Importance in instructional text: Teachers' and students' perceptions of task demands.

History teachers (N=22) and their 11th-grade students (N=451) rated the relative importance of sections of an instructional text on which teachers would be giving a test. Multilevel analysis revealed only a moderate correspondence between teachers in their importance ratings. This suggested that there were large differences between the task demands of individual teachers; therefore, students needed to attune to the demands their own teacher set. However, only a moderate correspondence was found between ratings of individual students and those of their teacher. Although this correspondence varied between teachers, between students, and between text sections, results suggest that in general, the participating students did not have a very clear or sound perception of task demands. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' and students' beliefs about punishment.

360 1st, 3rd and 5th graders and their 16 teachers from 3 school systems were interviewed in the fall and spring of the same school year to assess the developing relationship between teachers' and students' beliefs about punishment. Older children were less punitive than younger children. Teachers remained relatively punitive compared with 5th graders. Teachers with more punitive beliefs had students whose beliefs were more punitive when compared with students whose teachers had less punitive beliefs. Children and teachers thought that teachers should give more punitive responses than peers for the same misbehavior. The school systems that allowed corporal punishment had students with more punitive beliefs than the school system without corporal punishment. Results indicate that the school environment is perceived to be authoritarian and punitive by students and teachers. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' perceptions of students' reading abilities: An examination of the relationship between teachers' judgments and students' performance across a continuum of rating methods.

Teacher perceptions about students' academic abilities are important for several reasons (e.g., instructional decision making, special education entitlement decisions). Not surprisingly, researchers have investigated the accuracy of teachers' decisions. Although some data reveal that teachers are relatively good judges of academic performance, other findings have suggested otherwise. A likely explanation for conflicting findings is the varying assessment methods (e.g., direct vs. indirect, norm-referenced vs. peer-independent) and different data analysis procedures that have been used across studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate a continuum of teacher-perception assessment methods as they corresponded to students' oral reading fluency performance. Participants included 10 teachers and 87 first, second, and third grade students from a suburban school in the northeast. Overall results suggested that teachers were generally accurate when estimating students' performance when students had strong oral reading fluency skills, but teachers had more difficulty judging students with average to low oral reading fluency. Further, data interpretation of teachers' judgment accuracy differed somewhat depending upon the statistical method employed. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research related to this study are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' perceptions of control and preferences for consultative services.

Investigated the relationship between teacher feelings of control in dealing with common acting out, withdrawal, and academic types of student problems, and teachers' relative preference for consultation and referral services. 64 elementary school teachers responded to a modified Pupil Problem Behavioral Inventory. Higher feelings of control over student problems were significantly related to a preference for consultation rather than referral services. Results are consistent with prior research indicating that an internal locus of control is associated with increased efforts to obtain and utilize information. Implications for teacher use of and resistance to school-based consultative services are discussed. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploration of Asian American college students' civic engagement.

This is an exploratory study of civic engagement among Asian immigrant college students. Fourteen students participated in semistructured interviews. This study found three categories of facilitators and barriers to civic engagement: (a) relational factors, (b) identity factors, and (3) acculturation gap factors. Findings also suggest that civic engagement is related to positive social and academic development among participants. Results highlight the importance of cultural and social factors in supporting Asian immigrant college students' civic engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Papua New Guinea students' perceptions of mathematics lecturers.

51 Papua New Guinea undergraduate mathematics students evaluated the performance of their mathematics lecturers by completing a survey previously used with US and Australian students (H. W. Marsh, 1981). Facets in the survey included enthusiasm, organization, group interaction, individual rapport, examinations, assignments, workload, breadth of coverage, and learning value. Results show that Ss in the present study differed from Western students in their perception of what is required in a lecturer's performance. These Ss from a developing country did not distinguish between the quality of organization of the lecture and the rapport created between lecturer and Ss, as did students from developed countries. It is suggested that lecturers in developing countries should be person-oriented to be effective. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' coaching of learning and its relation to students' strategic learning.

This study examined types and frequency of coaching of learning at the middle school level and its relation to students' strategic learning. Teachers (n?=?11) were videotaped during daily instruction on 3 separate occasions, and students (n?=?235) responded to a self-report questionnaire about learning-strategy use. Consistent with previous research at the elementary level (E. B. Moely et al., 1992), average instances of teachers' coaching of learning (e.g., describing cognitive processes, suggesting strategy use) occurred in only 9% of the instruction segments. Teachers most frequently recommended use of learning aids, engagement in metacognitive activity, and use of elaboration strategies. Results from a multiple regression analysis indicate that students' strategic-learning activity was significantly related to teachers' coaching of learning (R2?=?.18). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual differences in students' perceptions of routine classroom events.

144 Ss (72 males and 72 females) in Grades 1–5, who differed in classroom adjustment (according to teachers' judgments), were presented with 3 written vignettes portraying inappropriate student behavior. Interviews probed Ss' predictions of their teacher's motivation and response to the 3 vignette characters. Results show that Ss' reports varied across vignettes and differed primarily by grade level. Older Ss' responses were more elaborated and differentiating. Younger Ss' constructs tended to be more global, emotional, and value-laden. Females evidenced a more elaborate understanding of their teacher's motivation and behavior than males. Nonproblem Ss' working knowledge of the classroom, including discussion of their teacher, the vignette characters, and their reaction to them, did not differ from that of Ss who had a range of difficulties in the classroom. Of the troublesome Ss, only those diagnosed as hyperactive were notable for their differential responses. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supporting students' motivation, engagement, and learning during an uninteresting activity.

The present study examined the capacity of 2 different theoretical models of motivation to explain why an externally provided rationale often supports students' motivation, engagement, and learning during relatively uninteresting learning activities. One hundred thirty-six undergraduates (108 women, 28 men) worked on an uninteresting 20-min lesson after either receiving or not receiving a rationale. Participants who received the rationale showed greater identified regulation, interest-enhancing strategies, behavioral engagement, and conceptual learning. Structural equation modeling was used to test 3 alternative explanatory models to understand why the rationale produced these benefits--an identified regulation model based on self-determination theory, an interest regulation model based on interest-enhancing strategies research, and an additive model that integrated both models. The data fit all 3 models; however, only the model that included rationale-enhanced identified regulation uniquely fostered students' engagement and hence their learning. Findings highlight the role that externally provided rationales can play in helping students generate the autonomous motivation they need to engage constructively in and learn from uninteresting, but personally important, lessons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' perceptions of and reactions to misbehavior in traditional and open classrooms.

Compared teachers' disciplinary activities in traditional and open classrooms. Measures of teachers' discipline and criticism and children's misbehavior were derived from observations of 3 traditional and 3 open elementary school classrooms. The teachers' discipline and criticism scores were significantly higher (p     

Relationships between teachers' presentations of classroom tasks and students' engagement in those tasks.

Correlated the presence/absence of various teacher task-presentation statements with measures of subsequent student task engagement to investigate the possibility that expectations about classroom tasks that teachers communicate to students in the process of presenting those tasks might affect student engagement in the tasks. Reading and math lessons were observed (8–25 times each) in 2 4th-grade, 2 5th-grade, and 2 6th-grade classes. Typically, each reading or math period was subdivided into 2–4 tasks. For example, a math period might begin with a review of the previous day's seatwork/homework assignment, followed by presentation of a new concept or skill, followed by presentation of a new assignment. Teacher-presentation data and student-engagement data were collected for each task observed. Contrary to expectation, student engagement was generally higher when teachers moved directly into tasks than when they began with some presentation statement. Within the subset of tasks that were begun with teacher-presentation statements, those presentation statements classified as likely to have negative effects on student engagement were associated with lower student engagement, but there was no corresponding tendency for teacher-presentation statements classified as likely to have positive effects on student engagement to be associated with high rates of student engagement. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' expectancies, participation in consultation, and perceptions of consultant helpfulness.

Administered a questionnaire assessing self-efficacy expectations for resolving classroom problems and expectancies so that consultation could assist 55 teachers in 3 elementary schools with same classroom problems. Subsequently, teachers had an opportunity to request consultation from an experienced, doctoral student-consultant. A significant negative relationship was found between teachers' self-efficacy expectancies and their expectancies that consultation would assist them. No significant relationships were found between self-efficacy and use of consultation or consultee evaluation of consultation. Teachers' initial outcome expectancies for consultation predicted teachers' subsequent evaluations of the consultant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social interaction between deaf preschoolers and their mothers: The effects of communication method and communication competence.

Examined the effects of both communication mode (oral vs oral plus manual) and level of communicative competence (high vs low) on the play interaction of 28 profoundly deaf preschool children (3–5? yrs old) and their hearing mothers. Mothers and children from 2 groups, oral and simultaneous (oral plus manual) communicators matched on audiologic and demographic variables, were videotaped during free play. The tapes were later subjected to an interaction analysis that examined behavior at the level of the dyad rather than the individual. The duration and complexity of interaction were strongly affected by both the method and level of communication. Simultaneous dyads had interactions that were longer and more complex and contained more cooperation and positive affect than those of oral dyads. Simultaneous communication is discussed in terms of its benefits for both the communicative and social competence of profoundly deaf children. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' accuracy in evaluating students' self-image: Effect of perceived closeness.

The effect of teachers' emotional stance toward children on their accuracy in evaluating children's self-image was studied with a group of 21 female fourth-grade Israeli teachers. An initial questionnaire for teachers was used to identify the degree of closeness felt toward children in their classroom, after which 2 attached, 2 indifferent, and 2 rejected children were selected. These children completed a self-concept measure at the same time that their teachers completed the measure as they felt the children would. Analysis revealed major inaccuracies in teachers' assessment as a function of teachers' closeness: positive overestimation of the attached and negative underestimation of the others, particularly the rejected. The teachers' perceived closeness was unrelated to the children's perceptions. Discussion includes practical suggestions for reducing teachers' bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The "teacher's pet" phenomenon, students' perceptions of teachers' differential behavior, and students' morale.

The relationships among the teacher's pet phenomenon, students' perceptions of teachers' differential behavior, and students' morale were investigated in 80 upper elementary Israeli classrooms. The intensity of the teacher's pet phenomenon (rate of students' consensus in identifying teachers' pets in each classroom) was related to perceived teachers' differential behavior, particularly to teachers' differential (also preferential) affect. In turn, teachers' perceived differential affect was negatively related to students' morale and satisfaction. In classrooms of teachers who had pets who were not popular, students demonstrated lower morale, whereas students in "popular-pet" classrooms did not demonstrate lower morale. Previous findings on the teacher's pet phenomenon and on students' and teachers' perceptions of teachers' differential behavior were replicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-level effects of class characteristics on students' perceptions of teaching quality.

Using the multilevel methodology, this study analyzed 3 dimensions of teaching quality perceived by Chinese students in Hong Kong, China: (a) overall satisfaction with lecturing performance, (b) overall satisfaction with course design, and (c) a self-rated measure of effort devoted to studying. The models capture both student-level and class-level effects within the same analytical framework. Seniors and students majoring in the same subject as the course were found to be more satisfied with course design and to work harder than others. The strongest effect on course ratings, however, came from students' judgment of various aspects of course design and lecturing skills. In addition, larger classes tended to record lower ratings on all outcome measures. In terms of cross-level interaction, students' perceptions of teaching attitude affected their rating of course design and effort in studying more markedly in smaller than in larger classes, and appropriate course content played a more critical role in the rating of lecturing performance in heterogeneous than in homogeneous classes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

College students' theory of note-taking derived from their perceptions of note-taking.

In this ethnographic interview study, college students' theory of note-taking emerged after 4 phases. The theory was confirmed in a 5th interview phase. The students' theory includes conclusions consistent with ones already in the note-taking literature, but also many insights into note-taking dynamics that have not been identified in previous research. The amalgamation of previous note-taking theory and empirical outcomes with the students' theory provides a more complete theory of self-regulated note-taking than existed previously. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' judgments of students' academic functioning: A comparison of actual and predicted performances.

The relationship between teachers' judgments of students' academic achievement and students' performances on an achievement test was investigated. The study included 12 teachers and 47 1st–4th graders students randomly selected from Wisconsin public schools. Teachers filled out the Academic Competence Scale from the Social Skills Rating System—Teacher version and 1 questionnaire for each student, which required teachers to predict how students would do on each item of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Brief form (K-TEA). Students were then administered the K-TEA by a qualified examiner. Teachers' judgments of students' academic achievement on the Academic Competence Scale were correlated moderately highly with students' actual K-TEA scores. Furthermore, mean percent agreement between teachers' item predictions and students' actual performances on the K-TEA was moderately high. Lastly, there was partial support for the prediction that teachers were better predictors of higher achieving than lower achieving students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of behavior perceptions and gender on teachers' judgments of students' academic skill.

Evaluated the hypothesis that gender and behavior, as perceived by teachers, affect judgments of the academic skill of their students. A path model was proposed to describe the relationships among tested academic skill, gender, behavior grades, and teachers' academic judgments. The model was evaluated separately in each of 3 grades (kindergarten–2nd) in 2 locations, with scholastic grades and structured ratings in specific academic skill areas as the dependent variables. Results showed that, after tested academic skill and gender were controlled for, teachers' perceptions of students' behavior constituted a significant component of their scholastic judgments. This effect was more pronounced for the judgments of boys because, in Grades 1 and 2, their conduct was perceived as less adequate than was girls' behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge in mathematics problem solving: Correlational and case analyses.

This study examined the relationship of teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge to teachers' mathematics instruction and to students' mathematics problem solving. First-grade teachers (N?=?20) participated in a 4-week workshop in which they were given access to research-based knowledge on children's mathematics learning. Teachers were observed for 16 days throughout the school year. In May, teachers completed interviews and questionnaires about their knowledge and beliefs; their students completed achievement tests. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relationships between teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge and students' mathematics problem-solving achievement. Teachers with more knowledge of their students questioned students about problem-solving processes and listened to their responses. Teachers with less knowledge of their students explained problem-solving processes to students or observed students' solutions. Case analyses of knowledge and behavior of the most effective teacher and the least effective teacher supported these conclusions and showed important differences in how these teachers thought about and used students' knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)