The effect of sharing health information on teachers' production of classroom accommodations

Ninety elementary‐school teachers read information about a hypothetical student experiencing school‐related problems due to Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), generated classroom accommodations to assist the student, and rated their confidence in these accommodations. Each teacher was provided one of three levels of information about T1DM: (a) no disease information, (b) basic disease information, and (c) basic disease information + classroom implications. Providing teachers with more information about T1DM increased their ability to accommodate a student's learning needs. Similarly, a lower proportion of disease‐specific accommodations were generated by teachers receiving no disease information (37%) than by teachers receiving basic disease information or basic disease information + classroom implications, and the later two groups were equivalent (47% for each). This study and future work concerning the effect of chronic illness on classroom performance and adjustment have implications for medical professionals, teachers, and school psychologists. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 553–564, 2006.     

The effect of same-gender teacher assignment on student achievement in the elementary and secondary grades: Evidence from panel data

We utilize information from a rich administrative panel dataset following the universe of test-taking public school students in Florida over a period of five years to estimate the relationship between same-gender teacher assignment and student achievement. We estimate how a student's achievement changes as he/she is assigned to teachers of different genders throughout his/her academic career, holding constant both observed and unobserved factors related to academic outcomes. We also provide estimates from models that evaluate how the relative performance of male and female student assigned to the same teacher or in the same classroom relates to the gender of the teacher. We find no statistically distinguishable relationship between same-gender teacher assignments and student math or reading achievement in elementary school. We find a statistically significant relationship between being assigned to a female teacher and student achievement in middle and high school, however the magnitude of the effect is small.     

Assessing Agreement: An Examination of the Interrater Reliability of Portfolio Assessment in Rochester,New York

This article reports on the interrater reliability of language arts portfolio assessment in the primary grades of the Rochester, New York, school system. This assessment was based on a sample of approximately 400 primary-grade language arts portfolios that were rated by two raters: the student's classroom teacher and an external reviewer. Reliabilities for student portfolios ranged from .58 for Grade 1 reading portfolios to .79 for kindergarten reading portfolios. Many of the reading portfolios could not be rated by the external reviewer, revealing problems both with the portfolio policies of the district and with the classroom-level implementation. The findings showed that primary-grade classroom teachers can reliably rate their own students' work, but tensions exist if a single portfolio system is intended both to provide classroom teachers with information about their students and to supply accountability information to administrators.     

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.     

Teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding academic support following concussion

Teachers play an important role in supporting students' return to school after concussion. This online cross sectional survey examined teachers' beliefs and practices regarding concussion and academic support strategies, or academic adjustments (AA). Most teachers (99.1%) agreed-to-strongly agreed concussions affect school performance, and many (71.6%) have worked with a student who received AA after concussion. Teachers who participated in concussion education and observed a decline in a student's academic performance after concussion were more familiar with and recommended AA more often. Professional development is recommended to provide teachers with practical and timely resources to enhance support for students after concussion.     

Using a Problem-Solving Approach to Teach Classroom Skills to a Student with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities within Regular Classroom Settings

We examined the use of a problem-solving intervention to teach classroom skills to a student with moderate intellectual disabilities. She was receiving her education in regular classrooms at her local primary school. The student was taught the targeted skills in a resource room removed from the regular classroom. She successfully generalised the skills to regular classrooms. The problem-solving intervention was evaluated using a multiple baseline design across classrooms. Regular classroom teachers indicated that the student's behaviour significantly improved during the intervention.     

An adult attachment perspective on the student–teacher relationship & classroom management difficulties

To maintain a professional identity, teachers are to some degree dependent on their student's mental representations of, and interactions with, them. This affords students’ relational power over teachers possibly invoking a unique form of attachment dependence and responding in some teachers. Data reported in this paper were drawn from a larger research project which asked 11 questions about the nature of the teacher–student relationship. The attachment styles of 291 pre-service and experienced elementary and secondary school teachers were examined using the Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire (ECR). Significant differences were found for teacher type (elementary versus secondary), experience, age and gender. Implications for classroom relationships, management and teacher education are discussed.     

Teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of online instruction for students with special educational needs

This article discusses the perceptions of ‘virtual’ teachers with regard to the benefits of online education for students with special educational needs. Surveys were distributed to teachers from one educational management company about their experiences of teaching in asynchronous (self‐paced) virtual school classrooms. The survey responses revealed the following findings: online education has made it easier for students with limitations to access learning activities; improvements have been made in student academic performance; students have had success with asynchronous (self‐paced) education; student motivation has increased; and more individualised support has been available. Even though these results focused on positive outcomes, some negative perceptions were also recorded. These included discrepancies related to cyber‐bullying in asynchronous learning programmes, matters related to student accommodations, and problems associated with student use of online classroom resources.     

Teachers' Assessment Practices: Preparation,Isolation, and the Kitchen Sink

A sample of 143 midwestern elementary and secondary school teachers from a variety of practice settings responded to a survey and provided comments regarding their assessment practices The purpose of the survey was to collect background (demographic) information on the teachers and information on several assessment-related practices, including frequency with which teachers assign routine class assignments, types of marks used to report student performance, frequency and grading of major assignments and tests, source of classroom tests, kinds of marks used, methods used to combine marks, meaning of grades, teachers' knowledge and perceptions regarding district grading policies, and teachers' awareness of the grading policies of their peers. Interviews with the teachers provided additional insights into their practices. Results indicated that teachers' assessment practices were highly variable and unpredictable from characteristics such as practice setting, gender, years of experience, grade level, or familiarity with assessment policies in their school district. Teachers generally claim to consider and incorporate a variety of objective and subjective factors when assigning grades on assignments, assessments, and report cards, synthesizing diverse kinds of information about achievement in ways that tend to maximize the likelihood that students will achieve high grades. Only about one half of the teachers surveyed indicated that they were aware of their districts' policies on grading; most were not aware of the assessment practices of their colleagues. Many teachers seemed to have individual assessment policies that reflected their own individualistic values and beliefs about teaching. Recommendations for making grades more meaningful ways of communicating about student performance are suggested.     

Sympathiebeziehungen unter Peers im Klassenzimmer: Wie gut wissen Lehrpersonen Bescheid?

Are teachers aware of how well each of their students is embedded in the sympathy-based peer network of the classroom? In this research, we asked students of 39 classes (N = 821) from different types of schools and grades to nominate the three peers they liked most within their class. At the same time, the 39 classroom teachers were asked to reproduce the nominations they thought every single student would undertake. Using the Jaccard coefficient, we compared the similarity of the social networks that emerged from students’ and the respective teacher’s nominations. Results showed that on average, teachers identified 30.1% of the peer nominations correctly. Elementary school teachers were better attuned to their students’ sympathy relations than secondary school teachers. Teachers’ accuracy in identifying peer relations was predicted by the extent to which they intentionally observed peer interactions in the classroom and by their beliefs whether teachers are accountable for the quality of peer relationships in the classroom. Future studies should further investigate whether students profit in their social and academic development from their teacher being highly accurate in the perception of the classroom’s sympathy peer network.     

Becoming a teacher of early reading: charting the knowledge and practices of pre‐service and newly qualified teachers

Education policy in England requires student teachers to demonstrate effective teaching of early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics, in order to qualify to teach. Although there is a range of literature about initial teacher education, little is documented about how pre‐service or ‘student' teachers develop specific knowledge and practices for teaching early reading and how they apply these in their first term as newly qualified teachers (NQTs). This research used a primarily qualitative longitudinal, collective case study design involving seven lower primary (3–7 years) postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) students enrolled at one university in the East Midlands of England. Semi‐structured interviews, classroom observations and documentary analysis with the students and their teacher mentors were used to gather data from entry onto the course to the participants' first term as qualified teachers. A thematic analysis was applied in conjunction with deductive observation codes developed from a previous study. Findings indicate a broad continuum of progression in student and newly qualified teacher knowledge and practice for teaching early reading which could be used to inform university organisation, mentoring and school participation. They highlight the influence of school cultures on the experiences of student and pre‐service teachers.     

“How Come Nobody Told Me?” Fostering Self‐Realization Through a High School English Curriculum

Through collaboratively designed qualitative inquiry, we investigated the responses of high school students with learning disabilities to a teacher’s intervention intended to promote self‐realization, a fundamental component of self‐determination. Activities were embedded within the general English curriculum and delivered in a special education classroom over the course of an academic year. Several themes emerged from analysis of student interviews, student responses to writing prompts and surveys, a teacher journal, and student portfolio pieces. Silence and misconceptions were prevalent in student experiences. However, through the intervention students acquired information that helped them make sense of their school experiences, redefine themselves in positive ways, and take small steps toward greater self‐advocacy within their current school setting. The mediating influence of positive adult voices and concerns about social stigma were evident in students’ responses, which prompted us to question teachers’ and families’ responsibilities for engaging young people in dialogue about special education and disability.     

Developing inclusive practices through collaborative action research

This paper highlights the framework and discusses the results of an action research network which aimed to promote academic access in two general educational settings within which a pupil with blindness and a deaf pupil were educated respectively. The persons involved in this collaborative scheme were general teachers, a school counsellor, academic staff and student teachers. The findings of the study indicate that the implementation of the action research network resulted in the development of inclusive and collaborative thinking and the adoption of relevant teaching practices which promoted the children's access to the curriculum and supported the teachers' and student teachers' professional development. The outcomes of this action research network raise concerns about the access and the status of membership of children with special needs in general educational classroom and provide insights for the pivotal role of action research in understanding educational contexts and situations from a number of different perspectives.     

Causes of Educational Failure among Elementary School Students in Brunei Darussalam as Perceived by Mathematics and Science Teachers

This study investigated causes of school failure among elementary school students in Brunei Darussalam. Fifty-two specialist mathematics and science teachers were involved in the investigation using a questionnaire. The student factor identified to be the most important was related to students' poor command of the English language. Lack of interest in learning was another important influencing factor in students' failure. Parental factors perceived to be the most important were lack of supervision of their children's activities at home and reluctance to make school visits to see teachers about their children's academic progress. The influence of teacher factors on educational failure was perceived to be less important.     

Teachers’ Special Education Decisions Does Test Information Make a Difference?

ABSTRACT

Forty-five classroom teachers participated in a study designed to investigate the influence of a student’s individual psychological test performance (learning disabled [LD] vs. normal) and the achievement level of the child’s school (below average, average, above average) on their special education classification decisions. The achievement level of the school did not influence the teachers’ decisions to identify a child as handicapped. The student’s psychological test information did. For the LD case study, the teachers were more likely to have lower academic expectations and to diagnose the child as LD. In contrast to the findings of other studies, teachers were not likely to diagnose the normal case study child as handicapped. In short, these teachers did not ignore individual psychological information but rather utilized the information appropriately in their decision making.     

A Study of Pupil Failures and Subject Failures in Chicago

Abstract

This study investigated teachers' sense of efficacy and biases in their decisions to refer students to special education. Teachers (N = 240) read a case study about a student with academic difficulties and judged the appropriateness of the student's regular class placement and whether they would refer the student. Teachers were randomly assigned to one of six conditions, in which student socioeconomic status (SES) and etiology of the learning problem were varied. Findings revealed that teachers who perceive themselves as ineffectual consider regular education inappropriate for underachieving students from low-SES families; teachers who believe that they are effective do not differentiate students by SES. Further, teachers referred students whose learning problems had an unspecified etiology more than those whose problems were medically or environmentally based. Thus, teachers' referral decisions appear to be biased by variables unrelated to the specific academic difficulties of the student.     

A Model of Homework's Influence on the Performance Evaluations of Elementary School Students

This study was the first to test a model of the influence of homework on classroom performance using a sample of elementary school students. A total of 28 teachers in Grades 2 and 4 took part in the study, along with 428 students and parents. The authors used structural equation modeling to examine relationships among variables. Student norms were positively related to the elimination of distractions from homework by parents. Positive student norms, higher student ability, and positive parent attitudes toward homework were all related to greater parent facilitation. Student's attitude toward homework was unrelated to home and community factors but was related positively to parent attitudes toward homework. Classroom grades were unrelated to student's attitude toward homework but were predicted by how much homework the student completed (even after the use of homework in grading was controlled), by student ability, and by the amount of parent facilitation. More generally, parent facilitation was an important mediator of the relation between student norms, student ability, and parent attitudes toward homework, and the outcome of classroom grades.     

Project Proficiency: Assessing the Independent Effects of High School Reform in an Urban District

ABSTRACT.

The authors sought to determine if an urban school district's effort to fundamentally change teaching, assessment, and intervention practices increased student achievement and decreased achievement variation among classrooms in 11 high schools. They examined Grade 11 mathematics achievement data from the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 Kentucky Core Content Test. The sample consisted of 2,451 students in 11 high schools that implemented an initiative called Project Proficiency. The study used hierarchical linear modeling to determine if changes in instructional practices yielded academic gains, while controlling for individual and school socioeconomic status (SES) and prior student achievement. The analysis revealed that Project Proficiency had a significant impact on state mathematics achievement and reduced classroom variation by 55% in the final model, as opposed to 16% in the control group. Results also indicated that a school's SES had a greater influence on student achievement than an individual student's SES.     

Comparing children's and student teachers’ ideas about science concepts

Children and teachers may not think in the same way about particular science concepts. Such parallel lines of thought can compound children's confusion and misunderstanding as they learn science at primary school. The situation could be more acute when student teachers are teaching science, because of their limited experience of considering children's ideas. This paper investigates children's and student teachers’ ideas about certain science concepts: ‘animal’, ‘flower’, ‘living’, ‘force’ and ‘energy’. The ideas and understandings of 96 children and 168 student teachers were explored. Results showed that the student teachers and children had similar ideas about ‘flower’ and ‘animal’, whereas they evidenced very different responses to ‘living’, ‘energy’ and ‘force’. Implications for classroom practice are considered.