ERIC Number: EJ1193512
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0671
EISSN: N/A
Students' Engagement in a Science Classroom: Does Knowledge Diversity Matter?
Zhao, Jian; Lin, Lijia; Sun, Jiangshan; Zheng, Xudong; Yin, Jia
Journal of Educational Research, v111 n6 p756-763 2018
Knowledge diversity describes group members' differences in terms of prior knowledge in a domain. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether knowledge diversity would impact students' engagement in small-group learning in a science classroom. A total of 45 seventh-grade students were recruited to participate in the study in which two experimental conditions were compared: low-prior-knowledge groups (all low-prior-knowledge students) versus mixed knowledge groups (low-prior-knowledge students with one knowledgeable student). Participates were randomly assigned into six low-prior-knowledge groups (24 individuals in total) and five mixed knowledge groups (21 individuals in total). Engagement, as well as group performance, was measured. The results of a series of independent-samples "t" test demonstrated that the mixed knowledge groups had significantly higher behavioral, emotional, and social engagement and better group performance than did the low-prior-knowledge groups. This implies that even having one knowledgeable student could enhance students' engagement in a science classroom.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Junior High School Students, Grade 7, Secondary School Science, Science Education, Learner Engagement, Knowledge Level, Small Group Instruction, Prior Learning, Peer Influence, Learning Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China (Shanghai)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A