Academic Research

Permanent URI for this community

https://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/handle/2139/11993

Browse

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14

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
Choice and performance in CSEC and CAPE TVET subjects: A comparison with more conventional subjects
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2013) Griffith, Stafford A.
The study was undertaken to ascertain the extent to which students in their last years of schooling in the Caribbean were opting to pursue technical vocational education and training (TVET) courses of study and examinations, compared with more traditional academic offerings, and whether it was the poor-performing students who were taking TVET courses of study and examinations. The research utilized examinations data from the total population of students in the 16 member countries of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) over a five-year period. The study found that a rather small number of students were opting to pursue TVET courses of study, compared with the number opting to pursue more traditional subjects, such as the natural sciences. The study posited that the small number entering for TVET subjects might well be a consequence of the lack of a large enough range of TVET offerings in schools, the continuing low status accorded to TVET subjects in the employment sector, and the perception that much of the emphasis of the CXC programmes is on providing the theoretical foundations for further education and training rather than on providing employable skills. The findings of the study did not support the view that it is the poor-performing students who are pursuing TVET courses of study and examinations
Deagriculturalization, industrialization, deindustrialization, postindustrialization, and Black academic underachievement in the United States and United Kingdom
(2013-06-24) Mocombe, Paul C.; Tomlin, Carol; Wright, Cecile
This article focuses on how the capitalist processes of deindustrialization and postindustrialization in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) contributed to and perpetuates the academic underachievement of black American and black British Caribbean youths in the US and UK, respectively. It is concluded that, contemporarily, the academic achievement gap between black Americans and whites in the US, and black British Caribbean youths and whites in the UK, is a result of what Paul C. Mocombe (2010) refers to as "a mismatch of linguistic structure and social class function," grounded in the relational processes of the capitalist social structure of class inequality of the two societies. In other words, the reason that 1) blacks have more limited skills in processing information from articles, books, tables, charts, and graphs compared with their white counterparts; and 2) the students who lose the most ground are the higher-achieving black children is due to the linguistic structure and social class functions of the black underclasses in the US and UK , which, with the help of corporate finance capital, have become the bearers of ideological and linguistic domination for young black folks around the world. The article offers Mocombe's "mismatch of linguistic structure and social class function" as an heuristic tool for guiding future research on the black/white achievement gap in the US, UK, and globally
Differential item functioning and male-female differences in a large-scale mathematics assessment in Trinidad and Tobago: An examination of Standard 1 mathematics assessment
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2007) Brown, Launcelot I.; Kanyongo, Gibbs Y.
This study investigates gender differences and the existence of gender-related differential item functioning (DIF) in a large-scale Standard 1 mathematics assessment in Trinidad and Tobago. Although research consistently shows that mathematics scores for male students are usually higher than for female students at the secondary and tertiary levels, the differences are not very clear at the primary level. Actually, results from this study show that female students performed slightly better than male students on this examination. Logistic regression procedure was used to detect DIF items, and the results show that about 17 percent of the items in the examination displayed gender-related DIF; however, for all DIF items the effect sizes were negligible
Dragging eleven-plus measurement practice into the fourth quadrant: The Trinidad and Tobago SEA as a gendered sieve
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2006) De Lisle, Jerome
This paper expands upon concerns expressed about the relationship between Eleven-Plus test design and patterns of gendered achievement in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes: 1) a critical analysis of gender fairness issues, 2) an empirical evaluation of gendered impact, and 3) a consideration of proposals for resolving gender fairness issues. Datasets used in the analysis were from the 2001-2003 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and the 1998-2000 Common Entrance Examination (CEE). The results confirmed that the gender gap was significantly greater for the SEA compared with the CEE, and that both males and females were disadvantaged in different ways by the placement system. The results also confirmed the existence of medium-sized gender differentials across urban-rural educational districts, literacy constructs, and high-low ability groups. A proposal to change the way the composite score is calculated did little to reduce the overall female advantage. Moreover, misclassification rates for the current remediation cutscore set at 30 percent were relatively high. These fairness issues are not easily resolved, but suggest the need for evidence-based test designs, test validation studies, and a re-examination of the need for selection
The effect of POGIL on academic performance and academic confidence
(International Council of Associations for Science Education, 2015) De Gale, Stefan; Boisselle, Laila N.
POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) is a collaborative learning technique that employs guided inquiry within a cyclic system of exploration, concept invention, and application. This action research explores students’ academic performance on a unit of organic chemistry work taught using POGIL, in addition to the effect of POGIL on their academic confidence. The academic performance was measured using a summative assessment at the end of the study, while academic confidence was measured using a pre- and post-test questionnaire. A qualitative comparison to the previous term’s academic scores suggested a varied academic performance, while tests of significance indicated an improved level of academic confidence among the students involved.
Ethnic and gender differences in self-reported achievement and achievement-related attitudes in secondary school students in Trinidad
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2006) Worrell, Frank C.
This study examined self-reported achievement, achievement-related behaviours, and achievement-related attitudes of 1,434 students attending secondary schools in Trinidad. Females reported higher achievement than males, and males reported cutting class more than females, and both of these differences yielded medium effect sizes. Females also reported completing homework more frequently and higher academic perceived life chances than males. East Indian students reported higher achievement, homework completion, time on schoolwork, and academic perceived life chances than their Black and Mixed counterparts, as well as spending less time with friends during the week and lower rates of cutting class. However, all of the ethnic comparisons yielded low effect sizes. Given the differences found and the potential for achievement differences to increase over time, more research on gender and ethnic group differences is recommended
Gender and academic achievement in math: An examination of the math performance data on seven to nine year olds in Trinidad and Tobago
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2005) Brown, Launcelot I.
There is general concern in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider English-speaking Caribbean about the gender differential in performance on regional and national examinations. Previous studies had shown boys not performing as well as girls. Utilizing scores from the math component of the Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP), this study investigated whether the trend was evident among the younger primary school students. The final sample comprised 1,682 students in Standard 1, Standard 2, and Standard 3 (age group 7-9 years). Total scores, Z scores, scores for students attempting all items, and composite scores for the low-level and high-level items were computed. The proportion of boys and girls in the upper (z = 1.00) and lower (z = -1.00) tails of the distribution were examined, as was the gender differential in the number of students omitting test items. Overall, girls scored higher than boys, more boys than girls omitted items, and a significantly greater proportion of boys were in the lower tail of the distribution. The Hindu schools were the exception to this general finding. The non-response to items could be addressed by schools teaching test-taking skills. However, more important may be the underlying reasons for the phenomenon, and the implications for boys' future academic achievement and employment opportunities
Investigating school performance in the primary sector of Trinidad and Tobago: An embedded case study [PowerPoint presentation]
(2013-07-01) Rigaud, Phyllis
The academic performance of schools has been and continues to be a topical issue in the academic literature. Concerns about poor academic performance of schools and inefficient education systems have been voiced by governments, educators, and researchers worldwide. In Trinidad and Tobago, quality education continues to be an elusive goal as particular education districts display poor academic performance consistently. As the first step to educational change in the North Eastern Education District, this three-strand embedded mixed methods case study initially surveyed 42 principals and 246 teachers to attain a general understanding of the organizational and instructional practices that pervade the schools of the district. The purpose of the study was to explore the educational practices in the primary schools to understand what ensuing roles those practices play towards the persistent poor academic performance of the schools in the district. The study therefore sought to answer: How do the educational practices in the primary schools influence the academic performance of schools in the North Eastern Education District? To support this question, the following main questions were posed: 1) What are the educational practices at the primary schools in the North Eastern Education District? and 2) What relations can be established between the educational practices and the academic performance of the schools, as exhibited in the schools' assessment data?
More than a new country: Effects of immigration, home language, and school mobility on elementary students' academic achievement over time
(Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University, 2013-05-20) Broomes, Orlena
This study investigated the effects of immigration and home language on academic achievement over time. Using data from Ontario’s Assessments of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics administered to the same students in Grades 3 and 6, logistic regression was used to predict whether students achieved proficiency in Grade 6 if they were not proficient in Grade 3. The results indicate that home language or interactions with home language are significant in most cases. In addition, students who speak a language other than or in addition to English at home are, in general, a little more likely to be proficient at Grade 6. Most students who were born outside of Canada were significantly more likely than students born in Canada to stay or become proficient in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics by Grade 6. These results highlight the importance of considering the enormous heterogeneity of immigrants’ experiences when studying the effects of immigration on academic performance and the dire limitations of datasets that do not collect such data
'Racialised facilitative capital' and the paving of differential paths to achievement of Afro-Trinidadian boys [PowerPoint presentation]
(2013-07-02) Rampersad, Ravi
Interrogating the achievement of Afro-Trinidadian boys requires a theoretical approach that appreciates both structures of race and their embodiment in daily discourse, and the postcolonial non-white majority context of Trinidad. As such, this paper employs a symbiotic theoretical platform which combines and augments Bourdieu's Sociology and Critical Race Theory (CRT). Adjusting for the context of Trinidad, a concept of 'racialised facilitative capital' is fashioned. While Bourdieu describes capital as the political building blocks of social order that give meaning to social accumulation and consumption, it is argued that in relation to Trinidad, it is also inherently raced. This is premised on an understanding of Trinidadian society as pigmentocratically structured, where lighter skin is rewarded with a myriad of social advantages, and darkness denigrated as illegitimate and 'other.' Arguably, the premium placed on lighter skin is manifested interdependently in the forms of social, economic, and cultural capital. The operation of capital as politic, not only reflects societal structures of power and domination, but importantly also contributes in the maintenance of said structures. The concept of 'Racialised facilitative capital' follows as inseparably both facilitator of social status and as racialised process
Reconsidering the consequences: Gender differentials in performance and placement in the 2001 SEA
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2004) De Lisle, Jerome; Smith, Peter
This paper provides an analysis of the gender fairness and consequences associated with the test design used for the 2001 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) in Trinidad and Tobago. It is argued that the rationale for choosing the SEA test design emphasized the usefulness and purpose of the selection instrument, but failed to consider one significant consequence: the likelihood of adverse impact resulting from large performance differentials in favour of females. The study also tests the hypotheses that gender differences are (1) institution-specific and (2) vary across ability groups. The major findings were that patterns of gender inequity were complex and sometimes even contradictory, with females favoured on SEA composite total score, language arts, and creative writing and males favoured on the placement process. However, males and females performed similarly in mathematics. An analysis across different ability groups indicated that large differentials favouring females were more likely among students below the 50th percentile. On the other hand, among higher achievers, males performed just as well as females. The gender fairness of five alternative SEA test designs was evaluated using Willingham's (1999) social matrix
Relating professional in-school networks, school leadership, and assessment data to academic performance in Trinidad and Tobago: An exploration
(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2014) Brown, Launcelot I.; Esnard, Talia; Bristol, Laurette
In recent years, researchers have turned their attention to the relationship between teacher social interactions and the successful implementation of reforms. The limited research to date has tended to support this relationship, with some research finding significant correlations between teacher collaboration and student achievement. In this study, we use quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the relationship between within-school networks formed around the interpretation and use of the data on the National Tests Report and student achievement, as measured by the proportion of students meeting or exceeding the proficiency standard on the National Tests. The sample comprised 56 teachers from seven schools within an urban school district. Teachers responded to a social network survey and two dimensions on the OCI. Interviews of 15 principals and five focus groups of 31 teachers provided the qualitative data. Findings suggested that a relationship between schools with high collegial trust exhibited deeper collaborative structures and a higher proportion of students performing at standard on the National Tests. These findings have implications for principals and teachers who will need to find ways to maximize the use of within-school skill sets and expertise, especially in a resource-strapped system.
Student Achievement
(Daily Express, 2007-11) Hackett, Raymond S.
This article discusses the findings of a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in the UK on academic achievement of students from low-income backgrounds

Browse

Browsing Academic Research by Subject "Academic achievement"

Results Per Page

Sort Options