Since the Law for Tailored Education (Wet Passend Onderwijs) was implemented in Dutch schools in 2014, teachers have begun to struggle to manage and meet the growing complexity of needs in their...Show moreSince the Law for Tailored Education (Wet Passend Onderwijs) was implemented in Dutch schools in 2014, teachers have begun to struggle to manage and meet the growing complexity of needs in their students. Therefore, it is important to aid teachers in identifying the needs of students, so teachers can focus on meeting their students’ needs instead. This study attempts to find evidence for the usability of dynamic forms of testing for identifying the needs of children with autism or autism traits. Because the main aim was to identify differences in change of strategy-use after training in children with different levels of autism traits, a process-oriented approach was chosen. Using a dynamic version of the Rey Osterieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) with graduated prompts as training method, the change in strategy-use was measured in a randomized blocking experimental-control group design. The sample consisted of 87 children from third and fourth grade. Children who received training showed more change than children in the control condition. Additionally, there was no difference in strategy-use or change in strategy-use for children with different levels of autism traits and no relation was found between strategy-use and type of autism traits. The findings suggest that the usability of dynamic testing with graduated prompts holds for children with and without autism traits.Show less
Education plays a crucial role in the development of every child, with a particular focus on meeting diverse educational needs, especially for children with high levels of autism traits. These...Show moreEducation plays a crucial role in the development of every child, with a particular focus on meeting diverse educational needs, especially for children with high levels of autism traits. These children often have unique needs that require specific support to successfully learn and participate. Despite the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, the educational needs of this group are often not adequately met within mainstream education. This study focuses on the effects of dynamic testing on the performance and strategy use of children with high levels of autism traits (and therefore weak central coherence) (Wagemans et al., 2018). A dynamic training was conducted, in which children received hints and feedback during task execution, based on the Graduated Prompts Model. The aim was to gain insight into the learning potential of these children and their need for specific instructions. The results showed no significant differences in performance and strategy use between the group of children who received dynamic training and the group that only practiced repeatedly. The hypothesis that dynamic testing would lead to improved performance and strategy use was not confirmed in this study. However, the current research suggests that repeated practice may lead to an improvement in strategy use. These findings suggest that dynamic testing may not provide the expected benefits for improving performance and strategy use in children with weak central coherence. The lack of significant differences highlights the need for further research. This study emphasizes the importance of continuing to seek methods that are effective in supporting the unique educational needs of children, with repeated practice potentially serving as a starting point.Show less
This study examined the effects of a classroom-focused intervention on early literacy. The intervention consisted of interactive e-book reading via a SMART board combined with a print referencing...Show moreThis study examined the effects of a classroom-focused intervention on early literacy. The intervention consisted of interactive e-book reading via a SMART board combined with a print referencing technique via a program called e-Prent&ABC. The goal of the study was to examine whether focusing on print referencing during storytelling improves the book-bound vocabulary and printing knowledge of kindergarteners and to examine whether this relationship between storytelling and acquiring knowledge is different for children with a relatively low inhibition capacity compared to children with a relatively high inhibition capacity. Results indicated significantly larger gains with high effect sizes in book bound vocabulary (ηp2 = .614) and printing knowledge (ηp2 = .433) after participating in the intervention. The print referencing technique was found to be significantly effective with a high effect size for growth in printing knowledge (ηp2 = .450). The growth in vocabulary was not attributable to the print referencing technique, however this technique did not hinder children’s learning of new words. No significant differences were found after participating in the intervention for children with a relatively low inhibition capacity when compared to children with a relatively high inhibition capacity. The findings indicated that shared e-book reading combined with a print referencing technique is an effective method for stimulating and enhancing early literacy skills of kindergarteners such as printing knowledge and vocabulary.Show less
This study aims to examine the relationship between instructional needs, the level of ASD characteristics, and the level of central coherence in students aged 8 to 12 from grades 5 and 6 of primary...Show moreThis study aims to examine the relationship between instructional needs, the level of ASD characteristics, and the level of central coherence in students aged 8 to 12 from grades 5 and 6 of primary education in the Netherlands (N=87). The goal is to better align education with the learning needs of children with ASD. The current research (DyFT) is part of a larger project titled "Learning to Draw: From Whole to Detail." The current study utilizes three measurement instruments: Raven Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM), Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (ASQ), and Dynamic Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (DROCFT). In this study, no significant correlations were found between the level of ASD characteristics, the level of central coherence, the required hints to solve the complex task and effective strategy use. One explanation suggested for the differences between the expectations and the findings is the superior visual skill levels found in individuals with ASD. It is emphasized that ASD is a heterogeneous disorder that can manifest in various ways in individuals. Finally, points for improvement are suggested for future research.Show less
Testing the cognitive abilities of children in educational settings is mostly done with static tests. Research has found that dynamic tests can provide additional information to static tests....Show moreTesting the cognitive abilities of children in educational settings is mostly done with static tests. Research has found that dynamic tests can provide additional information to static tests. Dynamic tests can determine the learning potential and need for instruction of children, which are suggested to be good predictors for future academic results. Moreover, these dynamic tests are less subject to bias. Unfortunately, dynamic tests are often labour-intensive and therefore hardly used in practice. This study aims to investigate the use of a shortened dynamic test, with a graduated-prompts procedure, to determine students’ need for instruction. Participants were 66 regular primary school children (M = 10.89 years, SD = .53 years). The shortened dynamic test was a geometric analogies task, appealing to inductive reasoning. Teachers were asked to estimate the individual need for instruction of their students, for both math and reading comprehension, in levels of ‘no help’, ‘meta-cognitive help’, ‘cognitive help’ and ‘modelling’. The Cito scores for math and reading comprehension were obtained for every student. Only a few students needed modelling help during the shortened dynamic test. Therefore, the cognitive help and modelling were combined for the sake of reliability and usability of this study. Teacher’s perspective could predict the Cito scores to a large extent, especially for math. The results of the shortened dynamic test added slightly to this explanation, but only for math. Reading comprehension requires more than just inductive reasoning, such as vocabulary, which was beyond the scope of the shortened dynamic test. Regardless of the limitations of this study, the shortened dynamic test show promise as an objective ‘check’. For instance, for unexperienced teachers who are uncertain about the need for instructions for a student. Finally, this study may prove to be a valuable stepping stone to future research in the field of shortened dynamic tests.Show less
Children with a developmental language disorder (DLD) have a higher chance to be underestimated by their teachers through static and traditional tests at primary school. Present study investigates...Show moreChildren with a developmental language disorder (DLD) have a higher chance to be underestimated by their teachers through static and traditional tests at primary school. Present study investigates whether an abbreviated dynamic test would be a viable instrument to help teachers measure the instructional needs for children with a DLD. Pupils who participated (N = 66, M = 9.5 years, SD = 0.53) took an abbreviated dynamic test consisting of a 12-item analogy task. A hierarchical graduated prompt training (metacognitive, cognitive or modelling) was given to a student whom answered incorrectly. In addition, the teachers were given a questionnaire consisting of questions about pupil’s language development and current school results. First, the relationship between language development, teachers rating of instructional needs and school results was measured. A positive and significant relation was found in which children with a higher language development needed less instructions and had higher school results. Second, the relationship between language development and instructional needs on the abbreviated dynamic test were measured. It was found that children with a slower language development needed more and different kinds of graduated prompts during the dynamic test, showing a different need for instruction. Lastly the predictive value of the abbreviated dynamic test in combination with language development was measured. The abbreviated dynamic test in combination with language development is found to be a significant and strong predictor for math scores on Cito. In conclusion, it is possible to use an abbreviated dynamic test with standardized graduated prompts to measure the instructional needs of children with a language development disorder.Show less
Een kritische bespreking van de gemaakte keuzes tijdens het onderzoeksproces betreffende een onderzoek naar het dynamisch assessmentrapport van het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland. Gemaakte stappen...Show moreEen kritische bespreking van de gemaakte keuzes tijdens het onderzoeksproces betreffende een onderzoek naar het dynamisch assessmentrapport van het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland. Gemaakte stappen gedurende alle fasen van het onderzoek worden behandeld en hun invloed wordt gerelateerd aan de uiteindelijke betrouwbaarheid van de resultaten.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate the relation between visual working memory, organizational strategy use, and memory accuracy in process-oriented dynamic testing with a complex figure task....Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate the relation between visual working memory, organizational strategy use, and memory accuracy in process-oriented dynamic testing with a complex figure task. The sample (N = 43) consisted of 3rd and 4th grade children (M = 8.91 years; SD =.72). On the pretest participants were asked to draw the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) from memory. Then, the control group practiced independently with two alternative figures and the training group received a graduated prompts training in organizational strategy use. On the posttest participants were again asked to draw the original ROCF from memory. There was no difference in organizational strategy use for levels of working memory on the pretest. The results showed a greater improvement from pretest to posttest for the training group and, in the training group, a greater improvement for children with a high working memory level. Only organizational strategy use predicted memory accuracy on the pretest, whereas both working memory and organizational strategy use predicted memory accuracy on the posttest. It was concluded that dynamic testing with a graduated prompts training can support children to adopt effective strategy use and improve task performance. Also, children with a high working memory level benefit more from a learning opportunity. Therefore, visual working memory seems to facilitate learning.Show less
Dit onderzoek bestaat uit een literatuuronderzoek en een kwalitatief onderzoek, gericht op het geven van een afgewogen advies met betrekking tot het dynamisch assessmentverslag binnen het...Show moreDit onderzoek bestaat uit een literatuuronderzoek en een kwalitatief onderzoek, gericht op het geven van een afgewogen advies met betrekking tot het dynamisch assessmentverslag binnen het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland. Het literatuuronderzoek had als doel om de vraag te beantwoorden welke informatie uit dynamisch assessment waardevol is voor de behandeling van cognitieve vaardigheden en leerpotentieel. Deze waardevolle elementen zijn uiteengezet en gelinkt aan de Feuerstein methode. Het kwalitatieve onderzoek was gericht op het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland en is uitgevoerd om in kaart te brengen welke informatie uit het Learning Potential Assessment Device-verslag de behandelaren van dit centrum nodig achten voor de inrichting van hun behandeling. Deze data zijn verkregen door middel van semigestructureerde interviews met vijf behandelaren van het centrum en een hieruit volgende thematische analyse. Tot slot zijn de bevindingen uit de thematische analyse gekoppeld aan de gevonden literatuur. Uit de resultaten bleek dat het LPAD-verslag de informatie bevat die de behandelaren nodig hebben voor de inrichting van hun behandeling. De conclusies, aanbevelingen en algemene gedragsobservaties uit het verslag werden voornamelijk gebruikt. Daarnaast speelde tijdsgebrek, een hoge werkdruk en de mate van kennis mee in het wel of niet lezen van het LPAD-verslag en gaven veel behandelaren aan mondelinge overdracht door de assessor een efficiënte werkwijze te vinden. Op basis van de resultaten zijn aanbevelingen opgesteld.Show less
Dit onderzoek bestaat uit een literatuuronderzoek en een kwalitatief onderzoek, gericht op het geven van een afgewogen advies met betrekking tot het dynamisch assessmentverslag binnen het...Show moreDit onderzoek bestaat uit een literatuuronderzoek en een kwalitatief onderzoek, gericht op het geven van een afgewogen advies met betrekking tot het dynamisch assessmentverslag binnen het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland. Het literatuuronderzoek had als doel om de vraag te beantwoorden welke informatie uit dynamisch assessment waardevol is voor de behandeling van cognitieve vaardigheden en leerpotentieel. Deze waardevolle elementen zijn uiteengezet en gelinkt aan de Feuerstein methode. Het kwalitatieve onderzoek was gericht op het Feuerstein Centrum Nederland en is uitgevoerd om in kaart te brengen welke informatie uit het Learning Potential Assessment Device-verslag de behandelaren van dit centrum nodig achten voor de inrichting van hun behandeling. Deze data zijn verkregen door middel van semigestructureerde interviews met vijf behandelaren van het centrum en een hieruit volgende thematische analyse. Tot slot zijn de bevindingen uit de thematische analyse gekoppeld aan de gevonden literatuur. Uit de resultaten bleek dat het LPAD-verslag de informatie bevat die de behandelaren nodig hebben voor de inrichting van hun behandeling. De conclusies, aanbevelingen en algemene gedragsobservaties uit het verslag werden voornamelijk gebruikt. Daarnaast speelde tijdsgebrek, een hoge werkdruk en de mate van kennis mee in het wel of niet lezen van het LPAD-verslag en gaven veel behandelaren aan mondelinge overdracht door de assessor een efficiënte werkwijze te vinden. Op basis van de resultaten zijn aanbevelingen opgesteld.Show less
