Do school inspections improve primary school performance?

Inspectors from the Dutch Inspectorate of Education inspect primary schools, write inspection reports on each inspected school, and make recommendations as to how each school can improve. We test whether these inspections result in better school performance. Using a fixed-effects model, we find evidence that school inspections do lead to measurably better school performance. Our assessment of school performance is based on the Cito test scores of pupils in their final year of primary school. Therefore school improvement means increased Cito test scores. The results indicate that the Cito test scores improve by 2% to 3% of a standard deviation of the test score in the two years following an inspection. The arithmetic component shows the largest improvement. Our estimates are the result of an analysis of two types of school inspections performed between 1999 and 2002, where one type was more intensive than the other. In one fixed-effects model, we assume that the effect of the two types of school inspections was the same. We cannot, however, be sure that the estimates from this model are free from the problem of endogeneity bias. Therefore, we also obtain estimates for a less restrictive fixed-effects model. In this less restrictive model, we make use of the fact that a subset of the more intensive school inspections occurs at a representative selection of primary schools. Based on this smaller, essentially randomly drawn sample of schools, we can be confident that these estimates of the effect of school inspections are free from endogeneity bias. Due to the limited number of inspections at randomly selected schools, these estimates are not significantly different from zero. These estimates are, however, consistent with the effects found based on all inspections. The less restrictive model also allows for the effect of the more intensive inspections to differ from that for the less intensive ones. We find evidence that the more intensive inspections are responsible for larger increases in the Cito test scores than the less intensive ones.

Augmenting primary teaching and learning science through ICT

This study explored how information communication technologies (ICTs) in primary classrooms can enhance the teaching and learning of science. By building on teachers’ and students’ prior knowledge and experience with ICTs, we investigated how ICT use can structure activities to offer enhanced opportunities for active participation in science. The project generated examples of how ICTs can support subject-relevant ways of exploring and communicating science, and evaluating what has been learnt. The major implications from the key finding, found in the Summary report are that; ICTs amplify science learning if teachers unpack the scientific ideas to identify specific pedagogical strategies that exploit the opportunities of each ICT. Visually recorded data present instant, immediate and context-rich information that teachers and students can use as a repository for evaluation, analysis and communication. For ICT-supported activities to meet the needs of diverse learners, students and teachers need “sandpit” time to develop competencies to participate in various tasks. Teachers who use ICTs require support tailored to the specific pedagogical, content and technology needs of the topic they are teaching

Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Essential Science Concepts

Teacher's understanding of science is a prerequisite for teaching science. Due to the lack of science background during their studies, some primary school teachers have limited understanding of science. This study aims at identifying primary school teacher's understanding of essential science concepts. Data were collected from 293 participants of workshops of professional certification program at university. Teacher's understanding was measured using a multiple choice test whose answers are in the form of degree of certainty. The study finds that many teachers do not have good understanding of science. Misconceptions are also identified in a number of areas. Student textbooks, myths spread over in the communities, and narrow interpretation of religious teaching are some sources of teacher's misconceptions. These findings suggest that future professional development program for primary school teachers should be designed in the areas of subject matters and subject matter pedagogy

Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11): Final Report from the Primary Phase: Pre-school, School and Family Influences on children's development during Key Stage 2 (7-11)

The Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 project (EPPE 3-11) has studied pre-school and primary school experiences for a national sample of approximately 2,800 children in England between the ages of 3 and 11 years. This Research Brief summarises the key findings up to the end of primary school. It focuses on the relationships between child, family, home, pre-school and primary school characteristics and pupils\u27 subsequent cognitive (Reading/English and Mathematics) and social/behavioural outcomes (\u27Self-regulation\u27, \u27Pro-social\u27 behaviour, \u27Hyperacti vity\u27 and \u27Anti-social\u27 behaviour) at ages 10 and 11 in Years 5 and 6 of primary school. It also reports on associations between pupils\u27 outcomes and \u27other\u27 factors such as pupils\u27 self-perceptions and their views of primary school at age 10, pupil mobility, out of school hours learning and season of birth. In addition, it explores the school/classroom practices and processes associated with pupil outcomes for a sub-group of pupils in 125 Year 5 classes. These findings update and extend earlier analyses of pupils\u27 outcomes in pre-school and Key Stage 1 (see Sylva et al., 2004) and form the end point of the primary school phase of the research

Exploring pupils' views of primary school in Year 5

A range of information about pupils’ self-perceptions and views of their primary school were collected as part of the Effective Provision of Pre-school and Primary Education (EPPE 3-11) Project. The EPPE 3-11 study is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and has followed children’s development from pre-school through to the end of primary school and explored evidence of educational influences in pre-school and primary school, as well as the impact of child, family and home learning environment (HLE) characteristics as predictors of pupils’ outcomes (attainment, social/behavioural development and self-perceptions). In Year 5 the ‘All About Me and My School’ questionnaire included information about pupils’ views of their primary school. A range of statistical methods has been used to investigate results for 2528 pupils for whom at least one pupils’ views of primary school outcome measure was collected in Year 5

Using school performance feedback: perceptions of primary school principals

The present study focuses on the perception of primary school principals of school performance feedback (SPF) and of the actual use of this information. This study is part of a larger project which aims to develop a new school performance feedback system (SPFS). The study builds on an eclectic framework that integrates the literature on SPFSs. Through in-depth interviews with 16 school principals, 4 clusters of factors influencing school feedback use were identified: context, school and user, SPFS, and support. This study refines the description of feedback use in terms of phases and types of use and effects on school improvement. Although school performance feedback can be seen as an important instrument for school improvement, no systematic use of feedback by school principals was observed. This was partly explained by a lack of skills, time, and support