The American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Attendance Works have released a new report, Using Chronic Absence Data to Improve Conditions for Learning, which describes how data on chronic absence, defined as a student missing 10 or more days of school, can be a tool to warn administrators that students are not getting the support they need.

The first half of the report describes four school characteristics that promote attendance — physical and emotional health and safety; belonging, connectedness, and support; academic challenge and engagement; and adult and student social and emotional competence — and how they relate to attendance.

The second half of the report describes how chronic attendance data can be used to diagnose weaknesses in learning conditions and presents specific steps that schools can take to promote better conditions.

Source (Open Access) : Chang, H.N., Osher, D., Schanfield, M., Sundius, J. & Bauer, L. (2019). Using Chronic Absence Data to Improve Conditions for Learning. Washington, DC :Attendance Works.… Read the rest

Self-regulated learning has been regarded as essential for effective learning. Research suggests that self-regulated learning is associated with academic performance, but different self-regulated learning strategies are not equally effective. Addressing the gap that occurred because few studies conducted in Asia were included in a previous meta-analysis, a meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Psychology has investigated what the most effective strategies for Chinese students were.

Using Chinese academic databases, Li and colleagues analyzed 264 independent samples that involved 23,497 participants from 59 studies. In order to be included in this meta-analysis, studies had to be conducted in real teaching situations; studies based on online learning environments were excluded. Furthermore, participants had to be elementary, junior high or secondary high school students in China. The effect sizes of self-regulated learning strategies on academic achievement were analyzed. The result showed that: 

• Among the self-regulated learning strategies, self-efficacy (ES= 0.70), self-evaluation (ES= 0.72), and task strategies (ES= 0.60) had relatively large effect sizes on academic achievements.
• On the other hand, the effect sizes of goal orientation (ES= 0.09) and attributions (ES= 0.27) were relatively small. 
• The effect sizes of self-regulated learning on science (ES= 0.45) were larger than those on language (ES= 29).

The authors suggested that task strategies supported learning by reducing a task to its key parts and self-evaluation supported learners to compare the outcomes with their goals and standards, while self-efficacy facilitated learners to use their resources. The findings also indicated that students in China showed a different pattern in self-regulated learning. 

Source (Open Access): Li, J., Ye, H., Tang, Y., Zhou, Z., & Hu, X. (2018). What are the effects of self-regulation phases and strategies for Chinese students? A meta-analysis of two decades research of the association between self-regulation and academic performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2434.… Read the rest

Individuals with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed over time. While this concept has been gaining popularity for its impact on students, a recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology examined how a growth mindset is related to work engagement of Chinese middle school teachers.

Using a questionnaire that contained measures of growth mindset, work engagement, perseverance of effort and well-being, Zeng and colleagues examined the relationships of these factors with 472 teachers from 10 urban secondary schools in Chengdu city who participated in the study. They found that: 

• Growth mindset of teachers was strongly and positively correlated with work engagement, perseverance of effort and well-being.
• Growth mindset was positively associated with work engagement, while the relationship was also partially mediated by well-being and perseverance of effort.

The authors suggested that despite the differences between Easterners and Westerners in cognitive styles, social orientation, values and motivation, the result demonstrated the benefit of growth mindset to teachers in China. They recommended promoting teachers’ work engagement through not only enhancing their well-being but also through building up their growth mindset and perseverance of effort. 

Source (Open Access): Zeng, G., Chen, X., Cheung, H. Y., & Peng, K. (2019). Teachers' growth mindset and work engagement in the Chinese educational context: Well-being and perseverance of effort as mediators. Frontiers in Psychology, 10.… Read the rest

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released a new practice guide that focuses on promising uses of technologies associated with improving postsecondary student learning outcomes. Research that was eligible for the guide used a comparison group design, included an intervention that used technology to support student learning, involved college students in the United States, was published in 1997 or later, and reported on one or more outcomes in a relevant domain (e.g., academic achievement, credit accumulation and persistence). After considering the evidence, an expert panel drafted the following recommendations and assigned a level of evidence to each:

• Use communication and collaboration tools to increase interaction among students and between students and instructors. (minimal evidence)
• Use varied, personalized, and readily available digital resources to design and deliver instructional content. (moderate evidence)
• Incorporate technology that models and fosters self-regulated learning strategies. (moderate evidence)
• Use technology to provide timely and targeted feedback on student performance. (moderate evidence)
• Use simulation technologies that help students engage in complex problem-solving. (minimal evidence)

The guide provides research-based strategies and examples for implementing each recommendation in a postsecondary setting.

Source (Open Access): Dabbagh, N., Bass, R., Bishop, M., Costelloe, S., Cummings, K., Freeman, B.,… & Wilson, S. J. (2019). Using technology to support postsecondary student learning: A practice guide for college and university administrators, advisors, and faculty. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S.… Read the rest

This Campbell systematic review examines the evidence on the correlation between teacher qualifications and the quality of early childhood learning environments, as measured by the Environment Rating Scale (ERS). The review summarizes findings from 48 studies with 82 independent samples. The studies had to be comparative or correlational and report either an overall quality scale or an environment rating scale.

Overall, the review suggests that higher teacher qualifications are positively associated with classroom quality in early childhood education and care (effect size = +0.20). The review also suggests a positive correlation between teacher qualifications and classroom quality on a number of subscales, including:

• Program structure– focusing on the schedule, time for free play, group time, and provisions for children with disabilities (ES = +0.22).
• Activities– this relates to fine motor, art, music/movement, blocks, sand/water, dramatic play, nature/science, math/number, use of digital technologies, and promoting acceptance of diversity (ES = +0.20).
• Language and reasoning – encouraging children to communicate, use language to develop reasoning skills, and the informal use of language (ES = +0.20).

The researchers conclude that while there is evidence for the relationship between teacher qualification and classroom quality as measured by the ERS, further research is also needed into the specific knowledge and skills that are learned by teachers with higher qualifications that enable them to complete their roles effectively. It is important to note also, that while higher quality in early childhood education and care may lead to improved outcomes for children, we cannot assume that this is the case.

Source (Open Access): Manning, M. , Garvis, S. , Fleming, C. & Wong, G. T. (2017), The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 13: 1-82. doi:10.4073/csr.2017.1… Read the rest