A Mixed Study on the Effectiveness of Verbal Praise in Primary School Class

Verbal praise is frequently used as motivation by teachers in class and truly effective verbal praise plays an important role in maintaining classroom order and stimulating positive student behavior. In this study, students from three classes of X Primary School of Jiangxi Province were interviewed and 328 verbal praise expressions collected. The subsequent empirical study on the effectiveness of verbal praise in four dimensions, namely content, spatiality, subjectivity and time, found that verbal praise generates both shallow and deep effects. The shallow effects act as a foundation for deep effects but do not necessarily result in deep effects. Other conditions are required to actualize a deep effect.

Praise as Classroom Communicative Reinforcing Device: Perceptions of Vietnamese University Students

One of the biggest challenges for teachers is to foster a positive learning environment in which students become motivated and engaged in classroom activities. Growing concerns have been shown about how evaluative praise functioned as a good reinforcer for students' achievement and desirable behaviour affects students' motivation to learn, depending on teachers' messages communicated with students. This study examined the impacts of different types of teacher praise upon university students' perceptions. Case study was employed to collect the data through observations and semi-structured interviews. The results highlighted that students perceived differently towards kinds of praise that they earned. They tended to respond to specific, verbal praise in a more positive way because of its explicit recognition and precise information about their contributions, hence it could make better their self-concept as well as help them keep motivated. Also, high-achievers sought for ability praise whereas low-achievers desired to draw effort praise from teachers. Educators would benefit these findings for the pedagogical purposes.

Description of Parent's Support on Development of Early Reading Skills

This research motivated by the large of children aged 5-6 years who have quite high reading ability in Jorong VII Pasar Lama Lubuk Basung, Agam Regency.This type of research is quantitative descriptive research. The population in this reaseach were parents who had children aged 5-6 years in Jorong VII Pasar Lama Lubuk Basung, Agam Regency, amounting to 35 people. Samples are taken with the intention or purpose of 21 parents. Data analysis techniques use a percentage formula.The results of the reseach: 1) parental support to provide guidance in the form of directing, accompanying, and rectifying can be categorized as good. 2) Furthermore, parents' support to give praise in the form of verbal non-verbal praise can be categorized as good. 3) parental support to provide encouragement in the form of giving gifts and providing facilities can also be categorized as good. Keywords: Support, Development, Reading Beginning

MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR MATEMATIKA SISWA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE THINK-PAIR-SHARE (TPS) PADA SISWA KELAS VB SD MUHAMMADIYAH I SORONG

This research aims to describe the Cooperative Learning Model Type Think-Pair-Share (TPS) that can improve students' mathematics learning outcomes. The research was conducted in sorong. The subject of this research was fifth grade class B at SD Muhammadiyah I Sorong in academic year 2010/2011. The students consist of 14 males and 24 females. The research was Classroom Action Research (PTK). The procedure and Implementation at the study site was divided into two cycles. In the first cycle performed four times of implementation by using Cooperative Learning Model Type Think-Pair-Share (TPS). The second cycle took four times with the same model. The observations took with the observation sheet has been prepared, and then reflected by writer and teacher to evaluate the research that has been run on each cycle and to improve the implementation of the next cycle. The technique of data collection was done by using observation and tests. The data were performed with qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results of this study indicate that students' mathematics learning outcomes at SD Muhammadiyah I fifth grade class B increases. At the beginning of test the average was 5,40 and at the end of the first cycle mean score was 5.84. Being at the end of second cycle the average was of 8,09. The action did to stimulate the students' attention by giving preliminary description of matter at the beginning of the meeting, the student group discussions and presentations, providing competition, growing students’ curiosity by implementing the Cooperative Learning Model Type Think-Pair-Share (TPS). Giving the relevance of study based on students' experience and providing them the example that is relevant to students. To increase the students self confidence was done by giving them the opportunity to answer questions and write them down in front, giving verbal praise who are successful, providing the opportunity to the group to present the result of discussion, and provide feedback. To increase student satisfaction with verbal praise who are successful, notify the student test results obtained, and giving appropriate rewards and not excessive.

The Effectiveness of a Packaged Intervention Including Point-of-View Video Modeling in Teaching Social Initiation Skills to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Deficits in social communication and interaction have been identified as distinguishing impairments for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a pivotal skill, the successful development of social communication and interaction in individuals with ASD is a lifelong objective. Point-of-view video modeling (VM) has the potential to address these deficits. By presenting only what a person might see from his or her viewpoint, it may be more effective than other forms of VM, in limiting irrelevant stimuli and providing a clear frame of reference to facilitate imitation. The current study investigated the use of point-of-view VM in teaching social initiations (e.g., greetings). Using a multiple baseline across participants design, five kindergarten participants were taught greetings using a packaged intervention, which included point-of-view VM, video priming, verbal praise, reinforcement, and prompting. Immediately before and after viewing the entire point-of-view video model, the participants were evaluated on their greetings with a trained, typically developing peer serving as a communication partner. Specifically, the greetings involved participants’ abilities to shift their attention toward the peer who entered the room, maintain attention toward the peer, and engage in an appropriate greeting (e.g., hi, hello). Both generalization and maintenance were tested. Overall, the data suggest point-of-view VM is a promising intervention for increasing greetings. However, both generalization and maintenance were limited. Despite the limitations of the study and variable results, there are a number of implications moving forward for both practitioners and future researchers examining point-of-view modeling.

Gifted Students' Motivation and its Impact on the Development of their Giftedness

The aim of the current study is to examine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of the gifted students from Hadhramout Gifted Center HGC in Yemen, and to investigate the impact of these intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on their giftedness development. A qualitative approach was adopted; data has been collected through an open- ended questionnaire that was prepared by the researcher and distributed among a sample of gifted students who were chosen purposively from HGC. The interpretative phenomenological method has been used to analyze the data using, Atlas ti. The results indicate that the majority of the participants consider it interesting to explore new things, and experience curiosity and desire to achieve their goals as their intrinsic motivations. Whereas, the minority consider preference to serve the community, competition preference and self-confidence as their intrinsic motivations. On the other hand, half of the participants consider rewards as their extrinsic motivation, whereas 40 % of them consider exams scores, verbal praise, parents and environment as their extrinsic motivations. Regarding the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on the development of giftedness, the majority of the participants believe that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations affect positively the development of their giftedness development. Finally, based on the findings, some recommendations were provided.

The Challenges of Using Awards

Many awards, such as the Nobel Prizes, are accompanied by money, but in most cases what really matters is the honour and recognition received. The benefits and costs of using awards must be compared to those of other devices for fostering motivation, such as monetary bonuses, gifts, or verbal praise. It must also be considered how the award can best be combined with alternative motivators. An inflationary use of awards undermines their value. When a particular award is handed out too liberally, recipients and the public may even ridicule it. Award inflation can partly be countered by creating new ranks or new awards. Awards fail when they are given to undeserving recipients or when they are rejected. Non-recipients of awards may engage in destructive behaviours. Negative effects can be countered by emphasizing collaborative efforts and the award recipient’s representative role.