Studies in Educational Evaluation最新文献

Psychometrics traditionally has assumed that the changes occurring during learning have the same dimensionality as the targeted construct. This approach is akin to understanding learning as climbing a mountain: for each ability a student can increase their ability, decrease it, or not change it. However, an alternative approach has recently been suggested – learning score analysis. This analysis is grounded in the assumption that students “slide through” the curriculum rather than “climb it”: they forget something to learn something. This approach suggests that positive and negative dynamics can occur at the same time. This suggestion is also supported by the evidence from cognitive psychology that learning and forgetting are separate cognitive processes. Hence, we contrast the traditional approach to conceptualizing growth and change to the alternative approach. We use IRT-based modeling to compare the results from both approaches, and show that the alternative approach provides more insight into learning.

The aim of this study was to explore the impact mechanism of teachers' formative assessment on students' creativity competence. Herein, structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to investigate the potential mediating role of self-confidence in learning and intrinsic motivation based on large-scale longitudinal tracking data. The results indicate that, after controlling for pretests of creativity competence, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender, it was found that formative assessment practices have a direct and positive predictive power for creativity competence (the direct effect accounts for 39.4 %). Furthermore, formative assessment practices indirectly and positively predict creativity competence through the mediation of self-confidence in learning (the indirect effect accounts for 10.0 %) and intrinsic motivation (the indirect effect accounts for 50.6 %). We conclude that the main contribution from formative assessment to creativity may be in building an environment that fosters self-confidence in learning and intrinsic motivation.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a Swedish nation-wide professional development on participating teachers’ teaching practice and their knowledge, where collegial work, as a central part of the professional development, is taken into account as a factor to influence the outcome. We conducted statistical analyses (linear mixed models) on observational and interview data from a random selection of 105 teachers (grades 1–10/primary and secondary school). The results show effects on several aspects of teacher knowledge and teacher practice. However, the results show no connections between how the teachers have worked collegially and the observed changes in the teacher’s knowledge and practice.

Despite extensive research on Assessment for Learning (AfL) in the classroom, the importance of contextual factors as perceived by teachers remains underexplored. This study examines the extent to which elements of the classroom context, in particular heterogeneity, influence the frequency of AfL. Using 2018 TALIS data from 47 countries, this study found that teachers who perceived higher levels of heterogeneity in their classrooms conducted more frequent classroom assessments. The degree of AfL was most significantly influenced by the perception of heterogeneity among academically gifted students, followed by socioeconomically disadvantaged students, immigrant students, students whose first language is different from the language of instruction, and students with behavioral problems. Interestingly, when teachers perceive a higher proportion of low-achieving students, the frequency of AfL tends to decrease. These findings suggest that AfL can be used not only as a tool in circumstances where learning processes are challenging, but also as an approach to understanding and addressing the diverse learning potentials and backgrounds in the classroom.

Small classes may affect students’ science achievement, but research evidence for small-class effects on science achievement in secondary education has been scarce. To fill this literature gap, this study examines small-class effects on 15-year-old students’ science achievement using the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 data from 26 countries including 24 European countries plus U.S. and Canada. To reduce confounding factors and estimation bias, propensity score analysis was conducted to control significant differences between students in small versus non-small classes on important observed covariates. Results indicate that the effects of small classes on science achievement were statistically significant and negative in 9 countries (e.g., Germany) whereas in other 17 countries small-class effects were non-significant. Fixed-effects meta-analysis was utilized to combine effect sizes, and findings reveal that the effects of small classes were significant and negative, suggesting that students in non-small classes had higher science achievement, but the overall effect size was small.

The current study evaluates effects of teaching factors and extended day programs regarding both average achievement and socioeconomic achievement gaps. Analyses are based on data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany. The sample comprises 1523 students in 120 classes in 71 secondary schools. The investigation period covers fifth grade to seventh grade. The dependent variable is mathematics achievement. Data are analyzed using intercept-and-slope-as-outcome models. Analyzes on teaching factors reveal that classroom management and cognitive activation increase average achievement. Forming heterogenous groups within the classroom reduces socioeconomic achievement gaps. Analyzes on extended day programs reveal that tutoring reduces socioeconomic achievement gaps. Homework supervision reduces average achievement and increases socioeconomic achievement gaps. Enrichment programs increase socioeconomic achievement gaps. Implications for research, policy and practice are drawn.

A vast body of literature shows that school harassment is negatively associated with academic achievement, particularly in elementary and middle schools. Few studies have examined the influence of forms and frequencies of harassment—whether relational, verbal, cyber, or physical—on academic performance in high schools. We investigate how the how’s and when’s of harassment are associated with the academic achievement of adolescents over time in Chile, using standardized test scores of a sample of schoolchildren (n = 80,117) and fixed effect models. We find that being physically bullied and cyberbullied are linked to poor academic performance, whereas verbal and social abuse are not. These results underline the significance of working with disaggregated measures of harassment in school interventions at different stages.

Institutions of higher education engage in internal quality assurance for teaching and learning in order to demonstrate legitimacy in the face of (societal) expectations, as well as to maintain and improve the quality of education. While the topic of quality assurance in higher education is a growing academic specialty, the evidence base for its impact on educational quality remains limited. Developing a shared language and understanding of concepts that enable further investigation of this phenomenon are key. The systematic literature review was conducted to shed light on the conceptualisation of internal quality assurance for teaching and learning. The thematic analysis revealed three interconnected dimensions of internal quality assurance: purpose, people and process. Based on these findings, an all-inclusive definition and a conceptual model were developed: the 3P model. This model promotes taking a contextualised and integral approach towards internal quality assurance by aligning purposes, people, and processes.

This study investigates the key factors that impact the digitalized-education, and what those mean for the new and emerging educational models of learning. The research is based on state-of-the-art education and assessment models for learning such as Descriptive decision theory, Futures Literacy (FLF), and 8-Affordances framework that theoretically addresses both the need to use multidisciplinary components in identifying the several challenges and opportunities to the use of digital technologies in education (digitized-education) and improvement of the student's learning outcomes. Through a quasi-experimental study design and comparative analysis of the students’ evaluation of teaching (SET) dataset (n = 3178) collected in a higher education setting; the study applies a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple comparisons (post-hoc) tests to determine the impact or association that the evaluation period (between 2019–2021) and type of school or discipline have on the students’ learning performance and evaluation. The results show that students’ satisfaction and experiences with digitized-education have exponentially grown in recent times, and mainly varied across the years, and marginally by discipline or school. In addition, the study empirically sheds light on the importance of the key findings and results by considering their pedagogical, technological, economic infrastructure, and ethical implications for the future of education and sustainable educational practice.