The effectiveness of a preparatory students programme on promoting peer acceptance of students with physical disabilities in inclusive schools of Tehran

This study investigates the effectiveness of a preparatory programme on the acceptance of students with physical disabilities by their peers in inclusive schools in Tehran. The classrooms which had students with physical disabilities were included in this study. Two hundred and twenty‐one third‐ to fifth‐grade students (116 girls and 105 boys) were selected randomly and were placed in experimental and control groups. The Acceptance Scale (Form B) established by Voeltz was used to measure peer acceptance. Data were collected from two groups before and after applying the preparatory programme. The data were analysed by t‐test for independent groups and two‐way ANOVA. The results showed increase of acceptance in experimental group. Also in comparing the level of acceptance in girls and boys, the results indicated that the acceptance in girls were more than boys.     

Examining peer acceptance in verbal and non-verbal interaction during computer-supported collaborative learning: implications for inclusion

This paper discusses the results of peer acceptance in a study investigating the interactions of pairs of disabled and non-disabled pupils working together on computer-based tasks in mainstream primary schools in Cyprus. Twenty dyads of pupils were observed and videotaped while working together at the computer. Data analyses were based on the collaborative nature of events for the non-verbal interaction and the functional–structural approaches for the verbal interaction. Findings gave an important insight into the interactions among disabled and non-disabled pupils working together at the computer, indicating that peer (non)acceptance came through: (1) response to the peer, articulated through verbal moves that included reply, feedback, evaluation, agree and justify, in both collaborative and non-collaborative events; (2) peer involvement, reflected in requesting involvement of the peer, mainly in collaborative and socio-emotional positive events; (3) individualistic behaviour, present through ignoring the peer in situations of on-and off-task non-collaboration; and (4) peer rejection, containing reaction and protest towards the peer in non-collaborative on-and off-task events as well as socio-emotional negative situations.     

小学儿童成就目标取向与认知风格的关系研究

运用《镶嵌图形测验》(CEFT,1998年)和"成就目标取向量表",以180名五、六年级的学生为被试,探讨了小学儿童成就目标取向与认知风格之间的关系。研究结果表明:(1)小学高年级儿童场独立的认知风格与其掌握目标取向呈非常显著的正相关,与成绩目标取向不呈现显著相关;(2)在0.01水平上,掌握目标和成绩目标都高的小学生和两者都低的小学生的认知风格存在着非常显著的差异;(3)掌握目标和成绩目标都高的这种组合模式的场独立性最强。     

Learner self-efficacy,goal orientation,and academic achievement: exploring mediating and moderating relationships

ABSTRACT

Within the context of Pintrich’s self-regulated learning model, recent reviews of the literature show that motivational factors are the strongest predictors of academic performance. Even so, gaps remain in terms of which goal orientation constructs area most strongly related to performance, and whether academic self-efficacy is involved in such relationships, either as mediator or moderator. This study addresses these gaps using a sample of 478 university students; 409 females aged 17–62 (M?=?23.28, SD?=?7.22) and 69 males, aged 18–47 (M?=?22.5, SD?=?6.31). Analyses revealed that academic self-efficacy (ASE) mediated relationships between both mastery and performance-approach goal orientation with achievement, though the mediation effect was larger for the relationship involving mastery approach goal orientation. ASE did not moderate the relationship between performance-approach goal orientation and achievement. Findings suggest teaching programmes should foster learning environments that encourage persistence and effort when learning, and consider how course delivery and feedback can enhance academic self-efficacy, regardless of the goal orientation adopted by students.     

The edge of messy: interplays of daily storytelling and grand narratives in teacher learning

This paper examines the interplay of daily storytelling and societal narratives of teaching in one student teacher’s experience. Drawing on narrative and post-structural theories, I conducted a case study using narrative inquiry and ethnographic methods to examine the moment-to-moment storytelling of one student teacher across a range of teaching and learning contexts. Using student teacher blogs about pivotal events as a main source of data, findings demonstrate that initial story themes cohered around narratives of experimentation and adaptation as central to effective teaching, but were also complicated by pervasive societal storylines about traditional teacher authority. Implications for teacher educators are discussed.     

Stimulating teachers' reflection and feedback asking: An interplay of self-efficacy,learning goal orientation,and transformational leadership

The goal of the study was to investigate how teachers' reflection and feedback asking – two crucial components of professional development – can be explained by occupational self-efficacy, learning goal orientation and transformational leadership. A survey study with data from 456 teachers from a Dutch College for Vocational Education and Training shows that occupational self-efficacy and learning goal orientation are positively related to reflection and feedback asking. Furthermore, learning goal orientation mediates the relationships between occupational self-efficacy and reflection and asking feedback. Finally, the positive relationship between transformational leadership and reflection and asking feedback appears to depend on learning goal orientation.     

Student self-assessment practices: the role of gender,school level and goal orientation

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the key demographic variables of gender, school level and goal orientation on students’ self-assessment practices, including self-directed feedback seeking (SDFS) and self-reflection (SR). A total of 8843 Hong Kong students were surveyed, ranging from Primary 4 to Secondary 6. The results showed that female students demonstrated higher levels of self-assessment practices than male students, including both SDFS and SR. School level was also significantly associated with secondary students’ engagement in SR. Mastery goal orientation (MGO) was a significant and positive predictor of self-assessment practice including both SDFS and SR, while performance goal orientation (PGO) was a significantly negative predictor. Students with a higher level of MGO, or a lower level of PGO, were more likely to conduct self-assessment. The educational implications of the findings are discussed.     

The acceptance and rejection of peers with ADHD and ASD in general secondary education

The authors focused on analyzing (a) peer acceptance and peer rejection of typically developing students, students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in general secondary education; (b) attitudes of general secondary-aged students toward peers with ADHD and ASD; and (c) the relationship between peer acceptance/rejection and students' attitudes. A cross-sectional study was performed (n = 437 typically developing students, n = 28 students with ADHD/ASD; range = 12–15 years old). Students were asked to indicate with whom they prefer to hang out or preferably not want to hang out (peer acceptance and peer rejection). Attitudes were assessed using the Attitude Survey Toward Inclusive Education. Multilevel analysis showed significant differences between students with ADHD and ASD and typically developing peers on peer acceptance and higher on peer rejection. Second, typically developing peers showed neutral attitudes toward peers with ADHD or ASD. Third, the results showed that students' rejection and attitudes of peers significantly relate to each other.     

Social capital in the classroom: a study of in-class social capital and school adjustment

Social capital is generally considered beneficial for students’ school adjustment. This paper argues that social relationships among pupils generate social capital at both the individual and the class levels, and that each has its unique effect on pupils’ performance and well-being. The sample in this study consists of 1036 children in 60 first-grade classes in 46 Dutch elementary schools. Multilevel regression results show that a substantial proportion of the variance in school adjustment can be attributed to the class level and that both individual-level and classroom-level social capital have substantial effects on school adjustment. At the individual level, the size of one’s network is more important than its structure. At the collective level, social capital also has a ‘dark side’ because it can have negative effects on adjustment, lowering the academic performance in a class.     

Using and rejecting peer feedback in the science classroom: a study of students’ negotiations on how to use peer feedback when designing experiments

Background: Research on peer assessment has noted ambiguity among students in using peer assessment for improving their work. Previous research has explained this in terms of deficits in the student feedback, or differences in student views of what counts as high-quality work.

Purpose: This study frames peer assessment as a social process in the science classroom. The aim is to explore peer assessment in science education as social practice in order to contribute to an understanding of the affordances and constraints of using peer assessment as a learning tool in science education.

Design and Method: The study was conducted in four lower secondary school classes, school years 8 and 9, in two different schools. An intervention study was designed focussing on the topic of experimental design. It involved the students in a process of peer assessment where they designed experiments individually, and then exchanged their designs, conducted each other’s experiments, provided feedback to each other and revised their original design after discussing the feedback in groups. Data were collected in the form of audio recordings of student discussions and written work.

Results: The results show that, although not all peer feedback resulted in revisions, peer feedback was useful to the students in group interaction when negotiating quality in their work.

Conclusions: To conclude, the potential for using peer assessment in science education should not only be evaluated through the students’ revisions but also in terms of in what ways the feedback constitutes interactional resources for defining quality in student work.     

The effects of room design on computer-supported collaborative learning in a multi-touch classroom

While research indicates that technology can be useful for supporting learning and collaboration, there is still relatively little uptake or widespread implementation of these technologies in classrooms. In this paper, we explore one aspect of the development of a multi-touch classroom, looking at two different designs of the classroom environment to explore how classroom layout may influence group interaction and learning. Three classes of students working in groups of four were taught in the traditional forward-facing room condition, while three classes worked in a centered room condition. Our results indicate that while the outcomes on tasks were similar across conditions, groups engaged in more talk (but not more off-task talk) in a centered room layout, than in a traditional forward-facing room. These results suggest that the use of technology in the classroom may be influenced by the location of the technology, both in terms of the learning outcomes and the interaction behaviors of students. The findings highlight the importance of considering the learning environment when designing technology to support learning, and ensuring that integration of technology into formal learning environments is done with attention to how the technology may disrupt, or contribute to, the classroom interaction practices.     

Gender differential in self-assessment: a fact neglected in higher education peer and self-assessment techniques

This paper analyses student cross-assessment with a gender perspective in three different courses along several academic years in an engineering school in Spain. The aim of this study is to contribute to a wider understanding of the hidden effect of gender in higher education by testing if gender has any effect on the way students assess others and themselves. Previous research has demonstrated sex differences in self-image and self-confidence, which are both closely related to self-esteem and same- and other-sex esteem. It follows that gender effects might be expected in investigations on peer and self-assessment (PSA), as both techniques are closely linked to self-image and self-confidence. But a critical review of the literature on PSA with a gender perspective reveals that findings on this field are inconclusive, thus more research is needed. The analysis of the results of our study reveals that women judge themselves too harshly. As the literature on PSA does not show great concern for gender issues, some tentative suggestions are proposed to support PSA with gender-awareness sessions.     

Peer review in the classroom: student perceptions,peer feedback quality and the role of assessment

Abstract

Peer review in the classroom can enhance numerous employability skills such as critical appraisal, writing skills, reflection practices and collaborative experiences. This study takes place over two years and discusses the implementation of a repeating blind peer review cycle across a single semester for final year chemistry students enrolled on a compulsory employability module. The feedback cycle promotes personal reflection through the use of mini-reflective questionnaires. The process was assessed by academic tutors at the resubmission stage and/or the peer feedback stage where the quality of peer feedback was directly assessed. The research investigates the quality of peer feedback, the importance of assessment and student perceptions of what is most useful. Methods include directed content analysis of feedback produced, student opinions and a focus group. Students were capable of offering useable feedback across a range of assessment criteria but tend to focus on the important criteria best aligned to the particular assignment. A range of motivational factors and tactics were noticed but students tended to find reviewing the most beneficial.     

Workplace learning within teacher education: the role of job characteristics and goal orientation

Within teacher education, it is widely recognised that internships play a major role in preparing prospective teachers. The current research examines if the learning activities students’ undertake in the workplace can be explained by students’ goal orientation and their perceptions of the workplace. In addition, it will be investigated whether this model is predictive for students’ academic achievement. Participants in this study were 464 bachelor students enrolled in teacher education. The results from the structural equation modelling show that students’ learning goal orientation is an important predictor for students’ learning activities and academic achievement. Students with a higher learning goal orientation demonstrate a more active approach towards their learning. Regarding the context, some positive relations between work-related variables such as job demands and job control on the one hand and students’ learning activities on the other hand were identified, but their relationship was more limited than expected.     

Teachers' understandings of curriculum adaptations for learners with learning difficulties in primary schools in Botswana: issues and challenges of inclusive education

This paper derives from research carried out in a number of Botswana primary schools on teachers' understanding of curriculum adaptations for learners who experience learning difficulties (LD) as part of implementing inclusive education. Teachers' understanding play a crucial role in how they make curriculum accessible for learners with LD during the teaching and learning processes. Interviews with 12 teachers and classroom observations were conducted in six primary schools in urban, semi‐urban and rural areas. The data was analysed using qualitative procedures, and results of the study revealed that teachers' understanding of curriculum adaptations seemed embedded within the concept of remedial education where learners with LD are assisted outside the scheduled time of the lesson. The results also showed that teachers' main focus on completing the set curriculum in preparation for examinations compromised curriculum access of learners with LD in general education classrooms.     

Adult students' achievement goal orientations and evaluations of the learning environment: a person-centred longitudinal analysis

This study focused on the stability and change in students' achievement goal orientations and whether the students' perceptions of the learning environment vary as a function of their achievement goal orientations. Participants were 169 students of the Finnish National Defense University. The students' goal orientations and their evaluations of the learning environment were assessed twice, approximately four months apart. Four groups of students were identified based on their achievement goal orientation profiles, and 60% of the participants displayed identical profiles in both measurements. Students with different goal orientation profiles differed in their evaluations of the quality of pedagogical materials, effort and attainment, and participation. Students oriented towards an increase of competence and mastery or towards normative performance and success were most positive in their evaluations. Students oriented towards avoidance of effort or display of incompetence gave less positive ratings. The relation between motivation and perceptions of learning environment is discussed.     

Formal and non-formal digital practices: institutionalizing transactional learning spaces in a media classroom

This article examines how a classroom procedure known as PGE (Plan/Go-through/Evaluate) group work aims at integrating formal and non-formal media experiences and practices into classroom-based media learning. The study displays, on the one hand, how PGE group work emerged and was institutionally embedded in a media course. On the other hand, the study displays how students in this media course negotiated with their teachers by drawing on out-of-school media experiences and production practices in the process of planning classroom work. Empirically, the study draws on ethnographic observation of a vocational media studies course in the age range between 16 and 19 years at the upper secondary level in Norway. Video observations from several hours of PGE group work are analysed in order to document how students are involved in co-planning classroom work together with the course teachers. The analysis is based on cultural historical activity theory (CHAT). This theoretical position is applied in order to foreground tensions between formal institutional obligations and non-formal practices that surface in the classroom, and how an institutional measure such as PGE group work creates a transactional space for handling these differences.     

Motivation and performance within a collaborative computer-based modeling task: Relations between students’ achievement goal orientation,self-efficacy,cognitive processing,and achievement

Purpose of the present study was to test a conceptual model of relations among achievement goal orientation, self-efficacy, cognitive processing, and achievement of students working within a particular collaborative task context. The task involved a collaborative computer-based modeling task. In order to test the model, group measures of mastery-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, self-efficacy, and achievement were employed. Students’ cognitive processing was assessed using an online log-file measure. As predicted, mastery-approach goal orientation had a significant positive effect on achievement, which was mediated through students’ use of deep processes. No significant relationships could be found between performance-avoidance goal orientation and surface processing and between surface processing and achievement. Results are discussed with respect to general theoretical implications and lead to suggestions for the design of appropriate scaffolds.     

Modeling achievement in mathematics: the role of learner and learning environment characteristics

This study examined a structural model of mathematics achievement among Druze 8th graders in Israel. The model integrates 2 psychosocial theories: goal theory and social learning theory. Variables in the model included gender, father's and mother's education, classroom mastery and performance goal orientation, mathematics self-efficacy and self-regulated learning, mastery and performance goals, and mathematics achievement. Data on learner and learning environment variables and achievement in mathematics were collected from 273 boys and girls. Results indicate appropriate fit of the model for the entire sample. Invariance analysis across gender indicated that only 2 of the 11 path coefficients, mother's education on mathematics achievement and classroom mastery goal orientation on self-regulation, were not invariant across gender. The same pattern of relationships accounted for different amounts of variance in mathematics achievement for boys and girls.