Search results
1 – 10 of over 70000Dara Shifrer, Chandra Muller and Rebecca Callahan
The disproportionate identification of learning disabilities among certain sociodemographic subgroups, typically groups who are already disadvantaged, is perceived as a persistent…
Abstract
The disproportionate identification of learning disabilities among certain sociodemographic subgroups, typically groups who are already disadvantaged, is perceived as a persistent problem within the education system. The academic and social experiences of students who are misidentified with a learning disability may be severely restricted, while students with a learning disability who are never identified are less likely to receive the accommodations and modifications necessary to learn at their maximum potential. In addition to inconsistent definitions of and criteria for diagnosing students with learning disabilities that may result in misdiagnoses, it is feared that discrimination also plays a role. We use the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 to describe national patterns in learning disability identification by individual- and school-level characteristics. Our results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics are predictive of being identified with a learning disability. Whereas some conventional areas of disproportionality are confirmed (males and language minorities are more likely to be identified), differences in social class entirely account for black and Hispanic disproportionality. Discrepancy between the results of bivariate and multivariate analyses reaffirms the importance of employing sophisticated methodology in explorations of disproportionality.
Shoshana Ben-Tov and Shlomo Romi
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between parents’ involvement related to their alertness of what happens in school and their identification with school and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between parents’ involvement related to their alertness of what happens in school and their identification with school and their children’s attitudes toward school, social adjustment, self-efficacy and academic achievements.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires were answered by 339 parents and 343 students, and yielded 34 parents whose levels of identification with school and alertness were low, and 57 parents whose levels were high. 10; path analysis was used (structural equation model). The theoretical model was tested by a software AMOS 7.0.
Findings
Involvement characterized by low identification and alertness predicted a direct, significant and negative relationship with children’s self-efficacy; alertness predicted a direct, significant and negative relationship with self-efficacy. The group with high identification and alertness predicted a direct, significant and positive relationship of their identification with children’s self-efficacy.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is recommended because of the small sample in this study. In addition, especially it is recommended to add to the study parents whose identification is low and their alertness is high.
Practical implications
The way to solve problems is not by mutual accusations, but by trusting each other. Parents and school must create useful communication channels and forums for straightening out issues and find solution through cooperation.
Originality/value
This paper reveals that parents’ alienation from school is a predictor of their children’s negative functioning in school. This document is intended for school principals, educational staff and parents to improve students’ functioning.
Details
Keywords
Murat Gümüş, Bahattin Hamarat, Ertuğrul Çolak and Erol Duran
This paper aims to explore the effects of two work related identification (occupational and organizational) of school teachers on intention to early retirement (withdrawal) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the effects of two work related identification (occupational and organizational) of school teachers on intention to early retirement (withdrawal) and satisfaction with the occupation and satisfaction with the school. It also seeks the influence of perceived external prestige on withdrawal and satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was carried out at public schools in Canakkale, Turkey. Data collected from 238 teachers were analyzed. The correlations between identification and organizational prestige, desire for early retirement, and overall satisfaction of teachers were tested with several demographic variables such as age, gender, tenure and union membership. Ordinal logistic regression analysis (OLR) was conducted to reveal probabilistic behavior of response variables on the basis of explanatory variables.
Findings
The results show that both categories of identification have reverse effect on intention to early retirement, and both categories have positive effect on job satisfaction. Perceived external prestige has no effect on intention to early retirement and job satisfaction, but it increases satisfaction from the school. Finally, the “self” and the “occupation” were found salient categories for teachers' identification.
Originality/value
Identification literature has long been concentrated on organizational level identification. This paper explores the influence of both organizational and occupational categories of identification, comparatively. Being a teacher is seen as a prestigious occupation in Turkey. Findings about identity as a teacher also confirmed that “self” and “occupation” are two main identity references in the Turkish setting.
Details
Keywords
Megan Tschannen‐Moran, Regina A. Bankole, Roxanne M. Mitchell and Dennis M. Moore
This research aims to add to the literature on Academic Optimism, a composite measure composed of teacher perceptions of trust in students, academic press, and collective efficacy…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to add to the literature on Academic Optimism, a composite measure composed of teacher perceptions of trust in students, academic press, and collective efficacy by exploring a similar set of constructs from the student perceptive. The relationships between student trust in teachers, student perceptions of academic press, and student identification with school were examined as well as how they were individually and collectively related to student achievement in the schools in an urban school district.
Design/methodology/approach
This study assessed the perceptions of students in 49 elementary, middle, and high schools in one urban district. The measures used included the Student Trust in Teachers Survey (Adams and Forsyth), the Identification with School Questionnaire (Voelkl), and an adaptation of Academic Press (Hoy, Hannum and Tschannen‐Moran). Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to explore whether these three observed variables would form a latent variable called Student Academic Optimism. Finally, the relationship of Academic Optimism to student achievement, controlling for SES, was examined using SEM.
Findings
Strong and significant relationships were found between all three of the observed variables. A CFA analysis confirmed that they formed a latent variable the authors called Student Academic Optimism. Student Academic Optimism had a significant direct effect on student achievement (b=0.73, p<0.01) while SES (percent of students eligible for the free and reduced lunch program) had a significant negative effect on student achievement (b=−0.37, p<0.01). Together student academic optimism and SES explained 67 percent of the variance in student achievement with student academic optimism making the largest contribution to the explanation.
Social implications
The findings that Student Academic Optimism was unrelated to SES and that Student Academic Optimism has a significant effect on achievement over and above the effects of SES and student demographic characteristics leads the authors to consider the possibility that SES may not be as influential as once thought when other conditions of the school environment are taken into consideration.
Originality/value
This study makes a unique contribution to the literature by focusing on the perspectives of students and by linking the measures of three important dynamics within schools to form a new construct: Student Academic Optimism.
Details
Keywords
Aamir Ali Chughtai and Finian Buckley
The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organizational identification on in‐role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely, feedback seeking and error…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organizational identification on in‐role job performance and two learning behaviours, namely, feedback seeking and error communication. Furthermore, this research aims to establish the mediating role of learning goal orientation in the relationship between organizational identification and the three outcome variables.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this paper were gathered from 130 high school teachers drawn from six schools operating in Pakistan. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that organizational identification has significant unique effects on in‐role job performance and error communication; whereas, it influences feedback seeking indirectly through learning goal orientation. Additionally, the findings of this paper reveal that learning goal orientation mediates the effects of organizational identification on the three outcome variables.
Research limitations/implications
The present paper uses a cross‐sectional research design and hence it is not possible to make inferences about causation. Also, the data for this study are collected from a single source, which creates the problem of common method variance. However, in spite of these limitations the results of this study indicate that organizational identification can play a pivotal role in enhancing organizational effectiveness.
Originality/value
This is the first study which assesses the impact of organizational identification on learning goal orientation, feedback seeking and error communication. Moreover, it is one of the few studies which has empirically established the link between organizational identification and job performance.
Details
Keywords
Curt Adams, Olajumoke Beulah Adigun and Ashlyn Fiegener
The purpose of this study was to establish a line of inquiry into student trust in school peers by: (1) developing a valid and reliable measure and (2) investigating the potential…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to establish a line of inquiry into student trust in school peers by: (1) developing a valid and reliable measure and (2) investigating the potential influence of student trust in school peers on optimal school functioning.
Design/methodology/approach
A non-experimental, survey research design was used. Ex-post facto data were collected in the spring of 2017 and spring of 2019 from a random sample of students in either the 5th, 7th, 9th or 11th grades in 79 schools located in a southwestern city in the US. Two types of analyses were performed. First, structural and convergent validity of the items measuring student trust in school peers were tested with a confirmatory factor analysis, and correlations with bullying and safety. The second analysis tested a hypothesized model with a full structural equation model using robust maximum likelihood estimation.
Findings
Confirmatory factor analysis results report that items used to measure student trust in school peers share common variance with the latent trust factor. Both the 10-item and five-item measures had good model fit and parameter estimates. Additionally, the five-item measure had strong relationships with bullying and safety. As specified in the hypothesized model, student trust in peers had a strong, positive relationship with identification with school and positive, yet not as strong, of a relationship with academic grit. These relationships existed when accounting for student perceived teacher support.
Originality/value
This study extends trust research to students' relational connections by conceptualizing student trust in school peers as a cognitive belief, constructing a valid measure and finding a relationship between student–peer trust and elements optimal school functioning.
Details
Keywords
Rolf van Dick, Jost Stellmacher, Ulrich Wagner, Gunnar Lemmer and Patrick A. Tissington
Social loafing is described in the literature as a frequent problem reducing individuals' performance when working in groups. This paper aims to utilize the social identity…
Abstract
Purpose
Social loafing is described in the literature as a frequent problem reducing individuals' performance when working in groups. This paper aims to utilize the social identity approach and proposes that under conditions of heightened group salience social loafing can be reduced and turned into social laboring (i.e. increased performance).
Design/methodology/approach
Two experimental studies are conducted to examine the impact of participant's group membership salience on task performance. In Study 1, school teachers work either in coactive or in collective working conditions on brainstorming tasks. In Study 2, participants perform both a brainstorming task and a motor task.
Findings
The results show social laboring effects. As predicted, participants in the high salient group conditions outperform participants in the low salient group conditions and the coactive individual condition.
Practical implications
The results indicate that rather than individuating group members or tasks to overcome social loafing, managers can increase group performance by focusing on group members' perceptions of their groups as important and salient.
Originality/value
The studies presented in this paper show that social identity theory and self categorization theory can fruitfully be applied to the field of group performance. The message of these studies for applied settings is that collective work in groups must not necessarily negatively impact performance, i.e. social loafing. By heightening the salience of group memberships groups can even outperform coactively working individuals.
Details
Keywords
To show that relationship duration enhances the effect of transformational leadership on follower's terminal value system congruence and identification (cognitive outcomes), but…
Abstract
Purpose
To show that relationship duration enhances the effect of transformational leadership on follower's terminal value system congruence and identification (cognitive outcomes), but not on attachment and affective commitment (affective outcomes).
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were collected from the principal and 144 teachers of a prominent high school in western India. The principal and the teachers answered the value survey. The teachers also answered questions on transformational leadership and outcomes.
Findings
The positive effect of transformational leadership on the outcomes is enhanced by the duration of relationship between leader and follower in the case of congruence and identification, but not in the case of attachment and affective commitment.
Research limitations/implications
The entire sample of teacher‐respondents had a common leader (the school principal); this study needs to be replicated across a larger set of leaders to confirm the findings.
Practical implications
Transformational leaders, by spending more time with followers, would be able to change their cognitive framework including value systems and identities. On the other hand, time spent with a follower may not make any difference when it comes to enhancing affective outcomes.
Originality/value
Burns distinguished between heroes (emotion‐based) and ideologues (values‐based). The leadership that stops only at the hero level and does not proceed to the ideological level is pseudo‐transformational. This study demonstrates the role of relationship duration in leaders becoming heroes or ideologues. Transformational leadership is not complete without the enduring change in values and identities.
Details
Keywords
Kenneth Leithwood and Doris Jantzi
Most school restucturing initiatives assume significant capacity development on the part of individuals, as well as whole organizations; they also depend on high levels of…
Abstract
Most school restucturing initiatives assume significant capacity development on the part of individuals, as well as whole organizations; they also depend on high levels of motivation and commitment to solving the substantial problems associated with the implementation of restructuring initiatives. Transformational approaches to leadership have long been advocated as productive under these conditions, and evidence suggests that transformational practices do contribute to the development of capacity and commitment. Much less evidence is available, however, about whether these socio‐psychological effects actually result in organizational change and enhanced organizational outcomes. Survey data from an achieved sample of 1,762 teachers and 9,941 students in one large school district were used to explore the relative effects of transformational leadership practices on selected organizational conditions and student engagement with school. Results demonstrated strong significant effects of such leadership on organizational conditions, and moderate but still significant total effects on student engagement.
Details
Keywords
Self-determination theory was used to conceptualize a type of school climate that has consequences for the social, emotional and cognitive well-being of students. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Self-determination theory was used to conceptualize a type of school climate that has consequences for the social, emotional and cognitive well-being of students. The purpose of this paper is to argue that a need-supportive climate emerges through a general pattern of interactions that students experience as supporting their psychological needs.
Design/methodology/approach
A hypothesized model was tested whereby the latent need-supportive climate variable was predicted to work through identification with school to influence student grit. Ex post facto data were collected during the 2015–2016 school year from a random sample of students in either the 5th, 8th, or 11th grades in 71 schools located in a southwestern city in the USA. A total of 3,233 students received surveys. Of these students, the authors received useable responses from 2,587 students for a response rate of 80 percent.
Findings
Findings support the hypothesis that autonomy-support, competence-support and relational-support are integrated and combine to shape experiences that align with student psychological needs. Additionally, students who experienced a need-supportive climate were also more likely to identify with school and expressed higher grit toward academic pursuits.
Originality/value
A need-supportive climate adds meaning to more general characterizations of school life (e.g. healthy, supportive, open, etc.) and it affords a theoretically derived explanation for how the social side of schools nurtures the inner determination of students to excel.
Details