农村小学全科教师教学胜任力调查与思考

农村小学全科教师教学胜任力是农村小学全科教师的关键能力。通过对N省959位农村小学全科教师的问卷调查、深度访谈和课堂观察发现:农村小学全科教师教学胜任力水平一般,包班制全科教师教学胜任力整体高于协同包班制全科教师教学胜任力;不同胜任水平的农村小学全科教师在教学各维度存在显著差异,全科教学内容维度得分最低;不同变量水平的农村小学全科教师教学胜任力表现存在差异。为了有效提高农村小学全科教师教学胜任力,需要正确理解农村小学全科教学;加强农村小学全科教师课程统整能力;重视农村小学全科教师培训系统化设计。     

School‐based teacher collaboration in Sweden and Greece: formal cooperation,deprivatized practices and personalized interaction in primary and lower secondary schools

During recent years, educational restructuring efforts have commonly regarded schools as both learning communities and sites for teachers’ professional development. A plethora of attributes influence prerequisites as well as outcomes of the efforts, while teachers’ local cultures constitute a cornerstone. More specifically, enhanced school‐based teacher collaboration is associated with upgraded school effectiveness and enhanced professional growth. However, the comparative study of school‐based teacher collaboration remains a subjective research area. The overall aim of this study is to highlight teacher collaboration in Sweden and Greece utilizing nationwide surveys with physical education teachers in both countries. The final sample consisted of 707 Swedish and 451 Greek professionals. The high response rate combined with restricted internal dropout forms the basis of the generalization of the findings. The presentation of the results is connected with issues of formal cooperation, deprivatized practices and personalized interaction in four teachers groups: primary and lower secondary schools in Sweden and in Greece. According to the data, formal cooperation and deprivatized practices occur more frequently in Sweden than in Greece. However, personalized interaction is rather high in Greek lower secondary schools. Despite differences between the four contexts, a second order model represents obtained information adequately with very good fit indexes. It seems that school‐based teacher collaboration in authentic settings can be connected to complex processes with multifaceted characteristics in different national contexts as well as in educational stages within one country as well. Manipulating distinct aspects of schooling may consequently jeopardize expected outcomes, as development ambitions should be targeting several interdependent dimensions. Swedish schools generally and lower secondary schools specifically constitute original examples of enhanced school‐based teacher collaboration, while an intensification of combined endeavours is needed in Greece. The comparative mapping of interconnected collaboration characteristics might contribute to more holistic restructuring struggles towards schools as learning communities and sites for teachers’ professional development.     

School quality and learning gains in rural Guatemala

I use unusually detailed data on schools, teachers and classrooms to explain student achievement growth in rural Guatemala. Several variables that have received little attention in previous studies – including the number of school days, teacher content knowledge and pedagogical methods – are robust predictors of achievement. A series of decompositions by student ethnicity and type of school shed some additional light on important questions in the Guatemalan context, and beyond. The large indigenous test score gap is not explained by differences in an extensive list of observable features of schools. The large effect for community characteristics suggests peer group effects or more general institutional differences related to services or labor markets. PRONADE community schools are associated with moderate gains vis-à-vis public schools in areas related to utilization of capacity, such as days worked. But these gains are largely offset by lower teacher capacity, which highlights the challenge of improving school quality in poor, rural areas.     

Rural Communities Lacking Multi-Sector Schooling Options: Indiana’s School Choice Deserts

ABSTRACT

Despite Indiana’s school choice landscape – including private school vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, inter-district and intra-district enrollment, magnet schools, and charter schools – not all Indiana communities have reasonable access to options outside of their traditional public schools. This research explores what lack-of-reasonable access differences – defined as greater than a 30-minute one-way drive time to a choice school – exist by locale, with a focus on rural communities. Geospatial analysis is used to identify “school choice deserts” lacking multi-sector schooling options in various communities. These deserts tend to exist wholly or mostly in rural areas, although Indiana students in grades K–8 exhibit greater access levels to non-traditional schools than those in high school.     

The effects of teacher mathematics knowledge and pedagogy on student achievement in rural Guatemala

Why are some teachers more effective than others? The importance of understanding the interplay between teacher preparation, pedagogy and student achievement has motivated a new line of research focusing on teacher knowledge. This study analyses the effects of teacher mathematics knowledge on student achievement using longitudinal data from rural Guatemalan primary schools. After presenting a conceptual framework for linking the work of the teacher with student learning in mathematics together with an overview of the different forms of teacher knowledge, the paper introduces the Guatemalan context and the analytical framework including the sample, data and methods. Overall, the results provide some empirical support for a widely held, if infrequently tested, belief in mathematics education: effective teachers have different kinds of mathematical knowledge. The results also suggest specific mechanisms by which effective teachers can make substantial impacts on student learning, even in extremely poor contexts.     

国外乡村学校发展模式研究

特色发展、跨越发展、市场发展、协同合作及社区共建五种模式构成了国外乡村学校发展的基本模式.特色发展模式强调从本国实际出发,从差异性中找特色;跨越发展及市场发展模式就乡村学校发展的资源需求而言,注重将信息技术带入乡村学校建设;协同合作、社区共建模式则从乡村学校之间、乡村学校与社区关系着眼,侧重于为乡村学校发展营造良好环境.乡村学校发展的五种模式在运行机制、执行主体、组织要素及思维方式方面既有差异,也有共性.     

Variation in Effectiveness Between Private and Public Schools: The Impact of School and Family Networks*

Abstract

Building upon the assumption that cohesion between different levels of the school is essential to the schools’ effectiveness, the hypothesis is tested that a close kinship between school and parental community causes a positive effect on student outcomes in primary schools. Recent theories regarding the effects of ‘functional communities’ on academic achievement mainly focus on the characteristics of the parental community that surrounds a school. Recognizing, however, that schools differ regarding their responsiveness to the role of parents and other actors around the school, our expectation is that a definition of functional community which comprises interactions between characteristics of the parental network around the school and the governance structure of the school offers a better explanation of variation in student achievement. Based on a national sample of 90 schools for primary education in the Netherlands, our analysis shows that the differences in math achievement for public and private primary schools are mediated by characteristics at both the family and the institutional level. It also indicates that characteristics at the institutional level are conditional for the effects of parental networks around schools.

     

Access and use of technologies in the home in the UK: implications for the curriculum

There is increasing acknowledgement that differences exist in the levels of achievement of boys and girls in English primary schools, as evidenced by performances in National Curriculum tests at Key Stages 1 and 2. This article briefly examines the nature of these differences, both nationally and specifically within the context of a pilot study of four schools in different socio-economic contexts. Some of the underlying factors behind these differential achievements are considered, particularly within the context of literacy issues and of boys' constructions of masculinity. An analysis of the approaches towards creating a context for achievement of both girls and boys in these four schools is then offered, with a focus on pedagogic, organizational and socio-cultural strategies. It is suggested that, while intervention strategies which have the potential to raise the achievement levels of boys (and girls) are being successfully developed in each pilot school, there is as yet only limited evidence to suggest how and why these interventions are most effective, and indeed, how these interventions might be successfully adapted and transferred to other school contexts.     

How do school resources and academic performance differ across Australia’s rural, regional and metropolitan communities?

This study uses data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to gain a better understanding of how academic performance and resources vary across rural–urban school communities in Australia. While it is well known that schools in rural areas have difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers, the degree to which schools in larger sized communities across Australia also face this problem is less understood. Moreover, very little is known about the degree to which shortages of instructional materials and equipment are associated with rural–urban location. The analysis includes 353 schools across eight community types that range in size of <1,000 people in small country towns to more than a million people in large capital cities. School principals reported the degree to which instruction in their school is hindered by a shortage of resources, which include qualified teaching staff and instructional materials and equipment. The findings highlight the extent to which school resources vary across geographic location, as reported by school principals. Principals of schools in the centre of large cities were the least likely to report that shortages of teaching staff or instructional materials hinder learning, while principals in rural and remote communities were the most likely to report that such shortages hinder instruction. These differences closely mirror student PISA academic performance and school socioeconomic composition. PISA data indicates that schools located in small rural communities have the lowest socioeconomic profiles, the lowest academic performance and the largest shortages of teaching staff and instructional materials, while schools in central neighborhoods of large cities enjoy the highest socioeconomic profiles, the highest academic performance and the fewest shortages.     

School context and instructional capacity: A comparative study of professional learning communities in rural and urban schools in China

This study examines the teaching gap between rural and urban schools in China from the perspective of teacher professional learning communities (PLCs). Drawing on in-depth interviews with 36 primary school teachers, the study finds striking disparities between rural and urban schools in the working of Teaching and Research Groups (TRGs). These disparities in TRGs result in divergent patterns of instructional capacity building in rural and urban schools. The evidence shows that teaching and teachers are strongly shaped by the school organizational context. It suggests that strengthening school-wide PLCs is an important way of narrowing the rural-urban teaching and learning gaps.     

Immigrant Acculturation in Suburban Schools Serving the New Latino Diaspora

Recent immigration patterns have led to widespread growth in school enrollments of Spanish-speakers in nontraditional immigrant destinations in many parts of the United States. This paper explores the ways in which suburban school districts respond to this demographic shift, with a focus on how schooling impacts the acculturation experiences of immigrants to this particular context. Drawing on a statewide survey of administrators and teachers in schools serving Wisconsin's New Latino Diaspora, results from suburban schools are analyzed in comparison to urban and rural contexts. In this paper, I explore the ways in which suburban schools in the study were more likely to structure integration than schools in rural or urban locales. At the same time, these contexts were less likely to provide asset-based supports for Spanish-speakers, particularly those no longer designated as “beginner” English learners. These findings suggest that the opportunity to foster additive acculturation was limited, as many schools espoused a “sink or swim” approach in the context of scarce resources. Given the ongoing growth of immigrant communities in new suburban destinations, the paper ends with implications for future research and practice.     

广西农村小学教师教学自主性现状调查与研究

本研究主要对广西农村小学教师进行问卷调查,探讨其教学自主性的现状。研究发现,农村小学教师教学自主性处于中等水平,大部分教师拥有自主教学的能力;农村小学教师教学自主性在学历、教龄、婚育状况等因素上存在显著差异。对此,国家、学校应该提高农村小学教师的收入水平,完善教师责任标准;教师应提升自身专业素养;学校应开展多样的创新教学教研活动,消除教师的职业倦怠。     

New learner subjects? Reforming the rural child for a modern India

This article discusses findings from an ethnographic study of schooling in India to reflect on the ways in which new learner subjects – the ideal citizens of the future – are constructed by education reforms in poor, rural communities. The concerns of the article are framed by the significant economic growth and social modernisation occurring in India, particularly for the expanding urban middle classes. The rural poor have been largely excluded from India's narrative of development and modernisation. This article asks, then, what kind of citizen-subject does schooling for the poor in India seek to produce? It focuses on the intentions and effects of child-centred pedagogic programmes in rural primary schools in the south Indian state of Karnataka. The analysis shows that in order for democratic and egalitarian education ideals to become more fully realised in these school contexts, teachers need to be supported to engage critically with the deep social stratifications in Indian society which continue to marginalise the rural poor.     

Politics of Charter Schools: Competing National Advocacy Coalitions Meet Local Politics

This article identifies supporters and opponents of charter schools at all levels of government and describes their motivations and behaviors. It is explained that state and local support for charter schools is most often determined by educational needs and material incentives. Different political contexts produce different charter school policies. For example, charter school legislation in Michigan was designed to increase competition among public schools. Legislation in Georgia served to deregulate public education after a period of increased state centralization. The article concludes that there is no cohesive state or local charter political pattern, given the variations in charter schools and their contexts. It remains unclear whether national charter school advocates have enough influence to expand the number of charter schools significantly. Local policymakers in areas with few educational pressures, such as some suburban communities, may resist change. Charter schools could end up as a marginal reform that impacts small numbers of students in urban centers, or continue their impressive growth, but it is state and local politics that will decide.     

Identifying characteristics of parental involvement: aesthetic experiences and micro-politics of resistance in different schools through ethnographic investigations

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the relevance that aesthetic practices play extending parental involvement and influence in school contexts in Spain. One rural, one urban and one peri-urban school have been included in the research. Participant observation and interviews were the main means of data production. In the results all the different schools promoted parents’ participation. However, differences in aesthetic practices and experiences were found. Parental involvement was developed in schools in different ways in relation to local contextual conditions and the salient characteristics of the geographic spaces the schools belonged to. Practical aesthetic knowledge produced multiple strategies of action.     

A comparative study of classroom teaching in Korea and Japan: a case study on reforming schools into learning communities

Some schools and teachers in Korea and Japan have begun practicing classroom-based reform according to similar visions of a learning community. The purpose of this study was to investigate reform efforts made by teachers in Korea and Japan toward turning classrooms into learning communities. Two elementary schools, School K in Korea and School T in Japan, were selected as major school sites. Research data was collected from two classrooms in each school through teacher interview and classroom observation. The results of our study showed that efforts made by teachers from the two countries, though aimed at similar goals to create learning communities and change classroom practices, produced different results. Teachers from both countries displayed differences in their views or attitudes toward the learning materials and the ways in which they build relationships with their students. These differences seemed to be derived from the different social and cultural contexts of the teachers in the two countries.     

Fertile Soil? How Information does (and does not) Shape Attitudes toward School Choice in Rural America

ABSTRACT

The role of political factors, specifically of public opinion, in the relatively low penetration of charter schools into rural America remains unclear. We use 8 years of national survey data to demonstrate that rural residents express less support for charter schools than residents of other locales do. We attribute this gap to differences in familiarity with charter schools across these locales rather than to differences in satisfaction with local schools or to differences in demographics, party affiliation, or political ideology. However, using a survey experiment and an oversample of districts with charter schools, we show that increased exposure to these schools or information about them does not boost support in rural communities. Lastly, we demonstrate a similar urban-rural gap in support for private school choice policies such as vouchers and tax credits for private school scholarships.     

Levelling the playing field between rural schools and urban schools in a HE context: A Scottish case study

At a time when interventions in widening access to, and participation in, higher education aim to maximise impact by engaging with schools located in the most deprived communities, school pupils in rural communities, and who experience deprivation, are, in practice, less likely to benefit. Using statistics available from the Scottish government, we show that state secondary schools located in Scottish remote or rural areas are not well served by the indicators capturing socio-economic, educational, or geographical deprivation widely used in the selection of schools for these outreach interventions. We construct a marker that identifies schools facing higher levels of deprivation than the Scottish average. We argue that (1) this marker is a step in the direction towards levelling the playing field between remote or rural schools and urban schools; and (2) it selects a wider range of schools for outreach interventions.     

How do school learning environments differ across Australia’s rural,regional and metropolitan communities?

This study uses data from the Programme for International Student Assessment, a large and nationally representative dataset, to examine how learning environments vary across metropolitan, rural and regional schools in Australia. Research has shown that school climate and learning environments are related to student academic performance, but little is known about the degree to which they differ across school communities in Australia. We examined principals’ perceptions of teacher and student behaviour related to school climate and students’ perceptions of teacher support, classroom disciplinary climate, and the relevance of education. The findings show that regardless of where they live, most students believe that schooling is worthwhile, and report positive relationships with their teachers. Perceptions of classroom disciplinary climate vary more across school communities, however, with students reporting less positive disciplinary climate in rural communities than in very large cities. Principals’ perceptions of teacher and student behavior related to school climate varied; with urban schools having much more positive results than schools in towns and rural communities. Finally, our findings show that students’ and principals’ perceptions of their school climate and learning environments are more positive in urban communities than in rural communities, but that the least positive environments are generally found in country towns rather than remote communities. Our findings suggest that attention should be paid to improving learning environments not just in the most rural/remote communities, but also in largish regional towns of up to 50,000 residents.