The Effects of Student–Faculty Interaction on Academic Self-Concept: Does Academic Major Matter?

Using cross-classified multilevel modeling, this study attempted to improve our understanding of the group-level conditional effects of student–faculty interaction by examining the function of academic majors in explaining the effects of student–faculty interaction on students’ academic self-concept. The study utilized data on 11,202 undergraduate students who completed both the 2003 Freshman Survey and the 2007 College Senior Survey at 95 baccalaureate institutions nationwide. The results show that the strength of the relationship between having been a guest in a professor’s home and students’ academic self-concept varies by academic major. Findings also suggest that some aspects of departmental climate, such as a racially more diverse student body and greater faculty accessibility, can possibly magnify the beneficial effects of student–faculty interaction. The study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.     

Peer Feedback Improves Students’ Academic Self-Concept in Higher Education

Research in Higher Education - Peer feedback has been shown to be an effective strategy to improve academic achievement. However, little evidence is available about the effects of peer feedback on...     

Pupils’ Perceptions of Teachers

Abstract

The study, with 536 second-sixth graders as subjects, attempted to investigate the relationships between teacher and “idea”-teacher discrepancies (hereafter designated as discrepancies) and six dependent variables. Results of the study were summarized as: (a) high-school achievement scorers tended to manifest low discrepancies, and vice versa; (b) boys appeared to exhibit higher discrepancies than girls did; (c) those more socially acceptable children seemed to exhibit low discrepancies, and vice versa; (d) those children who indicated higher school attitude scores had a tendency to show low discrepancies, and vice versa; (e) those children who rated themselves high on aggressiveness were inclined to show high discrepancies, and vice versa; and (f) there was no statistically significant relationship between peer-report aggressiveness and such discrepancies.     

The Effects of Teachers’ Training on Pupils’ Achievement: The Case of Elementary Schools in France

This investigation examines the effects of teachers’ training on pupils’ achievement in French and mathematics. The aim of the research is to compare the effectiveness of three samples of elementary school teachers with different levels of experience and training. Using a multilevel model, the results demonstrate that training enhances the effectiveness of novice teachers. In addition, experience was also found to have a positive effect. Neither training nor experience have a significant effect on equity, defined as the capacity of reducing the initial gap between high and low achieving pupils.     

The Value of Friendship

In our lives, we may make many kinds of friends. But do you know who is your very close and trusted friend? Maybe you do not know, but s/he always comes to help you when you are in trouble. S/He will do the utmost[最大能力] to help you and will never tell you. The coming of the dark always makes me feel     

The Relationship of Self-Concept and Reading Achievement in First Grade Children’

Abstract

This investigation of 133 first grade Ss (25 percent Ilispano-75 percent Anglo and 50 percent male-50 percent female), found no significant correlations between objective scores of young children’s self-concept (SC) and their first or second grade reading achievement (RA). Moreover, SC correlations with other predictor variables, ethnic background (E), intelligence (IQ), and reading readiness (RR), were essentially zero. Only IQ, RR, and E were related to RA in a highly significant manner. At this age, RA, and possibly school in general, may not greatly influence the SC. Future investigation might profitably examine the change of SC as a function of age, mood, and stress.     

The Educational Value of Nasreddin Hodja’s Anecdotes

The anecdotes of Nasreddin Hodja, who lived in Anatolia in the 13th century, have always attracted people due to the humour they contain, but this discussion also focuses on exploring the educational value of the anecdotes. According to teachers who contributed to this study, the anecdotes stimulate students’ interest in language work, create a relaxed learning atmosphere and help students think positively through Nasreddin Hodja’s humour. The anecdotes, which relate to social life and society, cover a rich diversity of topics with both positive and negative examples of behaviour; and they also may provoke positive effects in the personality development of children.     

Girls’ and Boys’ Academic Self-Concept in Science in Single-Sex and Coeducational Classes

Recently, single-sex classes within public coeducational schools have proliferated across the USA; yet, we still know little about whether and how single-sex science classes influence adolescents’ attitude and affect toward science. This exploratory study expands upon our current understanding by investigating the extent in which female and male students’ enrollment in either single-sex or coeducational science classrooms may influence their academic self-concept in science. Utilizing a quasi-experimental research design, findings suggest that being enrolled in single-sex science classrooms influence how students in this study perceive their abilities to perform and learn in science, particularly for females in single-sex science classrooms.     

The Effects of a Large Scale Mastery Environment on Students’ Self-Concept

The Tennessee self-concept scale was used to measure the self-concept of eighty-eight college freshmen at the end of their first semester in college. Forty-four of these students had been randomly assigned to a large scale mastery learning environment, and the other forty-four were randomly assigned to conventional classes. “T-test” ratios indicate that the mastery learning students have higher self-concepts than do their conventional counterparts.     

Pupils’ perceptions of safety at school

The research reported in this article was carried out in four secondary schools, two with a peer support system (PS) and two without (NPS) and involved a total of 931 pupils, (49.5 per cent males, and 50.5 per cent females). Participants were aged between 11 and 15 years of age, mean age 12.8 years. The aim was to compare the perceptions of safety on the part of pupils in secondary schools with and without a system of peer support in place. The findings provided little evidence that the presence of a peer support system enhanced feelings of safety in the school population. On the positive side, PS pupils were slightly more aware of the value of having other people around as a means of enhancing feelings of safety. They were also less afraid of older pupils indicating that peer supporters may have influenced the attitudes of some older pupils towards younger peers and may have made them friendlier. However; for the PS pupils, toilets and corridors/stairs were less safe for them than for NPS pupils, largely because of the unpleasant actions of the peer group towards them. With specific regard to bullying, there was no difference between PS and NPS. Around one‐fifth of both PS and NPS pupils reported that the reason for feeling unsafe was because of bullying. The most common suggestions for making school a better place referred to action against bullying.     

The Time Value of Qu Qiubai’s Creative Thinking

Qu Qiubai is a Marxist,proletarian revolutionist,great thinker and theorist who was never afraid of conducting creative thinking.It is creative thinking that have helped Qu Qiubai to accurately feel the pulse of the times,to timely respond to the requirement of the times and to scientifically answer the realist question raised by times in carrying out the China’s revolutionary theory into practice.In a word,creative thinking gave full demonstration to Qu Qiu bai’s time value by following the general trend and requirements of history and keeping up with the times.     

Observation: The Impact of Teachers’Behavior in Teacher-students Interactions on Pupils’Motivation

To find out in what ways the teacher’s behavior in interactions could motivate students effectively,a two-day observation concerning the relationship between the teacher’s behavior in teacher-students interactions and students’motivations in the classroom was carried out in a primary school in Scotland.The author illustrated the basic content of classrooms observed and the methods of collecting and analyzing the data.Then,it focused on the discussion of the data and related literacy.Finally,it drew the conclusion that the positive feedback,explanations for the reason of doing the task and enthusiastic actions could effectively motivate students to learn.     

High-Ability Grouping: Benefits for Gifted Students’ Achievement Development Without Costs in Academic Self-Concept

Effects of full-time ability grouping on students’ academic self-concept (ASC) and mathematics achievement were investigated in the first 3 years of secondary school (four waves of measurement; students’ average age at first wave: 10.5 years). Students were primarily from middle and upper class families living in southern Germany. The study sample comprised 148 (60% male) students from 14 gifted classes and 148 (57% male) students from 25 regular classes (matched by propensity score matching). Data analyses involved multilevel and latent growth curve analyses. Findings revealed no evidence for contrast effects of class-average achievement or assimilation effects of class type on students’ ASC. ASC remained stable over time. Students in gifted classes showed higher achievement gains than students in regular classes.     

Mini‐Enterprise in Schools: The Pupils’ Experience

Abstract

Mini‐enterprise in schools is the most tangible manifestation of ‘education for enteprise’. Despite its growing presence in schools, and diverse views about its potential impact, little is known about how pupils experience such activity. Findings suggest that interpersonal learning objectives are achieved effectively through mini‐enterprise but more narrow economic goals (such as fostering positive attitudes towards self‐employment) may not be. This paper sets out the pupils’ perspective on mini‐enterprise in schools and raises questions about current models of practice.     

Turkish Pupils’ Conceptions of the Particulate Nature of Matter

The purpose of this research study is to explore year 6, 8 & 11 (13, 15 and 17 years old respectively) Turkish pupils’ views about the particulate nature of matter within the context of phase changes. About 300 pupils participated in the study. Questionnaires distributed to year 6, 8 and 11 pupils included 6-item open-ended questions about (a) arrangement and movement of particles in a solid, liquid and gas and (b) application of particulate ideas to explain phase changes. In addition to questionnaires, semi-structured interviews were carried out with pupils. Results indicated that many pupils, even older ones, had difficulties in applying the particulate theory to explain phase changes despite science teaching. The study has several implications for both teachers and curriculum designers.

Pupils’ conceptions of force in inanimates and animates

The objective of this work was to highlight the conceptions of force held by students aged 10–17 years old, in situations where animate and inanimate objects interact. In the proposed experimental situations, we varied parameters such as the motion and position of an object and the agent’s effort. We asked questions about both inanimate and animate objects. Results show that pupils are able to use a small number of conceptions coherently, but that these are influenced by the context. For inanimate objects, conceptions develop gradually. Initially, force is regarded as a property of objects related to their weight and/or motion/position. With age, however, pupils begin to regard it as a process of interaction. For animates, conceptions evolve much more slowly, insofar as all pupils consider force to be a human property related to the result that is obtained and/or the agent’s effort.     

Pupils’ Attitudes to the Social Implications of Science

Summaries

English

Attitude statements, mostly concerned with the social implications of science, were administered to 2100 pupils of age 14+. The sample was divided into the top 25oO ('GCE') and the next 30‐40oo ('REST') of the ability range and further divided by sex and by coeducation and single‐sex education.

Factor analysis yielded measures of five independent attitudes to (1) science as a school subject (SUBATT) and to its implications (SOCATT) regarding (2) aesthetic/humanitarian issues; (3) practical benefits (4) value to the state for money invested (S) the activities of scientists. The attitude scores were correlated with the biology, chemistry and physics choices made at this age and with liking for these subjects’ teachers. There were 26/60 significant but low overall correlations with physics and chemistry choices, but only 5/30 for biology. A further 26 significant correlations arose either at high or low teacher liking, the former predominating with boys and the latter with girls.

A Kruskal‐Wallis analysis indicated that some attitudes in the ‘GCE’ group were unaffected by the school attended and possibly derived from the media. Adverse attitudes to the social implications of science may be a factor in the swing away from physical science and technology.     

Importance of Ability Grouping in French “Collèges” and its Impact upon Pupils’ Academic Achievement

This article tries to assess the prevalence and learning consequences of ability grouping in French lower secondary schools (collèges). The article shows that ability grouping is in fact relatively widespread in France and has a strong local connotation. In terms of pupil learning, the article stresses that the better the class they attend, the better students tend to perform. However, a heterogeneous context proves to be more favourable (for low achievers, a homogeneous class is the worst case). The results also stress the existence of a potential conflict of interest between the policy-maker and the actors of the system. Résumé L’article vise à évaluer l’importance de l’organisation des études en groupes de niveau dans le premoier cycle secondaire en France ainsi que ses conséquences en termes d’acquisitions des élèves. L’article montre en premier lieu que cette pratique est en fait relativement fréquente dans les établissements français tout en ayant une dimension locale assez accentuée. En termes d’acquisitions, l’article souligne que les progressions des élèves ont tendance à être d’autant meilleures que le niveau moyen des élèves de la classe est élève; cependant, un contexte hétérogène s’avère aussi le plus favorable (un contexte homogène étant la pire des choses pour les élèves faibles). Les résultats soulignent aussi l’existence d’un conflit potentiel d’intérêt entre le décideur du système qui vise des onjectifs généraux et les différents acteurs (enseignants, parents d’élèves) qui visent leurs intérêts particuliers.     

Pupils’ perceptions of the religious links to terrorism

With the increased requirement to incorporate counter-terrorism measures into the British education system, teachers are now expected to discuss terrorism within the classroom setting. However, this is a challenging endeavour due to the complex nature of the phenomenon, including definitional questions and links made to certain ideologies, in particular religious motivations. This paper explores my research findings from a project conducted over several years into pupils’ perceptions of terrorism and its links to religion in general, as well as the specific links made with Islam, Sikhism and Christianity. To contextualise the research, a brief overview of the methods and results has been provided, followed by an analysis of the issues raised. Overall, the pupils thought that religion in general, as well as Islam in particular, was something that motivated terrorism. However, many pupils also expressed concerns about associating entire religious communities with terrorism, perceiving it as a stereotype, and expressed interest in discovering more about how and why religion was used to justify such violent attacks.