Classroom Instructional Practices Research Articles

Effects of Epistemological and Pedagogical Beliefs on the Instructional Practices of Teachers: A Chinese Perspective

This study examines how the beliefs of Chinese in-service teachers regarding knowledge and knowledge acquisition influence their instructional classroom practices in junior secondary schools directly or indirectly through their conceptions of teaching and learning. The results indicate that the factor of learning effort/process is highly valued by Chinese in-service teachers in their epistemological beliefs, and that the constructivist approach is the dominant conception on teaching and learning for junior secondary school teachers.. In addition, the constructivist conception of teaching and learning is found to be positively related to three types of classroom instructional practices, whereas the traditional conception about teaching and learning is found to be only significantly and negatively linked to standard contemporary practices.

The effects of the communal classroom instructional practices and the sense of community on the inhibitory school violence in elementary schools

The effects of the communal classroom instructional practices and the sense of community on the inhibitory school violence in elementary schools

Examining Instructional Practices, Intellectual Challenge, and Supports for African American Student Writers

The debate surrounding how best to support African American student writers continues today as the gap between achievement scores persists. This qualitative analysis documents the classroom structures and instructional practices of two English Language Arts teachers working in a predominately African American public middle school, whose students demonstrated growth on the state’s standardized assessment of English Language Arts. Teachers were chosen based on value-added measures of student achievement using test score gain and observational data of their writing instruction. Both teachers explicitly and repeatedly targeted writing skills and strategies during instruction and offered aligned instructional supports. Tasks assigned were intellectually challenging and aligned with the targeted skills and strategies. The data suggest ways to balance both skill and strategy instruction and a process approach to writing instruction, which many argue is supportive of African American students’ writing development.

Creating a Classroom Where Readers Flourish

AbstractNumerous research studies prove that wide reading improves children's comprehension, background knowledge, vocabulary, fluency, and writing. The author, a sixth‐grade language arts teacher, describes the classroom conditions and instructional practices that encourage wide reading and increase her students' reading motivation such as choice in reading material, dedicating time for reading, and promoting children's literature.

The Impact of Induction and Mentoring Programs for Beginning Teachers

This review critically examines 15 empirical studies, conducted since the mid-1980s, on the effects of support, guidance, and orientation programs—collectively known as induction—for beginning teachers. Most of the studies reviewed provide empirical support for the claim that support and assistance for beginning teachers have a positive impact on three sets of outcomes: teacher commitment and retention, teacher classroom instructional practices, and student achievement. Of the studies on commitment and retention, most showed that beginning teachers who participated in induction showed positive impacts. For classroom instructional practices, the majority of studies reviewed showed that beginning teachers who participated in some kind of induction performed better at various aspects of teaching, such as keeping students on task, using effective student questioning practices, adjusting classroom activities to meet students’ interests, maintaining a positive classroom atmosphere, and demonstrating successful classroom management. For student achievement, almost all of the studies showed that students of beginning teachers who participated in induction had higher scores, or gains, on academic achievement tests. There were, however, exceptions to this overall pattern—in particular a large randomized controlled trial of induction in a sample of large, urban, low-income schools—which found some significant positive effects on student achievement but no effects on either teacher retention or teachers’ classroom practices. The review closes by attempting to reconcile these contradictory findings and by identifying gaps in the research base and relevant questions that have not been addressed and warrant further research.

Of Birdhouses and Mosaic Cats: Conquering Fears in the Muddle of Inquiry

This reflection considers the aspects of classroom focus, instructional practice, and evaluation that impact successful inquiry, as viewed through the author’s experience in an adult art class.Topics considered include varying organization for the appropriate problem type; and creating a classroom supportive of inquiry through encouraging questioning,teaching independence,and using effective formative and self-evaluation.

Target inquiry: changing chemistry high school teachers' classroom practices and knowledge and beliefs about inquiry instruction

Inquiry-based instruction requires a deep, conceptual understanding of the process of science combined with a sophisticated knowledge of teaching and learning. This study examines the changes in classroom instructional practices and corresponding changes to knowledge and beliefs about inquiry instruction for eight high school chemistry teachers. These teachers were part of a 2½ year program that supported a research experiences for teachers with a summer of materials adaptation and a year-long action research project. Classroom observations scored with the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol and semi-structured teacher interviews using the Inquiry Teaching Beliefs (ITB) instrument were used to examine changes in teachers' classroom teaching practices and their knowledge and beliefs about inquiry instruction. Results indicate that both teachers' instructional practices and their knowledge and beliefs about inquiry instruction changed during the program; however, in most cases, substantial changes to classroom instruction did not occur until after the materials adaptation component. Additionally, validity issues associated with using the ITB instrument for long-term interventions were discovered.

Primary School Teachers of Instructional Technologies Self-Efficacy Levels

In this research, the level of primary school teachers self efficacy believes towards instructional technologies is investigated. The research is performed by applying questionnaires to 43 primary school teachers in Erzincan. The questionnaire consists of 28 questions. For the analysis of the research results SPSS program is used, mean and standard deviation for the answers of all lecturers in the research are calculated. Result of this study is concluded that primary school teachers have high self efficacy believe towards instructional technologies. And teachers believe that they have an understanding of how technology can be integrated into regular classroom instructional practices.

Technology Integration and Urban Schools

With the call for educational reform in American public schools, various school districts have embarked on the process of reforming classroom instructional practices through technology to enhance quality education and student learning. This article explores the implications for educational technology practices within the context of urban schools. Additionally, this article highlights the need for administrators, policy makers and other educational stakeholders to reflect on effective ways to eliminate inequities and the gaps that exist between high and low Social Economic Status (SES) schools and teachers related to practices, resources, training, and professional development.

Where Is NELP Leading Preschool Literacy Instruction?

This article discusses the potential positive and problematic influences of the National Early Literacy Panel ( NELP; 2008 ) report on prekindergarten and kindergarten classroom instructional practice. The authors support the instructional importance of the majority of the foundational skills identified in the NELP report as having “clear and consistently strong relationships with later conventional literacy skills” but also detail a number of concerns about NELP-influenced instructional recommendations drawn to date, arguing that the NELP report is both insufficiently clear and overly narrow with respect to what preschool teachers should be focusing on instructionally in early literacy.

Examining the Factor Structure of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale

The authors examined the factor structure of the long and short forms of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; M. Tschannen-Moran & A. Woolfolk-Hoy, 2001) for practicing (n = 102) and preservice teachers (n = 270), comparing the responses to both forms of the TSES, and looked for differences in teachers’ efficacy with respect to experience and grade level taught. They found the 3-factor structure—efficacy for classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement—to be appropriate for practicing teachers, but they found a single efficacy factor to be appropriate for preservice teachers. The long and short forms of the TSES produced similar means and reliability information, suggesting that either form is appropriate for use with preservice or practicing teachers. Last, they found that teachers with 10 or more years of teaching experience and those teaching at the elementary level reported significantly higher levels of efficacy than did preservice teachers or those teaching at the middle or high school levels, respectively.

Examining Technological Disparities and Instructional Practices in English Language Arts Classroom

A considerable amount of research has been conducted about technological disparity within various classroom instructional practices; yet educators have concerned about the chronic underachievement of students in urban school settings. In order for technology to have its greatest impact on our educational system, teachers and student must not only access to technology, but access to technology in a contextual matter that is culturally relevant, responsive and meaningful to their educational practice. Results of this study revealed that socioeconomic status of the school still plays an important role in how well teacher are trained and their ability to integrate technology in the classroom. This study provides a platform for discussion on technology and instructional practices within urban school and to offer recommendations as we begin to rethink technological disparities and the intentional and unintentional affects on instructional practices.

The Relationship between Extrinsic Motivation, Home Literacy, Classroom Instructional Practices, and Reading Proficiency in Second-Grade Chinese Children

The Relationship between Extrinsic Motivation, Home Literacy, Classroom Instructional Practices, and Reading Proficiency in Second-Grade Chinese Children

Teachers' Competence And Effectiveness In The Instructional Process: A Synoptic Exposition Mbia

The focus of this paper is a vivid examination of the factors that underscore, influence and enhance teacher's competence and effectiveness in the instructional process. Literature on pedagogy and instructional process has established fundamental prerequisites of effective classroom instructional practices that lead students to acquire enriching abilities, skills and attitudes that serve them throughout their life. Emanating from this orientation, this exposition explores more effective means of achieving better instructional delivery and the attainment of enduring and permanent classroom learning. Journal of Research in National Development Vol. 4 (1) 2006: pp. 116-122

How Teachers Experience Principal Leadership: The Roles of Professional Community, Trust, Efficacy, and Shared Responsibility

Purpose: The leadership of the principal is known to be a key factor in supporting student achievement, but how that leadership is experienced and instructionally enacted by teachers is much less clear. The purpose of this study was to examine various factors that are often present in principal—teacher interactions and teacher—teacher relationships to see how those may have an impact on teachers' classroom instructional practices. Data Collection and Analysis: Data for this quantitative study are from a teacher survey developed for the national research project, Learning from Leadership, funded by the Wallace Foundation. There are 4,165 completed surveys in the database, which reflects responses from teachers in grades K-12 in a sample of schools across the United States. Using a conceptual framework based on various known components of effective schools today, a stepwise linear regression examined the relationships among practices such as shared leadership and professional community with contextual variables such as trust and efficacy. Findings: Three types of instructional behaviors—Standard Contemporary Practice, Focused Instruction, and Flexible Grouping Practices—emerged as strong factors which operationally described effective teacher practice. The presence of shared leadership and professional community explain much of the strength among the three instructional variables. Furthermore, the effect of teachers' trust in the principal becomes less important when shared leadership and professional community are present. Self-efficacy strongly predicts Focused Instruction, but it has less predictive value for the other measures of instructional behavior. Individual teacher characteristics of gender and years of experience have clear impact on instructional practice, but there are no discernible patterns that suggest that the level of the principal (elementary vs. secondary) have more or less influence on teacher instructional behaviors. Conclusions: Increasing our knowledge about what leaders do and how they have an impact on the instructional behaviors of teachers will lead us to a better understanding of how leadership has a direct relationship to improved student achievement. These findings create a clearer picture of teacher—principal and teacher—teacher interactions that support learning and bring us closer to the elusive goal of clarifying the link between leadership and learning.

Early Adolescents' Perspectives on Motivation and Achievement in Academics

This study, conducted in four urban schools, utilized student voice to address the relationship between early adolescent developmental needs, classroom instructional practices, and academic motivation and achievement. Results indicated effective instructional design and delivery alone may not optimize junior high students' engagement and achievement in academics. Motivational instruction constructs that emerged included effective use of classroom time, challenge, group work, and use of student resources. Motivational support constructs included teacher empathy, respectful control, and parental push. The study supported several current theoretical frameworks and findings from similar studies of sixth and eighth graders.

Chinese Language Instruction in Singapore Primary School Classrooms: A Comparative Study

In this article, we describe Chinese language instruction in Singapore primary school classrooms and discuss its relationship with the official discourse in Chinese education. We use a classroom coding approach to examine whether there are similarities and differences between the classroom instructional practices in 2 streams and to explore whether the goals and principles of the official discourse are achieved at the level of implementation. Specifically, we examine how Chinese classrooms of the 2 different streams are organised socially, what pedagogical activities are carried out, what knowledge or capabilities are emphasised and how they are classified. Based on the findings, we discuss the major features of Chinese language instructional practices in the 2 streams in relation to the goals and principles of the official discourse and highlight some implications for curricular and pedagogic reform in Singapore and internationally.

Relationships between student and instructional factors and algebra achievement of students in the United States and Japan: an analysis of TIMSS 2003 data

Algebra knowledge is a critical part of middle-school mathematics achievement, and success in algebra is necessary for taking higher level mathematics courses and leads to higher scores on standardized tests. The purpose of this study was to simultaneously examine relationships between mathematics beliefs, classroom instructional strategies, and algebra achievement of adolescent students in the United States and Japan using data from the TIMSS 2003 assessment. Students from both countries who earned higher test scores were more likely to indicate positive beliefs in their mathematical ability, whereas students who earned lower test scores expressed negative comparisons of themselves to other students. Considering instructional practices, students who frequently worked problems on their own tended to earn higher test scores. These results indicate that students' mathematics beliefs and classroom instructional practices were significantly related to algebra achievement for students in the United States and Japan.

Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey.

A random sample of primary grade teachers (N = 178; 97% female) from across the United States was surveyed about their classroom instructional practices in writing. Most of the participating teachers (72%) took an eclectic approach to writing instruction, combining elements from the 2 most common methods for teaching writing: process writing and skills instruction. Although 90% of the teachers reported using most of the writing instructional practices that were included in the survey, there was considerable variability between teachers in how often they used specific practices. The study provides support for the following 7 recommendations for reforming primary grade writing instruction: (a) increase amount of time students spend writing; (b) increase time spent writing expository text; (c) provide better balance between time spent writing, learning writing strategies, and teaching writing skills; (d) place more emphasis on fostering students' motivation for writing; (e) develop stronger connections for writing between home and school; (f) make computers a more integral part of the writing program; and (g) improve professional development for writing instruction in teacher education programs.

High School Chemistry Instructional Practices and Their Association with College Chemistry Grades

This large-scale survey study looks for connections between high school chemistry classroom instructional practices and the performance of these students in introductory college chemistry. Based on survey data collected from over 3000 students in 31 different colleges and universities, the results indicate that students who reported higher frequencies of high school chemistry experiences such as peer teaching and “everyday” (i.e., common) examples, on the average, earned higher college grades. However, students who reported higher frequencies of demonstrations and individual work among other indicators, on the average, earned lower grades. Overall, the results suggest that peer engagement in high school chemistry may be associated with success in college chemistry.