Sticky assessments – the impact of teachers’ grading standard on pupils’ school performance

This paper argues that school grades cannot be interpreted solely as a reward for a given school performance, since they also reflect teachers’ assessments of pupils. A teacher’s evaluation of a pupil’s performance, as reflected in the grade awarded, might influence the effort that the pupil invests in learning. Grades might therefore serve as sticky assessments, affecting pupils’ later school performance. Getting discounted grades in year 6 for a given level of maths performance assessed using a PISA-like test has a positive effect on maths test scores in year 8 of elementary education, and also influences later outcomes in secondary education. The empirical analysis tries to minimise the possible bias caused by measurement error in year 6 test scores (unmeasured ability) and employs classroom fixed-effect instrumental variable (IV) regression and difference-in-difference models. The empirical analysis is based on a unique Hungarian individual-level panel data-set containing two observations about the same individual – one in year 6 (12/13 years old) and the other two years later, in year 8 (14/15 years old) of elementary education. The data for three entire school cohorts is analysed – approximately 140,000 individuals.     

‘Everything was black and white … ’: primary school pupils’ naive reasoning while situating historical phenomena in time

This study focuses on problems in pupils’ reasoning when they situate historical phenomena in time. The context is the Dutch curriculum with 10 eras and characteristic features, which was implemented to support pupils in orientating themselves in time. Twenty-two pupils aged 6–12 conducted assignments in which they had to place historical phenomena in time. Next to problems that were described in previous studies, problems were identified that related to the names and icons of the 10 eras, which sometimes helped, but also hindered pupils in their reasoning. Awareness of these problems is helpful for teachers, teacher trainers and educational policymakers.     

小学生交往礼仪养成教育初探

小学生交往礼仪养成教育的目标,要根据时代的要求,树立科学的理念,更新教育内容,使交往礼仪养成教育有层次、有序列、有体系.通过对小学生交往礼仪养成教育相关问题的探讨,可以提出适合小学生年龄特征的交往礼仪养成方案和"三级九档"的养成教育模式.     

香港初小学生识字测试报告

本文汇报了香港初小学生识字测试的工作。识字测试兼及汉字字音、字形、字义的认识。测试的汉字从香港小学语文大纲所列生字表分级随机抽出。测试结果显示香港初小学生对初小阶段的字,字音得分较高,字义次之,字形得分最低,表明学生对初小阶段的字的字音掌握较佳,字形掌握较低。当加入高小的字测试时,字音,字形,字义得分相对地下降,字音、字形、字义每项得分差别不大。识字测试结果也显示香港初小学生最先掌握字的音义,其次才掌握字的形义,最后才掌握字的音形。     

小学心理素质教育初探

目前小学生心理素质教育已在全国范围内开展起来，然而，心理素质教育作为一项全新的教育活动，心理素质教育理论建构不够完善，专业的心理素质教育队伍相当缺乏，广大的小学教师在从事心理素质教育时因陌生常表现出不适应或困惑，这在一定程度上影响心理素质教育的有效开展。针对社会要求和小学生心理发展的特点及存在的问题，探讨指导策略。有利于推动小学生心理素质教育的发展。     

Teaching knowledge and teacher competencies: a case study of Turkish preservice English teachers

This article outlines criteria of acceptability for teacher assessments (credibility, dependability, fairness), the major dimensions of teacher assessment (attributes, behaviours, knowledge), details the methods used by the United States National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and places a major emphasis on assessment schemes based on teacher effects on the students (value-added models, achievement, quality of learning, and normative reference points). Given that the majority of teachers are acceptably proficient, the major argument for teacher assessment should be to identify and promote excellence, to guide professional development programmes, and to demonstrate to the education/school communities that excellence is present, fostered, and esteemed.     

Students' choice of college major and their perceived fairness of the procedure: evidence from Turkey

This study investigated the relative influence of factors and persons in college major choice and procedural justice perceptions of 449 undergraduate students enrolled in 1 private and 2 public universities in Turkey. Results showed that students found themselves to be the most influential person in their choice of college major, followed by parents/other family members. With regard to the factors, interest in the subject, guaranteed employment, expected earnings in the field, the university entrance exam score, and a prestigious career were ranked, respectively. Striking differences were found among majors. Findings also suggested that, whereas male and female students' choices were influenced by very similar factors and persons, female students declared more procedural justice.     

小学生课外阅读习惯养成的策略——以阿克苏市第四小学为例

阅读是语文教学的重心,学会阅读是“终身学习”型社会发展的需要,是学生健康成长的需要,也是全面培养学生综合素质的需要,更是学校文化教育的需要.文章旨在探索如何培养小学生良好的课外阅读习惯及养成良好课外阅读习惯的有效策略.     

Intervening to improve the transfer to secondary school

Evaluation data are reported on a Transfer Support Team (TST) intervention which supports pupils identified as vulnerable during secondary school transfer. Information about school concerns and broader adjustment measures were collected from TST supported pupils on three occasions and from a “typical benchmark group” on two occasions. Factors known to confer additional vulnerability around school transfer were also analysed: English as an additional language, free school meals eligibility and special educational needs. Findings indicate that this relatively brief transfer support programme impacts positively on targeted pupils’ levels of school concerns and illustrates the importance of differentiated monitoring of intervention outcomes.     

Resistant to the message: are pupils unreceptive to teachers’ anti-bullying initiatives and if so why?

Despite three decades of research and development of anti-bullying intervention, this form of systematic aggression continues to be common in schools. The present study investigated if a contributing factor might be that some pupils are unreceptive to teachers’ anti-bullying lessons. It invited 8–11?-year-old junior school pupils (N?=?227) to indicate if this was the case, and if so, to give their reasons. Many did indicate being unreceptive (81.9%). The most common reason was “It is not for me because I don’t bully anyone” (81.9%), followed by “I know enough about bullying already” (22.9%), “It is boring or I have heard it all before” (19.4%) and “Teachers have to do it but they are not really interested in stopping bullying” (14.5%). Some significant age differences emerged. Results are discussed in terms of implications for anti-bullying work in schools.