Do teacher stereotypes about school tracks function as expectations at the collective level and do they relate to the perception of obstacles in the classroom and to teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs?

The effects of individual teacher expectations have been the subject of intensive research. Results indicate that teachers use their expectations to adapt their interactions with their students to some degree (as summarized in a review by Jussim & Harber, 2005). This can in turn lead to expectancy-confirming student developments. While there are studies on the Pygmalion effect on individual students, there is only little research on teacher judgements of whole classes and schools. Our study aims to extend the perspective of teacher judgements at the collective level to stereotypes within the context of school tracking. The content and structure of teachers’ school track stereotypes are investigated as well as the question of whether these stereotypical judgements are related to teachers’ perception of obstacles to their teaching and their teaching self-efficacy beliefs. Cross-sectional data on 341 teachers at two different school types from the Panel Study at the Research School „Education and Capabilities“ in North Rhine-Westphalia (PARS) (see Bos et al., 2016) were used for two purposes: First, the structure of teachers’ stereotypes was identified via an exploratory factor analysis. Second, in follow-up regression analyses, the stereotype dimensions extracted were used to predict teachers’ perceptions of obstacles to their classroom work and their individual and collective teacher self-efficacy beliefs. Results showed that – after controlling for the average cognitive abilities and the average cultural capital of the students – teacher stereotypes were indeed related to perceived obstacles concerning their classroom work and their self-efficacy beliefs. After a discussion of the strengths and limitations of the present research, the article closes with a short proposal of a future research framework for collective Pygmalion effects. (DIPF/Orig.)

Handeln in der Weltgesellschaft. Zum Umgang mit Handlungsaufforderungen im Unterricht zu Themen des Lernbereichs Globale Entwicklung

In dem Aufsatz werden ausgewählte Ergebnisse aus einem Projekt der qualitativ-empirischen Unterrichtsforschung berichtet, in dem Unterricht zu Themen des Lernbereichs Globale Entwicklung untersucht wurde. Der Fokus des Beitrags liegt auf der Frage, wie Schülerinnen und Schüler mit Handlungsaufforderungen umgehen, die in Lehr-Lernarrangements des Globalen Lernens kommuniziert werden. Beispielhaft werden die Interpretationen von Sequenzen aus dem Unterricht vorgestellt, in denen unterschiedliche Formen des Umgangs mit Handlungsaufforderungen rekonstruiert wurden: die Reflexion über das Nicht-Handeln und die Reflexion über Handlungsaufforderungen als politisches Thema. Dabei kann gezeigt werden, wie Wissen und Kompetenzen von Schülerinnen und Schülern in didaktisch unterschiedlich strukturierten Lehr-Lernarrangements angeeignet werden. (DIPF/Orig.)

Die dokumentarische Methode als Forschungsansatz für die Geographiedidaktik im Bereich des wertorientierten und Globalen Lernens

Das vorgestellte Forschungsprojekt will einen Beitrag leisten, Möglichkeiten wertorientierten Lernens im Geographieunterricht zu reflektieren. Mit der dokumentarischen Methode wird hier erstmals eine Forschungsmethode in einer geographiedidaktischen Studie eingesetzt, die angemessen komplex ist, das Feld des wertorientierten Lernens evaluativ zu erfassen. Dominieren hier bislang ausschließlich kognitive Forschungsansätze, so können mit der dokumentarischen Methode nicht nur explizite Bewertungen, sondern auch implizite Wertorientierungen methodisch kontrolliert rekonstruiert werden, um so adäquate Schlussfolgerungen für wertorientierten Geographieunterricht zu ziehen. (DIPF/Orig.)

Kompetenzorientierter Unterricht im Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung. Perspektiven der Allgemeinen Didaktik

Ausgehend von einer allgemeinen Definition beschreibt der Beitrag zentrale Merkmale und Anforderungen Kompetenzorientierten Unterrichts sowie dessen bildungspolitische und lerntheoretische Hintergründe. Diese allgemeindidaktische Perspektive wird mit den Bedingungen und Zielsetzungen im Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung verknüpft. Die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen, die sich bei der Umsetzung Kompetenzorientierten Unterrichts zeigen, werden anhand eines Unterrichtsbeispiels aus dem Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung ausgeführt. Hierbei liegt der Fokus auf komplexen Problemen als Ausgangspunkt, auf der Ermöglichung von Selbststeuerung durch die Schüler/-innen sowie auf der Erarbeitung reichhaltiger Ergebnisse, die eine sinnhafte Kommunikation und Vernetzung von Wissen erfordern. (DIPF/Orig.)

Katrin Ulrike Zaborowski / Michael Meier / Georg Breidenstein: Leistungsbewertung und Unterricht, Ethnographische Studien zur Bewertungspraxis in Gymnasium und Sekundarschule. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2011 [Rezension]

Rezension von: Katrin Ulrike Zaborowski / Michael Meier / Georg Breidenstein: Leistungsbewertung und Unterricht, Ethnographische Studien zur Bewertungspraxis in Gymnasium und Sekundarschule, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2011 (376 S.; ISBN 978-3-531-16808-1)

Wie denken Lehrer*innen über (das Unterrichten von) Musiktheorie?

Teaching music theory is an essential, yet a barely researched part of music education in secondary schools. This paper examines the expert knowledge of Bavarian teachers regarding this subject After discussing the background and the methodology of this study the differences among the music teachers' understanding of "music theory" are illustrated with three examples: While all three interviewees agree that music theory is a set of specific knowledge, they differ by a) locating it in the non-practical, b) connecting it with practical applications or c) isolating it as knowledge, that, at first, has to be learned in isolation. These conceptions of music theory can be understood as intrinsically connected with didactic assumptions and are founded in the teachers' biographies. (DIPF/Orig.)

Elmar Schwinger: Literarische Erziehung und Gymnasium. Zur Entwicklung des bayerischen Gymnasiums in der Ära Niethammer/Thiersch. Mit einem Geleitwort von A. Reble. (Würzburger Arbeiten zur Erziehungswissenschaft. Bd. 18.) Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 1988 [Rezension]

Rezension von: Elmar Schwinger: Literarische Erziehung und Gymnasium. Zur Entwicklung des bayerischen Gymnasiums in der Ära Niethammer/Thiersch. Mit einem Geleitwort von A. Reble. (Würzburger Arbeiten zur Erziehungswissenschaft. Bd. 18.) Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 1988. 452 S.

Autoconcepto académico y toma de decisiones en el alumnado de bachillerato. 'Academic self-concept and decision making of secondary school students'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. Con el apoyo económico del departamento MIDE de la UNED. Contiene anexo de preguntas

Relationships among multiple intelligences, motor performance and academic achievement in secondary school children

This study examines the relationships between multiple intelligences, academic achievement and motor performance in a group of secondary school children. Four hundred and eighty schoolchildren participated in this study (171 female and 309 male) with an average age of 13.33 years (SD: 1.41). The Revised self-efficacy Inventory for Multiple Intelligences (IAIM-R) and the motor test Sportcomp were applied, and the average results of the academic year they had made were obtained. The analysis of the results showed how female scored significantly higher on the Linguistic, Spatial and Interpersonal intelligences, and older pupils scored significantly higher on the linguistic and naturalistic intelligences. It was the logical-mathematical intelligence which showed significant relationships with academic performance and it was the intelligence that better predicted this achievement. It was the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that was significantly related to motor competence and the best intelligence that predicted its achievement. Finally, indicate that schoolchildren with better scores in the motor test were those who scored higher in both academic achievement and all the multiple intelligences, with the exception of musical intelligence.

The academic preparation of secondary school teachers;

Mode of access: Internet.

Test Anxiety, Coping, Gender and Academic Performance in English Exams: A Study of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students

In this MA thesis, test anxiety related to English exams among Finnish upper secondary school students was studied. In addition, the ways students try to cope with test anxiety were investigated. The purpose of the study was to investigate gender differences in test anxiety, the effects of test anxiety on academic performance and relationships between test anxiety, academic performance and coping strategies. Test anxiety and coping strategies were analysed as scores of questionnaire responses. Coping strategies comprised of three categories – task-orientation and preparation, seeking social support and avoidance. Academic performance was analysed as teacher ratings of general performance in English exams. In total 67 subjects were studied. The subjects were Finnish general upper secondary school students. The data were collected by using online questionnaires. This data were mainly quantitative, but also qualitative elements were included. The quantitative data were analysed by using statistical methods. The results showed that females experienced statistically significantly more test anxiety than males. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was found between test anxiety levels and academic performance ratings of the subjects: the higher the test anxiety score, the lower the academic performance rating. A meaningful correlation was found between test anxiety and seeking social support as a coping strategy: a higher test anxiety score was related to using social support as a coping strategy. However, no relationships were found between academic performance and the three coping strategies when quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. Therefore, different coping strategies per se did not seem to be related to academic performance, but instead it was assumed that the effectiveness of coping strategies is dependent on individual differences. In order to obtain more generalisable results and to gain more understanding of test anxiety and coping with it, a larger number of subjects form different areas of Finland and of different ages could be examined in future studies. Moreover, cross-national and cross-cultural studies could provide valuable information. As a practical recommendation for educational purposes, the results of this study indicated that a more individualised approach is needed.

The impact of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary school transition

Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC) and mental health functioning (MHF) of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten--Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten--Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten--Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition.

Mainstreamed students with learning difficulties : failing and underachieving in the secondary school

Despite the rhetoric that students with learning difficulties are adequately supported within schools, the evidence suggests that they continue to experience school failure with devastating consequences. Students with learning difficulties are disproportionately represented as juvenile delinquents, as the unemployed and in mental health statistics. However, the defining of this group remains confused and imprecise and has not been a national priority. This has repercussions for both secondary schools and for the students themselves. This paper highlights research related to teaching practices, policies and school structure and their effects on the academic outcomes and emotional well being of students with learning difficulties. Finally, it makes a number of recommendations to change the status quo for these students.