The challenge of sustaining change: contradictions within the development of teacher and librarian collaboration

Teacher and librarian collaboration has relatively low priority in schools and in educational research. This is a paradox, as teachers and librarians share a common social and educational mandate of literacy education. The purpose of this article is to examine this paradox through exploring systemic contradictions in teacher and librarian collaboration within literacy education. Our data consist of discursive interaction between project leaders in an educational intervention project in Norway. The aim of the intervention is to develop teacher and librarian collaboration in two primary schools. Our analytical starting point is a critical conflict that occurred in one of the project leader meetings. The conflict arises from differing discourses of literacy education held by the local education authority and by the intervention project. We analyze how the project leaders respond to the conflict, how the conflict triggers new tensions and dilemmas within the project leader group and how the conflict creates obstacles to sustaining teacher and librarian collaboration in the project schools. We argue that sustainable change can be achieved by tracing conflicts, dilemmas and tensions to systemic contradictions within and between activity systems.     

Triadic Assessment

This article describes the findings of, and the conclusions drawn from, a research project sponsored by the University of Plymouth Student Centred Learning Initiative (SCLI) with the intention of gaining an indepth view of self, peer and tutor (triadic) assessment. The research employed an essentially qualitative methodology incorporating the use of questionnaire and semi-structured interview techniques. The research cohort was drawn from groups of students studying at different stages of the BA(Hons) Education and Training programme within the Faculty of Arts & Education at the University of Plymouth. The research project was designed to examine triadic assessment within the context of the formative and summative stages of the assessment process of the programme. Of significance to the research was the fact that triadic assessment was seen to form an integral part of the formative and summative stages of the programme assessment procedures. This involved all students in a collaborative process of setting their own assessment criteria; a process supported through directed study activities and ongoing monitoring and review. While the researchers all subscribed to the view that this process is a key part of triadic assessment, the discourse evaluation that the research also involved ensured that the assessment practices examined were closely and critically evaluated. The ongoing process of interrogation and re-conceptualisation of the epistemological foundations of the research practice were sustained throughout the research process. Questions of power and knowledge were closely examined, alongside a close critical analysis of the way in which the professional identity and assessment practice style of those involved in the research were influenced by the way in which they were situated within a variety of different practice contexts. This article proposes a problematising of triadic assessment and concludes that it is clearly not a transparent activity that reveals easily generalisable and universalisable features and characteristics. Depending upon chosen perspectives, triadic assessment will, therefore, possess strengths and weaknesses. Evidence from the research suggests that notions of self- and peer assessment are contested and negotiated within the context of situated and active discursive construction.     

Validity in teachers’ summative assessments

This paper describes some of the findings of a project which set out to explore and develop teachers’ understanding and practices in their summative assessments. The focus was on those summative assessments that are used on a regular basis within schools for guiding the progress of pupils and for internal accountability. The project combined both intervention and research elements. The intervention aimed both to explore how teachers might improve those practices in the light of their re‐examination of their validity, and to engage them in moderation exercises within and between schools to audit examples of students’ work and to discuss their appraisals of these examples. This paper reports findings, arising from this work, of the research that aimed to study how teachers understand validity, and how they formulate their classroom assessment practices in the light of that understanding. The paper also considers how that understanding might be challenged and developed. It was found that teachers’ attention to validity issues had been undermined by the external test regimes, but that teachers could re‐address these issues by reflection on their values and by engagement in a shared development of portfolio assessments.     

Engaging students in reflective writing: an action research project

ABSTRACT

Due to limited exposure to the reflective genre, students experience cognitive, psychological and linguistic issues that prevent them from producing proficient reflective pieces. This study investigated how these issues could be addressed through modelling, the 6 + 1 traits writing rubric and blended learning. The study reports on the experiences of 37 participants in the fourth year of secondary schooling at an all male school in Trinidad and Tobago. Change in a regional examination syllabus which introduced a focus on the reflective mode and reflective writing had implications for teaching and learning. Through one cycle of a practical action research project using an embedded quasi-experimental design, an intervention to address cognitive, psychological and linguistic issues was implemented. Quantitative data were collected using a pre- and post-test and a Writing Attitude Survey (WAS). Qualitative data were gathered through student journals and students’ formative writing assessment artefacts. The intervention succeeded in positively changing students’ dispositions towards reflective writing, developing students’ reflective writing and addressing text organization issues. This research is significant for teachers and students where intentional reflection and reflective writing are competencies that can enhance critical thinking and metacognition and potentially lead to personal, intellectual and professional development.     

Behavioral Consultation as a Process for Linking the Assessment and Treatment of Social Skills

There has been recent interest in social skills assessment and treatment among researchers and practitioners. The research bases in these areas are expanding rapidly, and the identification of valid assessment methods and effective intervention strategies is promising. However, few researchers have identified ways m which social skills assessment and intervention can be linked in a practical manner. Likewise, the process by which services are delivered is rarely addressed. The purpose of this article is to present a model by which the interaction between social skills assessment and intervention can be enhanced, with a focus on the problem-solving process. One effective and efficient manner of providing services to socially unskilled children is through an indirect model of service delivery; that of behavioral consultation. Behavioral consultation is a four-stage problem-solving model that involves the cooperative efforts of two or more persons to clarify a student's needs and develop and implement appropriate strategies for intervention. This article presents the objectives and procedures of each stage of behavioral consultation as a process to facilitate accurate problem identification and effective problem resolution, with the goal of linking social skills assessment directly to treatment.     

Culturally Relevant Assessment and Support of Grade 1 Students with Mild Disabilities in Tanzania: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

In Tanzania, many people are not aware of the concept of learning disabilities. Parents and teachers often do not realise that children who do poorly in school and do not have visible disabilities, could still have a disability that is causing their poor school performance. This paper presents the results of a research and service project to identify and support students with mild disabilities in an inclusive school in Tanzania during the three-year pilot process. An international NGO implemented a culturally-relevant, curriculum-based assessment for screening grade 1 students with potential delays or disabilities and provided Tier 2 interventions through small group lessons. In this three-year study, 413 students were screened, 108 students received Tier 2 services and six students received Tier 3 services. Students in Tier 2 received small group instruction in mathematics and literacy as a pull-out programme. Students in Tier 3 attended a special school for children with disabilities. Results showed that students who received Tier 2 intervention made statistically significant gains in their assessment scores after six and twelve months of services. This study demonstrated one successful assessment and intervention model in a typical Tanzanian school to support young children with disabilities to improve their academic outcomes.     

The impact of dynamic assessment: an exploration of the views of children,parents and teachers

A qualitative research project was carried out to explore the views of children with special educational needs, their parents and teachers about one aspect of educational psychology practice: the dynamic assessment of cognitive skills. The research was carried out in a highly diverse and inclusive borough in East London, by Nicola Lawrence from Hounslow Educational Psychology Service, and Sharon Cahill from the University of East London. The views of nine children were sought through semi‐structured interviews regarding the process of dynamic assessment, supported with tools and techniques to facilitate discussion. The views of eight parents and seven teachers were also sought, through semi‐structured interviews and focus groups, regarding the psychological reports produced from dynamic assessment. Of the original findings acquired through thematic analysis of the data, those pertaining to the perceived impact of dynamic assessment of cognitive skills are reported. Dynamic assessment was reported to impact positively upon the child's emotional well‐being, self‐perceptions, approach to learning and social relationships, both directly, and through the subsequent intervention of parents and educators. Dynamic assessment, as well as providing instructionally useful information for parents and teachers, encouraged them to move beyond locating the problem within the child, to reconceptualising their special educational needs in context. As a result, parents and teachers became more positive and optimistic about the child, the current situation and the child's future. Dynamic assessment impacted upon the child's holistic needs, parenting and the development of inclusive practice in the classroom. It is concluded that from the perspective of service users, dynamic assessment forms a worthwhile and valuable part of educational psychology practice.     

DO INTERVENTION‐EMBEDDED ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES SUCCESSFULLY MEASURE STUDENT GROWTH IN READING?

Effective intervention delivery requires ongoing assessment to determine whether students are learning at the desired rate. Intervention programs with embedded assessment procedures (i.e., assessment that occurs naturally during the process of delivering intervention) can potentially enhance instructional decisions. However, there is almost no psychometric research on this type of assessment procedure. This study was designed to examine the psychometric characteristics of three types of progress measures that are embedded within a commonly used reading intervention program. Results indicated that generalized gains across different oral reading fluency passages predict concurrent gains on common and comprehensive tests of reading fluency, and that immediate instructional gains measured during instruction were significantly different from zero and thus sensitive to intervention effects. Overall findings suggest that at least some embedded assessment procedures demonstrate predictive validity and that these types of procedures have the potential to assist educators with data‐driven instructional decisions about students’ responsiveness to intervention.     

Peer Assessment of Student Constructed Posters: Assessment Alternatives in Preservice Mathematics Education

In this article I discuss a four-year action research project that involved the development of effective assessment tools for preservice mathematics teachers. The focus of the article is on peer assessment in which students reviewed posters created by their peers. The article discusses the strategies that were used and the implications that arose from the project. I argue that peer assessment is an effective tool for assessment in preservice mathematics teacher education but must not be seen as an alternative to teacher-based assessment due to the variability in marks between and within student cohorts. The value of peer assessment is its potential as a learning tool. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童家长参与课题研究:影响因素和改进策略

近年来,人们越来越多地推动自闭症儿童家长有意义地参与科学研究.这种参与式研究能够更好地满足自闭症谱系障碍儿童及其家庭的评估和干预需求.从自闭症儿童自身特征、家庭因素、研究课题本身等方面分析影响家长参与课题研究的因素,基于对影响因素的综合分析,分别从家长及研究者层面提出相关对策建议,以促进家长更积极、更深入地参与课题研究...     

The Development of an EPS Information Booklet for Primary Age Pupils

The focus of this paper is based on a research project undertaken in an outer London EPS. The research was in line with recent legislative and policy changes, highlighting the importance of the active participation of children in discussions made about them and their school life. Central to the project was the decision that pupils should be provided with an information booklet, regarding the educational psychologist's (EP) role within the assessment process-and by thus doing, promoting direct access and involvement between the pupil and the EPS. After initial research into this area had been undertaken, a pupil information booklet was produced. This booklet is currently being trialled in all primary schools within the education authority.     

Using digital technology to enhance formative assessment in mathematics classrooms

In this paper, which is based on research from the EU-funded project Improving Progress through Formative Assessment in Science and Mathematics Education, we explore how iPads are used within formative assessment processes by six mathematics teachers and their classes in two secondary comprehensive schools in the Midlands of England. A design research approach is first used to develop and trial six lessons in which iPads are used in different ways within formative assessment processes. Through lesson observations, video analysis and teacher interviews we then examine how iPad technology contributes to these processes, the functions it performs and the distribution of activity between the main actors (teacher, technology and student). An analytic approach is developed which captures the interactions in visual representations, showing how the technology is often used as a form of communication but also performs more active functions which affect the role taken by the teacher in formative processes. The study offers insight into ways in which iPad technology contributes to effective student learning through formative assessment and introduces an analytic approach that may be useful for further studies.     

Ghost hunting with lollies,chess and Lego: appreciating the ‘messy’ complexity (and costs) of doing difficult research in education

This paper contributes to conversations about the funding and quality of education research. The paper proceeds in two parts. Part I sets the context by presenting an historical analysis of funding allocations made to Education research through the ARC’s Discovery projects scheme between the years 2002 and 2014, and compares these trends to allocations made to another field within the Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences assessment panel: Psychology and Cognitive Science. Part II highlights the consequences of underfunding education research by presenting evidence from an Australian Research Council Discovery project that is tracking the experiences of disaffected students who are referred to behaviour schools. The re-scoping decisions that became necessary and the incidental costs that accrue from complications that occur in the field are illustrated and discussed through vignettes of research with “ghosts” who don’t like school but who do like lollies, chess and Lego.     

Improving Science and Literacy Learning for English Language Learners: Evidence from a Pre-service Teacher Preparation Intervention

This paper present findings from a pre-service teacher development project that prepared novice teachers to promote English language and literacy development with inquiry-based science through a modified elementary science methods course and professional development for cooperating teachers. To study the project’s impact on student learning, we administered a pre and post assessment to students (N = 191) of nine first year elementary teachers (grades 3 through 6) who experienced the intervention and who taught a common science unit. Preliminary results indicate that (1) student learning improved across all categories (science concepts, writing, and vocabulary)—although the effect varied by category, and (2) English Language Learner (ELL) learning gains were on par with non-ELLs, with differences across proficiency levels for vocabulary gain scores. These results warrant further analyses to understand the extent to which the intervention improved teacher practice and student learning. This study confirms the findings of previous research that the integration of science language and literacy practices can improve ELL achievement in science concepts, writing and vocabulary. In addition, the study indicates that it is possible to begin to link the practices taught in pre-service teacher preparation to novice teacher practice and student learning outcomes.     

Family Assessment and Collaboration Building: Conjoined processes

Experience and research have shown that there are several discrepancies between philosophy, research, and practice regarding family involvement in early intervention and the use of family assessment information in determining early intervention goals. This article addresses these discrepancies and presents information to facilitate ideal family involvement in early intervention. Strategies for conducting family assessments while building collaborative partnerships with families are presented. Characteristics which produce effective collaborative partnerships are reviewed. The reality of working with families is presented through two vignettes and, finally, working with families who do not conform to expectations of ideal family involvement in family assessment or collaborative partnerships is discussed.     

Anxiety in Science Classrooms: its measurement and relationship to classroom environment

This paper considers the role of a new vocational science qualification in the UK (Intermediate General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) science) and how it relates to science-based employment. Studies into employers' requirements are reviewed and found to indicate that an ability to understand and evaluate scientific evidence is valued highly. This part of science is not currently taught explicitly either in GNVQ or elsewhere in the science curriculum. The authors report the results of a small intervention study in which ideas about evidence were explicitly taught within Intermediate GNVQ science. The findings suggest that it is feasible to incorporate such teaching into the qualification but that, if it is not part of the formal assessment process, the teaching tends to be undervalued by the students. By contrast, the teaching staff involved in the project recognised that these ideas fill a gap in the qualification and valued the teaching materials developed for this purpose. A means of incorporating the assessment of such understanding into the current assessment procedures is put forward. Such a modification to the assessment process would add rigour to the qualification and provide a better preparation for employment in science-based industry.     

Socio‐psychological factors in electronic networking

In this paper we examine contrasting concepts of literacy in relation to the rehabilitation of offenders under supervision by the probation service. One approach, derived from a linguistic or code-based perspective, delimits literacy to acquiring minimal routines and procedures to function in mainstream society in order to avoid further failure. Critical literacy, in contrast, derived from a socio-cultural perspective, highlights the importance of acquiring literacy as an active, context-grounded process, through which individuals take personal control for accessing wider social, educational and economic opportunities. Arguably, literacy is a fundamental component of any rehabilitation process for offenders and there is evidence that involvement in literacy programmes reduces recidivism, enables offenders to achieve better family relationships, higher levels of self-control and self-esteem, whilst also promoting a sense of social responsibility and inclusion in society. Data are reported from a survey conducted in England and Wales as part of a Home Office commissioned research project which surveyed literacy provision in 53 out of the 55 probation services, with 13 of these subjectedto more intensiveresearch through site visits.The paper focuses on how probation services perceive the literacy needs of offenders under supervision, and how this informs processes of assessment and intervention, including priorities given to literacy work. The objective of the research was to recommend practices, procedures or partnerships which allow for an effective response to offenders' literacy needs within the service's statutory role. The findings indicate that the provision of literacy assessment and support is unsystematic, with very wide variations in practice nationally, both between and within services. Conflicting perspectives are highlighted on how literacy should be defined and taught, which in turn reflect underlying ambivalence about the role of probation officers as either punitive or preventative. Recommendations are made for policy development and changes in probation service practice.     

A study of the interrelationship between the behaviour and social status of a class of Year 2 pupils

The influence of social status on child development has been the subject of research for several decades, with children who are not accepted by their peers being shown to be at risk of a range of difficulties both at the time and in later life. Strong links have also been established between behaviour and social status. A small‐scale action research project considered the social structure of a Year 2 class and used data gathered through sociometric interviews and observations to identify some factors which may have influenced the social status of individuals within that group. From this data, three children considered at risk of peer rejection or isolation were identified and an intervention programme was implemented. At the end of the year sociometric interviews and observations were repeated and it was found that one child's social behaviours and status among his peers had increased significantly over the course of the project.     

Facilitating Learning from Formative Feedback in Level 3 Assessment

This paper presents the development, through action research, of formative elements in assessment in a level 3 compulsory module of the BSc Health Studies and BSc Nursing programmes at the University of Sunderland. The paper reviews three cycles of planning, implementing and evaluating change in assessment strategy and is written in the first person to emphasise the connections between the writer and the material. From a consideration of the format and characteristics of the assessment within the module, the action research is reported through the implementation of actions taken to facilitate more effective use of formative feedback. The evaluation of these actions through my own reflections, student performance, dialogue with team colleagues and student feedback through the production of short narrative accounts of their learning experience is outlined. The paper demonstrates that through explicitly using the learning potential within assessment, learning can be facilitated through challenging students to move from 'doing' assignments, to reflexive thinking about their writing.     

An action learning approach to partnership in community development: a reflection on the research process

Green space offers a significant environmental resource that can improve the individual experience of health and quality of life. However, barriers exist that prevent the use of green space, and partnership (multi-agency) working has the potential to overcome these. Current public health policy aims to broaden the range of environmental public health intervention through effective partnership working. In response to this, a community development partnership project (Stepping Stones to Nature) was established in the south west of England to improve green spaces in neighbourhood communities through engagement and consultation. Integral to this project was an initiative to research the process and experience of partnership working. The aim of this paper is to report the experience of the multi-agency group guiding the research process and how they used an action learning approach to explore their experiences and guide the research process. Halfway through the project a ‘formal’ focus group discussion was arranged in order to capture the reflective thinking and learning that had taken place. The focus of this paper is on the data from that group discussion. Four main themes were evident from the data: expectation/perceptions; stakeholder involvement; tensions (at organisational and individual levels); and reflection and learning (through the partnership and research process). This paper reflects the different expectations of the research process that need to be identified early in partnership research in order that they can be appropriately managed.