The effect of time‐on‐task on student grades and grade expectations

The effects of students’ attitudes on time devoted to a course (i.e. time‐on‐task), and the subsequent effects of this time‐on‐task on their performance in the course and their overall grade point average (GPA) were studied. Over a three‐year period, engineering students (N = 231) were surveyed in weeks one, three, seven (after midterms) and 10 (before finals) of a 10‐week quarter in six sophomore and junior engineering classes (eight different sections). Results of this study show that most students are optimistic about their future performance in a new course, regardless of their previous overall GPA. All students appear to devote a relatively high and equal amount of time‐on‐task during the first week of the term. The students who earned grades between ‘B+’ and ‘A’ appear to optimise this time by the third week. Students who earned a final grade of ‘B’ study similar to ‘A’ students before midterms but significantly increase their efforts after midterms while the ‘C’ students decrease their time devoted to the course. This study finds that ‘A’ students know they will earn an ‘A’ as long as they do the work. In contrast, ‘C’ students are resigned to the fact that they will earn a ‘C’ and, thus, devote far less time to a course. The ‘B’ students want better grades and will devote the most effort towards achieving these grades.     

The importance of teacher interpersonal behaviour for student attitudes in Brunei primary science classes

This study investigated relationships between students' perceptions of their teachers' interpersonal behaviour and their subject‐related attitude in primary science classes in Brunei. Teacher–student interpersonal behaviour was mapped with the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and reported in terms of two independent dimensions called Influence (teacher dominance vs submission) and Proximity (teacher cooperation vs opposition). While prior research using the QTI mainly focused on secondary education, the present study was one of the first in Brunei and in primary education and one of few studies to use multilevel analysis. Data from 1305 students from 64 classes were used in this study. Results indicated strong and positive effects of Influence and Proximity on students' enjoyment of their science class and supported findings of earlier work with the QTI.     

Identifying exemplary science teachers through their students’ perceptions of the assessment process

This paper reports on part of a large‐scale study aimed at examining students’ perceptions of assessment. This paper will report on a study utilising mixed methodology in 150 Australian middle school classrooms. The purpose of the study described in this paper was to use the Students’ Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (SPAQ) to identify and describe exemplary science teachers. With a sample of over 3000 science students, the reliability of the SPAQ scales ranged from 0.62 to 0.82. The exemplary teachers were identified as those whose students’ perceptions were more than one standard deviation above the mean on three of the five scales of Congruence with planned learning, Transparency, Authenticity, Student consultation, and Diversity. The construct validity of the SPAQ to identify these exemplary teachers was confirmed through interviews with students and these views are reported in the article.     

Has pedagogy,technology, and Covid-19 killed the face-to-face lecture?

The lecture has been around for centuries and has featured as a popular and frequent component in higher education courses across many disciplines including anatomy. In more recent years, there has been a growing shift toward blended learning and related pedagogies that encourage active participation of students in both face-to-face and online learning environments. Unfortunately, in many cases, the lecture, which has typically focused on the transmission of information from educator to student has not been adapted to become a more learner-oriented approach with opportunities for students to actively interact and engage. As a result, the future of whether the lecture should continue has once again become a center of debate. The consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath have added to this with institutions now looking to stop all lectures or offer them in an online format only. This commentary argues that lecture-style components could still feature within face-to-face and online provision, but only if they are used sparingly within a blended curriculum, have a defined use that aligns well to learning outcomes, are assessed as the most effective method pedagogically, and importantly integrate approaches and activities that promote student engagement. Anatomy educators have demonstrated for years that they are able to be at the forefront of pedagogical change and evidenced during the pandemic their agile and innovative ability to adapt and do things differently. Therefore, the fate of the lecture, at least in anatomy, may well be in their hands.     

Supporting fathering through infant massage

Fathers may feel dissatisfied with their ability to form a close attachment with their infants in the early postpartum period, which, in turn, may increase their parent-related stress. Our study sought to determine if an infant massage intervention assisted fathers with decreasing stress and increasing bonding with their infants during this time. To address the complex father-infant relationship, we conducted a pilot study using a mixed methodology approach. Twelve infant-father dyads participated in the intervention, and 12 infant-father dyads populated a wait-list control group. Paternal stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index at baseline and at postintervention. We found infant massage instruction significantly decreased paternal stress. Our findings were also supported by the qualitative data and suggest fathers may benefit from applied postnatal education.     

An LSA-Based Software Tool for Matching Jobs,People, and Instruction

New LSA-based agent software helps to identify required job knowledge, determine which members of the workforce have the knowledge, pinpoint needed retraining content, and maximize training and retraining efficiency. The LSA-based technology extracts semantic information about people, occupations, and task-experience contained in natural-text databases. The various kinds of information are all represented in the same way in a common semantic space. As a result, the system can match or compare any of these objects with any one or more of the others. To demonstrate and evaluate the system, we analyzed tasks and personnel in three Air Force occupations. We measured the similarity of each airman to each task and estimated how well each airman could replace another. We also demonstrated the potential to match knowledge sub-components needed for new systems with ones contained in training materials and with those possessed by individual airmen. It appears that LSA can successfully characterize tasks, occupations and personnel and measure the overlap in content between instructional courses covering the full range of tasks performed in many different occupations. Such analyses may suggest where training for different occupations might be combined, where training is lacking, and identify components that may not be needed at all. In some instances it may suggest ways in which occupations might be reorganized to increase training efficiency, improve division of labor efficiencies, or redefine specialties to produce personnel capable of a wider set of tasks and easier reassignment.     

DISSERTATION RESEARCH: PART 3, NONQUANTITATIVE INQUIRY

This is the final part of a trilogy of papers treating the two forms of dissertation, viz., the quantitative and the nonquantitative. In this part, nonquantitative research is presented as thought research (the Gedankenexperiment). Special attention is upon the differences between the two types of dissertation in terms of their formats, procedures, and results.     

Large-scale teacher professional development endeavor: the Lincoln Tri-State Institute

This article explores a two-year professional development initiative with four state geographic alliances. Professional development planners, whether planning for a large- or small-scale initiative or one with unlimited or limited funding, will benefit from learning about this successful professional development activity and how the impact in the lives of teachers and students was measured. The actual process of this professional development and the assessment methods that were used throughout the entire two years are both noteworthy and could serve as a model for others.