Teaching for understanding and/or self-regulated learning? A video-based analysis of reform-oriented mathematics instruction in Switzerland

In mathematics instruction, can a teacher implement surface features of instruction that foster self-regulated learning as well as achieve quality at the deeper level of instruction, that is, focus on higher-order thinking, problem-solving, and mathematical modeling? An educational reform effort in Switzerland, which is based on constructivist and sociocultural theories of mathematics learning, targets both these dimensions: self-regulated learning and conceptual understanding. We examined the realization of the two dimensions in classroom instruction in a video-based study of 79 eighth-grade math classes using three kinds of data: videotapes of mathematics lessons, student and teacher questionnaires, and achievement tests. As to the surface level of instruction, teachers reported how frequently they provided opportunities for self-regulated learning. With regard to the deeper level of instruction, teachers reported how frequently they provided opportunities for independent problem solving. In addition, we examined the extent to which teachers’ pedagogical beliefs reflected a constructivist orientation. The results showed that teachers implemented the two dimensions relatively independently of one another. Teachers’ constructivist-oriented beliefs influenced only opportunities provided for independent problem solving and did not affect opportunities for self-regulated learning. Opportunities for self-regulated learning had a positive effect on students’ learning experience. Professional development should encourage teachers to take greater account of both surface-level and deeper-level (quality) features of instruction.     

Intelligence and Achievement of Jewish Day School Students

The title of my contribution could as well be “Cassandra Lives,” though one might hope that even this precarious reading of the future may have a more salutary effect than those of the star-crossed ancient seer.     

Transfer effects of mathematical literacy: an integrative longitudinal study

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Mathematical literacy (ML) is considered central to the application of mathematical knowledge in everyday life and thus is found in many comparative...     

The influence of spatial irregularity upon radial-maze performance in the rat

In two experiments, we examined how the introduction of vertical or horizontal irregularities in the perfectly regular shape of a radial maze affected rats’ performances. The introduction of various tilts in each arm of an eight-arm radial maze had a slightly positive effect on accuracy. However, when intra- and extraraaze cues were dissociated by rotating the maze before maze completion, the rata relied preferentially on extramaze cues associated with the horizontal direction of the arms but not with the tilts. On the other hand, the rats showed poor performances when trained on a horizontally distorted maze (uneven angles between the arms instead of repeated 45° angles). The high number of errors was related to the neglect of particular arms, the disorganization of the patrolling sequences, and the tendency to chain the visit of five arms that formed a regular ahape. Other animals, trained in the same maze, displayed similar biases even after a pretraining phase with constrained choices. Results from the horizontally distorted maze confirm and extend data from the spontaneous alternation literature that choice behavior is influenced by rules of movement that favor large angle transitions and regular subdivisions of space. They also stress the relation between performance in the radial maze and spontaneous exploratory and foraging behaviors.     

“Oh,the Places You'll Go” by Bringing Developmental Science Into the World!

Urie Bronfenbrenner and Ernest Boyer argued for leaving the laboratory to conduct rigorous developmental research in the real world where children are found—in the places they go. Contributions to this special issue meet Bronfenbrenner and Boyer's call while at the same time recognizing the continued importance of laboratory research. These articles range from a review of research on the arts to a language intervention in Senegal to large‐scale dissemination and intervention projects designed to communicate the best developmental science to families, public agencies, and schools. Together these articles illustrate how we can study development in the world and enrich our work on the factors that promote development. Taking this path presents us with a set of additional hurdles to be addressed, such as how to communicate with the public and how to scale up our interventions in the face of diversity along many dimensions.     

Cognitive and motivational profile shape predicts mathematical skills over and above profile level

The interpretation of subtest profiles from intelligence testing remains popular among many practitioners who use subtest performance to draw diagnostic conclusions, in spite of criticism by some researchers, who point to the low reliability and predictive validity of subtest scores in predicting achievement outcomes. Prior research outlines two approaches to the study of subtest variation: the examination of interindividual variation in specific cognitive domains or subtests as compared to a standard sample, and the examination of intraindividual strengths and weaknesses, regardless of overall level. The present study seeks to add to knowledge in this field with data from 567 children ages 5 to 10 years who exhibit meaningful subtest variation on a new test of intellectual abilities. Results from the present sample point to statistically significant utility, with small to medium effects, of intraindividual cognitive and motivational profile shape over and above profile level in predicting mathematical skills. We discuss implications for school psychological and educational assessment research.     

Language skills,mathematical thinking,and achievement motivation in children with ADHD,disruptive behavior disorders,and normal controls

Recent models of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest that the association between achievement motivation and school performance may be stronger in children with ADHD than in typically developing children. Therefore, the present study investigated associations between achievement motivation and performance on language skills and mathematical thinking in children with ADHD (n = 23; M = 9.4 years, SD = 1.1 years; 78% boys) and two matched control groups, i.e., a clinical control group (children with related disruptive behavior disorders; DBD), and a non-clinical control group (NC). Results confirmed stronger associations between achievement motivation and performance on receptive language and mathematical thinking in children with ADHD than in NC. Specifically, performance of children with ADHD was equal to NC for highly motivated ADHD children. These results underscore the importance of achievement motivation as a more essential key factor in the performance of children with ADHD as compared to typically developing children.     

Spatial learning by rats across visually disconnected environments

Experiments were designed in which some properties of spatial representations in rats could be examined. Adult subjects were trained to escape through a hole at a fixed position in a large circular arena (see Schenk, 1989). The experiments were conducted in the dark, with a limited number of controlled visual light cues, in order to assess the minimal cue requirement for place learning. Three light cues identical in shape, height, and distance from the table were used. Depending on the condition, they were either permanently on or alternatively on or off, contingent on the position of the rat in the field. Two questions were asked: (1) How many identical visual cues were necessary for spatial discrimination in the dark, and (2) could rats integrate the relative positions of separate cues, under conditions in which the rat was never allowed to perceive all three cues simultaneously. The results suggest that rats are able to achieve a place discrimination task even if the three cues necessary for efficient orientation can never be seen simultaneously. A dissociation between the discrimination of the spatial position of the goal and the capacity to reach it by a direct path suggests that, with a reduced number of cues, prolonged locomotion might be required for accurate orientation in the environment.     

Playing With Ideas: Evaluating the Impact of the Ultimate Block Party,a Collective Experiential Intervention to Enrich Perceptions of Play

Parental attitudes shape play opportunities afforded to children in home, community, and school settings. This study presents evaluation of an intervention designed to enrich parent's conception of play and its relationship with socially valued skills and capacities. On the basis of data from 291 racially and ethnically diverse parents/caregivers of young children (median age between 3 and 6) attending an event in NYC, we find the intervention helped parents conceptualize play in complex ways and altered perceptions of its impact on children's current—but not future—lives. Multivariate analyses reveal the causal pathway for these changes as exposure to multiple play sites, rather than time at the event—a finding with direct implications for exposing parents to developmental science in community settings.