Session Information
09 SES 09 C, Assessments, Grades and Student Achievement
Paper Session
Contribution
Learning to learn is defined as the willingness and the ability to settle down to novel tasks (Hautamäki, & al., 2010). It is assessed by administering cognitive tasks measuring general reasoning and thinking skills, and self-evaluation scales measuring beliefs and attitudes towards learning (Hautamäki & al., 2002). The Centre for Educational Assessment at the University of Helsinki has developed Finnish Learning-to-learn -scales for 1st, 3rd/4th, 6th/7th, and 9th grades and upper secondary school, and participated in the development of an European learning to learn instrument (Kupiainen & al., 2008).
Unlike the other versions, the first grade version doesn’t include self-evaluation scales as young children are not able to complete them. The affective component is assessed by teacher/parent reports of behavior, which will not be discussed in this paper.
A version of the first grade assessment scale can also be used by teachers as a screening test for learning preparedness in the beginning of the first school year, identifying pupils that should be assessed by other methods in order to determine their need of intensified support (Hautamäki & al., 2001). Until now there has only been some anecdotal evidence based on teacher reports of the validity of the screening test in predicting later reading or mathematic performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether this screening test is an effective method in identifying pupils in need of intensified support in reading or mathematics during their first two years at the elementary school.
The screening test comprises 6 cognitive tasks, and 2 drawing tasks which will not be discussed in this paper. Two cognitive tasks are versions of classical Piagetian tests for the development of horizontal and vertical axes (Piaget & Inhelder, 1956; Hautamäki, 1984). The visuo-spatial memory task is adapted from Wilson & al. (1987; modified by Logie and Pearson, 1997), and the auditory memory task has been developed for this screening test. Analogical reasoning skills are measured by a task adapted from a Dutch geometric analogies test (Hosenfeld & al., 1997). Pupils’ capacity to follow teacher’s instructions is assessed by a task developed for this screening test, in which the pupils draw a path on an empty grid following teacher’s dictation.
In Finland, reading skills are assessed in the end of each school year using a standardized primary school reading test for grades 1 to 6, ALLU (Lindeman, 2000). It comprises two subtests based on narrative context and two subtests on expository context. Based on the results pupils can be classified to three groups: those who need support in reading comprehension, average readers, and good readers. The basic and applied mathematical skills can be evaluated in the end of each school year by a standardized mathematics test, MAKEKO (Ikäheimo & al., 2002).
Research questions:
1. Is the first grade learning to learn screening test an effective method in identifying pupils in need of intensified support in reading or mathematics?
2. Do some of the subtests predict later difficulties in mathematics or reading better than the others?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Hautamäki A., Hautamäki J. & Kupiainen S. (2010) Assessment in Schools – Learning to Learn. International Encyclopedia of Education 2010(3), 268–272. Hautamäki, J. (1984). Peruskoululaisten loogisen ajattelun mittaamisesta ja esiintymisestä. Joensuun yliopiston yhteiskuntatieteellisiä julkaisuja 1. Joensuu: Joensuun yliopistopaino. Hautamäki, J., Arinen, P., Hautamäki, A., Lehto, J., Lindblom, B., Kupiainen, S., Outinen, K., Pekuri, M., Reuhkala, M., Scheinin, P. (2001). Ensiaskeleet – oppimisen edellytykset: Luokanopettajille tarkoitetun seulan toimivuus Helsinki-aineiston perusteella. City of Helsinki, Publication series A17: 2001. Hautamäki, J., Arinen, P., Eronen, S., Hautamäki, A., Kupiainen, S., Lindblom, B., Niemivirta, M., Pakaslahti, L., Rantanen, P., Scheinin, P (2002). Assessing Learning-to-learn: A framework. Helsinki: National Board of Education. Hosenfeld, B., van den Boom, D.C., Resing, W.C.M (1997). Constructing geometric analogies test for the longitudinal testing of elementary school children. Journal of Educational Measurement, 34(4), 367-372. Ikäheimo, H., Putkonen, H., & Voutilainen, A. (2002). Matematiikan keskeisten käsitteiden diagnoosi esiopetuksen alussa ja lopussa sekä 1.luokan alussa [The assessment of mathematical basic concepts in the beginning of the preschool and primary grade]. Helsinki, Finland: Opperi Kupiainen, S., Hautamäki, J., Rantanen, P. (2008). EU pre-pilot on learning to learn: Report on the compiled data. 2008-1190/001-001 TRA-TRINDC. http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-olicy/doc/pilot_survey/report_en.pdf. Lindeman, J. (2000). ALLU Ala-Asteen Lukutesti: Tekniset tiedot [ALLU Reading Test for Primary School: Technical information]. Turku: University of Turku, Centre for Research on Learning. Logie, R.H., Pearson, D.G. (1997). The inner eye and the inner scribe of visuo-spatial working memory: Evidence from developmental fractionation. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 9, 241-257. Piaget, J., Inhelder, B. (1956). The Child’s Conception of Space. (Translated from French by F.J. Langdon and J. L. Lunzer). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Wilson, J.T.L., Scott, J.H., Power, K.G. (1987). Developmental differences in the span of visual memory for pattern. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 249-255.
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