Education Commons^™

Examination Of The Internal Structure Of The Academic Competence Evaluation Scale - Teacher (Aces-T), Stephanie A. Zegadlo

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the factor structure of the Academic Competence Evaluation Scale-Teacher Form (ACES-T; DiPerna & Elliott, 2000) Academic Skills (AS) and Academic Enablers (AE) scales with a convenience sample. Analyses included item-based exploratory factor analyses (higher-order EFA with Schmid-Leiman transformation; Schmid & Leiman, 1957) for subjects with complete data (AS N = 433; AE N= 466), and omega reliability estimates (Reise, 2012). For the AS scales, EPA identified an oblique (correlated) three-factor model. A second-order EFA was completed along with a Schmid-Leiman transformation and found the majority of the apportioned variance was associated with the general Academic Skills …

The Impact Of Homework On The Achievement Of Students With Varying Science Aptitudes In High School Physics, Matthew Deets

Masters Theses

When students in a high school physics class are separated into high, middle, and low aptitude levels, it was discovered that they do not all show the same benefits from completing homework assignments. The focus of this study was to analyze the relationship between the amount of homework that students complete and their performance on quizzes and exams. The results indicate that middle and high aptitude students benefit from completing greater amounts of homework, however, low aptitude students show no improvement by completing a greater number of problems.

The Use And Application Of Open Source Integrated Library System In Academic Libraries In Nigeria: Koha Example, Emeka C. Uzomba Mr., Oluwatofunmi Jesudunni Oyebola Mrs., Anthony Chukwuma Izuchukwu Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the use of open source integrated library system in academic libraries in Nigeria, with the aim of highlighting the capabilities and potentials of open source software (Koha) and its practical importance to academic libraries across the globe. The study was guided by five objectives and five research questions. A descriptive survey design was adopted in this research, with population of twenty-five (25) staff selected randomly from 25 different higher institutions that uses open source software in Nigeria: 19 universities (federal, state and private), 4 polytechnics (federal and state) and 2 colleges of education. The instrument used to …

School-Based Supports For Trans Youth In Ontario, Charlie E. C. Davis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Trans youth are some of the most marginalized youths in schools. In 2012, the Ontario Government passed two legislations, one of which was the Accepting Schools Act, strengthening supports for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) students in schools. The other was Toby’s Act, an amendment to the Ontario Human Rights Code including protection from discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and gender expression. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how these two acts have created a political context supporting trans youth in schools. A comprehensive mixed-methods approach was used to examine provincial trends of trans-specific …

Item Writing For Assessment, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

A series of workshops to introduce new item writers to the principles of writing multiple choice items, using authentic contexts, to assess higher order thinking skills across the main subject domains.

Comparative Research In Education: Iea Studies, Petra Lietz

Dr Petra Lietz

During the second half of the twentieth century, the globalization movement transformed the nature of comparative research in education. The United Nations Organization and its agency UNESCO, promoting cooperation among nations through education, science, and culture, led this development through ‘Education for All’ and the integration of organizational, international, comparative, and global approaches to education. The conduct of educational research worldwide has been greatly influenced by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement through the monitoring of educational outcomes and the introduction of systemic and modeling approaches to research in education leading to evidence-based making of educational policy.

Overview Of Icils, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon

Dr John Ainley

No abstract provided.

Performing Well In Timss And Pisa Mathematics And Science, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

Workshops delivered to department heads of participating schools to help schools utilise the released items in TIMSS and PISA by: educating participants about the cognitive skills and processes assessed by TIMSS and PISA in the domains of Mathematics and Science; demonstrating to participants ways that content skills are assessed in TIMSS and PISA items; demonstrating to participants some of the item types and provide recommendations for how teachers can introduce these item types to students; and enabling participants to provide training/orientation to teachers within their schools.

Icils Questionnaire Development, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley

Dr Wolfram Schulz

In this chapter, we describe the development of the international questionnaires for students, teachers, school principals, information and communication technology (ICT) coordinators, and national research centers. The student questionnaire was designed to gather information about students’ personal and home background as well as use of and familiarity with computers and computing. It included questions relating to students’ background characteristics, their experience and use of computers and ICT to complete a range of different tasks in school and out of school, and their attitudes toward the use of computers and ICT. The teacher questionnaire was designed to gather teachers’ perspectives on …

Assessment In Academic Libraries, Gregory Smith

Gregory A. Smith

Academic library assessment has a rich history, its roots being traceable to a time when today’s information technologies were beyond the realm of imagination. The field has developed at an accelerating pace for more than 40 years, fueled by scholarly and creative output within and beyond the field of library/information science. Prevailing economic, political, and technological conditions have already thrust assessment into the mainstream of academic library operations around the world, and this trend is unlikely to be reversed. In the past 20 years, advocates for library assessment have developed new venues for intellectual exchange, launching conferences and journals focused …

Aser, Bɛɛkunko, Jàngandoo And Uwezo: Strengthening The Citizen-Led, Household-Based Model For Measuring Children’S Learning, Charlotte Waters, Juliette Mendelovits

Juliette Mendelovits

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Post-School Transition Programs Being Provided For Students With An Intellectual Disability In Special Schools In Victoria, Sharon Clerke

Sharon Clerke

Special Schools and Special Development Schools in Victoria cater for students with a range of disabilities both physical and intellectual, and are required to provide post-school transition education and career pathways for their students. This study aims to examine how a number of Special and Special Development Schools, collectively referred to as special schools, prepare students with an intellectual disability for post-school transition, which programs are being implemented and developed to ensure that these students are given the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers and what is regarded as a successful post-school outcome.

Scaling Procedures For Icils Test Items, Eveline Gebhardt, Wolfram Schulz

Dr Wolfram Schulz

This chapter describes the procedures used to analyze and scale the ICILS test items that were administered to measure students’ computer and information literacy (CIL).

Icils Questionnaire Development, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

No abstract provided.

The Rationale For And Use Of Assessment Frameworks: Improving Assessment And Reporting Quality In Medical Education, Jacob Pearce, Daniel Edwards, Julian Fraillon, Hamish Coates, Benedict Canny, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

An assessment framework provides a structured conceptual map of the learning outcomes of a programme of study along with details of how achievement of the outcomes can be measured. The rationale for using frameworks to underpin the targeting of essential content components is especially relevant for the medical education community. Frameworks have the capacity to improve validity and reliability in assessment, allowing test developers to more easily create robust assessment instruments. The framework used by the Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (AMAC) is an interesting and relevant case study for the international community as it draws and builds on established processes …

University Admissions In Australia: Multiple Pathways To The Same Destination, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The undergraduate population in Australian universities is a diverse group. A mixture of age cohorts, and relatively large numbers of international students, as well as an increasing variety of entry pathways mean that examining policy and practice in admissions to university in Australia is very interesting while at the same time substantially complex. This chapter offers a background on the Australian university student population in order to highlight this diversity, and then explores different approaches to admissions within the university sector. Exploration of admissions policies and outcomes in Australia is timely. In recent years an emphasis on growth in the …

Can They Teach Each Other? : The Restructuring Of Higher Education And The Rise Of Undergraduate Student “Teachers” In Ontario, Jennifer Massey

Jennifer Massey

Changes to public funding regimes, coupled with transformations in how universities are managed and measured have altered the methods for educating undergraduate students. The growing reliance on teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and increasingly undergraduate peer educators (administering Supplemental Instruction [SI] programs) is promoted as a means to achieve a greater “return on investment” in the delivery of postsecondary education. Neoliberal discourses legitimating this downloading of teaching labour suggest it offers a “win-win” solution to the “problem” of educating growing numbers of undergraduate students. It proposes universities can deliver the same curricula, and achieve the same “outcomes” (primarily measured through grades …

Translation And Verification Of Icils 2013 Instruments, David Ebbs, Tim Friedman

Dr Tim Friedman

Staff at the ICILS international study center (ISC), in close collaboration with staff in the participating countries’ ICILS national centers, developed an international English version of the ICILS assessment and questionnaires. Countries subsequently translated and adapted these materials to their languages of instruction. Throughout this process, the overarching aim was to create high-quality instruments that were internationally comparable yet also appropriate to each country’s national context and education system. The detailed guidelines on translation and adaptation provided to all participating countries are described in the ICILS 2013 Survey Operations Procedures, Unit 3 (ICILS International Study Center, 2012).

Scaling Procedures For Icils Questionnaire Items, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman

Dr Tim Friedman

This chapter describes the procedures used to scale the ICILS questionnaire data (for students, teachers, school principals, and ICT coordinators) and the indices based on them. Two general types of indices could be distinguished, both of which derived from the ICILS questionnaires: 1. Simple indices constructed through arithmetical transformation or simple recoding, for example, ratios between ICT and students or an index of immigration background based on information about the country of birth of students and their parents; and 2. Scale indices derived from scaling of items, a process typically achieved by using item response modeling of dichotomous or Likert-type …

The Psychometric Assessment Of Creativity As A General Ability. A Complete Waste Of Time? Perhaps Not, Brad Jackel

Dr Brad Jackel

No abstract provided.

Computer-Based Assessment Systems, Julian Fraillon, Ralph Carstens

Julian Fraillon

ICILS was the first IEA study to collect student achievement and questionnaire data on computer rather than on paper. This chapter describes the key aspects of the computerbased test delivery system used in ICILS. It also details some of the challenges of using computer-based systems to collect student data in a crossnational large-scale assessment such as ICILS.

Unlocking The Potential Of The "What Works" Approach To Policymaking And Practice: Improving Impact Evaluations, Robert Granger, Rebecca Maynard

REBECCA A MAYNARD

Despite bipartisan support in Washington, DC, which dates back to the mid-1990s, the “what works” approach has yet to gain broad support among policymakers and practitioners. One way to build such support is to increase the usefulness of program impact evaluations for these groups. We describe three ways to make impact evaluations more useful to policy and practice: emphasize learning from all studies over sorting out winners and losers; collect better information on the conditions that shape an intervention's success or failure; and learn about the features of programs and policies that influence their effectiveness. We argue that measurement of …

Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Dr John Ainley

In many Western countries there is concern about the level of participation of their citizens in civic life and the apparent lack of interest and involvement among young people in public and political life (Curtice & Seyd, 2003). The development of knowledge, understanding, skills, and dispositions that prepare young people to comprehend the world, hold productive employment, and be informed active citizens are among the characteristics that educational systems, schools, and teachers value and attempt to foster. However, countries vary in the status accorded to civic and citizenship education as part of school education and the relative importance of developing …

Scaling Procedures For Icils Questionnaire Items, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman

Dr Wolfram Schulz

This chapter describes the procedures used to scale the ICILS questionnaire data (for students, teachers, school principals, and ICT coordinators) and the indices based on them. Two general types of indices could be distinguished, both of which derived from the ICILS questionnaires: 1. Simple indices constructed through arithmetical transformation or simple recoding, for example, ratios between ICT and students or an index of immigration background based on information about the country of birth of students and their parents; and 2. Scale indices derived from scaling of items, a process typically achieved by using item response modeling of dichotomous or Likert-type …

Icils Test Development, Julian Fraillon

Julian Fraillon

The ICILS assessment was developed over a 20-month period from April 2010 to December 2012. Most of this work was conducted by the international study center (ISC) at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with national research coordinators (NRCs) and the project advisory committee (PAC). SoNET Systems conducted the software development for the test modules. This chapter provides a detailed description of the test development process and review procedures as well as the test design implemented for the ICILS field trial and main survey.

Evaluation Of The Redeveloped Model Of Mindmatters: First Progress Report, Robert Simons

Dr Robert Simons

No abstract provided.

Creative Activities In Mathematics : Problem-Based Maths Investigations For Lower And Middle Primary : Book 1., Derek Holton, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and practice or skills-based learning, especially within maths, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class. The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem-solving, collaboration and mathematical skills. Book One provides 12 different class activities suitable for students in lower and middle primary school (Foundation to Year 4), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole-class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular …

Assessment And Reporting – Key Concepts, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

A one-day workshop on the key concepts of assessment and reporting across the subjects of English, Mathematics and Science presented to teachers. Included how to use good quality assessments to monitor student growth and to inform teaching and learning.

Wikis For Group Work: Encouraging Transparency, Benchmarking And Feedback, Amir Abdekhodaee, Dini Kourosh, Farnaz Modarres, Anne-Marie Chase, Bella Ross

Dr Anne-Marie Chase

Early Science Learning Experiences: Triggered And Maintained Interest, Mary Ainley, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

A key question for science educators is how to sustain interest in novel or intriguing scientific phenomena so that interest in science is maintained, with the potential to develop into a more enduring interest as manifested in choice of studies in senior high school and tertiary programs. According to Hidi and Renninger (2006), progress through the phases of interest development depends on the availability of opportunities to engage and re-engage with content of the interest, and on support for taking up those opportunities. In this chapter, The authors investigate the validity of this proposition, examining evidence from early childhood studies, …