A Case Study of Teacher Attitudes, Belief Systems, and Behaviors Associated with Substantive Student Academic Achievement in a Charter School Serving an Economically Disadvantaged Urban Population

A Case Study of Teacher Attitudes, Belief Systems, and Behaviors Associated with Substantive Student Academic Achievement in a Charter School Serving an Economically Disadvantaged Urban Population PDF Author: Jennifer Suzanne Goodman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to research teacher attitudes, belief systems, and behaviors associated with academic achievement for students in a charter school serving an economically disadvantaged, urban population. This research sought to acquire teacher and student perceptions concerning what they believed were the most effective perspectives, convictions, and actions of successful teachers. Since the research shows that the teacher really matters and is the most impactful component to student academic achievement, then administrators can use these guiding qualities to hire the best teachers for their students and to focus on improving the caliber of their teachers. Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory was utilized to frame this study as the researcher viewed perceived best practices through the lens of four teachers and nine high school students in a public charter school. The findings indicated that research based best practices supporting effective teacher attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are consistent in a public charter school as well and the greatest opportunity for academic achievement improvements lies with the quality of the teachers.

A Case Study of Teacher Attitudes, Belief Systems, and Behaviors Associated with Substantive Student Academic Achievement in a Charter School Serving an Economically Disadvantaged Urban Population

A Case Study of Teacher Attitudes, Belief Systems, and Behaviors Associated with Substantive Student Academic Achievement in a Charter School Serving an Economically Disadvantaged Urban Population PDF Author: Jennifer Suzanne Goodman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to research teacher attitudes, belief systems, and behaviors associated with academic achievement for students in a charter school serving an economically disadvantaged, urban population. This research sought to acquire teacher and student perceptions concerning what they believed were the most effective perspectives, convictions, and actions of successful teachers. Since the research shows that the teacher really matters and is the most impactful component to student academic achievement, then administrators can use these guiding qualities to hire the best teachers for their students and to focus on improving the caliber of their teachers. Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory was utilized to frame this study as the researcher viewed perceived best practices through the lens of four teachers and nine high school students in a public charter school. The findings indicated that research based best practices supporting effective teacher attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are consistent in a public charter school as well and the greatest opportunity for academic achievement improvements lies with the quality of the teachers.

Growth Mindset, Performance Avoidance, and Academic Behaviors in Clark County School District. REL 2017-226

Growth Mindset, Performance Avoidance, and Academic Behaviors in Clark County School District. REL 2017-226 PDF Author: Jason Snipes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
Interest has been growing in the role of students' attitudes, beliefs, and dispositions as key factors that can support or inhibit student success. A large body of emerging evidence, including multiple randomized controlled trials, shows that interventions that target academic mindsets, attitudes, and beliefs about the nature of ability and the payoff to effort can lead to improved academic outcomes through changes in student disposition toward academic work and increased academic effort. The evidence and theory on academic mindsets and outcomes suggest an important role for teachers and peers in generating, supporting, and reinforcing these attitudes and beliefs, thereby facilitating improved academic outcomes, or, conversely, in undermining these attitudes and beliefs, thereby disrupting students' academic progress. However, little is known about the distribution of these attitudes and beliefs among students and teachers in different academic contexts, such as schools with different average academic achievement levels or schools with students with different demographic characteristics. With this in mind Regional Educational Laboratory West, in collaboration with Nevada's Clark County School District, collected and analyzed survey data from students and teachers throughout the district on attitudes, beliefs, and dispositions toward academic mindsets. This study focused on measures of three constructs: growth mindset (believing in the malleability of ability and payoffs from student academic effort), performance avoidance (hiding one's effort or refraining from making an effort due to concerns of failure or embarrassment), and academic behaviors (such as completing homework and participating in class). Most students reported beliefs that are consistent with a growth mindset. Most students reported that they engage in behaviors that support academic achievement at least "most of the time" and that it was either "not at all true" or "a little true" that they engaged in performance avoidance in a typical class. However, student measures of growth mindset varied significantly by grade level, prior academic achievement, English learner status, and race/ethnicity. Growth mindset scores were 0.2-0.8 standard deviation lower for students with lower prior academic achievement, English learner students, and Black students than for their higher achieving, non-English learner, and White counterparts. Performance avoidance scores were higher for students with lower prior academic achievement, English learner students, and Black students. And growth mindset scores and academic behaviors scores were lower for students in lower achieving schools and schools with higher percentages of English learner students and economically disadvantaged students. Though the differences (0.1-0.2 standard deviation) were not as large as the differences associated with prior academic achievement and English learner status, growth mindset, performance avoidance, and academic behaviors scores also varied by grade level; growth mindset scores and academic behaviors scores were lower for students at higher grade levels while performance avoidance scores were higher. A majority of teachers also reported beliefs about the malleability of their students' academic abilities that were consistent with a growth mindset. In fact, teachers' growth mindset scores were significantly higher than students' scores. Moreover, teachers' scores did not vary significantly by the average academic achievement or percentage of English learner students or economically disadvantaged students in the school. However, teachers' growth mindset scores were lower for teachers at higher grade levels than for teachers at lower grade levels. The presence of significant differences in students' self-reported beliefs and behaviors by prior academic achievement, English learner status, and race/ethnicity is consistent with the hypothesis that attitudes and beliefs about the nature of academic ability and about the payoff for academic effort play a role in disparities among students in academic achievement. The finding of such differences is also consistent with the hypothesis that students' academic experiences shape their academic beliefs and behaviors. Further research using longitudinal data and designs capable of isolating causality are necessary to understand the relationship between academic mindsets and academic outcomes. Because previous research has shown that interventions targeting academic mindsets have positive effects on academic achievement, the disparities in academic mindsets across student subgroups suggest that these beliefs may be important targets for interventions. They also suggest that intervening to support the development of a growth mindset could be particularly useful for English learner students, as well as for low-achieving, Black, and Hispanic students. The presence of significant differences in growth mindset, performance avoidance, and academic behaviors across schools with different average academic achievement and schools with different percentages of economically disadvantaged students suggests that school context and its relationship to students' academic mindsets and behaviors may be an important area for further investigation. The following are appended: (1) Survey constructs; (2) Survey response rates; (3) Clark County School District survey sampling strategy; (4) Pairwise significance tests; and (5) Confirmatory factor analysis.

The Impact of Teacher Attitudes on Academic Achievement in Disadvantaged Schools

The Impact of Teacher Attitudes on Academic Achievement in Disadvantaged Schools PDF Author: Tina M. Soric
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
This study uses data from 19 teachers in an underperforming, urban, low-income charter school located in the Midwest to examine the backgrounds and attitudes of the teaching staff. The data collected provides possible areas of improvement for this school. It can be assumed that these results are not unique to this building, but rather indicative of what is taking place in schools throughout our nation. Therefore, this small study can be used to identify ways to improve practices in order to better meet the needs of students who have been historically underserved in schools throughout the country. Some key findings from this study indicate the following: there could be a correlation between student achievement and teacher background; colleges of education may not be adequately preparing pre-service teachers; and there may be a lack of access to curricular materials that represent the student population.

Planning, Instruction, and Assessment

Planning, Instruction, and Assessment PDF Author: Leslie Grant
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317924401
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
This entry in the James H. Stronge Research-to-Practice Series focuses on specific strategies teachers can use to improve the quality of their instruction. Studies have shown teacher quality to be the top indicator of student achievement, with the effects of good teachers apparent even as students move on to successive grades. In this book, Grant, Hindman, and Stronge explore the relationship between teacher effectiveness and student learning. They provide a bridge between research-based theories and practical classroom applications. Templates, planning forms, and other reproducibles help teachers make a noticeable impact on student success using proven techniques and practices. Topics include tiered lessons, using assessment data, and much more.

The Influence of Teachers' Belief Systems on Group Decisions to Retain in Elementary Schools

The Influence of Teachers' Belief Systems on Group Decisions to Retain in Elementary Schools PDF Author: Terrie Weiland Andrews
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
ABSTRACT: In this study, the author explored the grade retention beliefs of elementary teachers and how those beliefs affect teachers' intentions to retain at-risk students. Secondly, the author explored the congruence between teachers' beliefs to retain and grade retention decision-making teams' (GRDMT) ultimate retention decisions. Each year, over 2.5 million students are retained annually in the American public education system at a total cost of more than $14 billion per year. It is estimated that between 30% and 50% of students will repeat a grade at least once by the time they reach the ninth grade. In prior decades, teachers and principals were primarily responsible for making the decision to retain. However, in the age of accountability and high standards, GRDMTs have been created and are used in over two-thirds of retention decisions. Teachers are always present at the GRDMT decisions and may be just as influential in the decision-making process as in earlier decades when the decision was up to only the teacher and principal. Researchers have frequently argued that grade retention is not in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act and the majority of published literature finds it to be an ineffective intervention. In the elementary setting, grade retention produces positive short-term outcomes, which substantiate teachers' beliefs that grade retention is helpful to students. In fact, 98% of teachers believe strongly in retaining struggling students, a belief that has remained relatively static over the past 30 years. However, the long-term outcomes are often detrimental to struggling students. The question remains as to why schools continue to retain an estimated 2.5 million students per year when grade retention, which is not federally regulated, is (a) ineffective, (b) increases additional financial burden for school districts, and (c) increases the likelihood that the student will drop out, exhibit socio-emotional difficulties, and have poorer employment outcomes. An exploration into teachers' belief systems and how often those belief systems are congruent with team decisions is needed to understand if, and to what extent, teachers influence the GRDMT process. Understanding the relationship between teachers' beliefs and team decisions will shed light on the practice of grade retention. The following research questions were identified for this study: 1. Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior, what are the current beliefs of elementary school teachers regarding grade retention? 2. Of those teachers who referred at-risk students to the GRDMT, how often were the teachers' beliefs about retaining at-risk students congruent with the teams' ultimate decisions to retain? To answer these questions, data were analyzed from 404 public elementary school teachers. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provided the conceptual framework to study teachers' beliefs. Participants completed the Teacher Belief Questionnaire (TBQ) to measure teachers' beliefs (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control [PBC], and intentions) and GRDMT ultimate retention decisions. Structural equation modeling was used to test the first research question. Results indicate that teachers' attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC significantly predicted and accounted for 72% of the explained variance in teachers' intentions to retain students who are academically struggling or lack basic skills. To examine the second research question, binary logistic regression was used to examine the congruence between teachers' beliefs and GRDMT decisions in a sample of 306 teachers. Results indicate that teachers' beliefs were not congruent with GRDMT decisions, and did not significantly predict GRDMT decisions to retain or promote struggling students. Regardless of the strength of teachers' beliefs to retain, the majority of GRDMT chose to retain 75% of the time. The majority of students in jeopardy of retention were minority males who exhibited academic difficulties. Additional findings suggest that the GRDMT group memberships, decisions, policies, and alternatives used in lieu of grade retention varied greatly. Other factors or persons may be just as or more influential than teacher influence on group decisions. A discussion of the findings, limitations of the study, and implications for research are presented. Recommendations for future research are also presented, as the results of this exploratory study are limited in their scope of generalizability. Further research in the areas of teachers' beliefs and the GRDMT can further extant literature, as teachers' beliefs and GRDMT are here to stay and will continue to permeate the educational landscape.

Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners

Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners PDF Author: Camille A. Famington
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780985681906
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description


Restorative Practices in Schools

Restorative Practices in Schools PDF Author: Margaret Thorsborne
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351704052
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 67

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Book Description
Outlines the techniques to learn and apply when planning and facilitating school conferences. This book contains key documents such as preparation checklist, conference script, typical agreement, evaluation sheet and case studies. It includes guidance on: analysing school practice; deciding whether to hold a conference; and preparing a conference.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Closing the Achievement Gap PDF Author: Urban Education National Network
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Compensatory education
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description


Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.

The Science of Learning and Development

The Science of Learning and Development PDF Author: Pamela Cantor
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 100039977X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
This essential text unpacks major transformations in the study of learning and human development and provides evidence for how science can inform innovation in the design of settings, policies, practice, and research to enhance the life path, opportunity and prosperity of every child. The ideas presented provide researchers and educators with a rationale for focusing on the specific pathways and developmental patterns that may lead a specific child, with a specific family, school, and community, to prosper in school and in life. Expanding key published articles and expert commentary, the book explores a profound evolution in thinking that integrates findings from psychology with biology through sociology, education, law, and history with an emphasis on institutionalized inequities and disparate outcomes and how to address them. It points toward possible solutions through an understanding of and addressing the dynamic relations between a child and the contexts within which he or she lives, offering all researchers of human development and education a new way to understand and promote healthy development and learning for diverse, specific youth regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or history of adversity, challenge, or trauma. The book brings together scholars and practitioners from the biological/medical sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, educational science, and fields of law and social and educational policy. It provides an invaluable and unique resource for understanding the bases and status of the new science, and presents a roadmap for progress that will frame progress for at least the next decade and perhaps beyond.