Training and experiences of some distinguished industrial psychologists.

13 former presidents of the American Psychological Association's Division 14 (Industrial and Organizational Psychology) wrote autobiographical accounts of their career choices, graduate training, and significant professional experiences. The present author summarizes trends in the field as revealed in these documents, which cover 5 decades. Illustrative quotations offer examples of factors in career choice and of student–professor interactions and make suggestions regarding graduate education in the industrial/organization field. Some incidents described provide insight into circumstances affecting the development of theory, research, and practice. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A multilevel perspective on gender in classroom motivation and climate: Potential benefits of male teachers for boys?

Are boys better motivated by male than female teachers in high school math, science, and English classes, and can these differences be explained by classroom climate? Using a cross-classified multilevel model with 5 levels (school, teacher, class, student, subject), the authors found little or no support for this contention. In general (except in terms of anxiety and persistence), girls were better motivated than boys, and these differences tended to generalize over student age and school subject in classes taught by both male and female teachers. Student perceptions of classroom climate were more specific to the group of students within a particular class than to the teacher who taught the class and had moderate to large effects on the motivation of individual students. The surprisingly small amounts of variance explained in motivation by student gender and age, teacher gender, school subject, and their interactions support a gender invariance and similarities model but not theoretical predictions based on gender stereotype, gender intensification, and gender matching perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotional transmission in the classroom: Exploring the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment.

In this study, the authors examined the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Based on social–cognitive approaches to emotions, they hypothesized (a) that teacher enjoyment and student enjoyment within classrooms are positively linked and (b) that teacher enthusiasm mediates the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Self-reported enjoyment of mathematics classes was available from 1,542 students from 71 classrooms at 2 time points (Grades 7 and 8). At Time 2, mathematics teachers’ reports of their enjoyment of teaching were available (N = 71), as well as student ratings of teacher enthusiasm. The findings were in line with theoretical expectations. Multilevel structural equation modeling showed that teacher and student enjoyment were positively related even when the authors adjusted for students’ previous-class levels of mathematics enjoyment, and that the effect of teacher enjoyment on student enjoyment was mediated by teacher enthusiasm. Discussion centers on the practical implications for affective interactions in the classroom. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of teacher expressiveness: Mediated by teacher sex-typing?

Teacher expressiveness typically results in favorable student ratings, although teacher gender may affect these results. Eighty students viewed a videotape of either a male or female instructor acting either expressively or nonexpressively. Expressive instructors received the most positive student ratings, although expressiveness interacted with teacher gender on the rating of scholarship: The positive effect of expressiveness occurred only for the female instructor. Expressiveness significantly interacted with both teacher gender and student gender on achievement scores because of the differential effect of female expressiveness on male and female students. Student-perceived teacher sex-typing partially accounts for the effect of expressiveness on student ratings but not on student achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student evaluations of college professors: When gender matters.

Student evaluations completed over a 4-year period at a private liberal arts college were analyzed for the effects of teacher gender, student gender, and divisional affiliation. A significant multivariate interaction between teacher gender and student gender was found for each of the 4 semesters examined. Overall, the ratings of male professors appeared to be unaffected by student gender. In contract, female professors tended to receive their highest ratings from female students and their lowest ratings from male students. This interaction generally remained when possible confounding factors (such as teacher rank) were partialed out. The mean ratings received by female and male professors also varied as a function of the divisional affiliation of the course. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implications of social supports for adolescents' education and career aspirations.

260 15–18 yr old students (grade 9–12) completed questionnaires designed to examine relations among social support, perception of future opportunity, and education and career aspirations and expectations. Path analyses showed that for both males and females, perception of opportunity predicts educational expectations, which, in turn, predict educational aspirations and career expectations. For females, peer, family and teacher supports predict perception of opportunity, whereas for males only family support is predictive of perception of opportunity. Data indicated that females perceive more teacher and peer support than do males, and that compared to their male peers, females have greater perceived future opportunity, educational aspirations and expectations, and career expectations. Both males and females indicate a greater gap between career aspirations and expectations than between education aspirations and expectations. The possible contributions of socioeconomic conditions and gendered socialization are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The bases of teacher expectancies: A meta-analysis.

Reports a meta-analysis of research on the bases of teacher expectancies. 77 pertinent studies were reviewed using S. Stouffer's (1949) method of adding z scores. The following conclusions were drawn: Student attractiveness, conduct, cumulative folder information, race, and social class were related to teacher expectancies. Student gender and the number of parents at home were student characteristics not related to teacher expectancies; equivocal relations existed between teacher expectancies and student sex role behavior, name stereotypes, and teachers having previously taught a sibling. The findings are discussed in the context of the importance of doing such research with intact classrooms. Methodological difficulties and deficiencies in existing research are pointed out. Questions in need of research and directions for future research are noted. (118 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Victor Anthony Battistich (1952–2008).

Presents an obituary for Victor Anthony Battistich (1952–2008). Victor Anthony Battistich spent his entire career as an applied social psychologist concerned with the impact of school culture on student socio-moral development. He was unique in integrating social-psychological research expertise, sociological school climate theory, developmental psychological research and theory, and statistics. This integration provided the scholarly and practical worlds of education with novel, powerful tools and knowledge to promote healthy schools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and gender in the college classroom: A quantitative analysis of faculty–student interactions and perceptions.

Students and instructors from 24 classrooms across 8 departments at a major university were observed in this study to (a) assess for sex differences in faculty–student interactions and in students' perceptions of their college classroom environment, (b) compare student perceptions of their college classroom interaction patterns with observed faculty–student interactions, and (c) assess a variety of demographic characteristics together to determine their singular and/or interactive effects on faculty–student interaction patterns and student perceptions. Male and female students did not differ in their classroom participation or perceptions, and instructors did not interact differently with the male and female students. Student perceptions strongly correlated with their own behaviors and with instructor behaviors. Classroom interactions and student perceptions varied on the basis of different demographic characteristics including instructor sex, class size, instructor monitoring of gender–race equity in the classroom, gender relevance of the course, and the sex ratio of the class. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender difference as a factor in teachers' perceptions of students.

Elementary school teachers' perceptions of students were assessed by having teachers rate 157 boys and 127 girls in their 1st–6th grade classes on the School Behavior Check List. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between the student characteristics of sex, IQ, reading achievement, and grade level and teacher ratings of students on the Check List. This technique was used because sex, academic ability, and achievement are confounded variables in elementary school populations. Results show that student ability and achievement were more potent factors in teacher perceptions than gender per se. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Students' evaluations of university teaching: Chinese version of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality Instrument.

This study evaluates the applicability of a Chinese translation of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) and explores the generality of selected findings based on North American research to the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Students (N?=?844) selected a "good" and a "poor" teacher, and rated each using the SEEQ. Good teachers were rated more favorably than poor teachers on all SEEQ scales, all SEEQ items were judged to be most important by at least some students, and SEEQ items (except, perhaps, feedback on examinations) were seen as appropriate by most students. Relations with background variables (student gender, teacher gender, teacher age, course grade, class size, workload and difficulty) were similar to those reported in North American studies. The results support the use of the SEEQ in this Chinese setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Special Education referrals: Failure to replicate student–teacher ethnicity interaction.

Investigated the influence of student sex and ethnicity and teacher sex, ethnicity, and teaching level on referrals to special education. Responses of 320 teachers enrolled in graduate courses to a systematically varied protocol showed that recommendations were influenced by teacher ethnicity and teaching level but not by student sex or race. Also, teacher ethnicity and student sex showed significant interaction. Black and White teachers recommended more males, whereas Hispanics recommended more females for special education. Results fail to replicate an earlier study by S. Tobias et al (see record 1982-22036-001) who found an interaction between teacher and student race in which teachers recommended fewer students of their own background for special education. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy of teacher judgments in predicting oral reading fluency.

The relationship between teachers' judgments versus actual performance on curriculum-based measures in reading was examined. A total of 30 regular education teachers were asked to predict the oral reading fluency score of students along with a rating scale of reading subskills. Correlations between teacher judgment measures and student performance found that teachers were accurate reporters of student performance levels in reading. However, some questions were raised whether teachers were accurate at predicting the actual level of student oral reading fluency when effect sizes were used to compare teacher judgment and actual student performance. Recommendations for continued research in understanding the parameters of the accuracy of teacher judgment are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and race differences in learning disabilities classrooms.

Poor reading performance is the primary reason for assignment of learning-disabled (LD) students to special education classrooms. Such classrooms typically contain a majority of Whites and males. The present study investigated whether or not differences by sex or race occurred in placement, teacher contacts, assignment practices, and student learning behaviors in LD classrooms. 105 6–12 yr old LD students were administered a battery of tests that included the Level I Reading Subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test and the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales. Results reveal differences in placement, similarity of teacher treatment and student behavior, and similarity of the effects of such behaviors on test performance. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a multiyear universal social–emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics.

Objective: This article examines the impact of a universal social–emotional learning program, the Fast Track PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum and teacher consultation, embedded within the Fast Track selective prevention model. Method: The longitudinal analysis involved 2,937 children of multiple ethnicities who remained in the same intervention or control schools for Grades 1, 2, and 3. The study involved a clustered randomized controlled trial involving sets of schools randomized within 3 U.S. locations. Measures assessed teacher and peer reports of aggression, hyperactive–disruptive behaviors, and social competence. Beginning in first grade and through 3 successive years, teachers received training and support and implemented the PATHS curriculum in their classrooms. Results: The study examined the main effects of intervention as well as how outcomes were affected by characteristics of the child (baseline level of problem behavior, gender) and by the school environment (student poverty). Modest positive effects of sustained program exposure included reduced aggression and increased prosocial behavior (according to both teacher and peer report) and improved academic engagement (according to teacher report). Peer report effects were moderated by gender, with significant effects only for boys. Most intervention effects were moderated by school environment, with effects stronger in less disadvantaged schools, and effects on aggression were larger in students who showed higher baseline levels of aggression. Conclusions: A major implication of the findings is that well-implemented multiyear social–emotional learning programs can have significant and meaningful preventive effects on the population-level rates of aggression, social competence, and academic engagement in the elementary school years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher control strategies and choice of educational objectives among college students.

Studied effects of high vs low teacher control strategies on student educational objectives in a quasi-simulation university career game. 60 undergraduates, divided into 2 groups on the basis of scores on A. Mehrabian's measure of achievement motivation, were randomly assigned to high or low teacher control conditions. High-control Ss heard a 20-min lecture on choices available in a university career. Low-control Ss were invited to begin the simulation game immediately and explore alternatives as they proceeded. Results show that high-control Ss made significantly more goal choices for educational efficiency, while low-control Ss made significantly more choices favoring personal and social growth. Individual level of achievement motivation modified these overall results in predicted directions. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher–student interactions and their relationship to student achievement: A comparison of Mexican-American and Anglo-American children.

J. E. Brophy and T. L. Good's (1969) teacher–child dyadic interaction system was used to record 5 teachers' interactions with 40 Mexican-American (MA) and 59 Anglo-American (AA) 4th and 5th graders in 5 classrooms. 14 interaction variables were subjected to an Ethnicity?×?Sex?×?Classroom ANOVA. The correlation between these interaction variables and students' achievement was computed separately for MAs and AAs. Results show that AAs received more teacher affirmation following correct responses than MAs. Teacher affirmation was also significantly related to achievement for MAs but not AAs. Overall, teacher interaction variables showed a stronger relationship to achievement for MAs. A significant main effect of sex revealed that girls initiated more work-related contacts with teachers. There were no Ethnicity?×?Sex interactions. Findings indicate that even after controlling for potentially confounding variables, ethnicity still affects teacher–student interactions. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sustainability of teacher expectation bias effects on long-term student performance.

In this article, we address the relationship between teacher expectation bias and student characteristics, its effect on long-term student performance, and the development of this effect over time. Expectation bias was defined as the difference between observed and predicted teacher expectation. These predicted expectations were estimated from a multilevel model in which teacher expectations of students' future performance in secondary education were regressed on students' prior achievement, IQ, and achievement motivation. Multilevel analyses were performed on a data set of about 11,000 students who entered secondary school in 1999 and who were monitored for 5 years. We found relationships between teacher expectation bias and student characteristics as well as a clear effect of expectation bias on long-term student performance. Teacher expectation bias partly mediated the effects of student characteristics on students' performance. Moreover, its effect was moderated by some of these characteristics. Mediation and moderation effects were the strongest for parents' aspirations. The effects of teacher expectation bias dissipated partly during the first 2 years but afterwards remained stable over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal effects of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year.

On the basis of a new model of motivation, the authors examined the effects of 3 dimensions of teacher (n?=?14) behavior (involvement, structure, and autonomy support) on 144 children's (Grades 3–5) behavioral and emotional engagement across a school year. Correlational and path analyses revealed that teacher involvement was central to children's experiences in the classroom and that teacher provision of both autonomy support and optimal structure predicted children's motivation across the school year. Reciprocal effects of student motivation on teacher behavior were also found. Students who showed higher initial behavioral engagement received subsequently more of all 3 teacher behaviors. These findings suggest that students who are behaviorally disengaged receive teacher responses that should further undermine their motivation. The importance of the student–teacher relationship, especially interpersonal involvement, in optimizing student motivation is highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life course sequelae of childhood shyness in Sweden: Comparison with the United States.

Using data from a Swedish longitudinal project, we predicted timing of marriage and parenthood and age-35 career success from mother-rated shyness in 8–10 year old children. Results are compared with those previously found for Americans. Like shy American boys, shy Swedish boys married and became fathers later than nonshy boys. Unlike American boys, Swedish boys' adult careers were not affected by shyness. Like shy American girls, shy Swedish girls later married and became mothers at the same time as their peers. However, they also attained lower levels of education than nonshy girls. Results suggest that the life consequences of shyness depend upon its culturally defined gender and situation appropriateness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)