Issues of Methods and Theory in the Study of Mathematics Teachers’ Professed and Attributed Beliefs

In research on teachers’ beliefs, a distinction is often made between what teachers state (“professed beliefs”) and what is reflected in teachers’ practices (“attributed beliefs”). Researchers claim to have found both consistencies and inconsistencies between professed and attributed beliefs. In this paper, methods and research designs typically used in studies of teachers’ beliefs are examined. It is asserted that, in some cases, the perceived discrepancy between professed and attributed beliefs may actually be an artifact of the methods used to collect and analyze relevant data and the particular conceptualizations of beliefs implicit in the research designs. In particular, the apparent dichotomy can be the result of a lack of shared understanding between teachers and researchers of the meaning of terms used to describe beliefs and practices. In addition, it is asserted that it is inappropriate to classify any belief as entirely professed since researchers make various attributions to teachers through choices about data collection, theory, analysis of data, and presentation of findings. Moreover, the emphasis on classifying beliefs in this manner may be inhibiting researchers from developing a more comprehensive understanding of teachers’ beliefs. Traditional and alternative methods are described, a data example is provided to illustrate the claims, and implications for future research are discussed.     

Effects of an art-based environmental education camp program on the environmental attitudes and awareness of diverse youth

ABSTRACT

This study used a combination of surveys and drawing-based metrics to evaluate whether integration of art-based activities into EE camp programing could enhance environmental orientations of diverse youth ages 6–12 (n?=?285) in Athens, GA, USA. Compared to a control group, art-based EE had a positive effect on children’s eco-awareness and environmental knowledge. However, effects of the art-based EE were comparable to those observed for a conventional EE summer camp. Interactions between the treatment and demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, race/ethnicity) were minimal, suggesting that both types of EE programing worked well for different groups of youth. Results highlight the potential value of art in EE research and practice.     

Does third grade discrepancy status predict the course of reading development?

There is persisting debate concerning the use of an ability-achievement discrepancy formula to define and identify learning disabled—including reading disabled—students. This study employs mixed effects regression growth curve analysis to assess the developmental course of discrepant and nondiscrepant readers (within poor readers) who were identified in third grade and retested in fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades. The results showed that discrepancy status does not differentiate the developmental course of basic reading skills (word identification or decoding), reading comprehension, or underlying cognitive abilities (phonemic awareness and fluency) in poor readers. The ability-achievement discrepancy model is not supported. Educational and legislative reasons for the persisting difficulties of poor readers are explored and recommendations for changes in public policy are made. Supported by National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) PHS Grant No. P01 HD 21887     

RESEARCH SECTION: Provision in further education colleges for 14‐ to 16‐year‐olds with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

Previous research set out to identify and examine practice and provision for young people exhibiting behaviour problems who may have been placed in colleges of further education for a variety of reasons. In this paper, Natasha Macnab, John Visser and Harry Daniels explore some of the implications faced by college staff and examine some of the key themes that emerged from this previous study. The first of these themes concerns ‘college culture’, which is seen as being ‘adult orientated’ and therefore more likely to appeal to young people who are tired of school. Indeed, college staff suspect at times that schools are using the transition to college as an alternative to exclusion for some young people. This form of ‘managed transfer’ raises real issues in colleges, especially when some members of college staff do not yet appreciate the ‘appeal of teaching young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)’, regarding them as ‘disaffected’ and ‘switched off’ from education. The authors of this article note the need for ‘skilled and committed adults’ to build relationships with these young people in order to promote their social inclusion. They argue that this work will require professional development for staff but will have real benefits for the young people concerned.     

Assessing the comparability of teacher-related constructs in TIMSS 2015 across 46 education systems: an alignment optimization approach

Research related to the “teacher characteristics” dimension of teacher quality has proven inconclusive and weakly related to student success, and addressing the teaching contexts may be crucial for furthering this line of inquiry. International large-scale assessments are well positioned to undertake such questions due to their systematic sampling of students, schools, and education systems. However, researchers are frequently prohibited from answering such questions due to measurement invariance related issues. This study uses the traditional multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) and an alignment optimization method to examine measurement invariance in several constructs from the teacher questionnaires in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 across 46 education systems. Constructs included mathematics teacher’s Job satisfaction, School emphasis on academic success, School condition and resources, Safe and orderly school, and teacher’s Self-efficacy. The MGCFA results show that just three constructs achieve invariance at the metric level. However, an alignment optimization method is applied, and results show that all five constructs fall within the threshold of acceptable measurement non-invariance. This study therefore presents an argument that they can be validly compared across education systems, and a subsequent comparison of latent factor means compares differences across the groups. Future research may utilize the estimated factor means from the aligned models in order to further investigate the role of teacher characteristics and contexts in student outcomes.