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Entry age to primary school and written speech development in grades 1–3: a comparative study

Wiek rozpoczęcia nauki w szkole podstawowej a poziom rozwoju mowy pisanej u uczniów klas 1–3: analiza porównawcza

Author(s): Sławomir Jabłoński,Paweł Kleka / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: school readiness; written speech; reading and writing development

The paper describes school readiness in grades 1–3, according to initial entry age to school. Authors approach contemporary understanding of literacy development from the angle of Vygotsky’s view on cultural-historical psychology. From this perspective reading and writing are seen as two manifestations of a single higher mental function – written speech. During the initial stages of school these skills can be regarded as main indicators for the interactional aspect of school readiness. 314 pupils from grades 1–3 were tested to identify differences between those starting school aged 6- and as 7-year-olds. The Literacy Assessment Battery and Coloured Raven’s Progressive Matrices were the instruments chosen. Results showed no differences in level of written speech between any of these groups. A plausible explanation for this similarity may be found in higher levels of fluid intelligence and from parents’ education. This suggests that Polish children starting school at 6 years of age before 2015 were recruited from an elite group.

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Primary education in the context of transition to secondary school

Doświadczenia edukacyjne uczniów u progu II etapu edukacji

Author(s): Renata Michalak / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: adaptation; educational experience; school-threshold; transition; cognitive assessment

The article highlights the importance of children’s primary school experience in their transition to secondary school. Research regarding aspects of their experience is presented, mainly relevant to organization of the teaching process. Secondary education poses new challenges for children. These are described using empirical data collected in a survey of the opinions of teachers and children. An image emerges of school as an environment not conducive to adaptation to the demands of individual subject learning from the perspective of personal development.

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Learning ability of children completing the first and second stages of education

Zdolność uczenia się uczniów kończących I i II etap edukacji

Author(s): Ewa Maria Filipiak / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: convergent production; divergent production; learning ability; Guilford’s operations categories

The aim of the study described was to diagnose learning abilities of children completing the first and second stages of education. The following research questions were refined: What are the characteristics of primary school pupil learning ability: (a) in the field of operations specified by J. P. Guilford: cognition, memory, evaluation, convergent and divergent production?; (b) in terms of special abilities determining effective learning: reading ability, mathematics ability, writing abilities, creativity?; and: Are individual differences in learning ability of children significantly associated with gender and age? The SOI-Learning Abilities Test invented by Mary and Robert Meeker was applied to 195 children, who had completed the first and second stages of education. The results showed individual differences in learning ability, which were significantly associated with gender and age. In each age group girls achieved significantly better results. Children finishing the second stage of education scored markedly lower than those finishing the first stage. Results from the 6 grade revealed that resource potential and capabilities, identified as learning abilities in third grade pupils had been lost. Further studies are needed to determine whether school offers learning conditions incompatible with developmental specificity and mechanisms for learning ability, or whether other sources should be investigated to confirm these findings.

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Elementary school teachers and their readiness to change

Nauczyciele edukacji wczesnoszkolnej i ich gotowość do zmiany

Author(s): Małgorzata Żytko / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: early childhood education teacher; views on education; teaching; professional identity; change

The article describes the debate on the teacher’s role in the dynamic reality of the Polish education system and the impact of individual experience in the uptake of innovation to professional change. In the first part, teacher awareness concerning the necessary changes is considered, while in the second, the results from research using the innovative educational tool “Gramy w piktogramy” (“We play pictograms”) – supporting mathematical skills in primary education – are presented. Changes to teachers’ opinions in three dimensions (educational pessimism, educational formalism, promoting students own activities) are also included as support for the conclusions. Influencing significant change to teachers’ outlook is possible but a long-term process, both requiring sustained encouragement from education authorities and a bottom-up approach. Nevertheless, the crux of the problem is to instill the belief into teachers that profound change in primary education is vital.

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Screen reading practices – a study of readership among children and young people

Praktyki czytelnicze na ekranie – wyniki badania czytelnictwa dzieci i młodzieży

Author(s): Zofia Zasacka / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: readership; sociology of education; sociology of culture; primary school; the lower secondary school; media literacy; media education

The paper focused on how digital technologies were linked with teenager reading practice. The article draws from a study of young people’s reading attitudes. One goal was to observe pupils’ online reading habits. This article presents outcomes from the qualitative and quantitative stages of the study. The survey – the quantitative stage – was conducted in November 2013 on 1721 students completing primary school and 1816 from lower secondary school. The paper reviews its key findings – how students read books: offline or online, printed or on the screen, whether they looked for information about books on the Internet and whether they used it as a source for reading materials.

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Differentiation of initial skills in grade 1 and birthdate effect in grade 3

Zróżnicowanie umiejętności początkowych w klasie pierwszej a efekt względnego wieku w klasie trzeciej

Author(s): Krzysztof Konarzewski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: education; school readiness; birthdate effect; PIRLS; TIMSS; HLM

The paper aims at the verification of two hypotheses. The first states that differentiation of initial grade 1 pupil skills is negatively correlated with age at entry to school. This was tested according to findings from the IBE study Six and seven year olds at the start of school. The variation of reading and writing scores of 1164 pupils aged 5.9–7.9 who were beginning grade 1 decreased in subsequent age quartiles. The second hypothesis – that classroom differentiation of pupils’ initial skills in grade 1 is positively correlated with the birthdate effect in grade 3 – was carried on data of 4838 pupils from 254 classrooms drawn from the PIRLS and TIMSS 2011 study in Poland. Skills were evaluated on the basis of parental reports. Hierarchical linear analysis (gender, SES and school location controlled) showed that the greater the differentiation of language skills in grade 1, the greater the birthdate effect in mathematics in grade 3. This result suggests that school entry age is of lesser importance than the methods used to reduce differences in children’s school readiness at the onset of education.

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Out-of-school help in learning

Pozaszkolna pomoc w nauce

Author(s): Anna Hawrot / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: educational psychology; non-paid help in learning; intellectual helplessness; intelligence; private tutoring; parental expectations; school achievement; gender stereotypes

Private tutoring, a paid form of out-of-school learning assistance, is a topic of extended public discussion, in which it is considered rife and blamed for widening educational inequality. It is assumed in the debate that private tutoring fosters greater school achievement, which is reflected in better examination scores and increased chances for admission to top secondary schools and universities. However, the debate is based mainly on opinions and ignores similar but less controversial phenomena, e.g., family help. The present article, inspired by the discussion, gathers empirical data on paid and non-paid out-of-school help in learning school subjects. It presents information on prevalence, probable causes and effects of both forms of out-of-school help. It also provides information on the characteristics of help-users. A psychological interpretation of out-of-school learning assistance is proposed. Moreover, the article aims at finding answers to selected concerns expressed by the general public.

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Early childhood attachment style – pupil achievement and social functioning

Wczesnodziecięce style przywiązania do opiekuna a osiągnięcia szkolne i funkcjonowanie społeczne uczniów

Author(s): Anna Nowotnik / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: school psychology; attachment; child development; school achievement; cognitive processes

The paper presents attachment theory as applied to the psychology of education. It is aimed to show the potential of attachment theory to anticipate and explain phenomena associated with social functioning and achievement at school. The author puts forward a thesis for two paths by which attachment quality would impact on school achievement. The indirect path is in the relationship between quality of attachment and the development of cognitive processes, while the direct path follows the impact of attachment style on the quality of a child’s relationships with teachers and peers. This in turn influences level of educational attainment.

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Models for analysis of rater effect in educational measurement

Modele analizy efektu oceniającego w pomiarze edukacyjnym

Author(s): Filip Kulon / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 3/2014

Keywords: educational measurement; rater effect; scoring; item response theory; IRT

The article is the result of a search for an optimal model of data analysis in a study on scoring comparability and rater effect in upper secondary school leaving examination in Polish language and mathematics. The first part briefly outlines the theory on rater effect. Mainly the measurement aspect is presented, the psychological bases of the scoring process are not discussed. In the second part selected models of rater effect analysis are described. Amongst them, the hierarchical rater model with signal detection theory is considered as covering the broadest range of different types of rater effect. This model was used in simulations to check its usefulness for data analysis of upper secondary school leaving examination in Poland.

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Equipercentile equating compared with other methods for primary and lower secondary school exams data in Poland

Zrównanie ekwicentylowe na tle innych metod zrównywania na przykładzie sprawdzianu i egzaminu gimnazjalnego

Author(s): Tymoteusz Wołodźko,Bartosz Kondratek,Hanryk Szaleniec / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 3/2014

Keywords: psychometrics; observed-score equating; equipercentile equating

The results of equating three exams are presented: (a) primary school exam, (b) lower secondary school mathematics and science exam and (c) the lower secondary school humanities exam from 2002 to 2012 in a study conducted by the Educational Research Institute. During survey session conducted from 2011 to 2014 students from a representative sample of Polish schools took tests containing real items from primary and lower secondary school exams in conditions intended to mirror real exams. The data were used to estimate the equating functions used for real exam scores. Equipercentile equating, linear equating and item response theory based equating methods gave comparable results. The results were discussed in the context of planning for the equating of tests.

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School autonomy – a cross-national perspective. Can we compare the opinion of school principals?

School autonomy – a cross-national perspective. Can we compare the opinion of school principals?

Author(s): Dorota Węziak-Białowolska,Maria Isac / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2014

Keywords: school autonomy; measurement invariance; factor analysis; ICCS

Perception of school autonomy was measured by the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009, allowing potential cross-national comparison. The possibility of a common, general scale for all countries participating in the study was investigated. Using multi-group confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, measurement invariance was tested for countries, such that meaningful comparisons for the concept could be made. The results show that the concept is not necessarily comparable between all countries involved in the ICCS but that secondary data analysis is generally feasible depending on the research questions posed and the methodology applied. The scientific and practical implications of this reach are discussed.

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Is a large family detrimental to academic performance?

Czy wielodzietność obniża osiągnięcia szkolne?

Author(s): Krzysztof Konarzewski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 4/2014

Keywords: education; academic achievement; sibship size; birth order; PISA

Data gathered in the country companion to PISA 2006 was analyzed to determine the influence of family size on educational performance. The representative sample consisted of 4451 pupils aged 17–18 from all types of secondary school in Poland. Two variables described a pupil’s position in the family: birth order and number of younger siblings. Four hypotheses were tested: (1) academic performance is more strongly determined by birth order than number of younger siblings and with increasing birth order there is a decrease in (2) performance, (3) the likelihood of choice of school which prepares for further education, and (4) orientation towards adult values. Hierarchical linear models confirmed the hypotheses.

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Career self-efficacy

Poczucie własnej skuteczności zawodowej

Author(s): Waldemar Kozłowski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 4/2014

Keywords: occupational education; career orientation; self-efficacy

This article outlines the use of Bandura’s social learning theory in relation to the development of children and young people, describing the foundations for socio-cognitive career theory and the study of relationship of self-efficacy with interest and decisions about careers. Proposals for the application of theory and research results are discussed with concerning work orientation.

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Learning climate perception, satisfaction of basic psychological needs and students’ identity in adolescence

Percepcja klimatu uczenia się w szkole i poczucie zaspokojenia potrzeb a tożsamość uczniów w okresie dorastania

Author(s): Aleksandra Kram / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 4/2014

Keywords: commitment; educational psychology; exploration; identity development; self-determination theory; tutoring

The paper presents the results of a study into the role of learning climate perception, satisfaction of basic psychological needs (both embedded within self-determination theory) for the process of identity development. The study group consisted of 75 adolescent students (age 13–20), who came from schools implementing the tutoring method. Three questionnaires were used: Learning Climate Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Scale and Dimensions of Identity Development Scale. The results showed that perception of learning climate as autonomy supportive and satisfaction of need for autonomy results in higher level of commitment and identification with it and lower level of ruminative exploration. Satisfying the need for competence was important for identification with commitment. The sense of needs satisfaction plays a mediating role between learning climate perception and identity dimensions.

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Methodological aspects in the evaluation of natural environments as settings for education

Metodyczne aspekty oceny potencjału poznawczo-edukacyjnego krajobrazu

Author(s): Ewelina Mocior / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 4/2014

Keywords: geography; landscape ecology; environmental education; outdoor education; geotourism

Environmental education as broadly understood may be offered in both formal and informal educational settings. Such education may not only occur in classrooms, museums and education centers of national parks but also directly in the field. Field trips can be beneficial in many ways, stimulating improvement in learning and recall, helping to cultivate interest in natural history. Therefore, it seems relevant to assess the merits of the field setting for learning in the context of school activities and various other types informal education, whether organized or not. The article describes ways to derive educational value from the natural environment. Criteria, as applied to such assessment were reviewed with discussion of the methodological difficulties faced in the study of the intrinsic educational potential of the natural environment.

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The effect of school entrance age on academic performance

The effect of school entrance age on academic performance

Author(s): Krzysztof Konarzewski / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2014

Keywords: education' academic achievement; birth date effect; relative age effect; TIMSS

The study investigated the relationships between school achievement and pupil age at entry into first grade and age relative to the class. Data from 101 519 grade 4 pupils were selected from TIMSS 2011 achievement data in mathematics and science, collected from national samples of 25 European countries. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the effect of class relative age was greater than the effect of grade relative age and it was significantly higher in younger than older classes. Average achievement (especially in science) was better in older classes.

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Social trust in education in European countries, 2002–2010

Social trust in education in European countries, 2002–2010

Author(s): Zbigniew Sawiński / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2014

Keywords: education; social trust; legitimacy; European Social Survey

Social trust in education is at least partly rooted in the legitimacy of the principal institutions which organise the social order, such as the political system, democracy and economy. Easton formulated the theoretical justification for this hypothesis in the 1960s, while empirical confirmation was delayed until the first decade of this century, when the data was collected in the European Social Survey. The results of ESS confirmed the hypothesis that trust in education is influenced by the legitimacy of the more fundamental state institutions but the mechanisms of this effect vary across Europe. In countries where schools are autonomous and control over them is located at community level, trust in education becomes independent from social support for the state. However, in countries where education is considered to be a government agency, strongly shaped by political goals, people tend to evaluate education together with other state institutions. The ESS data also provide insight into factors determining trust in education at the level of the individual. Surprisingly, the lowest degree of trust was shown by the upper classes, including the educated, whom the education system had benefited most. This is not conducive to the involvement of such people in countries that are building their educational resources.

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Family socio-economic profile and private spending on educational goods and services in Poland

Family socio-economic profile and private spending on educational goods and services in Poland

Author(s): Magdalena Rokicka,Urszula Sztanderska / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2014

Keywords: education economics; private educational expenditure; educational goods and services; financing of education; statistical analysis

According to theory, educational goods and services have an important impact on a child’s human capital. Although the majority of educational services in Poland are delivered within a public education system, various educational costs are borne by parents. This paper looks at the socio-economic determinants of private spending on education, including fees, private tutoring and courses, educational goods and materials, and the internet. The analysis was performed using the Polish Household Budget Survey for 2009 and 2010. Results from a logit regression suggest that disposable household income per capita and parental level of education, especially mother’s level of education have the greatest impact on spending on educational goods and services. This was true for all analysed categories of expenditure. Regional disparities and community size were an important factor especially with regards to spending on private tutoring and additional courses.

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Comparison of Mantel–Haenszel test with IRT procedures for DIF detection and effect size estimation for dichotomous items

Comparison of Mantel–Haenszel test with IRT procedures for DIF detection and effect size estimation for dichotomous items

Author(s): Bartosz Kondratek,Magdalena Grudniewska / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2014

Keywords: differential item functioning; Mantel–Haenszel test; item response theory

The article compares two methods used to detect differential item functioning (DIF) of dichotomously scored items: a nonparametric solution based on the Mantel–Haenszel procedure (MH) and a parametric IRT approach with a likelihood ratio test. A Monte Carlo experiment was performed in order to evaluate performance of both statistics in various conditions of DIF uniformity. Results confirmed the theoretical prediction that the MH test has greater statistical power in detecting uniform DIF than the likelihood ratio test and less power than the LR test in cases of non-uniform DIF. Apart of examining statistical power of the test, specific measures of DIF effect size were compared: MH D–DIF and three measures of P–DIF expressed on the item easiness scale.

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Invented spelling – a window on early literacy

Invented spelling – a window on early literacy

Author(s): Elżbieta Awramiuk / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2014

Keywords: applied linguistics; early spelling development; error analysis; invented spelling; kindergarten; linguistic factors

A wide spectrum of research on preschool spelling development in different languages is presented. In Poland, children at kindergarten are usually at a stage of pre-literacy. Invented spelling means the writing produced by young children (aged 3–7) before they are formally taught reading and writing or are at the beginning of the learning process. Their writing is more spontaneous than learnt. The paper describes an investigation of the development of early literacy and factors influencing it, such as knowledge about orthography (spelling), early morphological awareness or teaching methods. Children’s early writing provides a window on their conceptualisation of the written language, illustrating the process of developing language awareness and spelling skills. Invented spelling, together with phonological abilities and letter knowledge is considered to be a strong predictor for later literacy skills.

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