Stability of overt Type A behaviors in children: results from a one-year longitudinal study

This paper describes the degree of similarity between repeated ratings (taken 1 year apart) of overt Type A behaviors in 2 samples totaling 633 children. The measure of overt Type A behaviors was the Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH), which was completed by the children's classroom teacher. Results showed that correlations between repeated MYTH ratings approximated .55 and in general increased somewhat with the children's school grade, although correlations between repeated ratings of competitive achievement behaviors of boys residing in an affluent eastern suburb were somewhat lower than above. The degree of similarity across 1 year in children's Type A behaviors is comparable to that found for adult Type A behaviors and for other cardiovascular risk factors in children. The discussion includes a consideration of assumptions underlying research on the origins of Type A behavior and suggests that etiological factors in the development of Type A might profitably be studied in primary school-aged children.     

A Comparison of Four Types of Spelling Tests for Diagnostic Purposes

Data from 484 students out of a Hawaiian high school graduating class of 643 were used in a study of post-high school destinations. of these 643 students, 360 were found to have selected academic destinations. They were going either to universities, a regional 2-year branch of the state university, 4-year colleges, junior colleges, or technical schools. A factor analysis of ten variables consisting of teachers’ ratings of school related behavior, verbal (V) and quantitative (Q) School and College Abilities Tests (SCAT) scores, and rank in graduating class (R) revealed two factors: “g” a general intellective factor (SCAT Q and V) and school skills (teachers’ ratings and R). In general the institutions of high academic quality attracted students who were significantly higher on the variables of both factors. Variation from this pattern of choice was discussed in terms of ego self-direction and social control as it affected mobility away from the island location.     

Rating students’ problem behaviour: the role of teachers’ individual characteristics

This study examined the role of teachers’ personal characteristics and mental health status on their frequency ratings of student problem behaviour. A sample of 121 primary school teachers were asked to rate the frequency of a student’s behavioural problems, and to self-report their personality traits, psychopathology symptoms and burnout. Overall, the results revealed that teachers’ ratings were significantly predicted by their psychopathology symptoms and to a lesser extent by their personality traits and burnout levels. Student and teacher demographic characteristics were also predictive of teacher ratings. Since teachers are among the primary informants of students’ mental health, the results of this study pose the need to take into consideration teachers’ individual characteristics, when their ratings are critically evaluated during a student’s referral process.     

How are Closeness and Conflict in Student–Teacher Relationships Associated with Demographic Factors,School Functioning and Mental Health in Norwegian Schoolchildren Aged 6–13?

This study explored the association between teacher-reported student-teacher relationship quality (closeness and conflict) and demographic factors, school functioning and child mental health in a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted among a national sample of Norwegian school children (N?=?825) in grades 1 to 7. Bivariate analyses and standard multiple regression analysis were conducted. Conflict in student–teacher relationships correlated highly with child mental health factors and in particular, problems of externalization. For closeness in student-teacher relationships, demographic factors accounted for the largest proportion of variance. Our findings suggest that different strategies may be needed to promote closeness and reduce conflict in student–teacher relationships.     

Teachers’ and school administrators’ attitudes and beliefs of teacher evaluation: a preliminary investigation of high poverty school districts

This study examined attitudes and beliefs regarding teacher evaluation of teachers and their school administrators in the state of New Jersey, USA. The sample included 33 school administrators and 583 Pre-K through 12th grade teachers from four high-poverty urban school districts (22 schools). Participant attitudes and beliefs were assessed using the Teacher Evaluation Experience Scale (TEES; Reddy et al. in Educational Assessment, 21(2), 120–134, 2016). TEES is a multi-informant assessment designed to measure teachers’ and school administrators’ experiences with teacher evaluation through five scales (i.e., total and subscales of system, feedback, process, and motivation to change) and six open-ended questions. Based on the qualitative analyses, teachers identified collaborative communication and evaluation feedback as the most helpful aspects of their evaluation process. Based on the quantitative analyses, however, their average ratings did not exceed neutral on any of the four subscales. Overall findings suggest that school administrators’ experiences with teacher evaluation are more favorable than teachers’ experiences. Moderate correlations are found between participant characteristics and TEES scales. Implications for teacher evaluation are presented.     

Examining the validity of office discipline referrals as an indicator of student behavior problems

Office discipline referral (ODR) data are increasingly used to monitor student behavior problems and the impact of interventions, but there has been limited research examining their validity. The current study examined the concordance of ODRs with teacher ratings of student behavior using data on 8,645 children in 335 classrooms at 21 elementary schools. The results of a variety of analyses (e.g., correlations, multivariate analysis of variance, receiver operating characteristics) suggested that ODRs are moderately valid and reliable. Multilevel analyses revealed that teacher ratings of disruptive behaviors were significantly associated with ODRs, even after controlling for other student‐, classroom‐, and school‐level factors. These findings suggest that ODRs are moderately valid indicators of student behavior problems and may be an efficient source of information for use in school‐based research and data‐based decision‐making. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Consultation outcome as a result of in-service resource teacher training

The effects of learning disabilities teacher training for consultation with classroom teachers were investigated. Twelve learning disabilities resource teachers and 60 elementary school classroom teachers within one school system served as subjects. Four learning disabilities resource teachers received communication skills training, and four resource teachers received conceptual assumptions training. In addition, four resource teachers served as a control group for the study. Each resource teacher conducted three 20- to 30-minute conferences with each of five elementary school teachers. Following the third conference, information was collected concerning: (a) classroom teacher ratings of satisfaction with services, (b) joint ratings of the child's progress toward goals set during the first conferences, (c) the percentage of recommendations implemented, and (d) classroom teacher ratings of joint responsibility, and of resource teacher respect, empathy, and congruence. There were three findings in this study. First, no differences resulting from either type of training were found at posttest for classroom teacher respect, resource teacher congruence, joint responsibility, or joint ratings of the child's progress. Second, training resource teachers in communication skills resulted in significantly higher classroom teacher ratings of resource teacher empathy. Finally, significant differences due to resource teacher experiences prior to this study were noted with classroom teacher ratings of the child's progress, and the number of recommendations implemented.     

近十二年来普通中学教师心理健康状况的元分析

选取2000-2011年使用SCL-90量表调查普通中学教师的76个研究,采用元分析方法对报告的数据进行处理和分析,以全面考察21世纪前12年我国普通中学教师心理健康的整体状况及其发展变化与亚群差异.结果发现,普通中学教师心理健康水平极其显著地低于金华等的全国常模,躯体化、焦虑、恐怖得分非常显著地高于唐秋萍等的合并常模;后6年,人际敏感、抑郁、焦虑、恐怖得分显著上升;女教师焦虑与恐怖非常显著地高于男教师;除人际敏感与偏执外,兼任班主任的教师各因子分均显著高于非班主任.可见,普通中学教师心理健康状况较差,须特别关注女教师与班主任教师的心理健康;金华等1986年的常模与21世纪的教师已不具有可比性.     

Junior Primary in the Van Dyke Level Plan

Abstract

Attitudes toward school subjects were explored in a group of sixth graders. First, correlations were obtained between ratings of school subjects on the Semantic Differential (SD) and scores on corresponding subtests of the SRA Achievement Series. Significant positive correlations (p < .01) were observed for boys in social studies, arithmetic, and reading and for girls in reading. Second, achievement at the end of the year was predicted from IQ, achievement and SD scores at the beginning of the year. SD ratings contributed significantly to predictions only in the case of arithmetic for boys (p < .01). Third, SD ratings of school subjects at the beginning and end of the year were compared by an anlysis of variance procedure. For both boys and girls, attitudes were significantly less favorable for most subjects at the end of the year.     

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond “cookbook-like” laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.     

Perceptions of future and cur rent teachers on the organization of elementary schools: a dissonance approach to the investigation of job satisfaction

The study compares the satisfaction ratings of future and current elementary school teachers with respect to the main aspects of school organization and administration. Data were collected from 66 in-service teachers and 79 preservice teachers in Cyprus. The application of factor analysis on the data resulted in the identification of the following main dimensions of school organization: headmaster's role, school organization, school climate, teacher incentives/work conditions, inspector's role and teachers' role. The comparison of the satisfaction ratings of future and current teachers on the above factors produced the following findings: first, the ratings of the two groups differed significantly for the first four factors. Secondly, future teachers reported lower satisfaction ratings than their in-service counterparts in the headmaster's role, school organization and school climate factors and higher ratings on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor.These discrepancies are considered to constitute causes of concern for educational policy-makers. The high expectations of future teachers on the teacher incentives/work conditions factor are viewed as a probable subsequent cause of cognitive dissonance and job dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the low expectations of future teachers with respect to three factors (headmaster's role, school organization, school climate) are likely to reduce their initial enthusiasm for their job. The implications of the findings for teacher training programmes are discussed, and suggestions are made on ways of reducing discrepancies between the expectations of future teachers and the realities of the workplace.     

Students’ Self Assessment of Academic Attainment: accuracy and stability from 7 to 16 years and influence of domain and social comparison group 1

Pupils’ appraisals of their own ability have been found to be important in their school progress. This paper examines the accuracy and stability of academic self assessments from 7 to 16 years, and the effect of two factors on developments over time: domain/school subject (mathematics or reading/English) and social comparison group (general to children of the same age or specific to own class). Results come from a major longitudinal study of pupils in London schools. An overall lowering in self assessments from 7 to 16 years was accompanied from 11 years by greater accuracy. But systematic differences were found between domains; overall ability ratings were higher in reading/English, and there was more stability in ratings from 11 to 16 years. There was a marked drop in self assessments from the general to the own class social comparison group. But again there were domain differences: there was a greater drop at 11 and 16 years in reading/English.

     

Predictive validity evidence for an assessment program based on the Work Sampling System in mathematics and language and literacy

This study examined the predictive nature of teacher ratings of student performance on the mathematical thinking and language and literacy domains of a state mandated curriculum-embedded performance assessment for children in first grade to student achievement on a criterion-referenced test in third grade in mathematics and English language arts, using a multilevel modeling approach. The sample included 1,281 elementary school children nested within 132 classrooms in an urban school district in South Carolina. Results showed positive associations between first grade teacher ratings and students’ third grade achievement. However, first grade teacher ratings were not found to uniquely contribute to the proportion of explained variance in third grade performance on a high-stakes statewide assessment, over and above student demographic variables.     

Learning problems, anger, perceived control, and misbehavior

Fifty-four students diagnosed as having learning disabilities (LD) and 73 students in regular education were administered the School Anger Inventory and the Perceived Control at School Scale. Teachers and parents rated student deportment and motivation. Predictably, those in the LD sample indicated higher school anger levels and were rated as exhibiting more negative behavior, less positive behavior, and lower motivation for on-task performance. The samples did not differ in their ratings of perceived control, which was moderate, and were given comparable positive teacher ratings for recall of relevant and interesting material. Significant correlations between school anger and behavior were found only in the LD sample, and there was no significant overall relationship between school anger, behavior, and perceived control within either sample. Overall, however, students who reported both a high level of anger and high perceived control were found to exhibit more negative behavior than those with high anger and low perceived control.     

A STATEWIDE STUDY OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTION TEAMS: CHARACTERISTICS,MEMBER PERCEPTIONS,AND OUTCOMES

Surveys were administered to members of approximately 400 school-based teams participating in a statewide initiative promoting intervention-based assessment. Team members provided information about their teams' demographic characteristics, communication, leadership, and decision-making processes. Results were analyzed in terms of team features and characteristics as well as relationships between these features and several outcomes, including school faculty/staff perceptions of the acceptability of teams; ratings of school support for, and teams' mastery of, the consultative intervention-planning process; number of “traditional” multifactored evaluations conducted in the school; and actual student goal attainment. Significant relationships were found between structural and procedural aspects of team functioning and a number of these outcomes but not with student goal attainment. Results are discussed in terms of future research directions.     

Self-efficacy's influence on student academic achievement in the medical anatomy curriculum

Self‐efficacy is defined as a person's beliefs in his or her own abilities to successfully complete a task and has been shown to influence student motivation and academic behaviors. More specifically, anatomical self‐efficacy is defined as an individual's judgment of his or her ability to successfully complete tasks related to the anatomy curriculum; these include dissecting, learning anatomical concepts, and applying anatomical knowledge to clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of anatomical self‐efficacy on the academic performance of students enrolled in a medical gross anatomy course. To obtain students' anatomical self‐efficacy ratings, surveys containing the same anatomical self‐efficacy instrument were completed by first‐year medical students at a southeastern United States allopathic medical school after each of four gross anatomy assessments. Additional data collected included student demographic information, Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) scores, and anatomy assessment scores, both written examination and laboratory practical. To investigate the potential predictive nature of self‐efficacy for academic performance on both the written examination and the laboratory practical components of medical anatomy assessments, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. For these analyses, academic ability (defined as the sum of the physical sciences and biological sciences MCAT scores) was controlled. The results of the hierarchical linear regressions indicated that all four laboratory practical scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings, while two (i.e., thorax/abdomen and pelvis/lower limb) of the four written examination scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings (P ≤ 0.05). Anat Sci Educ. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Sociometric Predictors of the Self Concept among Fifth and Sixth Grade Children

Abstract

Theories of self-concept usually maintain that the individual’s self-esteem is reflected in peer ratings. The purpose of this 6tudy is to isolate factore of self-esteem and of peer ratings and to determine significant relationships between the derived factors. Over two hundred elementary pupils were selected from two metropolitan areas.

Approximately half were black, disadvantaged pupils; the remainder were white with above average cultural advantages. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) and a semantic differential (SD) were administered to all students. From a factor analysis of responses to the SEI, four factors of self-esteem and a lie scale emerged.

Three SD factors were obtained from a factor analysis of the peer ratings. One significant canonical correlation (.325 p = .01) resulted from the correlation of the three SD factor scores with scores on the five SEI factors. “Activity” dominated the relationship between peer feelings and self-concept dimensions.     

Stability and correlates of student evaluations of teaching at a Chinese university

This paper examines the stability and validity of a student evaluations of teaching (SET) instrument used by the administration at a university in the PR China. The SET scores for two semesters of courses taught by 435 teachers were collected. Total 388 teachers (170 males and 218 females) were also invited to fill out the 60‐item NEO Five‐Factor Inventory together with a demographic information questionnaire. The SET responses were found to have very high internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis supported a one‐factor solution. The SET re‐test correlations were .62 for both the teachers who taught the same course (n = 234) and those who taught a different course in the second semester (n = 201). Linguistics teachers received higher SET scores than either social science or humanities or science and technology teachers. Student ratings were significantly related to Neuroticism and Extraversion. Regression results showed that the Big‐Five personality traits as a group explained only 2.6% of the total variance of student ratings and academic discipline explained 12.7% of the total variance of student ratings. Overall the stability and validity of SET was supported and future uses of SET scores in the PR China are discussed.     

Child maltreatment among school children in the Kurdistan Province, Iran

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the determinants of three types of child maltreatment: physical maltreatment, mental maltreatment, and child neglect among school children in the Kurdistan Province of Iran. The analysis examines the impact of socioeconomic, familial, demographic, and household dynamic factors on the three child maltreatment outcomes, and compares the differential impact of these factors across the three types of child maltreatment. A greater understanding of the factors associated with child maltreatment has the potential to inform public health interventions aimed at reducing specific forms of maltreatment and at identifying at risk populations. METHODS: Data were collected from 1,370 school students, age 11-18. Separate logistic models are fitted for six binary outcomes examining self-reported experiences of physical maltreatment in the home or school, mental maltreatment in the home or school, and child neglect in the home or school. RESULTS: Male children were more likely to report experiencing any kind of child maltreatment than girls. Residency in a rural area, poor parental relationships and the use of addictive substances by household members were associated with increased odds of reporting child maltreatment. Poor school performance was associated with the reporting of experiencing maltreatment at school. CONCLUSION: Each of the forms of child maltreatment is highly correlated with socioeconomic, demographic, and living condition factors. The results point to the strong influence that familial factors have in shaping a child's likelihood of reporting maltreatment. Characteristics of the mother were associated with maltreatment, but not characteristics of the father. The results highlight a number of mechanisms through which public health interventions may seek to reduce the prevalence of child maltreatment in Kurdistan; different approaches are needed to reduce child maltreatment in the home and school environments.