Search

Research indicates that providing instructional alternatives, hands-on activities, and rationales for completing tasks maximizes students' learning outcomes (Brooks & Brooks, 2001). Given the opportunities, children will choose to engage in [...]

We examined gender differences in the first-grade transition, exploring child and classroom contributions to self-control and achievement in a rural sample. Teachers (n = 36) reported on children's (n = 172) initial adjustment difficulty and end-of-year self-control. Observed classroom organization and teacher-reported classroom chaos measured complementary aspects of classroom organizational climate. Children's literacy and mathematics skills were assessed in the fall and spring. Boys had more difficulty than girls adjusting to first grade, and initial adjustment fully explained gender differences in self-control. Neither observed organization nor teacher-reported chaos predicted self-control, and there were no gender differences in achievement. However, children in well-organized and low-chaos classrooms achieved greater literacy gains than those in poorly organized and chaotic classrooms. Boys made greater gains in mathematics in low-chaos classrooms, whereas no association existed between mathematics and chaos for girls. Discussion highlights gender differences in early school adjustment and features of well-organized classrooms and their implications for learning. The Elementary School Journal Volume 110, Number 2 [c] 2009 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0013-5984/2009/11002-0002$10.00

Based on a sample of 480 academically at-risk first graders, we used a cluster analysis involving multimethod assessment (i.e., teacher-report, peer-evaluation, and self-report) of behavioral and psychological engagement to identify subtypes of academic engagement. Four theoretically and practically meaningful clusters were identified and labeled as cooperative (n = 95), resistive (n = 96), enthusiastic (n = 188), and disaffected (n = 101). The 4 types did not differ in IQ measured with the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test. The cooperative group consisted of more female and Hispanic students, whereas the resistive group consisted of more male and African American students. The cooperative group was the most popular among peers, followed by the enthusiastic group. The disaffected and resistive groups had more emotional symptoms than the cooperative and enthusiastic groups. Academic engagement types also differed in growth trajectories of academic achievement measured with Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement from second to fourth grade. For reading, the cooperative and enthusiastic groups outperformed the resistive and disaffected groups at the beginning. However, the growth rate was similar across engagement types. For math, the engagement types did not differ at the beginning. However, the cooperative group developed at a faster rate and had higher math achievement by fourth grade than the other types. The findings support the importance of teaching temperament-based regulatory skills and of providing a positive psychological climate for children's academic learning.

In this study, 149 low-income, ethnically heterogeneous, fourth-and fifth-grade students completed self-report surveys in the fall and spring of I academic year. We examined classroom climate (satisfaction, cohesion, friction, task difficulty, and competition) and school belonging in relation to language arts and math and science self-efficacy, taking into account initial self-efficacy. Results revealed that greater satisfaction and school belonging, as well as less friction, were associated with higher language arts self-efficacy; school belonging emerged as the most important contextual influence when all classroom and school environmental variables were examined together. Less difficulty was the only contextual variable associated with higher math and science self-efficacy. These results suggest that student perceptions of the classroom and school environment are important to consider in relation to academic outcomes and that they have differential influences depending on the subject. Findings and implications for teachers and schools are discussed.

This study examined the influence that faculty and students have on academic dishonesty. Results showed that instructors who employ more safeguards against academic dishonesty and who discuss plagiarism, collaboration, and source attribution are more likely to observe students engaging in academic dishonesty behaviors. This study also found that students are less likely to report engaging in serious plagiarism if the instructor spends time discussing plagiarism and are more likely to believe that copying sentences is a serious form of academic dishonesty if the instructor discusses source attribution. Finally, results showed that students' engagement in academic dishonesty is most influenced by whether they believe their peers are engaging in academic dishonesty. These findings suggest that instructors should talk more about their expectations for academic honesty and use safeguards that deter cheating and plagiarism. These findings also suggest that institutions should seek opportunities to have students talk with other students about the importance of academic honesty. Index Terms--Academic honesty, cheating, classroom practices, engineering education, plagiarism.

Students' degree of territoriality based on gender and seat preferences in different types of classroom arrangements was studied. The types of classroom arrangements included rows of tablet-arm chairs, U-shaped, clusters, and rows of tables with individual chairs. The study was carried out through a survey at a large public institution in the southeast region of the United States. Results indicate that students who preferred seats at the end of rows of tables with individual chairs and tablet-arm chair arrangements had higher scores on claiming a particular seat than those who preferred middle seats in a row. In the rows of tables with individual chair arrangement, students who preferred seats at the end of rows also had more need to define their own territory than students who preferred middle seats in a row. No significant results were found in the U-shaped and cluster layouts. Females had higher scores on claiming a particular seat than males regardless of seating arrangement. Keywords: territoriality; classroom; seat preference; college students

Inconsistent performance by gifted students has been a source of frustration for both parents and educators for decades. Several studies on gifted underachievement point to a connection between student learning styles and classroom performance. This study examined the learning styles of gifted middle school students, student perceptions of the classroom environment, and possible connections between learning style, classroom environment, and achievement levels. Eighty gifted students from grades 6, 7, and 8 were administered the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) to identify student learning style preferences. They were also administered the Student Perception Inventory (SPI), developed for the study, in order to determine perceptions of these learning style elements in their classroom environments. Results indicated that the LSI elements of persistence and lighting correlated with achievement in all content areas. Additionally, correlations between higher grade point averages (GPA) and LSI preferences for responsibility and teacher motivation were found in science and math classes. Results of the SPI revealed a correlation between higher grade point averages in social studies and science classrooms and the following items: persistence; motivation; and auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic modalities. All subject areas showed a correlation between higher GPA and the students' perceived level of persistence.

Abstract Action research, AR, can assist new and practicing teachers in their ability to be critical, reflective thinkers who make informed decisions about classroom practice. This paper describes a one-semester [...]

Teacher as mentor, caregiver and model, ethical reflection, cooperative learning and democratic classroom environment are among the nine components recommended by the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs at SUNY Cortland for effective character education. While there is debate about the best approach to be adopted toward education of controversial issues in the classroom, there is certainly need for education that furthers basic values such as honesty, courtesy and respect.

An example of a natural learning environment for adults, a women's literary society, suggests reforms needed to educate for lifelong adult development. A pedagogical transposition is proposed, in which collaborative dialogue is emphasized rather than combative debate, which can be conducted privately instead. The role of the teacher would be to provide instruments for systematic internal inquiry. In addition, classroom procedure can be crucial in facilitating mutual growth.

Mathematical teaching should encourage creative thinking in students, and the traditional system in which teachers teach what they feel is necessary, should be changed. The questioning attitude of students should be fostered. It is estimated that traditionally, teachers used to ask 50,000 questions for every 10 questions from students. The questions of the teacher, which were factual, open-ended and reasoning, only permitted labeling phenomenon, and were also guided by the teacher's attitude toward classroom activity., For many of us, implementing the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM 1991) in our classrooms makes great sense. It is clearly reasonable that if students are to develop an [...]

11-year-old Becca's discovery of patterns in mathematical multiplications indicated the significance of allowing students to develop a questioning attitude in classrooms. Students cannot utilize all the knowledge gained at the same time, but through trial and error, they learn to associate their knowledge of a particular situation with other similar situations. An education in mathematics in a classroom which facilitates independent thinking, enhances their ability to rationalize., As my eleven-year-old daughter. Becca, was doing her mathematics homework one night, she called me into her room. 'Dad, do you think ~36 x 8' is the same as ~48 [...]

Two studies assess the influence of student communication behavior on peer self-evaluation in basic communication courses. Study 1 explores whether students who are compulsive communicators influence the self-perceived communication competence of their peers. Results show that students in classes with compulsive communicators have significantly smaller gains in self-perceived communication competence over the course of a semester than students in classes without compulsive communicators. Study 2 assesses the effects of implementing a cognitive learning strategies model of instruction on students' self-perceived communication competence. Results indicate that the cognitive learning strategies model eliminates the suppression effect found in course sections with compulsive communicators. Keywords: compulsive communication, self-perceived communication competence, classroom interaction

THE SOURCE: 'Air Pollution Around Schools Is Linked to Poorer Student Health and Academic Performance' by Paul Mohai, Byoung-Suk Kweon, Sangyun Lee, and Kerry Ard, in Health Affairs, May 2011. [...]