UNLABELLED This article describes the education quality control systems (for mathematics) used by those countries that performed best on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Enforced quality control measures are defined as "decision points"--where adherence to the curriculum and instruction system can be reinforced. Most decision points involve stakes for the student, ...

This study examined the impact of cooperative learning activities on student achievement and attitudes in large-enrollment ( 250) introductory biology classes. We found that students taught using a cooperative learning approach showed greater improvement in their knowledge of course material compared with students taught using a traditional lecture format. In addition, students viewed cooperati...

abstract background: motivation to academic achievement is critical for students of medical sciences, particularly nursing students. it is directly related to high levels of achievement and quality of life. accordingly, diminished motivation would result in academic decline, study and work desertion and exhaustion. therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive behavioural i...

Background/Context: Although there is substantial evidence that high-quality professional development can improve teacher practices, less evidence exists for the effects of teacher professional development on intermediate outcomes, such as teacher practices, and their ultimate effects on K–12 student achievement. This work links professional development through teacher practices to examine thei...

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-1995 and its successor, TIMSS-1999, provide researchers, policymakers, and educators with an unprecedented opportunity to explore the possible relationships between educational policies and student achievement in an international context. Due to the amount and complexity of the TIMSS data, analyses have proceeded in phases, each prov...

This study examined the impact of cooperative learning activities on student achievement and attitudes in large-enrollment (>250) introductory biology classes. We found that students taught using a cooperative learning approach showed greater improvement in their knowledge of course material compared with students taught using a traditional lecture format. In addition, students viewed cooperati...

How Long Do Teacher Effects Persist? Previous findings from experimental and non-experimental studies have demonstrated that teachers differ in their effectiveness. In addition, evidence from non-experimental studies has indicated that teacher effects can last up to five years. This study used high-quality data from a four-year randomized experiment in which teachers and students were randomly ...

We develop and estimate an equilibrium model of ability tracking. In the model, a school chooses how to allocate students into tracks based on their ability and chooses track-specific inputs. Parents choose parental effort in response. We estimate the model using data from the ECLS-K. We use the estimated model to first examine the effects of disallowing tracking on school and parental inputs a...

Tutors in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum are thought to play active roles in guiding students to develop frameworks for use in the construction of knowledge. This implies that both subject-matter expertise and the ability of tutors to facilitate the learning process must be important in helping students learn. This study examines the behavioural effects of tutors in terms of subject-...