EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR IMPLICIT MEANING: ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

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EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR IMPLICIT MEANING: ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS A Research Paper Presented to Ms. Nora L. Sisneros Professor In Partial Fullfillment Of the Requirements for the Subject Interactive Reading (ENG 102)

Transcript of EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR IMPLICIT MEANING: ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR IMPLICIT MEANING:

ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

A Research Paper

Presented to

Ms. Nora L. Sisneros

Professor

In Partial Fullfillment

Of the Requirements for the Subject

Interactive Reading (ENG 102)

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Edward Jan C. Bacalso

First Year

B.S. in Chemical Engineering

March 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT PAGE

TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………1

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………….2

CHAPTER 1 Art and Science of Research……………………………3

I – A. Rationale of the Study……………………………………………….3

I – B. Statement of the Purpose…………………………………………...5

I – C. Discoveries on the Origin of Study…………………………………

5

I – D. Approaches and Analysis of the Study…………………………….7

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I – E. Relevant Literature Review of the

Study…………………………..8

CHAPTER 2 Art and Science of Cooperative

Learning……………..12

II – A. Perspectives and Methodologies of the

Study……………………12

II – B. Emerging Developmental Issues of the

Study……………………17

II – C. Contemporary Perspective of the

Study…………………………..21

II – D. Findings and Evaluating Sources of the

Study……………………23

II – E. Synthesis and Practice of

Research……………………………….28

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………….29

CHAPTER 1

Art and Science of Research

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I – A. Rationale of the Study

Engineering is the application of scientific,

economic, social, and practical knowledge in order to

design, build, maintain, and improve structures,

machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. It

may encompass using insights to conceive, model and scale

an appropriate solution to a problem or objective. The

discipline of engineering is extremely broad, and

encompasses a range of more specialized fields of

engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on

particular areas of technology and types of application.1

Chemical engineering is the application of physics,

chemistry, biology, and engineering principles in order

to carry out chemical processes on a commercial scale,

such as petroleum refining, microfabrication,

fermentation, and biomolecule production.2 Chemical

engineers "develop economic ways of using materials and

energy".3 Before doing so, like in any other profession,

they first experience life being clueless of what is

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chemical engineering, like a student that seeks knowledge

and skills prerequisite to this course.

In other words, one must have enough cognitive,

mathematical, scientific and logical ability and skills

in order to fully understand the context and the vast

topics of engineering. Instructions are clearly given in

order to achieve perfection.

In the quest to maximize students’ academic growth,

one of the best tools available to educators is explicit

instruction, a structured, systematic, and effective

methodology for teaching academic skills. It is called

explicit because it is an unambiguous and direct approach

to teaching that includes both instructional design and

delivery procedures. Explicit instruction is

characterized by a series of supports or scaffolds,

whereby students are guided through the learning process

with clear statements about the purpose and rationale for

learning the new skill, clear explanations and

demonstrations of the instructional target, and

supportedpractice with feedback until independent mastery

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has been achieved. Rosenshine (1987) described this form

of instruction as “a systematic method of teaching with

emphasis on proceeding in small steps, checking for

student understanding, and achieving active and

successful participation by all students.”

This research is conducted primarily to determine

the nature of explicit instruction, unambiguous, direct,

and clear acquisition of knowledge through reading that

greatly affect abilities and skills of students

particularly the understandings, meanings, discernments,

insights and generalizations towards simple to complex

varied mathematical and scientific concepts and theories

used in the engineering field.

Furthermore, the reason why the researcher conducted

this study is that he is a student undergoing the arduous

college life to become a chemical engineer in the future

and would like to know how and in what means is explicit

directions connected to not only his but also to the rest

of chemical engineering students’ comprehension levels.

I – B. Statement of the Purpose

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The purpose of this research paper is to show the

relationship of explicit instructions and directions for

implicit meaning and discernment of the highly regarded

chemical engineering students.

This research paper aims to answer (1) what explicit

instructions are and how is it related to implied

meaning, (2) where explicit instructions are given, (3)

who are the ones that give and can give explicit

instructions, (4) why these persons prefer to give

explicit instructions, (5) how they give explicit

instructions, (6) how explicit instructions contribute to

the ability of chemical engineering students to know the

implied and clear concepts and theories presented upon

them, and (7) how effective and significant explicit

instructions are to them.

I – C. Discoveries on the Origin of Study

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The teaching practice of explicit instruction has

been available to classroom teachers since the late

1960s. Substantial research has been conducted on

components and the complete instructional "package." As

with many teaching practices, there are varying degrees

of adaptation and acceptance. The effective teaching

practices research identified most—if not all—of the

components of explicit instruction as essential for

positive student outcomes.4

Proficient readers are better able to remember and

apply what they have read, create new background

knowledge for themselves, discriminate and critically

analyze text and authors, and engage in conversation

and/or other analytical responses to what they read.5

Conversely, struggling readers have difficulty with

some or all of these comprehension skills. Fortunately,

the results of many studies associated with comprehension

strategies (e.g., Lenz & Hughes, 1990; Scanlon, Deshler,

& Shumaker, 1996; Shumaker, Deshler, Alley, Warner, &

Denton, 1982) indicate that students with high-incidence

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disabilities can learn to mediate their comprehension of

reading material through intensive, systematic, and

explicit instruction in learning strategies.6

Research conducted in the 1970s concluded that

classroom teachers were spending very little time on the

actual process of teaching reading comprehension. For

example, Durkin (1978-1979) found that although teachers

gave many workbook assignments and asked many questions

about what students had read, these exercises usually

assessed students’ understanding rather than teaching

them how to comprehend. In response to Durkin’s findings,

much subsequent research during the 1980s was devoted to

discovering how to teach comprehension strategies

directly.7

A teacher’s thoughtful consideration of strategies

to teach explicitly inferencing skills is critical to the

academic achievement of students who struggle to

comprehend.8 Explicit instruction was considered to

inflict such skills that helped students in grasping the

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meaning implicitly stated from texts and other reading

materials.

I – D. Approaches and Analysis of the Study

The study conducted by previous researchers included

different approaches and analyses. Researchers conducted

classroom-based instructions, surveys, psychological

tests, student aptitude and comprehension examinations,

and many other diagnostic measuresthat statistically

presented comprehension levels and outcomes that were

used as support for the revision and improvement of

teaching standards and practices.

A meta-analysis conducted by G. Adams yielded over

350 publications (articles, books, chapters, convention

presentations, ERIC documents, thesis, dissertations and

unpublished documents) on various forms of studies

conducted on Explicit Instruction. Criterion for

inclusion limited analyses to 37 research publications

that met four groupings: (a) regular education, (b)

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special education, (c) the National Follow-Through

project, and (d) follow-up studies.9

In this meta-analysis, Adams found that the mean

effect size per study using explicit instruction is more

than .75 (effects of .75 and above in education are

extraordinary). Accordingly, this confirms that overall

effect of explicit instructional practices is

substantial. Thirty-two of the 34 studies analyzed had

statistically significant positive effect sizes. The

authors find the consistent attainment of research with

substantial effect sizes is further evidence that

explicit instruction is an effective instructional

practice for all students. The authors conclude that

although direct instruction is often described as a

program for students in special education, the effect

sizes calculated in this meta-analysis are nearly the

same thus indicating the teaching strategy is effective

for students in general education as well as those

identified with disabilities.10

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In this research, the researcher shall only focus on

chemical engineering students and use them as the sample

space for survey-interview research and relate explicit

instruction and its nature to the program. Further

analysis takes place after sufficient data are collected

which shall be presented in the later parts of this

paper.

I – E. Relevant Literature Review of the Study

As chemical engineering students, they make the

maximum possible academic gains in a positive, respectful

environment that promotes their success and nurtures

their desire to learn. One of the greatest implements

available to them in this quest is explicit instruction—

instruction that is systematic, direct, engaging, and

success oriented.11

Explicit instruction is a systematic instructional

approach that includes set of delivery and design

procedures derived from effective schools research merged

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with behavior analysis. There are two essential

components to well-designed explicit instruction: (a)

visible delivery features are group instruction with a

high level of teacher and student interactions, and (b)

the less observable, instructional design principles and

assumptions that make up the content and strategies to be

taught.12

Explicit instruction involves directing student

attention toward specific learning in a highly structured

environment. It is teaching that is focused on producing

specific learning outcomes.Topics and contents are broken

down into small parts and taught individually. It

involves explanation, demonstration and practice. Topics

are taught in a logical order and directed by the

teacher.13 It is connected to making inferences which

makes use of implied meaning. As what Pearson and Johnson

(1978) expressed, comprehension involves a great deal of

inference making. It is in inference making that

explicitly stated ideas are put into special use. It can

be simply put as reading between the lines. It requires a

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reader to blend the literal content of a selection with

prior knowledge, intuition, and imagination for

conjecture or to make hypotheses. A teacher’s thoughtful

consideration of strategies to teach explicitly

inferencing skills is critical to the academic

achievement of students who struggle to comprehend.14

As established, teachers are the ones who give

explicit instructions. Such instructions are learned and

applied by students. Teachers impart their students the

knowledge, concepts, and ideas they are ought to teach in

an explicit manner. Though anyone could do the same, one

must consider the purpose of using explicit instructions.

Explicit teaching is useful for introducing topics and

specific skills. It provides guided instruction in the

basic understanding of required skills, which students

can then build on through practice, collaboration,

repetition, hands on activities and developmental play.15

According to Nancy Boyles in her

book “Teaching Written Response to

Text”,

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Explicit instruction (also known as “direct instruction”)

is a sequence of supports: first setting a purpose for

learning, then telling students what to do, then showing

them how to do it, and finally guiding their hands-on

application of the new learning. Explicit instruction begins

with setting the stage for learning, followed by a clear

explanation of what to do (telling), followed by modeling of

the process (showing), followed by multiple opportunities for

practice (guiding) until independence is attained. Explicit

instruction moves systematically from extensive teacher

input and little student responsibility initially — to total

student responsibility and minimal teacher involvement

atthe conclusion of the learning cycle.16

A clear example is the teaching of stoichiometry in

one of the chemistry subjects of chemical engineering.

First, before the lesson proper, instructions should have

already been given. Diving headlong into the content

spells disaster for many students, especially those who

struggle with learning. The most logical place for any

lesson to begin is by explaining the purpose. Second,

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basic and enough concepts about stoichiometry should be

handed out. This can be done by simple but thorough

explanation and the use of positive approach towards the

new topic. Example is defining first stoichiometry, then

introducing the symbols and terms that would be

encountered in the lesson, and next is to provide the

steps of how to solve stoichiometry problems. Third,

active involvement is highly necessary. This includes

modeling of examples, questions, and problems, board

work, individual teacher-student assessment, and showing

how the solution was generated. Finally, continuous

presentation of how it is done and further guidance and

practice leads to mastery of the skills in stoichiometry

and later on, independence from the teacher and the

learning cycle is finished.17

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CHAPTER 2

Art and Science of Cooperative Learning

II – A. Perspectives and Methodologies of the Study

Teacher-directed instructional approaches have their

roots in the behaviorist tradition of direct instruction.

Direct instruction (D.I.), sometimes called expository,

didactic, teacher-centered instruction or “active

teaching,” is a teacher-directed strategy in which the

teacher transmits information directly to students. In a

D.I. model, the teacher’s role is to pass facts, skills,

or strategies on to students in the most explicit way

possible. This most often takes the form of a structured

presentation that includes specific events of

instruction, such as explanations, examples, and

opportunities for practice and feedback. The D.I. format

is a multifaceted presentation that requires verbal

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lecture and teacher–student interactions involving

explanations, questions and answers, review and practice,

and checking student understanding. The degree of student

learning that occurs is directly related to the time a

student is actively engaged in the learning process.

Thus, efficient, effective use of instructional time and

active studentpractice of content are key ingredients in

D.I. strategies.18

Two conceptions of D.I. are present in the

literature. D.I. refers to a highly structured,

ritualized, and scripted instructional model in the

behaviorist learning tradition (Becker, Englemann,

Carnine, & Rhine, 1981). The term “direct instruction”

(d.i.) refers to the type ofexplicit, structured teaching

outlined in the teacher-effectiveness literature

(Rosenshine & Stevens, 1984). It is important to

distinguish between these models of instruction since

many scholars and practitioners have blurred the lines

between them, and their differences haveoften become

unclear. Research findings regarding these models cannot

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conveniently be taken together, as they espouse very

different approaches to teaching.19

D.I. originated from two distinct lines of research.

The first line of research focused on a set of models

labeled Direct Instruction. D.I. models are based on the

premise that through a teacher-directed instructional

process, students can be trained to succeed. Behavioral

theorists believe that it is not useful to speculate

about internal cognitive processes since they cannot be

directly observed or controlled. The curriculum and

practice of D.I. are based on Skinner’s (1968) operant

conditioning theory, which stated that a behavior must be

reinforced to bring about its regular occurrence. The

“Direct Instructor,” therefore, would conceive of

teaching as a process of producing changes in students’

observable behavior. These changes take the form of

adding new responses to the student’s educational

repertoire.20

Several key principles underlie D.I. approaches to

teaching and learning. The central task of D.I. is to

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present students with the appropriate material on which

to focus their attention and mental effort so that they

will learn particular information, skills, and concepts.

Skills and student performances of those skills are

broken down into small units so that behavior and

learningcan be shaped incrementally. Initial teaching of

any skill involves explicit, often scripted instruction

on each step in the sequence. The teacher models

behaviors before expecting students to perform them. The

likelihood that students will generalize their learning

to new situations is increased through engagement in

practice consisting of real-life application and many

examples from different contexts. Immediate feedback is

provided on each step of a task. During demonstration and

guided practice, the teacher provides redundant

explanations, gives many examples, and provides

sufficient instruction so that students can do the work

with minimal difficulty. As student errors are minimized,

the probability, frequency, and persistence of desired

behavior are increased. A high frequency of student

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errors gives the teacher an indication that the

presentation was inadequate and that reteaching is

necessary.21

A second line of research generated the term direct

instruction (d.i.) to refer to the systematic, explicit

teaching of skills and strategies. Many correlational

studies found a relationship between student achievement

and teachers’ use of specific instructional strategies,

such as teaching in small steps with student practice

after each step, guiding students during initial

practice, andensuring that all students experienced a

high level of successful practice (e.g., Gage & Needels,

1989; Good & Grouws, 1979; Weinert & Helmke, 1995). These

techniques were intended to emphasize the teacher’s role

in maximizing the time that students are actively engaged

in learning, thereby resulting in higher student

achievement (Rosenshine & Stevens, 1984). This research

was conducted primarily in basic reading and mathematics

in the elementary grades.22

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Out of the teacher-effects research of the 1970s and

1980s, common teaching “functions” were abstracted that

were associated with improved student learning. These

were combined into a set of models labeled direct

instruction (Rosenshine, 1995). These models developed as

scholars examined the same research literature and

generated similar but different models of d.i. (see,

e.g., Gagne and Briggs, 1979; Good and Grouws, 1979;

Hunter, 1982; Rosenshine, 1995). In general, all d.i.

models share a common set of principles. These include

teacher direction (rather than student self-direction or

seat work); active presentation of information; clear

organization of presentation, usually in the form of

specific steps; step-by-step progression of instruction

based on task analysis; use of examples, prompts, and

demonstration; constant assessment of student

understanding; effective use of time; and maintaining

student attention. Guided practice, which follows the

demonstration, allows the teacher to ask questions of

students, check for understanding, and give feedback.

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Finally, students work on activities directly related to

the new material during independent practice.23

In comparison with D.I., d.i. is a generic teaching

model rather than a scripted, fully elaborated program

for teaching reading or mathematics. Unlike D.I., d.i.

does not directly address issues of curriculum. Rather,

d.i. is based on all available naturalistic research on

classroom processes—research conducted primarily in

general education classrooms, often with at-risk

students. Low-performing students repeatedly show higher

academic achievement when theirteachers follow a

consistent pattern of d.i. that includes demonstration,

practice, and feedback (Tarver, 1992).24The differences

between D.I. and d.i. are summarized below.

D.I. d.i.

“Specific” teaching

program

Based on operant

conditioning theory.

Teacher direction is

“Generic” teaching

model

Based on research on

classroom

processes

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very high

Highly structured,

scripted, and

ritualized

Targeted at adding new

responses to the

student’s repertoire

Skills broken into

small units

Behavior and learning

are shaped gradually

High percentage of

correct responses

Skills are practiced to

overlearning

Concerned with design

of curricular materials

Teacher direction is

high

Structured, explicit,

clear, and controlled

Emphasizes teacher’s

role in maximizing

academic learning time

Step-by-step

presentation

Includes demonstration,

practice, and

corrective feedback

Does not directly

address issues of

curriculum

Source:http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780205533282/samplechapter/

M01_GOEK3282_01_SE_C01.pdf

II – B. Emerging Developmental Issues of the Study

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Explicit instruction (e.i.) represents a research-

based alternative to D.I. or d.i. approaches. The e.i.

framework differs from other models because it is based

on the teacher-effects literature as well as research in

learning strategies and cognitive processes.Whereas D.I.

and d.i. approaches focus on how presentation of material

influences behavior, e.i. seeks to understand and

capitalizeon how incoming information is processed and

organized by the learner. Interest in students’ cognitive

processes occurred as a natural outgrowth of a shift in

orientation from teacher-controlled, behaviorist theories

of instruction to theories of learning that attempt to

teach students how to learn. Along with this change in

emphasis, a shift occurred in the way educators viewed

learners. Current theories hold that the educational

process is based on building the cognitive structures of

the learner’s mind (Brown, 1994).25

“What is Explicit Instruction?”

Source:http://

ptgmedia.pearsoncm

g.com/images/

9780205533282/

samplechapter/

M01_GOEK3282_01_S

E_C01.pdf

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Learning is seen as an active process that occurs

within the learner and that can be directly influenced by

the learner. Although d.i. models (e.g., Hunter, 1982;

Rosenshine, 1983) are teacher directed and share an

emphasis on teaching that is structured, explicit, and

clear, they emphasize the teacher’s role in maximizing

academic learning time. Learner-centered, inquiry

oriented approaches emphasize the learner’s role in

constructing learning. Since learning occurs within the

learner, the teacher serves as a facilitator (rather than

a director) of that learning. The e.i. framework merges

these two viewpoints: the outcome of learning is not

believed to dependmainly on what the teacher presents or

what is going on cognitively inside the learner. Rather,

the outcome of learning depends jointly on what

information is presented and how the learner processes

that information. From this perspective, e.i. is teacher

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led but with a greater emphasis on the ways in which

students actively construct and process knowledge.26

Educational researchers (e.g., Brophy & Good, 1986;

Christenson, Ysseldyke, & Thurlow, 1989; Gersten,

Schiller, & Vaughn, 2000; Hughes, 1998; Marchand-

Martella, Slocum, & Martella, 2004; Rosenshine, 1997;

Rosenshine & Stevens, 1986;Simmons, Fuchs, Fuchs, Mathes,

& Hodge, 1995; Swanson, 2001) have identified a range of

instructional behaviors and elements characteristic of an

explicit approach to teaching.27 These 16 instructional

elements are listed on the next page.

“Sixteen elements of explicit instruction”

1. Focus instruction on critical content.

2. Sequence skills logically.

3. Break down complex skills and strategies into

smaller instructional units.

4. Design organized and focused lessons. to make

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optimal use of instructional

5. Begin lessons with a clear statement of the

lesson’s goals and your expectations.

6. Review prior skills and knowledge before

beginning instruction.

7. Provide step-by-step demonstrations.

8. Use clear and concise language.

9. Provide an adequate range of examples and non-

examples.

10. Provide guided and supported practice.

11. Require frequent responses.

12. Monitor student performance closely.

13. Provide immediate affirmative and corrective

feedback.

14. Deliver the lesson at a brisk pace.

15. Help students organize knowledge.

16. Provide distributed and cumulative practice.

Source: http://explicitinstruction.org/download/sample-chapter.pdf

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The 16 elements of explicit instruction can also be

combined into a smaller number. Rosenshine and Stevens

(1986) and Rosenshine (1997) have grouped these teaching

elements into the six teaching functions outlined below.

“The Six Teaching Functions”

1. Review

a. Review homework and relevant previous learning. b. Review prerequisite skills and knowledge.

2. Presentation

a. State lesson goals. b. Present new material in small steps. c. Model procedures. d. Provide examples and non-examples. e. Use clear language. f. Avoid digressions.

3. Guided practice

a. Require high frequency of responses. b. Ensure high rates of success. c. Provide timely feedback, clues, and prompts. d. Have students continue practice until they are fluent.

4. Corrections and feedback

a. Reteach when necessary.

5. Independent practice

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a. Monitor initial practice attempts. b. Have students continue practice until skills are automatic.

6. Weekly and monthly reviews

II – C. Contemporary Perspective of the Study

“Direct Instruction Model”

Phase One: Orientation

Teacher establishes content of the lesson.

Teacher reviews previous learning.

Teacher establishes lesson objectives.

Teacher establishes the procedures for the lesson..

Phase Two: Presentation

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Teacher explains/demonstrates new concepts or skill.

Teacher provides visual representation of the task.

Teacher checks for understanding.

Phase Three: Structured Practice

Teacher leads group through practice examples in

lock step.

Students respond to questions.

Teacher provides corrective feedback for errors and

reinforces correct practice.

Phase Four: Guided Practice

Students practice semi-independently.

Teacher circulates, monitoring student practice

Teacher provides feedback through praise, prompt,

and leave.

Phase Five: Independent Practice

Students practice independently at home or in class.

Feedback is delayed.

Independent practices occur several times over an

extended period.

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Source: Bruce Joyce, Marsha Weil, and Emily Calhoun’s “Models of Teaching,” pp. 376-

377.© 2009, Pearson Education, Inc.

The most prominent features of the learning

environment for direct instruction are an academic focus,

a high degree of teacher direction and control, high

expectations for pupil progress, a system for managing

time, and an atmosphere of relatively neutral affect.

Academic focus means that the highest priority is placed

on the assignment and completion of academic tasks.

During instruction, academic activity is emphasized; the

use of nonacademic materials s discouraged, as is

nonacademically oriented student-teacher interaction,

such as questions about self or discussions of personal

concern. Several studies have shown that a strong

academic focus produces greater student engagement and,

subsequently, achievement (Fisher, Berliner, Filby,

Marliave, Ghen, and Dishaw, 1980; Madaus, Airasian, and

Kellaghan, 1980; Rosenshine, 1970, 1971, 1985).28

Teacher direction and control occur when the teacher

selects and directs the learning tasks, maintains a

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central role during instruction, and minimizes the amount

of nonacademic pupil talk. Teachers who have high

expectations for their students and concern for academic

progress demand academic excellence and behavior

conducive to academic progress. They expect more of their

students in terms of quantity and quality of work. A

system of managing time creates an opportunity of active

engagement of students and a high rate of success in the

tasks given to them. Furthermore, negative affect

inhibits student achievement (Rosenshine, 1971; Soar,

Soar, and Ragosta, 1971) like negative practices such as

criticism of student behavior.29

II – D. Findings and Evaluating Sources of the Study

Different sources were used in this research which

included on-line data on different documents such as .pdf

formatted documents, publications, researches, articles,

and journals. Also, a survey was conducted.

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Based on the different perspectives, approaches,

methodologies and perceptions stated above regarding explicit

instruction, the researcher has created and derived 15

different explicit instructional methods that are almost

always used in the academe of chemical engineering. The

researcher also put into considerations the educational

environment he experienced as he observed such methods of

instructions, being effective and useful in teaching the

foundations of higher subjects in chemical engineering.

METHODS OF EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION AS GENERATED BY THERESEACHER

a.    A teacher first enumerates the lesson objectives and goalsb.    A teacher divides a topic into parts that can easily be understoodc.    A teacher explains a topic thoroughlyd.    A teacher demonstrates how a theory is appliede.    A teacher shows how a concept is being practicedf.     Self-study instructed by the teacherg.    A teacher asks you questionsh.    A teacher conducts a quiz/oral recitationi.     A teacher conducts a guessing gamej.     A teacher makes you make an inferencek.    Further practice of conceptsl.     A teacher gives examplesm.   A teacher applies the lesson in real lifen.    A teacher implies some meaning and lets the studentguesso. A teacher creates a model and provides steps in how

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to use the concept

The researcher conducted a survey geared towards

first year chemical engineers. The survey aimed to gather

the students’ views on explicit instructions by

determining their preferences among the above given

explicit instructional methods.

First, the survey asked the respondents which of the

above stated explicit instructional methods labeled a to o

could enhance their memory and theoretical knowledge

retention in their course subjects. Results show that the

least chosen method of instruction is f, which is “Self-

study instructed by the teacher”, being chosen by 2

1 l 142 c 133 e 114 k 10

d 9m 9o 9a 8b 8

7 h 58 g 4

f 3i 3n 3

10 j 1

5

6

9

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respondents out of 20. Meanwhile, the most chosen method

of instruction is l, which is “A teacher gives examples”,

being chosen by 19 respondents out of 20.

Second, the survey asked the respondents which of

the same given explicit instructional methods, also

labeled a to o would help them attain successful high

scores in their course subject evaluations (i.e.

examinations, quizzes, tests, and etc.). Results show

that the least preferred method of instruction is j, which

is “A teacher makes you make an inference”, being chosen

by 1 respondent out of 20. Moreover, the most preferred

method of instruction is l, which is “A teacher gives

examples”, being chosen by 14 respondents out of 20. The

following table shows the rank of the methods from the

most preferred and most chosen to the least preferred and

least chosen.

A. B.

A. Chosen Methods of Instruction

Which Could Enhance Memory

and Knowledge Retention

B. Preferred Methods of Instruction

1 l 192 c 173 e 16

d 15o 15a 14k 14m 14

6 b 137 h 88 n 7

g 6i 6

10 j 411 f 2

4

5

9

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Which Would Help Students Attain

Successful High Scores in Any Tests

Third, the survey asked the respondents to rate each

method’s effectiveness in a scale of 0 to 4, where 0

stands for useless, 1 stands for rarely effective, 2

stands for effective sometimes, 3 stands for almost

highly effective, and 4 stands for highly effective at

all times. The bar graph shows the individual average

effectiveness of each method, the over-all mean

P a g e | 38

effectiveness of explicit instruction, and the median and

mode of the methods. The highly rated method is c, which

is “A teacher explains a topic thoroughly”, garnering a

mean effective score of 3.85 which is equal to 96.25%.

Also, the poorly rated method is f, which is “Self-study

instructed by the teacher”, garnering a mean effective

score of 3.4 which is equal to 53.75%. The over-all

effectiveness of explicit instruction based on this

research survey is 3.0033, which is equal to 75.0833%,

implying it is almost highly effective. In this

research’s Approaches and Analysis of the Study, it is

stated that a mean of .75, which is also equal to 75%,

and above in education is extraordinary. For further

details, see the tables at the back.

P a g e | 39

II – E. Synthesis and Practice of Research

Explicit instruction involves directing student

attention toward specific learning in a highly structured

environment, focusing on producing specific learning

outcomes in which topics and contents are broken down

into small parts and taught individually through

explanation, demonstration and practice and logically,

directed by the teacher.

Comprehension involves a great deal of inference

making in which explicitly stated ideas are put into

special use, simply put as reading between the lines and

requiring a reader to blend the literal content of a

selection with prior knowledge, intuition, and

imagination for conjecture or assumption.

As established, teachers are the ones who give

explicit instructions. But, anyone who knows the nature

P a g e | 40

of explicit teaching can use it. Explicit instructions

are commonly used because of its ease of use. It can be

done by orientation, presentation, structured practice,

guided practice, and independent practice of the concepts

and theories.

Explicit instruction plays an important role in the

acquisition of knowledge and skills in chemical

engineering. As what the survey conducted towards first

year chemical engineering students has concluded,

explicit instruction is highly effective and

extraordinary. It is significant because it is the

method, the means, and the way for the teachers to easily

teach implied meanings, the concepts, and the theories

behind through explicit instructional methods. It is

teaching to know implied meanings explicitly.

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_engineering

P a g e | 41

http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/explicit_instruction

http://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/inferential.pdf

http://explicitinstruction.org/

http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/explicitteaching/index.html

http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780205533282/samplechapter/M01_GOEK3282_01_SE_C01.pdf

http://explicitinstruction.org/download/sample-chapter.pdf

Joyce, Bruce, Weil, Marsha, and Calhoun Emily (2009).Models of Teaching. Boston, Pearson Education Inc.

ENDNOTES1. “Engineering,” On-Line. Retrieved:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering. 3 March 2014.2. Ibid.3. “Chemical Engineering,” On-Line. Retrieved:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_engineering. 3 March 2014.

4. Tracey Hall, Explicit Instruction(Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum, 2002). Retrieved: http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/explicit_instruction. 4 March 2014.

5. “Explicit Instruction for Implicit Meaning: Strategies for Teaching Inferential Reading Comprehension,” On-Line. Retrieved: http://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/inferential.pdf. 4 March 2014.

6. Ibid.7. Ibid.8. Ibid.9. Tracey Hall, Explicit Instruction(Wakefield, MA: National

Center on Accessing the General Curriculum, 2002). Retrieved: http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/explicit_instruction. 4 March 2014.

10. Ibid11. “Explicit Instruction,” On-Line. Retrieved:

http://explicitinstruction.org/.4 March 2014.12. Tracey Hall, Explicit Instruction(Wakefield, MA: National

Center on Accessing the General Curriculum, 2002). Retrieved: http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/explicit_instruction. 4 March 2014.

13. “Instructional Strategies Online,” On-Line. Retrieved: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/explicitteaching/index.html. 4 March 2014.

14. “Explicit Instruction for Implicit Meaning: Strategies for Teaching Inferential Reading Comprehension,” On-Line. Retrieved: http://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/inferential.pdf. 4 March 2014.

15. “Instructional Strategies Online,” On-Line. Retrieved: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/explicitteaching/index.html. 4 March 2014

16. Nancy Boyles,”Understanding Explicit Instruction,” Teaching Written Response to Textp.19. Retreived: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/explicitteaching/index.html. 4 March 2014.

17. Ibid.,pp. 20-25.18. “Getting Ready to Use Explicit Instruction,” On-Line.

Retrieved: http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780205533282/samplechapter/M01_GOEK3282_01_SE_C01.pdf. 10 March 2014.

19. Ibid.20. Ibid.21. Ibid.22. Ibid23. Ibid.24. Ibid.25. Ibid.26. Ibid.27. Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes, “Explicit Instruction:

Effective and Efficient Teaching,” On-Line. Retrieved: http://explicitinstruction.org/download/sample-chapter.pdf. 10 March 2014.

28. Bruce Joyce, Marsha Weil, and Emily Calhoun, Models of Teaching (Boston, United States of America: Pearson Education Inc., 2009) p. 368.

29. Ibid.

EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR IMPLICIT MEANING:

ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

A Research Paper

Presented to

Ms. Nora L. Sisneros

Professor

In Partial Fullfillment

Of the Requirements for the Subject

Interactive Reading (ENG 102)

P a g e | 44

Edward Jan C. Bacalso

First Year

B.S. in Chemical Engineering

March 2014