| This study investigated the instructional practices of two currently practicing middle and high school teachers and examined how the teacher's classroom practices aligned with principles of the How People Learn (HPL) Framework for Effective Learning Environments (the neurological and cognitive knowledge base for how people learn). This research used two multi-site qualitative case studies, including interviews and classroom observations to (1) identify science teachers' instructional methods, skills, beliefs and classroom practices for creating effective learning environments, and (2) identify to what extent the teachers' instructional practices were aligned with the HPL instructional principles for effective learning environments. The findings indicated the participants were familiar with effective pedagogical principles for science instruction, but were less confident of their designs for learning environments, particularly in the area of assessment centered learning environments. The participants reported knowledge of how their students learn (context-bound and derived from classroom experiences) and identified how they used that knowledge to create effective learning environments. Knowledge of how their students learn and the teacher's understandings for the design of learning environments was found to influence the degree to which teachers design effective learning environments and the degree to which teachers align their instruction with the way students learn. |
