Das Anliegen der vorliegenden Studie ist es, zu prüfen, inwiefern eine differenzierende Unterrichtspraxis in den Fächern Mathematik und Deutsch im Zusammenhang mit der Wahrnehmung von Leistungsheterogenität und der Diagnosegenauigkeit von Lehrkräften steht. Der Untersuchung lagen Leistungsdaten aus den Vergleichsarbeiten (VERA-8) und Lehrerurteile über N = 1803 Schüler/innen der achten Jahrgangsstufe an Gymnasien im Land Brandenburg zugrunde sowie Schülereinschätzungen zur Differenzierung im Unterricht. Hierarchische Regressionsanalysen zeigen, dass Mathematiklehrkräfte aus Sicht der Schüler/innen umso stärker differenzierend unterrichten, je besser sie die Leistungsstände der Schüler/innen einschätzen können. Im Fach Deutsch findet differenzierender Unterricht in geringerem Umfang statt und es zeigen sich keine Zusammenhänge mit der Diagnosegenauigkeit.
The aim of the present study is to examine in how far a differentiating teaching practice in Math and German lessons is linked with the perception of heterogeneity in student performance and with the teachers´ diagnostic accuracy. The study is based on performance data from comparative tests (VERA-8) and teacher assessments of N = 1803 students attending 8th grade at grammar schools in the federal state of Brandenburg and on student assessments on differentiation in teaching. Hierarchical regression analyses show that, from the students´ perspective, Math teachers differentiate the more in their teaching the better they are able to assess the students´ performance level. In German lessons, differentiating forms of teaching are less often applied and there are no links with diagnostic accuracy.
Teacher judgments in terms of grades, proficiency assessments, and recommending placement in ability groups can have important consequences for a child’s future educational path. Whether or not students’ sociodemographic background characteristics are systematically related to teacher judgments has been a controversial topic of discussion. Using data from the TIMSS-Transition Study (N = 3285 fourth graders) administered across 13 German federal states in the 2006–2007 school year and survey data from parents and teachers, we investigated whether or not the average classroom socioeconomic status is reflected in teacher judgments and also examined possible underlying processes. We also probed the role of teachers’ own socioeconomic backgrounds (at the age of 16) in their later susceptibility to differentially judge students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and in differentially composed classrooms. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that, after controlling for differences in achievement (as indicated by standardized tests), teachers’ judgments were associated with the classrooms’ socioeconomic composition, and this finding could not be attributed to the average levels of motivation or behavior in the classroom. Teachers were similarly likely to exhibit such differential judgments regardless of their own socioeconomic background. These findings are discussed in the context of their implications for educational policy.
Whereas studies that have analyzed factors that affect academic achievement have predominantly revealed positive effects of skipping a grade, controversial results have been found for students’ social-emotional and motivational development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of skipping a whole grade on students’ school satisfaction, peer relations, school anxiety, and academic self-concept. Moreover, we conducted moderation analyses to investigate whether skipping a grade affects boys and girls differently. Data were obtained from N = 4926 German students who were repeatedly surveyed once a year in Grades 4, 5, and 6. A total of N = 96 students from this sample had skipped a grade in elementary school. We applied full matching separately for male and female students in order to minimize selection bias. When analyzing motivational variables, we added class-mean achievement scores as covariates within the matching process. Equally for boys and girls, the results showed no significant effect of skipping on school satisfaction, yet we found a negative effect on peer relations that persisted across the 3 years of measurement. However, after skipping a grade girls were significantly disadvantaged compared to boys on some motivational dimensions.
Skipping a grade, one specific form of acceleration, is an intervention used for gifted students. Quantitative research has shown acceleration to be a highly successful intervention regarding academic achievement, but less is known about the social-emotional outcomes of grade-skipping. In the present study, the authors used the grounded theory approach to examine the experiences of seven gifted students aged 8 to 16 years who skipped a grade. The interviewees perceived their feeling of being in the wrong place before the grade-skipping as strongly influenced by their teachers, who generally did not respond adequately to their needs. We observed a close interrelationship between the gifted students' intellectual fit and their social situation in class. Findings showed that the grade-skipping in most of the cases bettered the situation in school intellectually as well as socially, but soon further interventions, for instance, a specialized and demanding class- or subject-specific acceleration were added to provide sufficiently challenging learning opportunities.
Skipping a grade, one specific form of acceleration, is an intervention used for gifted students. Quantitative research has shown acceleration to be a highly successful intervention regarding academic achievement, but less is known about the social–emotional outcomes of grade-skipping. In the present study, the authors used the grounded theory approach to examine the experiences of seven gifted students aged 8 to 16 years who skipped a grade. The interviewees perceived their “feeling of being in the wrong place” before the grade-skipping as strongly influenced by their teachers, who generally did not respond adequately to their needs. We observed a close interrelationship between the gifted students’ intellectual fit and their social situation in class. Findings showed that the grade-skipping in most of the cases bettered the situation in school intellectually as well as socially, but soon further interventions, for instance, a specialized and demanding class- or subject-specific acceleration were added to provide sufficiently challenging learning opportunities.
Acceleration, defined as progressing through educational programs faster or at a younger age than peers (Pressey, 1949), is an educational practice that is used to support gifted and high-ability students whose cognitive and affective needs might not be met in age-based classrooms. The empirical results of grade skipping, one specific form of acceleration, have been supportive with respect to academic outcomes but have primarily been derived from U.S. samples. Less is known about German grade skippers. We reanalyzed the test and survey data of more than 40,000 students from five studies originally conducted to assess their skills in native and foreign languages in the context of the national educational standards in Germany. We identified 471 grade skippers and used propensity score matching on potential confounding variables (e.g., intelligence, gender, parental background) to construct comparable control groups. Two different comparison groups were realized (same-grade and same age groups). The findings showed that grade skippers performed (at least) as well on standardized tests as their older classmates who were matched on all covariates (same-grade comparison) and outperformed their same-aged peers who were matched on all covariates in most of the language skills that were assessed. Practical and methodological implications are also discussed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.