Browsing by Author "Cook, Loraine D."

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    Attributes of internality: An alternative path to teacher effectiveness
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Cook, Loraine D.; Bastick, Tony
    The literature reports that individuals with an internal locus of control (LOC) are more effective in the workplace than externals, and that it is possible to increase individuals' LOC internality through training. Hence, the researchers have proposed "Teachers' Internality Training," a new alternative type of training, to increase the effectiveness of teachers. This paper describes qualitative and quantitative research with 220 Jamaican teachers that expanded the traditional LOC construct to expose the attributes of LOC that can be targeted by teachers' internality training. The paper also shows how this new expanded LOC construct suggests possible mechanisms for accomplishing this training. The significance of this paper is that it opens the possibility of a new type of alternative training for teaching effectiveness
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    Causes of absenteeism at the secondary level in Jamaica: Parents' perspective [PowerPoint presentation]
    (2013-07-08) Jennings, Zellynne; Cook, Loraine D.; Anderson, Susan
    Inclusion has been broadly defined to include the elimination of social exclusion due to differences in social class and ability, inter alia. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student is absent from school without reason 20 percent or more of school time. Students who are habitually absent from school will generally fall behind their classmates in their academic success. Research has underscored that low attendance and dropout rates are problematic in the Jamaican school system. This study sought to investigate parents' perspectives on the causes of student absenteeism at the secondary level. How their levels of education, their relationship with the school, and family background influenced their views on the causes of students' absenteeism were also examined. Using a convenience sample, a survey was carried out involving 227 parents in 10 secondary schools located in various parishes of Jamaica. The findings so far suggest that the factors influencing students' absenteeism are the home and family, and school factors
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    Factors Influencing Students' Absenteeism in Primary Schools in Jamaica: Perspectives of Community Members
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2010) Cook, Loraine D.
    This study sought to determine the root causes of absenteeism in selected primary schools in Jamaica by investigating the influence of personal, educational, and community factors on student absenteeism from school. Data collection techniques involved the use of focus group interviews with parents, teachers, and community members from 71 schools, and with students (aged 7-12 years) from 10 of these schools, who were identified as having very low attendance rates. The findings suggest that the causal factors for absenteeism do not find their genesis in the family only, but also in the schools, the communities, and the students themselves. These factors combine to accentuate absenteeism in primary school in the rural areas of Jamaica
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    The influence of a music intervention programme on self-esteem and enhancing students' experiences in an urban school within an under-resourced community (a pilot study)
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augutsine, 2014) Cook, Loraine D.; Mundle, O'Neal
    This study sought to investigate the impact of engagement in music activities on students' self-esteem. The 42 students who participated attended a remedial school for adolescents, located in an inner-city community. They were exposed to a music intervention programme for one semester. The study utilized a multi-method approach, in that students were observed and interviewed during the intervention programme; and, in addition, pre- and post-tests were carried out using Rosenberg's self-esteem instruments. The findings so far suggest that students and teachers felt that the music experience enhanced their academic experience.
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    Teachers' professional growth: Examining the effect of teacher maturity on LOC orientation
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Cook, Loraine D.; Bastick, Tony
    This research compared the professional growth of Jamaican teachers with those in the United States and Israel. The high correlation (r = 0.845) between age and length of service allowed for two studies to be replicated; one from the US showing increasing internality with increased length of service and the other from Israel showing increasing internality with age. In this research, a modified version of Rose and Medway's Teachers' Locus of Control (TLOC) instrument was used to compare the increases in maturity of self-direction and self-confidence of Jamaican teachers with that of teachers in the United States and Israel. A sample of 205 teachers in the Corporate Area, Kingston, Jamaica completed this study to replicate the findings relating years of service and age to teachers' locus of control orientation as measured using the TLOC scale. T-test and analysis of variance showed no significant difference between Jamaican teachers' length of service, age, and their locus of control orientation. These results imply that Jamaican teachers are not developing the same levels of self-direction and self-confidence as Israeli and US teachers who have similar years of teaching experience. It is suggested that in-service development programmes should address these particular shortfalls in professional growth of Jamaican teachers
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    Teachers' professional growth: Examining the effect of teacher maturity on LOC orientation
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2009) Cook, Loraine D.; Bastick, Tony
    In this research, a modified version of Rose and Medway's Teachers' Locus of Control (TLOC) instrument was used to investigate the relationship between a selected group of high school teachers' age, length of service, and their teachers' locus of control orientation. Several studies have suggested a high correlation (r = 0.845) between age and length of service; one from the US showing increasing internality with length of service and the other from Israel showing increasing internality with age. In this study, a sample of 205 secondary school teachers in Kingston, Jamaica participated in the research. T-test and analysis of variance showed no significant difference between Jamaican high school teachers' length of service, age, and their teachers' locus of control orientation. These results imply that Jamaican teachers are not developing in their perception of personal control and responsibility for students' outcomes in the classroom. It is suggested that in-service development programmes should address these particular shortfalls in professional growth of Jamaican teachers
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    Understanding teachers' efficacy within a Caribbean context
    (2016-05-10) Cook, Loraine D.
    This study examined the validity and reliability of a modified version of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale developed by Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy in 2001. A principal component analysis using oblimin rotation was performed on data collected from 905 classroom teachers drawn mainly from primary and secondary schools in Jamaica. Results of the analysis identified two dimensions: personal teaching efficacy and classroom management. Cronbach's alphas of the dimensions ranged from 0.646 to 0.854. The results also showed that school type, gender, and teacher status in the school organization had small but significant influence on the levels of participants' teacher efficacy