Katrijn Denies

The effect of peer group performance on the self-concept of reading in a foreign language

According to the big-fish-little-pond (BFLP) model, the self-concept is not only influenced in a positive way by one’s own achievement, but also in a negative way by one’s relative achievement in comparison with one’s immediate peers. This study investigates whether the BFLP effect also holds for second language acquisition. A random sample of 9167 Dutch-speaking students from Grade 8 took a reading comprehension test in French followed by a short background questionnaire in which they were asked for their self-concept of reading French. Multilevel regressions of the latter on individual and group achievement confirmed the BFLP effect but did not confirm an interaction of the effect with gender, individual achievement or class size. Moreover, in line with the local dominance hypothesis, it was shown that the negative effect of the average performance of peers is stronger for classmates than for schoolmates.

How to Improve Reading Comprehension in High-Risk Students: Effects of Class Practices in Grade 5.

This study investigated the effect of class practices on students’ learning gains in reading comprehension in the 5th grade. A sample of 4,344 students in 283 classes in 176 schools was studied. Several class practices that have previously been demonstrated to be effective were tested while controlling for student characteristics and socioeconomic and ethnic class composition. Differential effects were tested to identify class practices that can contribute to narrowing the achievement gap between high- and low-risk students. Most class practices turned out to have a similar effect for both low- and high-risk students. However, “discovery learning” and “well-organised and attractive instruction” appeared to be more beneficial for low-risk than for high-risk students. Group composition in terms of social and ethnic background turned out to have no significant effect on learning gains in reading comprehension.

Country and Gender Differences in the Functioning of CEFR-Based Can-Do Statements as a Tool for Self-Assessing English Proficiency

ABSTRACT This study discusses the self-assessments of over 22,500 students on a set of 12 can-do statements that are taken from the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The students’ endorsement or negation of the statements reflects their sense of self-efficacy in English reading, writing, and listening. Their self-efficacy beliefs are compared to their proficiency level as measured in the European Survey on Language Competences. As expected, four-level mixed-effects logistic regression analyses show positive correlations between proficiency and the probability of endorsing the can-do statements. However, patterns in this relationship are influenced by the students’ gender and country. As such, the study shows how far the understanding of 15-year-olds’ own skills can vary across countries and between boys and girls, even when the skill descriptions that the students are offered rely on the highly concrete “common language” that is provided by the CEFR.