Leveraging assessment to promote kindergarten learners’ independence and self-regulation within play-based classrooms

ABSTRACT

Currently, kindergarten education is shaped by two priorities: (1) the recognition that early learning must maintain a developmental orientation and support socio-personal growth; and (2) a growing emphasis on standards-based curriculum and the use of assessment to support children’s learning. While some researchers have argued these two priorities are counter-related, research demonstrates the potential to embed these goals through play-based pedagogies. The purpose of this paper is to explore how kindergarten teachers leverage assessment practices, particularly Assessment as Learning (AaL), to support children learning within play-based classrooms. Centrally, we argue that a focus on AaL and self-regulation might be the fulcrum that hinges play-pedagogies with standards-based education and assessment mandates, helping to diminish the divide between these two priorities. Data are drawn from 20 kindergarten classrooms via initial interviews, observations and video-elicitation teacher interviews. Findings identify how kindergarten teachers are productively using assessment to promote learner independence within play-based classrooms.     

STUDENTS' APPROACHES TO LEARNING AND SATISFACTION WITH PROBLEM‐BASED CURRICULA FOR FOUR DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS

This research looked at students' satisfaction with, and changes in approach to, learning during their first year in problem‐based curricula for agriculture, architecture, medicine and paramedicine. While students at each school showed little change in approach apart from achievement orientation in the six‐month period after entry to the course, there were different patterns of approach at each school. Satisfaction with their respective schools was uniformly high — notably in terms of their emotional climate, supportiveness, student and teacher interaction, and meaningful learning experiences. Correlations between students' approach to learning and degree of satisfaction with their course strongly support earlier claims and research findings on the merits of problem‐based curricula, although they still need more careful definition to be useful to curriculum planners.     

Decreasing noncompliance in a severely multihandicapped child

The noncompliant behavior of a severely multihandicapped 6-year-old boy was modified through systematic manipulations of an instructional antecedent. Responding to teacher requests within 5 seconds was measured under three conditions: decreased rate of commands, increased rate of commands, and unconditional rate of commands, coupled with contingent consequation. A multielement design was employed to evaluate differential effectiveness. Increasing the density of instructional commands and reinforcing discrete compliant responses was found to be the most effective treatment package for controlling behavior. Commands issued at a frequent and consistent pace reduced inapproriate responding to zero, suggesting the viable potential of this antecedent as a variable in programming for noncompliant children.     

Differences in student reasoning about belief-relevant arguments: a mixed methods study

This mixed methods study investigated high school students’ evaluations of scientific arguments. Myside bias occurs when individuals evaluate belief-consistent information more favorably than belief-inconsistent information. In the quantitative phase, participants (n?=?72 males) rated belief-consistent arguments more favorably than belief-inconsistent arguments; however, they also rated strong arguments more favorably than weak arguments, which indicated they did not evaluate the arguments exclusively on whether they were belief-consistent. In the follow-up qualitative phase, we conducted interviews with purposefully-sampled students who showed either higher or lower levels of myside bias. Results indicated that students in both groups applied normative evaluation criteria to the arguments. However, students who showed little or no myside bias applied the same evaluation criteria to arguments independent of whether they were belief-consistent, whereas students who showed high levels of myside bias applied different evaluation criteria to belief-inconsistent arguments. These findings suggest that procedural and conceptual metacognition may play a role in the extent to which individuals reason independent of their beliefs.     

Industry and PhD engagement programs: inspiring collaboration and driving knowledge exchange

Universities are breaking away from the academic apprenticeship-type PhD model towards more individualised and collaborative programmes. Papers published in peer-reviewed academic journals on this topic were compiled to investigate the conversation surrounding PhD reform. Important considerations derived from the literature were that PhD programmes should encourage candidates to rethink their professional identity, acquire an interdependent suite of skills from a range of contexts and set goals in multiple working environments. Continued commitment to programmes that recognise the converging similarities and interdependencies between research and industry was supported, but with a flexible approach in order to maintain the uniqueness of the PhD as a process where academic identity is formed and academic rigour is respected as an important outcome. Best practice might be aimed at offering work placements in multiple environments to keep professional identities current. Areas for further exploration include perceived challenges, benefits and concerns when engaging in collaborative programmes.     

Enhancing Basal Vocabulary Instruction in Kindergarten

To enhance the basal vocabulary instruction for kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties, lessons provided in typical curricular materials can be supplemented with instructional elements derived from research. This article addresses how teachers can add 15 minutes of higher order instructional activities to daily reading lessons to deepen students’ understanding of target vocabulary and offer multiple exposures to the words in different contexts. This enhanced basal vocabulary instruction model was field tested in two configurations of the kindergarten reading block to refine the procedures. These experiences provide insights into how the model can feasibly be implemented in small‐ or whole‐group formats to improve students’ learning and engagement.     

Filipino Arts Among Elders in Institutionalized Care Settings

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