Analysis of assessment practice and subsequent performance of third year level students in natural sciences

Abstract

Summative assessment qualifies the achievement of a student in a particular field of specialization at a given time. Questions should include a range of cognitive levels from Bloom's taxonomy and be consistent with the learning outcomes of the module in question. Furthermore, a holistic approach to assessment, such as the application of the principles of the Herrmann Whole Brain Model, needs to be used to accommodate learning style diversity. The purpose of this study was to analyse, assess and compare the summative assessment of two third year level modules in the Bachelor of Science degree programme, namely Biochemistry and Zoology as part of action research with a view to enhancing the professional development of the lecturers involved. The questions posed in summative assessments were classified in terms of Bloom's differentiation of cognitive levels and the four different learning styles determined by Herrmann. Spearman's non-parametric analysis indicated that no correlation existed in this study between cognitive level and student performance based on achievement. In addition, there was not much difference between the cognitive levels and student performance between the two disciplines. Although the students seemed to do better at application level questions, the authors need to reflect on whether the assessments were valid with respect to the learning outcomes, methods of facilitating learning, and the assessments based on cognitive levels and learning style preferences. We conclude that continuous action research must be taken to improve the formulation of learning outcomes and students' achievement of these outcomes and quality of student learning – the main aim being the successful completion of the modules.     

就业导向的"工学结合"项目探索

就业导向的办学理念要求高职学院在办学思想、办学模式和办学机制上要不断创新,以培养具有专业技能、职业素养和创新意识的高等技能型人才."工学结合"人才培养模式正是适应时代发展要求,由学校、企业和学生三方共同参与,在教学方案、培养目标、教学资源、教育环境等方面进行有益地探索和尝试,以最终达到共赢.     

The impact of the organizational transfer climate on the use of teacher leadership competences developed in a post-initial Master's program

The transfer of learning outcomes of Master's programs for teachers is not self-evident. In this study, 18 teachers who recently graduated and their supervisors were interviewed on the transfer of leadership competences developed during their Master's program and on how the organizational transfer climate of the school supported or hindered this transfer. In schools with high levels of transfer, strategic partnerships between Master's-level teachers and formal leaders were observed, which facilitated a two-way process in which the application of new competences led to changes in the workplace. Therefore, the Master's program contributed to both professional development and school improvement.     

The principal's role in restoring a learning culture in township secondary schools

Abstract

The establishment of a learning culture in schools is important for education to take place. The erosion of the learning culture which often culminated in the poor academic performance of Grade 12 learners in township secondary schools has been a cause for concern for many years. The Department of Education's countless efforts to rectify the situation have been to no avail. This article endeavours to establish the contribution that school principals can make towards resolving the problem. As manager and instructional leader of the school, the principal is in a suitable position to address this problem, and it is also his or her primary responsibility to lead and guide the school towards the attainment of good academic performance. The article discusses the principals' role in restoring a learning culture in township secondary schools. It discusses the management strategies or functions that principals can employ to restore a positive school culture. The management strategies were obtained by means of an interview from the principals of effective secondary schools. The literature study and the views of the principals obtained by means of a questionnaire confirm the effectiveness of the strategies in restoring a learning culture.     

Systematic and systemic approaches to reducing attrition rates in online higher education

Abstract

Prior to 1997, the Department of Instructional & Performance Technology (IPT) online program at Boise State University faced a high student dropout rate. The IPT turned to Keller's ARCS model, Kaufman's Organizational Elements Model, and Kirkpatrick's evaluation model throughout the processes of improving the motivational appeal of the online course for the first‐time adult learners and solving the attrition problem. In this article, the author describes a long‐term evaluation case study and explains how she systematically designed and implemented various instructional interventions to reduce attrition. She also presents the results of systemic evaluations.     

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development: Rethinking its instructional implications

Abstract

This paper proposes an alternate model of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. It is argued that conceptions of the «zone» emphasizing the transfer of skills from adult to child are too narrow, theoretically misleading, and of limited instructional utility. The concept is then examined in relation to Vygotsky's broader theoretical and practical concerns. Examples taken from a recent classroom observational study are provided to illustrate how the concept of the zone can facilitate a critical assessment of children and of the social system created for the children to learn. The focus is on the appropriation and mastery of mediational means, such as writing, assessed not only or necessarily through independent performance after guided practice, but by the ability of children to participate in qualitatively new collaborative activities. The role of the adult isn't to provide structured cues to facilitate performance, but through exploratory talk and other social mediations assist children in taking control of their own learning. The concern is not only with creating individual zones of proximal development, but collective, interrelated zones as part of a teaching system.     

What Parents Know About How Well Their Children Are Doing in School

ABSTRACT

The authors used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten cohort to examine whether parents’ knowledge of their children's reading and mathematics skills varies by academic domain and parents’ income group or ethnicity. Of particular interest was how parents’ knowledge is moderated by school- or home-based involvement. Parents’ knowledge was moderately related to their children's reading and mathematics scores. However, there were systematic income- and ethnicity-related differences in the correlations. Poor parents were reportedly less involved at home and school than nonpoor parents. White, non-Hispanic parents were more involved at school than other parents. School-based rather than home-based involvement was related to the strength of the correlations between parents’ knowledge and children's reading and mathematics scores.     

The Preparation of the Interpretive Naturalist

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 experiential science lessons in meeting the objectives of the Colorado model content science standards. Kolb's (1984) experiential learning model was used as a framework for understanding the process by which students engage in learning when participating in experiential learning activities. The authors used classroom exams and written reflections to assess the effects of the activities. The model revealed no significant differences among the 3 lessons in meeting state standards. However, the lessons showed significant effects on student knowledge gain.     

基于柯氏模型的教师培训评估模型研究

教师培训评估是指运用科学的理论、方法和程序对教师培训主体和教师培训过程及其实际效果进行系统考察,是对教师培训对象进行科学而系统的综合检测和考评。评估要成功需依赖好的评估模式,本文借鉴企业领域的柯氏四级评估模型,尝试构建适合教师培训的评估模型,并提出几点实施建议。     

语感训练模式下的二语习得机制探讨

二语习得的过程中,学习者的自信心和学习动机起着很重要的作用。针对地方院校大学生英语学习的实际,笔者采用语感训练模式下的大学英语课程教学,首先建立学生对英语学习的信心,然后通过素质教育激发学生对英语学习的兴趣,从而增强他们的学习动机,最终达到培养英语综合应用能力的目的。     

Rethinking the Relationship Between Reading and Behavior in Early Elementary School

ABSTRACT

Considerable research has investigated the link between academic achievement and social behavior. The authors set the context for their work by reviewing some of the research that has been done. To address similarities and limitations in previous research, they included concurrent ratings of behavior from teachers and children's performance on multiple measures of reading in their analyses. The authors provide an empirical analysis of the relationship between behavior and achievement using structural equation modeling that illustrated comparable outcomes to previous research and discuss their findings as a base for directing attention to the importance of teaching behavior as well as academic skills in efforts to prevent learning problems and failure in school.     

Using Performance Analysis for Training in an Organization Implementing ISO‐9000 Manufacturing Practices; A Case Study

This case study extends previous research on the theory and practice of performance analysis by examining the application of one model, the Performance Analysis for Training (PAT) Model, in an organization that was implementing ISO‐9000 processes. The research questions focused on whether using the PAT Model produced the expected results and on the correspondence between the actual process used for the performance analysis and the process outlined in the PAT Model. The study findings revealed that the performance analysis produced the expected results and that the results were influenced by the three elements identified in the model's conceptual framework—organization characteristics, decision maker characteristics, and analyst characteristics—and their interactions. In addition, four adaptations to the PAT model were identified.     

Inclusion,exclusion and children's rights

Abstract

This case study examines the experiences of a student who was excluded twice from a mainstream school while preparing for GCSE examinations. The authors are the student and his aunt. The exclusions were for an indefinite period and were triggered as a result of the school's inability to respond adequately to recurring epileptic seizures. The student, who has Asperger syndrome and a statement of special educational needs, had not broken any disciplinary code. Teachers' understanding of the label ‘special educational needs’ is questioned. The SEN and Disability Act 2001 has far-reaching implications for school ethos and culture. Schools' failure to anticipate the needs of students with disabilities or SEN may well lead to unlawful discrimination. Inclusive schools will need to recognize that in meeting students' individual needs the institution itself may need to change. Barriers to genuine parent partnership in education must be overcome, and children's participation rights, as confirmed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, must be respected.     

Toward Worthy Performance: A Case Study on Western Union's Training Program

Western Union has been a leader in the telegraph and money transfer industry for more than a century. However, in 2006, when the last telegram was sent, the company needed to overhaul its focus and retrain its global workforce. This case study analyzes Western Union's employee training and development program circa 2012 and uses Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation model to assess the program's overall training effectiveness.     

Metacognition: Students in charge of their thinking

The authors present the findings of a survey completed by 280 families of children identified as gifted by two Midwestern school districts with distinctly different gifted and talented programs. The authors examined: (a) How parents perceive the learning needs of their children who are identified as gifted; (b) How families address their children's perceived needs; and (c) How children's needs were perceived in school districts with different service delivery models. Parents perceived their children's learning needs similarly across districts. Noted differences were the need for higher level content and time to verbalize ideas. Low on the list of needs was to have a special environment, the need to work with adults, and the need to have role models. Based on the results of this study, the authors address issues associated with developing programs to meet the learning needs of gifted students.     

11 Politics and federal aid to urban school systems: the case of Chapter One

This chapter tracks the early effects of the 1988 amendments to the federal Chapter One programme on the policies and practices of four large urban districts (Atlanta, Chicago, Dade County and Dallas). Specifically, the article analyses reform efforts in the areas of programme co‐ordination, parental involvement, school‐wide projects and school performance accountability. Drawing on an historical analysis of the evolution of relations between the federal government and local school districts since the programme's inception in the 1960s, the authors argue that the apparently only modest impact of the 1988 reforms on the practice of Chapter One programmes to date is a result of a basic conflict between the intent of the reforms (to enhance educational effectiveness) and the political context as it occurs at the local level (an orientation toward bureaucratic and regulatory compliance).     

Developing emotional intelligence competence among teachers

A growing body of research has linked emotional intelligence (EI) to different life aspects, including personal well-being, quality of social relationships and professional effectiveness. In the field of education, EI has been linked to different aspects of school life, such as learning, academic achievements and pro-social behaviours among students and more recently, to effective teaching. The paper reports the qualitative findings of a comprehensive research project which followed a two-year emotional intelligence development programme, as part of teacher-targeted professional development training in one school in Israel. Data is based on 26 in-depth interviews with school teachers. The focus of the study was to explore what impacts an EI training programme might have upon the participants. The findings indicate that EI can be developed in teachers and that the EI training programmes may be effective in bringing about positive EI shifts and related behaviours which may positively impact upon teachers' practice, their sense of meaningfulness and their relations with students.     

Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Seeking Academic Assistance

Abstract

The instructional needs of a student who sought assistance for his continuing academic difficulties within his high school setting were examined. The authors evaluated how his perception of his academic and motivational performances compared with the perceptions of his parents, school officials, and those professionals who conducted 3 psy-choeducational evaluations for a learning disability during his middle and high school years. None of the 3 evaluations considered the quality of the student's classroom instruction, school grading practices, or study strategies, all of which increased his vulnerability to risk. Discussion focuses on the question of whether the student's negative learning and motivational profiles might have improved if his school's attempts to provide academic assistance had adopted a broader and more comprehensive focus.     

Changes in science teachers' conceptions and connections of STEM concepts and earthquake engineering

ABSTRACT

The authors find justification for integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the complex problems that today's students will face as tomorrow's STEM professionals. Teachers with individual subject-area specialties in the STEM content areas have limited experience in integrating STEM. In this study, the authors investigated the conceptual changes of secondary school teachers teaching domain-specific STEM courses after a week-long professional development experience integrating earthquake engineering and domain-specific concepts. They documented and then triangulated outcomes of the experience using participating teachers' concept maps and teacher-generated written materials, respectively. Statistical comparisons of participants' concept maps revealed significant increases in their overall understanding of earthquake engineering and more accurate linkages with and among science domain-specific concepts. Content analyses of teachers' learning products confirmed the concept map analysis and also provided evidence of transfer of workshop learning experiences into teacher-designed curriculum products accurately linking earthquake engineering and domain-specific STEM content knowledge.