Dawson R. Hancock

Effects of Test Anxiety and Evaluative Threat on Students' Achievement and Motivation

Abstract Identification of factors that influence post-secondary student achievement and motivation in the classroom continues to be an important educational objective. The author investigated the interactive effects of learner characteristic, test anxiety, and the classroom variable, threat of evaluation, on the achievement and motivation of 61 postsecondary students assigned randomly to high- or low-evaluative threat conditions. Statistically significant interactions revealed that all the students, particularly the test-anxious students, performed poorly and were less motivated when exposed to highly evaluative classrooms. The findings expand previous research and should be considered by professors when they design and implement higher education courses.

Comparing social desirability responding on world wide web and paper-administered surveys

Social desirability responding (SRD) on surveys administered on the World Wide Web (WWW) and on paper was examined using 178 graduate and undergraduate students randomly assigned to a 2 (World Wide Web and Paper) ×2 (Anonymous and Nonanonymous) true experimental design. The findings reveal no differences in SDR between the WWW and the paper-administered survey conditions, and no differences in SDR between the anonymous and nonanonymous conditions. These findings and potential explanations are examined for consideration by anyone interested in using the WWW to obtain accurate information from survey participants.

Problem‐based learning in a higher education environmental biotechnology course

Problem‐based learning (PBL) is a teaching/learning strategy through which students learn course content by solving real‐world problems associated with the course material. Although the benefits of PBL have been amply demonstrated in the medical field and other selected subject areas, few studies have examined PBL’s potential contributions in subjects that combine content from multiple disciplines. To address this issue, the current study explored the differential effects of PBL versus lecture‐based learning on the achievement, problem‐solving skills, and attitudes toward instructional strategies of undergraduate students enrolled in a newly created environmental biotechnology course. Data collected through quizzes, scenarios, surveys, and interviews revealed greater achievement, problem‐solving skills, and positives attitudes toward the learning process of students exposed to PBL. Potential implications are discussed.

The Effects of Native Language Books on the Pre-Literacy Skill Development of Language Minority Kindergartners

Abstract The number of limited-English proficient students in the United States has increased over 10% each year during the last decade. To address one of the resulting challenges, this study sought to determine if exposure to age-appropriate books in their native language would affect the pre-literacy skill development of language minority kindergartners. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study discovered that native Spanish-speaking children exposed to books written in Spanish scored significantly higher on a test of pre-literacy skills than did their native Spanish-speaking classmates who were exposed to books written in English; these students also scored no differently than their native English-speaking classmates exposed to books in English. Conclusions and implications of these findings are discussed.

An Interview Protocol and Scoring Rubric for Evaluating Teacher Performance

This paper introduces an interview protocol, administration procedures, and scoring rubric for evaluating teacher performance. Procedures used to develop and adminis ter the protocol and scoring rubric and subsequent validity and reliability studies are reported. All evidence suggests that the protocol and scoring rubric are aligned with professional standards and focus on a teachers assessment of and ability to modify instruction to improve student learning. These findings support the viability of the interview protocol as an effective method of evaluating teacher performance.

TEACHERS INFLUENCE ON GOAL ORIENTATION: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EIGHTH GRADERS GOAL ORIENTATION, THEIR EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF LEARNING, AND THEIR TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES WILLIAM DEE NICHOLS

Address correspondence to William Dee Nichols, Department of Teaching and Learning, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 226 War Memorial Hall (Office # 305), Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0313. E-mail: wnichols@vt.edu TEACHERS’ INFLUENCE ON GOAL ORIENTATION: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EIGHTH GRADERS’ GOAL ORIENTATION, THEIR EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF LEARNING, AND THEIR TEACHERS’ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

The Superintendent's Leadership Role in School Improvement: Relationships Between Authenticity and Best Practices

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between superintendent leadership and the operational processes of school improvement. School district superintendents (N = 226) from six southeastern states were surveyed concerning their leadership authenticity and school improvement practices. Descriptive statistics, analyzes of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and structure equation modeling were used to analyze the data. A significant and positive relationship was found between superintendent levels of leadership authenticity and their districts’ use of best practices in the school improvement process. Implications for practice in academic professional preparation programs, for practicing administrators, and for governing boards are discussed.

Exploring the effects of group testing on graduate students’ motivation and achievement

This study explored the impact of individual versus two‐person group testing on graduate students’ achievement and motivation to learn while enrolled in a 16‐lesson educational research methods course. Students in two sections of the course were exposed to the same content and instructional methods, with one exception: students in one section took three professor‐created, criterion‐referenced examinations (during lessons 6, 11 and 16) individually, whereas students in the other section took the same examinations with a partner with whom they could examine and discuss the test items in order to derive a common answer. At the end of the course, the motivation to learn of all students was assessed. Results revealed that students tested with a partner achieved significantly higher scores on two of the examinations and demonstrated significantly higher levels of motivation to learn than did students taking the examinations alone. Qualitative analysis of the students’ written expressions concerning the course and of their comments from group and individual interviews revealed possible explanations for these outcomes.

Strategic Responses to Accountability Demands: A Case Study of Three Community Colleges

As community colleges receive attention focused on their role in addressing postsecondary needs, they are subject to varying levels of accountability, which necessitates the development of strategic approaches to leading institutions. Burke (2005) recognizes three accountability perspectives that higher education institutions must consider: market, political, and academic. The strategic planning processes used at three North Carolina community colleges reflect a balanced approach to responding to the accountability requirements of all three perspectives. Using a qualitative multisite case study of the colleges, five themes emerge as implications for practice: (a) Involve stakeholders in strategic planning and implementation; (b) Create a student-centered culture; (c) Provide fiscal accountability with data-driven decision making; (d) Develop a balanced strategic approach to all accountability perspectives; and (e) Integrate regional accreditation principles into strategies. By applying the convergent practices of the three successful colleges, community colleges can create strategic plans to meet the needs of a variety of stakeholders, assert fiscal management, and encourage continuous improvement of programs and processes.

Superintendents’ perceptions of the school improvement planning process in the southeastern USA:

The purpose of this study of school improvement planning in the southeastern USA was to establish the current view of the process through the eyes of the district superintendents. The answers to the questions were consistently mixed. Generally, the presence of school improvement planning is prevalent in the large majority of districts. However, the data indicate a lack of fidelity to the process between superintendents’ beliefs regarding the process and how they perceive those tasked with development and implementation of the process. Given that school improvement planning is an internationally accepted process, the findings have implications not just for the USA but for international audiences as well. The authors make two recommendations: (1) significant further research into the effects of the process on student learning, and (2) continued research into the reasons for the lack of congruency indicated here between district expectations and school development and implementation.