Language: English

Published: Boston, Massachusetts, 2003

Abstract/Notes: Cíl: V rámci bakalářské práce bylo provedeno měření jemné motoriky u dětí předškolního věku pravidelně navštěvujících Montessori mateřskou školu. Cílem měření bylo posoudit, zdali jsou výsledné hodnoty dětí z Montessori MŠ (mateřská škola) lepší v porovnání s hodnotami dětí, které pravidelně docházejí do běžné mateřské školy. Metodika: Ke sběru dat byla aplikována testová baterie MABC-2. Pro účely výzkumného šetření byla dále použita data z měření jemné motoriky u výběru dětí z pražského komplexu běžných MŠ (autorem dosud nepublikovaného výzkumu je Mgr. Jakub Kokštejn, Ph.D.) a data, která ve své práci uvádí Mgr. Ludvík Valtr. Nejdříve proběhlo porovnání výsledků dětí z Montessori MŠ s hodnotami pražských dětí a poté komparace výsledků zjištěných v Montessori MŠ a hodnot dětí uvedených v diplomové práci Mgr. Ludvíka Valtra. Výsledky a diskuze: V rámci obou porovnání byl patrný statisticky významný rozdíl pouze v motorické dovednosti číslo 1, kdy u prvního zmíněného vzorku vykazovaly ukazatele úrovně jemné motoriky lepší hodnoty u souboru dětí z běžné MŠ a u druhého byla naopak patrná dovednostní převaha dětí z Montessori MŠ. Z výsledků tedy jednoznačně nevyplývá potvrzení ani vyvrácení hypotézy, která předpokládala dosažení jasně lepších výsledků dětmi z Montessori MŠ. / The Aim of the Thesis: We will measure fine motor skills of children in preschool age visiting Montessori kindergarten. We will compare measured results with children who visit common kindergartens. Method: We used battery test MABC-2 for measuring. We also used data from measuring fine motor skills among children from selection of kindergartens in Prague. This research is done by Mgr. Jakub Kokštejn, Ph.D. and has not been publishet yet. We also used data presented by Mr. Ludvík Valtr. We compared results between children from the Montessori kindergarten and children visiting prague kindergartens- sample one. Then we compared our results with results from the Diploma thesis by Mr. Ludvík Valtr- sample two. Results and Discussion: We found statistically significant result only in measuring of motor skill number one. In first mentioned sample we found better results between children from common kindergartens. In second mentioned sample we found better results between children from the Montessori kindergarten. We can not confirm or disprove the hypothesis where we expected significantly better results between children visiting Montessori kindergarten.

Language: Czech

Published: Prague, Czechia, 2015

Abstract/Notes: This qualitative study explored the phenomenon of what happened as Florida's high-stakes accountability system intersected with a beginning and veteran teachers' life histories and different stocks of lifeworldly knowledge at demographically different lifeworld communities. Habermas' (1987) theory of communicative action was used as the theoretical framework to explore what the teachers' responses meant for learners and teaching practice. The research purpose of this study (emphasizing an interpretive approach) sought to gain insights and understandings regarding the phenomenon specifically. The practical purpose (according to critical theory) was to then use the insights gained (enlightenment) in order to contemplate the kinds of steering media and mechanisms needed to support teaching practice (emancipation) that can best satisfy the system (accountability) rationale to increase educational opportunities for all learners regardless of need. Three overarching themes central to learners and teaching practice emerged from the data obtained from interviews, classroom observations, and student products: (a) the greater the lifeworld needs of the school community (e.g., high mobility rate, low socio-economic status) the greater the response in terms of instructional and curricular accommodations designed to increase FCAT test scores; (b) the greater the colonization of the lifeworld perspective by Florida's accountability system rationale, the greater the likelihood that various social actors experienced fear in relation to FCAT; and (c) school reform efforts both past and present (including Florida's high-stakes accountability system) have consistently resulted in less educational opportunity for those learners who need it the most.

Language: English

Published: Cedar Falls, Iowa, 2007

Abstract/Notes: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires schools to be held accountable for academic performance. It is believed the pressure of accountability will lead teachers to narrow the curriculum by engaging students in test preparation activities. The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to examine elementary teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the Stanford Achievement Test 10 (SAT-10) and the Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) on classroom teaching practices from a sample of third-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade teachers in three large school systems in Alabama. The purpose of the first, quantitative phase of the study, was to reveal teachers’ perceptions of the impact of high-stakes testing on curriculum and instructional approaches, the amount of time spent on critical thinking skills, the amount of time spent on test preparation activities, and the perceived impact of state tests on students and teachers by surveying 123 third-grade through fifth-grade teachers in three large Alabama school systems. In the second, qualitative phase of this study, purposeful sampling strategy and maximal variation sampling strategy were employed to interview nine teachers who responded to the survey in the first, quantitative phase of the study to explore the results from the statistical tests in more depth. Findings suggested urban teachers spent more time on critical-thinking skills than rural and suburban teachers, and low-socioeconomic, rural teachers experienced more stress caused by high-stakes testing than their geographical counterparts. All teachers independent of socioeconomic status or school geographical location reported they increased their focus on reading and math, which were the subjects assessed on high-stakes tests and de-emphasized subjects not tested such as social studies and science. Finally, most teachers reported they decreased the teaching of critical thinking skills due to the SAT-10 but increased the teaching of critical thinking skills due to the ARMT. Due to the lack of research regarding high-stakes testing in Alabama elementary schools, there was a need for teachers to discuss the specific impact of testing on classroom teaching practices because they work directly with students and are cognizant of the challenges that teachers face.

Language: English

Published: Birmingham, Alabama, 2010

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040