SpLD - Silent Learning Difficulties? Factors influencing literacy learning of Māori students, as identified by teachers, SENCo, and parents

<p>This qualitative research study, conducted in primary English-medium schools in a mid-sized, central New Zealand city, uses mixed-methods to investigate the factors that teachers, special education needs coordinators (SENCo), and parents identify as influencing Māori student literacy learning. It looks at the prevalence of discourse around specific learning difficulties (SpLD), and whether the different parties consider SpLD as a potential reason behind low literacy achievement among Māori students. The motive for the study is to begin a conversation around the possibility of SpLD being overlooked in favour of socio-cultural understandings of literacy learning. It uses a critical theory lens and touches on the potential influence of unconscious bias amongst participant teachers. Data collection methods included an online survey, sent to all of the schools in the area for teaching staff to complete, interviews conducted with teachers and SENCo, both online and in person, and focus groups with groups of parents, in neutral and welcoming environments. There are three significant findings, and the study concludes that teachers, SENCo, and parents tend to look for social and cultural causes where there is low literacy achievement amongst Māori students. The three main findings are that teachers look ‘outwards’, to influences on literacy learning such as socioeconomic status, transiency, home background, and oral language development. Secondly, both teacher and parent participants generally do not consider specific learning difficulties as one of the main influences on literacy learning. There seems to be a lack of confidence amongst teachers in supporting students who have been identified as having a SpLD. The final major finding was that teachers, SENCo, and parents all agreed on and promoted the importance and value of relationships between teacher and child, and whānau as underpinning the student’s learning.</p>

SpLD - Silent Learning Difficulties? Factors influencing literacy learning of Māori students, as identified by teachers, SENCo, and parents

<p>This qualitative research study, conducted in primary English-medium schools in a mid-sized, central New Zealand city, uses mixed-methods to investigate the factors that teachers, special education needs coordinators (SENCo), and parents identify as influencing Māori student literacy learning. It looks at the prevalence of discourse around specific learning difficulties (SpLD), and whether the different parties consider SpLD as a potential reason behind low literacy achievement among Māori students. The motive for the study is to begin a conversation around the possibility of SpLD being overlooked in favour of socio-cultural understandings of literacy learning. It uses a critical theory lens and touches on the potential influence of unconscious bias amongst participant teachers. Data collection methods included an online survey, sent to all of the schools in the area for teaching staff to complete, interviews conducted with teachers and SENCo, both online and in person, and focus groups with groups of parents, in neutral and welcoming environments. There are three significant findings, and the study concludes that teachers, SENCo, and parents tend to look for social and cultural causes where there is low literacy achievement amongst Māori students. The three main findings are that teachers look ‘outwards’, to influences on literacy learning such as socioeconomic status, transiency, home background, and oral language development. Secondly, both teacher and parent participants generally do not consider specific learning difficulties as one of the main influences on literacy learning. There seems to be a lack of confidence amongst teachers in supporting students who have been identified as having a SpLD. The final major finding was that teachers, SENCo, and parents all agreed on and promoted the importance and value of relationships between teacher and child, and whānau as underpinning the student’s learning.</p>

Analisis Kebutuhan Penilaian Capaian Literasi STEM Peserta Didik dalam Pembelajaran Biologi

STEM literacy in education aims to be able to prepare students to be able to compete in the world of education in the world of work in the future. The benefit of STEM Literacy is that it makes students more skilled in all areas including science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. In ad- dition, STEM literacy can also make students improve their critical thinking skills and become crea- tive, logical, innovative, productive and relate directly to real conditions. This study aims to analyze the needs of students' STEM literacy achievement assessment in learning biology. The type of research used is descriptive, with data collection techniques carried out by conducting observations and inter- views. The results showed that biology learning has been implemented based on STEM literacy, stu- dents are still less enthusiastic in reading, students are more interested in learning related to technol- ogy, teachers do not know the assessment of students' STEM literacy achievement in biology learning.

Reciprocal associations between executive function and academic achievement: A conceptual replication of Schmitt et al. (2017)

The goal of the current study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the reciprocal associations between executive function (EF) and academic achievement reported in Schmitt et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000193). Using two independent samples (N (STAR) = 279, and N (Pathways) = 277), we examined whether the patterns of associations between EF and achievement across preschool and kindergarten reported in Schmitt et al. (2017) replicated using the same model specifications, similar EF and achievement measures, and across a similar developmental age period. Consistent with original findings, EF predicted subsequent math achievement in both samples. Specifically, in the STAR sample, EF predicted math achievement from preschool to kindergarten, and kindergarten to first grade. In the Pathways sample, EF at kindergarten predicted both math and literacy achievement in first grade. However, contrary to the original findings, we were unable to replicate the bidirectional associations between math achievement and EF in either of the replication samples. Overall, the current conceptual replication has revealed that bidirectional associations between EF and academic skills might not be robust to slight differences in EF measures and number of measurement occasions, which has implications for our understanding of the development EF and academic skills across early childhood. The present findings underscore the need for more standardization in both measurement and modeling approaches – without which the inconsistency of findings in published studies may continue across this area of research.

Secondary school students’ English literacy achievement based on PISA reading literacy test 2009

Reading literacy has become global concern that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has conducted Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) reading literacy test to assess what students know and can do in reading. Participating in PISA test since 2000, Indonesian students’ reading literacy has not shown a significant improvement. Because PISA reading literacy test is adapted into language of instruction of each participating country, it is Indonesian students’ reading literacy in Indonesian language which is not satisfactory. Considering the fact that Indonesian fifteen-year-old students study English as a compulsory subject, investigating students’ reading literacy in English is considered important. There has been much research investigating issues in reading achievement in Indonesia, but there are limited studies focussing on PISA reading literacy based on school location, school accreditation, gender, and academic major. Employing survey study design, this study assessed reading literacy of two thousand and two hundred secondary school students sampled from twenty four public secondary schools accredited A+, A, and B in Palembang. Data were obtained using PISA reading literacy test 2009 and were analysed statistically. The findings revealed that students’ English literacy was in level 3 (low category). Students studied at schools in central urban district performed better than those of in peri urban district. Those from secondary schools accredited A+ outperformed their counterparts in schools accredited A and B. Female students performed slightly better than male. Students majoring in science were better than those of majoring in social. The results lead to the conclusion that students’ English literacy achievement should be enhanced using innovating strategies to achieve targeted literacy level that is needed to survive in school academic life.

Reciprocal associations between executive function and academic achievement: A conceptual replication of Schmitt et al. (2017)

The goal of the current study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the reciprocal associations between executive function (EF) and academic achievement reported in Schmitt et al. (2017). Using two independent samples (N (STAR) = 279, and N (Pathways) = 277), we examined whether the patterns of associations between EF and achievement across preschool and kindergarten reported in Schmitt et al. (2017) replicated using the same model specifications, similar EF and achievement measures, and across a similar developmental age period. Consistent with original findings, EF predicted subsequent math achievement in both samples. Specifically, in the STAR sample, EF predicted math achievement from preschool to kindergarten, and kindergarten to first grade. In the Pathways sample, EF at kindergarten predicted both math and literacy achievement in first grade. However, contrary to the original findings, we were unable to replicate the bidirectional associations between math achievement and EF in either of the replication samples. Overall, the current conceptual replication has revealed that bidirectional associations between EF and academic skills might not be robust to slight differences in EF measures and number of measurement occasions, which has implications for our understanding of the development EF and academic skills across early childhood. The present findings underscore the need for more standardization in both measurement and modeling approaches – without which the inconsistency of findings in published studies may continue across this area of research.

A Seasonal Comparison of the Effectiveness of Parent Engagement on Student Literacy Achievement

Parent engagement is often promoted as a remedy for reducing achievement gaps between students from high socio-economic and low socio-economic backgrounds. However, researchers have found mixed results when examining parent engagement and student outcomes. Drawing on a study investigating the effectiveness of summer literacy camps offered by schools in Ontario, I compare the influence of parent engagement on two outcomes: (1) spring snapshot of cumulative learning, and (2) summer literacy growth/loss. In considering summer learning in regression analysis, I aim to investigate the effect of parent engagement without the influence of schools during the academic year. Out of 14 parent engagement measures, I find only three (parents’ aspirations, home resources, discussions of school with children) are positive predictors of spring literacy outcomes and that none predict summer literacy growth/loss. Family socio-economic status remains a powerful predictor of achievement for both outcomes. I interpret my findings within three proposed mechanisms of parent engagement: cultivation ethic, realist reaction, and expressive logic. Keywords: parent engagement, literacy achievement, socio-economic status, inequality, summer learning, summer literacy camp(s)