ERIC Number: EJ1439497
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0737-0008
EISSN: EISSN-1532-690X
Learning inside the School, but outside the Curriculum: An Extreme Case of Interest-Driven Learning in Alternative STEAM Learning Infrastructure for Schools
Cognition and Instruction, v42 n4 p482-504 2024
Choice and autonomy are central tenets of interest-driven learning. Yet, in most studies on interest in school, students' choice and autonomy have been confined within the boundaries of the curriculum and the subject matter in question. This limits our understanding of how schools can support interest-driven learning as well as students' interest development in educational settings more broadly. To address this gap, in this study, we have focused on student learning when they are allowed to follow their interests beyond the curriculum during school time. Building on relational and practice-based perspectives on interest, we conceptualized such extensions as productive deviations and centered on a particular case of two 6th-grade students -- Tamaz and Nuri -- who created two computer games during their time in the FUSE Studio, alternative STEAM learning infrastructure for schools. Our interactional analysis of Tamaz and Nuri's problem-solving during their game-making shows that their productive deviation formed a significant learning experience for them in terms of game design and working with computers. Overall, our study contributes to discussions on fostering and supporting students' interest-driven learning and interest development in school settings.
Descriptors: Nontraditional Education, STEM Education, Art Education, Grade 6, Computer Games, Student Centered Learning, Student Interests, Personal Autonomy, Game Based Learning, Design
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 6; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1348800; 1344724; 1657438