The author suggests that we apply recent research knowledge to improve our conceptualization, measures, and methodology for studying the effects of teachers’ professional development on teachers and students. She makes the case that there is a research consensus to support the use of a set of core features and a common conceptual framework in professional development impact studies. She urges us to move away from automatic biases either for or against observation, interviews, or surveys in such studies. She argues that the use of a common conceptual framework would elevate the quality of professional development studies and subsequently the general understanding of how best to shape and implement teacher learning opportunities for the maximum benefit of both teachers and students.

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Improving Impact Studies of Teachers’ Professional Development: Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures

The measurement of meaning

Equality of Educational Opportunity.

This paper examines interrelations between biological and social influences on the development of self-regulation in young children and considers implications of these interrelations for the promotion of self-regulation and positive adaptation to school. Emotional development and processes of emotion regulation are seen as influencing and being influenced by the development of executive cognitive functions, including working memory, inhibitory control, and mental flexibility important for the effortful regulation of attention and behavior. Developing self-regulation is further understood to reflect an emerging balance between processes of emotional arousal and cognitive regulation. Early childhood educational programs that effectively link emotional and motivational arousal with activities designed to exercise and promote executive functions can be effective in enhancing self-regulation, school readiness, and school success.

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Biological processes in prevention and intervention: The promotion of self-regulation as a means of preventing school failure

Handbook of motivation at school

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of Bandura's (1997) theorized sources of self-efficacy on the academic and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs of 3rd-grade elementary school students (N = 395) in France, to examine whether classroom context might explain a significant portion of the variation in self-efficacy, and to assess whether these sources differ as a function of sex. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that mastery experience, social persuasions, and mean classroom-level self-efficacy predicted mathematics self-efficacy. Mastery experience, social persuasions, physiological state, and mean classroom-level self-efficacy predicted French self-efficacy. All 4 sources predicted self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in both subjects, with the exception of vicarious experience in French. Classroom-level variables did not predict self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in either subject. Boys outperformed girls in mathematics and reported higher mathematics self-efficacy, self-regulatory efficacy, mastery experience, social persuasions, and lower physiological arousal. In French, girls outperformed boys but reported lower self-efficacy. Findings support and refine the theoretical tenets of Bandura's social cognitive theory

Sources of self-efficacy: An investigation of elementary school students in France.

According to self-determination theory, when teachers establish an autonomy supportive climate in the classroom, students demonstrate high levels of self-determination and are intrinsically motivated. The aim of this study was to identify factors leading teachers (N=336) to report that they create such a climate. We conducted a path analysis in order to examine the respective roles of teachers’ implicit theories, their seniority, and their perceptions of pressures at work. We also attempted to find out whether these personal and contextual variables have a direct influence or are mediated by teachers’ self-efficacy. Our first finding was that a theory of academic ability as a fixed trait caused a drop in the teachers’ reported support for autonomy. On the other hand, the belief that academic abilities can be improved through students’ own efforts indirectly favored an autonomy supportive climate by acting positively on the teachers’ self-efficacy. Also, seniority had a significant positive effect on autonomy support that was direct, but was also mediated by self-efficacy. Finally, perceived pressures had a negative impact on reported autonomy support, but their influence was also mediated by self-efficacy.

Impact of teachers’ implicit theories and perceived pressures on the establishment of an autonomy supportive climate

La recherche sur les effets des ecoles et des maitres a connu un essor important dans les pays anglo-saxons, aux Etats-Unis tout d'abord, a partir des annees 60, en Grande-Bretagne ensuite a la fin des annees 70, pour connaitre plus recemment des developpements dans d'autres pays tels que les Pays-Bas, le Canada, l'Australie... (MORTIMORE, 1991). Ce type de recherche s'attache, de maniere resolument empirique, a l'etude des variations des acquisitions des eleves en fonction de l'ecole ou de la classe ou ils sont scolarises et a la recherche des facteurs qui sont susceptibles d'expliquer ces variations. Il est postule que tout ne se reduit pas a une situation unique entre un maitre particulier et des eleves particuliers, et qu'il doit etre possible de deceler des facteurs qui, dans certains contextes, sont generalement associes a de meilleures acquisitions des eleves. Il ne s'agit pourtant pas de rechercher des lois immuables sur l'enseignement mais plutot de rechercher des relations dont la stabilite et la generalisabilite sont elles-memes objets d'investigation. L'idee sous-jacente est que, si l'on peut deceler des maitres plus efficaces que d'autres, ou bien des ecoles plus efficaces que d'autres, ainsi que les facteurs qui y sont associes, alors l'ecole n'est pas que le simple revelateur des inegalites sociales de reussite scolaire, mais elle a un poids specifique, et il est des lors possible d'ameliorer les acquisitions d'un grand nombre d'eleves, en particulier ceux issus des classes sociales defavorisees. Cette note de synthese n'a pas pour ambition de fournir une liste exhaustive de l'ensemble des travaux realises dans le domaine de la recherche sur les effets des ecoles et des classes mais plutot d'en montrer les resultats marquants et egalement les limites. Nous verrons dans un premier temps les recherches qui ont porte sur les effets-maitres, puis dans un deuxieme temps les recherches qui ont porte sur les effets-ecoles. Il peut sembler arbitraire de separer les effets-ecoles et les effets-maitres, puisque les deux sont intimement lies : les maitres enseignent dans des ecoles et celles-ci refletent au moins pour partie ce qui se passe dans les classes. Il s'agit cependant de deux courants de recherche distincts, qui se sont developpes de facon relativement autonome. La derniere partie sera consacree a l'etude des limites de ces travaux, notamment en termes de stabilite et de generalisabilite des resultats et aux liens entre effets-ecoles et effets-maitres. La majeure partie des references seront anglo-saxonnes, mais nous pointerons egalement les quelques travaux francais realises dans ce domaine. Ce courant de recherche est encore tres peu developpe en France. Il y a sans doute deux raisons principales a ce fait : Tout d'abord, la recherche en education en France a ete profondement marquee par

Note de synthèse: Les recherches sur les effets-écoles et les effets-maîtres

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Modélisation statistique appliquée aux sciences sociales

The purpose of this study was to explore whether, in naturalistic physical education classes, the relation between teachers' early expectations and students' later perceived competence was moderated by the extent to which the motivational climate created by the teachers was autonomy supportive. Using a 1-year longitudinal design, data were obtained from 421 students and 22 teachers from 10 French junior high schools. Multilevel analyses revealed that (a) teachers' early expectations were related to students' later perceived competence, particularly when these expectations were positive, and (b) this relation was stronger when the classroom motivational climate was low in autonomy support. Implications for future research and educational practices are discussed.

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Relation between teachers' early expectations and students' later perceived competence in physical education classes: Autonomy-supportive climate as a moderator.

Pascal Bressoux

Papers

Sources of self-efficacy: An investigation of elementary school students in France.

Impact of teachers’ implicit theories and perceived pressures on the establishment of an autonomy supportive climate

Note de synthèse: Les recherches sur les effets-écoles et les effets-maîtres

Modélisation statistique appliquée aux sciences sociales

Relation between teachers' early expectations and students' later perceived competence in physical education classes: Autonomy-supportive climate as a moderator.