Teacher interaction with preschool children: Attitudes, contacts, and their effects.

Nine teachers and 80 preschoolers were the Ss in an investigation to determine whether teaching attitudes such as "attachment," "concern," "indifference," and "rejection" toward the children were related to the manner in which the teachers made instructional, social, and disciplinary contacts with the children. It was shown that more instructional contacts were made with the attachment pupils than with those in any other attitude group. Also, an attitude of concern led to more instructional contacts than did the attitudes of indifference or rejection. More disciplinary contacts were made with the concern and rejection children as compared with the attachment or indifference individuals. Ratings of the appearance and behavior of the children indicated that the attachment children were perceived most favorably by the teachers. The findings also show that the children evoked similar attitudes from the teachers in certain cases and different attitudes in others. The findings are considered with respect to a child's educational experience. (French summary) (33 ref) (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)     

Student assessment of teacher masculinity and femininity: A test of the sex role congruency hypothesis on student attitudes toward learning.

This study expanded the traditional research on teacher sex differences and student outcomes. We examined the impact of teacher and student sex differences and student assessment of teacher sex role orientation on student attitudes toward learning and found no interaction effects to support the sex role congruency hypothesis. Rather we found only a main effect for sex role orientation with androgynous teachers (those who show warmth and concern plus are assertive and dominant), who produced the most positive student attitudes toward affective, cognitive, and behavioral intent learning. Students, whether male or female, were more affected by overall teacher qualities than by whether the teacher was male or female. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer rejection and unpopularity: Associations with GPAs across the transition to middle school.

The unique effects of peer rejection and unpopularity on student GPAs across the transition from elementary school to middle school were investigated with a sample of 901 students followed longitudinally from 4th grade through 8th grade. Two types of longitudinal models, a cross-lagged panel model and a piecewise growth model, were used, with peer-nominated rejection and unpopularity and GPAs derived from school records. The cross-lagged panel model assessed the over-time directionality of the association between GPAs and peer status. It revealed that peer rejection preceded lower GPAs within 4th grade and across the transition from elementary to middle school, whereas lower GPAs predicted greater peer rejection from 4th to 5th grade. In contrast, unpopularity predicted higher GPAs across the transition from elementary to middle school. The piecewise growth model demonstrated that student GPAs declined in middle school and that peer rejection was associated with lower concurrent GPAs in both school settings, whereas unpopularity was associated with higher concurrent GPAs in middle school. Peer rejection and unpopularity in the last grade of elementary school were also predictive of GPA in the first grade of middle school above and beyond the effects of concurrent rejection and unpopularity. The results demonstrate how 2 forms of low peer status are associated with GPAs during this period of significant change in the social and academic lives of students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A factorial experiment in teachers' written feedback on student homework: Changing teacher behavior a little rather than a lot.

In a field study that replicated previous research by the authors (1981), 18 Venezuelan elementary school teachers were trained to provide constructive written feedback on the mathematics homework of their 6th-grade students (N?=?504) 3 times weekly for 10 wks. In addition to learning and attitude outcomes, aptitude?×?treatment interactions (ATIs) were examined among treatments and student ability, attitude, and sex. Results show significant main effects favoring students whose teachers provided feedback on mathematics achievement and attitude toward mathematics. No ATIs were found, indicating that the training had positive effects on student learning regardless of ability levels. The treatment was associated with reduced sex differences favoring males over the course of the study. Implications for implementing similar classroom intervention programs are discussed. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interactive effects of student anxiety, achievement orientation, and teacher behavior on student achievement and attitude.

Explored the effects of student personality and teacher behavior on student achievement and attitude. An experienced social studies teacher taught a 2-wk unit to 4 classes of 9th graders (103 students) according to 4 treatments that varied in amount of structure and student participation. Students completed the Verbal Meaning test of the Primary Mental Abilities Test, the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and 2 scales of the California Psychological Inventory at the beginning of the study and achievement, attitude, and retention measures at the end of the study. Teacher behavior was observed to demonstrate fidelity of treatment implementation. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that neither personality nor treatments alone contributed significantly to the prediction of achievement, but interactions between them did. Treatment effects depended on the student's verbal ability, manifest anxiety, and achievement orientation. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' attitudes and ascription of causation.

Investigated attitudes toward students and assignment of responsibility for student performance by 48 male and 48 female undergraduates acting as experimental teachers. Specifically, sex and locus of control of the teacher-Ss and ascribed performance and motivation of simulated students were studied for effects on teacher attitudes and assignment of responsibility for learning outcomes. Apparent student performance strongly affected both teacher attitudes and assignment of responsibility, while ascribed student motivation affected only teacher attitudes. Female Ss with internal locus of control assumed more responsibility for student performance than female Ss with external locus of control, but this expected finding was not observed in male Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Style of descriptive material as a factor in teachers' impressions of grade school children.

Constructed 12 messages describing hypothetical elementary school students, each message containing the same 5 traits: cooperation, friendliness, impulsivity, leadership, and persistence. The order, wording, and desirability of the information in the message, and sex of the student were varied. 60 female elementary school teachers rated their impressions of the student on 22 scales. Results of the 4-way analyses of variance showed several order effects which are interpreted as primacy effects. The paraphrases of original messages resulted in more extreme ratings, both when the statements were favorable and unfavorable. Positive messages tended to generate more extreme ratings and "halo" effects. Sex of the student appeared to be the least potent of the variables. Results are interpreted in terms of the need for standardization of teacher ratings. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School attitudes, cognitive ability, and academic achievement.

Investigated relationships between school-related attitudes and measures of English, mathematics, French, and physical and biological sciences at different levels of verbal and nonverbal reasoning abilities and creativity. Data were collected on 195 female and 201 male 12-yr-olds from 4 high schools in an English provincial town. Regression surfaces were constructed from models that examined possible linear, curvilinear, and interaction relations between the variables. The Jackknife technique was used to adjust the significance levels in the analysis. Results indicate that there are sex differences in relations between school attitudes, ability, and achievement. Two propositions are suggested: (a) At each attitude level, increases in cognitive ability are associated with increments in academic achievement. (b) At different ability levels, increases in attitude scores are related to increments in achievement. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher effects on cognitive and affective pupil outcomes in elementary school mathematics.

Some writers contend that there is a degree of incompatibility in maximizing both desired cognitive and affective outcomes in pupils. In direct conflict is the contention expressed in literature relating to elementary school mathematics that the promotion of desired cognitive outcomes (or achievement) in pupils is dependent on the prior promotion of desired affective outcomes, such as favorable attitudes toward the subject, and furthermore, that teachers not possessing the desired cognitive and affective attributes may be unable to inspire them in their pupils. The validity of these contentions was assessed by administering mathematics attitude and achievement tests to final-year student teachers and to the 850 pupils (4th–6th grade) of 48 of these teachers during the following year. Statistical analyses were used to investigate teacher–pupil relationships. Findings indicate that high achievement and high attitudes in teachers were each signficantly related to high achievement in pupils but were also related to the least favorable pupil attitudes toward the subject. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A person-situation causal analysis of self-reports of attitudes.

Self-reports of attitudes have 2 components referring to true attitudes and to the ways of presenting oneself in regard to the attitude issue. To overcome the usual confounding of these components, causal analysis was used to separate their effects. Respondents (123 undergraduates) were exposed to either a long or a short persuasive message designed to directly affect true attitudes. Ss' self-esteem (Feelings of Inadequacy Scale), need for approval (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale), and sex were related to measures of persuasion. True change was indexed by the extent to which Ss adequately received the persuasive arguments and could not justify their rejection of the influence with counterarguments. Self-presentation was assumed to be independent of true change and to reflect a mere shift in response to all relevant attitude positions. A causal model with these assumptions provided a good fit. Individual variation in both self-esteem and need for approval affected self-presentation, but not true change. There was no effect of sex by itself. Results suggest that person–influence relations may be inconsistent because of different self-presentation preferences across settings and issues. Self-presentation processes can be separated from true attitude reports, thus facilitating the analysis of personality–persuasion relations. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Etude de la stabilité de l'attitude scolaire entre la troisième et la cinquième année du niveau élémentaire, chez des sujets masculins.

A longitudinal study of attitude toward school was conducted among 30 elementary school boys. A projective test of attitudes toward school (ATS) and a teacher's questionnaire were employed for the test–retest. According to the ATS measure, there was a significant difference in the attitude toward school between Grades 3 and 5 although there was no significant difference according to the teachers' questionnaire. Analysis showed a large variability in the teachers' aptitude to evaluate their pupils' attitudes toward school, with some teachers confounding attitude with academic performance. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the greater value of the ATS measure and to accept the finding of a significant difference in attitude toward school between the 2 grade levels studied. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A multilevel exploration of the influence of teacher efficacy and burnout on response to student problem behavior and school-based service use.

There is an increasing concern about teacher factors, such as burnout or low efficacy, which have been hypothesized to influence student outcomes like achievement or discipline problems. The current study examined how burnout and efficacy relate to student disciplinary actions (e.g., referrals to the principal and suspensions) and referrals for school-based support services (e.g., student support and special education), while adjusting for school-, teacher-, and student-level variables. Data were collected during the fall and spring of a single school year from 491 teachers regarding 9,795 students at 31 elementary schools. Contrary to expectations, having low teacher efficacy in the fall was associated with a reduction in student referrals to the student support team. Also unexpectedly, teachers with high burnout in the fall were less likely to have students who received an out-of-school suspension by the spring. These findings enhance our understanding of the teacher factors that influence student outcomes and may inform the development of screenings and teacher-targeted interventions. (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)     

Improving classroom quality: Teacher influences and experimental impacts of the 4rs program.

This study capitalizes on recent advances in the reliable and valid measurement of classroom-level social processes known to influence children's social–emotional and academic development and addresses a number of limitations in our current understanding of teacher- and intervention-related impacts on elementary school classroom processes. A cluster randomized controlled trial design was employed to (a) examine whether teacher social–emotional functioning forecasts differences in the quality of 3rd-grade classrooms, (b) test the experimental impact of a school-based social–emotional learning and literacy intervention on the quality of classroom processes controlling for teacher social–emotional functioning, and (c) examine whether intervention impacts on classroom quality are moderated by these teacher-related factors. Results indicated (a) positive effects of teachers' perceived emotional ability on classroom quality; (b) positive effects of the 4Rs Program on overall classroom quality, net of teacher social–emotional functioning indicators; and (c) intervention effects that are robust to differences in these teacher factors. These findings support and extend recent research examining intervention-induced changes in classroom-level social processes fundamental to positive youth development. (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)     

The longitudinal relations of teacher expectations to achievement in the early school years.

There is relatively little research on the role of teacher expectations in the early school years or the importance of teacher expectations as a predictor of future academic achievement. The current study investigated these issues in the reading and mathematic domains for young children. Data from nearly 1,000 children and families at 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades were included. Child sex and social skills emerged as consistent predictors of teacher expectations of reading and, to a lesser extent, math ability. In predicting actual future academic achievement, results showed that teacher expectations were differentially related to achievement in reading and math. There was no evidence that teacher expectations accumulate but some evidence that they remain durable over time for math achievement. In addition, teacher expectations were more strongly related to later achievement for groups of children who might be considered to be at risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group membership in the elementary school classroom.

Investigated the relationships between the quality of a student's group membership and 4 student outcomes in elementary school classrooms. J. Jackson's (1959) model of person–group relationships was employed for describing a student's membership relations with his or her classroom peers. In addition, this study sought to determine if relationships between group membership and student outcomes varied in classrooms with different social structures. Data from 621 5th- and 6th-grade students were treated by 4?×?2 and 2?×?2?×?2 analyses of covariance. Results indicate significant main effects for group membership and social structure. It is concluded that Jackson's conceptual model is a useful framework for contributing to an understanding of student attitudes and behaviors in elementary school classrooms. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hepatitis B virus transmission in an elementary school setting

CONTEXT: The risk of transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in day care centers and schools is low. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the source of HBV transmission for an elementary school teacher with acute hepatitis B. DESIGN: Serologic survey for HBV infection among elementary school students, school staff, and household members of an HBV-infected teacher and student. SETTING: General community and elementary school. PATIENTS: Elementary school students and staff members and household members of an HBV-infected teacher. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Elementary school students, school staff, and household members of an HBV-infected teacher were tested for markers of HBV infection. Samples positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were tested for HBsAg subtype using monoclonal antibodies and examined for HBV DNA homology by polymerase chain reaction techniques. RESULTS: An HBV-infected student and the teacher were found to have the same HBV subtype (ayw1-2) and to have identical HBV DNA sequences. The teacher reported none of the usual risk factors for acquiring HBV infection, and none of her family members had been infected prior to her illness. The specific means of HBV transmission from student to teacher was not identified. Of 108 total children in the same grade as the HBV-infected student, 102 (94%) were tested for serologic markers of HBV infection, and none was positive. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation documented transmission from an HBV-infected student to a teacher in an elementary school setting without a reported overt percutaneous or permucosal exposure to blood or infectious body fluids. Transmission of HBV to other students or staff members in the school was not observed.