title: Practice Makes the Difference: The Effect of Rate-Building and Rate-Controlled Practice on Retention

authors: McGregor, Susan Jennifer

subjects: Pecision Teaching

abstract: Six home-schooled students and one adult participant each initially practiced to accuracy two decks of five previously unknown multiplication facts. The decks were yoked for practice and reinforcement. Once accurate performance was achieved, overpractice was undertaken using custom computer software that allowed either fast (free-operant) or rate controlled responding. Rate-building practice, to an established fluency performance standard, was used with one deck while practice with the other deck was rate-controlled.  The number of times a fact was practiced was the same for both methods. Response rate and accuracy was assessed after training to accuracy, at the end of overpractice and after 4  and 8-weeks of no practice. The assessment at the end of rate-building confirmed that rate building resulted in fast and accurate responding. It also confirmed that, for the rate controlled facts, response rates did not meet the fluency performance standard. However, the 4- and 8-week retention assessments showed no consistent differences in accuracy or response rate between the rate-controlled and rate built decks. After 8 weeks without practice, performance on the rate-built deck was not significantly different to that prior to rate building. These results suggest that practice to fluency does not lead to superior retention when compared to the same amount of rate-controlled practice. The results also indicate that when a skill is practiced to fluency, a period without practice leads to deterioration, to pre-rate-building levels, of accuracy and response rate. This study highlights the need for research examining the role of maintenance in the effectiveness of fluency based learning like Precision Teaching.

text: Practice Makes the Difference: The Effect of Rate-Building and Rate-Controlled Practice on Retention Six home-schooled students and one adult participant each initially practiced to accuracy two decks of five previously unknown multiplication facts. The decks were yoked for practice and reinforcement. Once accurate performance was achieved, overpractice was undertaken using custom computer software that allowed either fast (free-operant) or rate controlled responding. Rate-building practice, to an established fluency performance standard, was used with one deck while practice with the other deck was rate-controlled.  The number of times a fact was practiced was the same for both methods. Response rate and accuracy was assessed after training to accuracy, at the end of overpractice and after 4  and 8-weeks of no practice. The assessment at the end of rate-building confirmed that rate building resulted in fast and accurate responding. It also confirmed that, for the rate controlled facts, response rates did not meet the fluency performance standard. However, the 4- and 8-week retention assessments showed no consistent differences in accuracy or response rate between the rate-controlled and rate built decks. After 8 weeks without practice, performance on the rate-built deck was not significantly different to that prior to rate building. These results suggest that practice to fluency does not lead to superior retention when compared to the same amount of rate-controlled practice. The results also indicate that when a skill is practiced to fluency, a period without practice leads to deterioration, to pre-rate-building levels, of accuracy and response rate. This study highlights the need for research examining the role of maintenance in the effectiveness of fluency based learning like Precision Teaching.

year: 2006

title: An investigation into the benefits of peer coaching: Students supporting students

authors: Hooker, Tracey Ann

subjects: Peer Coaching

abstract: There have been many studies carried out which investigate the concepts of coaching and mentoring (Lu, 2010) but there is often confusion between the two models as no clear classification between coaching and mentoring is provided (Fletcher, 2007). This highlights the importance of finding a definition of coaching or mentoring that fits the particular aim of the situation or study. The peer coaching partnerships in this study are reciprocal relationships with another person where issues can be discussed, goals set and solutions found (Robertson, 2005). These relationships develop into ones based on trust and respect where effective and open dialogue is established (Buzbee-Little, 2005; Robertson 2005; Slater & Simmons, 2001). This mixed methods research is located in the tertiary education sector where a group of student teachers studying on a field-based initial teacher education programme (Early Childhood Education) are about to set out on a peer coaching journey. Students undertaking a field-based programme of study face somewhat different pressures to their pre-service colleagues. One of the main differences is the fact that most students undertaking field-based training in early childhood education also work in the early childhood settings where the complete their practicum’s (the practical competent of the training programme) for up to four days per week (Bell, 2004; Kane, Burke, Cullen, et al., 2005). Within this practicum setting it is often difficult for students to differentiate between when they are wearing their ‘student hat’ and when they are wearing their ‘employee hat’. One of the benefits of a peer coaching partnership for field-based initial teacher education students could be extra support from someone who is facing the same situation outside of the tertiary provider. The participant’s peer coaching stories are told through narratives as they embark on their peer coaching journeys, continue on these journeys as peer coaching in action and then reach the conclusion of this phase of their peer coaching partnerships. The research investigates how students are supported at tertiary level when involved in peer coaching partnerships and whether both partners identify the same benefits. The factors which the participants think are important to maintain successful peer coaching partnerships are also examined. Previous studies have found many benefits of peer coaching. These include being able to give something back, providing encouragement and support and learning from each other, and are well documented in the coaching literature as being consistent benefits of peer coaching (Anderson, Barksdale, & Hite, 2005; Donegan, Ostrosky & Fowler, 2000; Swafford, 1998). This study, however, indicates that there are other benefits of being involved in a peer coaching partnership as a tertiary student. Having someone to ask the ‘silly’ questions, increased communication skills, the importance of training and pairings and the use of technology to enhance the partnerships were all identified as benefits by the participants. It is evident that there are significant benefits for tertiary students to be involved in a peer coaching partnership, and in fact that these relationships can contribute to successful study and student retention. By providing another means of support for tertiary students in a field-based initial teacher education programme retention rates can be increased. The participants in this study all agreed that peer coaching is an effective support network for tertiary students if the right training is given, if students are involved for the right reasons and if pairings are made thoughtfully by the facilitator.

text: An investigation into the benefits of peer coaching: Students supporting students There have been many studies carried out which investigate the concepts of coaching and mentoring (Lu, 2010) but there is often confusion between the two models as no clear classification between coaching and mentoring is provided (Fletcher, 2007). This highlights the importance of finding a definition of coaching or mentoring that fits the particular aim of the situation or study. The peer coaching partnerships in this study are reciprocal relationships with another person where issues can be discussed, goals set and solutions found (Robertson, 2005). These relationships develop into ones based on trust and respect where effective and open dialogue is established (Buzbee-Little, 2005; Robertson 2005; Slater & Simmons, 2001). This mixed methods research is located in the tertiary education sector where a group of student teachers studying on a field-based initial teacher education programme (Early Childhood Education) are about to set out on a peer coaching journey. Students undertaking a field-based programme of study face somewhat different pressures to their pre-service colleagues. One of the main differences is the fact that most students undertaking field-based training in early childhood education also work in the early childhood settings where the complete their practicum’s (the practical competent of the training programme) for up to four days per week (Bell, 2004; Kane, Burke, Cullen, et al., 2005). Within this practicum setting it is often difficult for students to differentiate between when they are wearing their ‘student hat’ and when they are wearing their ‘employee hat’. One of the benefits of a peer coaching partnership for field-based initial teacher education students could be extra support from someone who is facing the same situation outside of the tertiary provider. The participant’s peer coaching stories are told through narratives as they embark on their peer coaching journeys, continue on these journeys as peer coaching in action and then reach the conclusion of this phase of their peer coaching partnerships. The research investigates how students are supported at tertiary level when involved in peer coaching partnerships and whether both partners identify the same benefits. The factors which the participants think are important to maintain successful peer coaching partnerships are also examined. Previous studies have found many benefits of peer coaching. These include being able to give something back, providing encouragement and support and learning from each other, and are well documented in the coaching literature as being consistent benefits of peer coaching (Anderson, Barksdale, & Hite, 2005; Donegan, Ostrosky & Fowler, 2000; Swafford, 1998). This study, however, indicates that there are other benefits of being involved in a peer coaching partnership as a tertiary student. Having someone to ask the ‘silly’ questions, increased communication skills, the importance of training and pairings and the use of technology to enhance the partnerships were all identified as benefits by the participants. It is evident that there are significant benefits for tertiary students to be involved in a peer coaching partnership, and in fact that these relationships can contribute to successful study and student retention. By providing another means of support for tertiary students in a field-based initial teacher education programme retention rates can be increased. The participants in this study all agreed that peer coaching is an effective support network for tertiary students if the right training is given, if students are involved for the right reasons and if pairings are made thoughtfully by the facilitator.

year: 2011

title: Collective Indigenous approaches to centring Pacific voices of leadership for our futures

authors: Uasike Allen, JM

abstract: Education systems in western nations are often built on a long history of centralising the western canon of knowledge and colonial norms. These norms are perpetuated and reinforced via western research which amplifies the voices of the dominant, while working to silence the values, practices, and knowledges of minority groups. As a colonial nation, Aotearoa New Zealand continues to be impacted by its colonial histories, where colonial (read white) ways of being, knowing, and understanding dominate initial teacher education, schools, tertiary institutions, research, and our everyday lives. However, within education and research more generally, Indigenous and Pacific researchers and practitioners have been working hard to carve out space in institutions to challenge colonial hierarchies of knowledge and make space for Indigenous ways of being, knowing, seeing, doing, and feeling. This article contributes to the work being done by Indigenous and Pacific scholars in Aotearoa New Zealand by detailing our collective, relational approach to convening the special issue of Shifting the System for the Ethnographic Edge journal. Convening a special issue is not unique and groups of academics do it regularly across a range of academic journals and fields. However, our experiences of convening this special issue were quite different. Here we share the journey and reflect on how our focus on privileging the often-marginalised voices of Pacific school leaders was underpinned by an Indigenous, collective approach embedded in the pedagogical practice of Indigenous Storywork. Employing collaborative critical autoethnography, we articulate the ways in which our engagement with each other and the authors within this special issue disrupted western power relations often present in interactions between ‘researchers’ within the university and ‘practitioners’ at the coalface. Furthermore, we demonstrate how engaging in relational practices builds a space that encourages the principles of respect, responsibility, reverence, reciprocity, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy.

text: Collective Indigenous approaches to centring Pacific voices of leadership for our futures Education systems in western nations are often built on a long history of centralising the western canon of knowledge and colonial norms. These norms are perpetuated and reinforced via western research which amplifies the voices of the dominant, while working to silence the values, practices, and knowledges of minority groups. As a colonial nation, Aotearoa New Zealand continues to be impacted by its colonial histories, where colonial (read white) ways of being, knowing, and understanding dominate initial teacher education, schools, tertiary institutions, research, and our everyday lives. However, within education and research more generally, Indigenous and Pacific researchers and practitioners have been working hard to carve out space in institutions to challenge colonial hierarchies of knowledge and make space for Indigenous ways of being, knowing, seeing, doing, and feeling. This article contributes to the work being done by Indigenous and Pacific scholars in Aotearoa New Zealand by detailing our collective, relational approach to convening the special issue of Shifting the System for the Ethnographic Edge journal. Convening a special issue is not unique and groups of academics do it regularly across a range of academic journals and fields. However, our experiences of convening this special issue were quite different. Here we share the journey and reflect on how our focus on privileging the often-marginalised voices of Pacific school leaders was underpinned by an Indigenous, collective approach embedded in the pedagogical practice of Indigenous Storywork. Employing collaborative critical autoethnography, we articulate the ways in which our engagement with each other and the authors within this special issue disrupted western power relations often present in interactions between ‘researchers’ within the university and ‘practitioners’ at the coalface. Furthermore, we demonstrate how engaging in relational practices builds a space that encourages the principles of respect, responsibility, reverence, reciprocity, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy.

year: 2022