Showing papers in "Educational Research in 1998"

The long‐term effectiveness of anti‐bullying work in primary schools

Abstract: Summary The DFE Sheffield Anti‐Bullying Project showed that schools can reduce the problem of bullying through the use of whole‐school anti‐bullying policies, curriculum exercises, environmental improvements and individual work with bullies and victims. However, the length of time necessary to plan these interventions meant that, in many cases, the work was not completed when the project evaluations ended. This study investigates the continuing progress made in primary schools in the year after the end of the project. Eleven heads took part in interviews; all schools had made some progress with policy development, and all used some curriculum resources. Most had continued with environmental improvements, but few had used the methods for dealing with bullies and victims. Four schools then administered the Olweus bullying questionnaire to all pupils between ages seven and eleven, 657 children taking part. Two schools had a consistent decline in reported bullying, one experienced a consistent rise and the ot...

Relationships between learning patterns and attitudes towards two assessment formats

Abstract: Summary The study examined the relationships between learning patterns and attitudes towards two assessment formats: open‐ended (OE) and multiple‐choice (MC), among students in higher education. Sixteen Semantic Differential scales measuring emotional reactions, intellectual reactions and appraisal of each assessment format, along with measures of learning processes, academic self‐concept and test anxiety, were administered to 58 students. Results indicated two patterns of relationships between the learning‐related variables and the assessment attitudes: high scores on the self‐concept measure and on the three measures of learning processes were related to positive attitudes towards the OE format but negative ones towards the MC format; low scores on the test anxiety measures were related to positive attitudes towards the OE format. In addition, significant gender differences emerged with respect to the MC format, with males having more favourable attitudes than females. Results were discussed in light of...

Gender issues in physics education

Abstract: Summary The under‐representation of girls in physics courses in England and Wales is a well‐known phenomenon. Many studies have been undertaken to discern the attitudes of girls to physics. The majority of these studies have investigated girls’ attitudes during the period of compulsory secondary schooling, between the ages of 11 and 16. This paper considers differences of ability and attitude still remaining between males and females who had made a positive decision to study the subject beyond the compulsory minimum level. Statistically significant gender differences were still apparent. Females who had chosen to study A‐level physics tended to be more able than their male colleagues, and they exhibited greater person orientation as evidenced by their opinions of desirable course content and their choice of careers. Whether or not the fact that small numbers of girls opt to study physics at A‐level and beyond should be considered a problem or just a fact of life is open to debate.

Using concept sorting and concept mapping in business and public administration, and in education: an overview

Abstract: Summary On the basis of a wide‐ranging literature search, this paper reviews and compares the use of concept sorting and concept mapping in business and public administration, and in education. Usage in education is distinguished by stress on the nature of relationships between concepts and the variety of uses to which concept mapping is applied. In contrast, usage in business and public administration is concentrated on group decision‐making and planning. In education concept sorting and mapping are used for assessment and evaluation, for enhancing of learning, as well as for decision‐making and planning. Use of concept maps in education is further distinguished by stress on the processes involved, on the nature of the relationships between concepts, and is subject to more critical evaluation and, in some measure, is grounded in learning theory.

What does bullying really mean

Abstract: Summary The first part of this short report looks at the problems of using the term ‘bullying’ across different cultures; and the difficulties in arriving at a definitive definition of what constitutes bullying among professional researchers and other adults. The second part looks at young children's perception of what bullying means to them, and draws on a small‐scale piece of recent research that formed part of an MA dissertation on the incidence of bullying in a junior school in Essex. The results suggested that pupils (and teachers) found the term ‘bullying’ rather ambiguous and difficult to define. Younger pupils were found to have a more extensive definition of the term, and a hypothesis was proposed that this might account for the higher levels of being bullied found in the lower school.

Effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers

Abstract: An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of metacognitive instruction on mathematics achievement and attitude towards mathematics of low mathematics achievers at a middle school in the No...

Date of birth and achievement in GCSE and GCE A‐level

Abstract: Summary General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations are taken by almost all pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at age 16 years. General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A‐level) examinations are normally taken by relatively able students at age 18. The effect of month of birth on attainment in these public examinations is investigated through a database which brings together the 1991 GCSE results and the 1993 GCE A‐level results of all candidates born between September 1974 and August 1975. Older pupils perform best at GCSE but not at GCE A‐level. Selection effects on entry to A‐level courses appear to explain why this is the case.

What's in a name? Experiments with blind marking in A‐level examinations

Abstract: Summary A‐level results have a substantial impact upon candidates’ futures and it is crucial that the results are as fair as possible. Candidates’ names appear on examination scripts and some have suggested that this could produce bias in the marking. Introduction of ‘blind marking’ in A‐level examinations would be unwieldy and costly. Two experiments on blind marking were carried out: in A‐level Chemistry and A‐level English literature. In each study, presentation (and not the content) of 30 scripts was varied. Eight Chemistry A‐level examiners and 16 English literature A‐level examiners took part in the studies. Scripts were presented as blind or non‐blind, with a male or female name and ‘male’ or ‘female’ handwriting. The studies addressed the issue of possible gender bias in marking and investigated whether blind marking could overcome gender bias. It was concluded that bias was not present in the marking and therefore no support was found for the introduction of blind marking in A‐level examinations.

A Value added’ analysis of the 1996 primary school performance tables

Abstract: Summary In March 1997 the British Government published the first primary school performance tables giving school‐by‐school results in the 1996 end of key stage 2 (KS2) assessments. The tables were widely criticized for failing to provide a measure of a school's effectiveness since ‘good’ KS2 results might simply reflect a ‘high’ ability pupil intake rather than any characteristics of the teaching or management of the school. This paper uses multi‐level modelling techniques to compare the results from the performance tables in one local education authority with a ‘fair’ analysis as recommended by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority's National Value Added Project. The results reveal significant differences between schools’ raw results as given in the performance tables and ‘fair’ comparisons of their effectiveness in relation to the ability of their pupils. The analysis also indicates significant variation between schools in their effectiveness in different subject areas (English, mathematics and...

Oppositional positions: children's construction of gender in talk and role plays based on adult occupation

Abstract: Summary This paper examines primary school children's constructions of gender during talk about their own lives, and in role plays based on adult occupational scenarios. Examining children's interview talk, it is argued that gender category maintenance is evident in the children's constructions, and that because of this, many children presented gender as oppositional (in opposition and opposite) in their interviews. The role play interaction is then analysed, beginning with an examination of who gained first choice of the role play scenario and role, and whether children took up traditional gender‐stereotypical occupational roles. Children's interactive constructions of the various occupational roles, and the ways in which some of these appeared to be taken up according to gender, are then discussed. It is further argued that gender category maintenance leads to the construction of symbolic gender cultures in the plays, via the presentation of genders as oppositional. Having explored these different const...

Fallback in attainment on transfer at age 11: evidence from the Summer Literacy Schools evaluation

Abstract: Summary Summer Literacy Schools were introduced as a pilot scheme by the Government in the summer of 1997 in an attempt to improve children's literacy skills at the age of 11, the time of transfer from primary to secondary education. The initiative was evaluated by collecting the pupils’ results from the national test taken in May and comparing these with results of a similar test administered in September. Results for a control group who had not attended summer schools were also analysed. The analysis revealed that the scores of both groups declined significantly between the pre‐test and the post‐test, and no significant difference in the extent of the decline was found between the summer school pupils and the control group. Further research is needed on the possibility that the transition from primary to secondary school is associated generally with a significant decline in attainment.

Individual and group learning of the Highway Code: comparing board game and traditional methods

Abstract: Summary The effectiveness of the use of a board‐game version of the Highway Code with senior secondary school pupils was compared to that of the traditional read and memorize approach. To isolate variance attributable to interactivity in learning, this was done in both individual and group settings. Pretests and posttests of subject knowledge in the four experimental conditions showed that use of the board game significantly improved learning of the Highway Code under both individual and group conditions, as compared to the traditional method. No effects of gender or personality were found. It is concluded that the specific board game used is an effective method of educating potential learner drivers in road safety, particularly relevant to the separate ‘theory’ examination recently included in the driving test in the UK.

Is there gender bias in the short‐form Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory?

Abstract: Summary The short‐form Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory was completed by 802 16‐year‐old pupils attending state‐maintained schools in England. Overall, the boys recorded a significantly higher score of self‐esteem than the girls. Inspection of the individual scale items, however, indicated that, while boys were more likely to endorse ten of the items, another item was endorsed more frequently by girls. It is argued that gender differences in overall scale scores reflect the proportion of items which discriminate in favour of either boys or girls.

Catholic and other secondary schools: an analysis of OFSTED inspection reports, 1993‐95

Abstract: Summary It is now generally accepted that schools differ in their effectiveness as places of learning. There is a considerable amount of evidence about the characteristics of effective schools but little knowledge of how they can be developed. Accumulated evidence from Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspections, carried out under the provisions of section 9 of the Education Act 1992, provides the potential for national comparisons of different types of school across local authorities. Findings based on an analysis of the data suggest that, in the judgement of school inspectors based on OFSTED criteria, Catholic secondary schools provide a statistically significant higher standard and quality of education than others in the maintained sector. Possible sociological reasons for the findings and their contribution to the ‘effective schools’ debate are discussed.

The ethical perspective of British and American preservice teachers

Abstract: Summary As society increasingly expects schools to teach about moral issues and stress character development, educators are faced with a series of new challenges. One of these challenges is how to assist perspective teachers in understanding their own ethical orientation, and helping them realize how that orientation affects their teaching. This short report presents the results of a study which compares and assesses the ethical orientation of British and American preservice teachers. The study addresses a number of ethical positions which are denned in the paper. Forsyth's Ethical Position Questionnaire was employed to develop the data. The report closes with conclusions and suggestions based on the findings described.

Developing Primary Teachers' Understanding of Energy Efficiency.

Abstract: This paper reports research into the preconceptions of efficiency displayed by six primary school teachers, and the ways in which these became more scientific following in‐service training. The par...

An investigation into regional differences in educational performance in the National Child Development Study

Abstract: The National Child Development Study (NCDS) is used to investigate factors which affect children's educational performance over time. Multilevel modelling techniques are used on a subset of the NCDS to investigate variation in educational performance in 11 regions in the UK, and in local education authorities within these regions. Social characteristics of the NCDS members are also analysed. Differences between regions and education authorities are found to be negligible, the main source of variation in achievement being due to differences in social background.

The attainment and progress of twins at the start of school

Abstract: Summary This paper considers cognitive differences between twins and other higher multiple births when they start school and their progress in reading and maths during the first year at school. The data came from the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) project which has developed an on‐entry assessment designed to provide a solid base against which the relative progress (value added) of pupils can be measured. Some of the findings were surprising, in that they appeared to be in conflict with some earlier work, but there was also some agreement. Additionally, teachers were asked to assess pupils on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scale at the end of their first year in school, and this information was used to check out an earlier rinding that twins were more prone to score highly on this scale.

A mirror to ourselves? : the educational experiences of Japanese children at school in the UK

Abstract: Summary This paper reports the main findings of the ESRC‐funded study ‘The Educational Experiences of Japanese Children at School in the UK’. Research for this project was carried out by Janet Powney and Joanna McPake, at the Scottish Council for Research in Education, between April 1994 and January 1995. The work was based in two areas with thriving Japanese communities, one in Scotland and one in England; and focused on children in the 11‐13 age‐group, attending UK schools during the week and Japanese Saturday schools. This was a small‐scale study, intended principally to explore areas of dissonance in Japanese children's experiences of school in the UK: the researchers defined a ‘dissonant’ experience as: one in which the children encountered contradictory notions of what school is and of the roles which pupils should play. It was postulated at the outset of the research that these dissonances would arise from the very different educational philosophies and practices in Japan and the UK. In the course ...

Managing the induction of newly appointed governors

Abstract: Summary Government legislation over two decades has brought about major changes in the management and governance of schools. School governing bodies have been awarded far more power and influence than ever before and are now required to make important decisions affecting the quality of education provision for the nation's children. With an estimated 60,000 governors assuming their responsibilities for the very first time, questions about their preparedness for such a substantial task are bound to be asked. The significance of training for governors has increased as the extent of governing body responsibilities has expanded. Whereas the importance of training was recognized by the 1986 Education Act which gave the local education authority a statutory duty to provide the training it thinks necessary for governors to carry out their duties effectively, it remains optional. This small‐scale research project set out to investigate the induction needs of governors newly appointed to a local authority's schools...

The Effects of Brief Exposure and of Classroom Teaching on Attitudes Children Express towards Facial Disfigurement in Peers.

Abstract: This report describes a controlled study of the impact of the pilot use of an education pack on primary school pupils' attitudes to facial disfigurement. Projective materials were used to investigate their perceptions in terms of a hierarchical list of educational objectives - awareness, knowledge, understanding, acceptance and commitment. There were significant changes in score in the control schools, as well as the project schools. All statistically significant changes, and all changes relating to disfigured children, were in the desired direction. In response to photographs showing disfigurement, children in the pilot schools consistently improved their scores by a greater margin than those in the control schools. But this difference reached statistical significance only for the Knowledge objective. There was no difference between the groups in relation to the Commitment objective. The results are discussed in terms of the impact of brief exposure and of classroom teaching. The findings have implications for decisions among different strategies of intervention that might be adopted in schools using the materials.

Diversity in principle and practice: addressing the problem of teacher supply

Abstract: Diversification is one of the key terms in the new discourse of teacher training in England and Wales Increasing the range of routes opens up choice to those seeking qualified teacher status and can be seen as part of the government's commitment to the market It can also be seen as a pragmatic response to problems of teacher shortage This paper examines the backgrounds and experiences of mature students on two different routes of initial teacher training, and explores the relationship between diversification of provision and subsequent levels of teacher supply

Preconditions for educational research

Abstract: Summary It is argued that much of what we now call ‘educational research’ is not truly so. Educational research is often construed on a bureaucratic model, or a model of ‘theory’ and ‘practice’, when in reality it requires certain very general intellectual and moral virtues. These can only flourish under certain preconditions: essentially, the establishment of permanent interdisciplinary teams which will handle the relevant questions with sufficient sophistication.

Standards in reading at key stage 1 ‐ a cause for celebration? A seven‐year cross‐sectional study

Abstract: Summary How to monitor and raise standards of educational attainment generally were issues addressed by the British Government in 1988 when the National Curriculum was introduced into all state‐funded primary schools in England and Wales: ‘There is every reason for optimism that in providing a sound, sufficiently detailed framework over the next decade the National Curriculum will give children and teachers much needed help in achieving higher standards.’ This paper assesses the value of looking closely at successive reading scores of cohorts of children in order to monitor reading attainments over time. The reading attainments of seven cohorts of Year 2 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one local education authority (LEA) (N = 1,329) are analysed to see if standards of literacy have changed since the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1989. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used in this cross‐sectional study. The reading attainments of eac...

Starting school: a response to Chris Whetton, Caroline Sharp and Dougal Hutchison

Abstract: Summary Within England pupils can start school at the age of just four years and it has been suggested that this is too young. There is little empirical evidence to support or refute this position, although a number of analyses have now looked at progress measures during the first few years at school (Tymms et al., 1997a and Tymms, 1996a). One analysis of relevant data appeared in a paper by Sharp et al. (1994). This was criticized in Tymms (1996a) and a response appeared in Whetton et al. (1997). Tymms's main criticisms referred to the quality of data, the controls and the analytical procedures. Each of these is addressed in turn.

Dyslexia/reading difficulty: reassessing the evidence for a developmental model

Abstract: Summary The exploration of the nature of reading difficulty, particularly dyslexia, began with working hypotheses which rested on two assumptions, neither of which were supported by empirical evidence. These assumptions were that cognition and reading are related (and interdependent) processes and that a specific type of reading difficulty ‐‐ dyslexia ‐‐ characterized a distinct group of poor readers ‐ i.e. those with average and better intellectual ability. In this context, the word ‘dyslexia’ refers (more precisely) to specific developmental dyslexia (SDD), as opposed to ‘acquired’ dyslexia, reading difficulty, which arises as a result of illness or injury. A study by Rutter and Yule challenged both (by then long‐standing) assumptions and proposed that reading difficulty might be seen as a developmental outcome of early language related deficit or delay and environmental factors. This notion has not been adequately explored, mainly because of a continued theoretical bias towards reading/IQ discrepancy m...

Using national surveys: a review of secondary analyses with special reference to education

Abstract: Summary The General Household Survey (GHS), the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the British Household Panel Study (BHPS), the Youth Cohort Study (YCS) and the National Child Development Study (NCDS) are British national surveys which provide general and demographic information, including information about employment, routes into the labour market, education, health, income and other major social indicators. Each includes a section about education, covering the current educational status, educational attainment and the establishment last attended full‐time by the respondents. This review of six years (1990‐95) of studies, which either used the data or cited previous secondary analyses, revealed that secondary analyses occurred more frequently in disciplines other than education. The LFS and the YCS are most frequently the subject of further analysis, whereas analyses of the NCDS data are more frequently cited, the most common strategy in educational research. The major thrust of secondary analyses is the effect...

The LEA and the administration of special needs education: views from the literature.

Abstract: Summary The discussion is based upon different publications regarding the role of local education authorities (LEAs) in the administration of special needs education in the context of the quasi‐market in education, heralded by the 1988 Education Reform Act. The publications derive from analysis and from empirical research. Views concerning LEAs differ quite widely and three broad positions can be identified: first, a welcome for the reduction in LEAs’ powers because of their pathological bureaucratic tendencies; secondly, an advocacy of the LEA as an enabler and pioneer; and thirdly, the outcome of the LEA as the caretaker of residual resources. Similarly, the impact of the quasi‐market is variously conceived as a helpful benefactor, a harmful instrument of fragmentation and a force in opposition to LEAs.

How do students prepare an application for a place in higher education

Abstract: Summary Sources of help used by students when preparing an application for a place in higher education using the UCAS procedure were investigated, including how they may use Records of Achievement (RoAs). 178 sixth‐form students at three mixed comprehensives and one independent girls’ school were surveyed. In general, students consulted a good range of sources of help in preparing their application. Where a specialist careers adviser was available, this service was viewed very favourably. However, regard for the usefulness of RoAs was mixed. The major implications for those involved in student guidance with sixth‐formers are discussed.

Modern languages and special educational needs: a review of research

Abstract: Summary The Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 requires that all pupils of secondary school age should have equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The inclusion of language studies within the statutory framework of the Northern Ireland curriculum has led to a significant expansion in the teaching of modern languages to pupils with special educational needs. Many teachers are now faced with the task of teaching pupils who hitherto would have been excluded from the language department and some teachers in special schools now have to teach a language with which they themselves are unfamiliar. This paper is the first stage of a research and development project funded by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (NICCEA); it examines some research evidence relating to the challenge of teaching languages to pupils with special educational needs.