Effect of acquisition rates on off‐task behavior of kindergarten students while learning sight words

Assessing a student's acquisition rates (ARs) is a reliable way to determine how many new words should be taught in one lesson without reducing retention. Exceeding a student's AR can result in frustration and problem behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of AR on the off‐task behavior of kindergarten students while participating in a commonly used sight‐word instruction video. Participants included 39 kindergarten students whose ARs were assessed before showing the sight‐word video. Behavior was measured as on‐ and off‐task using momentary time‐sampling with 10‐s intervals. Results indicated that students' time off task increased after exceeding their ARs, with a noticeable immediate increase. The implications and limitations of these results are discussed.     

Research and Teacher Education: A British Perspective

The title of a lecture or address is often the least important part of it. Sometimes, indeed, it is almost an after-thought. In the case of my address today, however, the words of the title are important. What one puts between ‘research’ and ‘teacher education’ — on, or and, or in – makes a great deal of difference to the subject matter.     

Teacher epistemology and scientific inquiry in computerized classroom environments

A 20-week classroom-based study was conducted to investigate the extent to which a computerized learning environment could facilitate students' development of higher-level thinking skills associated with scientific inquiry. In two classes students' interactions with a scientific data base—Birds of Antarctica—were closely monitored, and the mediating roles of the teachers' epistemologies were examined. Interpretive data were generated and analyzed in relation to a constructivist perspective on learning. In the class where the teacher implemented a constructivist-oriented pedagogy, students took advantage of enhanced opportunities to generate creative questions and conduct complex scientific investigations. These higher-level thinking skills were much less evident in the class in which a more transmissionist-oriented pedagogy prevailed. The results of the study suggest that it is not the computer itself that facilitates inquiry learning; the teacher's epistemology is a key mediating influence on students' use of the computer as a tool of scientific inquiry.     

The Effects of Antecedent Cues on Teachers’ and Mental Health Workers’ Perceptions of Students’ Life Event Stressors

This study examined point‐in‐time and point‐of‐view antecedent cue effects on teachers’ and mental health workers’ perceptions of life events’ impact on students. Increased congruence between student and adult perceptions of life events’ impact was demonstrated via systematic variation of cue conditions designed to limit the contribution of historical and personal referents. Implications are discussed in terms of future research and training efforts.     

Portfolios, Accountability, and an Interpretive Approach to Validity

How can the results of classroom-based portfolio assessment be communicated outside the classroom? How might a portfolio-based assessment system be designed and implemented? How can we evaluate the merits of portfolio-based assessments?     

Young adolescent psychological need profiles: Associations with classroom achievement and well‐being

Drawing on self‐determination theory, a person‐centered methodology was adopted to identify distinct pupil profiles based on their psychological need satisfaction. A sample of 586 pupils (387 male, 199 female; mean age = 12.6, range 11–15 years old) from three secondary schools reported their psychological need satisfaction, and well‐ and ill‐being, with teachers rating pupil achievement. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed five distinct profiles. Four profiles indicated synergy existed between the three needs, showing similar in‐group levels of satisfaction across the needs but in varying amounts. Univariate and multivariate analyses, controlling for school and taught subject, revealed the satisfied group displayed the highest classroom performance (F_4,540 = 7.03; p < 0.001; η_p² = 0.05), well‐being (F_8,1,136 = 45.63; p < 0.001; Wilk's Λ = 0.57; η_p² = 0.24) and lowest ill‐being (F_8,1,134 = 23.39; p < 0.001; Wilk's Λ = 0.74, η_p² = 0.14), whereas the dissatisfied group displayed the most adverse outcomes. The findings illustrate that the three psychological needs may operate interdependently and should be considered in combination rather than in isolation. The research offers practical insights into why pupils may function differently in classrooms and could inform targeted initiatives towards pupils with psychological need satisfaction deficits.