Effects of Classroom Structure on Student Achievement Goal Orientation

Abstract

The authors assessed how classroom structure influenced student achievement goal orientation for mathematics. Three elementary school classes were assigned randomly to 1 classroom structure condition: token economy, contingency contract, or control. Students in each condition were required to set individual achievement goals on a weekly basis. The authors assessed differences in goal orientation by comparing the number of learning vs. performance goals that students set within and across classroom structure conditions. Results indicated that students in the contingency-contract condition set significantly more learning goals than did students in other classroom structure conditions. No significant differences were found for performance goals across classroom structure conditions. Within classroom structure conditions, students in the contingency-contract group set significantly more learning goals than performance goals, whereas students in the token-economy condition set significantly more performance goals than learning goals.     

Student Background and Teacher Effects on Achievement and Attainment in Mathematics: A Longitudinal Study

In this article, we have studied the effect of student social background, classroom social context, classroom organisation, and teacher behaviours on mathematics achievement and attainment ill English and Welsh primary schools. Data were collected over 2 years as part of a programme evaluation, for which we observed 138 teachers and tested and collected background data on over 3,000 students. Results were analysed using multilevel modeling, and point to the importance of student background and teacher behaviours to achievement and attainment. The implications of these findings are explored.     

Student Achievement and School and Teacher Accountability

This article is part of a set of papers generated from a keynote presentation by Dr. Jack Frymier at the 1997 CREATE annual meeting. Dr. Frymier dealt with several reasons, that, as he saw it, invalidate the use of student achievement data in teacher accountability systems. This article first notes problems with Dr. Frymier's conception of accountability. Next, it summarizes some of the recent evidence showing the strong connection between school and teacher effectiveness measures and student achievement. It then notes some of the benefits of school and teacher effectiveness measures external to their function as measures of performance. Next, policy issues arising from the use of student data and the associated research are considered. Finally, it concludes with some cautions about using effectiveness measures in teacher accountability systems.     

Classroom Assessment Practices,Teacher Judgments,and Student Achievement in Mathematics: Evidence from the ECLS

In this study we use data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey third- and fifth-grade samples to investigate teacher judgments of student achievement, the extent to which they offer a similar picture of student mathematics achievement compared to standardized test scores, and whether classroom assessment practices moderate the relationship between the two measures. Results indicate that teacher ratings correlate strongly with standardized test scores; however, this relationship varies considerably across teachers, and this variation is associated with certain classroom assessment practices. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that teachers evaluate student performance not in absolute terms but relative to other students in the school and that they may adjust their grading for some students, perhaps with basis on perceived differences in need and/or ability.     

The Effects of Concurrent Classroom and Home Instructional Video-Game Use on Student Achievement

ABSTRACT

This study focused on whether Internet use improves skills for practical use of information, which is termed information literacy in Japan. Data from Japanese elementary school children (n = 702) were analyzed in a two-wave panel study in order to estimate the causal relationship between Internet use and information literacy. Structural equation modeling was the specific technique applied in a cross-lagged effect model. Results of the analysis indicated that greater use of the Internet led to higher information literacy in the whole-scale measure of practical use of information, as well as in the subskill areas of collecting, judging, and expressing information.     

Teacher Professional Development and Student Reading Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects

Abstract

Research-based instruction is necessary to support students’ reading development, and professional development (PD) is a critical avenue to ensuring high-quality instructional practices. To date, there has been no comprehensive review focused on the effects of teacher PD on student reading achievement. As such, the purpose of the present meta-analysis was to examine the impact of teacher PD on reading outcomes for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. A secondary aim was to determine whether study, program, or participant characteristics were potential moderators of these effects. A comprehensive search of published and unpublished research between 1975 and 2017 resulted in 28 studies that met prescribed criteria. Results indicate that teacher PD has a moderate and significant, positive average effect on reading achievement. However, moderator analyses did not explain the variance in the effects of PD on student outcomes. Primarily, studies represented typically-developing students in the elementary grades, with only three studies including middle school students and four studies including reading outcomes of students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. Recommendations for improved study designs that allow for more in-depth investigation of the characteristics of effective PD and mechanisms of change in student outcomes are discussed.     

Student Achievement: A Factor in Classroom Dynamics?

This study examined differences in interaction patterns between teachers and high and low achieving and high and low expectation students. Records of verbal teacher‐student interactions, both public and private, were obtained through videotaping ten grade 3 and grade 6 classes during mathematics and language lessons. Teachers tended to interact most frequently with high achieving and high expectancy students, particularly at the grade 6 level, but consistently spent more time waiting for and interacting with low achieving and low expectation students.     

Multilevel Effects of Student and Classroom Factors on Elementary Science Achievement in Five Countries

This study examined the effects of individual student factors and classroom factors on elementary science achievement within and across five countries. The student‐level factors included gender, self‐confidence in science and home resources. The classroom‐level factors included teacher characteristics, instructional variables and classroom composition. Results for the USA and four other countries, Singapore, Japan, Australia and Scotland, were reported. Multilevel effects were examined through Hierarchical Linear Modelling, using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 fourth grade dataset. Overall, the results showed that selected student background characteristics were consistently related to elementary science achievement in countries investigated. At the student level, higher levels of home resources and self‐confidence and at the classroom level, higher levels of class mean home resources yielded higher science scores on the TIMSS 2003. In general, teacher and instructional variables were minimally related to science achievement. There was evidence of positive effects of teacher support in the USA and Singapore. The emphasis on science inquiry was positively related to science achievement in Singapore and negatively related in the USA and Australia. Recommendations for practice and policy were discussed.     

Assessing and Addressing Student Barriers: Implications for Today's College Classroom

The increasingly diverse set of learners in colleges and universities poses considerable challenges for educators. Dorothy A. Osterholt and Sophie Lampard Dennis explain the four domains of learning they have identified and suggest ways to apply them to help students overcome a variety of obstacles to learning.     

Examining the Dual Purpose Use of Student Learning Objectives for Classroom Assessment and Teacher Evaluation

The process of setting and evaluating student learning objectives (SLOs) has become increasingly popular as an example where classroom assessment is intended to fulfill the dual purpose use of informing instruction and holding teachers accountable. A concern is that the high‐stakes purpose may lead to distortions in the inferences about students and teachers that SLOs can support. This concern is explored in the present study by contrasting student SLO scores in a large urban school district to performance on a common objective external criterion. This external criterion is used to evaluate the extent to which student growth scores appear to be inflated. Using 2 years of data, growth comparisons are also made at the teacher level for teachers who submit SLOs and have students that take the state‐administered large‐scale assessment. Although they do show similar relationships with demographic covariates and have the same degree of stability across years, the two different measures of growth are weakly correlated.     

Student Surveys for School Teacher Evaluation

Students reports have the potential to add much useful information about school teacher quality. However, much research has centered on post secondary settings and many questions remain about the use of pupil surveys for K–12 teachers. The Davis County School District (Utah) uses pupil surveys as one teacher-chosen data source for teacher evaluation. The surveys of 9,765 students were analyzed for patterns of response. Item analysis suggests that pupils responded with reliability and validity. Some individual items are more defensible than others for conceptual and empirical reasons.     

Simultaneously Student and Teacher: Measuring Achievement Goals in Preservice Teachers

Abstract

Preservice teachers can be considered simultaneously students and teachers and therefore likely have both academic and professional goals. However, once in a professional program, predicting professional outcomes becomes somewhat more important than academic ones. This distinction may have implications for the selection of measurement tools used in research on preservice teachers’ motivation. We used a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) design that included tests of alternative confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), within and between method correlations, and relations with other variables to compare two measures of achievement goals: Elliot and Murayama’s (2008 Elliot, A. J., & Murayama, K. (2008). On the measurement of achievement goals: Critique, illustration, and application. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(3), 613–628. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.613[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) measure of students’ achievement goals and Butler’s (2007) measure of teachers’ achievement goals. Results of the CFAs suggested that the scales are measuring separate constructs. The MTMM correlations, however, revealed evidence that certain factors may function similarly. This was most evident for the homotrait-heteromethod factors of mastery approach, which correlated similarly with sense of self-efficacy, emotions, and classroom mastery goal structures.     

Teacher Locus of Control,Teacher Behavior,and Student Behavior as Determinants of Student Achievement

Abstract

The relationship between teacher locus of control (A), teacher behavior (B), student behavior (C), and student achievement (D) was investigated. It was predicted that internal teachers would produce higher achieving students by maintaining a controlled learning environment, thereby engaging students in more appropriate on-task behavior. The first part of the study found modest correlations between I-E scores of 44 fourth grade teachers and student achievement in reading, language, and math. In the second part, the behavior of a subsample of 17 teachers and their students was observed. Although the complete A-B-C-D link was not obtained, several parts of the model did relate significantly.     

The Relation between Teacher Specialization and Student Reading Achievement

This study investigates the relationship between teacher specialization and the reading achievement of fourth-grade students in Sweden. The empirical base is data from PIRLS 2011. The main method of analysis is a two-level regression. Results revealed a positive relationship between reading achievement and teacher education relevant for subject and grade level while there was no relationship between reading achievement and teaching experience. The relation between reading achievement and teacher specialization remained significant when the influence of parents’ educational levels and students’ early reading abilities were controlled for. A tendency of compensatory effects could be observed, with teacher specialization having a stronger effect in low-performing classrooms. The findings support the conclusion that relevant teacher education is of importance for teacher effectiveness.     

The Impact of Time Spent Coaching for Teacher Efficacy on Student Achievement

Coaching for increased teacher efficacy (both instructional and self) has been an essential component to various educational reforms such as No Child Left Behind; Reading First projects and Early Reading First Projects. Those seeking to improve teacher performance leading to enhanced student outcomes on various state assessments have also incorporated coaching into the methodology. The purpose of this study was to look at the linkage between hours spent coaching teachers in the classroom for efficacy in content instruction and child achievements/outcomes. A significant correlation was seen in year one between the time coaches spent in the classroom and students’ alphabet recognition scores. The coaching model for year one was one that focused coaching for instructional efficacy in specific content and teaching methods and saw the coaches directly facilitate and support theory to practice. In year two and three, no significant correlation was found. Year two and three used a coaching model which was less specific in focus and increased time spent on site with teachers. The implications for coaching practice includes balancing time between four components to effective coaching; (1) instructing for specific content, (2) modeling techniques and instructional practices, (3) observing teacher practices and (4) consulting for reflection.     

Leadership as Accountability for Learning: The Effects of School Poverty, Teacher Experience, Previous Achievement, and Principal Preparation Programs on Student Achievement

In the current era of accountability for achievement, school principals play the pivotal role of instructional leader. In a high-stakes testing environment, leadership preparation programs in universities and school districts need to be positively related to academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school leadership preparation programs and student achievement in urban settings. Because leadership is contingent on the setting, school contextual factors and their impact on student achievement framed this study. Regression techniques were employed to construct a conceptual model with predictors of criterion and norm-referenced student achievement scores. Confirming previous research findings, student poverty, teacher experience, and previous achievement were the strongest predictors and accounted for a significant amount of variance in student achievement; however, university and district preparation programs were not significant predictors. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.     

教师参与专业发展活动对学生学业成绩影响的实证研究——基于北京市高中学生的分析

教师专业发展是提高学校教育质量和学生学业成就的关键因素。关于教师专业发展的实证研究主要关注的是专业发展活动对教师本身的影响,较少有研究关注专业发展活动对学生带来的影响。本研究基于2016~2019年北京市高中阶段4万多名学生的标准化考试成绩和近2000名教师的问卷调查数据,采用增值模型分析教师对学生学业成绩的增值影响,并进一步聚焦教师参与区级和校本教研活动对学生学业成绩的影响。分析结果显示,教师参与区级教研活动的程度对学生成绩有显著的正向影响,其中聚焦于学科课程内容的教研活动对学生成绩的增值作用尤其显著。此外,教师参与校本教研活动的程度对学生成绩有显著的正向影响,其中教师之间的非正式交流的积极作用不容忽视。