The effects of learning partners and retests on pretest-posttest scores,final course grades,and student attitudes

The present study investigated the effect of three peer monitoring and retest conditions on student quiz scores, attitudes, study time, final course grades, and independent pretest-posttest scores. Three introductory special education classes were randomly assigned to treatments. Students in Group One used a learning partner system similar to one used in a study reported earlier by Fraser, Beaman, and Kelem (1972). Group Two used a system which permitted an unlimited number of retests. The students in Group Three were assigned a combined learning-partner-retest system. All three treatments resulted in significant posttest gains. However, there were highly significant differences in the distribution of course grades. Based on this data it is possible that some behavioral techniques serve more to inflate grades than actually increase overall mastery. Results are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the learning partners procedure and the implications of this study on the choice of dependent variables for future studies comparing innovative instructional procedures. Several aspects of the data such as study time and student attitudes which tend to contradict results reported earlier by Fraser, Beaman, and Kelem (1972) are documented and discussed.     

Essay review

E. Wendy Saul is Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and is Associate Editor ofThe New Advocate, a journal for those involved with young people and their literature. Her recent work focuses on science tradebooks.     

种族灭绝的岁月:纳粹德国和犹太人,1939-1945

这是弗里德兰德尔的第二部有关第二次世界大战历史的著作.弗里德兰德尔先生现年75岁.在他的这部著作中,他糅舍当时杂志和书信等相关资料,描写纳粹的残暴行径.弗里德兰德尔指出,"通常有关二战的历史都是根据德国的档案文件来描述的".弗里德兰德尔出生于布拉格.1939年逃往法国,1948年移居以色列.他现在在洛杉矶的加利福尼亚大学讲授历史.     

Influence of Guided Cycles of Planning,Teaching, and Reflection on Prospective Elementary Teachers' Science Content Representations

This study examined changes in the science content representations of two prospective elementary teachers during their first year in an experimental teacher preparation program. Qualitative case study design guided data collection, organization, and analysis. Multiple forms of data, including audiotaped interviews, written documents, and videotaped teaching episodes, were collected across two complete cycles of planning, teaching, and reflection. Data on prospective teachers' content representations were analyzed for their accuracy, sequencing, and connectedness, as well as their attention to the needs of learners. Improvements in content representations were noted within each component of the cycles and across semesters. These changes appear to be closely related to prospective teachers' developing understanding of learners. Findings suggest that opportunities to engage in cycles of instruction guided by structured considerations for content representation contributed to the noted improvements. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 318–339, 2000.     

Behavior and achievement relationships with emotionally disturbed children: An applied study

Reciprocal relationships between on-task behavior and certain academic performance targets have been demonstrated in a number of short-term applied behavior analysis studies. These studies have not had emotionally disturbed or behavior disordered (ED/BD) children as subjects, and are generally not carried out over sufficient intervals to measure effects on standardized tests of achievement. Studies of ongoing programs over longer periods of time have shown inconsistent results when comparing levels of on-task behavior with standardized achievement gains. The present study questions the hypothesized relationship between on-task behaviors and standardized achievement with ED/BD children. Further, it seeks to determine significant relationships between certain specific on-task behaviors (e.g., completing assignments) and standardized achievement. Forty ED/BD children participated in a token economy over the course of an entire academic year. Minimal pre-post achievement gains (p < .01) and a high level of on-task behavior (84%) were noted, but there were no significant relationships between on-task behaviors and measured achievement. The results are discussed in the context of similar findings from other ongoing programs with ED/BD students. Suggestions are offered for investigating other classes of behavior (e.g., academic engaged time) with these children, in order to discover more consistent behavior-achievement relationships.     

Confronting prospective teachers' ideas of evolution and scientific inquiry using technology and inquiry‐based tasks

This study addresses the need for research in three areas: (1) teachers' understandings of scientific inquiry; (2) conceptual understandings of evolutionary processes; and (3) technology‐enhanced instruction using an inquiry approach. The purpose of this study was to determine in what ways The Galapagos Finches software–based materials created a context for learning and teaching about the nature of scientific knowledge and evolutionary concepts. The research used a design experiment in which researchers significantly modified a secondary science methods course. The multiple data sources included: audiotaped conversations of two focus pairs of participants as they interacted with the software; written pre‐ and posttests on concepts of natural selection of the 21 prospective teachers; written pre‐ and posttests on views of the nature of science; three e‐mail journal questions; and videotaped class discussions. Findings indicate that prospective teachers initially demonstrated alternative understandings of evolutionary concepts; there were uninformed understandings of the nature of scientific inquiry; there was little correlation between understandings and disciplines; and even the prospective teachers with research experience failed to understand the diverse methods used by scientists. Following the module there was evidence of enhanced understandings through metacognition, and the potential for interactive software to provide promising context for enhancing content understandings. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.