Achievement goal orientations in writing:a developmental perspective

This study provides a developmental perspective on achievement goal orientations in writing using data obtained from 1266 students ranging in age from 9 to 17. The strength of task goal orientation decreased from elementary school to middle school and then increased in high school; performance-approach goals decreased from elementary school to middle school and stabilized; performance-avoid goals did not change. Gender differences in task goals favored girls at every level of schooling, whereas differences in performance-approach and performance-avoid goals favored boys. Students with higher self-efficacy, self-concept, and self-efficacy for self-regulation had higher task goals at each level of schooling than did students with lower self-beliefs.     

Longitudinal analysis of the trajectories of academic and social motivation across the transition from elementary to middle school

School transitions are important phases in students’ educational experiences. The current study aimed to explore the trajectories of academic and social motivation across the transition from elementary to middle school. Participants (N = 415) were sampled from six elementary schools; 55% transitioned after sixth grade (transition) and 45% remained at the same school (no-transition). The students reported academic and social goals and perceived teacher goal emphasis at four time points over two successive years. A growth curve analysis revealed that students who transitioned reported a greater decline in mastery goals and an increase in performance-approach goals. Students from no-transition schools reported higher initial levels for all social goals, with a steeper decline in seventh grade. Perceived teacher goal emphasis was associated with social development goals over time. Practitioners should be aware that school transitions may influence academic motivation but may not similarly influence social motivation.     

Goal setting and planning for Norwegian students with and without intellectual disabilities: Wishing upon a star?

Being able to set personal high-quality goals and having the skills to make plans for goal attainment are associated with higher performance, increased student involvement at school, and higher levels of self-determination. This study examines self-reported goals of 83 Norwegian elementary and lower secondary school students with and without intellectual disabilities. The study also looks into whether students feel that they learn goal setting and planning skills at school. Findings suggest that students are able to identify process and product goals for themselves. Most students set academic goals for themselves, followed by career goals and sports-related leisure time goals. No significant differences were found between typically developing students and students with intellectual disabilities. While roughly two-thirds of all students reported that they feel encouraged to set goals for themselves at school, almost 60% of all students expressed that they did not learn planning skills at school. This finding indicates the need to assist teachers with instructional materials for how to teach students these important skills for self-determination.     

The development of students’ achievement emotions after transition to secondary school: a multilevel growth curve modelling approach

This empirical study focuses on students’ development of positive and negative achievement emotions during the first year and the beginning of the second year of secondary school. Using multilevel growth curve modelling, the development of the achievement emotions enjoyment, pride, anxiety, hopelessness and boredom during class in general was investigated. Data from 584 students (taken at three different time points during the first year and the beginning of the second year of secondary school in Germany) was analysed by controlling for gender and the type of school. The results confirm the main assumption: positive achievement emotions decline, whereas negative achievement emotions increase after transition to secondary school. The assumption regarding the effects of type of school was also confirmed: students entering a higher track school (German Gymnasium) experience more positive achievement emotions than students in middle track schools (German Realschule) do. However, the decline in these achievement emotions in higher track schools is comparatively worse than for students in middle track schools. The results are discussed with regard to students’ further studies, as well as the wider educational implications.

     

Loneliness among Students with Blindness and Sighted Students in Jordan: A brief report

This study investigated loneliness among students with blindness and those who are sighted in Jordan, and examined whether loneliness levels vary according to gender. Students included 90 students with blindness and 79 sighted students selected from high schools and universities in the capital city of Amman. The instrument used to collect information in this study was an Arabic translation and adapted version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale developed by Russell in 1996. The results indicated that students with blindness reported significantly higher degrees of loneliness than sighted students; however, no significant differences were attributable to gender or interaction between visual status and gender. The implications of the findings for families and teachers of students with blindness, and for future research in Jordan, are offered.     

初中生自主性结构及其发展特点研究

本研究采用自编的《初中生自主性发展自陈问卷》,对257名初中生的自主性从三个维度进行研究,结果表明:(1)初中生自主性发展具有独特的年级特点。在自主性发展水平上,初一与初二、初三学生之间存在显著的年级差异,并且初一水平好于初二、初三;初二与初三学生之间不存在显著的年级差异。初二是自主性发展水平下降最为明显的阶段。到了初三,除自我控制维度继续呈下降趋势外,其余维度及总体发展水平不再下降。(2)初中生在自主性的总体发展水平及自我依靠和自我主张两个维度上均不存在显著的性别差异,但在自我控制维度上存在显著的性别差异,并且女生水平好于男生。初一学生在自我控制维度上、初二学生在总体发展水平上存在显著性别差异,而且均表现为女生水平好于男生。初三学生中不存在显著的性别差异。     

ICT in Portuguese reference schools for the education of blind and partially sighted students

Technology has become an essential component in our society and considering its impact in the educational system, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) cannot be dissociated from the educational process and, in particular, from pedagogical practices adopted for students who are blind or partially sighted. This study focuses on Portuguese reference schools for the education of blind and partially sighted students, regulated by the Decree-Law No. 3/2008, in which are concentrated the human and material resources that can offer an educational response with quality for these students with special education needs. The study intends to analyse the perceptions of the teachers, who teach visually impaired students in middle school and secondary school education in these reference schools, of their knowledge, teaching and training in the area of ICT, as well as of the real ICT integration in the teaching and learning of these students. A survey, which has been applied to these teachers in the 2012/13 school year, was adopted as a method of data collection. The results reveal a sample confident in their technological capabilities, however with little resourcefulness in some tools and software specific to the area of visual impairment and a very significant number of teachers ignoring many of these. The implementation of ICT with students who have visual disabilities is lower compared with the sighted students. The lack of specific training is considered to be the main obstacle for teachers, with regard to the real integration of ICT in the teaching and learning of these students.     

初中生成就目标的发展特点

采用《成就目标定向量表》,对633名初中学生进行了调查。结果表明:(1)不同年级初中生的成就目标定向有显著差异,表现为:初一学生的掌握趋近目标极显著高于初二、初三学生,初二学生又显著高于初三学生;初一学生的成绩趋近目标显著高于初二学生;(2)不同学校的初中生成就目标定向有显著差异,表现为:重点学校学生掌握趋近目标、成绩趋近目标极显著高于普通学校学生;而普通学校学生的成绩回避目标显著高于重点学校学生;(3)初中生男生和女生的成就目标定向有显著差异,表现为:男生的成绩回避目标显著高于女生。     

Achievement goals and school achievement: The transition to different school tracks in secondary school

During the transition from elementary school to secondary school, in Germany, students are assigned to different school tracks, academic or non-academic, that differ markedly in compositional and institutional characteristics, e.g., the level of cognitive activation and performance standards are higher in academic tracks than in non-academic tracks. Currently, there is a lack of research examining the changes in achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals) and in the association between achievement goals and school achievement during the transition to these different school tracks. There were 1646 students who participated in a large-scale, three-wave longitudinal study from Grade 4 to Grade 6. While results revealed only slight differences between the two school tracks, the three types of achievement goals declined over time. In elementary school mastery-approach goals were positively and performance-approach goals negatively associated with school grades. After the transition to secondary school mastery-approach goals predicted school grades positively, whereas performance-approach goals negatively influenced achievement (academic track). Overall, the results indicate that between-school-tracking plays a minor role for the development of achievement goals and the relation between goals and achievement.     

Perceiving school performance as instrumental to future goal attainment: Effects on graded performance

Three studies examined the perception among college students that school performance is instrumental to future goal attainment. Study 1, an exploratory study involving free report goal assessments, indicated that perceived instrumentality (PI) is a subjectively salient aspect of college students’ achievement motivation. Study 2 provided evidence for the structural distinctiveness of PI from self-efficacy, task value, and the achievement goals, and also demonstrated that PI prospectively predicts unique variance in graded performance beyond that accounted for by these motivational variables. Study 3 demonstrated that PI prospectively predicts unique variance in graded performance independently of future time orientation. We argue that a comprehensive understanding of the purposes underlying classroom achievement behavior requires consideration of how school performance may be perceived as instrumental to the attainment of valued life goals.     

Trajectories of psychological need satisfaction from early to late adolescence as a predictor of adjustment in school

The present longitudinal study described developmental patterns of perceived psychological need satisfaction (PNS) from the end of elementary school to the end of high school and their contribution to school adjustment at the end of high school. The first goal thus consisted in estimating whether developmental trajectories of perceived PNS were homogeneous (i.e., all students reported similar developmental patterns) or heterogeneous (i.e., there were several distinct developmental trajectories). The second goal involved comparing trajectory groups on dimensions of school adjustment (social, academic, and emotional–personal). A stratified sample of 609 students (277 boys, 332 girls) was surveyed annually on a 6-year period, from the end of elementary school until the end of high school. Results of group-based trajectory modeling (Nagin, 1999, 2005) revealed that developmental trajectories of PNS were heterogeneous for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. For each need, four distinct developmental patterns were identified. These trajectories varied in shape, composition, and magnitude such that some students reported increasing PNS over time while others reported stable or decreasing PNS. Results from multivariate analyses revealed that students in upper trajectories (e.g., reporting higher levels of PNS, either stable or increasing) generally reported higher levels of academic, social, and personal–emotional adjustment at the end of high school. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for research and interventions.     

The effects of peer competition-based science learning game on secondary students’ performance,achievement goals,and perceived ability

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different modes of competition on science learning in a game-based learning (GBL) environment. Some key motivational constructs such as learning goals, performance goals, and perceived ability were also investigated. One hundred ninety-five students from a secondary school in Taiwan were randomly assigned to three conditions (anonymous competition, non-anonymous competition, and a control group) in a GBL environment to learn the concepts of force and balance. The results suggested that students in both the anonymous competition and non-anonymous competition groups outperformed students in the control groups. Additionally, we found that the students in the anonymous competition group reported higher learning goals and higher perceived ability than the control group did, whereas students in the non-anonymous competition group reported higher performance goals than the control group did. This study extends findings from previous research on the influences of GBL on learning and motivation.     

Adolescents' help seeking in mathematics classrooms: Relations between achievement and perceived classroom environmental influences over one school year

We examined the relation between self reported help-seeking tendencies and standardized mathematics achievement as well as the contribution of shared perceptions of the classroom climate – achievement goal structure and emotional support – to the types of help (instrumental, expedient) middle and high school U.S. students seek and from whom (teacher and peers) over the school year. Hierarchical linear modeling (N = 3897 students grades 7–11 in 306 classrooms) revealed that the more students reported seeking help from their teacher and seeking instrumental help, the greater their over-the-year gains in standardized achievement. In general, shared perceptions of the classroom climate predicted changes in students' reported help seeking from the beginning of the school year (T1) to the end (T2). Students in classrooms collectively perceived to be more mastery-oriented at T1 predicted increases in instrumental help seeking and seeking help from peers at T2. Perceived T1 emotional support predicted increases in seeking help from teachers and peers at T2. By contrast, perceived T1 performance-approach goal structure predicted decreases in reported help seeking from teachers at T2 and positively predicted expedient help seeking at T2. Furthermore: (a) adolescent females reported seeking more instrumental help and seeking more help from peers and teachers, whereas, adolescent males reported seeking more expedient help; and (b) high school students sought more instrumental help than did middle school students. We discuss results with regard to the importance of help seeking to mathematics achievement as well as considering emotional support and classroom achievement goals together when examining students' help-seeking behaviors.     

Student engagement with feedback and attainment: the role of academic self-efficacy

Abstract

Academic self-efficacy, the belief that one can achieve desired academic goals plays an important role in learning. This study aimed to determine the extent to which academic self-efficacy mediates relationships between students’ perceptions of feedback and their academic attainment. An opportunity sample of 232 students (123 female) in their first year of higher education reported their academic self-efficacy and evaluated their assessment experience, including the perceived quantity and quality of feedback and the extent to which this feedback elicited an active response. Positive associations were observed between academic attainment and students’ confidence that they could achieve their desired grades and adopt appropriate study behaviours. A negative association was identified between attainment and confidence to talk about their studies. Attainment was not related to the perceived quantity or quality of feedback, but did bear a significant association with the reported use to which feedback was put. Positive associations were generally identified between academic self-efficacy and perceptions of feedback. Path models revealed that inter-relationships were best represented by a model wherein academic self-efficacy mediated links between students’ perceptions of feedback and academic attainment. The findings highlight the need to incorporate characteristics of the individual into an understanding of student engagement with feedback.     

School Racial Composition and Student Educational Aspirations: A Question of Equity in a Multiracial Society

This article uses survey data on 15,800 high school students from 3 urban school districts to investigate the impact of school-level support for higher educational attainment and school racial composition on students' actual educational aspirations. We examine students' perceptions of school support for postsecondary participation and test alternative measures of school racial composition in order to account for the increasingly multiracial makeup of today's urban high schools. We include both school-level and student-level characteristics in a multilevel logistic regression model to see if perceived school support for higher educational attainment differs by school racial composition. The results provide support for the hypothesis that school racial composition and school support have an effect on students' reported educational aspirations, and that alternative specifications of school racial composition provide different interpretations of these important relationships.     

Social support in inclusive middle schools: Perceptions of youth with learning disabilities

This cross‐sectional study examined the perceptions of social support reported by middle‐school students with multiple learning disabilities (LD) (reading + math) in inclusive settings. Comparison groups included youths with a learning disability in reading only (RD), mathematics only (MD), and no LD (i.e., normally achieving) (NA). One hundred twenty middle‐school students, 15 boys and 15 girls in each group, were included in the current study. Participants were surveyed using an established measure of perceived social support. Effect size differences and MANOVA were used in the data analyses. Learning disability type explained 21% ( p < .001) of the variance in perceptions of parent, classmate, and friend support. Students with multiple LD (RD + MD) reported the lowest perceived social support on these dependent variables. Follow‐up analyses revealed that eighth‐grade boys reported the lowest perceived parent support and that boys in general reported lower perceived friend support than girls. Sixth‐grade students with multiple LD reported the lowest perceived friend support, and sixth‐grade males reported the lowest perceived teacher support. Implications for practicing school psychologists and recommendations for future research are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 197–209, 2006.     

对中学生自我意识发展水平的调查分析

采用调查与测量的方法对1989名中学生自我意识的发展状况做了概括的描述,同时对初中、高中男女不同性别和城乡中学生在自我意识发展水平上的差异进行了比较分析,提出在中学生自我意识的发展过程中,高一到高二是一个重要的转折期,高中学生自我意识发展水平明显高于初中学生,男生自我评价的水平明显高于女生,城市学生的自信心水平明显高于农村学生等结论。     

Students’ experiences of home–school dissonance: The role of school academic culture and perceptions of classroom goal structures

This paper examines stability and change during the elementary-to-middle school transition, focusing on adolescents’ experiences of home–school dissonance because of real or perceived differences between home/self and values within the school context. Relationships were hypothesized between exacerbation and amelioration of dissonance, middle school mastery and performance goal practices, and students’ perceptions thereof. The sample consisted of 274 African-American and 284 European-American (49% female) students. Middle school teachers (N = 236) provided data on school academic practices. Multilevel growth curve analysis indicated significant variance among the 10 middle schools regarding change in dissonance. Both mastery-focused middle school practices and students’ perception of middle school classrooms as more performance and less mastery focused than elementary classrooms were significant predictors of change in dissonance. Path-analyses evidence pointed to the mediational role of school belonging on the relationship between perception of classroom mastery goals and dissonance. Path analyses revealed direct and indirect effects of perception of classroom performance goals on dissonance and school belonging. This paper highlights the importance of creating inclusive learning environments that minimize social comparison saliency and validate students for who they are.     

Motivation to Learn Science: Differences Related to Gender,Class Type,and Ability

Abstract

Motivation differences of gender, science class type (biological vs. physical), and ability level of 242 high school students were investigated. High achievers and physical science students had higher scores than did low achievers and biological science students on academic goals, valuing science, and perceived ability. Boys had higher scores than did girls on perceived ability and stereotyped views of science. For only a subset of variables, these main effects were moderated by class type using achievement-level interaction. The class type main effect was moderated by gender in only one instance. Gender did not interact with achievement level for any variable. Instructional implications are discussed.