Strategic Learning in Primary Mathematics Education: Effects of an Experimental Program in Modelling

In most strategy research the focus is on ready-made models provided by the teacher or textbook. However, in this research project the effects are described of an experimental program in primary math education, concerning the construction and use of models by pupils in guided co-construction. This field experiment with an experimental group and a control group involved 238 grade-5 pupils. In a series of experimental lessons, pupils were taught to design models as a tool in the learning of percentages. The results of the experimental program were compared with the outcomes of a program in the control group, based on the teachers' strategy of “directly providing models” to the pupils. The conclusion, then, is that children in the experimental condition significantly outperform children in the control condition.     

The impact of the teacher’s role and pupils’ ethnicity and prior knowledge on pupils’ performance and motivation to cooperate

How can the teacher bring about effective cooperative learning (CL) in multiethnic elementary classrooms? To answer this question we hypothesized that when the teacher stimulates pupils’ helping behaviour (experimental group), this increases pupils’ performance and CL motivation more than when the teacher lets pupils fend for themselves (control group). Subjects were 166 pupils from 10 schools. The results show that national pupils in the experimental group outperformed pupils in the control group and teams with low and medium prior knowledge performed better in the experimental group. Additionally, immigrant teams with high prior knowledge in the control group outperformed their low prior knowledge counterparts and had a higher CL motivation. Our results suggest that, next to the teacher’s role, attention has to be paid to both the pupil background characteristics ethnicity and prior knowledge and the teacher’s experience with CL.     

Adaptive Instruction and Pupil Achievement

In this article the results are reported of a quasi-experiment on effects of adaptive instruction on reading results of children in the first year of reading instruction in Dutch primary schools. The research involved 456 pupils from 23 schools (12 experimental and 11 control group schools). Teachers in the experimental group show significantly higher adaptive instruction behaviour consisting of: optimizing time on task, using the model for direct instruction, working according to the principles of the 'phonics construction method' for initial reading and degree of diagnostic teaching, than the teachers in the control group. The pupils in the experimental group were significantly more successful on the attainment of higher reading results in comparison with the pupils in the control group. This experimental effect does not only remain after correction for the pretest, but also after correction for intelligence, social economical background and pleasure in reading.     

Effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers at a middle school in the North‐West Province of South Africa. Forty standard (std) 7 pupils were identified whose non‐verbal general ability and previous mathematics achievements were significantly lower than those of other std 7 pupils. These subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. Metacognitive strategies in solving mathematical problems related to four mathematics topics were individually taught to the members of the experimental group, while the pupils in the control group were taught the four mathematics topics through the conventional method of teaching mathematics. The comparisons of pretest and posttest measures of general ability, metacognitive awareness, attitude towards mathematics, and mathematics achievement revealed that the posttest scores of all the four variables for the experimental group were significantly higher than those for the control group.     

Formative peer assessment in primary school: the effects of involving pupils in setting assessment criteria on their appraisal and feedback style

This experimental study is aimed at examining the effect of involving pupils in primary education in setting assessment criteria and standards on their appraisal of a peer’s work and their peer feedback style. It is expected that our intervention will lead to (1) a criteria-referenced appraisal and (2) more final vocabulary, which is associated with a more authoritative style. In total, 95 sixth grade pupils from The Netherlands were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the experimental group, the pupils first received an exemplar, which was followed by a group discussion about appropriate assessment criteria and standards. In the control group, the pupils provided peer feedback without this discussion. Their peer appraisal was measured with a questionnaire and feedback style was determined by analysing the written feedback using a person-oriented approach (cluster analysis). Results showed that the chance that pupils in the experimental group had an authoritative style was three times higher than in the control group. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.     

Education in the Field Influences Children’s Ideas and Interest toward Science

This paper explores the idea of informal science education in scientific field laboratory (The Science Field Centre). The experimental group of pupils (N = 153) was experienced with approximately 5-day lasting field trips and experiments in the Field Centre in Slovakia. After finishing the course, two different research methods were used to discover their interest and ideas toward science. Pupils from the experimental group showed significant differences from those that did not experience education in the Field Centre (control group, N = 365). In comparison to the control group, pupils of the experimental group highly preferred book titles that were related to their program in the Field Centre. There were differences between the drawings of ideal school environment from both pupils groups. In the drawings of the experimental group, we found significantly more items connected with the educational environment of the Field Centre (e.g. laboratory equipment, live animals). We suppose field science education would be one of the most effective ways to increase interest of pupils to study science and to invaluable intrinsic motivation at the expense extrinsic motivation.     

小学英语语音教学：自然拼读教学与字母教学的实证性研究

文章采用非等值控制组设计,实验数据来自一所地方学校的两组小学生,实验时间为10周。对照组以教字母为主的传统教学法授课,实验组以实施自然拼读教学的教学法授课。两组各施予语音技能的前测与后测以评估语音技能是否有提高,目的是观察以发展自然拼读教学为主的教学法的可行性,结果表明实验组在后测中有明显进步,显示不用字母教授语音觉识技能是可行的。     

Behavioural Peer Tutoring: training 16‐year‐old tutors to employ the ‘pause,prompt and praise’ method with 12‐year‐old remedial readers

Abstract Eight 16‐year‐old, low achieving pupils were trained to tutor reading using the ‘Pause, Prompt and Praise’ method. The effectiveness of training such tutors was investigated through a tutorial programme in which these eight older pupils tutored eight 12‐year‐old remedial children who were retarded in reading. The programme consisted of 24 tutorial sessions conducted over eight weeks. Two matched control groups of remedial readers were also included in the experiment. One consisted of eight pupils tutored by a group of eight untrained tutors who tutored during the same sessions using the same materials. The second control group consisted of a third group of remedial readers who read silently, without a tutor. The experimental group of tutees, who had a mean pre‐test reading age of 8 years 4 months, made a mean gain of 6 months in reading accuracy by the end of the programme. The tutees of control group I who had received tutoring from untrained tutors made a mean gain of 2.4 months. The pupils of control group II who read silently without a tutor made a mean gain of 1.8 months. Analysis of covariance showed the gains of the experimental group to be statistically significantly different from the gains of the two control groups.     

Affective Outcomes of Cooperative Learning in Social Studies

This paper reports an experimental study involving the use of cooperative learning in a social studies classroom. The outcome variables discussed in the paper are pupil self-esteem and classroom climate. Over the period of the study, cooperative learning did not significantly improve the self-esteem of the pupils. However, pupils in the experimental group who were taught through the cooperative learning approach perceived classwork to be less difficult than the control pupils who worked individually. The control pupils also reported a decline in satisfaction with classwork and perceived more friction in their class. Interviews with the teacher and pupils showed favourable attitudes toward cooperative learning.     

Improving the effectiveness of collaborative group work in primary schools: effects on science attainment

This longitudinal research tests the effectiveness of the SPRinG programme, which was developed through a collaboration between researchers and teachers and designed to provide teachers with strategies for enhancing pupil group work in ‘authentic’ classroom settings. An evaluation study involved comparing pupils in SPRinG classrooms and trained in group work skills with those who were not in terms of science attainment. There were 560 and 1027 pupils (8–10 years) in the experimental and control groups respectively. ‘Macro’ attainment data were collected at the start of the year. ‘Micro’ attainment data were collected in the spring and summer before and after science lessons involving either group work (intervention) or the control teachers' usual approach. SPRinG pupils made greater academic progress than control pupils. Findings are discussed relative to enhancing the quantity and quality of group work in schools and a social pedagogic approach to classroom learning.     

PARENTS' ATTITUDES AND PERSONALITIES OF PUPILS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT

The family context is a crucial factor shaping children's personalities, and despite enrichment of the immediate environment with increasing age, it remains the basic determinant of personal development for young people. Family relations — especially the influence of mothers' and fathers' attitudes on children's personalities in the context of school — have not been examined clearly enough. In the present study an attempt has been made to show the interdependence between mothers' and fathers' attitudes as perceived by children and the personalities of pupils with different results at school. Subjects were pupils attending the first classes of secondary school The basic research group was 56 persons with poor results at school who dropped out, the first comparison group 55 children with high marks, the second 57 average achievers. Results showed that the attitudes of fathers and mothers of pupils who dropped out differed from those of pupils with high marks. The personalities of pupils who were successful at school differed from those of pupils with average results.     

双语教学绩效评价实证研究

采取动态研究的方法,前后历时一年.实验组为上海某小学三年级参加双语兴趣课的学生,在一年内他们接受了每周一次共80分钟的双语教学,对照组为该校同年级的所有其他同学.经过前期测试、后期测试和问卷调查,课题组得出了实验组和对照组成绩无明显差异的结论,并对此从四个方面进行了分析和论证.     

Factors which influence the well-being of pupils in flemish secondary schools

The Flemish government considers well-being of pupils as an important output indicator for the quality of education. The education inspectorate needed an instrument to measure this well-being in a school context, an instrument that should also be a basis for actions plans aimed at enhancing pupils' well-being. The development of this instrument is described in this article. A total of 342 pupils were interviewed. The material from these interviews was used for construction of—mainly Likert-type—items for a questionnaire. A pilot version of the questionnaire was examined by experts and tested with a random sample of 306 pupils. The experimental version was tried out on a random sample of 2054 pupils. This resulted in a questionnaire with four consistent scales and thirteen subscales. Significant differences between schools were found. Atmosphere at school, contacts with teachers, involvement in class and at school, school regulations and infrastructure were among the best predictors.     

Precision teaching through Irish: effects on isolated sight word reading fluency and contextualised reading fluency

The current study examines the impact of a three-week precision teaching (PT) intervention programme through the Irish language on a group of primary school pupils’ Irish reading fluency. The study employed a mixed factorial experimental design. Thirty-six Irish primary school pupils who were learning Irish as a second language were recruited for this study. Participants were divided evenly into two groups: experimental and control (N?=?18). Participants completed tests of isolated sight word reading fluency and contextualised reading fluency before and after the PT intervention programme. The experimental group was exposed to the PT programme, which focused on isolated Irish vocabulary, while the control group experienced typical teaching of Irish. The results of a one-way multivariate analysis of variance and a series of dependent-samples t-tests revealed that in contrast to the control group, the experimental group exhibited a significant increase in both isolated sight word reading fluency and contextualised reading fluency following the intervention. This study emphasises the potential value of utilising PT to aid second language learning, not only for increasing isolated sight word reading fluency, but also for enhancing contextualised reading fluency.     

Video interaction guidance in collaborative group work: impact on primary school pupils’ self-esteem and behaviours

Video interaction guidance (VIG) is an increasingly recognised evidence-based intervention. VIG was used to enhance pupil responses during a group work programme. Fifteen primary-aged classes across a range of socio-economic status received regular group work over a year. A mixed methods repeated measures design involved nine experimental classes receiving intervention of three cycles of VIG. Six control classes did not receive the VIG intervention. Pre-to-post-test measures included: pupils’ self-esteem in relation to learning, using the Myself as a Learner Scale; a peer assessment schedule based upon Frederickson and Cameron’s Social Inclusion Survey; and a researcher devised pupil questionnaire. Pupils’ communicative behaviours were analysed for a random sample of 12 video clips. Results showed that reinforcement of desirable group work behaviours using VIG enhanced pupils’ self-esteem. The VIG intervention significantly enhanced the experimental group. There was greatest impact on increasing the self-esteem of younger children. Experimental pupils’ retrospective ratings of group work significantly increased, again youngest pupils showed greatest improvement. Film observations showed a trend towards an increase in pupils’ open questions replacing closed questions. There was a significant positive increase in peer assessment of communicative behaviours across the whole sample, irrespective of the VIG intervention. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Young children working together. Cooperative learning effects on group work of children in Grade 1 of primary education

It was examined whether cooperative learning within the Success for All (SfA) program led to improved group work behaviour of Grade 1 pupils. 168 pupils of six SfA schools and 144 pupils of four control schools participated. Positive and negative group work behaviour was observed during a group task, taking into account socioemotional ethos, group participation, and type of dialogue. Longitudinal multilevel analysis was used for the sequence of observed 20-s time intervals. SfA groups showed more positive and less negative group work behaviour compared to control groups, whilst controlling for several group characteristics. Results suggest that negative group work behaviour increased gradually during the whole task in control groups, while in SfA groups it increased only towards the end of the task. The findings indicate that cooperative learning may lead to improved group work behaviour of young pupils (6–7 years old).     

Impact of instruction on learning disabled students' creative thinking

Forty-nine pupils from learning disabilities intermediate-level classrooms served as subjects in the study and were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were used as pretests and posttests. The Purdue Creative Training Program was used to stimulate the learning disabled experimental group's divergent thinking abilities for 14 weeks. Pupils in the learning disabled experimental group made significantly higher scores than did the comparison group on the creativity variables of the verbal subtest of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.     

Staying on task: can a thinking skills approach support a productive pedagogy for inclusion?

This study investigates the effects of a thinking skills approach on the on task rates of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN). There were three situations: two experimental and one controlled. The experimental situations compared on task rates of 19 primary-aged pupils with SEN in thinking skills (TS) and non-thinking skills (XTS) lessons. These same 19 pupils' on task rates were then compared to the 19 different pupils with SEN in the control situation (CON). The study found that pupils with SEN had significantly higher on task rates in thinking skills lessons compared to the non-thinking skills lessons and pupils with SEN in the control situation. This study also found that pupils' on task rate was directly proportional to the level of thinking skills content in a lesson. In addition it was found that pupils in thinking skills lessons spent significantly more time working collaboratively.     

团体心理辅导在五年制高职恋爱学生中的运用初探

考察团体心理辅导应用于五年制高职恋爱学生的可行性与有效性。筛选出正在恋爱的36名学生作为实验组,36名同质学生作为对照组。对实验组进行八次团体心理辅导。相关测试与调查显示,实验组和对照组有显著差异和变化。运用团体心理辅导模式对五年制高职生进行恋爱指导产生明显效果。     

Wie lässt sich die Experimentierstrategie-Nutzung fördern?

Pupils display a production deficiency within self-regulated learning arrangements using experimentation. Available strategy-knowledge does not result in an effective strategy use. This may be due to a lack of metacognitive capabilities and motivation. These aspects should be supported, then, in order to foster strategy use. Providing prompts is a promising method. The question is how to design them to optimal effect. Two characteristics were investigated in an experimental study, namely the adaptability of prompts and their combination with strategy-related feedback. 93 pupils in year 9 experienced self-regulated learning in a computer-based experiment setting. There was a control group and three experimental groups with non-adaptive prompts, adaptive prompts or a combination of feedback and adaptive prompts, respectively. The dependent variables were the extent of using a strategy for experimentation and pupils’ motivation. Benefits for use of strategy were only observed for the group with a combination of feedback and adaptive prompts. The learners in this group remained also more strongly motivated than in the other groups.