Evaluation of patterning instruction for kindergartners

Abstract

To determine whether patterning instruction was as useful or more useful than other forms of instruction, kindergarten children (age five) were taught either patterning or early literacy or mathematics or social studies in matched sessions. Instruction was conducted in 15-minute sessions from November through mid-April. Posttests on patterning, mathematics, early literacy, and three executive functions showed that the children taught patterning became significantly better at patterning than those in the other instructional conditions. No differences were found between the children taught mathematics, early literacy, or social studies. Correlational analyses indicated that the relations of patterning ability, working memory, and inhibitory control to mathematics achievement were similar. Cognitive flexibility was not very strongly related to any other measure and the executive functions were relatively independent of each other for the children who were age five.     

The Second Mathematics Standard Assessment Tasks at Key Stage 1: issues of reliability raised by a five school study

This paper assesses the value that can be put on the mathematical Standard Assessment Task (SAT) score as an indicator of how children are doing compared to others. The results of a study of a sample of 171 Year 2 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) are presented. Pupils’ scores on Mathematics 7, a standardised mathematics test for 7 year‐olds are compared to the mathematics SAT score elicited by them in the previous half‐term. Results show that children with the same Mathematics 7 score may be designated Level 1, 2 or 3 on the mathematics SAT. Conclusions, based on such a small study, are tentative. There is a need to be aware that finding out how a child is doing may be more complicated than simply looking at the SAT results. It may be hypothesised that the 10 point assessment scale is too crude a summative device to measure children's mathematical standards accurately.     

The first and second reading Standard Assessment Tasks at Key Stage 1: a comparison based on a five-school study

This paper assesses the value that can be put on the reading (National Curriculum En 2) Standard Assessment Task scores as indicators of what children are achieving in reading and whether reading standards are rising. The results of a cross-sectional study of a sample of all the Year 2 children (171 in 1991; 171 in 1992) from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) are presented. Pupils’ scores on The Primary Reading Test (PRT) (France, 1981) and the reading Standard Assessment Task score elicited by them in the previous half term are compared. Results show an improvement in the attainment level of children in 1992 compared to those in 1991 on Standard Assessment Tasks with a higher percentage achieving Level 3 and fewer on Level 1. However, examination of the means for each year group indicates that the mean PRT score for each Standard Assessment Task level is significantly lower in 1992 than 1991. Conclusions, based on such a small study, are tentative. However, it would seem that there is a need to view apparently rising standards, as measured solely by the Standard Assessment Task results, with a degree of caution.     

The Changing Role of the Local News Media in Enabling Citizens to Engage in Local Democracies

Using Leeds City Council in the United Kingdom as a case study, we analyse comparatively the changing role of local journalism in the public communications and engagement strategies of local government. Drawing on over 20 semi-structured interviews with elected politicians, Council strategists, mainstream journalists, and citizen journalists, the article explores perceptions of the mainstream news media's role versus new modes of communication in engaging and communicating with citizens. We evaluate the Council's perceptions of its online and offline practices of engagement with different publics, and focus in particular on their interactions with journalists, the news media, and citizen journalists. The article considers how moves towards digital modes of engagement are changing perceptions of the professional role orientations of journalists in mediating between the Council and the general public.     

Learning progressions: significant promise, significant challenge

Over the past five years or so, the concept of alearning progression has gained traction in the United States (US) science education community. Learning progressions have been touted as a means of addressing a number of vexing and persistent problems facing science education in the US (and around the world). In particular, there is great excitement over the potential of learning progressions to provide much needed coherence to standards, curricula, and assessments. Although relatively new, this promising approach is already having a significant impact on the landscape of US science education. However, there are also concerns that this influence may be premature. A substantial challenge lies in the validation of learning progressions—how to ensure that these tools, which are rapidly being incorporated into policy and practice, have sufficient empirical justification. This paper discusses both the promise and challenge of work to validate learning progressions for use in science education reform.     

Social Work Knowledge of Facts on Aging: Influence of Field and Classroom Education

Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) was used to measure aging knowledge outcomes of 323 practicum students engaged in aging-focused practica at pre- and posttest across 11 universities. Significant improvement in knowledge scores (p = .0001) was found for graduates of the enhanced field education programs. Taking aging course work was a significant (p = .0001) influence on knowledge outcomes. Combined with coursework, the practicum students experienced increased knowledge of aging. When experiential and didactic learning is combined, increased knowledge about facts of aging occurs.     

Sources of self-efficacy of community college students enrolled in developmental mathematics

The need to improve student success in community colleges has resulted in a growing interest in developmental mathematics. Yet there remains a need to understand the motivations and beliefs of developmental mathematics students in order to cultivate their success. Self-efficacy has been identified to be a predictor of student success. Little is known about the antecedents or sources of self-efficacy of students enrolled in remedial courses at community colleges and how their self-efficacy can be bolstered through such courses. An instrument was developed to measure sources of mathematics self-efficacy and was originally tested with middle school students. Using a sample of 439 students, it was found that a scale which measures sources of self-efficacy is psychometrically acceptable for adults completing mathematics remediation. Our results indicated that the four theorised sources of self-efficacy explained a large percentage of the variance in mathematics skill self-efficacy for our sample. As hypothesised by others, mastery experiences was the best predictor of self-efficacy but all sources influenced mathematics skills self-efficacy.     

Novice Counselors’ Conceptualizations and Experiences of Therapeutic Relationships

This qualitative study investigated three novice counselors’ experiences and characterizations of therapeutic relationships. Thematic analyses of interviews and diaries revealed six common themes: (a) the centrality of supervision and training experiences to navigating interpersonal experiences with clients; (b) anxiety about counselors’ roles in therapeutic relationships; (c) the perception of the therapeutic relationship as less directive than outside (lay) helping relationships; (d) experimentation with different interpersonal styles; (e) awareness of countertransference; and, (f) impact of therapeutic relationships on outside relationships. Findings expand upon the therapeutic relationship as a focal point for the training and supervision of novice counselors.     

Dramatizing the Authentic Research of a Local Scientist to Urban Elementary Students Through Professional Theater

This article focuses on the impact of a professional play that we developed in order to introduce elementary learners of an urban school to the research of a scientist working at a local university. The play was written in a way that might increase student understandings of the nature of science, scientific inquiry, the identity of scientists, and the work that scientists do. We collected pre-and post-play questionnaire responses and drawings of scientists from third and fourth grade students who attended the play. We also interviewed five of the ten teachers whose students attended the play. Findings indicated that most of these teachers felt strongly that their students had learned about scientific inquiry, the identity of scientists, and the work that scientists do as a result of attending the play. However, less than half of the student questionnaires and drawings of scientists indicated such growth as a result of the play. That being said, numerous students were able to tell us what they learned from the play and many questionnaire responses and drawings indicated such learning. Implications for partnerships between schools and university faculty from various disciplines in order to develop potentially impactful plays that portray authentic scientific research are discussed.