Behavioral self-regulation and executive function both predict visuomotor skills and early academic achievement

The present study explored direct and interactive effects between behavioral self-regulation (SR) and two measures of executive function (EF, inhibitory control and working memory), with a fine motor measure tapping visuomotor skills (VMS) in a sample of 127 prekindergarten and kindergarten children. It also examined the relative contribution of behavioral SR, EF, and VMS skills for concurrent academic achievement. Results indicated that a measure of working memory (WJ-Working Memory) and a measure of behavioral SR (Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders task; HTKS) were directly related to VMS. Differential relations were also examined for prekindergarten and kindergarten children. Results revealed a significant interaction between age and inhibitory control (Day–Night), and an interaction at a trend level between age and working memory suggesting both tasks are more related to VMS skills for younger children. Results also indicated that behavioral SR, EF, and VMS skills were differentially related to the three achievement outcomes. Both behavioral SR and VMS were significantly related to math, behavioral SR, EF, and VMS were significantly related to emergent literacy, and behavioral SR and EF were related to vocabulary scores. Results point to significant relations between behavioral SR and EF with VMS, and how each is related to early academic achievement in preschool and kindergarten.     

Exploring the contribution of attribution retraining to student perceptions and the learning process

This paper looks at current research into how thinking influences learning. How people explain to themselves why they fail and succeed inevitably impacts on how well they learn new skills. Researchers have been developing attribution retraining programmes targeted at improving student academic achievement and learning experience through the promotion of positive thinking. These findings can often be found in scientific psychological journals far removed from the educational practitioners and learning environments they attempt to influence. This paper introduces the educational practitioner to the principles underlying attribution theory. The potential benefits of incorporating attribution retraining programmes into the school curriculum are then outlined and the future of this area for both researchers and educational psychologists alike is discussed.     

Linguistic awareness and dyslexia beliefs among teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired

Reading and Writing - US students who are blind or have visual impairments do not read at the level of a third-grader with typical sight until, on average, halfway through the seventh grade. As a...     

Classroom management,school staff relations,school climate,and academic achievement: testing a model with urban high schools

Urban learning environments pose distinct instructional challenges for teachers and administrators, and can lead to lower achievement compared to suburban or rural schools. Today’s educational climate increasingly emphasises a need for positive academic outcomes, often measured by standardised tests, on which student educational opportunities, teacher benefits and school funding can be based. By applying an ecological framework to the urban school environment, it could be possible to better understand and ultimately improve the educational context at multiple levels. This study examined how classroom management, staff relations and school climate contribute to academic achievement, as measured by ACT scores. In a large urban American public school system, 208 teachers from 38 high schools were surveyed. A model was tested in which, when academic achievement was accounted for over time, classroom management and staff relations contributed positively to school climate, and climate in turn contributed to academic achievement. Structural equation modeling revealed that the data fitted the proposed model. Results illustrate the roles of school and classroom factors related to academic performance and underline the importance of classroom management strategies and positive learning environments. Results suggest avenues for interventions to increase academic achievement by supporting students through the lens of an ecological framework.     

Preschool Literacy Intervention for Low-Income,Ethnically Diverse Children: Effects of the Early Authors Program Through Kindergarten

Contemporary perspectives on emergent literacy in preschool emphasize the importance of providing developmentally appropriate, authentic, early writing experiences and supporting students’ home language and culture. The current study analyzed kindergarten outcomes for 82 linguistically diverse, low-income children (60% Black, 40% Latino) who participated in the Early Authors Program (EAP) during preschool , and those for a demographically similar comparison group of 33 children who did not receive the intervention. The intervention emphasized family involvement and cultural sensitivity and involved children self-authoring books about themselves and their family. Children in the EAP program scored higher than comparison children on school readiness screeners a year or two later in kindergarten, and were more likely to be classified as “ready’ for school. EAP children also outperformed comparison children on emergent (English) literacy skills in kindergarten as measured by the DIBELS. Boys in the EAP group received higher grades in kindergarten than boys in the comparison group. The positive effects of the Early Authors Program appear to be sustained through kindergarten.     

What Can Mathematics Educators in England Learn from TIMSS?

In most of the countries taking part in TIMSS, students scored at similar levels for mathematics and science. England was one of the few countries where the results did not conform to this pattern. The key question for mathematics educators in England is: why did students in England perform relatively well in science but relatively badly in mathematics? The results for 9-year-olds were particularly intriguing since the majority of students at this age in England were taught mathematics and science by their class teacher. In order to seek answers to the question posed above, this article compares the responses to the TIMSS context questionnaires made by 9-year-olds and their teachers in the 13 European countries taking part in the TIMSS survey of that age group (Population 1). Issues examined include: curriculum content; lesson time; homework; class size; use of calculators in mathematics; practical activities in science; classroom organisation and students’ attitudes.     

STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN GHANA,WEST AFRICA

The field of early care and education has been challenged to raise the level of quality for young children by increasing the number of practitioners with college degrees. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of early care and education professionals working in the field and enrolled in community college early childhood classes, about the benefits of attending classes, and the factors that motivated them to pursue a college degree. The majority of the participants were not attending college for the first time and previously attempted to return to school to complete a certificate or an associate degree. Motivational factors and perceived benefits, which varied by teachers and directors, were influenced by the number of years that the practitioners worked in the field. Personal goals and professional development were main motivators, but younger teachers also valued the degree for their future careers. Directors played a pivotal role in motivating teachers to enroll in college, while scholarship assistance made it possible to act on desires to go to college. These findings point to differentiated, targeted marketing and recruitment for teachers and directors, relevant early childhood college coursework, and continuous available funding to complete degrees.     

Are Test and Academic Disengagement Related? Implications for Measurement and Practice

A vast literature investigates academic disengagement among students, including its ultimate manifestation, dropping out of school. Research also shows that test disengagement can be a problem for many inferences educators and policymakers wish to draw from test scores. However, few studies consider whether academic and test disengagement are related. In this study, we examine whether behaviors indicative of academic disengagement like chronic absenteeism and course failures are related to behaviors indicative of test disengagement like rapidly guessing on items. We also examine whether social-emotional factors like low academic self-efficacy and self-management, which research suggests are the root causes of academic disengagement, are also related to rapid guessing behavior. Our results provide evidence that academic and test disengagement are related, including through a common association with poor self-management. The implications of this connection for measurement and practice are discussed.     

The role of new technologies in competence teaching in higher education： The case of accounting

The Spanish educational system will require certain changes in order to achieve the Bologna objectives for the European Higher Education Area, including a more professional profile, with new activities and roles for both students and teachers, who must assume new skills that will affect concepts and attitudes related to the teaching and learning processes within the framework of training projects. However, students must also take a leading role in the educational process by adopting independent, meaningful and cooperative learning methods. This process will imply a notable change of mindset for the typical Spanish students and will involve a high degree of collaboration between students and teachers. Teachers will have to choose suitable methodologies for achieving those objectives, within the academic framework and considering the characteristics of professional training in skills. In addition, they must create the appropriate structural and organizational conditions to carry out these activities （class size, space, educational organization, etc.）. This paper describes the authors＇ experience in designing learning methodologies for the teaching of accountancy in the business administration degree course at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part describes the methodology designed for teaching accounting, based on PBL （problem-based learning）, compiled with Internet-based technologies. We analyze its use and evolution in two accounting subjects in the first and the fourth years of the degree. The second part presents the results for each subject in these years. The authors also point out the differences between students who chose the learning methodology described and those who used the traditional approach. The final part of the paper presents the conclusions obtained from the statistical treatment of the results and the analysis of different options for correlating the information obtained. These results show that there is a direct correlation between the use of an active learning model--through the teaching methodology--and obtaining satisfactory exam results in the subject. Finally, the authors analyze these results and consider how they should be used for evaluating the suitability of the methodology and to determine whether it is necessary to redesign the methodology to fit in with the characteristics, conditions and limitations of the teaching and learning processes.     

The effects of incentives,instructor motivation and feedback strategies on faculty evaluation response rates in large and small class sizes

Four instructor-led strategies designed to increase faculty teaching response rates were assessed across both small (n?<?50) and large (n?≥?50) class sizes. The interventions included: (a) individual incentives, (b) group incentives, (c) instructor motivation and (d) instructor motivation plus feedback. A comparison group utilizing the standard university strategies was also included in the study. The percentage of answers to open-ended or qualitative questions was measured across groups. The results show that implementing a contingency – whether group or individual – significantly improves the rate at which students complete course evaluation ratings regardless of class size; however, these contingencies, while effective for increasing overall rating response rate, do not promote increased submission rates of qualitative comments. Furthermore, it was found that class GPA did not differ across intervention strategy nor did it influence response rates.