Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
12:55
Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
KNOWLEDGE GAPS AMONG SCHOOL STAFF AND THE ROLE OF HIGH QUALITY ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS IN SCHOOLS
Natasha K Bowen1, Joelle D Powers
1School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550.
Research on Social Work Practice
|June 29, 2011
Summary
This study found that ecological assessments provide valuable new insights for school staff regarding student success factors. The Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) effectively identified knowledge gaps concerning children
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Child Development
- Assessment and Evaluation
Background:
- School staff often lack comprehensive knowledge about factors influencing student success.
- Existing assessment methods may not fully capture the ecological context of students' lives.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for targeted interventions and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the practice validity of a new ecological assessment instrument.
- To determine if the Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) provides novel information to school staff.
- To assess the ESSP's effectiveness in identifying knowledge gaps regarding student success factors.
Main Methods:
- Compared pre-assessment knowledge of school staff with data from 21 children and parents.
- Utilized the Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) for data collection.
- Analyzed data across seven life domains, two data sources, and grade levels.
Main Results:
- School staff's pre-assessment knowledge correlated poorly with obtained data (41% match).
- Significant variations in knowledge were observed across different life domains, data sources, and student grade levels.
- The ESSP revealed specific areas where staff knowledge was limited.
Conclusions:
- Ecological assessments, like the ESSP, can effectively bridge knowledge gaps for school staff.
- These assessments highlight targetable factors influencing student success.
- Implementing ecological assessments can lead to more informed educational practices and interventions.
Related Concept Videos
02:30Naturalistic Observations
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
02:26Ecological Disturbance
An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.
01:19Methods to Assess Microbial Communities
Microbial communities, comprising bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms, inhabit diverse ecosystems and play crucial roles in environmental and biological processes. Their diversity is defined by three main parameters: species richness (the number of distinct species), species abundance (the relative quantity of each species), and species evenness (how uniformly individual species are distributed in various locations). These factors together shape the structure and ecological balance...
02:02Ecological Niches
All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.