Can research be of any use for schools?

Christiane Spiel

Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna

Yes, of course!

Christiane Spiel

Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna

Overview

(1)

Strategies for successful programs

(2)

Standards for evidence

(3)

Evidence based policy and practice

(4)

Bildung-Psychology as a framework

(5)

Example: TALK training program

The scientific perspective

How do successful prevention and youth developmental programs look like? What are the key strategies for success?

Successful programs

Successful programs

APA Task Force on Prevention:

Promoting Strength, Resilience, and Health in Young People

Greenberg et al. (2003) advocated for enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated

S

ocial,

E

motional, and academic

L

earning -> The SEL approach

(Weissberg & Greenberg, 1998)

Successful programs Key strategies that characterize effectiveness

involve student-focused, relationship-oriented, and classroom- and school-level organizational changes:    teaching children to apply SEL skills and ethical values in daily life; fostering respectful, supportive relationships among students, school staff and parents; supporting and rewarding positive social, health, and academic behaviour through systematic school-family-community approaches.

The scientific perspective

What are the standards for evidence?

Standards of evidence

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Standards of evidence Society for Prevention Research (SPR)

(Flay et al., 2005) An

efficacious intervention

will have been tested in at least

two rigorous trials

that (1) involved defined samples from defined populations; (2) used psychometrically sound measures and data collection procedures; (3) analyzed their data with rigorous statistical approaches; (4) showed consistent positive effects (without serious iatrogenic effects); (5) reported at least one significant long-term follow up.

Standards of evidence

An

effective intervention

will have

(1) manuals, appropriate training, and technical support

available to allow third parties to adopt and implement the intervention;

(2) been evaluated under real-world conditions

in studies that included sound measurement of the level of implementation and engagement of the target audience (in both the intervention and control conditions);

(3) indicated the practical importance of intervention outcome effects; (4) clearly demonstrated to whom intervention findings can be generalized.

Standards of evidence

An

intervention recognized as ready for broad dissemination

will also provide (1) evidence of the ability to „go to scale“; (2) clear cost information; (3) monitoring and evaluation tools so that adopting agencies can monitor or evaluate how well the intervention works in their settings.

See also e.g., the Campbell Collaboration

Knowledge transfer

Evidence based policy and practice

Evidence in policy and practice In the field of education the adoption of instructional programs and practices has been driven more by ideology than by evidence in contrast to other political fields

(Slavin, 2008).

Evidence in policy and practice Some reasons

(Spiel, 2009):    

To show evidence (results) of interventions in the field of education needs time

(years!) as e.g., reform in teacher education

The transfer of scientific knowledge to practice is costly and risky

(there are many possible inferences)

The demand to change established attitudes and behavior provoces resistance Formal structures

providing a systematic transfer from research to policy and practice

are lacking

Evidence in policy and practice Some Recommendations

(Spiel, 2009):    

Supporting translational research Intensifying exchange and cooperation between science (researcher) and practice (teachers) Consolidation of school autonomy Engagement of policy, science, practice and the media

Bildung-Psychology

Bildung-Psychology as a framework

Bildung-Psychology

"Bildung" … is solidly anchored in the German language and enjoys a positive connotation encompasses the broad area of education and learning is defined on both a

formal

and a

content

level

Bildung-Psychology

"Bildung" … is solidly anchored in the German language and enjoys a positive connotation encompasses the broad area of education and learning is defined on both a

formal

and a

content

level Bildung =

product

(competences of a person) Bildung =

process

(development of the competences) (e. g. Hentig, 2001; Pekrun, 2002) Question: Which products are desirable from the perspective of a society?

(in history the answer has changed …) (e. g. Hentig, 2001; Barz, 1999)

Bildung-Psychology

Bildung-Psychology incorporates the

core ideas and credo of lifelong learning

addresses the

dissemination of available knowledge to practitioners

which is so fare not addressed in a professional way (Karoly, Boekaerts & Maes, 2005).

Bildung-Psychology

Activity Levels Functional Areas (Spiel, Reimann, Wagner & Schober, 2008)

Example

The TALK training program

TALK Training Program

( T raining zum A ufbau von L ehrerInnen K ompetenzen) Training program to foster teacher competences to encourage lifelong learning (Finsterwald et al., 2006; Schober et al., 2007; Spiel & Schober, 2003)

LLL in school

School lays the cornerstones for learning skills and the motivation to learn (Prenzel, 1994) And: Teachers the key-persons (Spiel & Schober, 2003)

=> LLL as an educational goal for schools

LLL in school

„The school is more likely to be a killer of interest than the developer.”

Travers (1978, p. 125) This résumé seems not to have aged at all:

•

Problems in learning motivation for a large portion of pupils

•

Decrease in learning motivation and interest with advancing grades (e.g. Jacobs, Lanza, Osgood, Eccles, & Wigfield, 2002; Gottfried, Fleming & Gottfried, 2001; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002)

LLL in school – data from Austria

•

Scholastic interest and learning goal orientation decrease with advancing grades

•

Pupils’ competences for self-regulated learning are estimated as low

•

Teachers’ self-efficacy to foster pupil competences for LLL is low Spiel & Schober, 2002 Finsterwald et al. 2008

LLL in school – data from Austria What are the places where you enjoy learning?

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 4th grade 8th grade 11th grade Home Other places School

LLL in school – data from Austria Main reasons for pupil failure (teacher perception): classroom teacher character of the pupil intelligence/talent em otional state learning com petencies fam ily concentration effort m otivation in general / interest

0

1.7

3.4

4.2

5.9

7.6

7.6

10

11.9

12.7

13.6

20

20.3

30 percentage of 118 mentions 40 50

TALK Training Program Aims:

To

provide teachers

with the competences - to systematically implement the enhancement of LLL into their regular educational responsibilities - to design their instructional process in ways to encourage their pupils to develop the skills and competences associated with LLL To initiate

school development

- to effectively implement the concept of LLL - to intensify cooperation among teachers

Target Variables of LLL Core factors relevant for LLL

(independent of specific context features):

• Motivation

– enduring motivation and an appreciation for education and learning

• Self-Regulated Learning

– competencies which are needed to successfully realize this motivation through concrete learning activities (Achtenhagen & Lempert, 2000; Artelt, Baumert, Julius-McElvany & Peschar, 2003)

Target Variables of LLL Motivation Self-regulated learning

©TALK

Target Variables of LLL

Target Variables of LLL

Cooperative learning skills e.g.

Communication skills Conflict & group management Dealing with diversity

Motivation

Social Skills

Self-regulated learning

©TALK

Target Variables of LLL

Social Skills

Motivation

Cognitive abilities

Self-regulated learning

©TALK - Metacognitive competences - Creative and critical thinking/ problem solving

TALK Training Program

Curriculum: TALK is conceptualized for teachers instructing in secondary schools Teachers participated in TALK as

school teams

support of the school principal) (3-5 teachers, TALK is conducted within the framework of a

three semester course

of studies in a university setting (blocked into one or two days workshops) The support offered to the teachers, in the context of a „cognitive apprenticeship,“ is increasingly reduced („fading“) (Mandl, Prenzel & Gräsel, 1991)

TALK Training Program Curriculum: 1st & 2nd Semester

Teachers are encouraged to

optimize their classroom instruction

in accordance with the target variables of LLL

TALK Training Program Optimize the classroom instruction by providing qualified learning situations and school environments

e.g., • • • •

problem-focused learning

(real-life problems, considering students‘ interest)

autonomy-oriented learning

open solutions, increasing personal responsibility) (tasks with

competence oriented learning

(informative feedback instead of controlling feedback)

positive emotional and social school climate

(mutual trust and cooperation)

Example for a classroom project

Goal:

Promotion

of learning motivation with a specific focus on

selfconcept

Topic: Aliens will come to visit NASA – it is the intention to show them achievements, knowledge and competencies of humans Tasks for the students: • •

identification of their own abilities and competencies identification of the abilities and competencies of their classmates

•

exchange of results

Project: preparation of products for the Aliens based on the individual abilities and competencies

TALK Training Program Curriculum: 3rd Semester

Teachers should

initiate projects at their schools

which are directly tied into TALK, and

pass the content on to colleagues who did not attend the program

TALK teachers can and should choose specials focuses to address points relevant to their individual schools They are supervised across all phases of project development

Evaluation of TALK

Sample: TALK group: Control group:

41eachers 780 pupils 55 teachers 1792 pupils

Euclidean Distance Matching on class level to control for possible baseline differences (Spiel et al, 2008)

Evaluation of TALK Summative evaluation

Pretest-Posttest-Follow-up Design (4 measurement points)

Formative evaluation

• • • Specific Features

multi-method approach

(questionnaires, training diaries, focus groups, interviews, etc.)

multi-informant approach

(TALK-teachers, pupils, principals, teacher colleagues) application of of changes

direct and indirect

measurements

Working model

interferences interferences interferences TALK teacher classroom pupils

Evaluation of TALK

motivation cooperation knowledge/competencies to promote the core competencies for LLL perception core competencies for LLL

Working model - Results

TALK interferences teacher interferences classroom interferences pupils

Evaluation of TALK

motivation   cooperation knowledge/competencies to promote the core competencies for LLL perception  IRN, interest, SRL  IRN, failure, feedback, SRL core competencies for LLL © Arbeitsbereich Bildungspsychologie & Evaluation

Teachers’ knowledge and competencies

mean 5 4 3,79 3,02 3

method awarness (time 2)

3,59 2,90 4,05 2,85 2 1 motivation * interest * achievement feedback * scale 1-5 (same as before - much more aware) 3,85 3,02 SRL * TG CG 3,63 2,95 shared responsibility * * significant interaction effect

Transfer into educational practice

•

Sensibilization and systematic self observation

(e.g., intentional feedback) • Increase in

self-perceived method awareness

•

Intentional use of educational methods

instead of intuitive use • Increased delightness to

test new educational methods

• Increase in

treating pupils as individuals

as a group (individual reference norm – IRN) than • Increase in

cooperation within the schools

Teachers als lifelong learners TALK teachers request an additional refreshing unit TALK teachers recommend to include the main elements of the TALK training program in the basic curriculum of teacher education

Conclusio

“Nothing is as practical as a good theory!”

(Kurt Lewin)