Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review
Marissa C. Mizuno
National University

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690 Capstone
Stacia Levy

LITERATURE REVIEW

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Abstract

This paper provides a review of literature that supports the idea that students should engage in
meaning-making discourse. This is addressed in Standard 3 of the Instructional Practice Domain
of the Nevada Educator Performance Framework.

LITERATURE REVIEW

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Literature Review

Active learning is the process in which students take responsibility for their learning and
are provided with opportunities to make decisions regarding their learning process (Akinoglu &
Tandogan, 2007, p. 71). Constructivism is the foundation for active learning. Constructivism is
the idea that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through
personal experience and reflection (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). When
students have opportunities to make sense of course content independently, the teacher takes on
the role of a facilitator and learning becomes student-centered. Teachers can support students
meaning-making by prompting extended discourse, engaging students in developing and
interpreting multiple representations, and bridging content with students prior knowledge
(Nevada Department of Education, 2014, p. 4).
Representations are artifacts that symbolize an idea or concept in science (Tang,
Delgado, & Moje, 2014, p. 306). Examples of representations include analogies, verbal
explanations, written texts, diagrams, graphs, and simulations. Research shows that the use of
models supports scientific discovery and reasoning. Modelling is the process of building, using
and evaluating external representations of systems (Leenaars, Van Joolingen, & Bollen, 2013, p.
83). According to constructivist theories, people produce mental models in an attempt to make
sense of new information. When external models are constructed, information then becomes
more concrete (Leenaars, Van Joolingen, & Bollen, 2013, p. 83).
In the context of education, models allow students to make abstract concepts visible and
to provide descriptions and simplifications of complex phenomena (Gilbert, 2004, p. 116). In
addition to creating models, students also benefit from testing and evaluating models. Models
can evolve during the meaning making process (Zubrowski, 2009, p. 42). Throughout the course

LITERATURE REVIEW

of study, students should be able to evaluate the accuracy of the concepts depicted in their
models and make adjustments that demonstrate a deeper understanding of the science content.
Ultimately, students are able to bridge prior knowledge and understandings with formal scientific
concepts through the development of models.

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References

Akinoglu, O., & Tandogan, R. O. (2007). The effects of problem-based active learning in science
education on students academic achievement, attitude and concept learning. Eurasia
Journal of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, 3(1), 71-81.
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). Constructivism as a paradigm for teaching and
learning. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/
index_sub2.html.
Gilbert, J. K. (2004). Models and modelling: Routes to more authentic science education.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2(2), 115-130.
Leenaars, F. A. J., Van Joolingen, W. R., & Bollen, L. (2013). Using self-made drawing to
support modelling in science education. British Journal of Educational Technology,
44(1), 82-94.
Nevada Department of Education. (2014). Nevada educator performance framework statewide
evaluation system. Retrieved from http://www.doe.nv.gov/Boards_Commissions_
Councils/Teachers_and_Leaders_Council/2014/September/NEPF_Tools__ProtocolsSept_2014_(1)/.
Tang, K. S., Delgado, C., & Moje, E. B. (2014). An integrative framework for the analysis of
multiple and multimodal representations for meaning-making in science education.
Science Education, 98(2), 305-326.
Zubrowski, B. (2009). Exploration and meaning making in the learning of science. Springer.