Determinants Affecting Estimate of Scholarship - Research Paper Example

Running Header: Factors Influencing and Impacting Assessment of Student Learning Student’s Name: Lecture’s Name: Course Name & Code: Date of Submission: Factors Influencing and Impacting Assessment of Student Learning Introduction Students’ primary job in the society especially between the ages of 5 to 13 is very important. This is because at this stage the students are prepared to become productive members in the society. What the students learn at their primary level determine the choices they make at their secondary and tertiary level and also after they enter the workforce. Dean (2010) describes that to ensure effective learning; several factors should be considered which include external and internal. External factors deal with social and cultural values. The school environment may also determine learning procedures and finally teachers and administrators. The other factor that influences primary learning is student’s ability and willingness to learn. This study analyses the environmental factors, instruction process and student factors impacting the assessment of student learning within primary level. Environmental Factors Environmental factors include factors that that highlight the role of the environment for example social-emotional, societal and cultural factors. They provide the context in which personal factors operate. Learning is therefore understood with both the personal and environmental factors present. Learning is facilitated by intelligence which is the ability to learn effectively. The social economic factors affecting students include the fact that that students come from different backgrounds. Some students may be from family background with highly educated parents and others from single parenthood with limited education. Students from affluent background seem to have more educational support and have easy access to resources which enable them perform well in school (Mayer, 2001). Parents’ education also affects learning in primary level because parents who have access to educational resources spreads it to their children and are also likely to educate their children both directly and indirectly. Such parents have higher regards for education and enable their child to pursue higher education unlike parents who stopped at high school who may reduce student’s desire to proceed. Woolfolk (2001) describes that other environmental factors include school structure and resources. These play a major role in influencing student’s learning. A well equipped classroom with enough space and without distractions enable student to concentrate and focus on important instructions especially students at primary level who are easily distracted by any kind of noise. Safety also affects learning since students always wasn’t to feel safe from fights or riots. Instructional processes These are processes that ensure maximisation of effectiveness, efficiency and other learning experiences. Woolfolk (2001) describes that the process involves the current state of a learner and the need of the learner. It also defines the end goal and creates intervention to help in transition. The process involves teaching, tested theories of learning and is based students only or may be community based. Instruction process is both observable and may be measured scientifically. The phases include analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The other steps involved in instruction include pre-requisite knowledge. This involves the knowledge of students, content, teaching methodologies and the available resources in the school environment. Second step of instruction process is planning and preparing. This step involves selecting various teaching methodologies related to the content and student learning style. According to Piskurich (2006) Instruction process also involves the design used to prepare students for instruction in order to support the lesson. The third step is presentation of a lesson according to the instruction plan. Fourth is application of the plan which provides opportunities for practice to reinforce learning. Fifth is evaluation of student’s performance which enables teachers to provide feedback to students. It also reflects on instruction and review the teaching process. Final step is to record and report the record of student’s performance. The performance is also communicated to the parents to discover the problems. In order for the school performance to improve, management should ensure that every student understand the benefits of this improvement. Hokanson and Miller, (2009) describes that a mechanism of measuring improvement should also be provided to measure the level of change. The school curriculum should be in a manner that all the issues be addressed in a planned way to produce better results. This improvement will be initiated through the introduction of a new strategy of measuring performance. The school can use other factors of varying performance other than comparing the external environment of the schools. The school’s management has to consider their mission which states the purpose of their business, the vision which shows the future aspirations should also be considered before coming up with a new strategy. Values guiding their actions are also important in the process (Piskurich, 2006). The measure of performance used by the school enable the parents of the school understand the efficiency and effectiveness of the school. This is because students are able to realise their potential and this makes it easy for their teachers to put more emphasis at their weak points. The result of this is an effective performance. The school shareholders expect outstanding performance from the students in return of their investment. Some of these investments include ideas, skills and values. Dick et al. (2005) explains that the school should introduce a better way of measuring performance. This is because some schools performance is not only affected by the external environment for example the geographical location. Comparing the students’ performance with that from a statistically similar school does not always give the right results. The reward system is better as it initiates a strategic behavior. The measure of performance also promotes school innovation and transparency. It also enables one to invent in other strategies that lead to improvement. Learning is improved thus causing an improvement in intelligence. Measurement of performance also leads to vicious effects in to the minds of students. A given measure of performance stimulates professional productivity. This is because students will be in a position of viewing their output which may be rewarding to them especially when the results are to be celebrated (Erchul and Martens, 2010). Students’ factors Students also tend to believe learning involves memorising but should be made to believe that learning is about changing their understanding as this enables them adopt various learning approaches. Once students see knowledge as essential rather than something to be negotiated, they adopt surface approaches to learning. This is achieved by enabling students to perceive what is required of them and in relating knowledge to experience. Teachers at this level of learning should also be careful while selecting, presenting and assessing content to be taught. They should also ensure that the environment is supportive to facilitate learning. According to Neukrug and Fawcett (2010) psychologists show that learning discipline should be conducted through logical consequences for example in stead of using punishment in child training, discipline should be taught through learning from logical consequences of the behavior such as if a child is on the wrong, they should be left to clean up their mess. Erchul and Martens (2010) shows these methods are applicable at all age groups though more discipline, acknowledgement and recognition should be used when the child is at their early age since their mind is less developed and are not capable of logical thought. Students’ encouragement is considered better than rewarding. This is because encouragement facilitates the development of a person’s inner resources instilling courage to have a positive movement. It is said that listening to a child for example builds their self worth and it also shows respect to their opinions. Piskurich (2006) shows when encouraging it is important to consider separating the behavior from the child and instead encourages the behavior for example a boy who passed in school should not be encouraged by telling him “Good boy” but instead should be told “Wonderful job”. This puts emphasis on the behavior rather than the person and it is helpful and capable to yield long-term benefits. The schools objectives is to ensure that every child acquire necessary knowledge, skills and good values. Dean (2010) shows the acquired values should enable the students become creative in problem solving situations so that in future they can some up with proper decisions for their lives. The school achieves the above objectives by ensuring that a positive learning environment is provided as well as ensuring that core values are maintained. Some of the vices that the school should be against include indiscipline, bullying and others that discriminate other students. Improvement occurs when the factors leading to change are effectively and efficiently managed. The school should therefore try to alter their measure of performance by changing several activities for example by use of National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) used by the Australian government to measure performance. Visible results should therefore be provided and should have a lasting impact for the benefit of everyone (Dick et al., 2005). Conclusion Some of the factors that affect the learning of students analysed in this chapter include environmental factors and the instruction process used in the primary level. However, a very critical factor is the students’ factors which include student’s willingness to learn. If a student is willing, motivated and goal-oriented, they are likely to learn more effectively and efficiently. Without the above virtues, students may regurgitate the education offered at this level of studying which is important in enabling students make future decisions. References Dean, T. (2010). Factors that affect Student Learning, viewed 29 July 2011. Dick, W., Lou, C. & James O. (2005). The Systematic Design of Instruction (6th ed.). Sydney: Allyn & Bacon. 1–12. Erchul, W. P., & Martens, B. K. (2010). School Consultation: Conceptual and empirical bases of practice (3rd ed.). New York: Springer. Hokanson, B. & Miller, C. (2009). Role-based design: A contemporary framework for innovation and creativity in instructional design. Educational Technology, 49(2), 21–28. Mayer, R.E. (2001). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Neukrug, E. S., & Fawcett, R. C. (2010). Essentials of testing and assessment: A practical guide for counsellors, social workers, and psychologists (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Piskurich, G. (2006). Rapid Instructional Design: Learning ID fast and right. Sydney: Educational Tech. Publications. Woolfolk, A. (2001). Educational Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Read More

According to Piskurich (2006) Instruction process also involves the design used to prepare students for instruction in order to support the lesson. The third step is presentation of a lesson according to the instruction plan. Fourth is application of the plan which provides opportunities for practice to reinforce learning. Fifth is evaluation of student’s performance which enables teachers to provide feedback to students. It also reflects on instruction and review the teaching process. Final step is to record and report the record of student’s performance.

The performance is also communicated to the parents to discover the problems. In order for the school performance to improve, management should ensure that every student understand the benefits of this improvement. Hokanson and Miller, (2009) describes that a mechanism of measuring improvement should also be provided to measure the level of change. The school curriculum should be in a manner that all the issues be addressed in a planned way to produce better results. This improvement will be initiated through the introduction of a new strategy of measuring performance.

The school can use other factors of varying performance other than comparing the external environment of the schools. The school’s management has to consider their mission which states the purpose of their business, the vision which shows the future aspirations should also be considered before coming up with a new strategy. Values guiding their actions are also important in the process (Piskurich, 2006). The measure of performance used by the school enable the parents of the school understand the efficiency and effectiveness of the school.

This is because students are able to realise their potential and this makes it easy for their teachers to put more emphasis at their weak points. The result of this is an effective performance. The school shareholders expect outstanding performance from the students in return of their investment. Some of these investments include ideas, skills and values. Dick et al. (2005) explains that the school should introduce a better way of measuring performance. This is because some schools performance is not only affected by the external environment for example the geographical location.

Comparing the students’ performance with that from a statistically similar school does not always give the right results. The reward system is better as it initiates a strategic behavior. The measure of performance also promotes school innovation and transparency. It also enables one to invent in other strategies that lead to improvement. Learning is improved thus causing an improvement in intelligence. Measurement of performance also leads to vicious effects in to the minds of students. A given measure of performance stimulates professional productivity.

This is because students will be in a position of viewing their output which may be rewarding to them especially when the results are to be celebrated (Erchul and Martens, 2010). Students’ factors Students also tend to believe learning involves memorising but should be made to believe that learning is about changing their understanding as this enables them adopt various learning approaches. Once students see knowledge as essential rather than something to be negotiated, they adopt surface approaches to learning.

This is achieved by enabling students to perceive what is required of them and in relating knowledge to experience. Teachers at this level of learning should also be careful while selecting, presenting and assessing content to be taught. They should also ensure that the environment is supportive to facilitate learning. According to Neukrug and Fawcett (2010) psychologists show that learning discipline should be conducted through logical consequences for example in stead of using punishment in child training, discipline should be taught through learning from logical consequences of the behavior such as if a child is on the wrong, they should be left to clean up their mess.

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