Cognitive style and teacher-student compatibility.

Studied the effects of cognitive style matching in 32 teacher–student pairs. Tests of 2 cognitive style dimensions—serialism/holism and field dependence/independence—were administered to 54 final-year trainee mathematics teachers and 58 1st-yr psychology students. (Measures were the Group Embedded Figures Test and the Grandlemuller Test). From these, 32 teacher–student pairs were formed so that teachers and students were matched or mismatched on one or both cognitive style dimensions, in conformity with a 2–4 experimental design. Teachers structured and taught to their partners a 30–40 min lesson on the mathematical concept of network tracing. Students were then independently examined. Matching effects were obtained on objective test performance and on teachers' and students' subjective ratings of each other at the extremes of the field dependence–independence dimension. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of cognitive style on perceived satisfaction and performance among students and teachers.

Examined the influence of matched or mismatched cognitive styles on perceived satisfaction and performance among students and teachers in 8 classrooms with 192 9th–12th graders. Field-dependence/independence was assessed using the Group Embedded Figures Test; both satisfaction and performance were assessed with Likert-type questionnaire items. ANOVA revealed the predicted interaction effect (favoring matched styles) on student perceptions of satisfaction and a similar trend on perceptions of teacher effectiveness. Although field-independent students scored higher on standardized measures of academic ability, classroom grades were unrelated to student cognitive style. Field-dependent students, however, were perceived as exerting greater effort in class, thus indicating that teachers award grades according to a combination of student ability and perceived effort. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student learning and performance under varying conditions of teacher verbal and nonverbal evaluative communication.

Studied 4 combinations of teacher verbal and nonverbal evaluative behavior within a controlled microlesson. Two male and 2 female teachers presented each of the 4 combinations (verbally and nonverbally positive and negative) to different randomly selected samples of 64 male and 62 female 6th graders. Data indicate that teacher negative nonverbal behavior led to significantly greater performance during the lesson. Teacher verbal behavior also influenced S performance, interacting with the factor of individual teacher. On the measure of learning, females achieved significantly higher scores and teacher gender interacted with student gender. (18 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)     

Assertion training and trainer effects on unassertive and aggressive adolescents.

Examined the effects of assertion training and trainers on 90 adolescents selected for their unassertive or aggressive behavior with teachers. Structured learning training (SLT) was compared with instruction conditions and no-treatment conditions on self-report and in vivo measures of assertive behavior. For SLT groups, trainers were varied for their situational similarity to teachers. The result yielded a 2?×?5 factorial design, varying type of participant (unassertive vs aggressive) and type of training (SLT with teachers, parents, or students as trainers vs verbal instructions and no-treatment conditions). SLT improved assertive behavior in teacher situations. Effects generalized to novel teacher, parent, and student situations and to the in vivo test as a 1 wk follow-up. The SLT with teacher trainers produced more assertive behavior in teacher situations than did all other groups. Test performance was differentially affected by type of participant. Results suggest person and situation specificity of behavior. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The student as Pygmalion: Effect of student expectation on the teacher.

Two experiments examined the possibility that student expectations regarding a teacher's competence can be communicated to the teacher and bring about the expected behavior. In Exp I, 39 female undergraduates acting as students were administered a lesson by a teacher (confederate) who the students expected to be either effective or ineffective. Results show significant differences in student attitudes, performance, and nonverbal behavior according to expectation. In Exp II, confederates acting as students emitted either positive or negative nonverbal behavior toward 40 female undergraduates acting as their teachers. There were significant effects on teachers' attitudes and behavior. Moreover, ratings of the teacher by judges showed teachers were rated as being more adequate under conditions of positive student nonverbal behavior than negative nonverbal behavior. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships among attitudes about homework, amount of homework assigned and completed, and student achievement.

Students (n?=?709), parents, and teachers (n?=?82) completed a questionnaire concerning amount of homework assigned by teachers, portion of assignments completed by students, and attitudes about homework. Student achievement measures were also collected. Weak relations were found between the amount of homework assigned and student achievement. Positive relations were found between the amount of homework students completed and achievement, especially at upper grades (6–12). At lower grades (2 and 4), teacher-assigned homework was related to negative student attitudes. At upper grades, teachers with more positive attitudes toward homework and those whose students performed more poorly on standardized tests reported assigning more homework. A path analysis for lower grades indicated that class grades were predicted only by standardized test scores and the proportion of homework completed by students. At upper grades, class grade predictors also included parent, teacher, and student attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The teacher and student as Pygmalions: Joint effects of teacher and student expectations.

Examined the effects of teachers' expectations about students and students' expectations about teachers on the performance and attitudes of both participants. 60 female undergraduates were designated as teachers and were led to expect a high- or low-ability student, and a further 60 Ss acting as students were independently led to expect a teacher of low or high competence. Teachers and students were then randomly paired in a teaching session. Results show that student performance was a function of the teacher's expectations. In addition, teachers' attitudes and rated competence were affected by their expectation regarding the student, and students' attitudes were affected by their expectation about the teacher. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Natural rates of teacher approval and disapproval and their relation to student behavior in intermediate school classrooms.

Studied the natural rates of teacher approval of appropriate student behavior and off-task student behavior and disapproval of off-task behavior in 84 intermediate school 6th–9th grade classrooms. Six students were selected at random from each class, and their behaviors were recorded using a behavioral assessment instrument. Teachers' interactions with students were recorded using an event-recording procedure. Higher rates of approval of off-task behavior were associated with lower rates of on-task behavior. The lowest rates of teacher disapproval were associated with the highest rates of student on-task behavior. Mean rates of teacher approval were found to exceed rates of disapproval, in contrast to previous studies. Inappropriate approval also appeared to be a relevant factor in managing classroom behavior. Results suggest that to achieve an acceptable level of on-task behavior, teachers must provide high rates of appropriate approval combined with low rates of both inappropriate approval and disapproval. (11 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)     

Low-inference variables of teacher clarity: Effects on student concept learning.

Investigated the combined effect of 6 low-inference variables of teacher clarity (vagueness terms, mazes, utterances of "uh," specification and emphasis on content, clear transitions, and additional unexplained content) on student achievement. The occurrence of the low-inference variables was controlled by a videotape technique. The clarity main effect and the time of achievement (immediate vs delayed) effects were significant. There was no significant differential effect of level of teacher clarity on student retention. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It's best to be able and virtuous too: Student and teacher evaluative responses to successful effort.

Although preferred student explanations for failure (high ability/low effort) lead to a conflict in student–teacher values, self-worth theory predicts that high effort is a shared value in success, since it poses no threat to the student's sense of competency. To test this assertion, 360 undergraduates rated their affective reactions to hypothetical test performances under 4 conditions of success. Then, in the role of teachers, they administered rewards to hypothetical students under identical conditions. Results indicate that both positive self-evaluation and teacher praise were greatest when success followed much effort. Conversely, both student pride and teacher reward were reduced when conditions of success detracted from the causal role of effort. Not only effort but also perceptions of ability enhanced positive affect. Consequently, students preferred to be seen as both able and motivated. (59 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)     

Student motivation in middle school: The role of perceived pedagogical caring.

This study examined adolescents' perceptions of pedagogical caring in relation to their motivation to achieve positive social and academic outcomes in middle school. A longitudinal sample of 248 students was followed from 6th to 8th grade. Perceived caring from teachers predicted motivational outcomes, even when students' current levels of psychological distress and beliefs about personal control, as well as previous (6th grade) motivation and performance, were taken into account. Eighth-grade students characterize supportive and caring teachers along dimensions suggested by N. Noddings (1992) and models of effective parenting (D. Baumrind, 1971). Teachers who care were described as demonstrating democratic interaction styles, developing expectations for student behavior in light of individual differences, modeling a "caring" attitude toward their own work, and providing constructive feedback. The implications for understanding links between teacher behavior and student achievement are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school: Examining the effects of perceived teacher and parent goal emphases.

This study examined the effects of change in teacher goal emphases on students' efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school. The sample (N = 929) included primarily White (65%) and Black (27%) students, and approximately one third received free or reduced-fee lunch. Analyses grouped children by cross-classification of teachers (N = 53 elementary and N = 34 middle school teachers). On average, students' efficacy beliefs remained stable and relatively high across the transition. Compared with their elementary school teacher, children reported declines in both perceived teacher mastery and performance goal emphases in middle school. A cross-classified hierarchical linear model was used to estimate the effects of perceived teacher and parent goal emphases during 6th and 7th grades on changes in students' efficacy beliefs. An increase in self-efficacy beliefs from elementary to middle school was predicted by an increase in group-level perceptions of teachers' mastery goal emphasis, even after controlling for parents' goal emphases. These findings underscore the important role that both teachers' and parents' goal emphases play as children develop a sense of efficacy in mathematics. (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)     

Self-serving bias in the classroom: Who shows it? Who knows it?

Two studies were conducted to explore student and teacher attributions for success and failure. In the first study, college students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 roles (student, teacher, or observer). The teacher constructed a written lesson for the student to study. Both teachers and students made self-serving attributions taking credit for success, but not for failure. Although their attributions differed, participants in each role were aware of how participants in the other roles would make their attributions. A second study surveyed college teachers, students, and staff concerning actual previous high and low grades. The results replicated those of the first study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proportion and direction of teacher rating changes of pupils' progress attributable to standardized test information.

Investigated the magnitude and direction of the effect of standardized test information on teachers' ratings of 1,566 pupils. 47 Irish 2nd-grade teachers were randomly divided into 3 groups: no testing, testing with no return of test results, and testing with return of pupil test performance. Ss rated their pupils' class position in mathematics and English reading early in the school year. The Drumcondra Achievement Test Series was administered subsequently, and results returned to Ss in January/February. Ss rerated all pupils in May. Ss receiving test results shifted more student ratings than teachers not receiving test results. Shifts tended to be positive and for fewer than 10% of the students. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classroom social climate and student absences and grades.

Investigated the relationship between student and teacher perceptions of the social environments of 19 high school classes and student absenteeism rates and the average final grades given by the teacher. 19 classes of high school students were administered the Classroom Environment Scale. Results show that classes with high absenteeism rates were seen as high in competition and teacher control and low in teacher support. Classes in which teachers gave higher average grades were seen as high in involvement and low in teacher control. Results are discussed in light of their implications for understanding the differential effects of classes, as well as for identifying and changing high-risk classroom environments. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of the effects of feedback associated with a problem-solving approach to instruction on teacher and student behavior.

Conducted 2 experiments with 36 nonpermanently certified teachers to determine if feedback related to problem-solving competencies would result in changes in both teacher and student behavior. Results of Exp I (36 Ss) indicate that teachers who received in-class feedback for 2 specific teacher competencies were more effective than control teachers in (a) controlling their own behavior, and (b) reducing learner inattention. Results of Exp II (21 Ss) indicate that teachers who received in-class feedback for a 3rd specific teacher competency were more effective than control teachers as measured by their abilities (a) to attempt to diagnose more often, (b) to employ appropriate diagnostic procedures, and (c) to assist students ultimately in mastering previously missed questions. Thus, both experiments demonstrate that predicted changes in teacher and student behavior occur if teachers receive feedback associated with a problem-solving approach to instruction. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)