W. H. Adriaan Hofman

School governance, culture, and student achievement

This paper examines the influence of different social contexts of schooling on the effectiveness of schools, and is based on the premise that higher organizational levels influence all that takes place in the levels below them. This research depicts the core levels of school governance, school community, classroom culture, and their impact on student learning, and specifically studies the influence of the administrative and governance structures of public and private schools on the underlying level of the community of these schools. In turn, it is expected that the school community influences the educational culture of the primary learning process of pupils in classrooms. The results of multilevel analyses show that the differences in the maths achievement of pupils can be explained, in part, by these social contexts of learning. Furthermore, the findings show that coherence between school governors, school leaders, teachers and the school community (parents) produces a sense of community that, in turn, shapes conditions in schools that have a positive effect on pupil achievement. Differential effects of schooling in public and private education are mediated by the school governance characteristics of these schools, especially the differences in influences of the school community (parents) on the policy of the school board.

Influence of open- and closed-book tests on medical students' learning approaches

Context  Two learning approaches are consistently distinguished in the literature: deep and surface learning. The deep learning approach is considered preferable. Open‐book tests are expected to stimulate deep learning and to offer a possible way of handling the substantial growth in medical knowledge. In this study we test the hypothesis that open‐book tests stimulate deep learning more than closed‐book tests.

The effectiveness of cohesive schools

This paper presents the findings of research into leadership and management of secondary education using configuration theory. Based on data from almost 100 secondary schools (school leaders and department heads), three different styles of management are distinguished. These leadership or management styles are based on the extent to which school leaders and departments heads make use of a set of six coordination mechanisms based on Mintzbergs configuration theory. Multilevel analysis has been used to determine the extent to which these leaderships styles affect student performance. Results show that one leadership style fits the definition of an effective type of management. In schools with such a leadership style, students reach higher achievement levels in mathematics than students in the other schools.

Influences of deep learning, need for cognition and preparation time on open- and closed-book test performance

Medical Education 2010: 44: 884–891

Smart Management in Effective Schools: Effective Management Configurations in General and Vocational Education in the Netherlands

Purpose: In this study the authors focus on different (configurations of) leadership or management styles in schools for general and vocational education. Findings: Using multilevel (students and schools) analyses, strong differences in effective management styles between schools with different student populations were observed. Conclusions: The authors present a description of relevant management factors in different educational contexts.

School Self-Evaluation Instruments: An Assessment Framework.

Many instruments for school self‐evaluation have become available in primary education; however, they vary in focus, quality and type (e.g., questionnaires, tests, observations, classroom consultation, quality maps, quick scans, etc), creating problems for schools in selecting instruments fitting their specific situations. Research has been conducted to design a reliable and valid assessment framework for school self‐evaluation instruments. Three research questions will be addressed in this study. First, what contents and criteria should lay the foundation of an assessment framework for school self‐evaluation instruments? Second, what scientific criteria should be taken into account to construct a reliable and valid framework that produces consistent assessments? Third, how can such a framework be most useful for schools? Several research methods were employed; including a literature scan approach, including theoretical perspectives of accountability and school improvement, a focus‐group approach, and a try‐out to test the first draft framework. The try‐out shows a fairly high inter‐rater reliability. However, it is concluded that a fair within‐group comparison of the instruments on the Internet should include subgroup‐specific overviews dependent on the focus of the school self‐evaluation instrument (accountability, school improvement, or both focuses).

Cross‐level Relationships within Effective Schools

ABSTRACT In this paper the focus is placed on cross‐level relationships within effective schools in secondary education in the Netherlands. Three hypotheses have been formulated. The outcomes related to the contingency hypothesis make clear that the managerial capacities of schools in secondary education are of great importance with respect to the effectiveness of schools, especially when a schools position gets under pressure at the local (student) market. Results show the affirmation of a congruency hypothesis with respect to the extent of production orientation of management and teaching staff, and the overall congruence of school and classroom policy. Results of contextual hypothesis suggest that the average intelligence of the school population exerts no effect on school careers in general or on careers of low/high intelligent pupils in particular. However, a school environment with a relatively low average socio‐economic status is positively associated with the school careers of pupils from familie...

Internal versus external quality management

This article presents the findings of research into quality management in Dutch elementary schools using theories of school accountability and school improvement as fundamentals. The study is based on data gathered from almost 1000 school leaders. It attempts to determine whether different types of quality management exist in primary schools. Schools are classified into four types of quality management. The results show that one cluster of schools developed an advanced type of quality management. When compared with the other clusters, schools of this type are unique in many ways. First of all, from the perspectives of school accountability and improvement these schools are the most active in terms of determining and improving their quality. Furthermore, this type of quality management produces a higher quality of teaching–learning than the other three types of quality management. Apart from this, it is interesting that the results of the study show that there are only slight discrepancies between quality assesments by the schools themselves (internal) and the judgements of the Inspectorate of Education (external). Furthermore, all four types of school support the quality indicators that the Inspectorate uses to asses the schools’ quality management. However, interestingly, the more advanced type of quality management supports these indicators significantly more strongly than the other types.

Explaining Academic Success in Engineering Degree Programs: Do Female and Male Students Differ?

Background In Dutch engineering education, female students outperform male students. Using an interactionalist framework, this study explores factors that contribute to this gender-based difference. Purpose This study aims to answer two questions: Do female and male students differ in background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success? Are differences in the relationships among background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success gender-specific? Design/method Data on male and female engineering undergraduate students from five Dutch universities were subjected to linear structural modeling to compare potential gender differences in the relationships among the focal variables. Two structural models were considered. Results Female students spent more time on independent study, reported more social integration, completed more credits, and were more likely to stay in engineering than were male students. Academic integration and intention to persist were important for completion of credits for both genders. Social integration was only important for men’s academic success. Females seemed to benefit less from good preparation through active learning during secondary education, and the effect of a high grade point average on math was negative for females but positive for males. Conclusions Interactionalist concepts can explain academic success, but the relationships among concepts vary by gender. Males’ intentions to persist in engineering are an outcome of engagement processes during the first year, whereas females’ intentions to persist in engineering are manifest at the start of the first year.

Effective families, peers and schools. A configurational approach

Our study investigates the impact of different social contests (family, peer groups school) on student outcomes of 5,110 students in Dutch secondary schools. Configuration is used to construct typologies from the intersection of these 3 social contexts of learning. Four empirically based configurations were found. The relative and additional impact of these configurations on cognitive and social outcomes of secondary school students have been analysed. Multilevel results show that certain elements of effective families and effective peer groups contribute to the math performance and school perception of secondary school students. Finally, our assumptions about additional effects of the configurations have been tested.