Showing papers in "Educational Psychology in 2012"

A path analysis of basic need support, self-efficacy, achievement goals, life satisfaction and academic achievement level among secondary school students

Abstract: Teachers’ support of basic psychological needs, self-efficacy, achievement goals, life satisfaction and academic achievement level was measured in a sample of 240 secondary school students (8th and 10th grades). Correlation analysis showed significant positive relations between all of the variables, except for the relation between need support of competence and performance goals. A subsequent path analysis showed that these variables could be accounted for by a structural model that described basic need support as predictors of self-efficacy and achievement goals, which in turn predicted academic achievement level and perceived life satisfaction. Analysis of intra-class correlation and design effect showed that need support of relatedness also was accounted for by class level responses. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed in terms of the importance of basic need support as a predictor of personal motives in educational settings as well as the students adjustment to school and life.

Writing essays: Does self-efficacy matter? The relationship between self-efficacy in reading and in writing and undergraduate students’ performance in essay writing

Abstract: Self-efficacy beliefs have been identified as associated with students’ academic performance. The present research assessed the relationship between two new self-efficacy scales (self-efficacy in reading [SER] and self-efficacy in writing [SEW]) and students’ writing performance on a piece of assessed written coursework. Using data from first and second year undergraduate psychology students at a UK university (N = 145), the results showed that both SER and SEW were related to actual writing performance. Overall the results support the importance of the concept of self-efficacy in relation to student performance. We discuss the relevance of self-efficacy on students’ perceptions and self-regulations.

Using Higher Order Thinking Questions to Foster Critical Thinking: A Classroom Study.

Abstract: To determine if quizzes containing higher order thinking questions are related to critical thinking and test performance when utilised in conjunction with an immersion approach to instruction and effort-based grading, sections of an Educational Psychology course were assigned to one of three quizzing conditions. Quizzes contained factual multiple-choice questions, factual essay questions or essay items requiring higher order thinking. Critical thinking was measured with a pre-test–post-test design and the Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Short Form). Classroom learning was assessed via multiple-choice and essay tests. Critical thinking increased equally across all sections. The section receiving higher order thinking quizzes performed significantly better than the other two sections on both the multiple-choice and essay portions of the classroom tests. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of methodological approaches to encouraging critical thinking.

Studying for the sake of others: the role of social goals on academic engagement

Abstract: Much of the research on achievement goal theory has focused on the roles of mastery and performance goals in academic engagement, thus the role of other goals such as social goals has mostly been neglected. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of different kinds of social goals (affiliation, approval, concern, responsibility and status goals) on the different facets of academic engagement. A total of 1147 Filipino secondary school students answered questionnaires assessing their social goals, achievement goals and academic engagement. Hierarchical regression analyses were employed to investigate the effects of social goals on academic engagement after controlling the effects of mastery and performance goals. Results indicate that certain kinds of social goals are also important predictors of academic engagement. We recommend that researchers consider investigating social goals that might be more salient in cross-cultural settings instead of focusing exclusively on mastery and performanc...

The impact of an online intervention (Brainology) on the mindset and resiliency of secondary school pupils: a preliminary mixed methods study

Abstract: This preliminary study investigated the impact of the online interactive programme Brainology (which aimed to encourage a growth mindset) on the mindset, resiliency and sense of mastery of secondary school pupils A quasi-experimental pre-, post- and follow-up mixed-methods study was carried out with 33 participants aged 13–14 years The measures were Dweck’s theories of intelligence scale and Prince-Embury’s resiliency scales for children and adolescents Quantitative data were analysed using analysis of variance Qualitative data from focus groups were categorised and coded The programme led to a significant increase in pre- to post-mindset scores for the intervention group However, there was a significant decline at follow-up and the initial impact of the intervention was not sustained There were no significant changes in mindset for the comparison group There were no significant changes in resiliency or sense of mastery for either group The significant short-term impact of Brainology and non-sign

Teachers' estimates of their students' motivation and engagement: being in synch with students

Abstract: Being aware of, monitoring and responding constructively to students’ signals of motivation and to students’ signals of engagement represent two important teaching skills. We hypothesised, however, that teachers would better estimate their students’ engagement than they would estimate their students’ motivation. To test this hypothesis, Korean high-school teachers rated three aspects of motivation and four aspects of engagement for each student in their class, while students completed questionnaires to provide referent self-reports of these same aspects of their motivation and engagement. Multi-level analyses showed that, after statistically controlling for the potentially confounding information of student achievement, teachers’ engagement estimates corresponded significantly to their students’ self-reports while their motivation estimate did not. These findings validate teachers’ skill in inferring their students’ classroom engagement and lead to the recommendation that teachers monitor classroom engage...

Relations between informational sources, self-efficacy and academic achievement: a developmental approach

Abstract: As a cognitive-motivational construct, self-efficacy has been researched extensively and has involved two important lines of inquiries, namely the impact of sources of information on self-efficacy and the predictive effect of self-efficacy on learning outcomes. We proposed and tested the relations between the four major sources of information (enactive performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and emotional and physiological states), self-efficacy and academic achievement for mathematics and science within one conceptual model. Our model was tested with the conjunctive use of longitudinal data and latent growth curve modelling (LGM) procedures. Two hundred and fifty-two (110 girls, 142 boys) upper elementary school children from three government schools participated in this longitudinal study. Likert-scale inventories were administered over four occasions within a one-year period. We measured the four sources of information at T 1, whereas self-efficacy for mathematics and scie...

Early Mathematics Assessment: Validation of the Short Form of a Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Mathematics Measure.

Abstract: In recent years, there has been increased interest in improving early mathematics curricula and instruction. Subsequently, there has also been a rise in demand for better early mathematics assessments, as most current measures are limited in their content and/or their sensitivity to detect differences in early mathematics development among young children. In this article, using data from two large samples of diverse populations of prekindergarten and kindergarten children, we provide evidence regarding the psychometric validity of a new theory-based early mathematics assessment. The new measure is the short form of a longer, validated measure. Our results suggest the short form assessment is valid for assessing prekindergarten and kindergarten children’s numeracy and geometry skills and is sensitive to differences in early mathematics development among young children.

The effectiveness of a universal school-based programme on coping and mental health: a randomised, controlled study of Zippy’s Friends

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Zippy’s Friends, a universal school programme that aims at strengthening children’s coping skills. The sample consisted of 1483 children (aged 7–8 years) from 91 second-grade classes in 35 schools. The schools were matched and randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Coping was assessed by the Kidcope checklist for children and an adapted version for parents. Parents and teachers reported mental health outcomes using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Controlling for the hierarchical structure of the data, latent variable regression analysis indicated that the programme had a significant positive effect on coping and on the impact of mental health difficulties in daily life. Subgroup analyses suggested that coping was improved in girls and children from the low socio-economic subgroup, whereas the impact of mental health difficulties was reduced in boys.

Adaptation and validation of the teacher emotional labour strategy scale in China

Abstract: The present study reports the adaptation and validation of the Teacher Emotional Labour Strategy Scale (TELSS) as tested on samples of 633 Beijing teachers and 648 Chongqing teachers in Chinese mainland. Results show that the 13-item TELSS adapted for this study had good internal consistency on three subscales which measure three types of teacher emotional labour strategy, namely, surface acting, deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotions. Confirmatory factor analysis using different data-sets provided support for the construct validity of this TELSS. In addition, the convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity of this newly-adapted TELSS were examined in the present study.

Teachers adapt their instruction according to students’ academic performance

Abstract: This study examined the extent to which a student’s academic performance in first grade contributes to the active instruction given by a teacher to a particular student To investigate this, 105 first graders were tested in mathematics and reading in the fall and spring of their first school year At the same time points, their teachers filled in a questionnaire on five successive days on the active instruction they have given a particular student The results showed that the poorer the performance in reading a student showed in fall, the more active instruction teachers reported giving a student in spring Moreover, the poorer the performance in mathematics a student showed in fall, the more active instruction less-experienced teachers reported giving that particular student in spring The giving of active instruction by less-experienced teachers also contributed to an increase in children’s subsequent performance in mathematics

Perceived instructor affective support in relation to academic emotions and motivation in college

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations among perceived instructor affective support, academic enjoyment, academic hopelessness, behavioural engagement and academic help seeking in college classrooms. A self-report survey was administered to 277 college students enrolled in a teacher training department of a major university in Turkey. Structural equation modelling was used for data analysis. Perceived instructor affective support, either directly and/or indirectly, related to all emotional and motivational variables presented in the structural model. Findings signify the necessity of providing affectively supportive learning environments not only in K12 classrooms but also in college classrooms. The implications for practice and future research as well as the limitations are discussed.

Impact of Satisfaction and Commitment on Teachers' Organizational Citizenship.

Abstract: This study examined the impact of job satisfaction and organizational commitment on teachers’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in a structural equation model. The study was employed to a group of teachers and their supervisors. The results indicated that job satisfaction and commitment to the school had an impact on OCBs of the teachers and organizational commitment mediated the relation between job satisfaction and OCB.

A national evaluation of the impact of the secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme

Abstract: In recent years, the English education system has reflected a worldwide interest in social and emotional learning (SEL), as evidenced by the national launch of the secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in 2007. SEAL is a whole-school approach designed to positively influence a range of pupil outcomes, including increased social and emotional skills, better behaviour and reduced mental health difficulties. The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of SEAL on such outcomes. The study utilised a quantitative, quasi-experimental design with a sample of 22 schools (approximately 2360 pupils) implementing the SEAL programme, and 19 ‘matched comparison’ schools (approximately 1991 pupils), selected on the basis of similar school-level characteristics. A cohort of pupils in these schools completed annual self-rated assessments of their social and emotional skills (using the Emotional Literacy Assessment and Intervention instrument), mental health difficulties and pro-soc...

Informational sources, self-efficacy and achievement: a temporally displaced approach

Abstract: Personal self-efficacy is an important theoretical orientation that helps to explain students’ learning and academic achievements. One area of research inquiry has involved the four major sources of information and their predictive effects on self-efficacy. As an extension for examination, the purpose of our investigation was to explore the interrelations between antecedents (e.g. enactive performance accomplishment), self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement of elementary school students. Our research conceptualisation, unlike previous cross-sectional studies, entails a time displacement between sources of information (Time 1) and self-efficacy (Time 2 and Time 3) and between self-efficacy and academic achievement in science learning (Time 4). Three hundred and thirty-two (152 girls and 180 boys) third and fourth grade students from three government schools participated in this study. Likert-scale inventories were used to measure informational sources and self-efficacy beliefs. Structural equation m...

Cross-Cultural Examination of Test Anxiety among US and Singapore Students on the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E).

Abstract: In the present study, the similarity of the factor structure of the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E) and cultural and gender differences in test anxiety were examined in a sample of 1322 US and Singapore elementary students. The similarity of the factor structure of the TAS-E, a measure of test anxiety, was examined to determine whether the same test score interpretation could be made across culture and gender. Coefficient of congruence and salient variable similarity index values indicated that the pairs of matched factors (Physiological Hyperarousal, Social Concerns, Task Irrelevant Behaviour, Worry and Total Test Anxiety factors) of the TAS-E were similar across culture and gender. Results of a 2 × 2 ANOVA and 2 × 2 MANOVA with follow-up ANOVAs revealed that Singapore males scored higher than US males and US females scored higher than Singapore females on the TAS-E Total Test Anxiety scale and the Physiological Hyperarousal subscale. Singapore males also scored higher than US males on...

Acute aerobic exercise impacts selective attention: an exceptional boost in lower-income children

Abstract: Educational research suggests that lower-income children exhibit poor general executive functioning relative to their higher-income peers. Meanwhile, sports psychology research suggests that an acute bout of aerobic exercise improves executive functioning in children. Yet, it has never been determined if such exercise (1) specifically improves the selective attention aspect of executive functioning in children or (2) impacts lower-income children any differently than higher-income children. The current study utilised a randomised experimental design and found that a 12 min session of aerobic exercise improved the selective attention of both lower- and higher-income children. Moreover, lower-income children exhibited even greater improvement than higher-income children. As the income-achievement gap persists, it is important to explore feasible interventions that strengthen the cognitive processes that underlie academic performance.

Validation of the perceived school bullying severity scale

Abstract: Research on school bullying has tended to focus on its prevalence or frequency while ignoring its perceived severity. This study attempted to construct a perceived School Bullying Severity Scale (SBSS). The original 24-item instrument, revised from the Victim Scale of the School Bullying Scales, covered the four categories of physical, verbal, relational and cyber bullying. The partial credit model was used to conduct Rasch analysis with ConQuest software on data derived from two samples of Taiwanese secondary school students. Sample 1 and sample 2 consisted of 605 and 869 students, respectively. Three items were deleted after examining the quality of the data from sample 1. The reliability and validity of the 21 items on the final scale were verified using data from sample 2. Results demonstrated the reliability and validity of information collected by the SBSS. This study also found that secondary school students rated relational and cyber bullying as more severe than physical and verbal bullying. Diffe...

Cognitive Correlates of Math Skills in Third-Grade Students.

Abstract: Math achievement is not a unidimensional construct but includes different skills that require different cognitive abilities. The focus of this study was to examine associations between a number of cognitive abilities and three domains of math skills (knowing, applying and problem solving) simultaneously in a multivariate framework. Participants were 723 third-grade children (mean age = 9.07) from 28 elementary schools. Confirmatory factor analyses with binary indicators showed that a four-factor model of math skills (Knowing-Recalling, Knowing-Computing, Applying and Problem Solving) and a nine-factor model of cognitive abilities (Nonverbal and Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Concepts, Planning, Visuo-Spatial Working Memory (WM), two types of Verbal WM, Phonological Awareness and Phonological WM) fit the data well. Results from structural equation modelling showed that verbal reasoning and verbal concepts were most consistently associated with math knowing and problem solving domains. Verbal concepts contributed...

Discriminant and incremental validity of self-concept and academic self-efficacy: a meta-analysis

Abstract: Two studies examined the discriminant and incremental validity of self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Study 1, which meta-analysed 64 studies comprising 74 independent samples (N = 24,773), found a strong mean correlation of .43 between self-concept and academic self-efficacy. The domains of self-concept and self-efficacy, and the domain matching between them, moderate the strength of the correlation between self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Global self-concept was associated with weaker correlations than were academic and subject-specific self-concept. Academic self-efficacy had higher incremental validity than self-concept. Study 2, which examined data-sets from Programme for International Student Assessment 2000, 2003 and 2006, found that the mean correlation ranged from .31 to 54. Self-concept sometimes had higher incremental validity than academic self-efficacy. The higher incremental validity of self-concept may result from the wording and domain of self-concept measure as well as specif...

The influences of school climate and teacher compensation on teachers’ turnover intention in China

Abstract: This study employed survey research to investigate the differential relationships between dimensions of teachers’ job satisfaction (e.g. salary) and their turnover intention, after controlling for demographic variables (e.g. school location). Five hundred and ten teachers from a northeastern city of China participated. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that (a) teachers were more likely to stay in teaching profession if they worked in urban schools, always wanted to become a teacher or had a realistic view of teaching before they began their career training and (b) a negative relationship existed between teachers’ compensation and their turnover intention. This study offered some implications for Chinese educational policy-makers and practitioners regarding how to remain qualified teachers.

The Differential Effects of Task Complexity on Domain-Specific and Peer Assessment Skills.

Abstract: In this study the relationship between domain-specific skills and peer assessment skills as a function of task complexity is investigated. We hypothesised that peer assessment skills were superposed on domain-specific skills and will therefore suffer more when higher cognitive load is induced by increased task complexity. In a mixed factorial design with the between-subjects factor task complexity (simple, n = 51; complex, n = 59) and within-subjects factor task type (domain-specific, peer assessment), secondary school students studied four integrated study tasks, requiring them to learn a domain-specific skill (i.e. identifying the six steps of scientific research) and to learn how to assess a fictitious peer performing the same skill. Additionally, the students performed two domain-specific test tasks and two peer assessment test tasks. The interaction effect found on test performance supports our hypothesis. Implications for the teaching and learning of peer assessment skills are discussed.

Changes in Self-Esteem across the First Year in College: The Role of Achievement Goals.

Abstract: This longitudinal study examined the effects of achievement goals on the growth trajectories of self-esteem during the first-year at a comprehensive public university. College freshmen (N = 311) were followed for one academic year with three time points. Between-individual differences and within-individual change in achievement goals were distinguished and used as predictors for the growth trajectories of self-esteem. A growth curve analysis revealed that initially high mastery goals and subsequent increases in mastery goals were related to high self-esteem while initially high performance-avoidance goals were related to low self-esteem. The initial levels of performance-approach goals were not related to self-esteem but subsequent increases in performance-approach goals were associated with low self-esteem. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Examining ‘active’ procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective

Abstract: This study examined the notion that active procrastinators are a positive type of procrastinators who possess desirable characteristics similar to non-procrastinators, but different from the traditional passive procrastinators. A two-step procedure was followed to categorise university students (N = 125) as active procrastinators, passive procrastinators and non-procrastinators. The results show that active procrastination was related mostly with the maladaptive motivational and behavioural characteristics described in the self-regulated learning literature. Active procrastinators reported low mastery-approach goal, high performance-avoidance and work-avoidance goal, and low intrinsic motivation and task value. They selected less effective strategies and performed the lowest on tests among the three groups. The results challenged the notion that active procrastination is conducive to learning. Future research directions and implications to teaching and learning are discussed.

Fear and efficacy appeals in the classroom: the secondary teachers’ perspective

Abstract: Previous research has examined the use of classroom fear and efficacy appeals from a student perspective, but little is known about teachers’ views towards fear and efficacy appeals. In this preliminary study, we conducted a survey of 234 secondary school teachers. Results showed that teachers held mixed views towards the use of fear appeals and their domain knowledge of fear appeals, but more homogenous views about efficacy appeals, reassuring messages and domain knowledge of efficacy appeals. There were no differences in the endorsement of fear and efficacy appeals from teachers of differing school general certificate of secondary education performance, however, teachers reported students to be less efficacious from schools whose performance is deemed to be ‘under average’. There were no differences in the endorsement of fear appeals or domain knowledge of fear appeals between novice and experienced teachers. These findings provide a first step in examining fear and efficacy appeals from a teacher persp...

Predicting Bullying: Maladjustment, Social Skills and Popularity.

Abstract: In order to prevent bullying, research has characterised the adolescents involved in terms of their social skills, maladjustment and popularity. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the relationships between these variables and how these relationships predict bullying involvement. Moreover, the literature has focused on pure bullies and victims, despite the fact that bully-victims are known to be the most troubled. The aim of this work is to study the relationships between these variables and their predictive value, focusing on the bully-victim role. The sample (N = 641) is made up of adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years. The results mainly indicate that the level of maladjustment and social skills predicts sociometric popularity, which is a significant predictor of bullying involvement. Differences in the social roles were observed, suggesting that social skills and maladjustment serve a different purpose for bully-victims than for the other roles involved.

Motivational interference in study–leisure conflicts: how opportunity costs affect the self-regulation of university students

Abstract: We examined the effects of motivational interference resulting from tempting action alternatives among a sample of university students with respect to a new measure of different motivational qualities. Participants imagined themselves in a typical study–leisure conflict and provided information about their internal conflict experience in two scenarios: reading a course paper instead of meeting friends and vice versa. Participants then evaluated intrinsic, mastery, approach, avoidance, and external incentives for both activities. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded good model fits for the proposed five-factor incentive structure. In accordance with the idea of motivational interference, the incentives for meeting friends were positively related to experienced internal conflict while imagining studying, representing opportunity costs of learning. The same pattern was found for the opportunity costs that the participants had experienced while imagining meeting friends. In particular, intrinsic and approach ...

Teaching social perspective taking: how educators might learn from the Army

Abstract: Frequently and accurately discerning others’ thoughts and feelings is associated with multiple valued educational outcomes across an array of settings. Despite its foundational role in social interactions, it is unclear whether individuals can be taught to improve their social perspective taking capacities. This experiment assesses whether a curriculum taught to US Army personnel (N = 116) improved their social perspective taking prior to deployment. Results showed that participants improved their social perspective taking in three ways: through more accurately detecting biases in others, by generating more initial hypotheses to explain others’ behaviours, and by adapting their hypotheses in the face of new evidence. The curriculum did not affect participants’ perspective taking accuracy on a video measure. We discuss these findings with respect to their implications for other learning environments.

A metacognitive-motivational model of surface approach to studying

Abstract: In this study, we put forward and tested a model of how surface approach to studying during examination preparation is influenced by the trait variables of motivation and metacognition and the state variables of avoidance coping and evaluation anxiety. A sample of 528 university students completed, one week before examinations, the following self-report instruments: Work Preference Inventory, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, Revised COPE Inventory, Evaluation Anxiety Scale and Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students. Structural equation modelling indicated that metacognition directly promoted surface approach to studying. In addition, both avoidance coping and evaluation anxiety directly promoted surface approach to studying and partially mediated the relationships between traits and surface approach to studying. The implications of these findings are outlined.

Instructional Practices and Self-Regulated Learning in Chinese Language Classes.

Abstract: This study investigated the relation between teachers’ instructional practices and students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) in Hong Kong Chinese language classes using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were 1121 Grade 10 students from six secondary schools in Hong Kong. A Chinese reading comprehension (RC) test was used to assess the students’ reading performance and a self-reported questionnaire measured their perception of reading instruction, strategy use and reading motivation. Classroom observations and in-depth interviews were conducted in one class at each school to explore what and how instructional practices supported or impeded SRL in real contexts. The findings of this study generally support the positive relation between SRL-based instruction and Chinese students’ SRL. Among the four instructional variables, instrumental support from teachers showed the strongest relation with students’ strategy use, motivation and RC. The degree of autonomy was low in Chinese language classes ...