School‐tertiary collaboration: a long‐term view

In 1985, a group of teachers and academics began what was intended to be a two‐year, collaborative, action‐research project they called the Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (peel). At the end of two years they found that, for several reasons, they could not stop and PEEL has continued to the present day during which time it has spread to over 20 schools in Australia and overseas. The paper draws on the experiences of the past nine years with PEEL groups and addresses three questions: what issues of teacher change, and especially of long‐term teacher change emerged over nine years? What are characteristics of successful school‐tertiary collaboration? Is it realistic to hope for the widespread emergence of teacher‐researchers?.     

Intervention strategies for short‐term memory difficulties for a child with impaired hearing

Abstract

The following study was undertaken in an attempt to identify a procedure that could improve short‐term memory function in a child who is hearing impaired. Specific training in semantic categorisation was carried out over an eight‐week period and proved successful in improving the level of the child's serial recall performance.     

Self‐esteem and National Tests in Years 2 and 6: a 4‐year longitudinal study

ABSTRACT This 4‐year longitudinal study measured the self‐esteem, reading and mathematical attainments of four cohorts of children on two occasions‐‐in Year 2 and again in Year 6. All Year 2 children(N = 842) in five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) comprised the sample, of which 588 were present in Year 6. The Lawseq questionnaire (Lawrence, 1982), Mathematics 7 and 11 (NFER, 1987a, b) and the Primary Reading Test Levels 1 and 2 (France, 1981) were administered to this sample. Results showed that Cohorts 3 and 4 had the lowest self‐esteem scores in Year 2 and the highest in Year 6 (significant at the 0.1% level). Attainments in mathematics were stable over the 4 years, but reading comprehension means were significantly higher in Year 6 than Year 2 (at the 0.1% level). Discussion centres on the age effects of self‐esteem responses as well as the effects of context and domain specific factors on self‐esteem.     

Reading and Comprehension: a longitudinal study of ex‐Reading Recovery students

The paper reports the results of a longitudinal case study conducted in Australia and New Zealand. The study compares the reading and comprehension age of children in their fifth and sixth years in school. Reading and comprehension ages of 121 children who had Reading Recovery intervention at age 6 were compared with those of a Comparison group of 121 children, drawn from the same classes who, at age 6 years, had been better performers in literacy. Reading and comprehension assessment was conducted with the use of the Neale Analysis of Reading and analysed by means of a t‐test. Results show that the mean reading age of ex‐Reading Recovery children was nearly 12 months superior to that of the Comparison group and that the mean comprehension age was nearly 13 months superior at very highly significant levels. The results strongly suggest that Reading Recovery tuition at age 6 years enabled the 121 ex‐Reading Recovery children to make greater progress in literacy than children in the Comparison group.     

Short‐term policy support for long‐term school change: a dilemma for reform‐minded practitioners

This paper questions the ability of a reform policy of five years’ duration to create the conditions necessary for practitioners to sustain change. California's school restructuring initiative challenged schools to transfer authority to teachers and to demonstrate that every student could succeed in learning. Analysis of this progressive policy is based upon the ‘best‐case’ experiences of an exemplary elementary school staff. After five years, the teachers are just developing the ability to confront the volatile issues of race and social class that surfaced in their inquiries into persistent disparities in student achievement. Using theories from institutional analysis of organizations, the paper argues that withdrawal of policy support means weakening of the regulative, cognitive and normative legitimacy for the goals and processes of change. Fixed‐term policies which invite radical reform thus leave schools vulnerable to the tradition‐reinforcing institutions that remain after the initiative has ended.     

The Effectiveness of a Faculty Training Programme: Long‐term and institutional impact

Long‐term influences of educational development initiatives for novice faculty members are seldom studied in a systematic way. In this exploratory study the long‐term individual and institutional impact of a novice faculty training programme at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) was evaluated, using a written survey with open questions. The results revealed that 2 years after finishing the programme the respondents still referred to the programme as a means of explaining changes in their day‐to‐day teaching practice. No firm relationship could be established between the strength of individual impact and the extent to which respondents also felt inclined to change things at the institutional level. The data suggests that the long‐term impact of the programme depends mainly on contextual elements. The article further discusses implications for the design of faculty training as well as perspectives for further research.

Onderzoek naar de invloed op lange termijn van onderwijskundige professionalisering voor beginnende docenten is schaars. Dit artikel bespreekt de resultaten van een exploratieve studie over de lange termijn invloed van een opleiding voor beginnende docenten aan de universiteit van Antwerpen (België). Met behulp van een schriftelijke vragenlijst met open vragen werd de invloed van de opleiding op individueel en institutioneel niveau nagegaan. De resultaten tonen aan dat de respondenten twee jaar na datum nog steeds naar de opleiding verwijzen wanneer zij veranderingen in hun dagelijkse onderwijspraktijk duiden. Vastgesteld werd dat docenten die getuigen van sterke veranderingen in hun onderwijsopvattingen, ook meer omvattende veranderingen in hun praktijk beschrijven. Er werd geen verband gevonden tussen de sterkte van de veranderingen op individueel niveau en de mate waarin docenten zich geroepen voelden om veranderingen op institutioneel niveau teweeg te brengen. De resultaten laten vermoeden dat de lange termijn invloed van de opleiding vooral afhangt van contextfactoren. Het artikel gaat in op de implicaties van de bevindingen voor het ontwerp van onderwijskundige professionalisering en op de uitdagingen voor verder onderzoek.

L'influence à long terme des initiatives de développement pédagogique destinées aux enseignants universitaires en début de carrière est rarement étudiée de façon systématique. Dans le cadre de cette étude exploratoire, l'impact à long terme et pour l'institution d'un programme de formation pour les nouveaux enseignants donné à l'Université d'Anvers (Belgique) a été évalué à l'aide d'un questionnaire écrit comportant des questions ouvertes. Les résultats tendent à démontrer que, même deux ans après avoir complété le programme, les répondants faisaient toujours référence au programme pour expliquer les changements survenus dans leur pratique quotidienne d'enseignement. Bien que les changements comportementaux correspondent à l'étendue du changement en matière de conceptions de l'enseignement, aucune relation nette n'a pu être établie entre l'impact institutionnel et la vigueur de l'impact individuel. Les données tendent à démontrer que l'impact à long terme du programme dépend principalement d'éléments contextuels. L'article présente aussi des éléments de discussion relatifs au design d'activités de formation pour les enseignants, de même que de nouvelles perspectives de recherche.     

Young Children's Human Figure Drawing: cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies

Abstract Forty‐two children aged between 2 years and 4 years 11 months were asked to draw a person. Their drawings were categorised as (1) scribbles, (2) distinct forms, (3) tadpoles, (4) transitional and (5) conventional figures. The first representational figures, the tadpoles, appeared at an average age of 3 years 1 month. It was predicted that if tadpole figures result from the complexity of the task rather than from a conceptual difficulty then tasks with reduced demands (a copying task, a jig‐saw task, and a dictation task) should facilitate the drawing of conventional figures. In fact, few conventional figures were produced and the tadpole form was highly resistant across the different tasks.

Six of the children were followed longitudinally over a one‐year period from a pre‐representational to a conventional stage of human figure drawing. Spontaneous drawings as well as drawings from six test sessions were collected in order to check whether all children drew ‘tadpole’ forms before they produced conventional figures and whether the conventional figures were adapted from the tadpoles. Four of the children did produce tadpole forms; two did not, but were probably specifically tutored in the conventional form by a peer or parents. There were wide individual differences in the nature of the transition from one form to the next, but there was no clear evidence that the conventional figure had been adapted from the tadpole form.     

Long‐term transformations: excavating privilege and diversity in the academy

The article presents a theoretical framework, ‘institutional phase theory’, that charts the process by which higher education faculties in the USA were broadened by race, gender, and to a certain extent class over the past 40 years. Drawing upon institutional ethnographies of three very different universities – a top‐ranked private university, a comprehensive urban university, and a top‐ranked public university, the authors provide examples from the third, the University of Michigan. By taking a historical and institutional approach, the authors chart the movement from accepting ‘exceptional’ women and faculty of colour on male terms to measurable changes in overly rigid structures and institution‐wide policies; expanded visions and boundaries in traditional disciplines; interdisciplinarity as a mark of the university; and transformed scholarly research in selected disciplines.     

The national survey of student engagement as a predictor of undergraduate GPA: a cross‐sectional and longitudinal examination

Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collected across seven years were used to predict final, cumulative grade point averages (GPA). Cross‐product regression was used to explore the predictive abilities of the NSSE benchmark scores for freshmen (n = 2578) and seniors (n = 2293) collected in cross‐sectional cohorts. Hierarchical regression was also used with 127 longitudinal responses in students’ first and senior years of college. In the cross‐sectional analyses, Level of Academic Challenge emerged as a significant predictor of GPA for freshmen, whereas the Active and Collaborative Learning benchmark was a significant predictor for seniors; both effects were modest. The cross‐sectional data explained 22.6% of the variance with 18.2% of this variance accounted for by pre‐college control factors (American College Test score and high school GPA). For the analysis of longitudinal data, 31.3% of the variance was explained and 27.8% was attributed to the pre‐college indicators. No benchmark scores were significant predictors of GPA in the longitudinal data. Results suggest that cross‐sectional analyses can adequately detect modest effects on final GPA. In contrast, longitudinal models explain more variance, though they lack the power to reveal modest effects. This study suggests approaches for the responsible use of cross‐sectional and longitudinal data in educational research.     

Learning habits of students with special needs in short‐term vocational education programmes

This research examined some characteristics of the learning habits of students with special needs and those without them in programmes of short‐term vocational education in five areas: motivation, learning and learning techniques, emotional, social and the area of self‐evaluation. The research sample consisted of 140 students from different secondary schools. The Questionnaire on the Learning Habits of Adolescents was used for the purpose of the study. The differences between the means from individual learning habit scales, between the students with special needs or without them, were discovered by one‐way analysis of variance. Basic findings of empirical research emphasise that there exist statistically significant differences between the students with special needs and the students without special needs in four areas of learning habits. Among the findings causing concern in connection with learning habits, we would like to underscore the fact that students with special needs are perceived as less efficient at and less competent in coping with learning and work tasks. These students are not familiar with effective methods and strategies for successful learning, which leads to the feelings of frustration and helplessness in case of failure. In order to cultivate an effective and supportive educational environment for students with special needs, short‐term vocational schools should develop learning/teaching models that provide a potentially powerful alternative to traditionally directed teaching approaches.     

Relationships and learning: a review and investigation of narrative coherence in looked‐after children in primary school

This review and investigation draws on principles from attachment theory regarding the importance of early relationships and their impact on the coherence and organisation of psychological functions. Comparisons are made between the narrative coherence scores of an experimental group of 17 looked‐after children with problematic relationship histories in mainstream school and a matched control group of 17 of their peers. There were significant differences between the groups in the coherence of children's narratives, denial and avoidance in story play themes and in their use of intentionality. The paper considers the theory and discusses the results in terms of the implications for teaching, learning and intervention.     

Gifted and at risk: Four longitudinal case studies of post‐high‐school development

This study explored the subjective experience of post‐high‐school development in four gifted individuals considered at risk because of significant underachievement, depression, or family stress. Conflict with parents was a dominant theme in the language of three of the subjects, and resolution of that conflict appeared to be associated with developmental task‐accomplishment and improved academic motivation and emotional health. The process of differentiating from parents included exploring identity, finding career direction, and struggling with autonomy issues during extended education. The developmental stories of these individuals, largely in their own words, are situated in one transitional developmental period, and the narratives allude to sexual abuse, sexual orientation, relatively early marriage, or depression.     

Long‐term effects of a programme for teacher training

Abstract

The long‐term effects of a three‐week training programme for new teachers have been studied. A questionnaire was sent to all those who participated in the years 1988‐1992. The directors of study of ten departments were also interviewed. The teachers, who were mainly graduate students, say the training has been of use to them by increasing their self confidence, leading to a deeper understanding of the teaching/learning process or providing new teaching skills. All directors of study report positive effects in the teachers. Six consider there have been spreading effects within the department. Teachers and directors of study agree that the priority given to research over teaching is a major obstacle for anyone who wishes to invest time and energy in teaching. A conclusion is that the teachers who took part in the training programme acquired skills and attitudes of use to them in their work. Some suggestions are made on how to improve the programme. However, the most important change to improve teaching would be to alter the relative value of teaching and research.     

Motor Development in School‐Aged Children With Down Syndrome: a longitudinal perspective

Movement is life! Motor development plays an essential role in the development of all children. From their earliest years, the attainment of motor milestones and the proficient development of motor skills provide the basis for the many other areas of development. Effective and efficient movement enhances confidence and has been shown to contribute to self‐concept and self‐worth. Little is known about the development of motor proficiency in individuals with Down syndrome beyond their early childhood. This study was designed to investigate motor development in school‐aged children to provide a more comprehensive picture of motor development into adolescence. The study was undertaken over 10 years in Brisbane, Australia, with a group of children involved in the Schonell Research Centre longitudinal study into Down syndrome. Results showed that the children's motor proficiency continued to progress into adolescence and that there were a wide range of inter‐ and intra‐individual differences in their skill levels and rates of progress.     

The role of personal best (PB) and dichotomous achievement goals in students’ academic motivation and engagement: a longitudinal investigation

This study assessed the role of prior personal best goals in predicting subsequent academic motivation and engagement. A total of 1160 high school students participated in a longitudinal survey study exploring the extent to which personal best and mastery and performance (dichotomous) achievement goals predict students’ academic motivation and engagement across the course of a full academic year. Findings showed that personal best goals predicted higher motivation and engagement a year later. Along with personal best goals, mastery goals also predicted higher motivation and engagement, while the role of performance goals was either neutral or negative. These findings provide support for the contention that personal best goals are associated with higher motivation and engagement across time.     

Self‐perception of gifts and talents among adults in a longitudinal study of academically talented high‐school graduates

Definitions of giftedness and self‐perceptions of abilities were examined among adults who have been participating in a longitudinal study of academically talented students since their high‐school graduation in 1988. For the present study, participants answered open‐ended questions and completed scales measuring adult giftedness and adult self‐perceptions of abilities in 12 different domains. Gender differences in perceptions were examined. When participants were asked if they believed they were gifted in high school and now, more men than women responded affirmatively to both questions. Further, significant gender differences were identified for perceived competencies in four areas: job competence, nurturance, athletic competence, and morality. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

Pre‐service primary education teachers’ changing attitudes towards teaching: a longitudinal study

This study investigated the longitudinal changes in the attitudes of pre‐service primary education teachers towards the teaching profession as they progressed through training. The results indicate that there is a significant difference in pre‐service teachers’ attitudes towards the profession between their freshman and senior years. Moreover, the findings obtained through interview data have shown that both positive and negative changes occur in pre‐service teachers’ attitudes towards teaching throughout their education, and these changes are observed to be related to teaching practice, cooperating teachers, teacher education institutions and teacher educators.