Frederic J. Medway

Measurement of Teachers' Beliefs in Their Control over Student Outcome.

AbstractThis paper describes the development of a scale designed to measure teachers’ generalized expectancies for internal-external control over student success and failure in the classroom. The 28-item forced-choice scale is internally consistent and only moderately correlated with Rotter’s I-E Scale. Validation studies indicated that the scale predicted teachers’ behaviors in the classroom, including their willingness to adopt new instructional techniques following inservice training, while the I-E Scale did not. Directions for future research are discussed.

Meta-analysis of consultation outcome studies

The results of 54 controlled studies of psychological consultation using mental health, behavioral, and organization development models were synthesized using meta-analysis. The results supported the continued use of consultation as an effective practice in modifying consultee and, to a lesser extent, client behavior and attitudes. On the average, consultees showed improvements greater than 71% and clients showed improvements greater than 66% of untreated comparable groups. No differences were found in terms of effectiveness among the three models.

How Effective Is School Consultation?: A Review of Recent Research.

Abstract This paper reviews the results of 29 studies on the effectiveness of school consultation published between 1972 and 1977. Twenty-two of the studies reviewed (76%) reported at least one or more positive effects resulting from consultation interventions. Behavioral consultation was found to be particularly effective. Several methodological limitations of the studies which reduce the generality of their findings are discussed. These include lack of appropriate experimental control procedures, failure to control for individual consultant and consultee characteristics, infrequent use of multiple dependent measures assessing both attitudinal and behavioral changes, and the absence of follow-up data. Despite the problems entailed in measuring consultation outcomes, the practice does appear to be effective. Further research investigating the influence of specific consultation models and processes is recommended.

A fresh look at the retention-promotion controversy

Abstract This article provides an overview of several issues relative to retention of school children. Included is a historical perspective on the present retention-promotion controversy, information on retention policies and retention prevalence rates, a review of research on the effectiveness of retention, and a discussion of several factors that should be considered by psychologists faced with the problem of making retention and promotion recommendations.

Adjustment and Achievement Associated with Mobility in Military Families.

Forty Army families were investigated regarding their history of geographic mobility, identification with Army life, their personal well-being and childrens school achievement and social competence. Frequent relocation was not found to be detrimental to service member or spouse and, in fact, was positively associated with higher child and social competence. Military identification correlated with well-being for service members, but not for spouses. However, it was the degree of spouse military identification that was more strongly related to childrens adjustment than that of service members. The role of military living in reducing relocation stresses is discussed and implications are drawn for nonmilitary populations.

Teachers’ Expectations and Attributions for Student Achievement: Effects of Label, Performance Pattern, and Special Education Intervention

This study investigated the effects of preperformance information on actual classroom teachers’ expectations and attributions for a hypothetical male student. Teachers were found to have higher expectations for the student with ascending than with descending performance pattern and when the student was labeled learning disabled (or had no label) than when the student was labeled mildly retarded. Prior special education involvement did not influence expectancies. Ascending as compared to descending performance was ascribed more to teacher than student causes in line with egotism considerations.

Teacher Locus of Control, Teacher Behavior, and Student Behavior as Determinants of Student Achievement.

AbstractThe relationship between teacher locus of control (A), teacher behavior (B), student behavior (C), and student achievement (D) was investigated. It was predicted that internal teachers would produce higher achieving students by maintaining a controlled learning environment, thereby engaging students in more appropriate on-task behavior. The first part of the study found modest correlations between I-E scores of 44 fourth grade teachers and student achievement in reading, language, and math. In the second part, the behavior of a subsample of 17 teachers and their students was observed. Although the complete A-B-C-D link was not obtained, several parts of the model did relate significantly.

The effects of effort feedback and performance patterns on children's attributions and task persistence☆

Abstract This study examines the effects of performance patterns (ascending versus random) and attributional information regarding the causes of that performance (effort feedback versus no feedback) on attributions and task persistence. Subjects were 40 fourth and fifth graders with dispositional tendencies not to perceive effort as a cause of their school-related performance. Results indicated that performance patterns did not systematically influence either childrens attributions or persistence. As predicted, children given effort feedback exhibited greater levels of task persistence than those given no feedback; unexpectedly, however, this effect was not mediated by childrens attributions.

Psychologists' and teachers' reactions to mental health and behavioral school consultation

Abstract School psychologists and elementary school teachers were shown videotapes of a psychologist consulting with a teacher, with the psychologist using either behavioral or mental health consultation techniques. Problem situations and teacher-consultee verbalizations did not differ across the two sets of videotapes. Afterwards, subjects judged the effectiveness of of the consultation and the personal attributes of the consulting parties. In general, teachers preferred behavioral consultation, while psychologists rated the mental health consultation as more effective. Implications of these findings for consultation reaearch and practice are discussed.

The application of persuasion research to consultation in school psychology

Abstract Consultation in school psychology has been widely recognized to be an interpersonal influence process. The research literature on factors influencing persuasive effects offers a potential resource for addressing social-influence problems faced by consultants. This article discusses some guidelines for effective persuasion derived from this research, and illustrates their application to problems of consultation. The discussion is focused on three broad tasks that a persuader faces: the task of identifying the potential bases of resistance, the task of constructing effective messages aimed at such bases, and the task of following up after the initial persuasive effort. For each of these tasks, the existing literature on persuasive effects suggests general principles concerning effective persuasion.