Math coaches, specialists, and student achievement: Learning from the data

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-45
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Harbour ◽  
Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Mathematics Coaches ◽  
Professional Development Model ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

To support continuous professional development model in the teaching and learning of mathematics, many districts and schools have begun hiring elementary mathematics coaches and/or specialists (MCSs). However, limited large-scale empirical research exists that determines how the use of MCSs affect student learning and achievement. Kristin E. Harbour and Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides begin to fill in this gap by using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to explore the relationship between the presence and responsibilities of elementary MCSs and 4th-grade student achievement in mathematics. Based on their findings, they share practical implications for districts and administrators to consider.

Examining elementary mathematics teachers' justification practices

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christopher Austin
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analyses ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
The University

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This study examined the relationship between elementary teachers' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) status, and students' opportunities to engage in justification. Guided by a theoretical framework positioning instructional practices as an outcome of psychological factors (Ernest, 1989; Wilkins, 2008), a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design (Ivankova et al., 2006) was used to structure the study. Quantitative analyses were conducted using data from Studying Teacher Expertise and Assignment in Mathematics (STEAM), a large-scale, federally funded project. Interpretable factors representing teachers' attitudes and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning were empirically derived via exploratory factor analyses. These factors, along with data on teachers' knowledge and instructional practice, were incorporated into a factor score path analysis (Devlieger and Rosseel, 2017). An embedded single-case study (Yin, 2014) was utilized to characterize classrooms described in task-based interviews of 8 EMS-certified teachers representing High, Medium, and Low justification practices. The quantitative investigation resulted in an empirical model of direct effects of teachers' attitudes, beliefs, and EMS status, as well as indirect effects of teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and specialized training on justification practices. Qualitative analysis yieled themes regarding the object and source of challenges for students' justifications and teachers' actions to foster classroom environments for justification. Findings from quantitative and qualitative analyses were synthesized to explain how teacher-level characteristics align with observable classroom practices. Implications for future research and teacher education are offered.

Volunteering drivers and continuation will: the role of engagement

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 405-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Aboramadan ◽  
Abderrahman Hassi ◽  
Hatem Jamil Alharazin ◽  
Khalid Abed Dahleez ◽  
Belal Albashiti
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose As volunteering research in nonprofit organizations is growing significantly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of volunteering drivers and work engagement on volunteer continuation will. Design/methodology/approach Building on empirical and theoretical perspectives, the authors hypothesized that work engagement mediates the relationship between volunteering drivers and volunteer continuation will. To verify our hypotheses, we examined data collected from 372 active volunteers from Palestinian nonprofit organizations. The authors conducted structural equations modeling (SEM) analyses using the AMOS 24 platform to investigate direct and indirect effects. Findings The results of the study show that work engagement is a significant predictor of volunteer continuation will; mediates the relationship between career driver of volunteering and volunteer continuation will; and mediates the relationship between the protective driver of volunteering and volunteer continuation will. Research limitations/implications The research design limits establishing cause and effect relationships among the examined variables. Practical implications The results of the current study may be of use for nonprofit organizations managers formulating effective recruitment and training policies to retain their volunteers. Originality/value The paper contributes to the limited empirical body of the volunteering research. The study is novel as it is one of the few studies conducted using data coming from a non-western context.

Evaluating Perceived Emergency Preparedness and Household Preparedness Behaviors: Results from a CASPER Survey in Fairfax, Virginia

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-228
Author(s):  
Rennie W. Ferguson ◽  
Shawn Kiernan ◽  
Ernst W. Spannhake ◽  
Benjamin Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Perceived Preparedness ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Public Health Emergency Response ◽  
Household Preparedness ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTObjectives:Using data collected from a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) conducted in Fairfax Health District, Virginia, in 2016, we sought to assess the relationship between household-level perceived preparedness and self-reported preparedness behaviors.Methods:Weighted population estimates and 95% confidence intervals were reported, and Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to investigate differences by group.Results:Examining responses to how prepared respondents felt their household was to handle a large-scale emergency or disaster, an estimated 7.4% of respondents (95% CI: 4.3–12.3) reported that their household was “completely prepared,” 37.3% (95% CI: 31.4–43.7) were “moderately prepared,” 38.2% (95% CI: 31.6–45.2) were “somewhat prepared,” and 14.4% (95% CI: 10.2–20.0) were “unprepared.” A greater proportion of respondents who said that their household was “completely” or “moderately” prepared for an emergency reported engaging in several behaviors related to preparedness. However, for several preparedness behaviors, there were gaps between perceived preparedness and self-reported readiness.Conclusions:Community assessments for public health preparedness can provide valuable data about groups who may be at risk during an emergency due to a lack of planning and practice, despite feeling prepared to handle a large-scale emergency or disaster.

From creative process engagement to performance: bidirectional support

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 966-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yana Du ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Yanhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Creative Process ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Investment Process ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of creative process engagement on employees’ in-role performance, and does so by considering the support that employees received from and given to their supervisors. Design/methodology/approach Using data from 540 questionnaires collected in China, this paper conducts a hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed model. Findings Creative process engagement positively affects employees’ in-role performance. However, the moderating effect of receiving support on the above relationship is not significant. Instead, it is the interaction of receiving support from and giving it to supervisors that moderates the relationship between creative process engagement and in-role performance. Research limitations/implications The study has some contributions to the conservation of resource (COR) theory. The authors find that acquiring new resources such as receiving support from supervisors is not always effective. The acquisition process of resources should be considered with the investment process of resources. According to the COR theory, people invest resources to gain resources and protect themselves from losing resources or to recover from resource loss (Halbesleben et al., 2014). The findings of the study show that employees investing resources is not just for gaining resources. Sometimes, they invest resources such as giving support to supervisors to remain a relatively balanced relationship. Practical implications Companies can encourage employees to place more attention on creative process engagement to improve in-role performance. In addition, when offering support to employees, managers should consider whether the employees are able to give it back in response to the received support, and distribute their support to employees accordingly. Originality/value This paper explored employee’s engagement at creative process in a more novel way and clarified the relative effect of creative process engagement on in-role performance. Also, this paper was the first to pay attention to the bidirectional nature of supervisor support.

The opportunity model of organizational commitment

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elif Cicekli ◽  
Hayat Kabasakal
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Exchange Theory ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationships between promotion, development, and recognition opportunities at work and organizational commitment, and whether these relationships are moderated by the job opportunities employees have in other organizations. Design/methodology/approach An opportunity model of organizational commitment is developed based on social exchange theory and several streams of opportunity research. Factor analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analyses are carried out to test the hypotheses using data from 550 white-collar employees. Findings The results of the analyses show that opportunities for development and recognition are predictors of organizational commitment, that job opportunities employees have in other organizations negatively moderate the relationship between recognition opportunity at work and organizational commitment, and that promotion opportunity does not predict organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications Future researchers could study the issue in the context of other cultures using data from multiple sources. Practical implications Employers who seek to increase their employees’ organizational commitment are advised to divert their energies from struggling to create promotion opportunities for their employees to creating opportunities for development and recognition. Originality/value The study explores the under-researched concept of opportunity at work and connects several streams of opportunity research by drawing on social exchange theory as a theoretical framework. The model is the first to address the effects of opportunity and alternative opportunities on organizational commitment.

Entrepreneurial Passion and Behaviors: Opportunity Recognition As a Mediator

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1211-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiani Bao ◽  
Xiaohu Zhou ◽  
Ying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Opportunity Recognition ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Entrepreneurial Passion ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

We examined the relationships among entrepreneurial passion, opportunity recognition, and entrepreneurial behaviors. Entrepreneurial passion includes the intense positive feelings originating from engagement in entrepreneurial activities and the centrality of these activities for entrepreneurs' self-identity. The empirical study was conducted using data from 195 entrepreneurs in new Chinese companies. Results showed that entrepreneurial passion had a significant impact on opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial behaviors. Further, opportunity recognition partly mediated the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial behaviors. Entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial passion are, therefore, more likely than others are to identify opportunities and start new ventures. Theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship are discussed.

scholarly journals Who Participates in Content-Focused Teacher Professional Development? Evidence From a Large Scale Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Richter ◽  
Mareike Kunter ◽  
Alexandra Marx ◽  
Dirk Richter
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Participation ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigates the relationship between teacher quality and teachers’ engagement in professional development (PD) activities using data on 229 German secondary school mathematics teachers. We assessed different aspects of teacher quality (e.g. professional knowledge, instructional quality) using a variety of measures, including standardised tests of teachers’ content knowledge, to determine what characteristics are associated with high participation in PD. The results show that teachers with higher scores for teacher quality variables take part in more content-focused PD than teachers with lower scores for these variables. This suggests that teacher learning may be subject to a Matthew effect, whereby more proficient teachers benefit more from PD than less proficient teachers.

scholarly journals School testing culture and teacher satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Smith ◽  
Jessica Holloway
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Satisfaction ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Pool Data ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Indirect Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Teachers, as frontline providers of education, are increasingly targets of accountability reforms. Such reforms often narrowly define ‘teacher quality’ around performative terms. Past research suggests holding teachers to account for student performance measures (i.e. test scores) damages their job satisfaction, including increasing stress and burnout. This article examines whether the relationship between test-based accountability and teacher satisfaction can be, in part, explained by the emphasis of student test scores in teacher appraisals. Although historically used for formative purposes, recent research demonstrates that across a large range of countries, nearly all teachers work in a system where their appraisal is based, in part, on students’ test scores. Using data from the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey, we pool data from 33 countries to evaluate the direct and indirect effect of school testing culture on teacher satisfaction. Results suggest that there is a direct relationship between the intensity of the testing culture and the satisfaction of teachers, as well as an indirect relationship with test score emphasis in teacher appraisals suppressing potential positive effects of appraisals on teacher satisfaction.

The Impact of Elementary Mathematics Coaches on Student Achievement

2011 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia F. Campbell ◽  
Nathaniel N. Malkus
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Coaches ◽  
The Impact

Availability and use of work-life benefits: what’s in between?

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 949-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Pasamar
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Employees ◽  
Level Of Use ◽  
Levels Of Use ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the availability and the real use of work-life (WL) benefits by employees. Most research focuses on adoption, and some studies have analysed the levels of use. However, it is yet to be explained why some firms offer formal WL benefits, which ultimately are not used by employees. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses developed here are tested using data from a sample of 146 Spanish private firms, which is very relevant because findings from research developed in Anglo-Saxon contexts cannot necessarily be extended elsewhere. Findings – The results reveal that availability significantly influences the level of use of WL programmes. Both the proportion of women employees in the organization and the formalization of the WL balance culture moderate the relationship between availability and use. Practical implications – These findings hold lessons for practitioners and researchers interested in WL balance and its actual diffusion among employees. Practitioners should consider WL balance in an unrestrictive way, thinking about different kinds of employees and not only women with caring responsibilities. The mere provision of benefits to a small part of the workforce does not guarantee any of the positive outcomes related to WL balance. Originality/value – Aside from exploring the availability-use gap, this research was conducted in a non-Anglo-Saxon context.

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