Education Commons^™

Early Learning Assessment, Martin Murphy

Martin Murphy

No abstract provided.

Learning On The Spot: Site Based Teacher Education In Australia, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz

In recent years, some Australian schools and universities have been moving away from traditional modes of teacher education in which pre-service teachers typically undertake their practicums in ‘blocks’ of about four weeks a couple of times a year, to newer models in which they become attached to a school, spending at least two days a week there, undertaking extra-curricular duties and participating in a variety of activities so that they become more like a teacher who actually works in that school than a visitor. In some site-based models, neighbouring schools have joined in clusters or partnerships together with the university …

Aligning Practice And Philosophy: Opening Up Options For School Leaders, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle

The educational use of digital technologies such as mobile devices, computers, and the Internet are progressively replacing pens, books, and the physical spaces known as libraries. Both online synchronous and asynchronous learning modes are emerging as part of the learning styles used with children physically attending schools. Consequently schools and school districts deploy various sorts of software applications to meet the range of teaching, learning, and management functions they perform. As leaders of schools, principals have heightened responsibilities concerning the philosophical directions of schools, as well as aligning the uses of technologies across all facets of their organizations. Set against …

Part 1: Lessons Learnt From International Assessments, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

In the first of two related articles, this article attempts to explain what can be learnt from international assessments of adult literacy and numeracy skills, and why there is value and crucial and important lessons for all educators, and others, from the work underpinning these empirically based research endeavours. Whilst some criticism of the surveys is understandable and to be expected, this often blinds readers and the LLN sector from reading between and behind the lines and seeing what value can be generated, gained and learned from such investigations, data and research. The article describes the theoretical frameworks and quality …

Learning To Earning – Perspectives From Downunder, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

No abstract provided.

A Rasch Analysis Of The Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale, Eric D. Teman Ph.D.

Eric D Teman, J.D., Ph.D.

The conceptualization of a distinct construct known as statistics anxiety has led to the development of numerous rating scales, including the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), designed to assess levels of statistics anxiety. In the current study, the STARS was administered to a sample of 423 undergraduate and graduate students from a midsized, western United States university. The Rasch measurement rating scale model was used to analyze scores from the STARS. Misfitting items were removed from the analysis. In general, items from the six subscales represented a broad range of abilities, with the major exception being a lack of items …

Automatic Scoring Of Items In Pisa 2012 Problem Solving, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

The OECD PISA 2012 Problem Solving assessment was delivered on-line and exploited the capabilities of the computer by including many problems where students were required to interact with a virtual scenario. The actions taken by students – clicking buttons, dragging objects etc – were recorded in log files during testing. For many items these logs were used to automatically score the item. In some cases the strategy exhibited by the students as they tackled a problem contributed to the scoring, in addition to whether they managed to solve the problem. In this paper I give an overview of the PISA …

Powerup!: A Tool For Calculating Minimum Detectable Effect Sizes And Minimum Required Sample Sizes For Experimental And Quasi-Experimental Designs, Nianbo Dong, Rebecca A. Maynard

REBECCA A MAYNARD

This paper complements existing power analysis tools by offering tools to compute minimum detectable effect sizes (MDES) for existing studies and to estimate minimum required sample sizes (MRSS) for studies under design. The tools that accompany this paper support estimates of MDES or MSSR for 21 different study designs that include 14 random assignment designs (6 designs in which individuals are randomly assigned to treatment or control condition and 8 in which clusters of individuals are randomly assigned to condition, with models differing depending on whether the sample was blocked prior to random assignment and by whether the analytic models …

Race, Poverty And Sat Scores: Modeling The Influences Of Family Income On Black And White High School Students’ Sat Performance, Ezekiel J. Dixon-Román, Howard T. Everson, John J. Mcardle

Ezekiel J Dixon-Román

Background:

Educational policy makers and test critics often assert that standardized test scores are strongly influenced by factors beyond individual differences in academic achievement such as family income and wealth. Unfortunately, few empirical studies consider the simultaneous and related influences of family income, parental education, and high school achievement on college admissions test scores.

Focus of Study:

This research was animated by the nagging question of the association of family income with SAT performance. For example, is the relationship between family income and SAT performance non-linear? Does the relationship differ markedly by race? More importantly, how strong are the effects …

Answering Legal Problem Questions In A Grid Format, Alex Steel, Dominic Fitzsimmons

Alex Steel

The development of legal reasoning skills is a fundamental aspect of legal education. What has sometimes been called “learning to think like a lawyer” is a threshold competency that students must acquire before they can progress to more complex analysis of broader legal issues. This chapter discusses the use of problem-based scenarios to both engage students and to develop legal analysis. It outlines the threshold difficulties students must overcome in order to read texts as a lawyer and explains how use of a grid format answer – rather than an essay format – can both assist students to overcome these …

Acknowledging Teacher Professionalism In Ireland: The Case For A Chartered Teacher Initiative’, Raymond Lynch, Jennifer Hennessy, Jim Gleeson

Dr. Jennifer Hennessy

This paper presents an argument for the development of an Irish Chartered Teacher initiative which would acknowledge and accredit the professionalism of experienced and accomplished teachers. It begins by examining the current position of teaching as a profession based on findings from Irish and international research studies. Issues surrounding the accreditation of accomplished teachers are considered through the examination of a range of Chartered Teacher initiatives. Finally, the potential opportunities and challenges of accrediting teacher professionalism in Ireland are discussed with reference to the continuum of teacher education and recent developments introduced by the Teaching Council of Ireland.

“If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress”: Transformative Youth Resistance And The School Of Ethnic Studies., Nolan L. Cabrera

Nolan L. Cabrera

In the wake of the Tucson Unified School District dismantling its highly successful Mexican American Studies (MAS) program, students staged walkouts across the district to demonstrate their opposition. Student-led walkouts were portrayed as merely ‘‘ditching,’’ and students were described as not really understanding why they were protesting. After these events, a group of student activists called UNIDOS organized and led the School of Ethnic Studies. This was a community school dedicated to teaching the forbidden MAS curriculum. In this article we present counternarratives from organizers, presenters, and participants in the School of Ethnic Studies. These narratives demonstrate the transformative resistance …

Evaluation Of Test Delivery Mode (Paper-Based And Computer-Based) Effects In A University Generic Skills Test, Van Nguyen, Joyce Hong

Dr Van Nguyen

No abstract provided.

Can A Summer Bridge Program Impact First-Year Persistence And Performance?: A Case Study Of The New Start Summer Program, Nolan L. Cabrera, Danielle D. Miner, Jeffrey F. Milem

Nolan L. Cabrera

This longitudinal study assesses the impact of the University of Arizona’s New Start Summer Program (NSSP) on participants’ first year GPA and retention, controlling for incoming student characteristics. While programmatic participation significantly predicted first-year GPA and retention, this relationship became insignificant when controlling for first-year college experiences and student development. Programmatic efficacy is largely determined not only by how practitioners develop participants’ cognitive abilities, but also how effectively they connect them to social and academic support networks during their first year of college. Within this context, programmatic impact is likely indirect which poses a number of methodological and resource allocation …

First In Reform: The Adoption Of Common Core State Standards In Kentucky, Richard E. Day

Richard E. Day

On February 11, 2010, in an unprecedented joint meeting, the chairs of the Kentucky Board of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Education, and the Education Professional Standards Board signed a resolution directing their respective agencies to implement the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics. This act formalized Kentucky’s commitment to integrate the nascent standards into the state’s public education system – the first state to do so. This article will trace the antecedents to Kentucky’s adoption of the standards as one expression of the late 20th century/early 21st century “corporate school reform movement” as manifested in the …

Convergent Validity Of The Finnish Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale-2 With Teachers And Parents As Raters, Hannu Savolainen Dr., Philip D. Nordness Dr., Erkko T. Sointu, Kristiina Lappalainen, Michael H. Epstein

Philip D. Nordness Dr.

In previous research the Finnish version of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2 (Epstein,2004) has demonstrated adequate internal consistency and reliability. The purpose of the present study was to examine the convergent validity of the Finnish BERS-2 by comparing it with the Finnish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with teachers and parents as the raters. The results add to the research base to suggest that the Finnish BERS-2 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the emotional and behavioral strengths of children and youth.

Identifying Resources That Support Research And Publication In The Field Of Early Childhood Education: Advice From An Education Librarian, Kelly Heider

Kelly Heider

Grey Literature In Australian Education, Gerald K. White, Julian Thomas, Paul Weldon, Amanda Lawrence, Helen Galatis, Jess Tyndall

Dr Paul Weldon

The prevalence of informal publishing or grey literature in education appears to have increased as digital technologies have become main-stream, educators have become more proficient and policies have moved increasingly towards supporting its use. In addition, the take up of social networking technologies and innovative methods of digital publishing have encouraged educators to produce, distribute and share content and commentary. Grey literature may make a substantial contribution to education even though issues such as credibility, access and a lack of standards can pose problems for producers and users. This paper begins by providing a context for the discussion of grey …

Grey Literature In Australian Education, Gerald K. White, Julian Thomas, Paul Weldon, Amanda Lawrence, Helen Galatis, Jess Tyndall

Dr Gerald K. White (retired)

The prevalence of informal publishing or grey literature in education appears to have increased as digital technologies have become main-stream, educators have become more proficient and policies have moved increasingly towards supporting its use. In addition, the take up of social networking technologies and innovative methods of digital publishing have encouraged educators to produce, distribute and share content and commentary. Grey literature may make a substantial contribution to education even though issues such as credibility, access and a lack of standards can pose problems for producers and users. This paper begins by providing a context for the discussion of grey …

Outcomes Of Texas Southern Univerity's Summer Undergraduate Research Program, David Owerbach

David Owerbach

It is widely acknowledged that participation in mentored undergraduate research can provide students with benefits toward career choices and continuation with research and graduate careers. Most of the data on undergraduate research for African-American students is not derived from research programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Texas Southern University (TSU), in Houston, Texas is an HBCU with approximately 7,500 undergraduate students and here we report the evaluation of TSU’s 2012 summer program. The summer program was a 10-week faculty mentored program open to all undergraduate students and 28 students participated. This study addresses the following research questions: (1) …

Influences Of Theory And Practice In The Development Of Servant Leadership In Students, Jennifer Massey, Tracey Sulak, Rishi Sriram

Rishi Sriram, Ph.D.

This paper explores the extent to which the leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities of upper-year student leaders on one private, United States college campus developed as a consequence of their education and experience as an extended orientation leader. Findings reveal that compared to leadership education in the classroom, leadership development is limited by experiences that do not include intentional reflection. We identify key elements in pedagogical frameworks that support and impede the leadership development of students and propose strategies to enhance the learning outcomes established for leadership development.

Applied Learning In Online Education: A Comparative Study Employing Deal Critical Reflection, John R. Fisher, Margaret Mittelman

Dr. John R. Fisher

This article stretches the boundaries of the meaning of applied learning to include online learning activities. The DEAL model of critical reflection was used to obtain student feedback in comparing two delivery strategies of an upper- division online leadership capstone course. Student reflection comments were analyzed for offerings of the course in summer and fall semesters. The fall delivery of the course adopted an applied reading summary strategy which required students to specifically apply their learning to their work and career plans. The DEAL model of critical reflection provided rich qualitative data evaluating teaching approaches and suggested students preferred applied …

Ty Gwyn: Documenting The Design Of A Special School In Wales, Julie Elaine N. Irish

Julie Elaine Irish

A Critical Examination Of Food Technology, Innovation And Teacher Education : A Technacy Genre Theory Perspective, Angela Frances Turner

Dr Angela Turner

There are many and varied forces that shape food technology curriculum, but two that emerge as significant and of specific interest to this research are the perceptions of food technology education and economic trends that influence food technology. The broad goal was to examine the extent to which food technology in secondary schooling is well placed to meet emerging policy and economic demand for food innovation expertise in the industry. With both the school sector and the professional sector each asserting that their respective perceptions of Food Technology was correct, a method for clarifying and classifying the nature of the …