The impact of the Phonics Screening Check on grouping by ability: A ‘necessary evil’ amid the policy storm

This article examines the impact of a statutory assessment in England, the Phonics Screening Check (PSC), on classroom practices of grouping children by ‘ability’. Bearing in mind the argument that assessment is the rudder that steers the otherwise slow‐moving battleship of educational practice, it is argued that the PSC has altered how teachers organise their classes and curriculum in both the affected year group (Year 1, children aged 5–6) and in earlier and later years. Using data from a nationwide survey of teachers (n = 1,373), focus groups and in‐depth interviews with teachers, the article examines how this relatively new phonics assessment forms part of a ‘policy storm’ of pressures relating to accountability, which encourage teachers to place children in groups on the basis of ability, even when they have doubts about this practice and there is little evidence to suggest grouping improves attainment. Practices include grouping children within classes, across year groups or even across several year groups, by phase of phonics learning, guided by advice from bought‐in private phonics schemes. There is also evidence of ‘educational triage’, where borderline children become the focus, and increased use of interventions which involve withdrawing children. Overall, the article uses the PSC to demonstrate how, in times of multiple policy pressures, assessment can rapidly alter practice, in this case making grouping a ‘necessary evil’, as one teacher respondent argued.     

Synthetic phonics and the teaching of reading: the debate surrounding England's ‘Rose Report’

The Rose Report, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education for England, recommended in March 2006 that early reading instruction must include synthetic phonics. This paper evaluates the extent to which research evidence supports this recommendation. In particular, a review of international research into the teaching of early reading shows that the Rose Report's main recommendation on synthetic phonics contradicts the powerful body of evidence accumulated over the last 30 years. In this paper it is argued that action already taken by the UK government to change the National Curriculum in line with the Rose Report's recommendations represents a change in pedagogy not justified by research.     

An evaluation of the use of Lexia Reading software with children in Year 3, Northern Ireland (6‐ to 7‐year olds)

This paper evaluates the impact of Lexia Reading software on the progress of children experiencing reading difficulties in four Northern Ireland Schools. The program is designed to raise reading standards through a phonics‐based approach to learning to read. A key feature of the software is the use of an ‘assessment without testing’ tool, to accurately place children on the program and to adapt the program to meet the individual needs of each child.     

Students' Achievement in Human Circulatory System Unit: The Effect of Reasoning Ability and Gender

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of gender and reasoning ability on the human circulatory system concepts achievement and attitude toward biology. A total of 47 10th-grade students participated in the study. Group Assessment of Logical Thinking, Attitude Toward Biology Scale, and the Human Circulatory System Concepts Test were administered to determine students' reasoning ability, attitude toward biology, and achievement, respectively. Two-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that although there was no statistically significant mean difference between boys and girls with respect to achievement and attitude toward biology, there was statistically significant mean difference between concrete and formal students with respect to achievement and attitude toward biology.     

The impact of an intervention on children's reading and spelling ability in low-income schools in India

The aim of this study using a quasi-experimental design was to investigate whether utilising synthetic phonics in schools catering for low-income families in India would increase reading and spelling attainment in English. Over 500 children in 20 schools took part in the 6-month programme. Just over half of the children experienced lessons organised around the synthetic phonics materials, whilst the other children continued with their normal English lessons. The findings show that there were statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups in the improvements of the children in their test scores in reading and spelling.     

Packaging poetry? Pupils’ perspectives of their learning experience within the post‐primary poetry classroom

This paper explores the issue of educational commodification within the poetry class. Drawing from research conducted with 200 Leaving Certificate pupils, from eight post‐primary schools in Ireland, this paper investigates these pupils’ perspectives on their learning experiences against a backdrop of educational consumerism. The research identifies a number of areas of concern including limited potential for creative and aesthetic engagement in the classroom, a utilitarian approach to the teaching and learning of poetry, the marginalisation of pupil voice and subjective response and the prioritisation of exam performance. Drawing on the findings of this study, it is argued that the teaching and learning of poetry is vulnerable to becoming a packaged commodity. Recommendations for renewed teacher agency in countering pedagogical pragmatism beginning at pre‐service level are made.     

Motivation and Self-Regulation as Predictors of Achievement in Economically Disadvantaged Young Children

The primary purpose of the present study was to better understand the roles of motivation and self-regulated task behavior for early school achievement differences among young, economically at-risk and not-at-risk children. Of the at-risk participants, 43 were 5-6-year-olds and 42 were 7-8-year-olds. Of the not-at-risk participants, 21 were 6-year-olds, and 21 were 8-year-olds. Results of the study showed that child-and-teacher-reported motivation levels were comparable among the at-risk and the not-at-risk children. However, the at-risk children showed poorer abilities to regulate their task attention than the not-at-risk children did. In addition, younger at-risk children's achievement scores were predicted by their levels of attention-regulation abilities. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of at-risk children's attention-regulation skills.     

学习障碍儿童自尊与成就动机的调查

为了解学习障碍（LD）儿童自尊与成就动机状况,通过问卷对LD儿童与普通儿童进行对比调查.结果表明,LD儿童的自尊与成就动机明显低于正常儿童,而且LD症状越严重,自尊与成就动机越低.同时,LD儿童自尊与成就动机呈正相关关系.     

统计方法在评价企业兼并绩效中的作用

利用GLM回归、秩和检验、CPD、RIDIT等统计方法对企业兼并的绩效进行分析，检验不同类型的企业兼并模式对企业绩效的影响情况。     

学业不良儿童基本学习能力培养的研究与训练

学业不良儿童基本学习能力培养的研究对当前基础教育课程改革具有现实意义。只有提高学生的学习基本能力,学生在学习中遇到困难的种种表现都会得到缓解和克服。对学业不良儿童的概念要作出界定和分类,目的是确定学业不良儿童诊断的模式与方法,并在吸收国外对学习能力困难学生干预的基础上,提出符合中国教育实际的学习能力优化训练的新模式与操作方法,从而从根本上解决学习困难儿童存在的问题。     

初中语文教材插图的美术学批评

在中小学语文教材中配以大量插图,不仅可以用文图互补的形式增加美感,激发想象,启悟思想,而且,也是一种重要的美术教育方式.但现行人教版初中语文的相当一部分插图,在构思上缺乏对于原文精髓的把握,图文关系很难相互呼应,很难引发读者更为丰富的想象与思考.还有不少插图,在位置经营上频出纰漏.虽然在现代绘画理念的影响下,画家们在位置经营时可以追求表达的主观性,但是,课文的插图与一般的自主创作尚有区别,那就是,要在真正领会原文核心意味与关键之处的基础上,再做匠心营构.而从插图的方法技能来讲,这些插图中,竟有不少作品既缺乏造型上的“准确感”,亦没能画出人物或景物的神韵来.这些应该引起高度的关注.     

The contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ executive function to children's academic achievement, learning-related behaviors, and engagement in kindergarten

Executive functioning (EF) refers to higher order thought processes considered foundational for problem-solving. EF has both ‘cool’ cognitive and ‘hot’ emotional components. This study asks: (a) what are the relative contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ EF to children's academic achievement? (b) What are the relative contributions of ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ EF to learning-related classroom behaviors and observed engagement? (c) Do learning-related classroom behaviors and observed engagement account for the relation between EF and achievement? For a sample of 173 kindergarteners, cool EF predicted math achievement, learning-related classroom behaviors, and observed engagement. Hot EF did not predict any achievement or behavior outcomes when examined concurrently with cool EF. Children's classroom behavior did not account for the relation between cool EF and math achievement, suggesting cool EF and math performance are directly associated.     

城乡科学学习困难学生学业相关因素分析

本研究利用大规模学业水平测试数据,分析8年级学生科学学习困难学生学业相关因素的特点。研究发现:城乡学生科学学习困难检出率没有差异,但科学学习困难检出率的性别差异因城乡而异。城乡科学学习困难学生的学业相关因素水平与正常学生的差异因城乡和性别不同也有不同。师生关系是学生科学学习困难最有效的预测因素,并不随城乡、学生性别而异。家庭社会经济地位对科学学习困难的预测作用亦不能排除。     

韩国补课如何影响数学成绩？——基于TIMSS 2019数据的双层线性模型分析

韩国中小学生普遍补课,背后的关键假设是补课有利于提高学习成绩,但是补课和成绩的关系究竟如何,目前尚无定论。此外,补课的作用可能因条件而异,有必要更加细致地考察补课对不同群体的作用。本研究基于“国际大型数学与科学趋势研究”（TIMSS）2019八年级测评数据,采用双层次线性模型进行分析,发现韩国八年级学生补课时间越长,数学成绩就越好。在此基础上,如果学生所在学校平均补课时间长,学生成绩将额外增加;这种作用可被该校学生的整体家境组成所部分解释。学生补课时长与成绩的关系既不因学校而异,也不因其学业水平的高低而异;但是学生家庭经济与文化资本越薄弱,补课久与成绩提升的关系越大。本研究还发现,校内数学教师的教学水平能够在一定程度上中和补课与成绩的关系,但是这种作用比较有限。韩国已然形成补课主导的教育生态,补课对成绩有顽强的预测力,其背后反映的是学生与家长在学业竞争中胜出的需求无法在公办教育中得到满足;反过来,韩国的补课市场提供了更加多元化、个性化的教育。     

Low (linear) teacher effect on student achievement in pre‐academic physics education

This study investigates the effect of physics education on students' achievement in a large‐scale quantitative study of pre‐academic high school students throughout the Netherlands. Two aspects of teacher characteristics as perceived by their students are included: their “pleasantness” principally defined by their perceived friendliness and positive feedback and their “centeredness” principally defined by the perceived teacher centeredness in the lessons. Furthermore, this study includes four student aspects: their “general capability,” their “quantity of work,” their “quality of work,” and their “interest in the lessons.” Structural Equation Modeling is used in order to cluster the different variables defining the perceived pleasantness and the perceived centeredness of the teacher and the general capability, interest, and learning attitudes of the students. Furthermore, interrelations among these components and students' achievement are analyzed. Eventually, a very large effect of the students' general capability (61–72%) and a remarkably smaller effect of the remaining parameters (<3%) on achievement are detected. However, one should not yet conclude that teacher effect on high‐achieving‐students' achievement is consistently low. To the contrary, these results should be seen as an incentive to consider nonlinear effects, to vary ones viewpoint and to include more/other variables. In spite of the almost negligible correlation between the measured aspects of the physics teachers and achievement, the correlations between the teacher variables and the remaining student variables are quite significant. Both the perceived pleasantness and the centeredness of the teachers have a significant effect on the interest of their students. Furthermore, the pleasantness of the teacher correlates with the quality of the students' work and the centeredness of the teacher with their quantity of work. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 465–488, 2012     

基于目标达成度的教师培训活动效果评价

教师专业发展培训正日益受到相关部门重视,但培训效果却缺少说服力。这导致颇多微词。因此,非常有必要对教师培训活动的效果进行科学准确的评价,拿出令人信服的评价结果以正视听。首先,要辨正培训质量的概念,区分培训质量与培训效果,而培训效果的核心即目标达成度;其次,要以具体清晰、可衡量可检测的培训目标的预设为基础;再次,要做好评价样本的选择分类,将培训效果的评价指向"主动学习型"参训教师;最后,要做好评价方法的设计与评价结果的分析,评价方法主要包括呈现评价、应用评价及变量分析。     

Teachers on perceived traits and academic achievements of regular pupils and pupils with special needs in mainstream primary schools

When looking for answers to the question of academic (non)achievement of regular pupils and pupils with special needs, it is necessary to take into account the extraordinary complexity of factors, ranging from psychological across instructional to home environment variables. The academic achievement is not only a reflection of the pupil’s knowledge, but is also influenced by the pupil’s behaviour, the teacher’s expectations and finally the relationship established between the teacher and the pupil. This paper contributes answers to the question which of the traits, perceived by teachers, explain the academic achievements of regular pupils and pupils with special needs. Our analysis shows that perceived traits that explain the academic achievement of regular pupils refer to academic as well as social behaviour, disruptive behaviour and self-regulatory behaviour; therefore, they cover all areas of perceived traits we studied. In pupils with special needs as a whole and in particular groups of pupils with special needs, the factor which presents disruptive social behaviour proved as insignificant, which consequently means that the academic achievement of pupils with special needs depends more on academic and self-regulatory behaviour, task activity and social inclusion.     

试究成就测试在大学英语教学中的反拨作用

针对当前大学英语教学中普遍取消单元测验、期中考试等阶段性测试的现象,本文就此类成就测试在大学英语教学中的反拨作用进行了实验分析和问卷调查.结果显示:阶段性成就测试在学生英语学习过程中具有明显的促进作用,同时还可以帮助教师进一步了解教学工作中所取得的成绩和存在的问题,从而找到解决问题的办法,有利于提高将来的英语教学效果.     

‘I h8 u’: Findings from a five‐year study of text and email bullying

This study charts reports of nasty or threatening text and email messages received by students in academic years 7 and 8 (11–13 years of age) attending 13 secondary schools in the North of England between 2002 and 2006. Annual surveys were undertaken on behalf of the local education authority to monitor bullying. Results indicated that, over five years, the number of pupils receiving one or more nasty or threatening text messages or emails increased significantly, particularly among girls. However, receipt of frequent nasty or threatening text and email messages remained relatively stable. For boys, being a victim of direct‐physical bullying was associated with receiving nasty or threatening text and email messages; for girls it was being unpopular among peers. Boys received more hate‐related messages and girls were primarily the victims of name‐calling. Findings are discussed with respect to theoretical and policy developments, and recommendations for future research are offered.