Showing papers by "Markku Niemivirta published in 2022"

Feeling exhausted and isolated? The connections between university students’ remote teaching and learning experiences, motivation, and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract: Abstract We examined university students’ experiences of remote teaching and learning, how the experiences are associated with well-being, and whether those associations differ according to motivation. Using latent variable modelling, we classified Finnish university students (N = 2686) based on their expectancy-value-cost profiles, compared latent means, and tested whether the predictions varied across profiles. Six expectancy-value-cost profiles were identified: moderately motivated, utility-oriented, disengaged, indifferent, positively ambitious, and struggling ambitious. Overall, positively ambitious students seemed most adaptive in terms of their study experiences and well-being. Similarly across the profiles, engagement was predicted positively by the evaluation of remote teaching and negatively by experienced strain, exhaustion positively by the evaluation of teaching and strain, and depressive symptoms positively by strain and sense of alienation. Findings suggest that subjective experiences of remote teaching and learning during the pandemic contribute to students’ well-being in unique ways and that distinct motivational mindsets may buffer against the negative outcomes.

Developmental trajectories of school-beginner’s ability self-concept, intrinsic value, and performance in mathematics

Abstract: This study investigated the developmental interdependence of Finnish school-beginners’ (N = 285) ability self-concept, intrinsic value, and performance in mathematics. More specifically, we examined: (i) whether and how children’s ability self-concept and intrinsic value in mathematics change over their first three years in school, (ii) how those changes are related to each other, (iii) how they predict later math performance, and (iv) whether there are gender differences in these trajectories. The results showed significant decrease over time in children’s ability self-concept and intrinsic value, but also significant individual differences in the trajectories. The high dependency between the levels and changes in children’s self-concept and intrinsic value led us to specify a factor-of-curves latent growth model, thus merging the trajectories of ability self-concept and intrinsic value into one common model (i.e., math motivation). The subsequent results showed prior math performance to predict change in children’s math motivation, meaning that higher initial competence was connected with less steep decrease in motivation. After controlling for the effects of first-grade math performance, both the level and change in math motivation predicted third-grade math performance and teacher-rated grades. That is, higher initial motivation and less steep decrease in it independently predicted better later math competence. Boys reported less steep decrease in math motivation than girls, despite no gender differences in initial math performance.

Täydellisyyteen pyrkimistä ja huolta omista suorituksista? Lukiolaisten perfektionismi ja opiskeluhyvinvointi

Abstract: Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, 1) minkälaisia perfektionismiprofiileja voidaan tunnistaa lukiolaisilla (N = 434) ja 2) miten ne ennustavat opiskeluintoa ja -uupumusta. Tutkimuksen keskeinen oletus oli, että perfektionismin ulottuvuudet – perfektionistiset pyrkimykset ja huolet – painottuvat lukiolaisilla eri tavoin ja että nämä painotukset eli profiilit ovat eri tavoin yhteydessä opiskelijoiden hyvinvointiin. Latentin profiilianalyysin avulla tunnistettiin neljä erilaista perfektionismiprofiilia: huolestuneet (suhteellisen matalat pyrkimykset ja paljon huolia; 37 %), kunnianhimoiset (korkeat pyrkimykset ja vähän huolia; 28 %), ei-perfektionistit (matalat pyrkimykset ja vähän huolia; 24 %) ja perfektionistit (korkeat pyrkimykset ja paljon huolia; 12 %). Sekä perfektionistit että kunnianhimoiset olivat innostuneita opiskelusta, mutta perfektionistit kokivat enemmän väsymystä ja riittämättömyyden tunteita opiskelijana, kun taas kunnianhimoisten opiskelu-uupumus oli vähäistä huolimatta heidän korkeasta tavoitetasostaan. Huolestuneet asennoituivat opintoihinsa kyynisemmin kuin muut opiskelijat ja kokivat yhtä paljon väsymystä ja riittämättömyyttä kuin perfektionistit. Tuloksemme osoittavat, että huoli omista suorituksista jatyytymättömyys niihin linkittyy opiskelu-uupumukseen – silloinkin, kun huolet yhdistyvät sinänsä suotuisaan korkeiden tavoitteiden asettamiseen.