Student background factors influencing student achievement in Serbia

This paper describes student‐level findings of the first large‐scale comprehensive school effectiveness study of the primary education in Serbia. Twenty‐five student‐level variables were examined in a three‐level HLM model using a study sample of almost 5000 students, over 250 classrooms and over 100 schools. Differences between the students were in large part responsible for differences in achievement scores in mathematics and Serbian language. Parental education, Roma minority status, developmental or family problems, gender, student motivation, parental involvement in student work and homework were some of the factors associated with student achievement. Serbian policy‐makers are alerted to possible actions in order to improve mathematics and Serbian language achievement.     

A hierarchical approach to Students’ Assessments of Instruction

A teacher evaluation system can be threatening to faculty, especially if used for summative decisions. Therefore, it is important to obtain valid and pertinent information. Since students are extensively exposed to course elements, students’ evaluation of instruction should be one of several components in the teacher evaluation system. Since traditional methods, such as Cronbach’s alpha and ordinary least squares regression, do not address the hierarchical data of the classroom, the current study used the statistical techniques of confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical linear modelling in order to properly investigate the reliability and validity of the Students’ Assessment of Instruction (SAI) instrument. Use of hierarchical linear modelling to analyse teacher evaluation instruments could not be found in the literature, although it has been used in educational settings. This study will illustrate its usefulness in determining what measures are related, either as evidence of validity or as a bias, to instructional effectiveness. Student responses were also compared with faculty self-evaluations, one indicator of effective teaching, in order to determine if the SAI does measure instructional effectiveness. Overall, the SAI was found to have good reliability and validity with relatively few biases and could be used to extract five distinguishable traits of instructional effectiveness.     

Educational inequality in Colombia: family background,school quality and student achievement in Cartagena

This study examines the effects of family socio‐economic disadvantage and differences in school resources on student achievement in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. Using data from the ICFES and C‐600 national databases, we conduct a multilevel analysis to determine the unique contribution of school‐level factors above and beyond family background. The results from the hierarchical linear models show that while family socio‐economic background significantly affects student achievement, school composition and school resources explain as much as half of the effects of family background. More specifically, the achievement gap in public schools is explained in large part by differential resource allocation and concentration of poor students in public schools, which in turn lowers student achievement.     

论随班就读智力落后儿童缺乏自信心的原因和对策

智力落后儿童在随班就读过程中存在的主要心理问题有自卑、自信心不足和精神压力过大等,这不仅影响了智力落后儿童个体身心的健康发展,而且还影响到随班就读的实施效果。笔者从心理学角度分析智力落后儿童心理问题产生的原因、影响及其克服的办法,以期消除智力落后随读生的心理障碍,使他们重建自信。     

The Effect of Catholic Schooling on Math and Reading Development in Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade

Abstract

Prior research estimating the effect of Catholic schooling has focused on high school, where evidence suggests a positive effect of Catholic versus public schooling. In this article, we estimate the effect of attending a Catholic elementary school rather than a public school on the math and reading skills of children in kindergarten through fifth grade. We use nationally representative data and a set of matching estimators to estimate the average effect of Catholic schooling and the extent to which the effect varies across educational markets. When we use public school students nationwide or within the same county to provide a counterfactual estimate of how Catholic school students would have performed in public schools, we find strong evidence indicating that Catholic elementary schools are less successful at teaching math skills than public schools (Catholic school students are 3–4 months behind public school students by third and fifth grade), but no more or less successful at teaching reading skills. Moreover, unlike prior research, we find no consistent evidence that the effects of Catholic schooling vary substantially by race or urbanicity, though our power to detect such differences is weak.     

Investigating the relationship between instructional practices and science achievement in an inquiry-based learning environment

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the discrete effects of inquiry-based instructional practices that described the PISA 2015 construct ‘inquiry-based instruction’ and how each practice, and the frequency of each practice, is related to science achievement across 69 countries. The data for this study were drawn from the PISA 2015 database and analysed using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). HLMs were estimated to test the contribution of each item to students’ science achievement scores. Some inquiry practices demonstrated a significant, linear, positive relationship to science achievement (particularly items involving contextualising science learning). Two of the negatively associated items (explaining their ideas and doing experiments) were found to have a curvilinear relationship to science achievement. All nine items were dummy coded by the reported frequency of use and an optimum frequency was determined using the categorical model and by calculating the inflection point of the curvilinear associations in the previous model e.g. students that carry out experiments in the lab in some lessons have higher achievement scores than students who perform experiments in all lessons. These findings, accompanied by detailed analyses of the items and their relationships to science outcomes, give stakeholders clear guidance regarding the effective use of inquiry-based approaches in the classroom.     

幼小衔接阶段开展国学经典诵读的意义及策略

幼小衔接阶段开展国学经典诵读,在幼儿的知识层面、学习技能层面及情感态度和价值观层面都大有裨益,既有利于提升幼儿的识字量、开发幼儿的记忆潜能,又有利于培养幼儿的道德情操。幼儿园可以从创新国学经典教育形式、学习古礼、举办朗诵活动、鼓励亲子共读、将国学诵读融入其他课程等方面入手,开展国学经典诵读活动。     

高校图书馆与农村留守儿童阅读素养提升

为培养农村留守儿童的阅读素养,作为文化教育机构的高校图书馆可利用其馆藏资源丰厚、管理经验丰富的优势帮扶农村中小学,让农村留守儿童在“悦读”中阅读,从而提升他们的阅读素养。文章根据农村留守儿童的阅读现状,提出了农村留守儿童阅读素养提升的对策。     

为学校经营注入新的资本——中小学校社会资本的效用分析

学校经营要为学校提供充足的办学资本。促进学校发展,迫切需要注入新的资本,学校社会资本正是一种可供选择的资本形式。中小学校社会资本对学校的发展具有不可低估的重要作用,主要表现在:补充其他形式资本的不足,为学校提供充足的资源;为学生提供更多的资助机会;资源共享避免重复建设;节省交易成本,提高办学效率。应该构建学校社会资本开发与利用的保障、约束和监督机制,保证其正常、合法经营,推动学校发展,促进学生发展。     

小学英语阅读教学如何体现工具性和人文性

《义务教育英语课程标准》（2011年版）明确指出英语课程具有工具性和人文性双重性质。小学英语教师应该明确工具性与人文性的内涵,并且在小学英语课堂阅读教学上,通过一些活动设计体现工具性与人文性的课程性质。     

民办农民工子女学校设置标准的政策困境及解决措施

随着大量的农民从农村进入城市务工,与他们一起随迁的子女教育问题逐渐凸显。虽然大多数农民工子女进入了公办学校学习,但是,仍有一定数量的农民工子女是在各类民办的以招收农民工子女为主的简易学校就读。这类学校由于办学条件达不到地方教育部门规定的学校设置标准,大多数处于未经批准的办学状态。对于这类民办农民工子女学校的设立,国家政策走过了从模糊到明晰的道路,但问题的焦点仍在于没有一个关于此类学校的设置标准。而且,民办农民工子女学校设置标准需要放宽的要求,与民办教育法律法规形成了抵触。正视现实,酌情放宽设立条件,加强政府监管和扶持,适时修订法律法规,是解决问题的有效办法。     

Using an iterative mixed-methods research design to investigate schools facing exceptionally challenging circumstances within Trinidad and Tobago

In this study, methodology and theory were linked to explicate the nature of education practice within schools facing exceptionally challenging circumstances (SFECC) in Trinidad and Tobago. The research design was an iterative quan>QUAL-quan>qual multi-method research programme, consisting of 3 independent projects linked together by overall purpose. Although large-scale quantitative data were first used to identify and describe SFECC, the overall programme was driven by an inductive theoretical thrust, with findings from the multiple-site case studies of Projects 2 and 3 used to construct substantive theory on SFECC. The integrated findings point to the pervasive role of beyond-school factors, which were magnified and intertwined with between- and within-school factors. SFECC in this study found great difficulty transcending states of chronic low performance. We hypothesized on the need for transformative school leadership, but in this context, greater external support by stakeholder agencies and broad place-based strategies appeared essential for turnaround.     

Perceptions of Secondary School Students with Mild Disabilities to the Academic and Social Support Mechanisms Implemented in Regular Classrooms

The Student Perceptions of Classroom Support Scale (SPCS), which measures the perceptions of students with mild disabilities of academic and social support mechanisms implemented in regular classrooms, was administered to 60 secondary school‐aged students. Data were obtained with reference to curricular, instructional, physical and peer support mechanisms. Item affectivity and multivariate analysis of variance revealed that significant differences were evident in student’s perceptions in regard to academic versus social support mechanisms. Support mechanisms rated highly by students in terms of positive academic and social outcomes often represented traditional teaching values. Conversely, support mechanisms such as one‐to‐one assistance from teacher assistants or volunteers were perceived as positive in terms of completing classroom activities, but of limited value in establishing friendships with peers. The SPCS not only provides researchers, clinicians and educators with a method of objectively evaluating students’ perceptions of support mechanisms, but also as a method of developing effective practical applications for students included in regular classrooms.     

Investigating the relation of perceived teacher unfairness to science achievement by hierarchical linear modeling in 52 countries and economies

Abstract

This study used the data from the 2015 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to examine the relationship between perceived teacher unfairness and science achievement with a three-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) as the analytic approach. Data of 188,104 students from 4895 schools in 52 countries and economies were used for analysis. After accounting for student gender, student-, school-, and country-level economic, social, and cultural status, and students’ non-cognitive outcomes, the results of HLM analysis showed that perceived teacher unfairness negatively predicted science achievement with a modest effect size. The possible explanations of the results and the practical implication of the findings were discussed.     

Who goes to SLD schools? Aspects of policy and provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties who attend special schools in England

This article focuses on aspects of policy and provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) who attend special schools in England. The findings reported below are from a larger study, which aimed to answer the question: ‘Who Goes to SLD Schools in England?’     

论少数民族地区高中英语朗读教学出现的问题及改善策略

当前少数民族地区高中英语朗读教学方面出现的问题主要包括学生方面和教师方面的原因。克服学生心理障碍,激发学生朗读的兴趣;指导学生掌握正确的朗读技巧;制订训练计划,大力挖掘朗读材料,是改善少数民族地区高中英语朗读教学的策略。     

北京市初中史、地、政、生“教非所学”教师产生的原因及解决对策

北京市新中考改革将史、地、政、生4个学科纳入中考范围,这对初中史、地、政、生"教非所学"教师的角色调整和适应提出了挑战。为了更好地迎接这一挑战,在劳动力市场供求理论的指导下分析了"教非所学"教师产生的原因并提出了应对之策。分析发现,"教非所学"教师产生的原因是史、地、政、生教师的刚性需求和有效供给不足,其中,刚性需求是根本原因。解决这一现象要根据各类原因,坚持标本兼治,增加有效供给,逐步消除史、地、政、生教师"教非所学"的现象。     

‘校企合作“是高职”双师型“师资队伍建设的重要途径

“双师型”师资队伍的建设是高等职业技术教育发展的关键。高职院校与企业建立“产一学一研”结合的合作关系,将教师派到企业参加实践,聘请企业人员任兼职教师及与企业合作进行科研及项目开发,对于建设高素质的“双师型”师资队伍,进而推动学校的改革与发展,是十分必要的。     

In-service teacher training to provide psychosocial support and care in high-risk and high-need schools: school-based intervention partnerships

This article uses a South African case study to argue that postcolonial, emerging economy societies in transition often contain schools characterised as high risk and high need. Such schools require teachers to adapt to roles other than facilitating learning, such as psychosocial support and care, and which requires additional professional development. In the absence of structured teacher professional development programmes, alternatives are required to assist teachers. The paper describes a nine-year partnership between higher education researchers and teachers in high-risk and high-need schools in three South African provinces. The participatory reflection and action (PRA) study served as platform for a school-based intervention to assist in-service teachers to adapt to their additional responsibilities. Thematic analysis was used to identify the ways in which teachers’ adaptation to high risk benefitted from the programme, and self-determination theory is used to argue for a dynamic and interconnected relationship between the teachers’ demonstrated pathways to psychosocial support and care. The article argues that in socio-politically transforming societies where need is high for in-service teacher training and formal structures for teacher professional development may be limited, partnerships between researchers and teachers appear to be useful platforms for school-based interventions to support teacher resilience.     

充分发挥校报在大学生思想政治教育中的作用

新形势下,中共中央、国务院发出《关于进一步加强和改进大学生思想政治教育的意见》。意见中强调要积极探讨拓展大学生思想政治教育的有效途径。校报应抓住高校改革和发展的机遇,充分发挥校报在大学生思想政治教育的作用,办好校报是学校思想政治工作的有力补充,是进行思想政治教育工作行之有效的重要形式。