bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive Interdependence, Academic and Collaborative-Skills Group Contingencies, and Isolated Students
Authors: Lew Marvin , Mesch Debra , Johnson David W. , Johnson Roger
Published: March 2008

The effects of (a) opportunity to interact with classmates, (b) positive goal interdependence, (c) positive goal and positive reward interdependence, and (d) positive goal and reward interdependence with an added contingency for the use of collaborative skills were investigated. The dependent measures were achievement, interpersonal attraction, and the voluntary use of collaborative skills by socially withdrawn and isolated students. Four socially isolated and withdrawn sixth-grade students (two male and two female) were studied in a reading class. The results indicate that both positive goal and reward interdependence are needed to maximize student achievement and the interpersonal attraction between socially withdrawn and nonhandicapped students. The specific reinforcement for engaging in collaborative skills was required to maximize the voluntary engagement in the skills by socially withdrawn and isolated students.
How Smaller Is Better: Some Relationships Between Class Size, Teaching Practices, and Student Achievement
Authors: Bourke Sid
Published: March 2008

The mathematics lessons of 63 Year 5 teachers in government elementary schools were observed over a term, and detailed teaching practices recorded. A causal model linking student, school, and teacher background information, class size, teaching practices, and mean class mathematics achievement was developed to test the relationships. The teaching practices that varied for classes of different size and that linked class size and mathematics achievement involved class grouping, the number and type of interactions between the teacher and students, teacher questioning, homework practices, and the management of classroom noise.
Preschoolers’ Play Behavior in Outdoor Environments: Effects of Traditional and Contemporary Playgrounds
Authors: Hart Craig H. , Sheehan Robert
Published: March 2008

This investigation was undertaken to examine the differential influence of a traditional and a contemporary playground on preschool-age children’s social, cognitive, and physical play behaviors. The findings provided modest support for less physical play activity in a contemporary playground setting. However, there appears to be little differential playground influence on children’s verbal interaction, social play, and cognitive play behaviors between these two settings.
Training in Analogical Reasoning
Authors: Alexander Patricia A. , White C. Stephen , Haensly Patricia A. , Crimmins-Jeanes Mary
Published: March 2008

Two experiments involving a componential approach to analogy training were conducted. The analogy training was organized in two phases: a short-term intensive phase, and an extended period of intermittent instruction. In Experiment 1, direct effects of analogy training and the far transfer to inferential comprehension were assessed for fourth graders of average reading ability. Results demonstrated a significant, positive effect for training on students’ performance of verbal analogy problems of the form A:B::C:?, but no significant effect on students’ inferential comprehension. In Experiment 2, direct effects and near transfer of training were examined. Subjects in Experiment 2 were gifted eighth graders and average-ability tenth graders. Results demonstrated both significant direct effects on students’ performance of verbal analogies of the form A:B::C:? and near transfer to verbal analogies of the form A:B::?:?. Implications for in-class training and for reading/language arts instruction are discussed.
The Enhancement Function of Staff Development: Organizational and Psychological Antecedents to Individual Teacher Change
Authors: Smylie Mark A.
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine previously unexplored relationships among the organizational contexts of schools and classrooms, teachers’ psychological states, and change in individual teacher practice through staff development unassociated with school or district innovation. A path model, based on theories of individual behavior and change within organizations, is presented and tested using a sample of teachers who voluntarily participated in a staff development program aimed solely at improving individual teacher practice. The findings from the path analysis suggest that, in the absence of organizational foci and pressures for change associated with school or district innovation, individual change is a direct function of personal teaching efficacy. The findings suggest indirect influences on individual change of teachers’ certainty about practice, the concentration of low-achieving students in teachers’ classrooms, and the interactions teachers have with their colleagues about instruction. The implications of these findings for efforts to enhance individual teachers’ practice are discussed.
Teaching Problem Solving Through Computer Simulations
Authors: Woodward John , Carnine Douglas , Gersten Russell
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a computer simulation in enhancing student learning in a unit of health. This study involved 30 mildly handicapped students who were randomly assigned to one of two instructional groups: (a) structured teaching and (b) a combination of structured teaching and a computer simulation. Students were taught for 12 consecutive days. The first half of each day’s lesson followed effective teaching practices. The second half was (a) a computer simulation or (b) traditional enrichment and application exercises. Following the last day of instruction, students were tested on basic facts, concepts, and health problem-solving skills. Posttest results indicated significant differences on basic facts and concepts that were reinforced by the simulation (p < .01). These differences were retained on a maintenance test given 2 weeks after the posttest. The most significant differences were on the test that measured problem-solving skills (p < .001). The results show that the combination of structured teaching and a computer simulation was effective in teaching not only factual-level knowledge, but higher cognitive skills as well.
The Effect of Character Sex on Story Interest and Comprehension in Children
Authors: Bleakley Mary Ellen , Westerberg Virginia , Hopkins Kenneth D.
Published: March 2008

The effect of the sex of the main character on boys’ and girls’ reading interest and comprehension was studied for 540 students in grade 5. Each student was randomly assigned one of 18 representative stories from children’s periodicals written at an appropriate readability. There were three stories in each of the three types of stories (mystery, adventure, and humor); each of the nine stories appeared in two versions that were identical except for the sex of the main character. Following the reading of the story, the students completed a measure of interest and two comprehension measures (multiple-choice and cloze tests).

Students were classified by sex into three levels of reading, and a balanced five-factor (reader-sex, sex-of-protagonist, ability-level, type-of-story, and story [nested within type-of-story]) ANOVA was performed for each dependent measure. A strong sex-of-reader by sex-of-main-character interaction was observed on the interest measure. Boys rated stories much less interesting when the main character was female; girls found stories with male protagonists less interesting, although their preferences were much less pronounced. The interaction was evident at each of three levels of reading ability for each story type. The interest pattern did not translate into comprehension differences. On the comprehension measures, the sex of the main character had no significant effects—girls outscored boys, but this pattern was not significantly influenced by the sex of the protagonist.
Application of Cognitive Behavior Modification: First and Third Graders’ Self-Management of Classroom Behaviors
Authors: Manning Brenda H.
Published: March 2008

The intent of this investigation was to apply Meichenbaum’s (1977) theory of cognitive behavior modification (CBM) to 30 first graders and 25 third graders who were exhibiting inappropriate classroom behaviors. Subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups by grade level. The primary objective was to investigate CBM treatment effects on classroom behavior as measured by teacher ratings and treatment-blind observers of on-task ratings and locus-of-control scores. Data were analyzed using independent t tests to compare differences between experimental and control groups, with teacher ratings, observable behaviors, and loci of control serving as the dependent measures. Posttest scores for the three measures yielded significant effects for the CBM (self-instructional) experimental group at immediate and delayed assessments. Findings indicate that CBM may be considered as a classroom management option for regular education.
The Transition From Single-Sex to Coeducational High Schools: Effects on Multiple Dimensions of Self-Concept and on Academic Achievement
Authors: Marsh Herbert W. , Smith Ian D. , Marsh Margaret , Owens Lee
Published: March 2008

Two single-sex (SS) high schools serving the same neighborhood were reorganized to form two coeducational (coed) high schools. Self-concept was measured for all students in grades 7–11 in each of 4 years that spanned the pretransition (Year 1), the transition (Year 2), and the posttransition (Years 3 and 4). For both boys and girls there was a clear increase in multidimensional self-concepts from the pretransition to the posttransition, despite a small decrease in self-concepts for students attending coed classes during the transition year. Sex differences in specific areas of self-concept—those favoring boys and those favoring girls—were unaffected by the transition. Achievement grades from the statewide School Certificate reference examination, awarded to all students at the end of grade 10, were monitored for the same 4 years. Across the 4 years of the study there were no significant differences in either mathematics or English achievement. Girls performed substantially better than boys in English and relatively poorer in mathematics, but the sizes of these differences were unaffected by the transition. The results of the present investigation suggest the benefits of transition to coeducation for both boys and girls in multiple dimensions of self-concept that are not at the expense of academic achievement.
Giving Voice to High School Students: Pressure and Boredom, Ya Know What I’m Sayin’?
Authors: Farrell Edwin , Peguero George , Lindsey Rasheed , White Ronald
Published: March 2008

The concerns of students identified as at-risk of dropping out of school in an urban setting were studied using innovative ethnographic methods. Students from the subject population were hired to act as collaborators rather than informants and to collect taped dialogues between themselves and their peers. As collaborators, they also participated in the analysis of data and contributed to identifying the research questions of the inquiry. Data indicated that pressure and boredom were most often mentioned as negative factors in the lives of the students, with pressure emanating from social forces outside of school but contributing to boredom inside.
Ethnic Similarity, Tutor Expertise, and Tutor Satisfaction in Cross-Age Tutoring
Authors: Fresko Barbara , Chen Michael
Published: March 2008

Path analysis was employed to examine the effects of tutor-tutee ethnic similarity, tutor expertise variables, and perceived goal attainment variables on the satisfaction of college student tutors of disadvantaged elementary school children. Hypotheses were based upon theories of job satisfaction, role modeling, and intragroup conflict, as well as upon past research. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires from 425 tutors participating in a large-scale tutorial project. Results showed the major factor directly influencing satisfaction to be the extent to which tutors felt they had achieved project goals. Ethnic similarity had an indirect impact, whereas expertise manifested both direct and indirect effects.
Parents’ Effects on Academic Grouping for Reading: Three Case Studies
Authors: Goldenberg Claude N.
Published: March 2008

This paper examines parents’ effects on children’s academic group placement. It suggests that parental involvement might affect children’s reading achievement through its effect on a child’s academic grouping. Naturalistic case studies of three Hispanic first graders at risk for reading failure are presented. In two cases, parents facilitated the children’s reading achievement in one, or both, of two ways: through home teaching of the school reading curriculum and behavioral cuing for appropriate classroom behaviors. Observations and interviews suggested that parents’ actions increased children’s reading skill acquisition or motivation, which, in turn, resulted in higher group placement for the children. In the case of the third child, there were no comparable actions by the parents, and the child was placed and kept in a very low reading group. The paper concludes with a consideration of the theoretical and practical implications for the study of home effects on school achievement and the academic achievement of children at risk for failure.
Do Textbooks Dictate the Content of Mathematics Instruction in Elementary Schools?
Authors: Freeman Donald J. , Porter Andrew C.
Published: March 2008

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) describe teachers’ styles of textbook use and (b) examine the overlap between content taught and textbook content in elementary school mathematics. Using daily teacher logs and a three-dimensional classification system as guides, trained raters generated detailed classifications of all problems presented in books and all content presented to students over the course of an entire school year. The results of analyses of overlap between textbook content and content taught challenge the popular notion that elementary school teachers’ content decisions are dictated by the mathematics textbooks they use In each classroom studied, there were important differences between the curriculum of the text and teachers’ topic selection, content emphasis, and sequence of instruction.
Perceived Quality of Academic Advising: The Effect on Freshman Attrition
Authors: Metzner Barbara S.
Published: March 2008

Using data from 1,033 freshmen at a public urban university, this study examined the effect of the perceived quality of academic advising on student attrition in a model of the student attrition process. High-quality advising negatively influenced attrition through effects on GPA, satisfaction in the role of a student, the value of a college education for future employment, and intent to leave the university. Low-quality advising was related to greater attrition than was high-quality advising, but, on the other hand, low-quality advising was associated with less attrition than no advising at all. The effect size of the advising variables suggested that a more extensive provision of high-quality advising might be considered as one strategy in a multifaceted institutional effort to reduce freshman attrition.
Japanese and American Children’s Reasons for the Things They Do In School
Authors: Hamilton V. Lee , Blumenfeld Phyllis C. , Akoh Hiroshi , Miura Kanae
Published: March 2008

Japanese and American children’s reasons for achievement and good conduct in school were compared. Fifth grade children (184 American and 399 Japanese) were asked the reasons for either their actions or their feelings about adhering to or violating classroom norms. Their open-ended responses were assessed both for the type of reason—external, internal, or emphatic—and for its target—authorities (parents, teacher) versus others, such as peers or self We asked about two aspects of achievement (academic performance and academic procedures) and about two aspects of conduct (social procedures and moral norms). A closed-ended questionnaire, Why I Do Things (an early version of Connell and Ryan's Academic Self-Regulatory Style Questionnaire), was also used to assess achievement-related reasons. As expected, Japanese children were less external in both their open-ended reasons for action and their closed-ended responses; on the whole, however, they did not differ from American children where reasons for feelings were at issue. Japanese children also focused on authority figures as targets in their open-ended reasons to a much greater extent than did American children. The difference between countries regarding targets was largest for academic performance norms. The discussion focused on how the findings may reflect stronger identification with adult authority on the part of Japanese children, especially with regard to academic performance.
Vocational Education as Symbolic Action: Connecting Schooling With the Workplace
Authors: Kliebard Herbert M
Published: March 2008

Policy connecting education with the workplace is usually seen as a form of instrumental action. Vocational education, therefore, is commonly justified as either providing individuals with needed skills in order to enter the workforce or as making the United States economically competitive with other nations. The efficacy of these efforts has been called in question; but whatever success vocational education may have achieved in terms of instrumental action, its effects in terms of symbolic action also need to be considered. Symbolic action works not by achieving a defined goal but by organizing allegiances, conferring status, and ratifying certain norms. Under these circumstances, it becomes especially appropriate to ask who benefits from the policy. Vocational education, for example, can be linked to the rise of professionalism, and, therefore, it may be an emerging breed of education professionals who were the primary beneficiaries of the policy. Other significant symbolic effects include the reconciling of a traditional work ethic with a modern industrial system and even the way in which we conceive of the function of schooling itself.
Multidimensional Self-Concepts: Construct Validation of Responses by Children
Authors: Marsh Herbert W , MacDonald Holmes Iain W
Published: March 2008

In the study of self-concept, as in many other areas of psychological research, poor measurement is often a weak link connecting theory, empirical research, and practice. The multidimensionality of self-concept typically is emphasized in most theoretical accounts, but until recently this multidimensionality has not been well represented in the most widely used instruments. The purpose of our investigation is to test the construct validity of preadolescent children’s responses to three instruments that are claimed to measure multiple dimensions of self-concept (e.g., physical, social, and academic): Marsh’s (1988) Self-Description Questionnaire I (SDQI), Harter’s (1979) Perceived Competence Scale (PCS), and the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scales (PH) ( Piers, 1984 ). Tests of this multidimensionality included factor analyses, multitrait-multimethod analyses, and patterns of correlations with academic achievement. Also included was an examination of the use of negatively scored items. The findings strongly supported the SDQI, reasonably supported the PCS, and weakly supported the PH.
Success for All: First-Year Outcomes of a Comprehensive Plan for Reforming Urban Education
Authors: Slavin Robert E. , Madden Nancy A. , Karweit Nancy L. , Livermon Barbara J. , Dolan Lawrence
Published: March 2008

This article reports the first year's outcomes of Success for All, a program designed to bring all children to grade level in basic skills by the third grade. The program uses one-to-one tutoring, research-based reading methods, frequent assessment, enhanced preschool and kindergarten programs, family support, and other interventions to prevent learning problems from developing. An evaluation of the program in an inner-city elementary school found substantially enhanced language skills among preschool and kindergarteners and reading skills among students in Grades 1–3 in comparison to matched controls. Special education referrals and retentions in grade were also substantially reduced. Implications of the findings for compensatory and special education are discussed.
Costs, Effects, and Utility of Microcomputer Assisted Instruction in the Classroom
Authors: Fletcher JD , Hawley David E , Piele Philip K
Published: March 2008

The costs, effects, and utility of mathematics instruction assisted by microcomputer presentations were compared with those of conventional classroom approaches for grades 3 and 5. In both grades, students who received microcomputer assisted instruction scored significantly higher on a standard test of total mathematics achievement and on a test of computer literacy than did those who received conventional instruction. Students in all groups scored about the same on a survey of mathematics attitudes. In grade 3 the cost per month of grade placement gain in total mathematics was about $20 per student for microcomputer assisted instruction and $33 per student for conventional instruction. These costs were about $17 and $27, respectively, in grade 5. Based on utility ratings obtained from school board members, microcomputer assisted instruction was found to have greater cost utility in both grades. Given the results reported here and by Levin, a strong case is suggested for the cost-effectiveness of grouping students on microcomputers located in classrooms.
Political System Theory as an Explanatory Paradigm for Teacher Education Reform
Authors: Prestine Nona A.
Published: March 2008

Much of the “first wave” of educational reforms of the 1980s focused on teacher preparation programs. This study examines the conflict that developed between the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the state Department of Public Instruction for control of the teacher education program. A relevant history of the issue and chronology of events are first presented. Data are then analyzed using a political systems framework. Themes emerging as significant include internal institutional variables (role of the organizational saga, isolation and insularity, pluralistic membership of the School of Education, and decentralization), external environmental forces (general public mood, lack of support from significant external groups, formation of a coalition of interest groups, and the role of the State Superintendent), and political processes (variable conditions causing stress for the system and system attempts at coping with responding to stress). Conclusions and implications are presented and discussed in terms of political and governance ramifications for the teacher preparation programs.
Failure of High-Ability High Schools to Deliver Academic Benefits Commensurate With Their Students’ Ability Levels
Authors: Marsh Herbert W.
Published: March 2008

Emphasizing a psychological perspective of social comparison processes, the author ( Marsh, 1987 ; Marsh & Parker, 1984 ) found school-average ability to be negatively associated with academic self-concepts. Emphasizing a sociological perspective of school context effects, Alwin and Otto (1977) reported school-average ability to be negatively associated with educational and occupational aspirations. The present investigation brings together these two related areas of research, extends the diversity of outcomes considered, and expands the theoretical frameworks considered. In a longitudinal analysis of the ‘ ‘High School and Beyond” data, the effect of school-average ability on a comprehensive set of academic outcomes (e.g., standardized test scores, self-concept, coursework selection, academic effort, school grades, educational and occupational aspirations, and college attendance) was measured in the sophomore and senior years of high school, and two years after high school graduation. The influence of school-average ability was not positive for any of the outcomes at any point in time and was modestly negative for some. The academic outcomes associated with attending higher-ability schools were not commensurate with the ability levels of students attending these schools, and no academic advantages of such schools were observed for any outcomes. The negative effects of school-average ability were primarily mediated by academic self-concept and educational aspirations.
Narrative Discourse and Teacher Knowledge
Authors: Nespor Jan , Barylske Judith
Published: March 2008

This article looks at teacher knowledge as a joint construction of teachers and researchers. It focuses on narrative discourse as a representational medium for formulating knowledge in the specific setting of the research interview. The article analyzes the contrasting narrative practices of two teachers in terms of how they formulate versions of self. These practices are seen as differentially situating the two teachers in terms of the large-scale research networks within which knowledge is constituted.
The Relation Between Self-Selected Study Processes and Test Performance
Authors: Nist Sherrie L. , Simpson Michele L. , Olejnik Stephen , Mealey Donna L.
Published: March 2008

This investigation used correlational methods in a realistic setting to examine the relation between test performance and four study processes that subjects self-selected: encoding, word meaning, organizing, and executive control. The participants were 123 university freshmen who were trained over a 5-week period to use a variety of study strategies. Then, for 5 weeks following training, subjects self-selected study processes and the strategies associated with these processess as they learned information from three content area chapters. For each chapter, subjects were tested and were required to provide evidence of the processes in which they engaged by submitting the strategies to the researchers. These strategies were then coded, and descriptive data, frequencies, correlations, and regression analyses were computed. The study provided a comprehensive picture of college students’ choice of study processes. Two major findings emerged about subjects’ self-selection processes: (a) executive control is related to test performance, and (b) those who are trained select a variety of strategies differentially.
Restructuring Urban Schools: The New Futures Experience
Authors: Wehlage Gary , Smith Gregory , Lipman Pauline
Published: March 2008

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s New Futures Initiative is an effort to increase the life chances of disadvantaged youth by promoting institutional change in the schools and other youth-serving agencies in several medium-sized communities. The research reported here was conducted over the first three years of the five-year initiative and focuses only on the educational portion of New Futures. The findings are not conclusions about the effectiveness of New Futures, but rather they offer a mid-point assessment of attempts at restructuring a set of targeted schools to better serve at-risk students. In general, it was found that educational initiatives have not yet stimulated the restructuring of these schools. For the most part, interventions were supplemental and left the basic activities and practices of schools unaltered. Little change could be found in the social relations between educators and students; curriculum and instruction left students unengaged in serious academic work; new roles for teachers and administrators largely failed to materialize; and schools were unable to find ways of collaborating with other institutions, both public and private, to strengthen their educational resources. Despite these disappointing findings, New Futures has succeeded in bringing together most of the major stakeholders concerned with youth in each community. Important dialogue has developed, and the inadequacies of the first set of interventions appear to have stimulated a reconsideration of how to change schools to make them substantially more effective. Finally, the need for a policy-making collaborative responsive to the problems of youth has been recognized.
Participation and Withdrawal Among Fourth-Grade Pupils
Authors: Finn Jeremy D. , Cox Deborah
Published: March 2008

Pupil participation in elementary school classrooms is essential for learning to occur, while nonparticipation in early grades can initiate a cycle that culminates in total withdrawal—dropping out—in later years. This study explores the nature of participation and nonparticipation among fourth-grade students. A sample of 1388 youngsters was rated by their teachers on a questionnaire assessing nonparticipatory behavior, minimal adequate effort, and initiative-taking behavior. Based on the ratings, three groups were formed: active participants, passive participants, and nonparticipating students. The groups were compared on demographic characteristics, attendance, achievement, and self-concept for the the preceding 3 years. Participation groups were clearly distinct on the achievement measures since first grade, and they maintained those distinctions over time. It is concluded that youngsters who withdraw from participation in the classroom should be identified at the earliest possible time to attempt to avert the harmful effects that may ensue.
Immigrants’ Aspirations, High School Process, and Academic Outcomes
Authors: Duran Bernadine J. , Weffer Rafaela E.
Published: March 2008

Previous research on the high school achievement of Mexican Americans has documented substantial under achievement. However, recent immigrants appear to be achieving at a somewhat higher level. In a longitudinal study, we examined the school experience of talented immigrant students to identify the behavioral process by which they became successful. We found that family educational values had an important effect on achievement when these values translated into participation in a math/science enrichment program, which led to substantial gains on related ACT subtests. We also found that scores on ACT-Natural Sciences were strongly related to length of U. S. residence. Length of residence affected reading skills, and poor readers took fewer advanced science courses. The significance of “extra learning” to underachievers is discussed. We concluded that, although immigrant students achieved below their native-born counterparts prior to high school, their strategies for increasing learning during high school enabled them to perform better on standardized achievement tests, though not on grade point average.
Qualitative Analysis as a Public Event: The Documentation of Category Development Procedures
Authors: Constas Mark A.
Published: March 2008

Although the use of qualitative methods has increased greatly in popularity, many still question the defensibility of the qualitative orientation. It is argued here that questions concerning the credibility and status of qualitative inquiry are related to the privatization of qualitative analysis. The particular area of qualitative analysis I focus on is the process of category development. It is my argument that qualitative researchers must make all aspects of their analysis open to public inspection. In order to achieve this objective, I propose a two-dimensional model designed to facilitate the documentation of procedures used to generate categories. The domain representing the first dimension specifies the various components or actions associated with the development of categories. The second domain addresses the temporal aspects of category development. The intersection of these two analytical domains forms a two-dimensional table that may be used to document the nature of the analytical actions employed in a given study. An empirical example is presented with the intention of illustrating the utility of the approach. The implications of this approach, and some possible criticisms, are considered.
Personal History-Based Beliefs as Relevant Prior Knowledge in Course Work
Authors: Holt-Reynolds Diane
Published: March 2008

This study explores the relationship between the personal history-based beliefs preservice teachers brought to their study of teaching and the principles of reading, writing, and discussing to learn that one professor advocated. This analysis represents an effort to look closely at how preservice teachers use the knowledge they bring with them from their lives as students to make decisions while engaged in course work about the value of ideas they hear there. This study documents (a) the lay theories and beliefs that participants had developed out of their personal history-based experiences, (b) the decisions that participants made about the potential value of the principles of good instruction encountered as part of their course work, and (c) the relationship between their personal history-based beliefs and those decisions as explained by each preservice teacher.
Family and High School Experience Influences on the Postsecondary Educational Plans of Ninth-Grade Students
Authors: Hossler Don , Stage Frances K.
Published: March 2008

The objectives of this study were to review the current literature on status attainment and student college choice and to develop and test a structural model of predisposition to attend college. Family and student background characteristics, parents’ educational expectations for students, level of student involvement in school, and student achievement were cited as influences on students’ predisposition toward postsecondary education and were the chief components of the model. Data from 2,497 ninth-grade students and their parents were used to test the model using LISREL. Parents’ expectations exerted the strongest influence throughout the model. Parents’ education, student gender, high school GPA, and high school experiences also contributed significantly in explaining students’ aspirations.
School Matters in the Mexican-American Home: Socializing Children to Education
Authors: Delgado-Gaitan Concha
Published: March 2008

This study describes family interaction, depicting home socialization around education issues in six families in a California community. Departing from the deficit hypothesis applied to Mexican-American families, I assert that the strengths of the family, as portrayed in the tradition of social science theory, have important relevance to education. A close-range examination of the home interactional environment revealed three significant components leading to an understanding of the strengths of the family. These components were physical resources, emotional climate, and interpersonal interactions. Physical resources available to the parents extended beyond space, time, and disciplinary boundaries in the home. The parents’ social linkages outside the home served to facilitate an exchange of information about children’s schooling issues. Parents provided children with the emotional support that encouraged them to value education. The common thread with all parents was that they cared about their children’s education. However, the ways in which they exercised their roles varied, especially in reference to parent-child interactions involving homework, which were directly related to parents’ cultural knowledge about school.
Reading and Writing of First-Grade Students in a Restructured Chapter 1 Program
Authors: Hiebert Elfrieda H. , Colt Jacalyn M. , Catto Sharon L. , Gury Ellen C.
Published: March 2008

Studies that demonstrate effective Chapter 1 programs have been few. This project examined the effects of focused Chapter 1 instruction on first-grade students’ literacy. Three perspectives on students’ end-of-the-year reading and writing performances showed that (a) the majority of project students could read a primer text or higher fluently; (b) students in the restructured Chapter 1 program had significantly higher performances than students in the district’s regular Chapter 1 program; and (c) students in the restructured Chapter 1 who had begun first grade with significantly lower readiness scores than all groups of classmates were performing comparable to students in the middle of the class. The discussion raises questions about sustenance of student growth and teacher practices and proposes directions for Chapter 1.
Characteristics of Classroom Mathematics Traditions: An Interactional Analysis
Authors: Cobb Paul , Wood Terry , Yackel Erna , McNeal Betsy
Published: March 2008

In this paper, we attempt to clarify what it means to teach mathematics for understanding and to learn mathematics with understanding. To this end, we present an interactional analysis of transcribed video recordings of two lessons that occurred in different elementary school classrooms. The lessons, which are representative of a much larger data corpus, were selected because both focus on place value numeration and involve the use of similar manipulative materials. The analysis draws on Much and Shewder’s (1978) identification of five qualitatively distinct types of classroom norms and pays particular attention to the mathematical explanations and justifications that occurred during the lessons. In one classroom, the teacher and students appeared consistently to constitute mathematics as the activity of following procedural instructions in the course of their moment by moment interactions. The analysis of the other classroom indicated that the teacher and students constituted mathematical truths as they coconstructed a mathematical reality populated by experientially real, manipulable yet abstract mathematical objects. These and other differences between mathematical activity in the two classrooms characterize two distinct classroom mathematics traditions, one in which mathematics was learned with what is typically called understanding and the other in which it was not.
Developing the Potential for Collaborative School Leadership
Authors: Clift Renee , Johnson Marlene , Holland Patricia , Veal Mary Lou
Published: March 2008

Role interactions among teams from five schools and one university team are discussed within the context of a collaborative project entitled “Time for Reflection: A Project in Collaborative Leadership for Working More Effectively in Multicultural Settings.” Interactions were coded into the categories of role ambiguity; negotiation; conflict; overload; and consensus among teachers, principals, and university staff members. Although no dramatic changes in role definition were documented, a general progression from ambiguity to consensus on the value of teacher participation in school-wide decision making was noted across all five schools. Rate and character of change were affected by district policies, administrative support within each building, and negotiations with the university team.
Teaching-Method Scales and Mathematics-Class Achievement: What Works With Different Outcomes?
Authors: Hafner Anne L.
Published: March 2008

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of mathematics-specific teaching practices on class-level mathematics achievement. Five teaching-method scales were generated from the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) teacher survey data and examined in relation to eighth-grade class achievement in algebra, geometry, and fractions, and achievement on items of low, medium, and high complexity. Major findings indicate that classes with high-socioeconomic-status (SES) and high-ability students tend to receive teaching practices that focus on “show and tell” and “inference” activities, practices that predict high opportunity to learn (OTL) and high achievement. Further, regression analyses show that after controlling for prior class achievement, SES, class type, and OTL, “show and tell” practices predict achievement on medium to difficult complexity items, and “inference” activities predict geometry achievement and achievement on highly complex items. “Comparison,” “eclectic,” and “abstract” practices generally predict low achievement. Teaching-scale scores have a much greater influence on complexity-level (process) outcomes than on content outcomes. Research evidence and current thinking that holds that specific teaching practices are unrelated to achievement may be premature because they were based on the use of limited outcome measures. Process outcomes that measure level of performance may provide more guidance than content outcomes on the development of research models for mathematics teaching and learning.
Managing Adolescent Behavior A Multiyear, Multischool Study
Authors: Gottfredson Denise C. , Gottfredson Gary D. , Hybl Lois G.
Published: March 2008

A 3-year study in eight middle schools tested a program to improve adolescent conduct. The program sought to increase clarity of school rules and consistency of rule enforcement, improve classroom organization and management, increase the frequency of communication with the home regarding student behavior, and increase reinforcement of appropriate behavior. An organization development approach provided a context to achieve strong implementation by increasing communication, collaboration, and planning at the school level. The strength and fidelity of implementation differed across schools. In schools in which the program was well-implemented student conduct improved significantly.
The Use of Students’ Evaluations and an Individually Structured Intervention to Enhance University Teaching Effectiveness
Authors: Marsh Herbert W. , Roche Lawrence
Published: March 2008

The present investigation evaluates the effectiveness of students’ evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETs) as a means for enhancing university teaching. We emphasize the multidimensionality of SETs, an Australian version of the Students’ Evaluations of Educational Quality ( Marsh, 1987 ) instrument (ASEEQ), and Wilson’s (1986) feedback/consultation intervention. All teachers (N = 92) completed self-evaluation surveys and were evaluated by students at the middle of Semester 1 and at the ends of Semesters 1 and 2. Three randomly assigned groups received the feedback/consultation intervention at midterm of Semester 1 (MT), at the end of Semester 1 (ET), or received no intervention (control). Each MT and ET teacher ‘‘targeted” specific ASEEQ dimensions that were the focus of his or her individually structured intervention. The ratings for all groups improved over time, but only ratings for the ET group improved significantly more than those in the control group. For both ET and MT groups, targeted dimensions improved more than nontargeted dimensions. The results suggest that SET feedback coupled with consultation is an effective means to improve teaching effectiveness, and the study provides one model for feedback/consultation.
Content-Knowledge Acquisition During Undergraduate Teacher Education: Overcoming Cultural Templates and Learning Through Practice
Authors: Rovegno Inez
Published: March 2008

This article describes aspects of physical education teacher education (PETE) that 12 participants reported were instrumental in the development of understanding of and commitment to a movement approach. The movement approach was a constructivist and developmental approach that was discrepant from the participants’ prior knowledge of curriculum. Based on in-depth interviews, observations of teaching and coursework, and documents, 12 case studies were prepared. Students’ understanding and commitment developed through a critique of K–12 experiences, learning to read the political text of their subject matter, confronting negative stereotypes of physical educators, understanding the movement approach as a program that they could be proud of, feeling part of a bigger collective mission to bring better physical education to children, and learning through practical experiences. Coursework gave students a broader context for interpreting field experiences and served as a catalyst for the power of learning through doing, whereas learning through doing instantiated and integrated theory learned at the university.
The Multidimensional Structure of Academic Self-Concept: Invariance Over Gender and Age
Authors: Marsh Herbert W.
Published: March 2008

The present investigation supports the gender-invariant model of relations between math, verbal, academic, and general self-concepts. No support was found for the gender-stereotypic model that posits that academic and general self-concepts are more highly related to math self-concept for boys and are more highly related to verbal self-concept for girls. Extending the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach to factorial invariance, the structure of academic self-concept (factor loadings, factor correlations, and factor variances) was invariant across eight groups (2 gender × 4 adolescent ages; total N = 4,000). This strong support for the factorial invariance of responses to the Self-Description Questionnaire II provides good support for the comparison of mean scores over gender and age. The methodological approach has important implications for the study of individual differences in the structure of educational measures.
The Nature of Student Interactions During Peer Tutoring With and Without Prior Training and Experience
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Fuchs Douglas , Bentz Johnell , Phillips Norris B. , Hamlett Carol L.
Published: March 2008

This study examined the effects of previous training and experience in peer tutoring on the nature of student interactions. Sixteen classrooms were assigned randomly to two treatments: with and without previous training and experience in peer tutoring. Peer-tutoring teachers taught students a structured, interactional, explanatory verbal rehearsal routine that incorporated step-by-step feedback. Peer tutoring was implemented on a mathematics operations curriculum twice weekly for 10 weeks. Each teacher had identified an average achiever and a low achiever to serve, respectively, as the tutor and the tutee during peer-tutoring generalization sessions. Videotapes were analyzed at three levels: microlevel quantifications, global ratings, and transcripts of representative dyads. Across levels of analysis and across operations and applications content, experienced dyads provided explanations in a more interactional style that incorporated sounder instructional principles. As revealed in the transcripts, however, the nature of student explanations in both conditions was primarily algorithmic rather than conceptual.
Guiding Knowledge Construction in the Classroom: Effects of Teaching Children How to Question and How to Explain
Authors: King Alison
Published: March 2008

Following teacher-presented science lessons, pairs of fourth and fifth graders studied the material by asking and answering each others’ self-generated questions. In one condition students’ discussion was guided by questions designed to promote connections among ideas within a lesson. In a second condition discussion was guided by similar lesson-based questions as well as ones intended to access prior knowledge/experience and promote connections between the lesson and that knowledge. All students were trained to generate explanations (one manifestation of complex knowledge construction). Analysis of post-lesson knowledge maps and verbal interaction during study showed that students trained to ask both kinds of questions engaged in more complex knowledge construction than those trained in lesson-based questioning only and controls. These findings, together with performance on comprehension tests for material studied, support the conclusion that, although both kinds of questions induce complex knowledge construction, questions designed to access prior knowledge/experience are more effective in enhancing learning.