Long‐term effects of primary schools on mathematics achievement of students at age 17

In the field of educational effectiveness research, school effects are generally studied in the short term (i.e. during the same phase of schooling). The aim of this study is to investigate long‐term primary school effects on students’ achievement in mathematics at the end of secondary education. We also investigate which primary school characteristics are of importance in the long term. Data from the longitudinal SiBO project, in which a cohort of 6,000 Flemish pupils were intensively followed from kindergarten to grade 7, was used. At the age of 17, the same cohort participated in follow‐up data collection. Cross‐classified multilevel models showed small continuing effects of primary school on the mathematics achievement of students (i.e. over and above what had been reached at the end of primary education). No long‐term effect was found of the proportion of high‐risk students at primary school. Students coming from a primary school with a higher effectiveness obtained higher mathematics results at age 17, but when the mathematics achievement of students at the end of primary school was taken into account, this effect disappeared. We also observed that students coming from Catholic primary schools performed better in mathematics at age 17 compared with students coming from public schools. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Long-term effects of primary schools on educational positions of students 2 and 4 years after the start of secondary education

Although the importance of primary schools in the long term is of interest in educational effectiveness research, few studies have examined the long-term effects of schools over the past decades. In the present study, long-term effects of primary schools on the educational positions of students 2 and 4 years after starting secondary education are investigated. Moreover, it is examined which school factors play a role in this process. We specifically investigated whether effective primary schools make a difference in the long term. This study uses data from the longitudinal SiBO project, which followed 6,000 pupils in primary education in Flanders, Belgium, and has follow-up data during secondary education. Two-level models and cross-classified multilevel models show that primary schools have long-term effects on the educational positions of students in secondary education.     

The effects of faking on non-cognitive predictors of academic performance in University students

This study examined the extent to which students could fake responses on personality and approaches to studying questionnaires, and the effects of such responding on the validity of non-cognitive measures for predicting academic performance (AP). University students produced a profile of an ‘ideal’ student using the Big-Five personality taxonomy, which yielded a stereotype with low scores for Neuroticism, and high scores for the other four traits. A sub-set of participants were allocated to a condition in which they were instructed to fake their responses as University applicants, portraying themselves as positively as possible. Scores for these participants revealed higher scores than those in a control condition on measures of deep and strategic approaches to studying, but lower scores on the surface approach variable. Conscientiousness was a significant predictor of AP in both groups, but the predictive effect of approaches to studying variables and Openness to Experience identified in the control group was lower in the group who faked their responses. Non-cognitive psychometric measures can be valid predictors of AP, but scores on these measures can be affected by instructional set. Further implications for psychometric measurement in educational settings are discussed.     

再论融合教育:普小教师眼中的"随班就读"

在中国 ,融合教育的主要安置形式是随班就读。本文使用开放式问卷 ,录音采访了大连市 1 1所普通小学的 2 3位班主任教师。研究的结果表明 :(一 )大连市的普小教师对特殊儿童随班就读基本上持接受态度 ,集中有近一半多的教师认为要视学生的残疾种类合程度来确定特殊儿童是否随班就读。(二 )在多数普小教师看来 ,特殊儿童与正常儿童之间的交往势必交顺利的 ,特殊儿童的社会融合经常出现在课外活动、集体活动、游戏的场合 ,而在课堂学习的情况下较难产生。 (三 )从社会融合的可利用资源中 ,社区、学校、家庭之间的相互支持、协作的桥梁并未建立起来。 (四 )普小教师对随班就读工作的建议是希望得到特殊教育知识的培训。     

The role of personality and motivation in predicting early college academic success in non-traditional students at a Hispanic-serving institution

Non-cognitive factors represent a chance to learn more about how to help students succeed in early college experiences. This study examined personality and motivation as predictors of first-quarter GPA in a sample of 315 non-traditional undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution. Our results provide support for the importance of high levels of conscientiousness, intrinsic motivation, and low levels of extrinsic motivation in first-quarter school success. Implications and possible interventions are discussed.     

How the existence of special schools affects the placement of students with special needs in inclusive primary schools

Although inclusion is the declared goal, the transition from a system based on special schools to an inclusive school system has only been progressing very slowly in individual countries. In an evolving school system, the existing special schools keep struggling to justify their existence. This study investigates the regional distribution effects based on official school data and shows the influence of a pull effect on special schools as a distance effect of special schools affecting the placement of students. For this purpose, official school statistics including all students at special and regular schools in the years 2010, 2015 and 2020 (N = 11 280 040) are evaluated in a spatiotemporal comparison using Educational Data Mining. In a hierarchical regression model on school placement in inclusive schools, the distance between primary and special schools has the highest influence (β = 0.48) on the inclusion rate (i.e., the proportion of students with special needs who are educated in regular schools in relation to all students with disabilities), along with the size (β = −0.14) and the density of special schools in a district (β = −0.12). The effects differ according to the population density of the region and are stronger in large cities. When the proportion of students with and without SEN in regular schools is considered (support rate), the density of special schools has the greatest impact on school placement (ß = 43.44). Self-preservation of schools, traditional funding systems and regional differences between urban and rural areas are discussed as possible reasons.     

The nature of institutional heteronormativity in primary schools and practice-based responses

Concern for school-based homophobia is increasing, yet there is a tendency to focus on individual incidents of homophobic bullying rather than the cultural and institutional factors supporting them. We analyse ways in which institutional heteronormativity operates in primary schools and report results from our research in UK schools that culminated in a Participatory Action Research project in which practicing teachers explored possibilities for disrupting dominant discourses of sexuality and gender expression. We argue that policy and practice need to be reconceptualised to recognise institutional heteronormativity and to interrogate the discourses underpinning systematic forms of oppression.     

Student primary teachers and their experience of religious education in schools

This article is based on research into the way student primary teachers experience religious education when they train in schools. The research findings suggest that the experience and quality of training in many schools is not adequate and that this experience undermines student confidence in relation to religious education. The author argues that despite the increased reliance on school as an arena for the training of teachers, in the case of religious education many student teachers do not have the opportunities to observe or teach religious education even where the school or student is keen to do so.     

Differences between secondary schools: A study about school context,group composition,school practice,and school effects with special attention to public and Catholic schools and types of schools

The results indicate that in Flanders secondary schools of different denomination and of different school type (based on their curriculum offerings) differ with respect to several characteristics. With respect to the educational framework, learning environment and learning climate differences between schools are small and differences are more situated within schools. Multilevel analysis reveals that almost 19% of the variance in mathematics achievement is at school level. The effect of denomination is small and disappears when student background (which is related to school practice) is taken into account. The effect of school type remains important when controlled for student background and denomination. Group composition, the social and learning climate, and the opportunity to learn seem to matter and explain almost 90% of the school effect. They also explain more than four fifths of the effect of school type (and denomination together) which accounts for 65% of the school level variance.     

The effects of guided elaboration in a CSCL programme on the learning outcomes of primary school students from Dutch and immigrant families

This study examined the effects of guided elaboration on students' learning outcomes in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. The programme provided students with feedback on their elaborations, and students reflected on this feedback. It was expected that students in the experimental (elaboration) programme would show better learning gains and that students from immigrant families would especially benefit. Two hundred primary school students of 9 different schools participated. The research can be characterized as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, control group design. In a multilevel regression analysis, no main effect of the intervention was found. However, there was a significant differential effect of the intervention; students from immigrant families in the experimental programme outperformed their counterparts in the control group. It can be concluded that guided elaboration in a CSCL programme through feedback and reflection is a promising approach.     

Components of fostering self-regulated learning among students. A meta-analysis on intervention studies at primary and secondary school level

Due to new standards in fostering life-long learning at school, research has increasingly dealt with the promotion of self-regulated learning, resulting in a large number of intervention studies conducted at primary and secondary school. The current study aimed at investigating the impact of various training characteristics on the training outcomes, regarding academic performance, strategy use and motivation of students. Two meta-analyses were conducted separately, one for primary and one for secondary school level to allow for comparisons between both school levels. The meta-analyses included 49 studies conducted with primary school students and 35 studies conducted with secondary school students; analyzing 357 effect sizes altogether. The potential effects of training characteristics were investigated by means of meta-analytic multiple regression analyses. The average effect size was 0.69. For both school levels, effect sizes were higher when the training was conducted by researchers instead of regular teachers. Moreover, interventions attained higher effects when conducted in the scope of mathematics than in reading/writing or other subjects. Self-regulated learning can be fostered effectively at both primary and secondary school level. However, the theoretical background on which the training programme is based, as well as the type of instructed strategy led to differential effects at both school levels.

浅谈小学问题学生情感教育

由于家庭因素和学校因素的影响,一部分小学生被贴上“问题学生”的标签,这严重影响了学生的身心发展和自我认识.采用情感教育的渗透,培养学生的自尊心自信心,可以让问题学生走出内心的困扰,重新树立正确的人生价值观.     

Meta-analysis of transformational school leadership effects on school outcomes in Taiwan and the USA

Researchers have suggested that transformational leadership is an important aspect of effective schools; however, whether the effects vary across related studies and the robustness of the overall effect size remain unclear. A meta-analysis technique was used to synthesize the results of 28 independent studies and to investigate the overall relationship between transformational school leadership and three measures of school outcomes. The study found that, in terms of the mean effect sizes, transformational school leadership does have positive effects on teacher job satisfaction, school effectiveness perceived by teachers, and student achievement. Support for this paper was funded in part by the Taiwan’s National Science Council. The author is especially grateful to the two reviewers for their valuable comments and Dr. Jin-Fu Wu for his helps of statistical analysis.     

满铁附属地日本人小学校中国语教育述论

满铁根据贯彻以满蒙为中心教育方针的特殊需要,结合我国东北地区的特点,将中国语科作为重要学科列入课程设置之内。其目的就是尽可能更多地培养将来能永住东北大地的日本人,并通过努力,确保日本人在东北的牢固地位,使之更好地进行殖民统治。这是对我国教育乃至主权的赤裸裸的侵略。     

Relations between the comprehension of connectives and school performance in primary school

The comprehension of connectives, which still develops across primary school age, is an important facet of academic language proficiency. We investigated relations between the comprehension of connectives and school performance in primary school. Drawing on two cohorts with a total of 294 students and two measurement points either in Grades 2 and 3 (Cohort 1; n = 139) or in Grades 3 and 4 (Cohort 2; n = 155), we found positive effects of children's performance on a newly developed test on the comprehension of connectives on reading comprehension and mathematics one year later while considering, amongst others, the families' socioeconomic status, children's nonverbal cognitive abilities, and receptive grammar. Overall, data showed even more pronounced effects of the comprehension of connectives on test scores compared to school grades. Results are discussed with respect to the specific importance of the comprehension of connectives for school performance in primary school.     

New schools and new classmates: The disruption and peer group effects of school reassignment

Policy makers periodically consider using student assignment policies to improve educational outcomes by altering the socio-economic and academic skill composition of schools. We exploit the quasi-random reassignment of students across schools in the Wake County Public School System to estimate the academic and behavioral effects of being reassigned to a different school and, separately, of shifts in peer characteristics. We rule out all but substantively small effects of transitioning to a different school as a result of reassignment on test scores, course grades and chronic absenteeism. In contrast, increasing the achievement levels of students’ peers improves students’ math and ELA test scores but harms their ELA course grades. Test score benefits accrue primarily to students from higher-income families, though students with lower family income or lower prior performance still benefit. Our results suggest that student assignment policies that relocate students to avoid the over-concentration of lower-achieving students or those from lower-income families can accomplish equity goals (despite important caveats), although these reassignments may reduce achievement for students from higher-income backgrounds.     

The influence of closing poor performing primary schools on the educational attainment of students

This paper examines whether the closure of poor performing primary schools improved students' educational attainment. It is believed that school closure affects children's educational outcomes positively because children switch to better primary schools. At the same time, school closure creates a social disturbance such that educational outcomes may be affected negatively. There is no previous literature on the effect of this type of school closure on student performance. The empirical results indicate that student test scores are not affected by the school closure. Children are, however, tracked into higher secondary education levels after the school closure if they received more education years at the new primary school. This effect fades out and eventually becomes negative for children who received more than one education year at the new primary school. The results further suggest that there are no detrimental effects of a school closure in terms of educational performance.     

基于开放式理念的中小学校园规划设计研究——以闽清城关小学方案设计为例

当前中国采取的应试教育模式,在中小学教学空间上体现出“长外廊串联普通教室”的基本布局。闽清城关小学的设计在基本延续传统规划布局和空间设置的基础上,也在校园规划和教学空间的灵活性和适应性方面进行了积极的探索。在规划上,将院落、架空等开放、半开放空间纳入学习使用,成为教育教学的“第二课堂;引入“多义性非功能空间”的理念,优化教学空间,激发出更大活力,以可持续发展的理念应对未来开放式教学的需要。     

Project-based learning in primary schools: effects on pupils' learning and attitudes

This study focuses upon the effectiveness of project-based learning on primary school pupils regarding their content knowledge and attitudes towards self-efficacy, task value, group work, teaching methods applied and peers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. A cross-curricular project was implemented within the curriculum area of environmental studies under the title of ‘sea animals’. The methodology applied in this study was the quasi-experimental research design. The findings of the present study support the view that pupils can gain benefits through project-based learning in obtaining content knowledge and group work skills and that they became less favourable to traditional teaching versus experiential learning. Motivation (self-efficacy and task value in terms of environmental studies) and developing positive attitudes towards peers from a different ethnic background were changed in moderate levels after the project.     

A meta-analysis on the relationship between school characteristics and student outcomes in science and maths – evidence from large-scale studies

ABSTRACT

In the present meta-analysis, we examine how secondary school characteristics – such as schools’ academic press, school climate, material resources, personnel resources, classroom climate, instructional practices, out-of-school activities, and socioeconomic status (SES) composition – provide opportunities for students to engage in science and maths, and how these matter with regard to students’ cognitive and motivational-affective outcomes. The meta-analysis includes 71 (international) articles from large-scale studies with a total of 3,960,281 students, 260,390 schools, and 285 effect sizes that were transformed to correlation coefficients. Multilevel meta-analyses were performed. Results identified a number of school variables that can be regarded as relevant for making a difference in student outcomes and at the same time be influenced by education. These refer to school variables such schools’ academic press, classroom climate, instructional practices, and out-of-school activities. Moreover, SES composition was significantly related to student outcomes. Material and personnel resources as well as school climate yielded a close to zero effect. No differences were found between cognitive and motivational-affective outcome variables or between science and maths. The results point to the most promising school characteristics for promoting students’ outcomes and emphasise schools’ potential for students’ engagement in science and maths.