Parent–infant interaction and children’s language development

Learning to speak and understand language is a remarkable and important accomplishment of early childhood. Parent–infant interaction in the first three years is critical to this. This is the focus of this review – the first of the whole area. Seven databases were searched and 1750 studies reduced to 60 with good evidence. These 60 were from many disciplines and their methodological quality was variable. There was strong evidence that parental contingency (communication when the intended recipient is fully oriented towards receiving and processing it) and parental efforts in pre-literacy activities are important. There was strong evidence that interventions can be effective. Parental elaboration of language had less strong evidence. The role of gesture and the role of interaction with siblings and peers had the weakest evidence, but even these were quite well supported. Requirements for future research are specified. Parent–infant interaction is already established as a key factor in language development.     

Transferable skills for online peer learning

Efforts to enhance learning through peer interaction in an electronic forum are now commonplace. However, facilitation and moderation of such a forum by academic staff can be of limited effectiveness and very time‐consuming. The skills required by peer learners to effectively manage such distributed discourse for themselves have rarely been clearly identified. This paper compares the social, organizational and cognitive characteristics of effective peer learning interactions in face‐to‐face and online environments (with particular reference to peer tutoring and peer assessment). This leads to a specification of transferable skills for online peer learning, at the macro and micro levels, with commentary on areas needing particular attention. The implications for assessment of such online distributed discourse process skills are explored with reference to professional practice and future research.     

Cross-age peer tutoring of science in the primary school: influence on scientific language and thinking

The development of deeper understanding and transferable skills in science requires continuous interactive discussion and feedback and extended practice in various contexts for generalisation. In primary schools, these desiderata are difficult to supply through direct teacher instruction, but might be feasible through interactive peer tutoring. This study aimed to evaluate cognitive and affective gains from cross-age peer tutoring for both tutees and tutors in science, using the “paired science” programme. For the first time this programme was used to focus on peer rather than parent tutoring and on junior school rather than early years pupils, and for the first time an objective measure of cognitive gain in science was used. Experimental peer tutees were a whole class (n=32) of seven- to eight-year-olds; tutors a whole class (n=33) of eight- to nine-year-olds in the same school. A parallel composite class of seven- to nine-year-olds (n=24) served as controls for tutees and tutors. A peer tutoring paired science intervention was implemented for two 30-minute sessions per week for eight weeks. Video and observational data indicated implementation integrity was satisfactory. Pre- and post-project assessments of understanding of scientific concepts and keywords of a random sample of tutees, tutors and their respective controls (4×n=10) were conducted. Additionally, the attitudes of all the tutees, tutors and their teachers towards their experiences were explored by post hoc questionnaire. On pre-post assessments of understanding of scientific concepts and keywords, the experimental group made significant gains while the control group made no gains, yielding effect sizes greater than one. Tutees made greater gains than tutors. The attitudes of the paired scientists and their teachers towards their experiences were generally very positive. It was concluded that cross-age peer tutoring of science using the paired science programme offers an effective pedagogical strategy, with both cognitive and affective benefits for both tutors and tutees. Recommendations for future research are made.     

Video interaction guidance in collaborative group work: impact on primary school pupils’ self-esteem and behaviours

Video interaction guidance (VIG) is an increasingly recognised evidence-based intervention. VIG was used to enhance pupil responses during a group work programme. Fifteen primary-aged classes across a range of socio-economic status received regular group work over a year. A mixed methods repeated measures design involved nine experimental classes receiving intervention of three cycles of VIG. Six control classes did not receive the VIG intervention. Pre-to-post-test measures included: pupils’ self-esteem in relation to learning, using the Myself as a Learner Scale; a peer assessment schedule based upon Frederickson and Cameron’s Social Inclusion Survey; and a researcher devised pupil questionnaire. Pupils’ communicative behaviours were analysed for a random sample of 12 video clips. Results showed that reinforcement of desirable group work behaviours using VIG enhanced pupils’ self-esteem. The VIG intervention significantly enhanced the experimental group. There was greatest impact on increasing the self-esteem of younger children. Experimental pupils’ retrospective ratings of group work significantly increased, again youngest pupils showed greatest improvement. Film observations showed a trend towards an increase in pupils’ open questions replacing closed questions. There was a significant positive increase in peer assessment of communicative behaviours across the whole sample, irrespective of the VIG intervention. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Impact of philosophical enquiry on school students’ interactive behaviour

To be effective, thinking skills interventions are likely to require specific fine-grain changes in the quantity and quality of teacher–pupil and pupil–pupil dialogue in the classroom, but these are difficult to establish. This study investigated the effects of collaborative philosophical enquiry over time on quantity and quality of interactive dialogue in 180 children aged 10 in 4 intervention and 2 comparison primary (elementary) mainstream classes in 6 schools in Scotland. Participating teachers received initial and follow-up professional development. Matched comparison classes received regular teaching. Video recordings of teacher-led and pupil–pupil classroom discussions before, and 7 months into, participation in the programme were analyzed. These were related to a theoretical model of the process. Changes in intervention classes included increased use of open-ended questions by the teacher, increased participation of pupils in classroom dialogue, and improved pupil reasoning in justification of opinions. There were no changes in comparison classes. Variation in degree of change between intervention schools was evident. Implications for future research, policy and practice are outlined, particularly for enhancing consistency and expanding the programme.     

Teacher Effectiveness and Computer Assessment of Reading Relating Value Added and Learning Information System Data

The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) has for several years used the largest longitudinally merged database of student achievement data in the USA. to generate estimates of school system, school, and teacher effects on indicators of student learning in a number of subjects, including reading comprehension. A Learning Information System (LIS) (not to be confused with an Integrated Learning System) is a formative, curriculum based, criterion referenced assessment delivered and scored by computer, which provides detailed feedback in different forms for different stakeholders. The Accelerated Reader (AR) LIS for reading comprehension of real ("trade") books captures the data for each student on the length and difficulty of each book, and the student's percent correct response on the assessment. It aims to help teachers promote and manage effective reading practice. AR data on 62,739 students from grades 2 to 8 in Tennessee schools was merged with the TVAAS teacher effects database, and relationships between these independently obtained measures explored. This illuminated some factors in teacher management of the quality and quantity of student reading practice which could be causative in improving reading comprehension, and the impact of implementation integrity of the LIS.     

Cooperative Learning in Science: Follow‐up from primary to high school

This paper reports a two‐year longitudinal study of the effects of cooperative learning on science attainment, attitudes towards science, and social connectedness during transition from primary to high school. A previous project on cooperative learning in primary schools observed gains in science understanding and in social aspects of school life. This project followed 204 children involved in the previous project and 440 comparison children who were not as they undertook transition from 24 primary schools to 16 high schools. Cognitive, affective, and social gains observed in the original project survived transition. The implications improving the effectiveness of school transition by using cooperative learning initiatives are explored. Possibilities for future research and the implications for practice and policy are discussed.     

The forced choice as a measure of television station image

That intangible attribute of a broadcast station commonly called its “image” isn't quite as hard to measure as that other intangible asset, “good will.” Nevertheless, measurement isn't simple, and the standards for measurement are not yet agreed upon. In the following article, a new technique of indexing a station's image without special training and supervision of the respondents is illustrated. Malachi C. Topping, author of “The Cultural Orientation of Certain ‘Western’ Characters on Television” in the Fall, 1965 issue of the Journal, earned his Ph.D. at Ohio State University and is Assistant Professor of Radio and Television at Oklahoma State University.