The self‐perceptions of bullies in Cyprus primary schools

Bullying is a matter of significant concern in the Cypriot educational setting. Teachers usually report their difficulties in understanding bullies and their anxiety to find effective ways to deal with them. This project investigated the self‐concepts of a sample of nine boys identified as bullies at the end of primary schooling in Nicosia, Cyprus. The bullies’ self‐concepts were examined by the use of two instruments, namely, the Butler Self‐image profile for children (SIP‐C), which is derived from Personal Construct Theory, and the Harter Self‐perception profile for children (SPPC), derived from Self‐concept Theory. The results reveal that the bullies who participated in this study understood that their behaviour was usually inappropriate. Their self‐perceptions varied across a number of dimensions, indicating the need to examine the complexity of their view of themselves as part of any attempt to seek to implement behavioural change.     

Accuracy of students' self‐assessment and their beliefs about its utility

The purpose of the two studies presented here was to evaluate the accuracy of students' self‐assessment ability, to examine whether this ability improves over time and to investigate whether self‐assessment is more accurate if students believe that it contributes to improving learning. To that end, the accuracy of the self‐assessments of 3588 first‐year students enrolled in a post‐secondary institution was studied throughout a semester during which each student made approximately 80 self‐assessments about his or her own learning process. These self‐assessments were then compared with multiple judgements by peers and tutors. The overall correlations between the scores of self‐, peer and tutor assessments suggest weak to moderate accuracy of student self‐assessment ability. The findings also reveal an ability effect; students judged as more academically competent were able to self‐assess with higher accuracy than their less competent peers. Comparing the accuracy of student self‐assessment averaged over four consecutive periods indicates that the accuracy does not improve over time. In a second study, a questionnaire aimed at eliciting student's beliefs about the effects of self‐assessment on their learning was administered to 936 first‐year students. Based on their responses, sub‐groups of students were identified: those who either believed in the usefulness of self‐assessment or did not. Results suggest that there is no significant association between student beliefs about the utility of self‐assessment and the accuracy of their self‐assessments.     

Teacher self‐regulation: examining a multidimensional construct

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess the multidimensional nature of teacher self‐regulation. A nine‐factor structure was proposed: goal setting, intrinsic interest, performance goal orientation, mastery goal orientation, self‐instruction, emotional control, self‐evaluation, self‐reaction, and help‐seeking. Through a series of confirmatory factor analyses with different samples, this nine‐factor structure was supported. Reliability estimates were also satisfactory. Further validation evidence was provided through canonical correlation analysis between teacher self‐regulation and teachers’ sense of efficacy. Results indicated that the Teacher Self‐Regulation Scale can be utilised as a valid and reliable instrument to assess teachers’ self‐regulatory strategies.     

Teachers’ perceptions of a voluntary LEA scheme for school self‐evaluation

In 1979, a booklet, Evaluating the School: A Guide for Secondary Schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, was published and a limited number were distributed to Solihull schools free of charge. The purpose of the booklet is to provide an agenda for school self‐improvement through systematic school review: its use by Solihull schools is entirely voluntary. This is the report of a survey of the perceptions of Solihull secondary school teachers of the booklet and of school self‐evaluation generally.

Four years after its publication, less than half of Solihull secondary school teachers claimed to have actually seen the booklet, less than a quarter to have read all of it and only about ten per cent to recall its contents at all well.

Attitudes amongst Solihull secondary teachers towards school self‐evaluation as a general notion and (amongst those who claimed to have seen it) towards the booklet are generally positive. Attitudes are particularly positive amongst those in the lower status positions in schools and amongst the less experienced. Despite these favourable attitudes, the evidence from the survey is that little change in schools has resulted from the use of the booklet.     

Investigating self‐perceptions and resilience in Looked After Children

The perceptions of Looked After Children (LAC; n = 51), their Designated Teachers (DTs), and a sample of non‐LAC (n = 99) were elicited. LAC held more positive self‐perceptions than the non‐LAC, and similarly positive ratings were given for the LAC by their DTs; but LAC held lower career aspirations than the non‐LAC. LAC differed in their levels of resilience, in terms of the number of risk and protective factors identified for each child. Girls had more protective and fewer risk factors than boys. Moreover, a high incidence of protective factors in LAC was associated with positive self‐perceptions, and a high incidence of risk factors was associated with negative self‐perceptions. The implications of these findings for educational psychology practice are discussed.     

Predicting students' ratings of the importance of strategies to facilitate self‐directed distance learning in Taiwan

Distance students' ratings of the importance of strategies to facilitate self‐directed learning were evaluated. Students from an open university in Taiwan (449 current and 140 inactive) participated in this study. Current students scored significantly higher than inactive students on internal motivation, insight about self, and self‐directed learning readiness. A combination of high internal and external motivation and high self‐directed learning readiness predicted ratings of the importance of five sets of strategies for helping students become self‐directed learners. The study provides information to help distance learning professionals enhance the effectiveness of self‐directed learning and reduce the number of students who become inactive.     

Explaining Chinese students' academic motivation: filial piety and self‐determination

This study investigated the relevance of filial piety and the three components of self‐determination, namely, competence, autonomy and relatedness, on academic motivation among Hong Kong Chinese secondary school students. A total of 461 students completed the questionnaire which consisted of five scales assessing attitudes towards filial piety, perceived scholastic competence, perceived autonomous support from parents, relatedness with parents and academic motivation. By using structural equation modelling, a predictive model of academic motivation, with filial piety, competence, autonomy, relatedness, age and gender as antecedents, was developed. All variables explained the prediction of academic motivation, with competence acted as the strongest effect, followed by relatedness and filial piety. The findings highlight the important contribution of the three self‐determination theory (SDT) components and the value of filial piety for Chinese adolescents' academic motivation. The implications of the findings for future research and educational practice were discussed.     

Teacher‐mentor to Teacher‐researcher

This paper focuses on the Primary PGCE at Keele University, which is now in its third year of a new course structure, fulfilling the requirements of the DFE circular 14/93. As the school‐based partnership has developed, teacher‐mentors have gained new understanding of both their role in teacher training and their relationship with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper seeks to outline how the process of mentoring has developed teachers’ skills in a way which has promoted their understanding of, and interest in, school‐based research. Four key issues are explored in probing the link between mentoring and school‐based research: the difference between theory and practice; links between teacher‐mentors and HEI tutors, the process of reflective practice; teachers as knowledge constructors. These are examined in relation to the process of mentoring and to the way in which each contributes to developing mentors’ participation and interest in school‐based research.     

Reading self‐concepts and task choices for children with reading difficulties

Abstract

This project examined the personal and the social basis of children's self‐concepts about reading. Study 1 [N= 55] was a correlational study. Results suggest a stronger personal than social basis for children's self‐concepts about reading. In particular, children made stronger comparisons among content areas than gender groups. Study 2 [N= 18] was an intervention study. The focus was on the personal basis of self‐concepts, for children with reading difficulties. Results showed that self‐concepts were responsive to the intervention, with associated change in task choices. Findings support a self‐categorization approach to understanding children's self‐concepts, and imply that this approach would be useful in motivating children about reading.

Reading is regarded as integral to general living skills and is central to children's learning across many areas of schooling. This means that we need to understand more about the self‐concepts that motivate children to take up and persist with reading activities. H is a particularly pressing issue for children who experience difficulties with reading. This project therefore examined the personal and social basis of children's self‐concepts about reading. The focus was the salience of children's personal and social categorisations about reading that underpin reading self‐concepts and associated choices of reading tasks.     

Alternative vocational schooling for the dropped‐out: students' perceptions of the Activity School of East Finland

Dropping out of school is a universal problem, concerning fairly similar target groups in all countries. Several action plans to prevent dropping out and to activate the dropouts have been developed worldwide. The object of this study, the Activity School of East Finland, is an exceptionally comprehensive entity, within which alternative pedagogical models are applied during the entire three‐year course of vocational education. In this paper, we will review the key figures for the most important variables related to the experiences on the Activity School during the three years studied. The evaluation is based on the students' assessment of the impact of the activity. The added value generated by the Activity School, and compared to comparison group data from traditional vocational education, is most clearly seen as the general satisfaction experienced by the students with the Activity School's operating model and their satisfaction with the student–teacher interaction.     

The influence of web‐based chemistry learning on students' perceptions,attitudes, and achievements

The goal of this study was to investigate whether integrating a website into chemistry teaching influences 10th‐grade students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, their attitudes regarding the relevance of chemistry, and their understanding of the concept of chemical bonding. Two groups participated in this study: an experimental group and a comparison group. The main study was conducted during the academic year 2005. The teachers in the experimental group were asked to implement four relevant activities from the website that was developed, all dealing with the concept of chemical bonding. Quantitative tools of the study included: A Chemistry Classroom Web‐Based Learning Environment Inventory to assess students' perceptions regarding the relevance of chemistry to their life and attitude towards chemistry studies, a feedback questionnaire that examined the students' response after performing the website activities, and an achievement test that assessed their knowledge and understanding of the concept of chemical bonding. We found that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group significantly in most of the research categories. This led us to conclude that the web‐based learning environment has potential to enhance the comprehension of chemistry concepts, students' attitudes and interests and to increase students' awareness regarding the relevant aspects of chemistry to daily life.     

A Study of Parent‐Teacher Groups

In some respects this article is redundant. Af ter all, a growing number of Jewish schools, both day schools and supplementary schools, have included Israel in their curricula in a prominent way. We mention Israel in our prayers. We teach the history of the Land of Israel. We recruit teenagers for Israel summer programs. Why then should the Gulf War have any impact on how we portray Israel in our schools? Has this war opened an educa tional window of opportunity? My question is rhetorical and the answer affirmative. Seeing Scud missiles fall live on Tel Aviv via CNN has temporarily transformed the perception of and the relation to the Jewish State. Maybe at long last we have the chance to make a very illusive Jewish symbol into a concrete reality for Jewish students around the world. Let me explain why this is so necessary and how I propose to make it happen.     

‘They are out of control’: self‐perceptions,risk‐taking and attributional style of adolescents with SEBDs

Fifty‐six secondary school students with and without social emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBDs) completed self‐report measures of their strengths and difficulties, self‐concept and social identity, cognitive attributional style and participated in computer‐based tests of risk‐taking and impulsivity. Contrary to common understanding, the students with SEBDs made realistic estimations of their difficulties and were as able to make attributions as their peers without SEBDs; though they tended to attribute negative events internally significantly more often than did students without SEBDs. No differences were found between the two groups in terms of risk‐taking as measured on a computer‐based test. Implications of these findings for identification of and working with students with SEBDs are considered.     

Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of self as inclusive educators

Teacher education institutions play a key role in preparing pre-service teachers to graduate as competent and confident inclusive educators. Seeking to understand pre-service teachers’ current perceptions of diversity and inclusion, and how they perceived themselves as future inclusive educators, this qualitative study employed inductive analysis to explore pre-service teachers’ self-perceptions as inclusive teachers, utilising the theory of possible selves. Forty-six (n?=?46) of 292 pre-service teachers enrolled in an inclusive education subject in a graduate entry teacher education programme in eastern Australia participated in this study. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers had developed good theoretical understanding of inclusive education through their coursework. However, their development of possible selves as inclusive educators was less well-defined in that they had difficulty extending their understandings of who they might be as inclusive teachers beyond their coursework samples. This difficulty in identifying their cultural selves beyond a stereotypical norm of who a ‘classroom teacher’ is indicates a need for more and extensive time for pre-service teachers to develop their professional identities as inclusive educators.     

Primary teachers’ self‐perceptions concerning implementation of the National Curriculum for science in the UK

This paper reports on selected aspects of data, with special reference to science, derived from a survey of primary school teachers as part of the Leverhulme Primary Project at the University of Exeter.

A national sample of teachers (N = 901) across 152 schools was surveyed in order to ascertain teachers’ perceptions of competence and needs with respect to the new National Curriculum in the UK. Initially, data were collected in relation to ten subject areas and generic teaching skills, with provision made for free‐form responses concerning National Curriculum implementation.

Selected aspects of these data, principally related to the National Curriculum core area of science, were subjected to detailed further analysis and are reported. Variables identified from the survey findings, and of concern to science educators, included early subject specialism, years of teaching and gender. These were probed for relationships and significance. The tension between competing National Curriculum requirements for specialist subject knowledge and generalist teaching skills was explored.

Findings have implications for innovation in approaches to staff development to cater for perceived needs, teacher educators and curriculum alignment.     

Science Curriculum Material Development through a Teacher‐Industrialist Partnership: industrialists’ perceptions of their role

This paper focuses on a curriculum development project involving a team of teachers and industrial technologists (ITs) in the creation of lesson materials for secondary school science classes in Swaziland. The study documents the ITs’ perceptions of their role in this process, and the factors in their background and the project programme contributing to changes in these perceptions. Data have been collected through interviews, and observations and tape recordings of group discussions at different stages of the project. Findings show that although all ITs initially perceive themselves as information providers, during the stage of drafting lesson materials a majority of them take on the role of co‐creator, with a minority adopting the role of resource person or advocate. Triggers for such shifts in perceptions are discussed.     

Teacher reflections on ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching: a self‐study

This study recounts a practicing teacher's attempt to describe reflections during the course of teaching at the primary level. A self‐study was conducted to address teacher thinking during ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching, offering an insight into how we might capture the details of teachers' unseen reflections. Through an analysis of the many ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching, several important findings emerged about the nature of reflection and how reflection actually occurs in the classroom context. Results of this study have implications for future research, teacher education and improvement of the teaching practice.