Walking the walk: Rasch analysis of an exploratory survey of secondary teachers’ attitudes and understanding of students with learning difficulties

Abstract

This paper describes the use of low stakes Rasch analysis to examine the findings of a 2004 survey focused on secondary teachers’ attitudes and understanding of students with learning difficulties. The responses of 280 secondary teachers from across Queensland have been interpreted in complementary ways. Two sets of quantitative data were subjected to analysis using the Rasch model for rating scale data (Andrich, 1988; Bond & Fox, 2001). Attitudinal data was collected by Liken scale responses while data obtained from statements about student characteristics was analysed for understanding. These results were linked to demographic indicators and to qualitative data of selected teacher groups. This exploratory study revealed a uniformity of teacher attitude and understanding regardless of demographic indicator. This has significant implications for teacher educators, pedagogy, school organisation and culture as well as for the large numbers of students with learning difficulties enrolled in secondary schools.     

Learning Segregation in Junior High‐Schools in Israel: Causes and Consequences

ABSTRACT

Implementation of educational integration policy in Israel creates heterogeneous student compositions in the schools. Principals and teachers who, as a result, confront instructional difficulties, and who are ambiguous about this policy and its expected efficacy, press to counter‐balance this heterogeneity by resegregating students within the school in ability‐based classes. In this paper we deal with three inter‐related topics:

1. the degree of learning segregation within integrated junior high schools in Israel;

2. several factors which may explain the degree of learning segregation; (3) the effect of learning segregation on academic outcomes: achievement (in reading and science) and subsequent school career (student placement in high school track).

In doing so, we clarify an aspect of the school principal's role and his or her indirect effect on students learning. Principals have a decisive power in the organization of learning frameworks (class structure, ability grouping etc.) within the school. Their ideas and convictions about the efficacy of integration affect the actual practices of class organization in the school. This, in turn, has an effect on learning processes within the class and evetually on students’ academic outcomes, especially on those from the weaker group.     

From Transition to Work lives: time to integrate student support systems

Abstract

This paper is a discussion of the difficulties individuals who have disabilities face when they leave US federally funded public school programs. Exemplary programs from several sources outside public education are described as models for collaboration. Suggestions are provided for ways in which special education programs in the public schools can promote adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act for their students in the transition from school to post‐secondary school and work. Other programs are highlighted that provide supportive practices that are viewed as necessary to meet the needs of students in schools and in preparation for post‐school life.     

Measuring the Efficiency of Teachers by Standardized Tests

ABSTRACT

There have been strong calls to action in recent years to promote both school choice and the learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This has led to the burgeoning development of STEM-focused schools. Nine STEM-focused charter and 2 STEM-focused magnet schools that serve elementary-aged students were examined to assess the achievement of students who transfer to these schools, as compared to students transferring to non-STEM schools, in the content areas of mathematics, language arts, and reading. The achievement of students transferring to STEM-focused elementary schools was also evaluated after 3 years at their new school and compared both to students’ own prior achievement at their old school and to achievement of students comprising comparison groups. Results generally indicated no effect of STEM-focused magnet schools, but did indicate some positive effects of STEM-focused charter schools.     

Just for them to understand better: The impact of learning difficulties at university

Abstract

There has been much attention given to the needs of students with learning disabilities in Australian schools in recent years. The needs and experiences of university students with learning disabilities have received less attention. This article reports on the results of a small study of students who identified as having a range of difficulties with learning at one Australian university. Eight students across a range of discipline areas and year levels were asked about the nature of their difficulties, the kinds of adjustments they receive and their effectiveness, and for their suggestions about how these adjustments could be improved. The results pointed to the need for university lecturers to better understand the kinds of learning difficulties experienced by such students. Such an understanding can assist lecturers in knowing how to adjust their teaching and learning practices so these students can more fully participate and be successful in their university studies.     

School‐related social adjustment of Chinese primary school students with specific learning difficulties: A perspective from Hong Kong

Abstract

Studies in several countries have indicated that students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) tend to exhibit problems in social adjustment in addition to their difficulties in academic learning. It is often recommended that students with SpLD undergo social skills training as well as receive intensive remedial teaching. This study investigated the extent to which school‐related social adjustment problems were evident in a sample of Chinese students of primary school age who had been identified by an educational psychologist as having a specific learning difficulty. Data were collected by questionnaire from 34 students with SpLD (individually interviewed; oral administration), 167 students without learning problems (group administration; written form), and the 34 teachers of the students with SpLD. Results indicated that although the SpLD students rated themselves lower than the students without learning difficulties on several aspects of social adjustment there was no evidence to suggest that they had major problems in this area. The teachers rated the SpLD students lower than the students rated themselves on most aspects of social adjustment, but the ratings given by the teachers suggested that they too did not perceive the students as having major inadequacies in social adjustment. The findings are discussed, with particular reference to the methodological problems associated with the use of self‐reporting as a technique to obtain data in research involving primary school‐age students.     

Understanding adolescent purpose in the context of high-performance schooling in Singapore

ABSTRACT

International education achievement indicators potentially obscure students’ localised experiences of school. This paper examines adolescent purpose to understand what drives students’ learning experiences in high-performance schooling in Singapore. Purpose is a long-term intention to engage with the world in ways meaningful to oneself and to others. Using clinical interviews, the authors analysed students’ perspectives of the purpose of schooling and learning against the tensions of preparing students for performance-focused outcomes in schools. Findings indicated purpose clusters with prevalent self-oriented academic achievement goals. About one-third of the students with forms of support had nascent beyond-the-self life goals. To think about teaching and learning in a more integrated manner, this study shows it is important to look closely into students’ learning experiences, as these provide critical insights into how policies are implemented in schools, and how curricula can be made significant and meaningful in a more humanising vision of what schools might become.     

School‐based restructuring and curriculum change: teachers’ and students’ contrasting perspectives

Abstract

This article is set within the context of a school‐based change initiative, where we studied a number of teachers and students in order to understand the ways in which they understood and experienced the complexities of the change process, and to add their voices to the ongoing discussions around restructuring and school‐based change. We found that although there were some commonalties between how teachers and students experienced the changes being implemented, there were also some profound differences between the curriculum as planned by teachers and the curriculum as experienced by students. For the teachers, the themes of caring for students’ lives, recasting themselves as classroom practitioners and of working as collaborative colleagues were identified; for students, the themes were those of getting used to the place, and of re‐establishing their preferred way of working in this new setting. In our discussion and analysis of these themes we look at the implications for future school‐based change initiatives, and at some of the complexities and difficulties which present themselves as schools take on increased authority and responsibility for self‐management and for the creation of improved learning environments for students and teachers. We suggest that future change efforts should give more importance to the perspectives of teachers and students, and to the interactive and programmatic exchanges of teachers and students. We suggest also that changed school structures should originate in a focus on the improvement of teaching and learning, and on the facilitation of teachers’ and students’ collaborative efforts to create a curriculum for the classroom and a learning community which is both enabling and transformative for both.     

Re-engaged students’ perceptions of mainstream and flexible learning environments – a ‘semi-quantitative’ approach

ABSTRACT

Flexible Learning Options (FLOs) attempt to enable secondary school completion by young people for whom ‘mainstream’ schooling has not worked well. Despite their proliferation and the increased research attention to understanding the mechanisms at work within such programmes, quantitative methods have not been utilised to compare participants’ perceptions of the learning environments of FLOs and mainstream schools. This study describes the development and application of a quantitative instrument to assess re-engaged Australian students’ perceptions of an FLO relative to their previous (mainstream) schools. Findings indicate that, on average, young people rate the learning environment more highly at the FLO than at the mainstream school from which they disengaged, indicating that the learning environment of the FLO aligns more closely with the needs of its student cohort. However, bimodal results for some instrument items highlight that the learning environment is influential, but not necessarily a precondition of school disengagement or re-engagement. Implications of this study are considered, with attention to the complexities that mainstream schools and FLOs negotiate in creating effective learning environments for diverse young people.     

Integration of students with severe and multiple learning difficulties

Abstract

Students with severe and multiple learning difficulties have traditionally been excluded from mainstream education. Three arguments are put forward for integrating these students: social and humanitarian motives; interpretations of the ‘least restrictive environment’ as one in which interactions with non‐disabled peers are least restricted; and a changing concept of education to include a range of functional skills which provide preparation for adult life. Ways of implementing integration are discussed, including location of special classes in regular schools, integration into regular classes, and partial integration through links between regular and special schools. Although many existing integration programmes appear promising, there has been little systematic research in the area and few attempts at independent evaluations. Fears about potential loss of support services in integration appear to have some justification. Fears about adverse behaviour by non‐disabled peers have proved to be largely unfounded, but opportunities need to be deliberately structured to ensure that positive interactions occur between integrated students and their peers. Long‐term outcomes for students with severe and multiple learning difficulties integrated into regular schools have not been considered.     

Worth Knowing: Talmud Study and the Intellectual Values of High School Students at Liberal Jewish Day Schools

ABSTRACT

What do Jewish day school students believe constitutes good understanding and worthwhile learning in the context of their encounter with rabbinic texts in the classroom? This article shares findings from an interview study of Jewish day school students in grades 9 through 12 regarding their attitudes toward the study of Talmud. I argue that high school students’ estimations of the value of Talmud study are shaped, not only by individually held tastes, talents, and commitments, but also by a set of shared intellectual values. These values, related to their beliefs about the purposes of learning and what good learning should accomplish for the learner, develop in the context of their schools and communities and frame how students set goals for and assess their own understanding of Talmud.     

Tracing the development of poor student motivation and performance in township secondary schools

Abstract

Unsatisfactory motivation levels related to learning and studying among students is a universal problem. Students represent a diverse collection of abilities, talents, personalities and aspirations and come from different social and political backgrounds which may affect their motivation to learn and study. Some students are taught in schools where there is an abundance of resources and facilities, whereas others are taught in schools with inadequate resources and facilities. Student motivation, however, is a prerequisite for academic performance. Consequently, students’ potential, qualified teachers and school resources and facilities count very little if students are not motivated. This article examines the development of the lack of student motivation and academic performance in township secondary schools. The study has found that the motivation of students in these schools has been eroded by the students’ and teachers’ protracted involvement in anti-academic activities which have disrupted the education process. Due to the poor motivation of students, academic performance has deteriorated markedly and this situation should be resolved.     

The Success of Urban Schools in Oxnard,California: An In-Depth Look at Developmental and Relational Assets

Abstract

The study is a mixed-methods investigation of how urban schools are succeeding. The study surveyed 28 former students from urban schools in Oxnard, California. The qualitative responses represent themes that align to a high level of school connectedness and social–emotional learning (SEL) as key indicators of a successful urban school district. The responses also aligned with the thematic structures of the assets and relationships frameworks and to SEL standards.     

Special education and minority ethnic young people in England: continuing issues

ABSTRACT

In countries that have developed special education (SE) provision, whether in segregated settings or ‘included’ in mainstream, racial, ethnic and immigrant minorities continue to be disproportionately represented. Explanations for placement in SE programmes continue to centre round assumptions of deficiencies in student abilities to learn and ‘behave’, their family backgrounds and communities. Many policy-makers, politicians, schools and teachers ignore or are ignorant of the historical background and social contexts in which these students are expected to learn. The article overviews some of this history and policy responses concerned with SE, low attainment and troublesome school behaviour in England, including recent evidence and current explanations for the placement of the students. A premise here is that research, policy and literature are still separating what is happening in ‘special’ education from other areas of education. This cannot continue, as world-wide moves towards inclusive education have meant that mainstream schools and colleges now incorporate (or still exclude) a range of students regarded as having learning difficulties or disabilities, and all young people are now expected to acquire some kind of qualification or be prepared for independent living.     

Personalisation and the education commodity: a meta-ethnographic analysis

ABSTRACT

This article is based on a meta-ethnography of research about schools, school experiences and learning following the recent (post-market) introduction of personalisation policies in Swedish schools. It pays particular attention to issues of equity. Tensions between personalisation, privatisation and equity are discussed and it is noted that personalisation policies seem to have been unable to evade the pressures of commodification or overcome the difficulties of social reproduction in education.     

The practices of student network as cooperative learning in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Student network is a teaching strategy introduced as cooperative learning to all educational levels above the upper primary schools (grade 5 and above) in Ethiopia. The study was, therefore, aimed at investigating to what extent the student network in Ethiopia is actually practiced in line with the principles of cooperative learning. Consequently, data collected from 156 secondary and 315 upper primary school teachers revealed that the student network is rarely practiced in line with the principles of cooperative learning. And this was found with statistically significant differences between the upper primary and secondary schools. The upper primary schools seem better in practicing the student network in line with the principles of cooperative learning than the secondary school. Accordingly, the study concluded that, albeit the student network remained a canon strategy to improve students’ learning in Ethiopia and its practices are supposedly recommended to be in line the principles of cooperative learning, challenges related to parents, students, school administration and teachers seem to cripple its smooth practice in line with the cooperative learning principles.     

Changing schools: a study of primary secondary transfer using Vygotsky and Bernstein

ABSTRACT

This article is concerned with the influences that are brought to bear on the design of school buildings and the effects that the design of these buildings have on those who teach and learn in them. The article also focuses on the ways in which design is altered in and through the practices of these occupants. We argue that there is a mutual shaping of design and practice in these schools. We deploy the theory of socio-genesis developed by Lev S. Vygotsky and the sociology of pedagogy developed by Basil Bernstein in order to study the consequences for students of different trajectories of transfer between different designs and pedagogic cultures of primary and secondary schools in England. Our intention is to contribute to current debates about the effects of new school designs and the enduring concerns raised by difficulties that some students encounter in transitions between schools.     

Learning in the Finnish outdoor classroom: Pupils’ views

ABSTRACT

Finnish nature schools are environmental education organisations offering outdoor programmes for classes in natural environments. They are intended to contribute to the aims of the national curriculum in various subjects. This qualitative study examines how students describe their learning in a nature school context and how they describe differences between learning in nature and learning in the classroom. After a nature school day, 30 10–11-year-old pupils participated in focus groups interviews. The data were analysed through inductive content analysis. Nature school learning was described as cognitive, affective, social and as providing practical skills learning, although some pupils claimed that they had not learned anything. The differences between the learning environments were described as differences in learning activities, concreteness, external conditions, learning topics, perceived ability to concentrate and differences in motivation. We stress the importance of reflection on learning in order to raise pupils’ awareness of their outdoor learning.     

‘If you take learning seriously,I’ll assign you to a good seat’: moralized seating order and the making of educational success in China’s public schools

ABSTRACT

This study explores the multilayered meanings of classroom seating order – a crucial spatial element of school life – and its influences on children’s experiences. Drawing on fieldwork in a secondary school in northwest China, I ethnographically examine how school educators impose a hierarchy of seats in moral terms. My study shows that classroom seating arrangements in China’s underprivileged public schools are perceived as a hierarchy. Teachers motivate students to take learning seriously by strategically assigning the students to hierarchical seating locations and manipulating the proximity of their seats. I contend that classroom seating order has been transformed into a symbolic hierarchy to cultivate students’ attitude, a moral attribute considered crucial for achieving educational success. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the space in relation to educational processes. By situating the classroom seating into broader social-cultural-economic processes, it also demonstrates the methodological value of ethnographical examination of classroom.