits of using contemporary photography as a forum for prompting children's aesthetic agency in early…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to determine whether applying e-learning material to a course leads to consistently improved student performance. Design/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes grade data from seven instances of the course. The first three instances were performed traditionally. After an intervention, in the form of…

This study analysed 10 top-performing regions in PISA 2015 on their science performances and instructional practices. The regions include Singapore, Japan, Estonia, Taipei, Finland, Macao, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Korea. The science performances of the 10 regions and their teaching practices are described and compared. The construct of…

The chapter discusses the potential of personal learning environments (PLE) based on Web 2.0 applications for language courses in higher education (HE). This novel approach to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education involves learners in the design of learning environments, tools and processes. The chapter begins…

This article addresses the changing role of the education of English as a Foreign Language by presenting results from a study aimed at problematizing and increasing the understanding of the inclusion of cultural aspects in the language classroom. The study from which this article is drawn consists of theoretical explorations into the field, linked…

In the present paper, we propose an alternative, based on constructivism, to the conventional way of teaching basic physics courses at the university level. We call this approach "coherent teaching" and the underlying philosophy of teaching science and engineering "need-based learning". We have been applying this philosophy in…

First-year students (n=369) at an engineering institute were divided into experimental and control groups and given pre- and post-tests. Experimental groups were taught force concepts in mechanics in a constructivist way. Results found the new method helped students understand the interaction idea of the force concept. (MKR)

Examined the potential of constructivist learning environments for developing prerequisites of expert knowledge during university studies. Compared learning outcomes of 16 Finnish students in a constructivist environment with outcomes of 23 students learning under traditional conditions. Students in the constructivist environment acquired more…

This study examines Finnish college students' views on learning in a virtual university. Respondents studied at Helsinki Virtual Open University (HEVI) and the Apaja Internet Service from 1995-99. HEVI is a Web-based learning environment where students can study, get advice, receive help from tutors, and use office services. Apaja Internet Service…

The most familiar form of evaluation in Western theatrical dance is aesthetic judgement, which considers dance performances as objects of art. This is how dance critics usually approach dance. However, there is more to evaluation than this. It also plays an integral part in learning: it can help a student develop skills in choreography as well as…

This paper discusses using technology education in the elementary school to encourage innovation and adaptation, technological literacy, and creative problem solving. Technology education is seen based on hands-on activities where pupils make things and become familiar with their technological environment. The hands-on activity should evolve like…