Deconstructing and developing the attitudes of primary school readers

Improving student attitudes toward reading remains of particular concern to elementary school teachers. The development of students' demeanour toward reading is as important, if not more so, than skill enhancement. Unless reading attitudes are maintained and even bolstered, content instruction will not always reach the learner, nor will students use reading as an independent learning tool. Categorising attitudes is much more dynamic than grouping by those who like or dislike reading. Through discovery‐oriented, naturalistic inquiry, data were collected and analysed, resulting in emergent themes of student attitudes toward reading. This article will discuss six clusters of reading attitudes/behaviours found in elementary schools, and provide practical teacher tips to be used for reading development with each type of learner.     

A Study of Elementary and Secondary Teacher Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Aging and the Implementation of Aging Education in Taiwan

This study surveys elementary and secondary teachers in Taiwan and compares the findings with other studies conducted in America and Japan. The objective is to explore differences among teachers in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States in terms of their knowledge of, and attitudes toward, aging and the implementation of aging education in schools. Multistage sampling was adopted, with a total of 1038 Taiwanese elementary and secondary teachers sampled. It was found that while knowledge of aging among Taiwanese teachers appears lower in comparison with American teachers, their attitudes toward aging are largely consistent with their American counterparts. In addition, Taiwanese teachers seem to offer just as little aging education in schools as their American and Japanese counterparts. Lastly, Taiwanese teacher attitudes toward aging, rather than their knowledge of aging, correlate closely to their provision of aging education in schools. Educational authorities should, therefore, offer teachers pre- and in-service education on aging or gerontology so as to equip them with the right knowledge on, and positive attitudes toward, aging. By so doing, teachers will be more likely to teach the subject of aging in schools.     

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of students with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) towards educational inclusion of students with intellectual disability into regular classes. The sample for this study consisted of 194 elementary school teachers from eight schools in BiH. The attitudes of the teachers were measured by The Attitudes towards Inclusion questionnaire. The results of this study indicate that a little more than 50% of the teachers support the concept of inclusion. Another finding of this study reveals that the teachers believe that they are not supported enough in order to efficiently deal with the issue of inclusion. BiH still has a lot of challenges to deal with in successfully implementing the process of inclusion.     

Attitudes of Early Childhood Teachers Toward Family and Community Involvement

This investigation examined early childhood teachers' attitudes towards families and their involvement with schools, and specific variables that influence these attitudes. Teachers' perspectives about school and family partnerships were assessed using the School and Family Partnerships: Questionnaires for Teachers and Parents in the Elementary and Middle Grades (Epstein & Salinas, 1993). This survey was administered to 92 elementary school teachers in Follow Through classrooms in the southeastern and pacific northwestern United States. Results indicated that teachers' attitudes about family and community involvement were highly positive. Additionally, African American teachers had a more positive attitude than European American teachers. Furthermore, teachers who taught large proportions of low ability students had less positive views of family strengths.     

Overcoming Some Addition Difficulties

Abstract

In literature relating to elementary school reading it is commonly contended that attitudes toward reading influence achievement in reading and that teachers’ attitudes (and achievement) affect pupils’ attitudes and achievement. As yet there is little research support for this contention. In opposition is the view expressed in teacher effectiveness literature that there may be a degree of incompatibility between maximizing in pupils both desired cognitive (or achievement) outcomes and desired affective outcomes (for example, favorable attitudes). The validity of these two positions was assessed by administering reading attitude and achievement tests to 251 final-year student teachers and to the grade 4 through 6 pupils (approximately 900) of 48 of these teachers twice during the following year. One-way analyses of variance were used to investigate teacher-pupil relationships. Findings indicated that high achievement and high attitude in teachers were positively associated with high achievement and high attitudes in pupils; in the pupils of low achievement and low attitude teachers, achievement was low, but attitudes were more favorable than those expressed by the pupils of middle achievement and middle attitude teachers.     

Primary schools and opting out: Some policy implications

Abstract

Significant differences in perceptions between teachers in primary and secondary grant‐maintained schools are reported and analysed. Parents were more frequently involved in promoting opting‐out in primary schools, primary teachers had more favourable attitudes to the grant‐maintained school policy and, in primary schools, grant‐maintained status delivered improvements in classroom conditions, most notably reduced class size and increased para‐professional support in classrooms. The findings are discussed in terms of the management of primary schools, of theorising about reputation management in grant‐maintained schools, and of the explicit objectives of the grant‐maintained policy. It is further suggested that the evidence provided about grant‐maintained primary schools could be used to inject new life into a policy faltering in secondary schools.     

Rationalising for and against a policy of school-led careers guidance in STEM in the U.K.: a teacher perspective

This paper reports on teacher attitudes to changes in the provision of careers guidance in the U.K., particularly as it relates to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It draws on survey data of n?=?94 secondary-school teachers operating in STEM domains and their attitudes towards a U.K. and devolved policy of internalising careers guidance within schools. The survey presents a mixed message of teachers recognising the significance of their unique position in providing learners with careers guidance yet concern that their ‘relational proximity’ to students and ‘informational distance’ from higher education and STEM industry may produce bias and misinformation that is harmful to their educational and occupational futures.     

Attitudes Toward Death Education and Grief Counseling

This article surveyed counselors and counselor educators across the nation regarding their attitudes toward death education and grief counseling. Results were compared to previous research in this area, and it was found that death education and grief training has increased significantly in recent years. Results also indicated that elementary school counselors were more willing than junior or senior high counselors to prepare teachers to help in the area of grief. The primary reasons given by counselors for not attending courses, workshops, or seminars on death education were that training was either not available or not convenient. Counselor educators' reasons for non-attendance varied from time conflict to lack of interest.     

Instructional behaviors of more and less effective beginning regular and special educators

To enhance understanding of effective teaching, we studied 117 elementary and intermediate secondary general and special educators who were more and less effective in maintaining class participation. We performed MANOVAs on 22 variables associated with positive student outcomes in the process-product literature and found that teachers who maintained higher levels of participation provided effective transitions, made assignments, and approved of students' verbal responses more often than less effective educators. In addition, they demonstrated negative regard less often than less effective teachers. They also acknowledged learner-initiated interactions and employed strategies for managing student inattention and disruption less frequently than teachers who were less effective in maintaining active student involvement. We also found differences in the frequencies with which elementary and secondary teachers and general and special educators exhibited specific behaviors.     

“English is not easy,but I like it!”: an exploratory study of English learning attitudes amongst elementary school students in Taiwan

In response to the growing needs of proficient English speakers, the Taiwan Ministry of Education officially included English in standard elementary school curriculum since 2001. English courses at elementary level were extended from the fifth grade to the third grade since the fall of 2005. It is significant to examine whether the educational reform has positively affected students’ learning attitudes. Through focus group interviews and questionnaire survey at six elementary schools, this study explores students’ attitudes towards learning English and ways of instruction. Results indicate that students generally have strong interests in English‐speaking people and desire to spend time in English‐speaking places. A majority of students enjoy learning English through games, and compliments from teachers or parents boost their learning motivation. The finding also reveals that English education in Taiwan seems to have directed students towards a narrow viewpoint of foreign cultures since many students associate foreigners with English‐speaking people only. Finally, many students experience learning English at cram schools, which indicates the important role cram schools play in students’ extracurricular learning.     

Chinese Students’ Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help

In this study 1,453 Chinese high school and college students’ attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help and factors contributing to attitude differences were examined. Results revealed that Chinese students possessed generally positive attitudes and their attitudes were significantly associated with gender, prior counseling contact and prior knowledge about counseling and psychology. Previous help-seeking behavior for a major problem was predictive of respondent attitudes. Students with a broad range of help-seeking preferences had more positive attitudes than students with a narrower range. Students who sought help from parents or teachers perceived counseling more positively than students not seeking such help; this result was more significant for high school students. College students’ attitudes differed more in the area of whether or not to seek help. In addition, family structure was related to two dimensions of attitudes toward help seeking—interpersonal openness and stigma tolerance, but not to attitudes toward seeking psychological help.     

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Adoption of Technology in Classrooms: Does School Size Matter?

Researchers in educational technology have searched for factors to explain teachers’ acceptance and resistance to using technology for instruction. Among the many identified factors, however, organizational and school factors have not yet been explored and discussed. This study investigates the effects of school size on science and mathematics teachers’ adoption of technology in classrooms. Using national survey data collected from 940 science and mathematics teachers at junior high schools in Taiwan, we employed factor analyses, log-linear analyses, and three-way ANOVA techniques to examine interactions among school factors and teacher factors. Results obtained from the log-linear analyses suggested that both the interactions of school region with school size and school size with technology users were needed to explain teachers’ use of educational technology in classrooms. It appears that teachers at small schools were more likely to use technology for instructional purposes. Additionally, results of the study revealed that teachers at small schools tended to have positive attitudes toward technology use and that among users of educational technology in southern Taiwan, teachers at small schools designed and used significantly more instructional activities with technology. This study suggests that small schools provide a better environment for science and mathematics teachers to implement educational technology in instruction.     

SCIS-II and the elementary teacher: A program evaluation

A two-part opinionaire was used to identify teachers' perceptions of the SCIS-II elementary science program. Of particular interest were perceived barriers to effective implementation of the program. The first part of the opinionaire was administered to 685 individuals, or 96.8% of the elementary teachers in a metropolitan school district. The second part was completed by a group of teachers at each grade level in each of the 31 elementary schools, with completion rates ranging from 77%–97% for the 13 SCIS-II units. Results indicate that grades K-2 teachers rated the program more positively than grades 3–6 teachers; teachers who rated the program highly perceived fewer barriers to effectively utilizing the program; and teachers rated the program higher for developing social skills and positive attitudes than for teaching science content and processes. Data on problems with individual SCIS-II units indicated that the viability and performance of the living organisms are problematic in all life science units. Further, the small number of insightful evaluative comments received for the last one-third to one-half of some units suggests that a significant portion of teachers are quitting the units before reaching the end.     

教育变革的教师压力问题之应对

变革背景下的教师压力是影响教师参与变革及教育变革顺利进行的重要因素。对于压力的应对不应只靠教师个体,而更应从组织角度构建应对策略。教育部门和学校组织应在对教师压力源清醒认识的基础上,正确理解变革压力下的教师态度和行为,并从教育变革价值的正确把握、教师应对变革的能力提升、良好组织环境的营造和缓解压力的技术支持四个方面着手形成具体实效的应对策略。     

促进师范毕业生到农村中小学就业机制的研究

本研究以辽宁省五所高师院校4000多名师范毕业生为被试,以欠发达的辽宁、吉林、河北等农村29个县800多名教师为对象,通过深度访谈、实地考察、问卷调查等方法,从实证角度对师范生到农村中小学就业现状和农村教师队伍现状进行了调查分析,厘清存在的问题,提出了缓解师范生就业压力、补充农村教师缺口、调整教师队伍结构,构建促进师范生到农村中小学就业机制的对策和建议。     

Classroom Behavior and Learning Environment Differences Between Resilient and Nonresilient..

In education, conceptual work on resilience has recently gained recognition as an important framework from which we can understand why some students become successful in school, whereas similar students from the same disadvantaged family backgrounds and neighborhoods have not been successful in school. The purpose of this study was to compare the classroom instruction and learning environment of resilient and nonresilient students in elementary schools consisting of predominantly minority students. The participants were 4th- and 5th-grade students and their teachers. Near the end of the school year, all the 4th- and 5th-grade students from 3 elementary schools located in a major metropolitan area in the south central region of the United States completed the My Class learning environment survey. Trained observers also systematically observed the resilient and nonresilient students identified by teachers during regular reading classes, language classes, or both. The results from this study indicate that resilient elementary school students perceive a more positive instructional learning environment and they are more satisfied with their reading and language arts classrooms than nonresilient students. In addition, nonresilient students indicated that they have more difficulty in their classwork than both average students and resilient students. The observational results revealed that resilient students spent significantly more time interacting with teachers for instructional purposes, whereas nonresilient students spent more time interacting with other students for social or personal purposes. Resilient students were also observed watching or listening significantly more often than nonresilient students, whereas nonresilient students were observed more often not attending to task. The percentage of time that resilient students were on task was much higher than that for nonresilient students.     

Technology Integration in a Science Classroom: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions

The challenge of preparing students for the information age has prompted administrators to increase technology in the public schools. Yet despite the increased availability of technology in schools, few teachers are integrating technology for instructional purposes. Preservice teachers must be equipped with adequate content knowledge of technology to create an advantageous learning experience in science classrooms. To understand preservice teachers’ conceptions of technology integration, this research study explored 15 elementary science methods students’ definitions of technology and their attitudes toward incorporating technology into their teaching. The phenomenological study took place in a science methods course that was based on a constructivist approach to teaching and learning science through science activities and class discussions, with an emphasis on a teacher beliefs framework. Data were collected throughout the semester, including an open-ended pre/post-technology integration survey, lesson plans, and reflections on activities conducted throughout the course. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified improvements in students’ technology definitions, increased technology incorporation into science lesson plans, and favorable attitudes toward technology integration in science teaching after instruction. This research project demonstrates that positive changes in beliefs and behaviors relating to technology integration in science instruction among preservice teachers are possible through explicit instruction.     

Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education in Catholic Secondary Schools: Stakeholders' Views

During 1999–2000, the writer carried out a survey of six randomly selected Catholic secondary schools in England to examine the attitudes of stakeholder groups towards Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education. Questionnaires were completed by six governors, 12 parents, 139 pupils, 12 teachers and six school leaders, providing insight into perceptions of the purposes of selected components of Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education, viz. Citizenship Education, Moral Education and Sex Education. Drawing on Hornsby-Smith's (1996) definition of contrasting perspectives, which he characterises as 'Open' and 'Closed' Catholicism, the enquiry located attitudes of the stakeholder groups along a continuum of values. While there was evidence of consensus across stakeholder groups within each component, differences in attitudes were also identified. The results indicated that governors and school leaders adopt more 'Open' attitudes towards Citizenship Education compared with pupils, teachers and parents; that school leaders adopt more 'Open' attitudes towards Moral Education compared with pupils; and that pupils and teachers adopt more 'Open' attitudes towards Sex Education compared with governors. One conclusion is that these results demonstrate that, when traditional religious values are challenged by rapid social and technological changes, stakeholder groups in faith schools are faced with added tensions to resolve.     

Elementary Teachers’ Beliefs About Teaching Science and Classroom Practice: An Examination of Pre/Post NCLB Testing in Science

The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandated state science assessment on elementary teachers’ beliefs about teaching science and their classroom practice is relatively unknown. For many years, the teaching of science has been minimized in elementary schools in favor of more emphasis on reading and mathematics. This study examines the dynamics of bringing science to the forefront of assessment in elementary schools and the resulting teacher belief and instructional shifts that take place in response to NCLB. Results indicated that teachers’ beliefs about teaching science remained unchanged despite policy changes mandated in NCLB. Teacher beliefs related to their perceptions of what their administrators and peer groups’ think they should be doing influenced their practice the most. Most teachers reported positive feelings and attitudes about science and reported that their students had positive feelings and attitudes about science; however, teachers reported teaching science less as a result of NCLB. Implications for elementary science education reform and policy are discussed.     

Teacher attitudes and behavior toward the inclusion of children with social,emotional and behavioral difficulties in mainstream schools: An application of the theory of planned behavior

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to examine relationships between teacher attitudes and behavior toward children with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD). One hundred and eleven elementary school teachers completed questionnaires. Teacher perception of their school principals' expectations (subjective norm) predicted teacher behaviors. Teachers who had attended more in-service training (INSET) sessions held more positive feelings, but teachers with more experience were less willing to work with children with SEBD. Findings suggest that school principals have a central role in promoting an inclusive ethos within their schools. INSET could focus more on challenging beliefs.