The effect of the success-oriented teacher on pupils' perceived personal control and attitude toward learning

After special training, 67 teachers of the third through sixth grades, with a total of 1853 pupils, each conducted an experience-based social studies program in his or her own class during the semester following the training. The program, the Mini-Society, requires considerable pupil autonomy. Half of the classes were taught by teachers with the highest success orientation toward teaching. These students showed significantly larger residual gains on perceived personal control of their own academic success and failure and on favorable attitude toward learning than did students in classes taught by the other half of the teachers, who were oriented more toward avoidance of failure in their teaching.     

Constructing cultural‐historical tools for supporting young children's concept formation in early literacy and numeracy

Over the past 10 years, early childhood professionals have been increasingly influenced by cultural‐historical theory. In order to support professionals evolving their practice, the Australian government commissioned a set of cultural‐historical resources specifically designed to build literacy and numeracy experiences for children from birth to the age of five years. This paper reports on an investigation of how teachers and families used the tools for supporting concept formation in literacy and numeracy and how they came to understand cultural‐historical theory. A sample of 349 people (families, and qualified and unqualified early childhood professionals) were either surveyed online or interviewed in relation to the resources. The findings indicate that teachers focused more explicitly on cognitive outcomes for children as a result of using the resources, and most families interacted differently with their children in everyday situations after having piloted the resources.     

Ways of Knowing and Epistemological Beliefs: Combined effect on academic performance

To obtain a more complete understanding of personal epistemology this study examines two epistemic paradigms – ways of knowing (specifically connected knowing and separate knowing) and epistemological beliefs (specifically beliefs about knowledge structure, knowledge stability, learning speed, and learning ability). Participants were 107 college students who completed questionnaires that assessed ways of knowing and epistemological beliefs. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that men score significantly higher on separate knowing. Path analyses revealed that the effects of ways of knowing on academic performance are mediated by belief in the speed of learning.     

The cultural construction of family involvement in early childhood education: Some indigenous australian perspectives

Socio-cultural theory has provided researchers with a powerful cultural tool for examining many taken-for-granted practices within early childhood education (Wertsch 1991). In drawing upon this tradition, this paper outlines a study that investigated the learning experiences of Indigenous Australian preschool-aged children at home, in the community and in schooling contexts. Each family was given a video camera and asked to record aspects of their child’s life that they considered important for growing up in Australia today. Rogoff’s (1998) three planes of analysis were used to examine the video and interview data gathered. The study documented important cultural understandings relevant to early childhood education from the perspective of a range of Indigenous families.     

The development of a K-3 science program in the context of the National Science Statement and Profile

This paper highlights the challenges and problems in developing an innovative K-3 science program to support teachers in the implementation of the national Statement and Profile in science. The program has been developed by the authors in association with the Curriculum Corporation. The paper outlines the assumptions made about teachers of young children, the role of research in the construction of the program, and the extent to which the Statement and Profile have influenced the process. The resolution of a number of key problems in this curriculum development is discussed: responding to teachers' needs for a base of science discipline knowledge, developing strategies for working scientifically with very young children, and helping teachers develop an extended understanding of the nature of science. Specializations: early childhood science and technology education. Specializations: primary science education, teacher education in science, adult experiences of science and technology, and curriculum development.     

Developing and implementing a process for the review of nonacademic units

Review of academic departments is routine in most institutions of higher education. Few colleges and universities regularly review nonacademic units. A major research university has recently developed a process for the systematic review of nonacademic units. This paper outlines the steps taken in the development and implementation of the process: (1) a review of the literature on organizational effectiveness, (2) a survey of peer institutions, (3) the development of guidelines for the review of nonacademic units, and (4) the implementation of the process in several campus units.Presented at the Twenty-Eighth Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Phoenix, Ariz., May 1988.     

Constants and Contexts in Pupil Experience of Learning and Schooling: Comparing learners in England,France and Denmark

The article reports on some key findings of a major research project which examines the relationship between national educational values as these are mediated by the school context, teacher beliefs and classroom processes, and eventually translated into pupil perspectives on learning and schooling. These findings are drawn from questionnaires to 1,800 secondary school pupils in England, France and Denmark, and from individual and group interviews with a smaller sample of pupils in each country. Through an examination of pupil perspectives on the purposes of schooling and on themselves as learners, the article explores the significance of the cultural context in which learning occurs. It considers the extent to which there are significant differences related to the national context, or whether pupils' experience of schooling is becoming more similar as they try to construct their identities as learners and as adolescents and to negotiate pathways which lead to success on the dimensions of academic achievement, peer status and social conformity. 'Constants' and 'contexts' of pupil experience in the three countries are identified, together with some of the factors which influence the development of a learner identity.     

Sociocultural Assessment in Early Years Education--myth or reality? Évaluation socioculturelle dans l'enseignement préscolaire--mythe ou réalité? Evaluación Sociocultural en los Primero Años de la Educación: ¿mito o realidad?

Over the past 10-15 years early childhood education has been influenced by the work of Vygotsky and those that followed. A sociocultural approach to learning in early childhood education has been advocated strongly and many teaching support materials have claimed that this perspective underpins their material. However, in advocating a sociocultural approach to teaching and learning, have we framed our assessment practices to match this perspective? This paper will consider this question within the context of assessment practices in early childhood education and will map some of the complexity evident as scholars such as Carr (1998), Lunt (1993) and Moreland et al. (2000) research assessment theory and practice. The final part of this paper will highlight aspects of sociocultural theory articulated by Rogoff (1998) which have relevance for early childhood assessment. Au cours des dix ou quinze dernières années, l'enseignement préscolaire a été influencé par les travaux de Vygotsky et ceux qui ont suivi. Une approche socioculturelle de l'apprentissage dans l'enseignement préscolaire a été fortement préconisée et beaucoup d'auteurs de matériels pédagogiques ont affirmé qu'ils étaient étayés par cette perspective. En préconisant une approche socioculturelle de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage, cependant, avons-nous formulé des pratiques d'évaluation correspondant à cette perspective? Cet article examine cette question, dans le contexte des pratiques d'évaluation dans l'enseignement préscolaire, et dégage sa complexité, évidente dans les travaux sur la théorie et la pratique de l'évaluation de chercheurs comme Carr (1998), Lunt (1993) et Moreland, Jones et Chambers (2000). La dernière partie de l'article dégage les éléments qui, dans la théorie socioculturelle de Rogoff (1998), peuvent s'appliquer à l'évaluation préscolaire. A lo largo de los últimos diez o quince años la práctica de la primera etapa de la educación primaria ha sido influenciada por el trabajo de Vygotsky y sus seguidores. Se hizo mucho incapiéen un enfoque sociocural del aprendizaje y se ha sostenido que muchos materiales de apoyo a la enseñanza fueron construidos desde esta perspectiva. Sin embargo, es crucial considerar si también se han adecuado a este enfoque las prácticas de evaluación. Este trabajo considerará escencialmente esta pregunta, es decir, si las prácticas de evaluación se han adecuado a un enfoque sociocultural de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. Además, se explorará la complejidad de la relación entre la teoría y la práctica de la evaluación, evidenciada en los trabajos de Carr (1998), Lunt (1993) y Moreland et al. (2000). La última sección del trabajo destacará la importancia de la teoría sociocultural articulada por Rogoff (1998), y su relevancia para la práctica de la evaluación en los primeros años de educación formal.