5 self 4.5 classmates 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 4-year 5-6 year - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Declining Perceptions of Competence: Inevitable or Manufactured Deborah Stipek Stanford University

5 self 4.5 classmates 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 4-year 5-6 year 6-7 year olds olds olds

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Low High Flexible grouping Stable ability grouping   No grades on written Grades on written   assignments assignments Skill mastery on report Letter grades on report   cards cards All work displayed “Best” work displayed   Small group instruction Whole class instruction   Differentiated tasks Same tasks  

20 18 16 14 High Salience 12 Low Salience 10 8 6 Present Future

Child-Centered Teacher-Directed social development academics stressed emphasized process stressed performance stressed diverse activities narrow range of children chose activities children discovered teacher chose through direct experience teacher instructed

 32 preschool and kindergarten classrooms (4-6 year olds)  227 children  Measured  classrooms  student motivation in laboratory setting

Teacher-Directed vs. Child-Centered Classrooms (Laboratory) teacher-directed 7 child-centered 5 6 4.5 5 4 4 3.5 3 3 Ratings of Ability Preference for Challenge 6 1.7 5 1.3 4 0.9 0.5 3 Maze Predictions Puzzle Prediction

30 30 teacher direct. child centered 25 25 20 20 Numbers/Math Letters/Reading 16 10 9 14 8 12 7 6 10 Vocabulary Numerical Memory

 42 preschool and kindergarten classrooms (4-6 year olds)  228 children  Measured  classrooms  student motivation in classroom setting

Classroom Behavior teacher-directed child-centered 3 1.5 2.5 1.25 2 1.5 1 1 0.75 0.5 0.5 0 Pre Kinder Stress Requests for Help/Approval

Classroom Behavior teacher-directed 3 3 child-centered 2 2 1 1 0 0 Discipline Noncompliance 0.4 2 1.8 0.2 1.6 0 1.4 Negative Affect Prosocial Behavior

 4 th - 5 th - & 6 th grades (ages 9-12)  24 teachers, randomly assigned to full intervention or “intervention light”  those two groups compared to teachers using traditional methods  Measured Teaching practices 1. Student motivation 2. Student learning 3.

 Focus on understanding/learning/mastery rather than performance  Emphasis on effort  Encouragement of student autonomy  Positive affect (sensitivity, respect)  Psychologically safe environment

Intervent Intervent Traditional Light Perceived Ability** .09 -.16 .06 Mastery Orientation .04 -.01 -.06 Performance Orientation** -.26 .21 .13 Help-Seeking* .01 .17 -.23 Positive Emotions .12 -.08 -.08

 Substantive feedback  higher perceptions of ability (r = . 42)  higher mastery orientation (.67)  higher positive emotions (.52)  Number of errors/correct answers  lower positive emotions (-.42)  Check marks for completion  lower mastery orientation (-.49)  lower positive emotions (-.51)

 Decline in perceive competence is not inevitable  Depends substantially on quality and nature of teaching and especially evaluative feedback  Changing the way teachers teach requires intense, long-term support