bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SEPARATE SKILLS OR GENERAL INTELLIGENCE: THE AUTONOMY OF HUMAN ABILITIES
Authors: HOWE MICHAEL J. A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. That children's and adults' different intellectual abilities are to a considerable extent autonomous, and do not depend upon general ability or intelligence, is indicated by six kinds of evidence: (1) biographical and autobiographical reports, (2) patterns of ability in autistic and mentally handicapped individuals, including “idiots savants”, (3) brain damage effects, (4) the absence of inter‐task interference, (5) evidence of extraordinary abilities in people of average intelligence, and (6) findings suggesting that cognitive complexity may be unrelated to measured intelligence. It is argued that correlations betwen an individual's levels of performance at different abilities, which have often been interpreted as providing evidence of a general ability factor, can in fact be readily explained as being due either to elements that are shared by different tasks, or to any of a variety of a person's attributes that can influence performance at each of a number of tasks. Educational implications of acknowledging that separate intellectual skills are largely autonomous are discussed.
CROSS‐VALIDATION OF SHORT FORMS OF THE WISC‐R IN TWO BRITISH SAMPLES
Authors: HUNTER JANET , YULE WILLIAM , URBANOWICZ MARIE ANNE , LANSDOWN RICHARD
Published: May 2011

Summary. Short forms of the WISC‐R were computed by multiple linear regression on two samples of British children aged 6 to 12 years. The predictive validity of each short form was assessed both within the sample on which it was developed and cross‐validated on the other sample. The empirically determined loss of power of prediction was found to be less than expected on a priori grounds. Predictions of individual scores at the lower end of the IQ distribution were less acceptable. It is concluded that short forms are robust and of value in research and for screening purposes, but cannot be recommended for clinical purposes.
CROSS‐CULTURAL TRANSFER OF NON‐VERBAL INTELLIGENCE TESTS: AN (IN)VALIDATION STUDY
Authors: PARMAR RENE S.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Non‐verbal intelligence tests have been used widely in India for measurement and research without adequate examination of their validity in the Indian culture. The present study provides evidence that a test meeting the specified conditions for “culture‐fairness” does not demonstrate the expected equal performance across cultures. A comparison of children from the normative sample of the Test of Non‐Verbal Intelligence and a matched sample of Indian children was conducted. Confirmatory factor analysis was not supported by the data structure. Factor scales comparisons between the two groups indicated significant differences. Item analyses indicated that items requiring matching were those significantly different. Comparison of students at different levels of ability and aptitude within the Indian sample indicated that the test did not discriminate sufficiently for classification or diagnostic usefulness.
INSTABILITY OF PERFORMANCE ON COGNITIVE TESTS IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME
Authors: WISHART JENNIFER G. , DUFFY LOUISE
Published: May 2011

Summary. Stability of cognitive performance in assessment situations was investigated in a group of 18 children with Down's Syndrome (DS) aged 6 months to 4 years. Two widely used tests of early cognitive development were presented: the Mental Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and a series of Piagetian object concept tasks. Both sets of tasks were presented in the same testing session, with testing repeated one to two weeks later. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of performance were recorded. Even when overall scores were similar, patterns of pass/fails were very different in the two testing sessions. Successes showed poor stability over sessions with fails often occurring by default, the result of a refusal to engage fully in a particular task. This pattern of results suggests: (1) that single‐session testing may not adequately assess cognitive status in DS children; (2) that the relationship between performance and competence may be unstable in such children, and (3) that “slow development” theories may not adequately describe cognitive development in young children with DS.
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS EXPERIENCING HIGH AND LOW LEVELS OF BURNOUT
Authors: PIERCE C. MARK B. , MOLLOY GEOFFREY N.
Published: May 2011

Summary. A total of 750 teachers from 16 government and non‐government schools from areas of contrasted socio‐economic status (SES) responded to a questionnaire designed to investigate associations between selected aspects of burnout among teachers working in secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. By comparing high and low burnout groups on biographic, psychological and work pattern variables, differences between teachers experiencing high and low levels of burnout were identified. Multiple regression analyses assessed the relative importance of these variables in accounting for the variance in each of the three burnout subscales. School type was related to perceptions of stress and burnout. Higher levels of burnout were associated with poorer physical health, higher rates of absenteeism, lower self‐confidence and more frequent use of regressive coping strategies. Teachers classified as experiencing high levels of burnout attributed most of the stress in their lives to teaching and reported low levels of career commitment and satisfaction. Further, teachers who recorded high levels of burnout were characterised by lower levels of the personality disposition of hardiness, lower levels of social support, higher levels of role stress and more custodial pupil control ideologies than their low‐burnout counterparts. Psychological variables were found to be more significant predictors of burnout than biographical variables.
WHEN PUPILS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE DETERMINANTS OF THEIR SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN SCHOOL: RELATIONS BETWEEN INTERNAL, TEACHER AND UNKNOWN PERCEPTIONS OF CONTROL AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT
Authors: BUTLER RUTH , ORION RONIT
Published: May 2011

Summary. Both dispositional and attributional perspectives on perceptions of control assume that people have some idea of outcome determinants. This, however, may not always be so. This study tested the hypothesis that pupils do not always understand the determinants of their learning outcomes, and that such a sense of unknown control will be associated with poor achievement in school. The study was unusual in that it tapped both dispositional control perceptions, using the new MMPCC, and causal attributions for success and failure in a school examination. Subjects were 186 10‐year‐old Israeli pupils of heterogeneous SES. Results confirmed that unknown control emerged as a distinct dimension of perceived control in both dispositional and attributional measures, and was consistently associated with poor achievement in school. Attributions of test outcomes to unknown causes were strongly related to dispositional unknown control, and were not affected by success or failure. In contrast, dispositional and attributional internality were unrelated, and did not predict achievement. It is argued that internal beliefs reflect internalised social‐educational norms, and as a result have less impact on motivation than perceptions of unknown control. The implications of these findings for educational practice and motivational interventions are discussed.
EXPERIENCES IN SCHOOL AS DETERMINANTS OF BEHAVIOUR IN A DISCUSSION SITUATION
Authors: Skaalvik Einar M. , Sletta Olav
Published: May 2011

Summary. This study examined the effects of school experiences on behaviour in a discussion. Participants were 80 8th grade students (40 females and 40 males). Dyads of students (one high and one low achiever) were assigned to two different solutions of a problem. Each student in the dyad was asked to defend one of these solutions and was given four written arguments in favour of it. The students were instructed to give up the discussion if they were convinced that the partner's position was a better solution. At the end of the discussion the students independently of each other indicated what solution they really thought was the better. Low achievers in school gave up the discussion and claimed to believe that the opposite solution was the better more frequently than did high achievers. There was no significant difference between high and low achievers in the tendency to really believe in the solution they argued for. The results are discussed in terms of self‐confidence and self‐protection.
HEADINGS WITHIN MULTIPLE‐CHOICE TESTS AS FACILITATORS OF TEST PERFORMANCE
Authors: Townsend Michael A. R. , Moore Dennis W. , Tuck Bryan F. , Wilton Keri M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Undergraduate students (N = 287) taking a multiple‐choice test were either provided with headings during the test or completed the test without headings. Students were also tested for field‐independence and later completed a questionnaire concerning their beliefs about the effects of headings in tests. Headings did not facilitate test performance, nor was there any association with field‐independence. However, the majority of students believed that headings would increase their test score as a function of activation of prior knowledge. Taken together with previous research, the findings suggest that the facilitative effects of headings occur at encoding rather than retrieval.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADOLESCENT PERCEIVED SELF‐COMPETENCE AND ATTENDANCE AT SINGLE‐SEX SECONDARY SCHOOL
Authors: Cairns Ed
Published: May 2011

Summary. The study examined young people's self‐esteem measured using a multidimensional measure of self‐esteem, Harter's Perceived Competence Scale, as well as a measure of locus of control, in relation to the type of school they attended—single‐sex or co‐educational. A sample of students (N = 2295) from both academic and less academic schools was employed. The results indicated that among children (N = 577) attending the more academic grammar schools only, those who attended single‐sex schools had higher levels of academic self‐esteem and were more inner oriented in terms of locus of control. There were no differential sex effects, however. Additional analyses suggested that this effect was not likely to be due to selection in terms of socio‐economic status.
PROBLEM‐SOLVING, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SITUATED REASONING. A STUDY OF JOINT COGNITIVE ACTIVITY IN THE FORMAL SETTING
Authors: SÄLJÖ ROGER , WYNDHAMN JAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. The article reports a study of group work in the school context aimed at solving the everyday problem of establishing the postage rate for a letter using a letter‐scale and a postage table. The participants, pupils aged 12–13 years in the sixth form of the Swedish comprehensive school, co‐operated in groups of three that were homogenised with respect to academic ability. The results reveal that all groups draw on school knowledge when solving the task, but that this does not necessarily lead to success in finding the correct postage rate. Furthermore, the higher the academic ability of students, the longer and more roundabout the problem‐solving procedures are. Inappropriate solutions and procedures for handling the table appear just as frequently in all groups as suggestions at some stage of the work, but they are generally rejected during the longer and more elaborate interpretative work among the pupils of high academic ability. It is argued that the relationship between knowledge acquired in the formal setting and the handling of this everyday problem is diffuse. Successful solution of the problem cannot be described as the application of a standardised algorithm but seems more to rely on extensive interpretative work involving the comparison of alternative models of reasoning.
THE EFFECTS OF LIMITED PRIVATE REPRIMANDS AND INCREASED PRIVATE PRAISE ON CLASSROOM BEHAVIOUR IN FOUR BRITISH SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASSES
Authors: HOUGHTON STEPHEN , WHELDALL KEVIN , JUKES ROD , SHARPE ANTHONY
Published: May 2011

Summary. Four secondary school teachers were systematically observed teaching four different classes. Measures of class on‐task behaviour and teacher use of praise and reprimand were made during each observation session. Following baseline observations, two teachers were asked first to decrease their use of reprimands and to make them more private and then to increase their use of private praise. The other two teachers were asked first to increase their use of private praise and then to add limited use of private reprimands. A multiple baseline design was employed so that one teacher in each pair introduced the intervention one week after the other teacher. Observations of teacher behaviour confirmed that all four teachers were able to comply with these instructions. The results showed clearly that both minimal use of private reprimands and use of private praise statements were effective in increasing the on‐task behaviour of secondary aged pupils in all classes, by an average of over 20 per cent. Follow‐up observations after two months on three classes showed that improved on‐task behaviour was still apparent.
FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACADEMIC ATTAINMENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME
Authors: SLOPER PATRICIA , CUNNINGHAM CLIFF , TURNER STEPHEN , KNUSSEN CHRISTINA
Published: May 2011

Summary. The attainments in reading, number and writing skills, of 117 children with Down's syndrome, aged 6 to 14 years, were assessed using checklists completed by teachers. In a study of child and family functioning a wide range of variables was measured and the relationships of these to academic attainments were investigated using multivariable analysis. The children's mental age scores were most strongly related to academic attainments scores, but, in addition, type of school attended, gender, chronological age and fathers' scores on a measure of locus of control were significantly related. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for educational placement and curriculum, and the role of fathers in their children's education.
ATTITUDES, SUBJECTIVE NORM, PERCEIVED PREVENTIVE FACTORS, INTENTIONS AND LEARNING SCIENCE: TESTING A MODIFIED THEORY OF REASONED ACTION
Authors: NORWICH BRAHM , DUNCAN JEAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. The aims of this study were to investigate (1) a repeated measures procedure for assessing behaviour intention and learning behaviour in the field of secondary school science learning, and (2) the relationship of perceived preventive factors to other affective variables in a modified version of the Ajzen‐Fishbein theory of reasoned action. Eighty‐two boys and girls, aged 12–15, in a large inner city comprehensive school were assessed over seven successive science lessons in terms of: attitude, subjective norm, perceived preventive factors, overall prior learning behaviour, behaviour intention and past lesson learning behaviour. It was found that there was some correspondence between repeated classroom observation data and self and teacher reports of learning behaviour. Attitude and past learning behaviour, but not subjective norm, had a significant correlation with behaviour intention, as behaviour intention did with subsequent learning behaviour. Perceived preventive factors, however, had the strongest correlation with subsequent behaviour intention and learning behaviour and this persisted even when the contribution of other variables was partialled out. The findings are discussed in terms of the classroom assessment of these affective variables and possible modifications to a theory of reasoned action.
THE INFLUENCE OF READING ACTIVITY AT HOME ON STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS READING, CLASSROOM ATTENTIVENESS AND READING ACHIEVEMENT: AN APPLICATION OF STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING
Authors: ROWE KENNETH J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper reports findings from an explanatory study of home background, affective and behavioural factors which influence students' reading achievement, for a sample of 5000 students (age 5–14 years), drawn from government and non‐government schools. Results of structural equation modelling of the data indicated that regardless of family socio‐economic status, age and gender, “Reading Activity at Home'‘ had significant positive influences on measures of students' reading achievement, attitudes towards reading and attentiveness in the classroom. The findings are discussed briefly in terms of their policy implications.
A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF BURNOUT IN TEACHERS
Authors: CAPEL SUSAN A.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The purpose of this study was to look at burnout over one school year. Six hundred and forty teachers in 80 middle, upper, high schools and sixth form college in one Local Education Authority were sent a questionnaire in September, 1987, February, 1988 and June, 1988. Each questionnaire contained the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout at three stages of the year, as well as other scales unique to that questionnaire. Results showed no significant correlations nor differences between burnout at the three times of year, although for most teachers highest burnout was found in February. Profile analysis showed more teachers increased than decreased burnout over the year. A large percentage stayed at the same level. Some teachers showed a different pattern over the year. The direction of change (if any) was not necessarily the same between the three administrations of the questionnaire. Thus, burnout was not always a process of “wearing down” over time; some teachers rejuvenated over the year. Because there was no consistency in the development of burnout over time, steps cannot be taken to reduce burnout based on an established pattern. Individual ways of reducing or eliminating burnout have to be found.
STRATEGIES FOR ANSWERING EXAMINATION ESSAY QUESTIONS: IS IT HELPFUL TO WRITE A PLAN?
Authors: TORRANCE M. , THOMAS G. V. , ROBINSON E. J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Two studies were performed to examine student beliefs about the importance of plan writing in examinations and the relationship between plan writing and answer quality. In the first study 56 first year undergraduate students completed a questionnaire concerning exam technique. Of these, 86 per cent believed that the best way to start examination essay questions was by writing a plan. In the second study examination answers and associated rough notes were collected from 54 first year undergraduate students. There was no significant association between grade awarded and plan writing, plan type or students' reasons for planning. These results are consistent with those of previous studies. The failure to find empirical justification for advising students to produce written plans for their examination essays would be expected on the basis of recent theories of writing that suggest that trying to follow a written plan can interfere with the generation of ideas through writing.
THE EFFECTS OF COACHING ON 11+ SCORES
Authors: EGAN MARGUERITE , BUNTING BRENDAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. Two 11+ (transfer tests) practice tests, issued by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, were administered to two groups of primary seven children. One group was intensively coached for the test, while a second group received no coaching. The children in both groups were also assessed on a separate index of ability, Raven's Progressive Matrices. Very large differences were found between the coached and uncoached groups. Differences in the region of 30 to 40+ points were maintained, even when ability as assessed by the Raven's Matrices was held constant. This is in the context of a possible 100‐point scale. Differences of this size are some two to three times higher than previously reported estimates. The results also indicate that test scores continued to improve between tests one and two for coached children while remaining stable for the uncoached group, contrary to previous research, which suggested a ceiling effect after a sustained period of coaching.
GENDER‐PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL SUBJECTS AMONG 10–11 YEAR‐OLDS
Authors: ARCHER JOHN , MACRAE MARGARET
Published: May 2011

Summary. Sixty children, aged 11–12 years, rated 17 school subjects along seven 7‐point dimensions including masculine‐feminine. Physics, CDT, and information technology were rated as significantly masculine whereas typing, home economics, PSE and RE were rated as significantly feminine. In contrast to previous studies, chemistry, mathematics, biology and languages were rated as neither masculine nor feminine. Stepwise regressions using the mean ratings for each school subject were calculated for boys and girls separately: for boys, “interesting‐boring” predicted a large proportion of the variance on masculine‐feminine; for girls, “difficult‐easy” predicted a considerable proportion of the variance, as it did for the combined sample. These findings were related to observations of the social worlds of boys and girls.
IDENTIFICATION OF A GROUP OF CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA BY MEANS OF IQ‐ACHIEVEMENT DISCREPANCIES
Authors: NEWMAN STANTON , WRIGHT SARAH , FIELDS HEATHER
Published: May 2011

Summary. The reading and spelling abilities of 462 schoolchildren of mean age 8 years 7 months were examined in relation to their intellectual abilities (as assessed by the WISC‐R) by means of cluster analysis. The analysis identified five groups. In one group reading and spelling were considerably poorer than their intellectual abilities. The performance of the five groups was examined on a number of cognitive tests commonly associated with dyslexia. The group identified as having significant discrepancies showed the poorest performance on many of these tests. In addition this group showed other features associated with dyslexia. Further analysis indicated the existence of two subgroups which differed significantly in performance on the cognitive tests.
TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR STUDENTS' METACOGNITION, ATTRIBUTIONS, AND SELF‐CONCEPT
Authors: CARR MARTHA , KURTZ BETH E.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The goal of the present study was to determine both the accuracy and predictors of teachers' metacognitive and motivational evaluations of their students. Teachers' perceptions of students' (N=48) self‐concept, general ability, metacognition, and attributions were examined in relation to students' responses to self‐concept, metacognition and attribution questionnaires. The findings indicated that teachers are aware of individual differences in metacognitive knowledge. However, teachers seem to maintain a holistic perspective of achievement: high achievers in contrast to low achievers are ranked as having better metacognition, higher self‐concept, and stronger effort and ability attributions about success above and beyond actual group differences. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for teacher‐student interactions and resulting impact on teaching practices and student achievement.
PROCESSING ATTENTION AND QUESTION DENSITY IN COMPUTER‐BASED INSTRUCTION
Authors: KEALY WILLIAM A. , SULLIVAN HOWARD J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The effect of density of embedded post‐questions on learning from computer‐based instruction (CBI) was studied among 90 sixth‐graders randomly assigned to three versions of a CBI programme — high density, low density, and no embedded questions. Children made significant achievement gains across each increase in question density, consistent across the continuum of reading ability represented in the study. High question density facilitates student learning from embedded post‐questions in CBI and does not appear to seriously diffuse processing attention.
STABILITY AND CHANGE IN AFFECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHERS: CAN COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Authors: MEVARECH ZEMIRA R. , NETZ NIRA
Published: May 2011

Summary. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) on teaching self‐concept (TSC) and teachers' perceptions regarding allocated time to various instructional activities. Two groups of elementary school teachers (N=218) participated in the study: about half of the teachers (N=113) adopted a CAI system for drill and practice, while the others did not use computers in the classroom. All teachers were assessed prior to the installation of the CAI system in the schools and a year later. Results showed positive changes in affective characteristics of CAI teachers who were involved in school level decision‐making, while themain effects of CAI were not significant. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
EVALUATION OF THE TEACHING OF STATISTICAL CONCEPTS BY INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE WITH MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS
Authors: WEIR C. G. , McMANUS I. C. , KIELY B.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Two studies evaluated the effectiveness of interactive computer demonstrations in teaching about statistical sampling distributions. Students used a Monte Carlo simulation of either standard errors (SEMDEMO) or F‐distributions (FDEMO) and were subsequently tested on both concepts. In Study 1 only lower ability students using FDEMO showed improved attainment related to their specific experience. SEMDEMO was then simplified, following student feedback, and study 2 then showed higher specific attainment related to interactive experience with both SEMDEMO and FDEMO, particularly in lower ability students. Reasons for improved performance may include increased practice and deeper processing of concepts.
RELATING APPROACHES TO STUDY AND QUALITY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AT THE COURSE LEVEL
Authors: TRIGWELL KEITH , PROSSER MICHAEL
Published: May 2011

Summary. Research into qualitative differences in students' approaches to study, the quality of learning outcomes, and the relations between them has, in the main, been conducted on learning resulting from involvement in small academic tasks such as reading an academic article. This study, based on a sample of 122 first year university nursing students, focused on student learning on the whole course. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesised relationship between approach and outcome at the course level. In the process, an indicator of qualitative differences in learning outcomes at the course level was developed. The results also provided further support for the validity of three subscales of the Approaches to Study Inventory, and cast further doubt on the use of assessment results as measures of learning outcomes.
COGNITIVE STRATEGIES AND STUDY HABITS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEASUREMENT OF TERTIARY STUDENTS' LEARNING
Authors: CHRISTENSEN CAROL A. , MASSEY DAVID R. , ISAACS PETER J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This study used Biggs' Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) as a case study to examine some conceptual issues in the learning approaches of Australian teacher education students. A factor analysis of the SPQ indicated that the internal coherence of the surface strategy subscale, in particular, was unsatisfactory. A second study found no relationship between students' surface, deep and achieving strategy scores on the SPQ and their performance on basic and complex tasks using a cognitive strategies framework developed by Weinstein and Mayer. A conceptual reclassification of the strategy items on the SPQ as rehearsal, organisation or elaboration strategies indicated that the Weinstein and Mayer cognitive strategies framework was more consistent with the pattern of factor loadings, and that only elaboration items are adequately represented on the SPQ. It is suggested that the Weinstein and Mayer conceptualisation may provide a richer and more discriminating framework for analysing students' cognitive strategies on learning tasks.
THE ASSESSMENT OF MOVEMENT SKILL PROBLEMS IN 7‐ AND 9‐YEAR‐OLD CHILDREN
Authors: SUGDEN DAVID , SUGDEN LORRIE
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper is part of a project examining movement skill problems in an educational setting, and aims to provide guidelines for the assessment and management of movement problems within the primary school. The first part of the project reported here involves teachers assessing children on tasks they perform in day to day school life. A Motor Competence Checklist (MCC) was developed and tested on 350 seven‐ and nine‐year‐old children. Developmental differences were shown on every section of the MCC, and in the bottom 10 per cent of scores boys outnumbered girls by a ratio between 2 and 3 to 1. The nature of movement problems was examined by analysing profiles of children identified by the MCC, and the resulting profiles suggest there is a need to move away from viewing children with movement problems as an homogeneous group.
ACCEPTABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR SCHOOL REFUSAL: EVALUATIONS BY STUDENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND PROFESSIONALS
Authors: GULLONE ELEONORA , KING NEVILLE J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. School refusal is a debilitating condition that may be treated in various ways. This study examined the acceptability and perceived effectiveness of alternative treatments for school refusal. A total of 376 people comprising students, parents, and professionals, were required to evaluate several treatment options in relation to a vignette. Despite its potential aversiveness, behavioural management was the most acceptable treatment approach followed, in order, by home tuition with psychotherapy, hospitalisation, and medication. A strong positive relationship was found between acceptability and perceived effectiveness.
DIFFERENCES IN UNDERSTANDING AND THE USE OF REFLECTIVE VARIATION IN READING
Authors: MARTON FERENCE , CARLSSON MAJ ASPLUND , HALÁSZ LÁSZLÓ
Published: May 2011

Summary. One group of Hungarian (N=29) and one group of Swedish (N=31) secondary school students read Franz Kafka's famous parable “Before the Law” several times, each reading being followed by the students recalling the story and stating how they had understood what the story meant. A limited number of qualitatively different ways of understanding the parable were found and these different ways could be related to each other in terms of how well they had captured the meaning of the story.

In some cases the students used what we have called “reflective variation” in their reading of the story. Reflective variation could have the form of “variation in meaning”—the students trying alternative understandings of the story as a whole or of its constituent parts. Another form of reflective variation found was “elaborative variation” — the students making explicit the implications of their understanding of the story or of some of its constituent parts.

The use of reflective variation was highly correlated with more advanced ways of understanding the parable.
ACADEMIC SELF ASSESSMENT AT 7 AND 11 YEARS: ITS ACCURACY AND ASSOCIATION WITH ETHNIC GROUP AND SEX
Authors: BLATCHFORD PETER
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper reports results from a large‐scale longitudinal study of educational progress, based at the Thomas Coram Research Unit. Sample sizes were N=133 and N=175 at 11 years. Measures were obtained on academic self assessment and attainment in reading and maths. Children at 7 years tended to overestimate their attainment and there was little agreement with test scores. By 11 years self assessments matched objective measures of attainment and were less exaggerated. Although these results reflect underlying cognitive and environmental changes, emphasis is placed on differences in self assessment in maths and reading, and differences according to sex and ethnic origin of child. Academic self assessment was lowered when the frame of reference was to classmates rather than other children in general.
CHILDREN'S SELF‐ALLOCATION AND USE OF CLASSROOM CURRICULAR TIME
Authors: INGRAM JOHN , WORRALL NORMAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. A class of 9–10 year‐olds (N=12) in a British primary school were observed as it moved over a one‐year period through three types of classroom environment, traditional directive, transitional negotiative and established negotiative. Each environment offered the children a differing relationship with curricular time, its control and allocation, moving from teacher‐allocated time to child allocation. Pupil self‐report and classroom observation indicated differences in the balance of curricular spread and allocated time on curricular subject in relation to the type of classroom organisation and who controlled classroom time. These differences were at both class and individual child level. The established negotiative environment recorded the most equitable curricular balance, traditional directive the least. While individual children responded differently within and across the three classroom environments, the established negotiative where time was under child control recorded preference for longer activity periods compared to where the teacher controlled time allocations.
POST‐PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS' INTEREST IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION: AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES
Authors: VAN WERSCH ANNEKE , TREW KAREN , TURNER IRENÉ
Published: May 2011

Summary. Interest in Physical Education (PE) was studied in 3,344 11 to 18 year‐old school children. Five aspects of educational importance (PE connotation, PE status, PE teacher, PE curriculum, and adolescent disturbances in relation to the PE lesson) were identified, and examined in relation to pupils' interest. For the younger age groups girls' interest in PE was significantly higher than that of the boys, while after the age of 14 the reverse was the case. The status of PE as a school subject was found to be the most important variable for interest in PE. The contribution of the PE teacher to pupils' level of interest was the least important of the factors examined. The results are discussed in terms of the differing importance for boys and girls of sport in social status systems for peer popularity. Suggestions for changes to PE lessons are offered.
THE USE OF VERBATIM AND SCHEMATIC STRATEGIES IN THE RECALL OF WRITTEN STORIES BY DEAF AND HEARING CHILDREN
Authors: GRAY COLIN , BANKS JAMES , FYFE RONALD , MORRIS ANNE
Published: May 2011

Summary. It is, in general, difficult to study cognitive structures in deaf children: in particular, the enquiry into the nature of their story‐knowledge structures (or story schemata) is fraught with thorny methodological problems. While some of the available evidence would suggest that typical deaf children do not read “story schematically”, theirs may be a problem of lack of access to (rather than absence of) such cognitive structures. On the other hand, it cannot be assumed a priori that cognitive structures are identical in deaf and hearing children. A study using a picture arrangement method is described, the results of which support the view that the story schemata of deaf children are basically similar to those of hearing children. Deaf children, however, may not utilise the presence of certain story features which, if presented to hearing children, lend strength and salience to the story line.
APPLICATION OF THE ATTENTION/DISTRACTION: INHIBITION/EXCITATION SCALE TO A GROUP OF MAINSTREAM CHILDREN
Authors: STURMEY P. , STURMEY K. J. , GATHERER A. J. H.
Published: May 2011

Summary. The Attention: Distraction/Inhibition Excitation Scale (ADIECAS) is a measure of individual differences hitherto used with children with special needs. The present study shows that the ADIECAS retains adequate factor structure and internal consistency with children who do not have special needs. Factor analysis yielded three dimensions: Attention‐Distraction, Excitation‐Inhibition and Responsiveness to Consequences. These factors predicted reading age, the discrepancy between chronological and reading ages and whether or not the child had been referred for statementing.
TEACHER VERSUS LEARNER CONTROLLED INSTRUCTION: QUESTION‐ASKING AND COMPREHENSION
Authors: FISHBEIN HAROLD D. , VAN LEEUWEN RACHEL , LANGMEYER DANIEL
Published: May 2011

Summary. Sixty college students were individually taught a novel card game. Under teacher control, students were given the rules of the game and could ask questions about them. Under learner control, students were given a general framework and had to ask questions in order to learn the rules. During the verbal instruction period, learner control students focused their questions on game actions whereas teacher control students emphasised specific details. During the play period, learner control students focused their questions on conceptual aspects of the game. Teacher control students were given more game rules than learner control students; however, when this difference was adjusted, both groups performed equivalently on all recall measures. Students with high and moderate previous card game knowledge performed better than those with low previous knowledge on all recall measures, including hierarchically embedded rules. The results indicate that teaching method influences question‐asking, whereas amount of previous knowledge influences comprehension of new information.
SEX STEREOTYPES, SCHOOL SUBJECT PREFERENCES AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS AS A FUNCTION OF SINGLE/MIXED‐SEX SCHOOLING AND PRESENCE/ABSENCE OF AN OPPOSITE SEX SIBLING
Authors: LAWRIE LYNNE , BROWN RUPERT
Published: May 2011

Summary. A total of 284 fourth year pupils participated in a study investigating perceptions of sexual stereotypes and school subjects according to whether (a) they attended a mixed or a single‐sex school, and (b) whether they had an opposite sex sibling. Respondents completed a questionnaire measuring perceptions of traits according to gender, ratings of difficulty and enjoyment of school subjects, choices of A‐level subjects and careers. It was hypothesised that pupils in the mixed school and pupils with an opposite sex sibling would hold more stereotyped views. These hypotheses were supported in several statistical interactions between sex, school type, and presence of opposite sex sibling. It was found that the presence of the opposite sex resulted in more stereotyped views in some domains, and more perceived difficulty for some school subjects for girls compared to boys.
BEHAVIOURAL GROUP TRAINING OF CHILDREN TO FIND SAFE ROUTES TO CROSS THE ROAD
Authors: THOMSON J. A. , AMPOFO‐BOATENG K. , PITCAIRN T. , GRIEVE R. , LEE D. N. , DEMETRE J. D.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Young children show poor judgment when asked to select safe places to cross the road and frequently consider dangerous sites to be safe ones. Thus, a sharp bend, the brow of a hill or positions close to parked cars are considered safe places to cross by most children under 9 years of age. This study examined the effectiveness of two practical training programmes in improving the judgments of 5‐year‐olds. Children were trained in small groups either in the real road environment or using simulations set up on a table‐top model. A series of pre‐ and post‐tests allowed the effectiveness of training to be assessed. Significant improvements relative to controls were found in both groups following training. There were no differences between the two training methods. Improvements were robust and no deterioration was observed two months after the programme ended. However, the benefits of group training were less marked than in an earlier study in which children were trained individually. The implications for road safety education are discussed.
SUCCESS AND PROGRESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A STRUCTURAL MODEL OF STUDYING
Authors: MINNAERT ALEXANDER , JANSSEN PIET J.
Published: May 2011

Summary. In Belgium, the success rates of freshmen in higher education are relatively low. To understand this phenomenon a structural model for individual differences in study success and progress is suggested. Starting from the theory that studying is the integration of thinking and learning on the basis of motivation, a content valid study‐skill test was designed as an imitation of the situation of a first year student and applied to a group of 161 freshmen in psychology at the University of Leuven. In connection their curriculum completed in high school was registered. PC‐LISREL was used to evaluate the model. It explains 51 per cent of the variance in success and progress in higher education. The model reveals the importance of domain‐specific prior knowledge and intrinsic motivation. The latent variable goal‐oriented restructuring in studying (measured by analyse, synthesise and long‐term expertise) seems to be very substantial, not only because of its direct effect on success and progress in higher education, but also as an intermediate variable in the process of studying. The study‐skill test generates decisive diagnostic information to be used by future students in their process of vocational choice.
CHILDREN'S USE OF DOMAIN‐SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND DOMAIN‐GENERAL STRATEGIES IN NOVEL PROBLEM SOLVING
Authors: ENGLISH LYN
Published: May 2011

Summary. Seventy‐two children aged 4 to 9 years were individually administered a set of six combinatorial problems involving the dressing of toy bears in all possible combinations of clothing items. Because the problem domain was novel, the children had to use their existing general strategies to help them solve the problems. Analyses of the children's responses revealed a series of increasingly sophisticated solution strategies (reflecting a knowledge of the combinatorial domain), plus a number of scanning actions serving primarily in a monitoring capacity (reflecting an application of general strategies). Significant associations were found between children's solution strategies and their scanning actions on each problem, with the children changing the nature of their scanning as they adopted more complex solution strategies. The nature of this association was a key factor in problem success, especially when there was an additional constraint on goal attainment. The findings of the study are examined in terms of changes in children's principled knowledge base and in the nature of their general strategies. Cases involving problem failure in the face of sophisticated domain knowledge highlight the importance of children applying the appropriate domain‐general strategies in both novel and routine problem solving.
INTRINSIC VERSUS EXTRINSIC MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT
Authors: BIDDLE STUART , BROOKE RICHARD
Published: May 2011

Summary. Two studies are reported on an intrinsic/extrinsic motivation orientation scale for the classroom modified for physical education settings and used with British children. The modified scale used was the Motivational Orientation in Sport Scale (MOSS). Prior research with both the classroom and MOSS scale has been with American children. Study 1 (N=122) showed that for 12‐year‐old boys and girls the factorial structure of the MOSS did not match the hypothesised five factors from the American research. However, internal reliability of the subscales was generally adequate and there were no significant relationships between subscale scores and a measure of social desirability. Study 2 was a small‐scale investigation of the MOSS in an actual physical education context. Twelve‐year‐old boys (N=24) participated in an endurance run task. Scores from the run were correlated in the expected direction with three of the subscales.
STUDENT PROGRESS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: IDENTIFICATION OF EXPLANATORY CONSTRUCTS
Authors: KEMBER DAVID , LAI TAMMY , MURPHY DAVID , SIAW IRENE , YUEN K. S.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper reports the testing and development of a model of student progress for distance education students. The constructs which have been used to explain drop‐out in on‐campus courses are not directly applicable to distance education. The Distance Education Students' Progress (DESP) inventory has been developed, containing four scales, made up from 17 subscales, which emerged from the factor analysis. The scales relate to approach to learning, motivation, language ability and the extent to which the student is able to integrate study demands with personal, family, work and social commitments. Semi‐structured interviews were used to assist in deriving and interpreting the scales and to help establish their validity. The identified constructs have been used to test a theoretical model using path analysis techniques. The four scales serve as intervening variables between enrolment characteristics and grade and persistence criteria. The results support open entry for the courses as the identified constructs have a higher correlation than entry qualifications with the grades attained by students.
THE USE OF OPEN GROUP DISCUSSIONS IN MARKETING LIBRARY SERVICES TO YOUNG ADULTS
Authors: DAY CAROLE , LOEWENTHAL DEL
Published: May 2011

Summary. In this study a series of three open group discussions was conducted to explore young adults' perceptions and expectations of the public library service. The results were used to inform the design of a subsequent telephone questionnaire. Whereas the findings of the open group discussion suggest that unfavourable attitudes towards library atmosphere and staff are prevalent amongst young adults, the findings of the questionnaire contradict this, the majority of respondents expressing favourable attitudes towards these aspects of public libraries. The paper discusses possible reasons for this discrepancy in the findings of the two research methods, including the effects of peer group pressure and group dynamics in the group discussions, and the effects of sampling bias and socially desirable responses in the questionnaire results. The authors suggest that the study raises the question of the validity of the questionnaire and group discussion methods in determining attitudes and demonstrates the need for further research and theorising into both methods.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE FIGURE DRAWINGS OF CLUMSY CHILDREN
Authors: BARNETT ANNA , HENDERSON SHEILA E.
Published: May 2011

Summary. This paper presents two exploratory studies of figure drawing by clumsy children. In the first, the drawings of 42 such children and controls, matched pairwise on chronological age and verbal IQ, were compared. Not only were the impaired children's drawings found to be generally delayed but there was also a suggestion that some fell further behind their peers as they got older. In a follow up study of a subset of the clumsy group it was found that increasing delay was indeed characteristic of some children, but others improved. In spite of improvement in some aspects of figure representation, however, the children's poor motor control persisted.
SEASON OF BIRTH AND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Authors: CARROLL H. C. M.
Published: May 2011

Summary. Previous research has shown that summer compared to autumn or spring born children have been found to do less well educationally, to be more likely to have their abilities underestimated and to be considered to have behaviour problems, but not to differ in terms of school attendance. That last result is refuted by the results of this study which is based on more than 5000 pupils in their last year of primary education and which reveals that: (a) after controlling for gender and size of family, the summer born have the poorest and the autumn born the highest attendance rates; and (b) in the case of pupils with attendance rates of 80 per cent or less, more of them are summer born and fewer, autumn born.
SPECIAL NEEDS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF ATTAINMENT IN THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM
Authors: WILIAM DYLAN
Published: May 2011

Summary. The assessment model adopted by the British Government for the reporting of attainment on the National Curriculum at the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16 is examined, with particular reference to the nature of the levels defined. The rate of increase of spread of attainment within the cohort over time is shown to be of critical importance, particularly with respect to low‐attaining students. A technique for deriving estimates of rates of spread from the norms provided with standardised tests is presented, and the estimates are found to be greater than the estimates of rate of increase of spread used in the formulation of the National Curriculum. Implications with respect to the current legal framework are drawn.