Abstracts - Earli

interviews and lesson observations. The first stage of the study is based on a questionnaire whichrequires answering both closed and open-ended questions. The closed questions refer to theteachers’ teaching contexts, whereas the open-ended questions require reflection on their attitudesand declared priorities in teaching as well as implementation of the new ideas. The interviews haveprovided a basis for qualitative analysis of the data. Lesson observations have enabled theresearcher to validate the opinions presented in the interviews. The data obtained has beenanalyzed in the following areas: · teachers’ views on European educational policy; · teachers’language learning experience; · teachers’ language teaching experience; · teachers’ attitude toeducational changes. The principal concern behind organizing the project is with an understandingwhat conditions have to be satisfied in order to encourage teachers to implement changes in theirpractice.E 2029 August 2007 14:30 - 16:30Room: 7.59SymposiumInstitutional and compositional school effects on students’ academicachievementChair: Michael Becker, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, GermanyOrganiser: Jürgen Baumert, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, GermanyOrganiser: Ulrich Trautwein, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, GermanyOrganiser: Michael Becker, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, GermanyDiscussant: Hans Luyten, University of Twente, Enschede, NetherlandsThe symposium examines institutional and compositional school effects on school achievementand basic cognitive abilities. In recent years, school effectiveness research has corrected thepessimistic picture painted by the classic Coleman Report (Coleman, 1966), which concluded thatschool quality has barely any impact on students’ development. This symposium will furtherconsolidate this positive position by examining the importance of school for development inchildhood and adolescence. The following three aspects will be addressed in detail: - Schooleffects on cognitive functioning are substantial. Effects are shown on several measures, especiallyacademic achievement measures such as reading, writing, and mathematics skills, and measures ofcognitive abilities such as fluid intelligence. - School effects can have multiple sources. Thesymposium highlights the importance of both compositional features (e.g., class-averageachievement and motivation of classmates) and institutional factors (e.g., course choice optionsand curricular differentiation). - School effects may work in both directions. It is possible toidentify factors with a negative influence on student performance, as well as factors that have apositive influence on schools, such that students’ performance exceeds expectations.– 303 –