A convenient cluster sample of 105 undergraduate students at a regional university in the midsouth completed a survey regarding their use of college textbooks, what strategies might increase the likelihood of their reading textbook assignments, and their preference for how class time was used. Descriptive analysis wa sconducted on the results and chi-square was run on 25 selected comparisons,with a Bonferroni correction of the resulting alphas. About half the students reported that they do read the assigned textbook readings. Freshmen were significantly more likely to report that outside reading should not be required of students prior to comingto class, and less likely to report having used or known about e-textbooks. Strategies reported to most likely prompt reading the textbook included in-class quizzes over text material, assigning graded study-guides to complete while reading; testing over material found in the textbook but not covered in class; and assigning shorter reading assignments. Preferences for use of class time varied by experience in college, but the majority of students preferred group discussion and application of material to real life rather than just lecture over the textbook content.
This study explored the factor structure of Darkenwald and Valentine's Adult Classroom Environment Scale (ACES). The Student Ideal form of the ACES was administered to 449 adult students from a variety of educational settings and a factor analysis was performed. All but 15 of the original 49 items loaded clearly with a five-factor orthogonal solution, which only partially supported the seven dimensions proposed by Darkenwald and Valentine. A revised version of the scale was then administered to an additional 287 adult students. A second factor analysis largely confirmed the stability of the five factor solution, although a tentative sixth factor was identified.
We examine the development of the Kentucky nongraded primary program at the state level, and in six rural elementary schools from 1991 through 1998 (case studies of four of these schools are included in Appendix A). Data collected from our longitudinal qualitative study reveal that teachers changed their classrooms in response to the primary program mandate, and some positive outcomes occurred for students. Implementation was hampered, however, by rapid implementation timelines, failure to clearly articulate the purpose of the program and how it linked with a larger reform effort, and a firmly entrenched "graded" mindset. Currently, progress toward full implementation of a continuous progress model for primary students has stagnated. To revive the program, policymakers need to make program goals clear, demonstrate how its implementation will facilitate attainment of reform goals, and assist teachers in implementing the program as intended. (Note 1)
In June 1989, responding to a school finance lawsuit, the Kentucky Supreme Court declared the state's entire system of public schooling unconstitutional. The state legislature subsequently enacted the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA), which mandated massive reforms of school curriculum, governance, and finance. The curriculum reforms of KERA reflect the national movement toward standards-based reform tied to an accountability program. This chapter addresses the effects of KERA on teaching and learning.KERA sets forth goals that all students must meet, allows schools to determine how to reach those standards, and holds them accountable through a performance based testing instrument. The reform legislation requires schools to expect high levels of achievement for all students and identifies six student learning goals:
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.