The achievement gap: The impact of between-class attainment grouping on pupil attainment and educational equity over time

Despite extensive research on attainment grouping, the impact of attainment grouping on pupil attainment remains poorly understood and contested. This paper presents evidence from a study conducted with 2944 12–13 year olds, from 76 schools in England, who were allocated to between-class attainment groups (‘setting’) in English and mathematics over the first 2 years of secondary schooling. After controlling for prior attainment, pupils in the top set performed significantly better than pupils in the middle and bottom sets in both English and mathematics. The findings indicate a widening gap in attainment, especially in the case of English. Findings, especially in the case of mathematics, provide more evidence of a relative benefit for pupils placed in top sets than a relative detriment for those in bottom sets.     

University instructors' ratings profiles: Stability over time,and disciplinary differences

This study investigated university instructors' teaching profiles (rank order of teaching behaviors) as they emerge from student ratings. The data consisted of student ratings of all faculty members in the physics and chemistry departments at Tel Aviv University, with no exception, who taught the same undergraduate course over two consecutive years. The ratings of these instructors were taken twice a semester (at mid- and end of semester), during the two academic years of the study, using a short rating instrument. A (4 × 5) × 2 ANOVA was conducted, with time of measurement and item serving as repeated measures, and department as a grouping factor. The same procedure was used for identifying differences between pairs of measurements for each item. These pairs compared the corresponding measures of the first year versus the second year, and separately those of mid-semester versus the end of semester. Findings indicate a very high degree of stability of instructors' profiles across time of measurement and activities to improve instructor performance on weak points; no clear-cut improvement from mid- to end-of-semester ratings except for teachers who undertake special improvement activities; and differences in teaching profiles for the two academic departments.     

The role of leadership in small scale educational change

By investigating the factors facilitating and hindering a small scale educational change, this study highlights the crucial role of leadership in designing and implementing an educational change at a transnational university in Vietnam. During its initiation stage, the programme leaders seemed to fail to (1) set up a clear schedule for changing, (2) assist external advisory groups in providing training sessions and (3) clarify the responsibilities of external advisory groups. At the implementation stage, programme leaders and teachers were less likely to (1) develop the collective knowledge and understandings required for ongoing instructional improvement, (2) adjust the teaching quality control system and (3) cooperate with advisory groups. The lessons that can be learned include (1) mutual trust between stakeholders is vital to its successful implementation as it may determine the level of efforts stakeholders would make, (2) preparations should include clarifying stakeholders' responsibilities and the accountability system and (3) the external advisory groups need to be properly managed from the very beginning of the change.     

The effect of different usage of the educational programming language in programming education on the programming anxiety and achievement

Education and Information Technologies - The abstract structure, logic, negative perceptions, and anxiety of programming are seen as obstacles to novice programmers. The importance of educational...     

Research-informed practice improvements: exploring linkages between school district use of research evidence and educational outcomes over time

The field of education is progressively building capacity and tools for producing rigorous research evidence to use in improving educational practice and outcomes. The knowledge base is lacking, however, in explicating the dynamics of research-based decision making and exploring connections between the work of research–practice partnerships and changes in educational outcomes. Drawing on experiences and data collected over a decade in mixed-methods research, we describe a case example of how research evidence developed in a multidistrict collaboration was used by one district partner to inform ongoing improvements in publicly funded tutoring programs. We employ both qualitative and quantitative analysis in exploring probable linkages between research-based changes made by the district partner and academic outcomes over time.     

对目前教育教学中某些现象的思考

教育教学面临的不良现象较多 ,这些问题虽不具有普遍性 ,但也严重影响着教育教学质量 ,制约教育发展 ,影响民族素质的提高 ,需要通过教育教学改革加以系统解决。     

对教育实验的思考

20世纪初至今教育实验在我国的教育研究中始终是重要的科学方法之一。它为理论与实践的结合提供了一个平台，但在实施过程中也存在一些问题。本文从教育实验的选题、评价和推广三个方面来探讨教育实验存在的问题并提出解决这些问题的对策。     

Left Alone: end time for Marxist educational theory?

This paper provides an external account of the demise of the ‘old’ Marxist educational theory flowing from social reproductionism/ resistance theory. Five developments are explored in terms of how they have undercut the ‘old’ educational Marxism: hyper‐academicism; dislocations/disjunctions between theory and practice; the postmodern challenge; the new liberal ‘Left’ challenge; and, the ‘death of Marxism’ syndrome. The first two elements form the basis of some important ‘lessons’ for the revitalisation of Marxist perspectives on education. It is also argued that, although the five trends and developments have posed a serious challenge for the ‘old’ Marxist educational theory, nevertheless, it will probably circulate for some time‐‐given revivals, revisits, and as a source of easy criticism for anti‐Marxists. Finally, there has been a recent flowering of new approaches to theorising education from a Marxist perspective, which this paper maps out.     

Attachment over time

Continuity in attachment classification from infancy to late adolescence was examined and related to autobiographical memories of childhood, divorce, and maladjustment. Eighty-four White middle-class children (48 girls) were seen in a modified Strange Situation at 12 months and given the Adult Attachment Interview at 18 years. In addition, data were collected on 13-year-olds' childhood recollections as well as adolescent, mother, and teacher ratings of maladjustment at 13 and 18 years of age. Divorce status of parents also was obtained. Results indicated no continuity in attachment classification from 1 to 18 years of age and no relation between infant attachment status and adolescent maladjustment. Divorce was related to 13-year-olds' childhood recollections as well as to insecure attachment status at 18 years. Eighteen-year-olds with insecure attachment classification were more likely to rate themselves as maladjusted. The results support the idea of attachment as an evolving representation dependent upon the nature of the family environment as indexed by divorce.     

Educational family background and the realisation of educational career intentions: participation of German upper secondary graduates in higher education over time

In this article, we evaluate the impact of social origin on the realisation of educational intentions at the time of becoming eligible for higher education in Germany. In general, we find high persistence of intentions and actual attendance of higher education. However, effects of parental education on the changes of educational intentions increase the existing social inequality with regard to higher education at the time of leaving secondary school. The group which is affected most are those young adults planning to study after vocational training—while the gap between different origin groups does not widen much during other stop-outs from education. This can be explained only partly by previous educational performance. The findings suggest that estimates of educational inequality are attenuated when entry into higher education is approximated by educational intentions of young adults.     

Stability of educational goal orientations held by teachers

This study assesses the temporal stability of teacher goal orientation and identifies factors associated with change. Seventy-four elementary teachers responded to questionnaires and interviews over a 4-year period. Teacher goal orientation was found to be a relatively stable construct, as few teachers made major and enduring shifts in goal orientation. Subjects identified a variety of factors as contributing to change in goal orientation, with student behavior emerging as a primary impetus for change. Contrary to expectation, shifts in goal orientation were most often exhibited by the more highly experienced teachers in the study. Implications are discussed.     

Action learning over time: an ipsative enquiry

The aim of this article is to explore several decades of experience of action learning and to distil lessons from that experience that are worth sharing with other practitioners. The method is to systematically collect the experiential data within three categories (sense-based, affective and cognitive data), interrogate them to draw out lessons and report those conclusions that have broader significance. The main conclusions are about (1) participants' readiness for action learning, (2) the development of people's abilities to self-facilitate and self-manage action learning and (3) the role of action learning in universities.     

Community polarization over educational programs can be avoided

The series of events involved in implementing an innovative educational project in a fairly conservative community are outlined with particular reference to parental dissemination procedures, the role of the media, and staff response strategies. Shortly after the project's inception, two challenges against the use of an affective curriculum were mounted by a couple of opposition parents. The attempts were considered unsuccessful and several operating assumptions for new programs were described.     

教育装备规模效益评估模型研究

教育装备规模效益是决策和规划装备系统建设的重要指标,也是衡量装备经济效益和教育效能的根本.因此,必须系统分析教育装备规模效益的影响因素,才能构建规模效益的评估模型,才能使装备建设更加合理科学.     

Valuing knowledge over action: the example of gender in educational leadership

Gender inequalities in educational administration attract calls for research internationally. The degree of concern and the urgent search for cause and cure are characterised as within an epidemic logic, evoking a managerialist ‘scientific’ reliance on evidence-driven change. Taking a poststructuralist approach, the paper uses a study of South African women school principals to position gender research as a tool for change. It considers one area of their experience that impacts on their leadership, marriage, as a vehicle to explore how research might be used. The paper challenges Western Enlightenment teleological cultural assumptions. It suggests that knowledge may be all we have to continue the negotiation of power where there is no solid ground of rightness about what views and actions disempower or the contrary and that it may, in itself, be a powerful force in the face of intractable problems.     

学习时间的元认知功能及其对教育的启示

学习时间的元认知功能有两种,即监测功能和控制功能。学习时间的监测功能体现在学习者能够根据学习时间的多少来判断学习任务的难度,从而推断随后的测验成绩。学习时间的控制功能体现在学习者以监测为依据,通过分配学习时间来控制随后的学习过程,以便提高学习成绩。