Showing papers in "British Journal of Educational Psychology in 2021"

My brain feels like a browser with 100 tabs open": A longitudinal study of teachers' mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Abstract: Background Teaching and caring for pupils during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for many teachers, and its impact on teachers' mental health and well-being (MHWB) should be of great national and international concern. Aim and participants This study examines 24 primary and secondary school teachers' MHWB experiences across three time points (April, July, and November 2020) using longitudinal qualitative trajectory analysis. Method We used a mixture of inductive and deductive coding, based on the Job Demands-Resources Model, to identify the job demands (aspects of the job that can be physically or psychologically costly) and job resources (aspects of the job that can buffer the effects of job demands and promote achievement and growth) teachers reported experiencing across the three time points. Results Generally, teachers' MHWB seemed to have declined throughout the pandemic, especially for primary school leaders. Six job demands contributed negatively to teachers' MHWB (i.e., uncertainty, workload, negative perception of the profession, concern for others' well-being, health struggles, and multiple roles) and three job resources contributed positively to their MHWB (i.e., social support, work autonomy, and coping strategies). Conclusions Policymakers and practitioners can support teachers' MHWB by engaging in more collaborative communication and ensuring greater accessibility to sources of social support. These discussions and provisions will be crucial in supporting teachers, and thereby the educational system, both during and after the pandemic.

The role of achievement emotions in primary school mathematics : Control–value antecedents and achievement outcomes

Abstract: Background: Appraisals of control and value are proposed as proximal antecedents of achievement emotions, which, in turn, predict achievement. Relatively few studies have investigated how control and value may interact to determine achievement emotions, or that also include achievement. Aim: To examine whether control, value, and their interaction, predicted mathematics test score directly, and, indirectly, mediated by three salient achievement emotions: enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety. Method: Data were collected from 1,298 primary school children. Participants completed self-report measures of control, value (i.e., intrinsic, attainment, and utility), and achievement emotions (i.e., enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety), in the context of mathematics. Participants then undertook a curriculum-based mathematics test in class. Results: Higher control and value were related to a higher mathematics test score directly, and, indirectly, mediated via higher enjoyment and lower anxiety. The interaction of control and intrinsic value predicted mathematics test score directly, and, indirectly, mediated via enjoyment. Conclusion: Intrinsic value amplified the direct positive relation between control and mathematics test score. Intrinsic value also protected mathematics test scores at lower levels of control indirectly, through higher enjoyment. Helping students to maximise control and value will be beneficial for their learning experience and outcomes.

Student–teacher relationship quality and prosocial behaviour: The mediating role of academic achievement and a positive attitude towards school

Abstract: BACKGROUND The current research investigated the association between teacher-student relationship (both teacher-perceived and student-perceived relationship quality) and students' prosocial behaviours, as well as the mediating roles of students' attitudes towards school and perceived academic competence in this association. SAMPLE Four hundred and fifty-nine Italian primary students (aged 4-9, Mage = 7.05, SDage = 1.37) and 47 teachers (aged 26-60, Mage = 48.35, SDage = 8.13) participated and finished all the questionnaires and scales. METHODS Multiple regression analyses and bootstrapping analyses were employed to test the direct and the mediating effects between the teacher/student-perceived relationship and students' prosocial behaviours. RESULTS Results indicated that (1) teacher-student relationship was positively associated with students' prosocial behaviour; and (2) students' attitudes towards school could significantly mediate the association between teacher/student-perceived relationship and students' prosocial behaviours. CONCLUSIONS Our understanding of how teacher-student relationship helps to enhance students' prosocial behaviours, as well as the intervention programmes that aim to enhance students' prosocial behaviours, may benefit from these findings.

Displayed enthusiasm attracts attention and improves recall

Abstract: BACKGROUND Instructor enthusiasm has been shown to enhance a range of positive student outcomes including recall, but the underlying mechanisms for the favourable effects of teacher enthusiasm are still largely unknown. AIMS We hypothesized that attention paid to the instructor is one mechanism and that the positive effects of enthusiasm will disappear when attention is captured by another task. SAMPLES In a series of three studies, we involved fourth and fifth graders in listening to texts read aloud with high or low levels of displayed enthusiasm. METHODS In Study 1, we obtained self-reported and observed behavioural indicators of attention while students were read texts with high versus low enthusiasm. In Study 2, we additionally manipulated attention by comparing a group who performed a concurrent attentional task while listening to the texts read with high or low enthusiasm to a group who only listened to the texts. In Study 3, we compared the attention-catching concurrent task used in Study 2 to a non-attention-catching dual task. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that displayed enthusiasm captures attention and that attention partially explains the positive effect of displayed enthusiasm on recall.

How executive functions contribute to reading comprehension

Abstract: Background: Executive functions have been proposed to account for individual variation in reading comprehension beyond the contributions of decoding skills and language skills. However, insight into the direct and indirect effects of multiple executive functions on fifth-grade reading comprehension, while accounting for decoding and language skills, is limited. Aim: The present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of fourth-grade executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and planning) on fifth-grade reading comprehension, after taking into account decoding and language skills. Samples: The sample included one-hundred-and-thirteen fourth grade children (including 65 boys and 48 girls; Age M = 9.89; SD = .44 years). Methods: The participants were tested on their executive functions (working memory, inhibition and planning), and their decoding skills, language skills (vocabulary and syntax knowledge) and reading comprehension, one year later. Results: Using Structural Equation Modeling, the results indicated direct effects of working memory and planning on reading comprehension, as well as indirect effects of working memory and inhibition via decoding (model fit: χ2 =2.46). Conclusions: The results of the present study highlight the importance of executive functions for reading comprehension after taking variance in decoding and language skills into account: Both working memory and planning uniquely contributed to reading comprehension. In addition, working memory and inhibition, also supported decoding. As a practical implication, educational professionals should not only take into account the decoding and language skills children bring into the classroom, but their executive functions as well.

Examining the relationships between cognitive activation, self‐efficacy, socioeconomic status, and achievement in mathematics: A multi‐level analysis

Abstract: Background Previous studies have suggested that teachers' frequent use of cognitive activation strategies in mathematics lessons is positively associated with students' mathematics achievement. Aims This study aims to investigate the possible mediating role of mathematics self-efficacy in the association between cognitive activation and achievement in mathematics classrooms. Besides that, we explored the moderating role of students' socioeconomic status (SES) in the relationships between cognitive activation, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement. Samples This study employed data from a project of the National Assessment Center for Education Quality (NACEQ) in China. A sample with 8707 fourth-grade primary students and 129 mathematics teachers was analysed. Methods The multi-level analysis was used in this study with students representing the level-1 units and teachers representing the level-2 units. Results Based on a large-scale standard assessment and survey in China, this study showed that cognitive activation was positively related to mathematics performance overall. Mathematics self-efficacy played a vital mediating role in the association between cognitive activation and mathematics achievement. The indirect relationship between cognitive activation and mathematics achievement via mathematics self-efficacy was moderated by SES both at the student level and the teacher level. Conclusions Our study suggests the importance of cognitively activating instruction, especially for students with lower SES and classes with lower average SES.

Motivational School Climate and Teachers' Achievement Goal Orientations: A Hierarchical Approach.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Teachers' achievement goal orientations are known to affect teachers' beliefs and behaviour. In contrast, we know relatively little on how school climate is associated with teachers' achievement goals, even though theoretical ideas can be derived from self-determination theory and empirical research on the impact of goal structures. The few studies that exist on the issue are limited as analyses were only conducted at the individual level and subsequent findings can, thus, not be interpreted as climate effects. AIM We aimed to overcome this shortcoming by analysing associations between teachers' perception of school motivational climate and their achievement goal orientations at individual and at school level. We postulated that at school level a school's learning goal structure, autonomy-supportive leadership, positive feedback culture, and a collaborative climate would be associated with teachers' learning goal orientation, whereas a school's performance goal structure was supposed to align with teachers' performance (approach and avoidance) goal orientation. SAMPLE A total of 532 teachers from 40 different schools filled out questionnaires on their achievement goal orientations and aspects of their work context. METHODS We used hierarchical linear modelling to analyse effects at individual and at school level. RESULTS Teachers' learning goal orientations and their performance avoidance goal orientations varied significantly across schools. Positive perceptions of schools' feedback culture at school level corresponded positively with learning goal orientations, and collaborative climate was negatively associated with performance (approach and avoidance) goal orientations. CONCLUSIONS The results underline the importance of schools' motivational climate for teacher motivation and provide a starting point for developing strategies of workplace development.

Student engagement with school and personality: a biopsychosocial and person-centred approach

Abstract: Background Engagement with school is a key predictor of students' academic outcomes, yet little is known about its association with personality. No research has considered this association using Cloninger's biopsychosocial model of personality. This model may be particularly informative because it posits the structure of human personality corresponds to three systems of human learning and memory that regulate associative conditioning, intentionality, and self-awareness, all of which are relevant for understanding engagement. Aims To test for defined personality phenotypes and describe how they relate to student engagement. Sample 469 adolescents (54.2% female) attending the eighth (Mage = 13.2, SD = .57) or 11th (Mage = 16.5, SD = .84) grades. Methods Students completed self-report measures of personality and engagement. We used mixture models to identify latent classes defined by common (1) temperament profiles, (2) character profiles, and (3) joint temperament-character networks, and then tested how these classes differed in engagement. Results Latent class analysis revealed three distinct joint temperament-character networks: Emotional-Unreliable (emotionally reactive, low self-control, and low creativity), Organized-Reliable (self-control but not creative), and Creative-Reliable (highly creative and prosocial). These networks differed significantly in engagement, with the emotional-unreliable network linked to lower engagement. However, the magnitudes of these differences across engagement dimensions did not appear to be uniform. Conclusions Different integrated configurations of the biopsychosocial systems for associative conditioning, intentionality, and self-awareness (differences in personality) underlie student engagement. Our results offer a fine-grained understanding of engagement dimensions in terms of their underlying personality networks, with implications for educational policies and practices.

Trajectories of academic achievement for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with negative social and occupational outcomes across the life course. However, there has been limited population-based research that quantifies the impact of ADHD on academic achievement and academic trajectories. AIMS To compare academic performance and academic trajectories of students with ADHD with students without a mental disorder. SAMPLE Data were drawn from Young Minds Matter, a national population-based sample of 6,310 Australian children and adolescents aged 4-17 years. Using linked achievement test data, the academic performance and trajectories of 327 students with ADHD were compared with those of 3,916 students without a mental disorder. METHODS Survey data were combined with scores on national standardized tests for literacy and numeracy over an 8-year period. RESULTS In Year 3, students with ADHD were on average 1 year behind students with no mental disorder in reading and numeracy, and 9 months behind in writing. In Year 9, the gaps were much larger with students with ADHD on average 2.5 years behind in reading, 3 years behind in numeracy, and 4.5 years behind in writing. CONCLUSIONS Students with ADHD have substantially lower achievement in reading, writing, and numeracy. Writing was the most adversely affected domain. For example, in Year 9 students with ADHD were on average writing at a Year 5 level. Children and adolescents with ADHD need substantial support to manage inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Skilled remediation in literacy and numeracy is required throughout all school years.

How mathematics anxiety affects students' inflexible perseverance in mathematics problem-solving: Examining the mediating role of cognitive reflection

Abstract: Background Too many students persevere in relying upon one (sometimes suboptimal) strategy for solving a wide range of problems, even when they know more efficient strategies Although many studies have mentioned such phenomena, few studies have examined how emotional factors could affect this type of inflexible perseverance in strategy use Aims To examine whether mathematics anxiety could affect students' inflexible perseverance in strategy use and whether this effect could be mediated by cognitive reflection, which is the ability to engage in deliberate reasoning Sample and method In Study 1, 164 undergraduate students' (18-22 years) mathematics anxiety, cognitive reflection, and performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance were measured by a questionnaire battery Structural equation models were used to examine the correlations between these variables In Study 2, 98 undergraduate freshmen (17-18 years) were assigned to two groups, where one group's mathematics anxiety was temporarily induced by task instructions, while the other group served as a control group Cognitive reflection and inflexible perseverance of the two groups were compared Results Study 1 showed that mathematics anxiety was negatively correlated with students' performance on overcoming inflexible perseverance, while cognitive reflection mediated such an effect Study 2 showed that compared to the control group, the experimental group showed lower cognitive reflection, which led to lower performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance Conclusions Mathematics anxiety was showed to impair students' ability to engage in deliberate reasoning and was associated with inflexible use of strategies Alleviating students' mathematics anxiety should be considered when promoting students' strategic flexibility

Attainment, attendance, and school difficulties in UK primary schoolchildren with probable ADHD

Abstract: Background Among children aged 6-16, there is a clear association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and academic attainment. We wanted to know whether this association was replicated in younger children. Aims To explore the relationship between children aged 4-8 with probable ADHD and their academic attainment and school attendance. Secondly, the study aimed to explore their behaviour within school and their reported attitudes towards school. Sample A total of 1,152 children who were taking part in the Supporting Teachers and Children in Schools (STARS) cluster randomized controlled trial. Methods ADHD status was established by using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire predictive algorithm to identify children with probable ADHD. Using baseline data, random-effects regression models on ADHD status were fitted to attainment, attendance, special educational needs (SEN) provision, and attitudes towards school and classroom behaviour; models that were also fitted to attainment were evaluated again at 9, 18, and 30 months after baseline. Results Children with probable ADHD (n = 47) were more likely than controls (n = 1,105) to have below-expected attainment in literacy (odds ratio (OR) 16.7, 95% CI 6.93-to-40.1), numeracy (OR 11.3, 95% CI 5.34-to-24.1) and to be identified as having SEN (OR-55.2, 95%-CI 22.1-to-137). Their attendance was poorer with more unauthorized absences (rate ratio (RR)-1.91, 95%-CI-1.57-to-2.31). They had more teacher-reported behavioural problems (mean difference (MD) 5.0, 95%-CI 4.6-to-5.4) and less positive attitudes towards school (MD -1.1, 95% CI -0.56 to -1.85). Poorer attainment in literacy and numeracy persisted at all follow-ups. Conclusions Children aged as young as 4 whose behaviour indicates probable ADHD struggle to cope at school in terms of academic attainment, attendance, classroom behaviour, and attitude towards school when compared to other children. Early identification and intervention to help these children manage in school are needed.

Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills predict reading ability: A 9-year longitudinal study

Abstract: BACKGROUND Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills encapsulate a complex array of grammatical and semantic skills that underpin complex reading comprehension processes. However, most research in this area has focused on children with reading difficulties and not on typically developing children. Also the research has mostly focused on short-term effects of these skills on reading during the primary school years. Therefore, it remains unclear what specific role linguistic comprehension and narrative skills play in typically developing children's reading beyond the primary school years. AIMS With this 9-year prospective longitudinal study, we sought to clarify the independent effects of linguistic comprehension and narrative skill (at 5 years of age) on children's reading ability at 10 and 14 years of age. SAMPLE We examined the data from 716 children (MAge = 67 months, SD = 2.13 months), which were drawn from a major population cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. METHODS Children's language skills were assessed at 5 and word reading and reading comprehension skills at 10 years of age. The reading achievement scores at 14 years of age were based on national curriculum test results. RESULTS Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills at 5 years of age made unique and direct contributions to reading comprehension skills and reading achievement after accounting for general cognitive ability, memory, phonological skills, and mother's education. Moreover, listening comprehension predicted reading achievement even when prior reading skills were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills are related but distinct oral language skills that continue to influence children's reading development beyond the primary school years.

Development of children's metacognitive knowledge, reading, and writing in English as a foreign language: Evidence from longitudinal data using multilevel models.

Abstract: Background Limited studies have been conducted on delineating the rationale behind individual differences in children developing metacognitive knowledge, as well as reading and writing proficiency. Aims This study examined the dynamics of children's development of metacognitive knowledge as well as reading and writing proficiency during their progression from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Sample(s) A total of 420 students participated in the study, who were tested 6 times to assess their metacognitive knowledge, reading, and writing proficiency. Methods The participants were invited to complete three tests: metacognitive knowledge, reading, and writing, which were administered at the end of each grade year. Results and conclusions Three variables (i.e., metacognitive knowledge, reading, and writing) showed high stability and increasing variance over time. These findings suggest individual differences in children's development of metacognitive knowledge, as well as reading and writing proficiency. Students' metacognitive knowledge grew more quickly among those who entered primary school with already strong metacognitive skills; the same was true for their reading and writing development. Results also revealed predictive effects of students' metacognitive knowledge on their reading and writing performance. Implications are discussed based on these findings.

When anxiety becomes my propeller: Mental toughness moderates the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance

Abstract: Background High academic anxiety is associated with poor academic performance. One proposed mechanism of this association is that academic anxiety promotes learning avoidance behaviours, which in turn hinders students' opportunities to learn and grow. However, this proposition has not been thoroughly examined, particularly in afterschool learning settings. The present study aimed to address this gap. Aims First, we investigated whether individual differences in academic anxiety across three domains (mathematics, native language or L1, and second language learning or L2) predicted students' academic avoidance in the corresponding domain in high school. Second, given that individual differences in personality may result in employing different coping strategies to deal with academic anxiety, we examined how mental toughness (MT) moderated the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. Sample Two waves of longitudinal data that were one semester apart were available for four hundred and forty-four high school students. Methods Students self-reported their MT, academic anxiety, and academic avoidance (i.e., time spent on studying a subject afterschool) in mathematics, L1, and L2. Results For students with higher MT, higher mathematics, L1, and L2 anxiety in the first semester predicted more time spent on learning the corresponding subject in the following semester, even after controlling for general anxiety, academic achievement, and initial academic avoidance. Conclusions These results challenge the proposition that all students with higher domain-specific anxiety are more likely to avoid learning altogether in that domain. Rather, among students from the general school population who generally exhibit low to moderate levels of academic anxiety, higher academic anxiety is associated with more time investment in afterschool learning in mentally tough students.

Control-value theory in the context of teaching: does teaching quality moderate relations between academic self-concept and achievement emotions?

Abstract: Background Students' self-concept of ability is an important predictor of their achievement emotions. However, little is known about how learning environments affect these interrelations. Aims Referring to Pekrun's control-value theory, this study investigated whether teacher-reported teaching quality at the classroom level would moderate the relation between student-level mathematics self-concept at the beginning of the school year and students' achievement emotions at the middle of the school year. Sample Data of 807 ninth and tenth graders (53.4% girls) and their mathematics teachers (58.1% male) were analysed. Method Students and teachers completed questionnaires at the beginning of the school year and at the middle of the school year. Multi-level modelling and cross-level interaction analyses were used to examine the longitudinal relations between self-concept, teacher-perceived teaching quality, and achievement emotions as well as potential interaction effects. Results Mathematics self-concept significantly and positively related to enjoyment in mathematics and negatively related to anxiety. Teacher-reported structuredness decreased students' anxiety. Mathematics self-concept only had a significant and positive effect on students' enjoyment at high levels of teacher-reported cognitive activation and at high levels of structuredness. Conclusions High teaching quality can be seen as a resource that strengthens the positive relations between academic self-concept and positive achievement emotions.

When preservice teachers’ prior beliefs contradict evidence from educational research

Abstract: Background Knowledge from educational research frequently contradicts preservice teachers' prior beliefs about educational topics. Such contradictions can seriously affect their attitudes towards educational research and can counteract efforts taken to establish teaching as a research-based profession. Aims Inspired by Munro's (2010, J. Appl. Soc. Psychol., 40, 579) work on science discounting, this study examined whether preservice teachers tend to devalue the potency of educational research when evidence contradicts their beliefs. Sample We used data from 145 preservice teachers from different German universities. Methods In an experimental design, participants indicated their prior beliefs about an educational topic (i.e., effectiveness of grade retention) before and after reading either confirming or disconfirming scientific evidence. Dependent variables were, first, whether participants devalued the potency of science to study this focal topic and whether they generalized this devaluation to further related and unrelated topics; second, whether participants preferred non-scientific over scientific sources to inform themselves about the focal topic as an indirect measure of science devaluation. Results Interaction effects on both outcome variables confirmed that participants devalued educational research and its sources when scientific evidence conflicted with their prior belief. Yet, results did not corroborate any generalization of devaluation to further topics. Despite the devaluation, participants indicated belief revision in the direction of the evidence read. Conclusions Preservice teachers may indeed critically question educational research when scientific evidence conflicts with their prior beliefs. However, they may also adapt their assumptions in light of strong evidence. More research is needed to clarify the conditions of devaluation and belief revision.

Spatial reasoning, mathematics, and gender: Do spatial constructs differ in their contribution to performance?

Abstract: Background The role of gender in both spatial and mathematics performance has been extensively studied separately, with a male advantage often found in spatial tasks and mathematics from adolescence. Spatial reasoning is consistently linked to mathematics proficiency, yet despite this, little research has investigated the role of spatial orientation and gender in the relationship between spatial reasoning and mathematics. Aims In the present study, three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance in two samples (Study 1: grade 5; Study 2: grade 8). In light of the emerging gender gap in mathematics as children develop, these relationships were explored as a function of gender. Sample Eighty-four fifth-grade students participated in Study 1 (43 females, 41 males; mean age = 11.19 years). Nine hundred and three eighth-grade students participated in Study 2 (498 females, 405 males; mean age = 13.83 years). Methods The three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance for females and males in general and across different mathematical content (geometry-measurement and number sense). Results Spatial factors accounted for 51% of the variance in math scores in Study 1 (grade 5) and 32% of the variance in math scores in Study 2 (grade 8). In both studies, spatial factors predicted a larger proportion of variance in geometry-measurement than for number sense. Spatial orientation was found to be a unique contributor in all mathematics models, object-based spatial skills (mental rotation and spatial visualization) varied in their contribution to math performance depending on mathematics content and gender. Conclusions The present work highlights the unique contribution of spatial orientation in the spatial-mathematics relationship and provides insights into the nature of gender differences in mathematical problem-solving as a function of spatial reasoning and mathematics content.

The mechanisms of interest and perseverance in predicting achievement among academically resilient and non-resilient students: Evidence from Swedish longitudinal data.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Students with low socio-economic status (SES) are typically depicted as low performers and more likely to fail in school. However, a group of students, despite their background, manage to succeed in school. The capacity to overcome adversities and achieve successful educational outcomes is referred to as Academic Resilience. Research on the relationship between personality traits and academic performance shows that conscientiousness is a crucial factor in predicting academic success and resilience. However, it has also been shown that achievement is a result of an interaction between conscientiousness and students' interest in the subject. AIMS The study aims to investigate how students' school-related perseverance and interest predict academic achievement among resilient and non-resilient pupils over time in the Swedish compulsory school setting. SAMPLE Study subjects were a subset (N = 1,665) of the sampled compulsory school students from the 1992 birth cohort in the evaluation through follow-up (ETF) database. METHODS Multigroup structural equation modelling (SEM) with latent variable interaction was used. Measurement invariance was tested to examine the comparability of the constructs across groups. RESULTS The results suggest that resilient students rely heavily on both perseverance of effort and interest in school subjects to succeed in their education. For the non-resilient group, the later perseverance level was conditioned on the level of the interest, and neither their early nor later grade interest was related to their achievement. CONCLUSIONS The academically resilient students displayed more consistency in interest and perseverance over time, which might explain their relative success compared to the non-resilient group.

Work-family conflicts, cognitive appraisal, and burnout: Testing the mediation effect with structural equation modelling.

Abstract: This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (UID/PSI/01662/2019), through the national funds (PIDDAC). The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Implicit theories of self-regulated learning: Interplay with students' achievement goals, learning strategies, and metacognition.

Abstract: Background Implicit theories are important belief systems that influence an individual's motivation and behaviour. In academic contexts, domain-general implicit theories of ability (e.g., intelligence) and their relation to self-regulated learning (SRL) have been examined. Aims In this study, we followed a domain-specific approach and first introduced scales to assess students' implicit theories of the malleability and of the relevance of SRL. Second, we investigated how implicit theories of SRL are related to students' SRL. Third, we examined the relationship of implicit theories of SRL with students' demographics and personality traits. Sample Participants were students from a medium-sized university in Germany (N = 254) aged M = 23.85 years. Methods Data on students' demographics and personality traits, implicit theories of intelligence (INT), achievement goals, and learning strategies were collected with well-established measures. In addition, students' implicit theories of SRL and their declarative metacognitive knowledge about SRL were assessed with measures developed within this study. Confirmatory factor analyses and regression analyses were performed. Results The two postulated dimensions of implicit theories of SRL were supported. As expected, implicit theories of SRL were more strongly related to students' achievement goals, learning strategies, and metacognitive knowledge than implicit theories of INT. Moreover, implicit theories of SRL were mostly unrelated to students' demographics and personality traits. Conclusion The results emphasize that domain-specific implicit theories of SRL contribute substantially to the explanation of students' SRL. Thus, further research on SRL should consider domain-specific implicit theories of SRL in addition to implicit theories of INT.

Students’ multidimensional profiles of math engagement: Predictors and outcomes from a self‐system motivational perspective

Abstract: Background Math engagement research has been largely limited to examining the unique and additive relations of engagement dimensions with outcomes However, an emerging perspective is that students may simultaneously invest varying degrees of their distinct energetic resources (eg, cognitive vs emotional) in their interactions with the math learning environment Aims Adopting a person-centred perspective, we examined unique latent subpopulations of adolescents' multidimensional math engagement Importantly, we did so while accounting for generality and specificity in engagement data, including general engagement and specific cognitive, emotional, and social engagement dimensions Additionally, we examined students' math self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender as predictors, and math achievement indices as outcomes, of profile membership Sample The sample comprised 400 Australian school students taking mandatory math classes Methods Data on students' multidimensional engagement, math self-efficacy, math outcome expectations, and demographic characteristics were collected at the beginning of the academic semester Standardized test scores and class grades were retrieved at the end of the semester Results Latent profile analyses, based on preliminary bifactor exploratory structural equation models intended to tease apart generality from specificity in engagement data, revealed 'Minimally Engaged', 'Emotionally Disengaged', and 'Moderately-to-Highly Engaged' profiles Additionally, math self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender were found to predict the likelihood of profile membership Finally, class grades, but not standardized test scores, were found to significantly differ across the profiles, accounting for prior achievement, gender, and grade level Conclusions The findings replicate previous work that has shown profiles of student engagement and extend this work by (1) accounting for known generality and specificity in engagement data and (2) obtaining evidence for relations of profile membership with gender, self-beliefs, and achievement

Assertiveness and adaptation: Prospective teachers' social competence development and its significance for occupational well-being.

Abstract: Background Difficult social interactions with students are reported to be among the main stressors of beginning teachers, and although social competence has been suggested to represent a vital resource for their transition into practice and early-career adaptation, this assumption has rarely been empirically studied. Aim We conducted two studies to investigate the predictive validity and development of prospective and beginning teachers' social competence. In Study 1, we examined, whether social competence predicts beginning teachers' emotional exhaustion. Study 2 investigated whether university teacher training contributes to social competence development among prospective teachers. Sample The samples of both studies are based on large-scale assessments. Participants in Study 1 were 1,758 beginning teachers who had been tracked since their entry into university teacher training. Study 2 included 831 prospective teachers who were surveyed over a total period of two years. Methods Data were analysed utilizing a structural equation modelling approach (Study 1) and latent change score modelling (Study 2). Results The results of Study 1 revealed that social competence negatively predicts emotional exhaustion. Further, beginning teachers' reports of classroom management functioned as a mediator within that relationship. According to the findings in Study 2, prospective teachers showed no significant enhancements of social competence within one year of university teacher training. However, there was a significant change considering the two-year interval. Conclusions Social competence, as a predictor of occupational well-being, may constitute one important resource for the early-career adaptation of beginning teachers. However, efforts to promote social competence within university teacher training should be increased.

Ordinary extraordinary: Elusive group differences in personality and psychological difficulties between STEM-gifted adolescents and their peers

Abstract: Background Individual differences in personality, behavioural, and academic outcomes of gifted adolescents remain under‐explored. Aims The present study directly compared selected and unselected adolescents on multiple measures of personality, behavioural strengths and difficulties, and achievement. Sample Nine hundred seventy‐three adolescents selected for high performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical (STEM) fields (M = 15.23; SD = 1.11), and one thousand two hundred sixty‐one unselected adolescents (M = 15.07; SD = 1.18) participated in the study. Methods Participants completed self‐report measures that assess the Big Five, the Dark Triad, and Behavioural Strengths and Difficulties. Demographic information and academic achievement in Maths and Russian were also obtained. Results The observed differences in personality and behaviour traits between selected and unselected samples were negligible as measured by ANOVAs. The selected sample had on average slightly lower scores on conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and subclinical narcissism, partial Eta Squared (ES) = [.01 to .05]; slightly lower scores on prosocial behaviour; and slightly higher scores on internalizing and externalizing problems, ES = [.01 to .04]. The selected group also showed higher Year and Examination grades (ES = .05 and .23, respectively). However, MANOVA results showed larger differences between samples (ES = .15). Conclusion Our results showed no pronounced differences between selected and unselected samples in any trait apart from examination performance. However, multivariate results suggest greater overall differences. These results suggest that high‐achieving individuals may be characterized by specific combinations of personality and behavioural traits.

The roles of decoding and vocabulary in Chinese reading development: Evidence from a 3-year longitudinal study.

Abstract: Backgrounds Decoding and vocabulary are two essential abilities to reading comprehension. Investigating the roles of decoding and vocabulary in Chinese reading development can not only provide empirical evidence to enrich the current reading theories but also have implications for educational practice. Aims To examine the developing importance of decoding and vocabulary to reading comprehension and the reciprocal relationship between decoding and vocabulary across the reading development. Sample A total of 186 Chinese children were followed from grade 1 to grade 3 (aged 6.5 to 8.5 years). Methods Participants' decoding, vocabulary, and reading comprehension abilities were measured once a year for three years. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to obtain the unique contributions of decoding and vocabulary to reading comprehension in the different grades. A cross-lagged structural equation model was used to explore the reciprocal relationship between decoding and vocabulary over the three years. Results Decoding and vocabulary explained nearly 40% of the variance to reading comprehension across grades, and the unique contribution of decoding decreased over the grades (from 29% to 8%) while that of vocabulary increased (from 3% to 9%). Moreover, vocabulary always predicted decoding from grade 1, but decoding predicted later vocabulary only started in grade 2. Conclusions Decoding skills are important to reading comprehension in the early learn-to-read grades. However, vocabulary becomes more critical for reading comprehension in later grades. Larger oral vocabularies promote the development of decoding skills, and vice versa.

Society-level social axiom moderates the association between growth mindset and achievement across cultures.

Abstract: Background Meta-analytic studies show that the benefits of the growth mindset on academic achievement are heterogenous. Past studies have explored how individual characteristics and proximal environmental factors could explain these variations, but the role of the broader sociocultural environment has seldom been explored. Aims We investigated society-level social axioms to explain variations in growth mindset effects on achievement across cultures. We hypothesized that three society-level social axioms (social complexity, fate control, and reward for application) imply social norms that would either support or obstruct the growth mindset effect. Sample and methods We conducted multilevel SEM with random slopes using data from 273,074 students nested within 39 countries/territories. Results We found weaker growth mindset effects in societies with stronger social complexity beliefs; societies believing that there are multiple solutions to problems have social norms that obstruct the growth mindset effects on achievement. No moderating effects were found with other social axioms. Conclusion Relevant cultural-level normative beliefs should be considered to better assess the relevance of the growth mindset construct.

The role of executive function in reading comprehension among beginning readers

Abstract: Empirical evidence supports the importance of executive function (EF) in reading, but the underlying mechanism through which EF contributes to the reading process is unclear. The present study examined the direct and indirect effects of EF on reading comprehension through the indirect pathway of language and cognitive skills (i.e., syntactic awareness and text-connecting inferencing) among the beginning readers. The sample included one hundred and sixty-five 2nd and 3rd grade students. The participants were tested on working memory (visuospatial working memory and verbal working memory) and inhibition (prepotent response inhibition and cognitive inhibition), and their syntactic awareness, inference-making, and reading comprehension. The unitary EF construct was obtained by means of confirmatory factor analysis based on the structure of EF in middle childhood suggested in developmental studies. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of EF on the reading outcome. The findings indicated that EF has a direct effect on reading comprehension among the beginning readers. The indirect pathway showed that EF supports the ability to evaluate on grammatical structure of sentences (i.e., syntactic awareness) during reading. However, the indirect effect of EF on reading via inference-making ability is insignificant. The findings highlight the contributions of EF to reading and provide empirical evidence to the hypothetical relation between EF and language skills suggested in DIER (Kim, 2020, Resarch Quarterly, 50, 459). It further extends our knowledge on the roles of EF in the reading process among the beginning readers. Future research directions are implicated as well.

Longitudinal relations between South Korean adolescents’ academic self-efficacy and values in mathematics and English

Abstract: Background Students' motivation generally declines over time. Some researchers have suggested that the parallel decline in academic self-efficacy and values may be as a result of the longitudinal reciprocal relations between these two motivational constructs. However, little empirical evidence has supported this speculation. Further, all prior evidence has been provided based on samples of students from Western countries (Europe, United States). Aims The current study was designed to examine the reciprocal relation between academic self-efficacy and values with a sample from another culture, namely South Korea. Sample We used nationally representative longitudinal data of 6,908 students in seventh grade (Mage = 12.83 years). Methods We analysed the data tracking our sample from 7th grade to 11th grade. Latent cross-lagged models of academic self-efficacy and values in mathematics and English for 5 years were tested, while controlling for gender, achievement, and family income. Results In both mathematics and English domains, there emerged significant unidirectional paths from prior values to later self-efficacy from Grades 8 to 11. For English, significant unidirectional paths from prior self-efficacy to later values additionally emerged from Grades 8 to 9. That is, significant reciprocity between self-efficacy and values was found for English from Grades 8 to 9. Conclusions Relatively consistent paths from prior values to later self-efficacy were identified among Korean adolescents, distinct from prior work focusing on students from Western countries. The results underscore the importance of considering different educational contexts and suggest the critical role of values in the development of Korean adolescents' academic self-efficacy.

Antisocial behaviour and teacher-student relationship quality: The role of emotion-related abilities and callous-unemotional traits.

Abstract: Background: Childhood antisocial behaviour has been associated with poorer teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality. It is also well-established that youth with antisocial behaviour have a range of emotion-related deficits, yet the impact of these students’ emotion-related abilities on the TSR is not understood. Furthermore, the addition of the Limited Prosocial Emotions specifier in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) indicates that understanding the role of callous-unemotional (CU) traits for youth with antisocial behaviour problems is of particular importance. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antisocial behaviour difficulties and the TSR by examining the influence of emotion-related abilities and CU traits. Sample: Twelve teachers from 10 primary schools provided anonymised information on 108 children aged 6-11 years. Results: Antisocial behaviour was associated with higher teacher-student conflict (but not closeness) as well as higher emotion lability/negativity and lower emotion understanding/empathy. Emotion lability/negativity was associated with higher teacher-student conflict (but not closeness), and emotion understanding/empathy was associated with lower teacher-student conflict and higher closeness. CU traits was associated with higher teacher-student conflict and lower teacher-student closeness (controlling for antisocial behaviour more broadly). We found no evidence of a moderating effect of CU traits or emotion-related abilities on the association between antisocial behaviour and TSR quality. Conclusions: Interventions for behaviour difficulties should consider teacher-student relationships in the classroom. Strategies which aim to improve teacher-student closeness as well as reduce teacher-student conflict may be of particular value to students with high CU traits.

Parent and teacher warm involvement and student's academic engagement: The mediating role of self-system processes.

Abstract: Background Parents, teachers, and researchers all share the goal of optimizing students' academic engagement (Handbook of social influences in school contexts: Social-emotional, motivation, and cognitive outcomes, 2016, Routledge, New York, NY). While separate lines of research have demonstrated the importance of high-quality relationships and support from parents and teachers, few studies have examined the collective contributions of adults' warm involvement or the processes by which support from both parents and teachers shapes students' engagement. According to the self-system process model of motivational development, warm involvement from key social partners fosters students' sense of relatedness, competence, and autonomy, (Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology, Vol. 23: Self processes in development, 1991, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL; Theory and Research in Education, 2009, 7, 133), which subsequently fuels their engagement with academic tasks and challenges (Journal of Educational Psychology, 2003, 95, 148). Aims The current study sought to examine whether a sense of relatedness, competence, or autonomy could explain the relation between parents' and teachers' warm involvement and changes in students' academic engagement across a school year. Sample Data was drawn from 1011 third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Method Students reported on adult warm involvement, self-system processes, and engagement in the fall and spring of a single school year. Results Structural equation␣models demonstrated that parent and teacher warm involvement each uniquely, positively, and indirectly predicted changes in students' academic engagement through a combination of students' sense of relatedness, competence, and autonomy, though these patterns differed slightly across adults. Conclusions Implications for optimizing students' academic engagement are discussed, including the need for intervention efforts focused on both parents and teachers and students' self-system processes.

Externalizing behaviour, task-focused behaviour, and academic achievement: An indirect relation?

Abstract: BACKGROUND Although many studies have suggested that students' externalizing (aggressive and rule-breaking) behaviour is detrimental to their academic achievement, the underlying mechanisms have rarely been investigated. AIMS We conducted a longitudinal investigation of whether the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement operationalized as grades and test scores is mediated by students' task-focused behaviour while controlling for the effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. We conducted separate analyses for different rating perspectives (i.e., parents and teachers) on students' externalizing behaviour to investigate the robustness of effects and determined whether gender moderated the mediation. SAMPLE Participants were N = 1,039 students in 55 classes from different school types who were followed from fifth to ninth grade. METHOD In fifth grade, parents and teachers rated students' externalizing behaviour, and students were administered standardized tests in mathematics, German, and general cognitive abilities. In seventh grade, teachers rated students' task-focused behaviour. In ninth grade, students were again administered standardized tests in mathematics and German, and their grades were obtained from school registries. RESULTS Structural equation models consistently revealed indirect effects of externalizing behaviour via task-focused behaviour on grades and test scores beyond effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. Result patterns were similar for parents' and teachers' ratings of externalizing behaviour and male and female students. CONCLUSIONS This study extends knowledge about the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement in adolescents by showing that there is an indirect relation through task-focused behaviour. Implications are discussed.