Anthony J Gabriele

Promoting Positive Achievement in the Middle School: A Look at Teachers' Motivational Knowledge, Beliefs, and Teaching Practices.

Abstract This study was prompted by previous research showing a decline in motivation as students transition from elementary to middle school. The decline in motivation may be associated with changes in the achievement goal structures of their classrooms and schools. This study describes a survey of 69 elementary and 28 middle school teachers that explored their knowledge of approaches to motivation, specific achievement goal beliefs, behaviors, perceptions of school goal structures, and perceptions of specific student beliefs. These teachers were most familiar with behavioral and cognitive approaches to motivation. They generally reported mastery-oriented beliefs, behaviors, and school goal structures, although elementary teachers rated school goal structures as more mastery-oriented and less performance-oriented than did middle school teachers. Counter to student-reported goal orientations found in previous studies, teachers at both levels believed their students held performance goal orientations. Teachers can promote mastery-oriented classrooms and school goal structures at elementary and middle school levels.

The Teacher Work Sample: A Tool for Scaffolding and Assessing Preservice Teachers’ Early Field Experiences

Abstract This article describes adapting teacher work sample methodology from the student teaching level to a 4‐week, 25‐hour field experience occurring relatively early in a teacher education program. The goals of the project were twofold: (a) to examine whether an adapted version of the teacher work sample would promote planning and reflection in preservice teachers, and (b) to explore the potential of an adapted teacher work sample as an assessment tool. Adaptations to the original, such as emphasizing formative over summative assessment, are briefly described. Survey and focus group data from a pilot combined with survey data from a semester of full implementation with 270 teacher candidates indicate the teacher work sample is useful for promoting reflection and an understanding of student assessment. The advantages of the teacher work sample are maximized when teacher candidates are engaged in whole class instruction.