Assessing the effect of IB curriculum and local curriculum on primary students

1
Assessing the effect of IB curriculum and
local curriculum on primary students knowledge
of Self-Directed Learning

• Dr Penny Van Deur
• Penny.vandeur_at_flinders.edu.au
• Flinders University
• Adelaide-Australia

2
School curriculum and inquiry

• School curriculum, a set of planned learning
  experiences ( Marsh, 2004 Braggett, 1997),is the
  foundation of instruction and assessment that
  takes into account valued learner qualities
  (Fogarty, 1997).
• Curriculum documents need to provide the basis
  for teachers to plan development of inquiry
  through classroom activities.
• Curriculum could provide guidance for teachers to
  plan, implement and monitor the development of
  inquiry in classrooms (Marsh, 2004).

3
Self-Directed learning and Curriculum

• A database search showed little to no attention
  has been given to discussions of assessing the
  processes of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) in
  relation to curriculum in Australian schools.
• Constructivist-based local curriculum framework
  has been implemented in South Australian primary
  schools
• An increasing number of government and
  independent schools are adopting the
  International Baccalaureate (IB) programme
• IB is based on constructivist views of learning
  and has an inquiry approach to much of the
  curriculum.
• An inquiry approach is important for the
  development of SDL since it provides motivation
  to carry it out.

4
IB and Local curriculum

• The IBs Primary Years Programme (PYP) has an
  explicit focus on inquiry
• -IBs PYP explicitly supports development of
  inquiry and students knowledge of SDL
• Local curriculum framework has an implicit focus
  on inquiry.
• -Local curriculum framework may be providing less
  support for teachers to develop inquiry and
  students knowledge of SDL.
• IB literature outlines the benefits of IB
  approach- this claim needs research support

5
IB-PYP- structured inquiry (Hill, 2006)

• Programme of Inquiry run as part of the
  Primary Years Programme (PYP).
• PYP uses a student profile as a reference to help
  teachers and students to establish goals, plan
  units of inquiry and assess performance.
• PYP Profile -students are inquirers who will be
  able to conduct purposeful, constructive
  research, be risk takers able to explore new
  roles, ideas and strategies, and be reflective as
  they consider their own learning by analysing
  their personal strengths and weaknesses in a
  constructive manner. (IBO, official
  literature, 2000)

6
Programme of Inquiry- an explicit focus on inquiry

• The Programme of Inquiry (50 of the school
  program) stresses that students should develop
  skills for research and self-management,
  attitudes of confidence and independence, and be
  able to carry out reflection.
• Teachers and students in this program try to
  answer three questions
• What do we want to learn?
• How will we learn it?
• How will we know when we have learned it? (IBO
  official literature, 2000).
• Teachers and students in PYP schools which run
  the Programme of Inquiry are in an educational
  context in which inquiry is a fundamental part of
  the school curriculum.

7
Self-Directed Learning is a learning process

• Through SDL teachers help students learn how to
  set goals, identify resources, develop learning
  activities, make decisions and evaluate ideas and
  create and share products. (Treffinger,1993, p.
  438)
• In order to carry out SDL, students need to be
  aware of what they do and do not understand, be
  able to set learning goals, identify what they
  need to learn more about, plan and select
  strategies and be able to monitor whether or not
  goals have been met (Hmelo-Silver, 2004).

8
SDL as an inter-relationship between the roles of
self and other variables.

• Self variables - attitudes and dispositions
  which influence the way students approach tasks,
  their initiative, effort, and persistence when
  difficulties arise.
• Individual motivation exerts an influence through
  the processes of self-efficacy and causal
  attributions, which act to encourage students to
  make an effort to carry out SDL strategies, find
  resources, and persist when running into
  difficulties.
• Meta-cognitive strategies of planning, checking
  and reflecting are used as an inquiry is being
  carried out.
• Knowledge of SDL is one of the self
  characteristics, and is built up as students
  engage in SDL and incorporate this knowledge into
  their self-regulated learning strategies.
• The other, or external influences comprise the
  school contexts role in supporting inquiry
  requiring SDL which gives students the
  opportunity to take responsibility for their
  learning.

9
Objectives of the study

• Hypothesis that knowledge of SDL is related to
  school curriculum
• Objectives
• 1.to identify the effectiveness of teaching and
  assessing knowledge of SDL in schools with the
  local curriculum and schools with IB-PYP.
• 2.to investigate whether there were differences
  in primary students knowledge of SDL related to
  curriculum

10
Method

• Participants
• 6 schools were selected to participate in the
  teaching intervention and assessments (three with
  local curriculum and three with the IB-PYP
  curriculum)
• Three pairs local curriculum (77 students in 3
  schools) and IB curriculum (73 students in 3
  schools) matched on the basis of having the same
  or nearby postcodes and similar school enrolment
  numbers.
• In this two-stage stratified sampling, a
  students chance of being selected depends on
  whether or not the school attended was selected
  in the first instance.
• 150 students (mean age 10 years 6 months) in Year
  5
• Students were taught as a whole group in intact
  classrooms that represented their regular
  learning environment.
• The four assessments were analysed according to
  curriculum groups.

11
Instrumentation

• Learning At School Questionnaire
• The Learning At School Questionnaire (LASQ)
  developed to assess primary students knowledge
  of SDL.
• LASQ has 46 items grouped in sub-scales of
• Motivation -statements about attitudes to SDL
  that contribute to dispositional orientation
  which influences behaviour statements about
  self-efficacy, causal attributions, and
  persistence.
• Strategy -statements about learning strategies
  that can be employed in SDL
• Context -statements about support available in
  the school environment for SDL.

12
Learning At School Questionnaire(LASQ)

• Students completed the LASQ assessment on four
  occasions over six months (pre-test, immediate
  post-test following four lessons on SDL, delayed
  post-test at three months and delayed post-test
  at six months).
• Students responded to 46 statements in LASQ by
  circling one of three response categories
  (Disagree scored 0, Unsure scored 1, Agree scored
  2).
• This scoring is consistent with the Rasch model
  of ordered categories where three categories are
  used to gain an indication of the respondents
  ideal point (Andrich Luo, 2003).
• High scores in any of the three sub-scales are
  interpreted to mean a high level of knowledge,
  while low scores mean a low level of knowledge.
• The scores were analysed by curriculum groups.

13
Primary School Characteristics Inventory

• Three subscales (50 items)
• Motivation for student inquiry (31 items-
  assuming that students have some responsibility
  for learning, that teachers are encouraging or
  scaffolding them to assume appropriate levels of
  responsibility for their learning
• eg No 19.The interests of students are evident
  in the work displayed)
• Organisational structures that support inquiry (8
  items- assume that school administration has
  responsibility for external aspects that
  influence opportunities for inquiry learning in
  the school
• eg. No 2.The management structures have been
  designed to involve all staff in decision making
  )
• Structures supporting inquiry strategies in
  school (11 items-assume students can use
  strategies to summarise, reflect evaluate their
  learning at school
• eg. No 21. Students are encouraged to give their
  opinion about topics.)

14
Instrumentation

• Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices (Raven,
  1956)
• Assessed students reasoning ability
• Raw scores computed and standard scores
  calculated according to the Australian manual
  (Raven, Court Raven, 2000).
• Mean scores were calculated using SPSS (2001,
  Version 11.0 for Windows), for students grouped
  by curriculum ( IB not IB).
• Teachers Rating of Student Self-Directed
  Learning
• 6 class teachers rated all 150 students as
  self-directed learners at school by responding
  with a rating to the statement
• (childs name) is a self-directed learner at
  school.
• - Likert scale with a low rating of 1 (never),
  a medium rating of 3 (sometimes) and a high
  rating of 5 (always).
• The teachers ratings were completed once, before
  the lessons, and were analysed by curriculum
  groups.

15
Procedure

•  Primary School Characteristics Inventory
• School staff in each of the six schools completed
  the PSCI by responding to 50 statements. High
  scores high school support for inquiry low
  scores low school support for inquiry. Schools
  were grouped according to Primary School
  Characteristics Inventory scores as Low,
  Moderate and High in support for inquiry.
•  
• Learning At School Questionnaire (LASQ)
• Students completed the LASQ assessment on 4 times
  over six months (pre-test, immediate post-test
  following four lessons on SDL, delayed post-test
  at three months and delayed post-test at six
  months). High scores in any of the three
  sub-scales are interpreted to mean a high level
  of knowledge, while low scores mean a low level
  of knowledge. The scores were analysed by school
  curriculum categories.
•  
•  The teaching intervention
• Intact classes of Year 5 students in six schools
  were taught about SDL in four one-hour lessons in
  which active learning was encouraged. The
  students carried out activities and discussions
  in pairs, small groups and as class groups. Data
  on the students knowledge of SDL and its
  development were collected on four LASQ
  assessments and analysed in relation to school
  curriculum category. This was done so that
  conclusions could be drawn about the relationship
  of this school factor to knowledge of SDL.

16
Data analyses

• Each sub-scale of the LASQ was Rasch scaled
  (Sheridan, Andrich Luo, 1997) in order to
  convert the raw scores to an interval scale on
  which the scores could be compared.
• Descriptive analysis was carried out followed by
  Partial Least Squares (PLS) path analysis, that
  was employed to identify the strength of any
  influence of curriculum on knowledge of SDL.
• Partial Least Squares path analysis, with latent
  variables, is a simple, powerful and flexible
  tool, for modeling relationships in complex
  social systems, such as schools.
• LASQ subscales Motivation, Strategy and Context

17
ResultsDescriptive analysis

• Primary School Characteristics Inventory
• A total score was calculated for the teachers
  ratings for each of the six schools and each was
  assigned to a category of High (87 agreement),
  Moderate (71-86 agreement) or Low inquiry (70
  agreement or less).
• Schools with the IB-PYP curriculum, support for
  inquiry -1(High), 2 (Moderate )
• Schools with local curriculum -2 (Moderate ),
  1(Low ).
•  
• Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices
• When schools were compared the students were of
  similar reasoning ability.
•  The mean reasoning scores on Ravens Standard
  Progressive Matrices for school curriculum -Not
  IB, 106.08 IB, 107.83.
• An SPSS analysis showed that class teachers in
  Not IB schools rated students at a mean score of
  3.32 and teachers in IB schools rated students at
  a mean score of 3.48. This indicated that
  teachers perceived students in the IB schools to
  be slightly more self-directed than those in Not
  IB schools.
•  

18
Results

• MANOVA identified that there were no significant
  differences between Not IB and IB schools on each
  LASQ sub-scale or over the four testings but
  scores for Motivation, Strategies and Context
  were higher in IB schools.
• Due to the inconclusive results of descriptive
  analysis further exploration of the relationship
  of curriculum to knowledge of SDL was carried out
  using Partial Least Squares (PLS) path analysis.
• PLS path analysis tests the proposition that
  knowledge of SDL is related to school curriculum,
  and teachers views of students as self-directed
  learners at school.
•  

19
Partial Least Squares path analysis

• PLS-Partial Least Squares (PLS) path analysis,
  that was employed to identify the strength of any
  influence of curriculum on knowledge of SDL.
• PLS path analysis, with latent variables, is a
  simple, powerful and flexible tool, for modeling
  relationships in complex social systems, such as
  schools.
• LASQ subscales Motivation, Strategy and Context
• In the analysis the criterion variable was
  students Knowledge of SDL comprised of three
  sub-scales of Motivation, Strategy and Context.
  The antecedent variables were Gender and
  Reasoning while Engagement, School Context
  (comprised of school support for inquiry and
  curriculum) and Teacher operated as mediating
  variables.

20
PLS path model

• The final path model shows the strength of
  student and school influences on knowledge of
  SDL.
• Predictive relationships are shown in the model
  by single headed arrows.
• Latent variables 3, 5 and 6 are endogenous
  variables that were influenced by one or more
  other variables in the model.
• The latent variables of School Context, Gender
  and Reasoning were exogenous variables that
  functioned as antecedent variables and not as
  effects. They have values that may be influenced
  by variables that are not shown in the model
  (Vogt, 1999).
• The lines from latent variables (Gender,
  Reasoning, Teacher, School Context, Engagement)
  indicate significant paths with the standardised
  coefficients shown.
• The path coefficient is considered to be
  significant when it is more than twice its
  jack-knife standard error as it can be said to be
  replicable or repeatable.

21
1 R2 0.127, Q20.109 2 R20.415, Q20.402 3
R20.159, Q20.148   PLSPATH model of knowledge
of SDL for all times  
22
PLS path model of knowledge of SDL for all times

• The final PLS path model shows significant paths
  from
• -School Context (0.10) to Knowledge of SDL
• -School Context (0.29) to Engagement
• -School Context (0.13) to Teacher
• -Teacher (0.22) to Engagement
• -Engagement (0.12) to Knowledge of SDL
• The combined effects of variables in this model
  explained only 13 (R2 .127) of the variation
  in the outcome between school and student
  influences. Although the amount of variance
  explained is small, 13 per cent is not trivial
  and still provides an indication of the factors
  influencing Knowledge of SDL.
• The stability of the outcome measure reflected by
  the difference between R2 and Q2 (0.018)
  indicates that since R2 is 0.127, the model has
  satisfactory predictive relevance

23
Results PLS path analysis

• There were significant influences on students
  knowledge of SDL exerted by school factors of
  school support for inquiry, curriculum focus on
  inquiry and teachers ratings of students as
  self-directed learners.
• --An explicit focus on inquiry in the curriculum
  (IB) promoted knowledge of SDL
• --An implicit focus on inquiry in the curriculum
  (Not IB-local curriculum) did not promote
  knowledge of SDL
• This result is important because it shows that
  there are influences on students knowledge of
  SDL following a teaching intervention related to
  curriculum.

24
Discussion

• School Context, comprised of Curriculum and
  School Inquiry, had a significant influence on
  knowledge of SDL indicating that an explicit
  focus on inquiry in the curriculum (IB) promoted
  knowledge of SDL.
• The result suggests that teachers in schools with
  an explicit curriculum focus on inquiry, such as
  IB schools with the PYP, are likely to have
  greater school support for involving students in
  inquiry and increasing knowledge of SDL.
• If SDL behaviour is selected based on knowledge
  of SDL, then schools with an explicit curriculum
  emphasis on inquiry, such as the IBs PYP, are
  likely to provide more support for students to
  become self-directing than nearby schools with
  the local curriculum.
• Further research
• Additional research is needed on assessment and
  teaching of SDL with a large sample of matched
  schools where one school has the IB-PYP
  curriculum and the other has the local
  curriculum.

25
References

• Andrich, D. Luo, G. (2003). Measuring attitudes
  by unfolding a likert-style questionnaire. In
  J.P. Keeves (Ed.), International handbook of
  educational research in the Asia-Pacific region
  (Vol.2). (pp. 409-424). Dordrecht, Netherlands
  Kluwer Academic Publisher.
• Braggett, E. (1997). Differentiated programs for
  primary schools. Melbourne, Victoria Hawker
  Brownlow Education.
•  
• Fogarty, R. (1997). Problem-based learning and
  other curriculum models for the multiple
  intelligences classroom. Melbourne Hawker
  Brownlow Education.
• Hmelo-Silver. C.E. (2004). Problem-based
  learning What and how do students learn?
  Educational Psychology Review. 16(3), 235-266.
• Hill, I. (2006). Do International Baccalaureate
  programs internationalise or globalise?
  International Education Journal. 7(1), 98-108.
•  International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).
  (2000). Diploma Programme, Middle Years
  Programme, Primary Years Programme. Geneva,
  Switzerland IBO.
• Marsh, C. (2004). Becoming a teacher. (3rd.ed.)
  Frenchs Forest, NSW Pearson Education Australia.

26
References

• Noonan, R.D. Wold, H (1988) Partial Least
  Squares Path Analysis. In J. P. Keeves (Ed.),
  Educational Encyclopedia. (pp.710-716). Oxford
  Pergamon.
• Raven, J. (1956). Standard progressive matrices.
  New York Psychological Corporation.
• Raven, J., Raven, J. C. Court, J.H. (2000).
  Section 3 Standard Progressive Matrices. Oxford,
  England Information Press Ltd.
• Sheridan, B., Andrich, D. Luo, G. (1996).
  RUMM. Rasch Unidimensional Measurement Models.
  Perth Murdoch University.
• SPSS (2001). SPSS for Windows, Version 11.0.
  Chicago, Illinois SPSS Inc.
• Treffinger, D. J. (1993). Fostering effective
  independent learning through individualized
  programming. In J. S. Weaver-Hightower, M.
  (2003). The boyturn in research on gender and
  education. Review of Educational Research, 73,
  471-498.
• Vogt, W. P. (1999). Dictionary of statistics and
  methodology A non-technical guide for the social
  sciences. Thousand Oaks, California Sage
  Publications.