In this article we argue that to be successful in an academic arena, students must adopt a consistent approach to completing academic work (i.e., a work habit) that includes very carefully interpreting the demands of tasks that are presented to them in schools. To clarify why task interpretation is so critical to student success, and is thus an important instructional objective for teachers, we begin by presenting two vignettes illustrating links between task interpretation and students’ successful engagement in academic work. Then, we take a step back to describe what we mean by academic work and engagement and to explain how and why students’ knowledge about, conceptions of, and interpretations of tasks are so foundational to performance. We also describe how students’ task interpretation breaks down and why such breakdowns often occur. Finally, we close by advancing practical suggestions for teachers regarding how to structure activities, instruction, and evaluation to promote students’ adoption of task interpretation as an important work habit in the pursuit of effective learning. Sally is teaching a ninth grade English class. Her goal is for students to learn how to write various kinds of paragraphs. After showing some examples and talking with the class about the structure of a narrative paragraph, Sally asks the students to write one themselves. She writes the assignment on the chalkboard as she explains it to the class but notices that quite a number of students start talking to each other while her back is turned. As students work on the assignment, Sally circulates around the room. She reexplains the task to some students and reminds others to focus on their work. She notices that many students seem lost and that only a few students are doing a good job of following her very detailed instructions. Amy is an eighth grade student taking science. One day, Amy arrives home with her science textbook and instructions to answer the questions at the end of Chapter 6. Amy sits down, turns her book to the end of the chapter, finds the first question and looks for key words. She then searches for those key words in the chapter to find information relevant to the question. She copies the information word for word onto a piece of paper, then moves onto the remaining questions. When she is challenged by her teacher the next day, who asks if she has answered the questions in her own words, Amy replies that she does not need to understand the information. She shows her teacher how she has received 100% on each of her previous homework assignments, which she completed in the same way.

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This paper reports findings from a longitudinal project in which secondary teachers were working collaboratively to support adolescents' self-regulatedlearning through reading(LTR) in subject-area classrooms. We build from prior research to “connect the dots” between teachers' engagement in self- and co-regulated inquiry, associated shifts in classroom practice, and student self-regulation. More specifically, we investigated whether and how teachers working within a community of inquiry were mobilizing research to shape classroom practice and advance student learning. Drawing on evidence from 18 teachers and their respective classrooms, we describe findings related to the following research questions: (1) While engaged in self- and co-regulated inquiry, what types of practices did teachers enact to support LTR in their subject-area classrooms? (2) How did teachers draw on research-based resources to inform practice development? (3) What kinds of practices could be associated with gains in students' self-regulated LTR? In our discussion, we highlight contributions to understanding how teachers can be supported to situate research in authentic classroom environments and about qualities of practices supportive of students' self-regulated LTR. We also identify limitations of this work and important future directions.

La gestion et l'appropriation du changement en éducation Volume 40, numéro 1, printemps 2012 URI : id.erudit.org/iderudit/1010146ar

Cette étude dresse le portrait des dispositifs de soutien aux étudiants instaurés dans les cégeps et les universités francophones du Québec. Les informations concernant ces dispositifs sont importantes, même si elles demeurent non exhaustives pour les deux ordres de formation, car plusieurs dispositifs n’ont pas fait l’objet d’une évaluation systématique. Les autrices dégagent les grandes tendances des quinze dernières années (de 1984 à 1999), les modes d’évaluation et les principaux résultats obtenus; leur analyse s’appuie sur le cadre de référence de l’apprentissage stratégique de Weinstein, Husman et Dierking (2000). Toute l’énergie semble concentrée sur l’action au détriment du retour évaluatif sur cette action. L’écart entre plusieurs des dispositifs offerts et les composantes identifiées comme ayant un impact significatif sur l’apprentissage des étudiants y est souligné.This study presents a portrait of support services available to students in Quebec francophone Cegeps and Universities. While a description of these services is still incomplete and has not been subjected to a systematic evaluation, this information is important to examine. The authors describe the main positions developed during the last fifteen years (1984 to 1999), and the evaluation methods and their results. Their analysis is based on a frame of reference describing strategic learning developed by Weinstein, Husman, and Dierking (2000). It appears that much effort is placed on developing actions to the detriment of an evaluation of these actions. The authors point out differences in the services offered and those components identified as having a significant impact on students’ learning.Este estudio presenta un panorama de los dispositivos de sostén a estudiantes instaurados en los CEGEP (Colegios de Educación General y Profesional) y universidades francoparlantes del Quebec. Las informaciones sobre tales dispositivos son importantes, mismo si no son exhaustivas en ambos niveles de formación, ya que estos dispositivos no han sido hasta hoy el objeto de un estudio sistemático. Del trabajo se desprenden las grandes tendencias de los últimos quince años (1984-1999) las formas de evaluación y los principales resultados obtenidos según el concepto de aprendizage estratégico de Weinstein, Husman et Dierking (2000). Las autoras señalan que toda la energía parece estar concentrada en la acción en detrimento de un retorno evaluativo sobre esta misma. El artículo hace incapié en la diferencia entre los dispositivos ofrecidos y algunos componentes identificados como teniendo un impacto significativo en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes.Diese Studie vermittelt einen Eindruck von den Einrichtungen der Studienberatung an den frankophonen CEGEPs und Universitäten in Québec. Die hier gegebenen Informationen sind wichtig, obwohl sie für beide Ausbildungsbereiche unvollständig sind, da mehrere Beratungseinrichtungen nicht systematisch erfasst worden sind. Die Autorinnen geben einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Tendenzen der letzten 15 Jahre (von 1984 b...