University of Cumbria Open Access Journals
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Early intervention: the impact on future student participation and engagement in classroom environments
Get PDFExisting literature shows that although students agree that active participation in the classroom is important and many want to engage only one third regularly do so and 90% of all participations are made by a handful of students (Crombie et al., 2003; Frischner, 2000). The aim of this research was to explore from the student’s perspective what they considered were the key barriers to actively participating in the classroom and to establish whether early intervention can have an impact on their participation. Early findings revealed that a significant number of students have benefited from the intervention, however, the majority still experience difficulties participating in lectures. Responses indicated that for some student’s active participation is potentially negative especially for non-traditional and minority students. Traditional informal approaches to encouraging student participation through socialisation have been unsystematic and haphazard and their inadequacies and shortfalls have been highlighted by increasingly larger student groups and widening participation.
Why have attempts to promote equality of opportunity in schools in the UK and/or other countries failed?
Get PDFThis paper opens with David Cameron’s words on equality of opportunity. His assertion that we need to reach out to disadvantaged pupils is questioned through an examination of social mobility and homelessness in the UK. Analysis suggests that equality of opportunity is a societal, rather than educational issue. Using a metaphor from a Frans Francken painting, this paper argues that ‘low achievers’ are suffocated by those above them in the social hierarchy: hope of ascent is unrealistic. This paper concludes that instead of raising aspirations, the government should re-examine the responsibility of the establishment in keeping people ‘in their place’.
An investigation into whether there exists a positive relationship between a child’s level of extracurricular activity participation and their academic performance
Get PDFThis study was completed in order to determine whether a positive correlation exists between a child’s extracurricular activity participation level and their academic performance. The sample population for this particular investigation incorporated 165 subjects, 83 females and 82 males. The subjects consisted of Primary 7 pupils aged 130.6 + 3.0 months. These individuals attend six primary schools across Northern Ireland, in both rural and urban environments. In order to record extracurricular activity participation levels the children completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire provided information concerning the extent of weekly engagement in extracurricular activities as well as the types of activities participated in. Academic performance was recorded through the use of standardised scores. The host teachers provided the Progress in Mathematics (PIM) and the Progress in English (PIE) scores from the last time of testing (end of Primary 6). An average score of 100 was employed with a deviation of 10% to illustrate overachievement and underachievement. Once the data was correlated, the results were presented in a variety of graphical forms for ease of interpretation and analysis. The benefits of extracurricular activity participation are vast. While many researchers highlight the positive effect which engagement has on academic performance, the study did not suggest a strong correlation between the variables examined. After completing a Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient Test on the data presented, the conclusion can be made that there was a strong negative correlation between physical activity participation and academic achievement. Further research is required within this field in order to determine a final outcome.
Pupil-Pupil Talk: Does the Thinking Together Programme enhance pupil-pupil talk within the classroom?
Get PDFTalk in the classroom has been one of the most talked about topics in the classroom over recent years. For years, many have felt excessive teacher-pupil talk has been the best source to pupil progress however many are starting to feel pupil-pupil talk has greater benefits to progress. This investigation looked at the effect of pupil-pupil talk and whether a Thinking Together Programme was more or less effective than excessive teacher-pupil talk on pupil progress in five GCSE PE theory lessons. Analysis found that when pupil-pupil talk increased and teacher-pupil talk decreased, engagement, behaviour and decision-making enhanced. However, of work that is of greater difficulty, it was alternatively found that excessive teacher-pupil talk was necessary because teachers could support and guide pupils in the correct direction
Predicting Success in Higher Education: The Value of Criterion and Norm-referenced Assessments
Get PDFHigher education’s ability to retain students through to graduate appears to be an international challenge. This is also the case in South Africa where only 27% of student complete their studies in minimum time and where 55% will never graduate. These challenges have meant that extended degree programmes, where degrees are formally done over a longer period of time, have become a feature of South African education. One challenge is determining which students will benefit from an extended programme. In South Africa there are two sets of assessments that are pertinent to this debate: the National school leaving examinations (a statutory requirement for entry into higher education) and the National Benchmark Tests. The first set of assessments are norm-referenced and are therefore often difficult to interpret for the purposes of placement. The second, however is criterion-referenced and is therefore better suited for this purpose. This paper describes the two assessments, tracks the academic standing of a cohort of students over six years at one higher education institution. It argues that using the results of the two assessments in complementary ways is the most productive approach for the purpose of placement at this institution and others in South Africa. The implications of looking at these assessments is briefly explored in broader higher education contexts
I wish I could believe you: the frustrating unreliability of some assessment research
Get PDFMany practitioner researchers strive to understand which assessment practices have the best impact on learning, but in authentic educational settings, it can be difficult to determine whether one intervention, for example the introduction of an online quiz to a course studied by diverse students, is responsible for the observed effect. This paper uses examples to highlight some of the difficulties inherent in assessment research and suggests some ways to overcome them. Problems observed in the literature include: assuming that if two effects are correlated then one must have caused the other; confounding variables obscuring the true relationships; experimental approaches that are too far removed from reality; and the danger that self-reported behaviour and opinion is sometimes different from student’s actual behaviour. Practical solutions include: the use of an experimental or pseudo-experimental approach; the use of mixed methods; and the use of meta-analysis
Teachers’ and students’ conceptions of assessment within the Italian higher education system
Get PDFNowadays, higher education systems are being called to reconsider the aims of assessment if we want that students develop skills and competencies for their future personal and professional life. Although assessment holds an essential position in the higher education field, educational research still seems inchoative. Current studies, especially on an international level, are moving towards the revision of traditional modalities of testing, the individuation of alternative forms of assessment, and above all, the analysis of representations and conceptions that teachers and students have about assessment. The present research is oriented towards this last point: the case study, conducted at the School of Education at University of Bari, Italy, analyses teachers’ and students’ conceptions of assessment. Main results indicate a great level of confusion about assessment both for teachers and students. Several suggestions are discussed for further improvements in the higher education context
Embedding Wellbeing Knowledge and Practice into Teacher Education: building emotional resilience
Get PDFTrainee teachers’ self-awareness and their developing professional identity are of crucial importance as they enter complex school environments in a role which makes intense demands of them, both personally and professionally. To enable a smooth transition into school life, trainee teachers need to be able to critically reflect on their strengths, core values and performance. This study researched the impact of three workshops covering professional identity, teaching values and psychological models during the teacher training year. A mixed methods approach was employed: a questionnaire ascertained feedback on each workshop attended (October; February and May (N=38, 35, 31 respectively) and a final group interview (N=12) followed-up the workshops undertaken. Key findings indicated: the teacher ‘daily diary’ was extremely useful, reassurance of work-life balance beneficial, psychology shared very helpful (e.g. Maslow’s work; Erskine’s relational needs; Rogers’ core conditions). Key factors regularly used by trainee teachers were: using their planner, making time for others and trying to incorporate a work-life balance. The main conclusions reveal the essential requirement of trainee teachers being able to self-reflect, to organise their time and to have the capability to develop strategies to address the challenges they meet during their time in school
Managing Professional Change and Development: An investigation of the observed and perceived values of the use of music in the teaching of mathematics within the EYFS and Year One
Get PDFThis paper investigates the effectiveness of using participatory singing and song for teaching of the days of the week in mathematics in year one. It also investigates the attitudes of teaching and support staff to the use of singing and song as a teaching method within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and year one. Although using a very small sample (including a control group) statistical analysis suggests that further investigation of the use of participatory song as a teaching method for this area of learning would be supported by the results. An interesting divergence in attitudes to singing and song are shown between EYFS and year one staff – with EYFS staff much more confident in and positive about the use of song than their year one counterparts
Can tinkering benefit pupils’ learning?
Get PDFThe current National Curriculum for design and technology specifies that pupils use an iterative design process, work collaboratively and explore new technologies. Therefore, teachers must plan lessons to incorporate these strategies in order to promote pupils’ progress sufficiently. This study focuses on a key stage 3 textiles class in a secondary school where an e-textiles lesson was written into the scheme of learning in order to implement the new initiatives. Tinkering was trialled as a teaching strategy and its success was measured by the progression of pupils’ knowledge. The pupils were set a series of challenges to guide their exploration of electronic textiles components, working iteratively to solve the problem of high demand. The results revealed that pupils’ knowledge did increase following the tinkering lesson. Therefore, these results may facilitate improvements in future teaching strategies to inform practice and meet the government requirements.