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Addressing students’ psychological barriers to learning through experiential learning

Addressing students’ psychological barriers to learning through experiential learning. Stephanie Grutzmacher Department of Family Studies. Difficulty of material High anxiety Low motivation Disinterest Helplessness Frustration Ineffective teaching approaches?. Pedagogical Challenges.

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Addressing students’ psychological barriers to learning through experiential learning

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  1. Addressing students’ psychological barriers to learning through experiential learning Stephanie Grutzmacher Department of Family Studies

  2. Difficulty of material • High anxiety • Low motivation • Disinterest • Helplessness • Frustration • Ineffective teaching approaches? Pedagogical Challenges

  3. Taking research methods is associated with loss of interest in scientific activities (even among students w/ strong interest in scientific careers)(Manning et al., 2006) • Connecting research methods topics to student interests encourages participation(Cross, 1994; Rogers & Freiberg, 1994) • Cooperative problem solving and use of new skills increase student satisfaction(Forte, 1995; Capshew, 2005) Recent Findings

  4. Prefer applying ideas and theories in practical problem solving and decision making. Often found in technology. Converging learners AbstractConceptualization Generating/understanding general rules or theories Active ExperimentationModifying theory in another context Prefer logic, abstract ideas, analytical models, and lecture-based approaches. Often found in research and science. Prefer testing different approaches, using intuition to inform action. Often found in business. Accommodating learners Assimilating learners Reflective ObservationReflecting on concrete experience Concrete ExperienceUsing knowledge in an experience Diverging learners Prefer generating ideas interactively, giving and receiving feedback, and working in groups. Often found in social services. Kolb’s ExperientialLearning Cycle

  5. Phases of Research Project

  6. Students will report • Decreased anxiety about conducting research • Increased confidence in ability to conduct research • Improved attitude towards research • Increased awareness of the relevancy of research to personal/professional lives • Increased sense of membership to field • Increased confidence in the class as a supportive learning environment Hypotheses

  7. Sample: FMST 302 students, Spring ‘06 (n = 70) • Anonymous course evaluation • 39-item pre (retrospective) and post • Anxiety (15 items, α = .921) • Confidence (4 items, α = .836) • Attitude (3 items, α = .751) • Relevance (3 items, α = .889) • Professional socialization (4 items, α = .727) • Supportive learning environment (6 items, α = .880) Methods

  8. Feedback on drafts from instructors (98.6%) Submitting paper in incremental drafts (94.3%) Having class time to work (91.4%) Emailing instructors (88.6%) Student Ratings of Project Elements

  9. Paired Samples T-Tests

  10. At the beginning of the semester, anxiety is high for • Using SPSS to create/recode variables (M = 3.43) • Using SPSS to run descriptive stats (M = 3.43) • Using SPSS to conduct bivariate analyses (M = 3.49) • Earning the grade wanted (M = 3.23) • Writing a final research paper (M = 3.30) • Largest reduction in anxiety for • Conducting a literature review (t = 10.05***) • Using SPSS to create/recode variables (t = 10.41***) Pre/Post Anxiety Subscale

  11. In response to global questions about change from the beginning of the semester until the end, • 88.2% reported a more positive attitude towards RM • 89.8% reported increased confidence in conducting research • 64.3% experienced decreased anxiety about RM • 76.5% reported that the relevance of RM has increased Global Change

  12. No comparison group • Anxiety may naturally decrease over semester* • Retrospective pre may inflate reports of change Limitations of Results

  13. Time • Reduced time lecturing, reduced depth/breadth • Doing is slower than hearing • Reviewing drafts, providing feedback • Classroom management • Group dynamics, communication • Conflict resolution • Policies for class attendance, non-participation Challenges of the Approach

  14. Does the experiential approach differentially reduce barriers among students underrepresented in research/academia? • Is the retrospective pretest valid? Additional Research Questions

  15. Assess barriers to learning • Devise a strategy to minimize identified barriers • Evaluate the strategy Use a SoTL to …

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