Same,Similar, or Something Completely Different? Calibrating Student Surveys and Classroom Observations of Teaching Quality Onto a Common Metric

Using item response theory, this study explores whether student survey and classroom observation items can be calibrated onto a common metric of teaching quality. The data comprises 269 lessons of 141 teachers that were scored on the International Comparative Analysis of Learning and Teaching (ICALT) observation instrument and the My Teacher student survey. Using Rasch model concurrent calibration, items from both instruments were calibrated onto a common one‐dimensional metric of teaching quality. Most items were found to fit the model. Challenges pertain mainly to items measuring teaching students learning strategies and differentiation. Explanations for these difficulties are discussed.     

Small-scale curriculum changes for improving pre-service teachers’ preparation for Family-School Partnerships

Abstract

Family-School Partnerships (FSP) are important for students’ academic achievements and social-emotional development. Therefore, pre-service teachers need to learn how to establish this. However, in teacher education programmes this topic is insufficiently addressed partially attributed to already overloaded programmes. This study reports on a small-scale curriculum change, aiming to foster pre-service teachers’ awareness of the importance of FSP, to broaden their concepts and support them in identifying learning goals for the future. An assignment to interview novice-teachers about FSP was followed by a class on this topic. Afterwards, pre-service teachers reported in written reflections that they had become aware of the importance of FSP, emphasising that FSP is more than just communication. However, their focus for further professionalisation remained on improving their communication skills. Though this small-scale curriculum change seems to be a small step forward to a better preparation on FSP, further improvements are necessary to promote a comprehensive view of FSP.     

Do principal-educators have the ability to transform schools?: A South African perspective

Post-1994 South Africa adopted a new education system that would seemingly break with the past practices of the apartheid education system (Naicker, 1999) and produce citizens prepared for a democratic dispensation in South Africa. Accordingly, the new system of outcomes-based education was introduced in order to create the critical mass needed for the transformation of society. Thus, schools would become the sites where democratic practices for democratic citizenship would be fostered. Government duly promulgated the applicable policy documents (55 and 67).     

Integrating Research into LIS Field Experiences in Academic Libraries

Field experiences function as a link between LIS theory and practice. Students should be provided with an experience that is a true reflection of the professional environment. The increasing focus on research by academic librarians provides an opportunity and responsibility to integrate research into the field experiences of LIS students.     

A Cognitive View of Reading Comprehension: Implications for Reading Difficulties

Our aim in the present paper is to discuss a “cognitive view” of reading comprehension, with particular attention to research findings that have the potential to improve our understanding of difficulties in reading comprehension. We provide an overview of how specific sources of difficulties in inference making, executive functions, and attention allocation influence reading comprehension processes and outcomes and may lead to reading comprehension problems. Finally, we discuss how the consideration of these potential sources of difficulty have practical implications for the design and selection of instructional materials.     

Prospective Educational Applications of Mental Simulation: A Meta-review

This paper focuses on the potential of mental simulation (mentally rehearsing an action to enhance performance) as a useful contemporary educational method. By means of a meta-review, it is examined which conditions impede or facilitate the effectiveness of mental simulation (MS). A computer search was conducted using Ovid PsycINFO. Reviews, meta-reviews, or meta-analyses published between 1806 and 2006 were included. The current paper presents the results of ten publications in which about 630 studies on mental simulation or mental practice are reviewed. According to the analyses, conditions that influence the effect of MS are the type of skill practiced, personal factors, time per trial, amount of trials, and instructional procedures. Based on these insights, it is reflected upon in which areas MS would be functional with regard to contemporary educational demands, such as for emotional, behavioral, and (other) complex cognitive tasks.     

Computer assisted learning: an instrument to improve the quality of education?

Abstract

In September 1990 computer assisted learning (CAL) was introduced at the Larenstein International Agricultural College. At first, CAL was only used for remedial teaching. The use of CAL was extended in 1991 to some regular courses (statistics, economy), and some courseware has been developed for specific purposes.

Students like the use of CAL, especially in the regular courses. They appreciate the immediate feedback and the flexibility of the programmes. Teachers are also positive about this kind of instruction, because theses lessons are less tiring for them, and because it gives them more time to help students with serious problems.

It is hard to prove that exam results get better, but there are signs that CAL help to improve the quality of education. However, CAL is an educational instruments that keeps students alert, just because it is different.