Showing papers on "Student engagement published in 2000"

Student Engagement in Instructional Activity: Patterns in the Elementary, Middle, and High School Years

Abstract: Although student engagement with the intellectual work of school is important to students' achievement and to their social and cognitive development, studies over a span of two decades have documented low levels of engagement, particularly in the classroom. Examining several theoretical perspectives that attempt to explain engagement through comprehensive frameworks, this study evaluates the effect on engagement of school reform initiatives that are consistent with the theories. The study also investigates whether patterns exist in students' engagement, whether the patterns are consistent across grade levels, and whether class subject matter (mathematics or social studies) differentially affects engagement. The sample includes 3,669 students representing 143 social studies and mathematics classrooms in a nationally selected sample of 24 restructuring elementary, middle, and high schools. Because of the nature of the nested data (students nested within classrooms nested within schools), the analysis is conducted using hierarchical linear modeling in its three-level application (HLM3L). The reform initiatives, which are consistent with the theories, eliminate personal background effects. Together with classroom subject matter, they substantially influence engagement. The results are generally consistent across grade levels.

The Effects of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Conditions and Student Engagement with School.

Abstract: Most school restucturing initiatives assume significant capacity development on the part of individuals, as well as whole organizations; they also depend on high levels of motivation and commitment to solving the substantial problems associated with the implementation of restructuring initiatives. Transformational approaches to leadership have long been advocated as productive under these conditions, and evidence suggests that transformational practices do contribute to the development of capacity and commitment. Much less evidence is available, however, about whether these socio‐psychological effects actually result in organizational change and enhanced organizational outcomes. Survey data from an achieved sample of 1,762 teachers and 9,941 students in one large school district were used to explore the relative effects of transformational leadership practices on selected organizational conditions and student engagement with school. Results demonstrated strong significant effects of such leadership on organizational conditions, and moderate but still significant total effects on student engagement.

Principal and Teacher Leadership Effects: A replication

Abstract: Survey data from an achieved sample of 1818 teachers and 6490 students in one large Canadian school district were used to explore the relative effects of principal and teacher leadership on student engagement with school. Results demonstrated greater effects on student engagement of principal as compared with teacher sources of leadership. The effects of principal leadership were weak but significant, whereas the effects of teacher leadership were not significant. Both forms of leadership were mediated by many of the same elements of the school organisation.

How Classroom Environment and Student Engagement Affect Learning in Internet-based MBA Courses

Abstract: While the number of college courses being delivered via the Internet is increasing rapidly, our knowledge of what makes these courses effective learning experiences for students is still limited. T...

Culture Learning in Language Education: A Review of the Literature.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION This paper examines the theoretical and research literatures pertaining to culture learning in language education programs. The topic of teaching and learning culture has been a matter of considerable interest to language educators and much has been written about the role of culture in foreign language instruction over the past four decades. For insightful analyses see Morain, 1986; Grittner, 1990; Bragaw, 1991; Moore, 1991; Byram and Morgan, 1994. Most importantly, in recent years various professional associations have made significant efforts to establish culture learning standards (Standards, 1996; AATF, 1995). Yet, to date, there have been few critical reviews of the literature. In certain respects this is not surprising because culture learning is not exclusively the domain of language educators. On the contrary, the field is highly interdisciplinary in nature; contributions to the knowledge base have come from psychology, linguistics, anthropology, education, intercultural communication, and elsewhere. Moreover, anthropologists, intercultural communication scholars, and psychologists, in particular, have studied cultural phenomena quite apart from their relationship to language learning. The review confirmed what we expected: a substantial amount of important writing on culture learning exists, much of which is completely unrelated to language education. The rationale for conducting this review of the literature was to determine if studies existed which could:

An Implementation of Active Learning and its Effect on the Quality of Student Learning

Abstract: This paper examines the effectiveness of active learning implemented in two undergraduate programmes at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Several learning activities were implemented during student seminar sessions. The effectiveness of these activities was investigated using questionnaires and interviews to explore student attitudes as well as the Study Process Questionnaire to measure student approaches to learning. Results showed that active learning made a valuable contribution to the development of independent learning skills and the ability to apply knowledge. It also helped to create interest in the curriculum and to prepare students for their future careers. The activities used affected the quality of student learning by shaping the way that students studied and meeting desired learning outcomes. The results are discussed in the context of student approaches to learning and in relation to the programmes' educational objectives.

Inside the Undergraduate College Classroom: Faculty and Students Differ on the Meaning of Student Participation

Abstract: (2000). Inside the Undergraduate College Classroom. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 71, No. 3, pp. 342-362.

Building Bridges to Student Engagement: Communicating Respect and Care for Students in Urban High Schools.

Abstract: Student engagement is a prerequisite for student learning and retention. Unfortunately, the number of disengaged students may exceed two-thirds of the high school population. Although there are many reform efforts to increase engagement, participants' perspectives on the topic are often ignored. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' and students' perspectives on engagement. Four teachers and 51 students from three urban high schools were observed and interviewed. The data were analyzed via constant comparison. Teachers' discussions focused on barriers that they perceived restrained their ability to engage students. Although students also noted barriers, they reported that their own engagement levels were flexible and responsive to teachers'actions. From the students' perspectives, engaging teachers communicated cared and enthusiastically presented active learning opportunities.

Self-Regulation of Academic Learning in Middle-Level Schools

Abstract: We argue in this article that many educational reforms fail to give sufficient attention to improving student learning. An important component of academic success is students' motivation and ability to take responsibility for their own learning. One way to increase academic performance is to teach students how to become self-regulated learners. We use Zimmerman's model of academic self-regulation to identify 6 dimensions of behavior that influence learning-motivation, methods of learning, use of time, control of one's physical and social environment, and performance. This model is unique in that it uses non-subject-matter outcomes of schooling to influence academic performance. We discuss each self-regulatory dimension in terms of the research supporting its effect on academic performance, as well as the developmental concerns for students in middle-level schools. Finally, we offer suggestions for how teachers can help students acquire self-regulatory skills.

Unlocking the knowledge in action of an expert practitioner

Abstract: A century ago, John Dewey alerted the teaching profession to the need for interventions in the learning-to-teach processes that foster the development of student teachers' knowledge-inaction. Dewey suggested that student teachers should be involved in reflective inquiry to develop an understanding of what takes place when learning actually occurs. He believed the observation of the teaching practice of others vital for student teachers' professional development. Such observation, however, should be tempered with the view to recognizing how the minds of the teacher and students interact (Dewey, 1904/1974c). Observation alone has a danger of focusing only on observable classroom behaviors. Student teachers may limit their practices to imitating or cloning, devoid of insight and initiative. They may lack understanding of the educational principles guiding effective teaching practice. Dewey argued that students with access to the thinking and pedagogical goals underlying observable teaching behaviors will utilize their knowledge of content and educational and psychological principles to become more knowing. Becoming more knowing requires that students make judgments and decisions about teaching practice. Rather than imitating or cloning, students would be engaged in intelligent action (Dewey, 1904/1974c). Dewey called for closer attention to the process of learning to teach, the essential relations between theory and practice, and the ways in which student teachers could develop the knowing of effective classroom teaching (1904/1974c). Learning to teach effectively requires that student teachers access the minds, not only the observable behaviors, of effective teachers. How best to prepare individuals for the complex and multifaceted profession of teaching continues to challenge those concerned with preservice teacher education. Student teachers, during the learning-to-teach process, participate in two distinct learning contexts. On-campus university classes involve students in the study of educational theory, curriculum design and development, psychology of learning, and teaching strategies and classroom management. During school-based practicum experiences, student teachers observe and practice various teaching approaches, skills, and techniques. Despite the commitment of teacher education institutions to providing effective preservice programs, research all too often reveals that student teachers engage in apprenticeship practica where they model teaching practice on the observable behaviors of supervising teachers. Only tenuous links exist between beginning teachers' theoretical and procedural knowledge of teaching. As student teachers gain more classroom experience during practicum, they often fail to build on the learning and understandings from their on-campus university classes. Instead, they perceive that much of the formal on-campus course work appears irrelevant when viewed from the perspective of classroom practice (Bromme & Tillema, 1995; Russell, 1987, 1988, 1989). Practicum experiences result typically in student teachers being left to intuit the pedagogical principles underlying effective classroom practice. One way to reconcile the dilemma of the theory-practice nexus is to examine and make explicit the typically tacit understandings of both beginning and expert teachers. The intervention we describe in this article brought together the stimulated recall of an expert teacher's thinking and the collegial reflections of a group of student teachers. We report one stage of a qualitative study involving the development, implementation, and evaluation of a cognitive intervention in preservice teacher education. The larger study comprised a yearlong program of interactive workshops conducted with nine preservice student teachers enrolled in a 1-year graduate diploma of education course at an urban university in Australia. The underlying goal of the program was to assist student teachers in reconciling the theoretical and practical knowledge of teaching. …

Making Connections: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Journal Writing in Enhancing Student Learning

Abstract: Although journal writing has been extensively described and advocated in the teaching literature, little attention has been given to empirical assessment of its effectiveness in increasing student learning. Previous evaluations typically relied on student and faculty perceptions rather than performance measures. In this article, I describe journal writing as a way to actively engage students in learning about personality theories and include new criteria for instructor evaluation of journal entries. Analysis of student test grades indicated that a journal writing assignment increased student learning, and student evaluations supported the perceived usefulness of this exercise in fostering understanding. Examples from journals illustrate the ways in which students connected the course material to their own observations.

Shaking Up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation

Abstract: Part I: From Change--Inept to Change--Adept. 1. Introduction. 2. Dangerous Opportunities. 3. The Characteristics of Change--Adept Organizations. 4. The Technologies of Schooling. 5. Illustrative Cases. Part II: Working on the Work. 6. Focusing on Results. 7. Getting Down to Business. 8. Learning from Competitors. 9. Assessing the Student Engagement. 10. Using the WOW Framework. Part III: Working on Leadership. 11. Leading Structural/Cultural Change. 12. Empowered Leaders: Questions of Style and Substance. Part IV: Understanding the Systems of Schooling. 13. The Coordination and Directional Systems. 14. The Power, Authority, Evaluation, and Enforcement Systems. 15. The Boundary System. 16. The Recruitment and Induction System. 17. Who's on First: A Personal View.

Latina College Students: Issues and Challenges for the 21st Century

Abstract: A neglected yet increasing student population in higher education at the threshold of the 21st Century, Latina college and university students face distinct challenged and barriers to participation. This manuscript explores various Latina student issues - including "labeling," barriers, and factors contributing to success - and examines effective strategies for student and academic affairs administrators to support Latina success in higher education (ie, financial aid, academic support, social/cultural support, and campus environment).

Assessing and Promoting Student Learning: Blurring the Line between Teaching and Testing

Abstract: In recent years, many faculty have modified their teaching methods to encourage higher level thinking. However, approaches to testing often remain unchanged, reinforcing memorizing rather than critical thinking. In this article, I describe the use of daily essay quizzes to encourage thorough preparation for class and higher level thinking. Student evaluations support the perceived value of this testing method in enhancing student learning. Additionally, student self-reported behaviors suggest that in contrast to daily essay quizzes, 4 tests scheduled at predictable intervals during the semester result in last-minute preparation and lower perceived student learning.

Pedagogical Motivations for Student Computer Use That Lead to Student Engagement - eScholarship

Abstract: Pedagogical Motivations for Student Computer Use That Lead to Student Engagement Henry Jay Becker University of California, Irvine hjbecker@uci.edu Published in Educational Technology/September-October 2000

Ways of knowing beyond facts and laws of science: An ethnographic investigation of student engagement in scientific practices

Abstract: In this study, an anthropological perspective informed by sociolinguistic discourse analysis was used to examine how teachers, students, and scientists constructed ways of investigating and knowing in science. Events in a combined fourth- and fifth-grade elementary class were studied to document how the participating teacher provided opportunities for students to diverge from the intended curriculum to pursue their questions concerning the behavior of sea animals in a marine science observation tank. Analysis of the classroom discourse identified ways that particular teaching strategies provided opportunities for student engagement in scientific practices. Implications of this study for the teaching of science in elementary classrooms include the value of student-initiated science explorations under the conditions of uncertainty and for topics in which the teacher lacked relevant disciplinary knowledge. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 237–258, 2000.

The Authority of the Student Evaluation Questionnaire

Abstract: The student evaluation questionnaire is a method of student feedback compatible with assumptions about effective organisational control contained recent higher educational policy texts and guidelines issued by statutory agencies. It is also coherent with the criteria for, and is conducive to the means of, external scrutiny of institutional management procedures. One of the many objectives set for the student evaluation questionnaire is to facilitate the lecturer's professional development in teaching. This article argues that the assumptions that underpin the student evaluation questionnaire and the claims made for it within developmental research on this method of student feedback require substantial critical analysis. With reference to the views of two lecturers, the article concludes that the contemporary use of the student evaluation questionnaire as a means of summative and comparative appraisal has several negative implications for lecturers' understandings of teaching and their professional self-de...

An Ecological Analysis of a Sport Education Season

Abstract: This study provides an ecological analysis of a sport education season. Through the examination of the tasks and accountability operating in this season, it was determined that the high level of enthusiastic student engagement was due to the presence of three vectors, all of which make positive contributions to sustaining the program of action. These vectors include the teacher’s managerial task system, the student social system, and the content-embedded accountability inherent in the curriculum model. Sport education provides a multidimensional program of action, in contrast to more traditional physical education settings, where teachers either push students through the curriculum with strong external accountability as a way of achieving and sustaining order, or retreat to a curricular zone of safety and negotiate minimum student work for cooperation in the managerial system.

The Reciprocal Influence of Teacher Learning, Teaching Practice, School Restructuring, and Student Learning Outcomes

Abstract: This article discusses the reciprocal and dynamic relationship of teacher learning, teaching practice, school restructuring, and student outcomes in three high performing public secondary schools for at-risk students. Student outcomes include improvement in student graduation rates, course pass rates, college admission rates, and academic course-taking rates. The article describes each school’s context and the inquiry process that stimulated teacher learning; triggered changes in teaching practice, school organization, and student outcomes; expanded teacher learning; and extended improved outcomes to a wider population of students. It describes how the interaction of these variables produced practitioner knowledge that teachers used to the benefit of student outcomes. It discusses how in each of the three schools teachers’ learning was initially driven by their aspirations for specific student effects, which led them to develop and implement practices that drew on their school’s culture, and their knowledge of their students, successful practice, and their content area. In each case teachers made changes in their teaching practice and in school and curricular organization. The article also identifies a set of contextual conditions that support this change process. Lastly, the article presents implications for researchers, reformers, and practitioners who aim to improve student outcomes by changing teacher practice and school organization. The article is based on findings from a five-year multiplecase study of how three high schools connect disenfranchised students to their future.

Willingness to Pay and Preference for Private Institutions

Abstract: This study focuses on the correlates of student preference for private institutions over public institutions in their senior year in high school, with a particular focus on the effects of students' subjective responses to tuition costs and to financial aid availability. The data for this study were drawn from a longitudinal study of postsecondary educational choice of high school students in the state of Indiana. The results indicate that in addition to student and family background and student academic characteristics, students' subjective responses to tuition costs and to financial aid availability have a substantial linkage with student preference for private or public institutions. This study suggests that family and ascribed characteristics alone do not explain student preference for the type of postsecondary institution. Students' subjective responses to tuition costs and to financial aid availability are also directly related to student preference for a certain type of postsecondary institution, independent of student family background and academic characteristics. This suggests that the willingness to pay, not only the ability to pay, plays a direct role in student college choice decisions. The implications for policy making are discussed.

Comparison of student characteristics, and evaluation of student success, in an online health education course

Abstract: of an applied dissertation report presented to Nova Southeastern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education COMPARISON OF STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, AND EVALUATION OF STUDENT SUCCESS, IN AN ONLINE HEALTH EDUCATION COURSE by David P. Diaz February, 2000 Institutions of higher education have consistently endeavored to deliver a quality education to an ever-burgeoning student population, and to reach previously unserved and underserved populations. Online courses have increased in popularity because they are convenient and because they successfully address work, scheduling, and other constraints that have precluded student enrollment in on-campus courses. There were three problems that prompted the current study. First, since current adult learning theory promotes a learnercentered view of education, instructors need to properly assess student characteristics so they might adapt teaching methods to student learning preferences. Second, there existed no clear evidence that students who enrolled into online classes were as successful as students in equivalent on-campus classes. Third,

Motivating and Maximizing Learning in Minority Classrooms

Abstract: Successful learning experiences contribute to student motivation and retention and require that educators design programs around learning preferences. This chapter discusses the relationship of learning preferences to motication and retention and presents a profile of learning preferences of Hispanic and Native American learners.

The psychology of education

Abstract: Written in an accessible and engaging style, this second edition of The Psychology of Education addresses key concepts from psychology which relate to education. Throughout the text the author team emphasise an evidence-based approach, providing practical suggestions to improve learning outcomes, while fictional case studies are used in this new edition to provide students with a sense of what psychological issues can look like in the classroom. Activities around these case studies give students the chance to think about how to apply their theoretical knowledge to these real-world contexts. ‘Key implications’ are drawn out at appropriate points, and throughout the book students are provided with strategies for interrogating evidence. Key terms are glossed throughout the book and chapters are summarised and followed by suggestions for further reading. A chapter on Learning interactions and social worlds is new to this edition. The following chapters have all been extensively updated: Learning Assessment Individual differences and achievement Student engagement and motivation The educational context Society and culture Language Literacy Inclusive education and special educational needs Behaviour problems Dealing with behaviour problems. This book is essential reading for undergraduate students of Education Studies and Psychology as well as trainee teachers on BA, BEd and PGCE courses. It will also be of use to postgraduates training to be educational psychologists.

How to be a successful distance learning student : learning on the Internet

Abstract: Any books that you read, no matter how you got the sentences that have been read from the books, surely they will give you goodness. But, we will show you one of recommendation of the book that you need to read. This how to be a successful distance learning student learning on the internet is what we surely mean. We will show you the reasonable reasons why you need to read this book. This book is a kind of precious book written by an experienced author.

Is Student Achievement Immutable? Evidence From International Studies on Schooling and Student Achievement

Abstract: International comparative studies of student achievement that have been conducted since 1965 have influenced education policy and research issues in the United States. This article reviews the contribution of recent international studies to an understanding of the role of content in curriculum and thus the way in which schools have an impact on student learning. Studies conducted of U.S. schools during the 1960s by James Coleman and his associates and schools of other countries by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement concluded that student performance was determined more by family background than by school characteristics. However, Coleman himself later recanted that finding in a reanalysis of international studies. Recent international studies of student assessment have demonstrated that between-countries differences in how the science and mathematics curriculum is presented may account for differences in student performance. This finding has had an effect on nation...