Fang-Ying Yang | National Taiwan Normal University (original) (raw)
Papers by Fang-Ying Yang
ABSTRACT This study investigated the views about constructivist instruction and personal epistemo... more ABSTRACT This study investigated the views about constructivist instruction and personal epistemology of the secondary earth science teachers in Taiwan. Participants were assessed through a paper-and-pencil survey and a Learning environment preference questionnaire (LEP) designed to explore personal epistemology. On a five-point Likert scale, teachers, on average, showed a neutral agreement on constructivist instruction. The content analysis suggested that teachers held alternative views about the nature of the constructivist instruction. LEP scores were found to be statistically associated with gender, education, current teaching level and years of teaching; the score distribution indicated that most teachers had not developed a constructivist-compatible epistemology. By one-way ANOVA, it was suggested that views about the constructivist instruction were aligned with personal epistemology.
Second International Handbook of Science Education, 2011
... More recently, Krista Muis, Lisa Bendixen, and Florian Haerle (2006) explored the issue of do... more ... More recently, Krista Muis, Lisa Bendixen, and Florian Haerle (2006) explored the issue of domain specificity. Thus, these issues are not the foci of this chapter. In this chapter, we intend to discuss the role of personal epistemology with particular attention to science learning. ...
Instructional Science, 2009
In order to fulfill social responsibility, one of the goals in science education is to equip stud... more In order to fulfill social responsibility, one of the goals in science education is to equip students with the competence of scientific reasoning. Nevertheless, psychological studies have found that people in general do not have adequate ability to make scientific arguments in everyday situations. Later studies found that the inadequate ability was associated with the development of personal epistemology. However, the conclusion is drawn mostly from research with adults or adolescents. This study attempted to examine the relation between scientific reasoning in informal contexts and the epistemological perspectives demonstrated by elementary school pupils. Participants of the study were 62 sixth graders who were interviewed to criticize two science-related uncertain issues. Content analysis showed that most children had developed the absolutist form of personal epistemology. Chi-square analyses suggested that the more multiplist view toward the certainty of knowledge and the process of knowing, the better coordination of theory and evidence as well as reflective reasoning. In addition, children's beliefs about the certainty of knowledge, source of knowledge and concept of justification were seemingly consistent across different issues. Nevertheless, content analysis showed that the criteria used to make judgments varied with problem contexts.
Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 2012
Meaning construction; Sense-making Definition "Meaning making" designates the process by which pe... more Meaning construction; Sense-making Definition "Meaning making" designates the process by which people interpret situations, events, objects, or discourses, in the light of their previous knowledge and experience. "Learning as meaning making" is an expression emphasizing the fact that in any situation of learning, people are actively engaged in making sense of the situation-the frame, objects, relationshipsdrawing on their history of similar situations and on available cultural resources. It also emphasizes the fact that learning involves identities and emotions.
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 2012
Journal of Baltic Science Education, 2020
Science learning requires visuospatial thinking. Accordingly, spatial ability is regarded as the ... more Science learning requires visuospatial thinking. Accordingly, spatial ability is regarded as the key to learning science well, but its effects are sometimes not as significant as expected. To this end, this research aims to conceptualize spatial abilities and to clarify their relation to science learning based on an analysis of empirical studies. Content analysis of 39 studies showed that (1) intrinsic-dynamic skills are the most frequently measured, (2) the explored science topics mostly involve well-established knowledge, (3) the effects of spatial ability on science achievement are inconsistent, and (4) educational interventions are not always effective in improving students’ spatial abilities or science achievement. It is argued that domain knowledge interferes with the study results and that domain-specific spatial ability exists, referring to apply spatial-type and domain-specific knowledge. Supported by cognitive theories and empirical evidence, a model is constructed to exhi...
International Journal of Science Education, 2019
The purpose of this study was to compare the associations of epistemic beliefs in science, perfor... more The purpose of this study was to compare the associations of epistemic beliefs in science, performance of scientific reasoning in university students from Taiwan and India, and the relations with their science learning experiences. A total of 126 university students including 67 from Taiwan and 59 from India who had science and mathematics backgrounds were involved in the study. Students' epistemic beliefs in science were assessed by the SEV questionnaire, while their reasoning performance and learning experiences were prompted by open-ended questions and survey items. Content analysis was performed to analyze their scientific reasoning, and correlation analysis, t tests and ANOVA were applied to reveal the associations between variables. The results showed that students from both countries differed in epistemic beliefs in the dimensions of certainty, development and justification. While few students from either country performed successfully in identifying genuine evidence and giving full rebuttals, Taiwanese participants seemed to demonstrate slightly better scientific reasoning. It was found that the Indian students were more balanced in receiving structured and engaged learning experiences. Varying associations for the students from the different countries were found between epistemic beliefs and scientific reasoning performance, and between epistemic beliefs and science learning experiences.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2014
The primary purpose of this study was to explore not only the effects of epistemic beliefs in sci... more The primary purpose of this study was to explore not only the effects of epistemic beliefs in science on science-text reading but also the gender differences in epistemic beliefs and the reading process. The interactions between gender and epistemic beliefs during reading were also explored. A total of 25 university students, 13 male and 12 female, were paid to participate in the study. The scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs) questionnaire was used to probe the subjects' epistemic beliefs in science, while the eye-tracking method was employed to record their science-text reading process. It was demonstrated that the participants in the study had developed sophisticated SEBs. Complicated SEBs were associated with higher cognitive attention to the reading of data-related information but less mental effort to fact, scientific explanations, and the microview photos. As for the gender difference, female students displayed less mental effort in comprehending scientific explanations, but attended more to data and the microview graphic. It is argued that female learners are better at processing textual information. Interactions between SEBs and gender were found and discussed.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2016
Increasing attention has been paid to mobile learning studies. However, there is still a dearth o... more Increasing attention has been paid to mobile learning studies. However, there is still a dearth of studies investigating the moderating effect of proactive personality on mobile learning achievements. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this study is not only to investigate the key elements that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of mobile learning, but also to examine the moderating role of proactive personality in mobile learning outcomes. The findings indicate that continuance intention will have a positive influence on mobile learning performance, whereas perceived playfulness will have a limited influence on mobile learning outcomes. Moreover, perceived flexibility advantages will positively affect mobile learning continuance intention and perceived playfulness. With respect to the role of perceived usefulness in perceived playfulness, the results indicate that although perceived usefulness has a positive influence on continuance intention, it has a limited impact o...
International Journal of Science Education, 2003
This study examined senior high school students' cognitive orientation toward scientific or socia... more This study examined senior high school students' cognitive orientation toward scientific or social information, designated as information preference, and associated preferential reasoning modes when presented with an environmental issue concerning nuclear energy usage. The association of the information preference variable with some academic and personal background attributes of the participants was also examined. A questionnaire, preference survey test and interview methods were used to gather the data. Students' preference test scores fell within 70.66 to 2 on a scale of 74 (social orientation) to 4 (scientific orientation). Statistical analyses showed that students' performance in science was a good predictor of the information preference exhibited by students. Interview content analysis showed that students' preferences and reasoning modes were mutually consistent. Particularly, subjects of neutral preference, whose preference scores fell between 0 and 1, displayed a reasoning mode that is considerably integrated containing references to both scientific and socially relevant content.
International Journal of Science Education, 2009
... Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 37: 582601. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View al... more ... Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 37: 582601. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references; Laugksch, 200015. Laugksch, RC 2000. Scientific literacy: A conceptual overview. Science Education , 84: 7194. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references). ...
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2014
ABSTRACT There were two purposes in the study. One was to explore the cognitive activities during... more ABSTRACT There were two purposes in the study. One was to explore the cognitive activities during spatial problem solving and the other to probe the relationship between spatial ability and science concept learning. Twenty university students participated in the study. The Purdue Visualization of Rotations Test (PVRT) was used to assess the spatial ability, whose items were divided into different types of problems with respect to the rotation angles and levels of plane invisibility. The eye tracking technology and the interview technique were employed to analyze subjects’ the online cognitive processes and problem solving strategies. Students’ concept gains were examined by content analysis after reading a science report. The result shows that, first, the interview analysis shows that students of different PVRT performances employed different problem solving strategies. Second, rotation angles as well as levels of plane invisibility inserted significant effects on the online processes and performances of the spatial problem solving. Third, the accuracy performance of PVRT was correlated with eye movement patterns. At last, it was found that concept performance was not correlated with PVRT performance but associated with spatial memory and problem solving strategies.
Educational Studies, 2008
and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Educational Studies, 2005
This study investigated their views concerning evidence and expert opinion of 10th-grade students... more This study investigated their views concerning evidence and expert opinion of 10th-grade students, accessed by an open-ended questionnaire in the context of a socio-scientific issue: the cause of flood disasters, and personal epistemology identified by the Learning Environment Preference Questionnaire (LEP). Students' responses to the open-ended questions showed that when thinking about the flood issue, most students rely heavily on direct and numerical data to draw their conclusions, while experts represented a source of conclusive information. The LEP scores indicated that, in terms of epistemological development, students were mostly at the stage of the 'multiplicists' in Perry's model. The statistical analysis suggested that view towards evidence and expert were associated with personal epistemology.
Educational Research Review, 2013
This study aims to disclose how eye-tracking technology has been applied to studies of learning, ... more This study aims to disclose how eye-tracking technology has been applied to studies of learning, and what eye movement measures have been used for investigations by reviewing studies that have employed the eye-tracking approach. A total of 81 papers including 113 studies were selected from the Social Sciences Citation Index database from 2000 to 2012. Content analysis showed that eye movements and learning were studied under the following seven themes: patterns of information processing, effects of instructional design, reexamination of existing theories, individual differences, effects of learning strategies, patterns of decision making, and conceptual development. As for eye-tracking measurements, the most often used indices were temporal measures, followed by count and spatial measures, although the choice of measures was often motivated by the specific research question. Research development trends show that the use of the eye-tracking method has proliferated recently. This study concludes that the eye-tracking method provides a promising channel for educational researchers to connect learning outcomes to cognitive processes.
Computers & Education, 2008
Psychological studies have shown that personal beliefs about learning and environmental preferenc... more Psychological studies have shown that personal beliefs about learning and environmental preferences affect learning behaviors. However, these learner characteristics have not been widely discussed in the web-based context. By developing questionnaires, this study attempted to detect learners' web-based learning environmental preferences (WLEP) and beliefs about web-based learning (BWL). The scope of WLEP focused on the pedagogical dimension of the web-based learning environment, while BWL concerned the attributes and control factors of the web-based learning. There were about five hundreds of Taiwan university students participating in the study. Through factor analysis, the scales discussed in the study revealed a satisfactory validity and reliability in assessing students' preferences and beliefs. Further analyses showed that university students preferred more of individual and structured instructional configurations while expected the outward mode of interaction. In general, students held a rather contextual belief about web-based learning, which was found to be correlated with their environmental preferences.
Computers & Education, 2009
The purpose of the study is to explore three kinds of personal affective traits among high-school... more The purpose of the study is to explore three kinds of personal affective traits among high-school students and their effects on web-based concept learning. The affective traits include personal preferences about web-based learning environments, personal epistemological beliefs, and beliefs about web-based learning. One hundred 11th graders participated in the study. Three questionnaires were developed to assess these affective characteristics. An online test and the flow-map technique were employed to probe concept achievements that indicated the learning outcome. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation and regression analyses were conducted to present trends and relations among variables. It was found that participants of the study who mostly had not developed sophisticated epistemological beliefs displayed only moderate preferences toward explorative and interactive web-based learning environments, and they seemed to be conservative about the effectiveness of the new type of learning. According to the flow-map technique, the serial form of concept achievements was the main product of concept learning in the explorative web-based environments defined in the study. Regression analyses indicated that while preferences toward inquiry-based instructional designs and outward interactions, and the simple form of personal epistemology predicted concept achievements, beliefs about effectiveness of web-based learning resulted in a negative impact on concept learning.
Computers & Education, 2010
This study measured high-school learners' cognitive load as they interacted with different web-ba... more This study measured high-school learners' cognitive load as they interacted with different web-based curriculum components, and examined the interactions between cognitive load and web-based concept learning. Participants in this study were 105 11th graders from an academic senior high school in Taiwan. An online, multimedia curriculum on the topic of global warming, which lasted for four weeks, provided the learning context. After students worked through the curriculum, their feelings about the degree of mental effort that it took to complete the learning tasks were measured by self-report on a 9-point Likert scale. An online test and the flow-map method were applied to assess participants' concept achievements. The results showed that curriculum components such as scientific articles, online notebooks, flash animations and the online test induced a relatively high cognitive load, and that a lower cognitive load resulted in better concept achievement. Also, students appeared to adopt different learning approaches that were corresponding to different levels of cognitive load.
Computers & Education, 2013
The purpose of the study was to investigate university learners' visual attention during a PowerP... more The purpose of the study was to investigate university learners' visual attention during a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on the topic of "Dinosaurs" in a real classroom. The presentation, which lasted for about 12-15 min, consisted of 12 slides with various text and graphic formats. An instructor gave the presentation to 21students whose eye movements were recorded by the eye tracking system. Participants came from various science departments in a national university in Taiwan, of which ten were earth-science majors (ES) and the other 11 were assigned to the non-earth-science group (NES). Eye movement indicators, such as total time spent on the interest zone, fixation count, total fixation duration, percent time spent in zone, etc., were abstracted to indicate their visual attention. One-way ANOVA as well as t-test analysis was applied to find the associations between the eye movement data and the students' background as well as different formats of PPT slides. The results showed that the students attended significantly more to the text zones on the PPT slides and the narrations delivered by the instruction. Nevertheless, the average fixation duration, indicating the average information processing time, was longer on the picture zones. In general, the ES students displayed higher visual attention than the NES students to the text zones, but few differences were found for the picture zones. When the students viewed those slides containing scientific hypotheses, the difference in attention distributions between the text and pictures reduced. Further analyses of fixation densities and saccade paths showed that the ES students were better at information decoding and integration.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2021
ABSTRACT This study investigated the views about constructivist instruction and personal epistemo... more ABSTRACT This study investigated the views about constructivist instruction and personal epistemology of the secondary earth science teachers in Taiwan. Participants were assessed through a paper-and-pencil survey and a Learning environment preference questionnaire (LEP) designed to explore personal epistemology. On a five-point Likert scale, teachers, on average, showed a neutral agreement on constructivist instruction. The content analysis suggested that teachers held alternative views about the nature of the constructivist instruction. LEP scores were found to be statistically associated with gender, education, current teaching level and years of teaching; the score distribution indicated that most teachers had not developed a constructivist-compatible epistemology. By one-way ANOVA, it was suggested that views about the constructivist instruction were aligned with personal epistemology.
Second International Handbook of Science Education, 2011
... More recently, Krista Muis, Lisa Bendixen, and Florian Haerle (2006) explored the issue of do... more ... More recently, Krista Muis, Lisa Bendixen, and Florian Haerle (2006) explored the issue of domain specificity. Thus, these issues are not the foci of this chapter. In this chapter, we intend to discuss the role of personal epistemology with particular attention to science learning. ...
Instructional Science, 2009
In order to fulfill social responsibility, one of the goals in science education is to equip stud... more In order to fulfill social responsibility, one of the goals in science education is to equip students with the competence of scientific reasoning. Nevertheless, psychological studies have found that people in general do not have adequate ability to make scientific arguments in everyday situations. Later studies found that the inadequate ability was associated with the development of personal epistemology. However, the conclusion is drawn mostly from research with adults or adolescents. This study attempted to examine the relation between scientific reasoning in informal contexts and the epistemological perspectives demonstrated by elementary school pupils. Participants of the study were 62 sixth graders who were interviewed to criticize two science-related uncertain issues. Content analysis showed that most children had developed the absolutist form of personal epistemology. Chi-square analyses suggested that the more multiplist view toward the certainty of knowledge and the process of knowing, the better coordination of theory and evidence as well as reflective reasoning. In addition, children's beliefs about the certainty of knowledge, source of knowledge and concept of justification were seemingly consistent across different issues. Nevertheless, content analysis showed that the criteria used to make judgments varied with problem contexts.
Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 2012
Meaning construction; Sense-making Definition "Meaning making" designates the process by which pe... more Meaning construction; Sense-making Definition "Meaning making" designates the process by which people interpret situations, events, objects, or discourses, in the light of their previous knowledge and experience. "Learning as meaning making" is an expression emphasizing the fact that in any situation of learning, people are actively engaged in making sense of the situation-the frame, objects, relationshipsdrawing on their history of similar situations and on available cultural resources. It also emphasizes the fact that learning involves identities and emotions.
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 2012
Journal of Baltic Science Education, 2020
Science learning requires visuospatial thinking. Accordingly, spatial ability is regarded as the ... more Science learning requires visuospatial thinking. Accordingly, spatial ability is regarded as the key to learning science well, but its effects are sometimes not as significant as expected. To this end, this research aims to conceptualize spatial abilities and to clarify their relation to science learning based on an analysis of empirical studies. Content analysis of 39 studies showed that (1) intrinsic-dynamic skills are the most frequently measured, (2) the explored science topics mostly involve well-established knowledge, (3) the effects of spatial ability on science achievement are inconsistent, and (4) educational interventions are not always effective in improving students’ spatial abilities or science achievement. It is argued that domain knowledge interferes with the study results and that domain-specific spatial ability exists, referring to apply spatial-type and domain-specific knowledge. Supported by cognitive theories and empirical evidence, a model is constructed to exhi...
International Journal of Science Education, 2019
The purpose of this study was to compare the associations of epistemic beliefs in science, perfor... more The purpose of this study was to compare the associations of epistemic beliefs in science, performance of scientific reasoning in university students from Taiwan and India, and the relations with their science learning experiences. A total of 126 university students including 67 from Taiwan and 59 from India who had science and mathematics backgrounds were involved in the study. Students' epistemic beliefs in science were assessed by the SEV questionnaire, while their reasoning performance and learning experiences were prompted by open-ended questions and survey items. Content analysis was performed to analyze their scientific reasoning, and correlation analysis, t tests and ANOVA were applied to reveal the associations between variables. The results showed that students from both countries differed in epistemic beliefs in the dimensions of certainty, development and justification. While few students from either country performed successfully in identifying genuine evidence and giving full rebuttals, Taiwanese participants seemed to demonstrate slightly better scientific reasoning. It was found that the Indian students were more balanced in receiving structured and engaged learning experiences. Varying associations for the students from the different countries were found between epistemic beliefs and scientific reasoning performance, and between epistemic beliefs and science learning experiences.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2014
The primary purpose of this study was to explore not only the effects of epistemic beliefs in sci... more The primary purpose of this study was to explore not only the effects of epistemic beliefs in science on science-text reading but also the gender differences in epistemic beliefs and the reading process. The interactions between gender and epistemic beliefs during reading were also explored. A total of 25 university students, 13 male and 12 female, were paid to participate in the study. The scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs) questionnaire was used to probe the subjects' epistemic beliefs in science, while the eye-tracking method was employed to record their science-text reading process. It was demonstrated that the participants in the study had developed sophisticated SEBs. Complicated SEBs were associated with higher cognitive attention to the reading of data-related information but less mental effort to fact, scientific explanations, and the microview photos. As for the gender difference, female students displayed less mental effort in comprehending scientific explanations, but attended more to data and the microview graphic. It is argued that female learners are better at processing textual information. Interactions between SEBs and gender were found and discussed.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2016
Increasing attention has been paid to mobile learning studies. However, there is still a dearth o... more Increasing attention has been paid to mobile learning studies. However, there is still a dearth of studies investigating the moderating effect of proactive personality on mobile learning achievements. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this study is not only to investigate the key elements that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of mobile learning, but also to examine the moderating role of proactive personality in mobile learning outcomes. The findings indicate that continuance intention will have a positive influence on mobile learning performance, whereas perceived playfulness will have a limited influence on mobile learning outcomes. Moreover, perceived flexibility advantages will positively affect mobile learning continuance intention and perceived playfulness. With respect to the role of perceived usefulness in perceived playfulness, the results indicate that although perceived usefulness has a positive influence on continuance intention, it has a limited impact o...
International Journal of Science Education, 2003
This study examined senior high school students' cognitive orientation toward scientific or socia... more This study examined senior high school students' cognitive orientation toward scientific or social information, designated as information preference, and associated preferential reasoning modes when presented with an environmental issue concerning nuclear energy usage. The association of the information preference variable with some academic and personal background attributes of the participants was also examined. A questionnaire, preference survey test and interview methods were used to gather the data. Students' preference test scores fell within 70.66 to 2 on a scale of 74 (social orientation) to 4 (scientific orientation). Statistical analyses showed that students' performance in science was a good predictor of the information preference exhibited by students. Interview content analysis showed that students' preferences and reasoning modes were mutually consistent. Particularly, subjects of neutral preference, whose preference scores fell between 0 and 1, displayed a reasoning mode that is considerably integrated containing references to both scientific and socially relevant content.
International Journal of Science Education, 2009
... Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 37: 582601. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View al... more ... Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 37: 582601. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references; Laugksch, 200015. Laugksch, RC 2000. Scientific literacy: A conceptual overview. Science Education , 84: 7194. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references). ...
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2014
ABSTRACT There were two purposes in the study. One was to explore the cognitive activities during... more ABSTRACT There were two purposes in the study. One was to explore the cognitive activities during spatial problem solving and the other to probe the relationship between spatial ability and science concept learning. Twenty university students participated in the study. The Purdue Visualization of Rotations Test (PVRT) was used to assess the spatial ability, whose items were divided into different types of problems with respect to the rotation angles and levels of plane invisibility. The eye tracking technology and the interview technique were employed to analyze subjects’ the online cognitive processes and problem solving strategies. Students’ concept gains were examined by content analysis after reading a science report. The result shows that, first, the interview analysis shows that students of different PVRT performances employed different problem solving strategies. Second, rotation angles as well as levels of plane invisibility inserted significant effects on the online processes and performances of the spatial problem solving. Third, the accuracy performance of PVRT was correlated with eye movement patterns. At last, it was found that concept performance was not correlated with PVRT performance but associated with spatial memory and problem solving strategies.
Educational Studies, 2008
and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Educational Studies, 2005
This study investigated their views concerning evidence and expert opinion of 10th-grade students... more This study investigated their views concerning evidence and expert opinion of 10th-grade students, accessed by an open-ended questionnaire in the context of a socio-scientific issue: the cause of flood disasters, and personal epistemology identified by the Learning Environment Preference Questionnaire (LEP). Students' responses to the open-ended questions showed that when thinking about the flood issue, most students rely heavily on direct and numerical data to draw their conclusions, while experts represented a source of conclusive information. The LEP scores indicated that, in terms of epistemological development, students were mostly at the stage of the 'multiplicists' in Perry's model. The statistical analysis suggested that view towards evidence and expert were associated with personal epistemology.
Educational Research Review, 2013
This study aims to disclose how eye-tracking technology has been applied to studies of learning, ... more This study aims to disclose how eye-tracking technology has been applied to studies of learning, and what eye movement measures have been used for investigations by reviewing studies that have employed the eye-tracking approach. A total of 81 papers including 113 studies were selected from the Social Sciences Citation Index database from 2000 to 2012. Content analysis showed that eye movements and learning were studied under the following seven themes: patterns of information processing, effects of instructional design, reexamination of existing theories, individual differences, effects of learning strategies, patterns of decision making, and conceptual development. As for eye-tracking measurements, the most often used indices were temporal measures, followed by count and spatial measures, although the choice of measures was often motivated by the specific research question. Research development trends show that the use of the eye-tracking method has proliferated recently. This study concludes that the eye-tracking method provides a promising channel for educational researchers to connect learning outcomes to cognitive processes.
Computers & Education, 2008
Psychological studies have shown that personal beliefs about learning and environmental preferenc... more Psychological studies have shown that personal beliefs about learning and environmental preferences affect learning behaviors. However, these learner characteristics have not been widely discussed in the web-based context. By developing questionnaires, this study attempted to detect learners' web-based learning environmental preferences (WLEP) and beliefs about web-based learning (BWL). The scope of WLEP focused on the pedagogical dimension of the web-based learning environment, while BWL concerned the attributes and control factors of the web-based learning. There were about five hundreds of Taiwan university students participating in the study. Through factor analysis, the scales discussed in the study revealed a satisfactory validity and reliability in assessing students' preferences and beliefs. Further analyses showed that university students preferred more of individual and structured instructional configurations while expected the outward mode of interaction. In general, students held a rather contextual belief about web-based learning, which was found to be correlated with their environmental preferences.
Computers & Education, 2009
The purpose of the study is to explore three kinds of personal affective traits among high-school... more The purpose of the study is to explore three kinds of personal affective traits among high-school students and their effects on web-based concept learning. The affective traits include personal preferences about web-based learning environments, personal epistemological beliefs, and beliefs about web-based learning. One hundred 11th graders participated in the study. Three questionnaires were developed to assess these affective characteristics. An online test and the flow-map technique were employed to probe concept achievements that indicated the learning outcome. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation and regression analyses were conducted to present trends and relations among variables. It was found that participants of the study who mostly had not developed sophisticated epistemological beliefs displayed only moderate preferences toward explorative and interactive web-based learning environments, and they seemed to be conservative about the effectiveness of the new type of learning. According to the flow-map technique, the serial form of concept achievements was the main product of concept learning in the explorative web-based environments defined in the study. Regression analyses indicated that while preferences toward inquiry-based instructional designs and outward interactions, and the simple form of personal epistemology predicted concept achievements, beliefs about effectiveness of web-based learning resulted in a negative impact on concept learning.
Computers & Education, 2010
This study measured high-school learners' cognitive load as they interacted with different web-ba... more This study measured high-school learners' cognitive load as they interacted with different web-based curriculum components, and examined the interactions between cognitive load and web-based concept learning. Participants in this study were 105 11th graders from an academic senior high school in Taiwan. An online, multimedia curriculum on the topic of global warming, which lasted for four weeks, provided the learning context. After students worked through the curriculum, their feelings about the degree of mental effort that it took to complete the learning tasks were measured by self-report on a 9-point Likert scale. An online test and the flow-map method were applied to assess participants' concept achievements. The results showed that curriculum components such as scientific articles, online notebooks, flash animations and the online test induced a relatively high cognitive load, and that a lower cognitive load resulted in better concept achievement. Also, students appeared to adopt different learning approaches that were corresponding to different levels of cognitive load.
Computers & Education, 2013
The purpose of the study was to investigate university learners' visual attention during a PowerP... more The purpose of the study was to investigate university learners' visual attention during a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on the topic of "Dinosaurs" in a real classroom. The presentation, which lasted for about 12-15 min, consisted of 12 slides with various text and graphic formats. An instructor gave the presentation to 21students whose eye movements were recorded by the eye tracking system. Participants came from various science departments in a national university in Taiwan, of which ten were earth-science majors (ES) and the other 11 were assigned to the non-earth-science group (NES). Eye movement indicators, such as total time spent on the interest zone, fixation count, total fixation duration, percent time spent in zone, etc., were abstracted to indicate their visual attention. One-way ANOVA as well as t-test analysis was applied to find the associations between the eye movement data and the students' background as well as different formats of PPT slides. The results showed that the students attended significantly more to the text zones on the PPT slides and the narrations delivered by the instruction. Nevertheless, the average fixation duration, indicating the average information processing time, was longer on the picture zones. In general, the ES students displayed higher visual attention than the NES students to the text zones, but few differences were found for the picture zones. When the students viewed those slides containing scientific hypotheses, the difference in attention distributions between the text and pictures reduced. Further analyses of fixation densities and saccade paths showed that the ES students were better at information decoding and integration.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2021