Identifying student- and class-level correlates of sixth-grade students’ listening comprehension

Despite the importance of listening, little investigation of potential correlates of listening comprehension in the language of schooling is done. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate which student- and class-level characteristics are related to sixth-grade students' listening skills in Flanders. A sample of 974 students in 70 classes completed a listening test in order to gather information on their ability to understand and interpret oral information. Further, different questionnaires were administered to the students, their parents and teachers. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis with multilevel design showed that the differences in listening comprehension skills could be primarily attributed to differences in student-level characteristics. The results indicated that students with higher working memory ability, more vocabulary knowledge and lower extrinsic listening motivation performed significantly better on the listening test. In addition, the educational level of the parents and the language diversity in the class was significantly related to students' listening skills in the language of schooling. This study is an important starting point in unraveling the black box of listening skills in the elementary school context. Suggestions for further research and practice were made

Measuring ICT use and contributing conditions in primary schools

Information and communication technology (ICT) use became of major importance for primary schools across theworld as ICT has the potential to foster teaching and learning processes. ICT use is therefore a central measurement concept (dependent variable) in many ICT integration studies. This data paper presents two datasets (2008 and 2011) that contain measurements on ICT use in primary schools on the one hand and contributing conditions on the other hand. In both datasets, ICT use refers to different types of use: basic ICT use, ICT as a learning tool and ICT as an information tool. The influencing conditions refer to variables situated on the individual teacher level (eg, ICT competences, ICT professional development, etc) and the school organization level (eg, ICT school vision, ICT leadership, etc) that support or hinder the use of ICT for teachingandlearning

Developing a validated instrument to measure pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies : meeting the demands of the 21st-century

The main objective of this study is to develop a self-report instrument to measure pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies in education. The questionnaire items of this instrument are based on an existing comprehensive framework and were created with input from experts in the field. The data were collected from a sample of 931 final-year pre-service teachers in Flanders (Belgium). A first subsample was used for an exploratory factor analysis, and a second one to verify the identified factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis. A two-factor structure of ICT competencies was identified: (a) competencies to support pupils for ICT use in class and (b) competencies to use ICT for instructional design. This two-factor structure was confirmed in the confirmatory factor analysis. Recommendations are made on how this reliable instrument can help assess the level and progress of pre-service teachers’ ICT competencies

ProjectExpert : enhancing vocational students’ reading motivation and comprehension

Additional authors/chairs: Koen Aesaert; Hilde Van Keer Purpose. The number of students acquiring a basic level in reading comprehension is significantly lower for students enrolled in the vocational track in comparison with students in the academic and technical track (De Meyer et al., 2010). Additionally, these students are less intrinsically motivated to read (Mol & Jolles, 2014). Given the significance of proficient reading, the research literature calls for studies aiming at fostering vocational students’ reading expertise. More particularly, both stimulating reading motivation and comprehension is put central. Method. A quasi-experimental intervention study in authentic classes with switching replication design (Abbuhl et al., 2013) is applied. The intervention theoretically departs from Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1991), aiming at fostering students’ psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, relatedness and competence). Approximately 400 9th-grade students from 29 classes participate. Multiple aspects of treatment fidelity (Fogarty et al., 2014) are investigated by means of teacher logbooks and regular classroom observations. Results. The presentation will focus on (1) presenting the intervention design guidelines and the underlying theoretical and empirical rationale and (2) presenting the impact of the intervention. At present data collection is ongoing. Students’ evolution in autonomous and controlled reading motivation and reading comprehension performance will be analyzed using piecewise multilevel growth modelling, taking into account the nested data structure (i.e. students into classes) (Hox, 1994). Conclusion. Implications (1) for theory on reading motivation and comprehension and (2) for educational literacy practice in vocational tracks will be discussed