Uncovering everyday dynamics in students’ perceptions of instructional quality with experience sampling

in Learning and Instruction (2022), 81

Solving arithmetic problems in first and second language: Does the language context matter?

in Learning and instruction (2016)

Learning mathematics in a second language is a challenge for many learners. The purpose of the study was to provide new insights into the role of the language context in mathematic learning and more ... [more ▼]

Learning mathematics in a second language is a challenge for many learners. The purpose of the study was to provide new insights into the role of the language context in mathematic learning and more particularly arithmetic problem solving. We investigated this question in a GermaneFrench bilingual educational setting in Luxembourg. Participants with increasing bilingual proficiency levels were invited to solve additions in both their first and second instruction languages: German and French. Arithmetic problems were presented in two different conditions: preceded by a semantic judgment or without additional language context. In the French session we observed that additions were systematically performed faster in the condition with an additional language context. In contrast no effect of the context was observed in the German session. In conclusion, providing a language context enhanced arithmetic performances in bilinguals' second instruction language. This finding entails implications for designing optimal mathematic learning environments in multilingual educational settings. [less ▲]

Study and leisure interference as mediators between students' self-control capacities and their domain-specific functioning and general well-being

in Learning and Instruction (2014), 31

Study interference (i.e., studying is interfered by enjoyable alternatives) and leisure interference (i.e., leisure time is interfered by duties) are investigated as separate mediators between students ... [more ▼]

Study interference (i.e., studying is interfered by enjoyable alternatives) and leisure interference (i.e., leisure time is interfered by duties) are investigated as separate mediators between students' self-control capacities and their overall functioning (N = 253). Based on the assumption that both conflict experiences are associated with domain-specific outcomes, we calculated multiple mediator models with several indicators of students' domain-specific functioning as criteria, self-control as predictor, and students' tendency to experience motivational interference during studying (TMIS) and during leisure time (TMIL) as parallel mediators. As predicted, TMIS was the strongest mediator for measures of academic functioning, whereas TMIL was the strongest mediator for leisure functioning. With regard to general well-being, TMIL was the more consistent mediator. Findings are in line with the assumption that students' self-regulation difficulties are not only important for academic contexts but also for leisure contexts, especially when concepts of successful development include students' strivings in various life domains. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Transfer of strategy use by semantic recoding in arithmetic problem solving

in Learning and Instruction (2010), 20

Transfer of strategies between problems sharing the same formal structure is facilitated by a semantic recoding that makes evident the structural similarities between the problems. Two experiments were ... [more ▼]

Transfer of strategies between problems sharing the same formal structure is facilitated by a semantic recoding that makes evident the structural similarities between the problems. Two experiments were carried out among 4th and 5th grade pupils, with an experimental group trained to compare strategies in order to reinterpret an arithmetic word problem so that the calculations are consistent with the interpretation, and a control group. The experimental group in Experiment 1 improved significantly by choosing the alternative strategy in problems different from those used in training but no significant progress was observed in the control group. Experiment 2 showed that the improvement observed in the experimental group could not be attributed to the fact that children only learned to use a superficial rule. These results support the idea that the activity of problem re-representation may be a crucial step in mathematization. [less ▲]

The why and the how of studying Hybrid Learning

in Learning and Instruction (n.d.)