Showing papers on "Primary education published in 2006"

Classroom Goal Structure, Student Motivation, and Academic Achievement

Abstract: Over the past 25 years, achievement goal theory has emerged as one of the most prominent theories of achievement motivation. This chapter uses an achievement goal framework to examine the influence of classroom and school environments on students' academic motivation and achievement. Considerable evidence suggests that elementary and secondary students show the most positive motivation and learning patterns when their school settings emphasize mastery, understanding, and improving skills and knowledge. Whereas school environments that are focused on demonstrating high ability and competing for grades can increase the academic performance of some students, research suggests that many young people experience diminished motivation under these conditions. The implications of achievement goal theory for examining the impact of school reform are discussed.

Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching, 3rd ed.

Abstract: Introduction to the Fourth Edition, Richard L. Allington Introduction to the Third Edition, Michael Pressley 1. Skills Emphasis, Meaning Emphasis, and Balanced Reading Instruction: A Short History 2. Skilled Reading 3. Children Who Experience Problems in Learning to Read 4. Before Reading Words Begins 5. Learning to Recognize Words 6. Fluency 7. Vocabulary 8. Expert Literacy Teaching in the Primary Grades, with Ruth Wharton-McDonald 9. The Need for Increased Comprehension Instruction 10. Motivation and Literacy 11. Concluding Reflections Appendix: Landmarks in Development of Literacy Competence (or, What Happens When) Author Index Subject Index

Toward Inclusion of Special Education Students in General Education A Program Evaluation of Eight Schools

Abstract: The primary intent of this program evaluation was to determine the degree of inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes in four elementary and four secondary schools; the similarities and differences in how special education services were offered; and the ways in which students with disabilities were supported in the least restrictive environment. Staff perceptions of special education services were examined by conducting personal interviews with a large majority of the classroom teachers, special education teachers, instructional assistants, and principals in each school. The findings include descriptions of how far along each school was with inclusion, the amount of time students spent in general education, the roles of the special education teachers, the rates of student referrals for special education consideration, the attitudes of all staff toward inclusion and toward collaboration, and the skills of the teachers related to the inclusion of special education students. The f...

The Nordic Model in Education: Education as part of the political system in the last 50 years

Abstract: This article describes, analyses and discusses the development of the Nordic school model in three phases of the post‐war period, viewed in the light of the development of the political system throughout the period and in comparison with the development of the school system in the western world in this period. The “classical period” from 1945 until about 1970 is often referred to as the golden era of social democracy, during which a number of special characteristics were attributed to the model. First, the reforms were introduced on the basis of national policies drawn up by a strong and innovative state in association with business organisations and industry. The main objective was to involve the school in the realisation of social goals such as equal opportunity and community fellowship. School development is very largely determined by state‐managed conditions—“input management”. The Nordic model was regarded as an ideal for school development in western countries. The Nordic countries generally followe...

Evaluating Montessori Education

Abstract: An analysis of students9 academic and social scores compares a Montessori school with other elementary school education programs.

Childhood overweight and elementary school outcomes

Abstract: To examine the link between childhood overweight status and elementary school outcomes. Prospective study design: multivariate regression models examining the association between changes in overweight status and school outcomes between kindergarten entry and end of third grade, after controlling for various child, family and school characteristics. Nationally representative sample of US children who entered kindergarten in 1998, with longitudinal data on body mass index (BMI) and school outcomes at kindergarten entry and end of third grade. Wide range of elementary school outcomes collected in each wave including academic achievement (math and reading standardized test scores); teacher reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems (BP), social skills (self-control, interpersonal skills) and approaches to learning; school absences; and grade repetition. Measurements of height and weight in each wave were used to compute BMI and indicators of overweight status based on CDC growth charts. A rich set of control variables capturing child, family, and school characteristics. Moving from not-overweight to overweight between kindergarten entry and end of third grade was significantly associated (P<0.05) with reductions in test scores, and teacher ratings of social-behavioral outcomes and approaches to learning among girls. However, this link was mostly absent among boys, with two exceptions – boys who became overweight had significantly fewer externalizing BPs (P<0.05), but more absences from school compared to boys who remained normal weight. Being always-overweight was associated with more internalizing BP among girls but fewer externalizing BPs among boys. Change in overweight status during the first 4 years in school is a significant risk factor for adverse school outcomes among girls but not boys. Girls who become overweight during the early school years and those who start school being overweight and remain that way may need to be monitored carefully.

Handbook of the Sociology of Education

Abstract: Preface. Introduction M.T. Hallinan. I: Theoretical and Methodological Orientations. 1. A Social Psychological Approach to the Study of Schooling C.E. Bidwell. 2. The Organizational Context of Teaching and Learning A. Gamoran, et al. 3. Linkages Between Sociology of Race and Sociology of Education M.T. Hallinan. 4. Research and Theory on Equality and Education K. Lynch. 5. Structural Effects in Education: A History of an Idea R. Dreeben. 6. School Effects: Theoretical and Methodological Issues A.B. Sorensen, S.L. Morgan. II: Development and Expansion of Education. 7. Development and Education C. Chabbott, F.O. Ramirez. 8. The Content of the Curriculum: An Institutional Perspective E.H. McEneaney, J.W. Meyer. 9. Comparative and Historical Patterns of Education R. Collins. 10. School Expansion, School Reform, and the Limits of Growth P.B. Walters. III: The Study of Access to Schooling. 11. Equitable Classrooms in a Changing Society E.G. Cohen. 12. Connecting Home, School, and Community: New Directions for Social Research J.L. Epstein, M.G. Sanders. 13. The Variable Construction of Educational Risk J.G. Richardson. IV: The Study of School Organization. 14. School Size and the Organization of Secondary Schools V.E. Lee. 15. Comparative Sociology of Classroom Processes, School Organization and Achievement D.P. Baker, G.K. LeTendre. 16. Social Systems and Norms: A Coleman Approach B. Schneider.17. Values, Control, and Outcomes in Public and Private Schools C.H. Persell. V: The Study of School Outcomes. 18. Interactions between High Schools and Labor Markets J.E. Rosenbaum, S.A. Jones. 19. Vocational Secondary Education, Tracking, and Social Stratification Y. Shavit, W. Muller. 20. Transition from School to Work in Comparative Perspective A.C. Kerckhoff. 21. Pathways from School to Work in Germany and the US J.T. Mortimer, H. Kruger. 22. The Effects of Schooling on Individual Lives A.M. Pallas. VI: Policy Implications of Research in Sociology of Education. 23. Accountability in Education T.B. Hoffer. 24. The Fit and Misfit of Sociological Research and Education Policy D.L. Stevenson.

Education and Hiv/Aids Prevention: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Western Kenya

Abstract: The authors report results from a randomized evaluation comparing three school-based HIV/AIDS interventions in Kenya: (1) training teachers in the Kenyan Government's HIV/AIDS-education curriculum; (2) encouraging students to debate the role of condoms and to write essays on how to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS; and (3) reducing the cost of education. Their primary measure of the effectiveness of these interventions is teenage childbearing, which is associated with unprotected sex. The authors also collected measures of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS. After two years, girls in schools where teachers had been trained were more likely to be married in the event of a pregnancy. The program had little other impact on students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, or on the incidence of teen childbearing. The condom debates and essays increased practical knowledge and self-reported use of condoms without increasing self-reported sexual activity. Reducing the cost of education by paying for school uniforms reduced dropout rates, teen marriage, and childbearing.

Demonstration of Combined Efforts in School-Wide Academic and Behavioral Systems and Incidence of Reading and Behavior Challenges in Early Elementary Grades.

Abstract: This study provides descriptive data on the rates of office discipline referrals and beginning reading skills for students in grades K—3 for one school district that is implementing a three-tier prevention model for both reading and behavior support. Students in the district are provided a continuum of reading and/or behavioral support based on screening measures that indicate response to universal, targeted, and intensive support. This combined approach may be more successful due to the number of shared critical features in both systems. Results document positive outcomes in prevalence of students needing additional reading and/or behavior support (in comparison to national figures) and are reported with recommendations for future experimental analyses.

Getting Girls into School: Evidence from a Scholarship Program in Cambodia

Abstract: Increasing the schooling attainment of girls is a challenge in much of the developing world. The authors evaluate the impact of a program that gives scholarships to girls making the transition between the last year of primary school and the first year of secondary school in Cambodia. They show that the scholarship program had a large, positive effect on the school enrollment and attendance of girls. Their preferred set of estimates suggests program effects on enrollment and attendance at program schools of 30 to 43 percentage points. Scholarship recipients were also more likely to be enrolled at any scchool (not just program schools) by a margin of 22 to 33 percentage points. The impact of the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) program appears to have been largest among girls with the lowest socioeconomic status at baseline. The results are robust to a variety of controls for observable differences between scholarship recipients and nonrecipients, to unobserved heterogeneity across girls, and to selective attrition out of the sample.

School Readiness: Are There Social Prerequisites?

Abstract: The position advocated within this article is that the construct of "school readiness" has a social component, and that attempts to evaluate children's interpersonal readiness for kindergarten should be judged in relation to their likely success at mastering specific social school entry tasks Social school entry tasks, which most likely stem from diverse sociocultural sources, are conceptualized here as interpersonal challenges that children confront as they enter formal schooling—challenges that are inherent within kindergarten classrooms and predictive of children's future school adjustment A related contention is that attempts to enhance children's readiness for kindergarten should be guided by research on the prerequisites of social task mastery—that is, evidence gathered during the preschool years that forecasts children's later success at social school entry tasks Evidence bearing on these premises is reviewed as a means of considering the validity and heuristic utility of these propositions for

A Review of Physical Activity Levels During Elementary School Physical Education

Abstract: Fairclough is with The Research into Exercise, Activity and Children’s Health REACH Group, School of Physical and Outdoor Education, Liverpool John Moores University, Barkhill Road, Liverpool, L17 6BD, UK. Stratton is with the REACH Group and the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Henry Cotton Campus, 15–21 Webster Street, Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK. A Review of Physical Activity Levels During Elementary School Physical Education

Introduction to International Education: International Schools and their Communities

Abstract: International Education: the Context International Schools International Schools and Parents International School Students: Who They Are International Schools and Globally-Mobile Students: The School Experience International Schools and Teachers International Schools and Administrators International Schools and the Board International Schools: the Curriculum International Schools: External Influences Future Roles for International Schools

Transitions to School: Perceptions, Expectations and Experiences

Abstract: Transition to school is an important process for all involved: children, parents, educators and others. This book presents comprehensive research from the Australian Starting School Research Project and other sources that should be of great value to researchers in early childhood education, practitioners in this field and early childhood teacher education students.

Medical education in Japan.

Abstract: There are 79 medical schools in Japan--42 national, 8 prefectural (i.e., founded by a local government), and 29 private--representing approximately one school for every 1.6 million people. Undergraduate medical education is six years long, typically consisting of four years of preclinical education and then two years of clinical education. High school graduates are eligible to enter medical school. In 36 schools, college graduates are offered admission, but they account for fewer than 10% of the available positions. There were 46,800 medical students in 2006; 32.8% were women. Since 1990, Japanese medical education has undergone significant changes, with some medical schools implementing integrated curricula, problem-based learning tutorials, and clinical clerkships. A model core curriculum was proposed by the government in 2001 that outlined a core structure for undergraduate medical education, with 1,218 specific behavioral objectives. A nationwide common achievement test was instituted in 2005; students must pass this test to qualify for preclinical medical education. It is similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination step 1, although the Japanese test is not a licensing examination. The National Examination for Physicians is a 500-item examination that is administered once a year. In 2006, 8,602 applicants took the examination, and 7,742 of them (90.0%) passed. A new law requires postgraduate training for two years after graduation. Residents are paid reasonably, and the work hours are limited to 40 hours a week. In 2004, a matching system was started; the match rate was 95.6% (46.2% for the university hospitals and 49.4% for other teaching hospitals). Sustained and meaningful change in Japanese medical education is continuing.

How Contingent Questioning Promotes Extended Student Talk: A Function of Display Questions:

Abstract: Research on traditional classrooms paints a picture of teachers controlling talk patterns and of students producing minimal amounts of mainly procedural talk, recitation-type talk, or both. Often t...

Closing the Digital Divide: Update from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study

Abstract: The authors examined the progress made toward equitable technology access and use over children's first 4 years of school. The sample consisted of 8,283 public school children who attended kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades. In 3rd grade, high-poverty schools had significantly more computers for instruction and a smaller ratio of children to computers than did low-poverty schools. Over the first 4 years of school, however, children attending low-poverty schools had significantly more access to home computers than did those attending high-poverty schools. Children's use of computers during 3rd grade differed by school-poverty status. Results indicate that access to, and use of, a home computer, the presence of a computer area in classrooms, frequent use of the Internet, proficiency in computer use, and low-poverty school status were correlated positively with academic achievement. In contrast, frequent use of software for reading was correlated negatively with reading achievement.

Promoting the implementation of inclusive education in primary schools in South Africa

Abstract: The British Index for Inclusion was selected to be used in three primary schools in the Western Cape Province in South Africa in order to develop a South African model to assist in the development of inclusive schools. The Index for Inclusion process entails progression through a series of five developmental phases and this paper, written by Petra Engelbrecht, professor in educational psychology and special education and senior research director at Stellenbosch University, Marietjie Oswald, lecturer in special education at Stellenbosch University, and Chris Forlin, associate professor in special education at the Hong Kong Institute of Special Education, is a reflection of the first two phases. Qualitative data were generated from the consultative process followed in the schools during the first phase and both qualitative and quantitative data from questionnaires regarding the perceptions of all school community members on the inclusive practices or lack thereof in their schools during the second phase. The authors drew out the following five themes from the three sets of data: an inclusive school philosophy; democratic leadership, structures, processes and values; collaboration; addressing learner diversity; and resources. Petra Engelbrecht, Marietjie Oswald and Chris Forlin, all of whom were working on a UNESCO-funded project to trial the use of the Index for Inclusion in South Africa, suggest that these themes provided invaluable insights into both the common and unique complexities, the problems and the assets of the different school communities. The themes are discussed in detail in this article, raising fascinating issues for the development of inclusion in different contexts around the world, and will be used to inform the three remaining phases of the Index for Inclusion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher Expectations of Students' Classroom Behavior across the Grade Span: Which Social Skills are Necessary for Success?:

Abstract: This study explored teachers' (N = 717) expectations of student behavior along school level (elementary vs. middle vs. high), program type (general vs. special education), and school type (high risk vs. low risk). Results indicated that all elementary and middle school teachers shared similar views regarding the importance of self-control skills, whereas high school special education teachers viewed self-control skills as significantly more important than did high school general education teachers. High school teachers rated assertion skills as significantly less important relative to elementary or middle school teachers. Results also indicated that teachers at high-risk schools viewed self-control and assertion skills as more critical for success than did teachers at low-risk schools.

Informational Texts as Read-Alouds at School and Home.

Abstract: The role of informational text in primary-grade classrooms has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, and there is converging evidence that young school children have few opportunities to engage with this genre. The studies described here expand the research base to include preschool (Study 1) and home (Study 2) exposures to informational text as read-alouds. School data included 1,830 read-aloud titles from 1,144 teachers of preschool through third grade. Home data included 1,847 titles reported by the parents or other family members of 20 kindergartners over the course of a school year. The findings suggest that in both of these environments—school (including preschool) and home—children have far less exposure to informational text than narrative text. Further, a trend was revealed suggesting that boys may be read proportionately more informational texts in their homes than girls.

Improving Student Performance in Public Primary Schools in Developing Countries: Evidence from Indonesia

Abstract: This paper investigates the correlates of student performance in mathematics and dictation tests among schoolchildren in Indonesia. This is the first such study to use a new nationally representative sample of Indonesian primary‐school students. Our dataset includes unique data on teacher absenteeism collected through direct observation, the first ever in Indonesia. We find that teacher absenteeism is indeed a significantly negative correlate of student performance, while quality of school facilities predicts better performance. We also find a significant non‐monotonic concave relationship between the pupil–teacher ratio and student’s mathematics performance. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of the results.

The Effect of a New Approach to Group Work on Pupil-Pupil and Teacher-Pupil Interactions.

Abstract: The main impetus for the SPRinG (social pedagogic research into grouping) project was to address the wide gap between the potential of group work and its limited use in schools. It is an ambitious project that developed key principles and strategies to improve the effectiveness of group work in everyday primary classes and across a whole school year. On-the-spot and video-based systematic observations showed more active, sustained engagement, more connectedness, and more higher order inferential joint reasoning within SPRinG groups than in control comparisons. The authors argue that group work can be successfully implemented into everyday school classrooms and improve pupil interactions, provided teachers take time to train pupils in the skills of group working.

What Have Researchers Learned from Project STAR

Abstract: Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) was a large scale randomized trial of reduced class sizes in kindergarten through the third grade. Because of the scope of the experiment, it has been used in many policy discussions. For example, the California statewide class size-reduction policy was justified, in part, by the successes of Project STAR. Recent (failed) proposals in the Senate that sought federal assistance for class size reductions were motivated by Project STAR research. Even the recent discussion of small schools often conflates the notion of small schools and smaller classrooms. Because of the importance of Project STAR, it has been studied by many scholars looking at a wide variety of outcomes and even exploiting the ran domization to understand variations in inputs and other aspects of the education production function that do not directly relate to class size. This paper provides an overview of the academic literature using the Project STAR experiment.

Influence of a hybrid Sport Education—Teaching Games for Understanding unit on one teacher and his students

Abstract: Background: Sport Education (SE) and Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) are two curriculum models that were developed to help students participate in fair and equitable ways and challenge their thinking beyond the replication of techniques and skills. Given that the general aim of both models is to employ more democratic pedagogies and provide sporting experiences which really allow students to learn how to play well, and considering both models attempt to realize this goal in slightly different ways and have different foci, it would seem logical that a coalition of the two might lead to some real pedagogical breakthroughs. Purpose: To provide descriptive, detailed information about the researcher's experiences and the students' reactions to a unit designed following the structure of SE (seasons, formal competition and student roles), but with the skills and tactics taught using problem solving and guided discovery approaches rather than a more command style. Participants and setting: 29 sixth-grade ...

One State Closer to a National Crisis: A Report on Elementary Social Studies Education in North Carolina Schools

Abstract: In response to the growing concern of the marginalization of social studies education, members of the North Carolina Professors of Social Studies Education (NCPSSE) organization began a longtitudinal study in 2003 to examine elementary social studies education. This study is part of a statewide initiative among six universities in the North Carolina University system. The participating universities include: UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State University, A & T State University, UNC Wilmington, and East Carolina University. The purpose of this research was to gather data from practicing elementary teachers in North Carolina to identify (a) how often social studies is being taught, (b) how decisions are made regarding how instructional time is used, (c) how satisfied teachers are with the amount of instructional time devoted to social studies instruction, and (d) what barriers exist that might inhibit the teaching of the social studies curriculum. This study documents the current status...