Browsing by Author "Kutnick, Peter"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    A survey of primary school teachers' understanding and implementation of moral education in Trinidad and Tobago
    (Jan. 1990) Kutnick, Peter;
    Primary school teachers (n=319) from 35 public, private, parochial, co-educational, and single-sex schools in Trinidad and Tobago were questioned about how they teach moral education and their moral educational objectives. Results show that teachers 1) seldom use specific curricula, 2) feel responsible for students' moral education, and 3) choose a "virtues" approach
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    Academic achievement, pupil participation, and integration of group work skills in secondary school classrooms in the Caribbean
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2006) Kutnick, Peter; Layne, Anthony; Jules, Vena; Layne, Bereneice Clarissa
    This study sought to implement and evaluate a group work pedagogic method intended to encourage classroom participation and learning. It was especially concerned with teachers initiating and implementing within-class activities to enhance the performance of the lowest attaining students among both sexes. The 12 teachers identified to participate in the study were selected from those undertaking the inservice training in the postgraduate Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme at the Cave Hill, Barbados and St. Augustine, Trinidad campuses of The University of the West Indies (UWI). Data were collected from nearly 300 students in January and July of the 2003-2004 academic year. It was found that: 1) virtually all students improved their academic performance through the two terms of group work in their classrooms. This was especially evident among the lowest achieving students (particularly boys); 2) students showed generally improving attitudes towards working in groups and achievement in school over the two terms (especially among low achievers); and 3) teachers' attitudes and understanding of a "good pupil" changed over the course of study--moving away from simple individual skills (good knowledge, good concentration, etc.) to the recognition of the importance of social inclusion and relational skills
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    Does preschool curriculum make a difference in primary school performance: Insights into the variety of preschool activities and their effects on school achievement and behaviour in the Caribbean island of Trinidad: Cross sectional and longitudinal evidence
    (Oct. 1994) Kutnick, Peter;
    This article describes a study that employed a focus sample, cross-sectional design to explore the types of preschool experience available (preschool activities equating broadly to curriculum approaches) and whether variation in preschool experience affects core curriculum (English, science, mathematics) performance and classroom behaviours throughout primary schooling in Trinidad
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    Gender and School Achievement in the Caribbean
    (Department for International Development, 1997-11) Kutnick, Peter; Jules, Vena; Layne, Anthony
    This project explored the reasons why females stay-on in schools and gained comparatively better achievement scores in Trinidad, Barbados, and St. Vincent. The four research questions which underlay the studies related to: 1) the variance of within-class achievement scores by sex, especially between students of equal ability (as noted by results of the primary School Leaving examination and the Common Entrance Examination (CEE); 2) whether differential levels of achievement remained over time, especially over the years of secondary schooling; 3) whether there were differential learning strategies that characterised girls and boys in school, and whether these strategies were related to the status of their secondary school; and 4) whether the quantitative results obtained from an earlier Trinidad study could be substantiated elsewhere, especially in Barbados and St. Vincent. Data were collected through quantitative surveys to assess success and generalizability of results from one island to another, and qualitative case studies to provide insights into classroom process, interaction, and structure in the promotion of success at the level where it affected children. The quantitative surveys showed that the average within-class attainment and CEE scores attained by girls was consistently higher that those attained by boys across the three countries. The drop-off in male participation in schooling, especially during the transition to and during secondary schooling, was confirmed in Barbados and St. Vincent. Sex of the children was only one significant factor in the explanation of attainment in school. Factors such as occupation of parents, whether the child lived with both parents, attendance at preschool, and the type of school attended, each contributed more of the variance in attainment than the sex of the child. Within schools, the case studies showed practices that allowed for the inclusion or exclusion of certain children (especially low attainers, a number of whom were male). The culture found in prestige schools overcame sex.
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    Insights into the structure and personnel of primary schools: A demographic and biographic study of a representative sample of primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago
    (Faculty of Education, University of the West Indies, 1989) Kutnick, Peter
    This report attempts to produce a picture of who are teachers and how schools and classes are structured in Trinidad and Tobago. It furnishes information about location, size, and type of primary school in relation to those who teach in it. The report is divided into sections describing the sample of schools and teachers, the representatives of the sample, the survey items, results reported by specific survey items and interactions between actions, and conclusions to be drawn from the report.
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    Preschool attendance and primary school performance in Trinidad: A focused, cross-sectional study
    (Faculty of Education, University of the West Indies, 1992) Kutnick, Peter
    The study sought to identify the amount and type of preschool experience available in Trinidad, and the effects of preschool experience on the performance of 500 children in three primary schools. The study found that 88 percent of the children in the primary schools had attended a preschool at least once a year. At a gross level, there was no significant difference between attenders and non-attenders in both achievement and behavioural scores at primary school. Preschools were generally found to maintain a traditional teacher-centred approach, with few examples of child-centred activities. Children who attended preschools that exhibited the extremes of child-centred or teacher-centred activities did equally well on tests of achievement. Behavioural differences identified between these school practices showed child-centred curricula related to peer popularity, and extreme teacher-centred curricula related to poor student relations and poor concentration.
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    Pupils' perceptions of a good teacher: A developmental perspective from Trinidad and Tobago
    (Nov. 1993) Kutnick, Peter;
    This study reports on a large-scale survey of students' perceptions of a good teacher in Trinidad and Tobago. An essay-based, interpretive mode of research was used to elicit and identify constructs used by students between ages 7 and 17. The sample was a proportional, stratified, clustered, yet randomly selected representation of primary schools throughout the country. A total of 1,633 essays were content analysed and coded for age developmental comparison. Factor analysis showed no consistent underlying groupings of the 166 conceptual items by age, thus analysis was undertaken within logically constructed sets of items that are described: physical and personal characteristics of the teacher, quality of the relationship between teacher and student, control of behaviour by teacher, descriptions of the teaching process, and expected educational and other outcomes obtained by students due to teacher efforts. Results showed a general increase in number of conceptual items by age. All ages perceived good teachers by physical presentation (clothing and appearance), teachers' care for students, descriptive teaching actions, and trustworthiness. Younger students focused on appearance, subjects taught, and assertion of physical punishment. Mid-aged students focused on the range of classroom control used by teachers, actions involved in the teaching process, and a growing awareness of the individual needs of students. Oldest students understood that good teachers must be well trained and highly motivated, should be sensitive and responsive to the needs of students, draw the students into the learning process, and have a major responsibility in preparing the student for the world of work and further education. Important aspects of the study show the link between students' conceptual reality and classroom environment, that students are very concerned about the relationship between themselves and teachers, and that the curriculum dominated approach to teaching does not meet student expectations