Grade retention among students with learning disabilities

This study explored the rates of grade retention among children with undiagnosed learning disabilities. During the 1990–91 school year, data were collected on 344 Michigan students who were referred for special-education evaluation due to learning problems. Of the 201 students determined to possess a learning disability (LD), 71.6% had been retained at least once before they were referred for special-education evaluation. Minority and urban LD students were more apt to be retained before being referred for evaluation. Retained LD students were usually one year older than nonretained LD students at the time of special-education referral. Although retention among LD students did not appear to be related to gender or grade placement, retained LD students generally exhibited lower levels of intelligence and weaker skills in reading comprehension, writing, and math at the time of their referral. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Grade retention rates among students with learning disabilities.

This study investigated the grade retention of students with learning disabilities. Data were collected on 689 students referred and identified as having learning disabilities during the 1987-88 school year in Indiana. Of these students, 58% had been retained before identification. The results of this investigation suggest that retention is being used as a remediation before labeling a student. Implications of this practice and alternatives to grade retention as a method to address the academic needs of students are discussed.     

Language learning strategy in helping Chinese EFL university students with CET4 Written Test as a goal

This article discusses the application of theories in the field of learning strategies to ELT classroom in Chinese universities.By reviewing the literature of learning strategies,this article examines the possible connection between theories and the Chinese ELT classroom in specific,in which it focuses on the requirements of CET 4 examination.By doing so,this article tries to offer some suggestions that could be used in the classroom.     

Conceptions of learning among Nepalese students

The paper presents a phenomenographic study of conceptions of academic learning among Nepalese students. Students from various disciplines at the Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu were interviewed about their understanding and experience of learning. The results are related to previous studies in Nepal, using Biggs Study Process Questionnaire and written responses to open questions. They are also compared to similar phenomenographic studies carried out in the East as well as the West. The present study indicates, among other things, that Nepali students look upon memorising and understanding as interlinked in a way not usually found among Western students. The results are described within a two-dimensional outcome space, derived from previous studies of learning experience conducted in various cultural settings, and providing a general framework for different conceptions of learning.     

Evaluating students experiences using a virtual learning environment: satisfaction and preferences

Educational technology research and development - Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are web-based software systems that enable students to interact with their teachers and classmates, access...     

School membership among students with learning disabilities and nondisabled students in a semirural high school

School reform proposals have urged that schools provide students with an enhanced sense of community, especially for at-risk youth belonging, is thought to be crucial. Given their high rate of school drop out, school membership holds special relevance for students with learning disabilities (LD). Thirty-seven mainstreamed students with LD and an equal number of nondisabled (ND) high school students were compared on five dependent variables: grades, time spent on homework, Scholastic Competence, Global Self-Worth, and school membership. School membership was assessed by Goodenow's (1993) Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale. ND students reported higher grades and more favorable ratings of Scholastic Competence, while groups did not differ significantly on time on homework or Global Self-Worth. Also, contrary to the author's hypothesis, the groups did not differ on the PSSM. These findings are attributed to either the small size of the school in which the study was conducted or to the supportive nature of special education (i.e., resource room). Future studies are required to understand the development of school membership among students with LD. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Evaluating the efficacy of using sentence frames for learning new vocabulary in science

Science students are increasingly challenged to use technical language related to the topics that they are studying, and therefore, science teachers benefit from knowing which tools are effective to support students in learning to use new terms. This study examined the impact of using one such tool—sentences frames—to teach science vocabulary, as measured through a science-writing task. Using an experimental approach with extant middle school science classes that offered a sample of 75 mainly Latino school students from grades six through eight, the researcher together with participating teachers identified 10 essential terms per science unit. The teachers used vocabulary-focused sentence frames for teaching the terms in one science unit, and a more traditional science text-based approach for teaching vocabulary in another unit. The writing task required at the end of the units consisted of essays in response to science-based prompts that directed students to use as many target science words as possible; matching/cloze format quizzes were also used to measure pretest and posttest receptive vocabulary knowledge. Findings indicated that there were advantages for teaching new science vocabulary via sentence frames as measured by use of the words in writing, but there were no advantages for sentence frames on quizzes measuring receptive vocabulary. Advantages of sentence frames for writing approached but did not reach statistical significance. There was some evidence that current and previous English language learners benefited more than initial English speakers from sentence frames, implying that utilizing sentence frames to teach science vocabulary might offer needed support especially for these subgroups. Limitations of the study included the sample size and the possibility that the strategy utilized in the comparison group might have offered some of the same advantages in producing language with technical vocabulary that the sentence frames unit offered.     

Behavioral patterns of students under an individualized learning strategy

The study examines the behavioral patterns of high, average and low achievers in classrooms implementing an individualized instructional strategy. The study makes use of an observational instrument modelled on Medely's Personal Record of school Experiences (PROSE). Seventy-two boys and girls chosen from 12 first, second and third grade classrooms were included in the sample; 1/3 were ranked by the teacher as high achievers, 1/3 as average and 1/3 as low achievers. The findings revealed that students spent about 2/3 of their time on independent work; and the time spent interacting with teacher was about equal to the time spent interacting with classmate.The results also showed that interaction patterns between teacher and individual students are related to the student achievement level. In addition, distinctly different work patterns of independent activity were discerned in high and low achievers indicating higher involvement in on-task activities among high students compared with low achievers. Similiar patterns of interaction between students were found for high, average and low achievers demonstrating either on-task or off-task interaction of a verbal nature among students of the same sex. Implications for teachers, teachers trainers and instructional developers are discussed.     

英语专业基础阶段差生学习策略研究

本研究重点关注英语专业基础阶段差生的学习策略。研究采用了定性研究的方法,通过访谈采集研究数据,并对数据进行分析,从学习观念和学习方法等方面研究了差生在学习英语时所采用的学习策略,并指出了策略运用中存在的问题。研究结果对指导差生适应大学英语学习,提高学习效率具有重要启示意义。     

Case report: the impact of a resubmission intervention on level 1 distance learning students

Student retention and success are key performance indicators within higher education. One of the key opportunities to address both of these lies with the support offered to students who fail a module but are entitled to resubmit. This study investigates the value of implementing a resubmission intervention to improve the quantity and quality of student resubmissions on a level 1 distance learning module. The intervention consisted of an online synchronous tutorial session and a supporting asynchronous forum. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured by comparing the resubmission and pass rates to a previous presentation with no intervention. It was found that resubmission and pass rates were higher where the intervention was used suggesting that a resubmission intervention can increase the quality and quantity of submissions. Whilst, these findings are useful, it is important to acknowledge that there are additional factors that can impact the quantity and quality of resubmissions.     

浅谈元认知策略运用与民族预科生英语自主学习能力的培养

在为期一年的时间里帮助学生完成学科知识、理论与技能等多方面的巩固与提高,实现从高中到大学的过渡是教师的主要任务。而教给学生如何自主学习,培养其自主学习的能力应是预科阶段的核心。依托“元认知”理论,在辅助学生完成“知人、知事、知术”过程的基础上,帮助学生树立元认知意识,培养其自主学习的习惯,以此提高民族预科阶段的英语教学效果是一种尝试性探索。     

非日语专业学生日语词汇学习策略研究

在语言习得过程中,词汇起着至关重要的作用。非日语专业学生若想提高日语能力水平,词汇量的积累是前提。因此非日语专业学生要学好日语词汇,关键是要明确学习日语词汇的动机和掌握正确的认知策略。本文通过对非日语专业学生日语词汇学习动机的分析,以及日语词汇学习中认知策略与巩固策略的阐述,使非日语专业学生能够有效地认知日语词汇,有效地掌握所学日语词汇。     

大学生学习情绪分析及认知调节策略

自我情绪调节是指个体为应付环境要求及其有关的情绪困扰而做出的情绪认知方面的有意识的调整行为,对个体的心理健康有着及其重要的意义,当前大学生由于情绪的不稳定带来的一系列的学习上的问题,根据认知情绪调节的相关理论,认知情绪调节策略可以对大学生的学习产生积极的促进作用。     

Evaluating the reflexive practices in a learning experience

Reflexivity is a primary requirement for professional work. Our aim was to describe a methodology suitable for detecting the development of reflexive practice through the analysis of 59 Master’s degree students’ journals. We explore the use and changes of reflexive practice in relation to the settings and activities of the course using analysis of the mental language: We analyse how the reflexive practice is characterized, how it evolves through time and how it can be promoted. Data analysis shows that reflexivity is not monodimensional but multidimensional. Reflexive practice increases during the course: The different dimensions vary over time according to different organizational and educational conditions. This methodology allows us to formulate new hypotheses about which elements of the setting and process are effective in supporting participants’ reflexive practice.     

元认知策略对改善大学生认知效能的实证研究

基于元认知理论的本质和大学公共英语教学的特点,选取90名非英语专业大学生进行了元认知策略意识培养的教学实验。实验表明,元认知策略的使用与英语成绩的提高呈显著正相关,在英语教学过程中有意识地进行元认知策略培养对改善大学生的认知效能是积极有效的。     

Depression among students with learning disabilities: assessing the risk

Researchers have found that students with learning disabilities (LD) obtain statistically higher scores on measures of depression than their peers without LD. However, what is not known is whether students with LD display greater levels of clinical depression than their peers without LD. If they do, then special education services should address this area of concern. If they do not, then the current mental health system may be adequate to treat children and adolescents with depression regardless of whether they have concomitant LD. The purpose of this study was to meta-analyze the data-based literature and quantify mean differences in depression measure scores and levels of clinical depression between students with and without LD.     

Facilitating effective digital game-based learning behaviors and learning performances of students based on a collaborative knowledge construction strategy

Researchers have recognized the potential of educational computer games in improving students’ learning engagement and outcomes; however, facilitating effective learning behaviors during the gaming process remains an important and challenging issue. In this paper, a collaborative knowledge construction strategy was incorporated into an educational computer game to facilitate students’ knowledge sharing and organizing during the game-based learning process. An experiment was conducted to examine the students’ learning behavioral patterns, group efficacy, and problem-solving awareness. The experimental results revealed that the proposed approach improved the students’ learning achievements and awareness of problem-solving. Moreover, from the analysis of the students’ behavior sequences, it was found that, with the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism, the students revealed significantly more aggressive learning behavioral patterns, such as “comparing and observing the learning targets” and “seeking clues and answers” during the gaming process. This implies that integrating the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism into the gaming process has great potential for helping students effectively learn and organize knowledge as well as fostering their awareness of applying the acquired knowledge to dealing with problems.     

Evaluating the efficacy of a school counseling program

In the age of shrinking educational dollars, accountability and efficacy have become increasingly important components of program standards. This program evaluation study demonstrates a methodology for evaluating an elementary-school-based counseling program and was designed and initiated by school psychologists. The research demonstrated gains made by those referred for treatment, and outlines the differences between the nonreferred and referred populations.     

Conceptions of learning science among high school students in Taiwan: a phenomenographic analysis

Educators and psychologists have evidence that students’ conceptions of learning have a profound influence on the learning process, and thus are related to learning outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to explore the conceptions of learning science held by 120 Taiwanese high school students. The interview data gathered from these students, analysed by a phenomenographic method, revealed seven categories of conceptions of learning science, including: learning science as memorizing, preparing for tests, calculating and practising tutorial problems, the increase of knowledge, applying, understanding, and seeing in a new way. The educational contexts or curricular programmes in which these high school students enrolled also played a role in their conceptions of learning science. This study finally proposed a framework to describe the variations of the conceptions of learning science, consisting of the following features: the forms of knowledge acquisition, motivational orientations, and standards of evaluating learning outcomes. How to change students’ unfruitful conceptions of learning science was also discussed.