Factors Affecting the Assessment of Student Achievement

To what extent do expectations, disconfirming information, and degree of parental involvement in schooling affect teachers' judgments about a student's growth and achievement? This study manipulated these variables with 147 preservice teacher candidates as they assessed the progress of a student named Chris in language arts over a 10-week period. As predicted by social cognition findings, these results showed that early expectations and differential growth patterns were substantial contributors to differences in this student's reported final grade. For example, these assessors were impressed by their student's socioeconomic background and other contextual data, and this early information affected the grade awarded him or her weeks later. In addition, the pattern of achievement exhibited by Chris was also significantly related to the report card grade. If Chris seemed to improve, the grade improved, but if he or she remained steady or even fell behind, the grade was unaffected. The implications of these findings for assessment practice are discussed briefly in the conclusion.Dans quelle mesure les attentes, l'information invalidante, et le degré d'implication parentale dans l'éducation affectent-ils l'évaluation que font les enseignants du progrès et des réalisations des élèves? Voilà les variables que la présente étude a manipulé avec 147 stagiaires pendant que ceux-ci évaluaient le progrès sur dix semaines qu'a réalisé un élève nommé Chris dans un cours des arts du langage. Tels que prédit par les connaissances sur la cognition sociale, les résultats ont indiqué que les attentes du début du stage et les schémas de croissance différentiels ont grandement contribué à l'écart dans la note finale que l'on accordait à l'élève. Par exemple, les évaluateurs ont été influencés par le milieu socio-économique ainsi que par d'autres données contextuelles qu'on leur avait présentés au début de l'étude. Ces renseignements ont affecté la note qu'on accordait à Chris plusieurs semaines plus tard. De plus, il existait une relation significative entre le modèle de réussites effectué par Chris et la note qu'on lui donnait sur son bulletin. Quand Chris semblait faire des progrès, sa note s'améliorait; par contre, quand il restait au même niveau ou qu'il réussissait moins bien, sa note restait inchangée. On discute rapidement des implications de ces résultats pour la pratique d'évaluation

Too Cool for School? The Relationship between Coolness and Academic Reputation in Early Adolescence

The relationship between peer‐nominated coolness and academic reputation was examined at two time points spanning the first year of middle school (N = 807; 52 percent female; 52 percent African‐American; 48 percent European American). Students predominantly nominated peers who were from their same gender and ethnic group as being cool. Associations between coolness and academic reputation differed across subgroups, were contingent upon level of disruptive behavior, and changed over time from fall to spring of the academic year. In the fall, patterns differed by gender, not by ethnicity. For both white and African‐American boys, hierarchical regressions evidenced a null association between coolness and academic reputation; for both white and African‐American girls, this association was positive. In the spring, findings for white girls were similar to findings from the fall. For the three remaining groups—white boys and African‐American boys and girls—conditions worsened over time, albeit in slightly dissimilar ways. For white boys, fall coolness did not predict significant declines in academic reputation over time; nonetheless, as a group, the coolness–academic reputation was negative by the end of the year. For African‐American boys and girls, fall coolness significantly predicted declines in academic reputation from fall to spring, although the concurrent coolness–academic reputation association was not significantly negative for either group in the spring.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110861/1/sode12097.pd

Unpreparedness and uncertainty: a qualitative study of African American experiences during COVID-19 pandemic

During disasters, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 disproportionately affected African American (AA) families, increasing their risk for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. The pandemic also exacerbated existing negative milieu such as economic opportunity and access to social and healthcare services. We explored AA families’ experiences of indirect pandemic effects. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with 11 AA parent/grandparents of school-aged child (5–17 years). Line-by-line coding and thematic analysis were used to analyze and interpret the data. Three emergent themes highlighted the salient indirect effects of COVID-19 pandemic on AA families: (i) access to healthcare, (ii) access to food, and (iii) disaster unpreparedness. Participants expressed frustration with virtual healthcare services and inability to schedule in-person hospital appointments for health conditions unrelated to COVID-19. Lack of food products in stores and limited financial resources due to pandemic-related job layoffs were important food insecurity factors discussed. Unpreparedness on the part of institutions, state, and the nation, created heightened perceptions of vulnerability. Given the social vulnerability spectrum in the U.S., pandemic planning approaches that promote equity are critical if public officials are to develop effective adaptation, mitigation, response, and recovery plans that mobilize and serve diverse populations

Percentages as Part Whole Relationships

Five practising teachers in regional NSW implemented Teaching for Abstraction for the Year 6 topic “Percentages”. The authors constructed materials for a unit in which students explored familiar percentage contexts, searched for similarities in their mathematical structures and then applied their learnings to more abstract situations. Particular emphasis was given to additive versus multiplicative approaches in different percentage situations. After an introductory workshop, teachers taught the topic in eight 40 minute lessons. The results show that even though this approach is radically different from that to which students and teachers are accustomed, it has the potential to benefit student engagement, learning, and attitudes for both students and teachers. The overall conclusions have implications for how professional development for Teaching for Abstraction is addressed

The role of self-concept in medical education

Much research has acknowledged the importance of self-concept for adolescents’ academic behaviour, motivation, and aspiration, but little is known about the role of self-concept that underpins the motivation and aspiration of higher education students in a specialised field such as medical education. This article draws upon a programme of research over the last three years examining the psychosocial determinants of success for educating home-grown doctors for regional communities. Interviews conducted with Australian medical students found that self-concept is a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon that emerges through social activity, and plays a crucial role in shaping their motivation and aspirations. For these students in a specialised field in higher education, self-concept not only influences their study performance, but also forms part of their personal and career development. Because of the significant interaction between the self and the social environment, the development of self-concept through a holistic and systemic facilitation of essential psychosocial drivers of success is essential in higher education

Motivational characteristics of recreational drug use among emerging adults in social settings: an integrative literature review

IntroductionRecreational drug use by emerging adults has been identified as an increasingly normalized trend in social contexts. It has been documented that the consumption of these substances regularly occurs at music festivals, raves, nightlife and party settings. While it is known that emerging adults participate in these risk-taking behaviors, what is not known is their motivational characteristics for use. The aim of this review to identify and review literature describing the motivations for recreational drug use and drug choice (excluding alcohol, cannabis and tobacco) by emerging adults in social settings to inform selection of appropriately aligned harm reduction education and health messaging interventions.MethodsWhittemore and Knafl’s (2005) integrative approach was used to conduct the review. This integrative review was based on a three-step search strategy identifying 2,772 articles published between 2000 and 2022. Eleven studies were included in the review. This review explores the following areas: drug use settings, concurrent drug use, consumer drug knowledge, motives of use including likes and dislikes and peer influence.ResultsA range of factors influence motivations of emerging adults to participate in recreational drug use. Similar to the consumption of alcohol, the use of recreational drugs by emerging adults is motivated by their perceived benefits and personal motivations to achieve euphoria, emotional intimacy, social benefits, peer influence, increased confidence and to decrease inhibitions. The review findings suggest that motivational factors that reinforce recreational drug use correlate with the desire to break away from the mundane by seeking pleasure and for the opportunity to create novel experiences. Beliefs about the positive and negative impacts of drug use, together with the desire to achieve emotional satisfaction influence drug taking activity.ConclusionRecreational drug use has become an increased societal norm amongst drug using peer groups and cannot be entirely prevented. It is to be noted that emerging adults have a basic understanding concerning recreational drugs, however, consumer drug knowledge and interventions that target illicit substances is lacking and should be addressed in future research. Festivals, raves and nightlife settings provide opportunity to implement health promotion as it reaches large number of vulnerable individuals in a short period of time

Indigenous Knowledge-Sharing Interventions in Australia and the Use of Information and Communication Technology: A Scoping Review

Indigenous peoples in Australia are subject to significant disadvantages both socio-economically and in health, education and service provision. Knowledge-sharing interventions, including those with an information and communications technology (ICT) base, have the potential to address these challenges. Interventions occur against a background of an ancient culture with distinctive ways of knowing and doing, including storytelling, art and performance. This study documents the results of a scoping review of interventions that have been undertaken in this context. It considers the outcomes of these interventions, the extent to which Indigenous ways of knowing were accounted for and whether ICT was involved. Our review of the peer-reviewed literature located two prior reviews and seven primary studies. All of the primary studies were about health interventions; of these, all those that reported positive outcomes only had incorporated Indigenous ways of knowing, some in innovative ways. Only two studies used ICT as their main vehicle. This article provides a base for further work by documenting the current status of the field and identifying the gaps, such as the scarcity of non-health and ICT-based studies. The cases identified provide useful insights for those with an interest in developing future initiatives

Barriers to the early identification and intervention of early psychosis among young rural males

The literature shows that a lengthy duration of untreated psychosis has been recognised amongst young rural males. Early psychosis has been described as a cluster of symptoms marked by: hallucinations and delusions; thought disorder; and cognitive impairment and it is more prevalent amongst young males than young females. A significant discrepancy of duration of the length of untreated psychosis has been identified between rural and urban communities. This discrepancy has far reaching consequences for young rural men at a significant transitional developmental phase in their lives. This study, conducted in rural communities in northern New South Wales, sought to understand the lived experiences of young rural males and their families in regard to emergent mental health problems, in an effort to recognise the barriers to earlier identification of early psychosis, and its timely treatment

Urban share of the "burden" : impact of a support organisation on caregiver burden of people affected by dementia

Purpose. This study investigated the experiences and expectations of unpaid caregivers who were members of a nonprofit social support organisation. Design and Methods. Colaizzi's phenomenological exploration was followed. Data were saturated after 15 in-depth individual interviews at a centre for people affected with dementia. Findings. The themes reported with the COREQ checklist were contributory to caregiver burden, the escalation of dementia symptoms, changes in family roles, psychological distress, social challenges, membership in a social network, and developing effective coping skills. Practice Implications. Access, availability, and continuity of psychosocial support programs are vital for the wellbeing of people affected with dementia