Young faculty job perceptions in the midst of Chinese higher education reform: the case of Zhejiang University

Chinese higher education is undergoing fundamental changes to meet the demand of producing high quantity and quality college students. These changes have significantly impacted the work lives of Chinese faculty members. This study investigated Chinese young faculty's job perceptions using four variables: intrinsic motivation, job burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover. The findings revealed that surveyed faculties had high intrinsic motivation, relatively high professional efficacy, and low turnover. However, they showed job burnout as indicated by emotional exhaustion and they demonstrated moderate intrinsic satisfaction and low extrinsic satisfaction. The study proposed that a healthy academic environment is needed for sustainable scholarship development.     

Learning motivation and performance excellence in adolescents with high intellectual potential: what really matters?

In the development of performance excellence, the relative roles played by intellectual ability and motivation remain speculative. This study investigates the role played by general intelligence, school environment, self‐efficacy, and aspects of personal identity in the formation of learning motivation in German students attending the Gymnasium schools. Using self‐reports of academic achievement and scores on a shortened version of the Berlin intelligence structure test for adolescence to differentiate students as achievers or underachievers, ninth‐grade students were administered a battery of self‐report instruments, designed to measure learning motivation, school environment, self‐efficacy, and personal identity. After the posited factor structure was confirmed, factor scores were computed and then used as data in hierarchical regression analyses using learning motivation as the criterion variable. The results showed that the greatest predictors of learning motivation were variables related to personal identity‐style, rather than general intelligence, supporting the hypothesis that learning motivation is a moderator variable of intellectual achievement for students with intellectual giftedness, rather than an inherent component of giftedness.     

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION,LEARNING GOALS,ENGAGEMENT, AND ACHIEVEMENT IN A DIVERSE HIGH SCHOOL

Using structural equation models, with gender, parent education, and prior grade point average (GPA) as control variables, we examined the relationships among intrinsic motivation to learn, learning goals, behavioral engagement at school, and academic performance (measured by GPA) in 1,575 students in an ethnically and racially diverse high school. Intrinsic motivation to learn was indirectly and positively related to academic performance via classroom engagement. Seventy‐five percent of the variance in engagement and 33% of the variance in GPA were explained by variables in the study. Results were generally replicated when the model was tested separately with the 336 African American students and the 311 Latin@ students. The significant indirect effect of intrinsic motivation to learn on GPA via engagement, as well as the positive direct association between learning goals and academic performance, suggest that students will benefit from schools fostering intrinsic motivation to learn and learning goals.     

Becoming a physician: The influence of the undergraduate experience

This study employed a national sample of college students who initially aspired to be, or later became, physicians to determine the influence of precollege characteristics, college origins, and the academic and social experience of college on the likelihood of becoming a physician. Estimates of a 14-variable causal model indicated that the major direct effects on attainment were attributable to college characteristics and the academic experience of college. Net of other causes, the selectivity/prestige of the undergraduate institution attended, collegiate academic achievement, and majoring in the physical or life sciences each had significant direct effects on becoming a physician. The direct positive influence of college quality, however, was partially counterbalanced by its negative indirect effect. Moreover, the greatest advantage in attending an elite institution accrued to those students with relatively high levels of academic performance. As academic performance declined, so did the positive effect of college quality. The effects of precollege characteristics on becoming a physician were largely indirect, mediated by the student's college experience. Net of other factors, women were no less likely than men to become physicians, but being female had a significant negative indirect effect. Conversely, secondary school achievement did not directly influence attainment but did have a large positive indirect influence.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Diego, February, 1987.     

Persistence at an Urban Community College: The Implications of Self-Efficacy and Motivation

This study examined how self-efficacy and motivation affected student persistence at an urban community college. Self-efficacy was studied at two dimensions: self-regulated learning efficacy and self-efficacy for academic achievement. Motivation was also investigated at two levels: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Results show that self-regulated learning efficacy and extrinsic motivation predicted persistence. Intrinsic motivation and academic achievement self-efficacy failed to predict persistence directly. Two path models were constructed to assess the direct and indirect relationships among self-efficacy, motivation, and persistence. The reduced model explained 8% of the variance in persistence. In the reduced model, extrinsic motivation emerged as a mediator in the relationship between the two dimensions of self-efficacy and persistence. It was also found that self-efficacy measures correlated well with motivation measures. Implications and limitations of the research findings are discussed.     

What factors influence students’ real-time motivation and engagement? An experience sampling study of high school students using mobile technology

Abstract

Using mobile technology and experience sampling in junior high school, real-time motivation and engagement were explored at four-levels: between lessons (up to 2 lessons per day; Level 1), between days (5 days per week; L2), between weeks (4 weeks; L3), and between students (113 students; L4). Findings for a ‘random effects’ model revealed substantial variance between students (M?=?67%), followed by variance between lessons (M?=?29%), with little variance between days and between weeks (M?=?2%). In a ‘fixed and random effects’ model, we explored the roles of prior general academic motivation and engagement as well as ability and socio-demographics. Findings revealed that prior general academic motivation and engagement played a significant role in students’ real-time motivation and engagement in mathematics and English and reduced between-student variance by about half. Gender (females), ability (high), and socioeconomic status (high) were also associated with higher real-time motivation and engagement.     

Third-year College Retention and Transfer: Effects of Academic Performance, Motivation, and Social Connectedness

We studied the effects of academic performance, motivation, and social connectedness on third-year retention, transfer, and dropout behavior. To accommodate the three outcome categories and nesting of data within institutions, we fit a hierarchical multinomial logistic regression path model with first-year academic performance as a mediating effect. Our sample included 6,872 students representing 23 four-year universities and colleges. This work expands the current state of persistence research by (1) considering the effects of motivation and social connectedness on college persistence beyond the first year of college, (2) testing whether the effects of motivation and social connectedness on third-year retention and transfer are direct, indirect, or both, and (3) testing whether the effects of academic performance, motivation, and social connectedness are different for retention and transfer. We found that academic performance has large effects on likelihood of retention and transfer; academic self-discipline, pre-college academic performance, and pre-college educational development have indirect effects on retention and transfer; and college commitment and social connectedness have direct effects on retention. Academic self-discipline led to greater first-year academic performance, which suppressed its effect on retention and transfer. Practical and theoretical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. A previous version of this paper was presented at the 2nd Annual National Symposium on Student Retention, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 2006.     

Hope into action: How clusters of hope relate to success‐oriented behavior in school

Several studies have found that higher hope is associated with higher academic achievement. Although scholars have asserted that this association is the result of higher hope leading to an increased likelihood that students will engage success‐oriented behaviors (e.g., participating in class, completing homework assignments), very little empirical research has been done to test this assertion. In this study, cluster analyses yielded three clusters of hope (high, average, and low) in a high school sample (N = 447) and a college sample (N = 375). Differences among hope clusters were examined across three domains of indicators—engagement, disengagement, and motivational variables—associated with success‐oriented behavior in school. Results from both samples indicated that students with higher levels of hope reported higher engagement, higher motivation, and lower disengagement, with medium to large effect sizes. These results have implications for both hope research and scaling psychosocial interventions.     

AGE‐RELATED DIFFERENCES IN ACADEMIC BURNOUT OF KOREAN ADOLESCENTS

Korean adolescents experience considerable stress because of an educational system that focuses primarily on college entrance examinations, pressure for academic achievement, and a competitive atmosphere in school. The main purpose of this study was to explore age differences in the construct of Korean adolescents’ academic burnout. Once assumptions of configural, factor loading, and intercept invariance were satisfied, we compared means of latent variables (four components of academic burnout in the present study). Results of the latent mean analysis showed that all four subscales (exhaustion, antipathy, cynicism, and inefficacy) of academic burnout increased gradually as age increased. Moving from elementary to middle and middle to high school appears to be stressful for students. Implications for school professionals and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Examining the relationship between holistic/analytic style and classroom learning behaviors of high school students

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how high school students’ cognitive tendencies in holistic/analytic style relate to their active or passive behavioral patterns observed in the classroom. It was speculated that academic intrinsic motivation might play the role as a moderator and learning approach (the structure-oriented approach versus the depth-oriented approach) might function as a mediator in the effects of holistic/analytic style on classroom learning behaviors. A sample of 1065 high school students in China were assessed in classroom learning behavior, holistic/analytic style, learning approach, and academic intrinsic motivation via the use of relevant measures. Results indicated that holistic style and analytic style were significant predictors of classroom learning behavior. The study also revealed significant moderation effects of intrinsic motivation and significant mediation effects of learning approach. Academic intrinsic motivation and learning approach were proven to be two relevant variables in unraveling the influence of holistic/analytic style on students’ behavioral performances in the classroom.     

高职学生特质自我控制对学业倦怠的影响

目的：考察高职学生的特质自我控制水平对其学业倦怠的预测作用.方法：采用《特质自我控制量表》和《大学生学业倦怠量表》对366名高职学生施测,并采用多层次回归分析对数据进行统计.结果：城镇生源学生比农村生源学生表现出更多学习不当行为（P＜0.05）;男生在情绪低落维度上的得分显著高于女生（P＜0.05）;特质自我控制与学业倦怠各维度上的得分以及总体得分存在显著的负相关（P＜0.01）;在人口统计学变量后,特质自我控制对学业倦怠各维度以及总体得分均存在显著的负向预测作用（P＜0.01）,方差解释率达到16％至26％.结论：高职学生的特质自我控制是学业倦怠的一个重要保护性因子.     

Stressors,Self‐Efficacy,Coping Resources,and Burnout among Secondary School Teachers in Spain

The relationships among teacher occupational stressors, self‐efficacy, coping resources, and burnout were investigated in a sample of 247 Spanish secondary school teachers. Concretely, two specific aims were formulated in order to examine the effect of teaching stressors on teacher burnout and the role of self‐efficacy and school coping resources as mediator or moderator variables in the stressor–burnout relationship. Teachers reported that when their pedagogical practice in the school setting was being interfered with or hindered by a set of factors from the multiple contexts involved in students’ learning, problems of burnout occurred. In addition, results revealed that teachers with a high level of self‐efficacy and more coping resources reported suffering less stress and burnout than teachers with a low level of self‐efficacy and fewer coping resources, and vice versa.     

A Theory of Reasoned Action Approach to Examining Academic Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Adolescents in a College Readiness Program

In the United States, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) fosters relationships between racial-ethnic and low-income adolescents and adults and peers who help them and their families take formal steps toward pursuing a college degree. However, the extent to which GEAR UP students seek teachers, counselors, parents, or friends to prepare for college during program participation is underexplored in the literature. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action as a guiding framework, this study examined the extent to which GEAR UP participant attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions influenced whether participants sought academic support from teachers, counselors, parents, or friends during an academic semester. Strong direct and indirect effects were found in structural equation models examining GEAR UP student subjective norms, intentions, and behaviors regarding seeking academic support from friends. The data on students seeking academic support from school personnel and parents were less conclusive. Participation in GEAR UP activities influenced these relationships. Implications for how practitioners and researchers support the college readiness of adolescents in GEAR UP are discussed.

     

Implicit theories of ability of Grade 6 science students: Relation to epistemological beliefs and academic motivation and achievement in science

We investigated: (a) the associations of implicit theories and epistemological beliefs and their effects on the academic motivation and achievement of students in Grade 6 science and (b) the mean differences of implicit theories, epistemological beliefs, and academic motivation and achievement as a function of gender and race/ethnicity (N = 508). Path analysis revealed that an incremental view of ability had direct and indirect effects on adaptive motivational factors, whereas fixed entity views had direct and indirect effects on maladaptive factors. Epistemological beliefs mediated the influence of implicit theories of ability on achievement goal orientations, self-efficacy, and science achievement. Results are discussed in relation to Dweck and Leggett’s (1988) social-cognitive theory with a focus on middle school science.     

Effects of a Learner-Centred Environment on the Academic Competence and Motivation of Students at Risk

This study examined the efficacy of a learner-centred environment in enhancing the academic achievements and motivation of high school students who are at risk of dropping out of school. Three groups of students at high academic risk were compared. The control group consisted of students who are exposed to a remedial academic program in a traditional school context, and the experimental groups consisted of students enrolled at schools that have implemented a structured academic program in a learner-centred environment. It is shown that a learner-centred environment yields significantly higher achievement scores and a somewhat higher internal motivational orientation. These results suggest that a structured academic program in a learner-centred environment could provide hope for students at academic risk and other students who are likely to be lost to the academic educational system.     

大学生成就动机、一般自我效能感与生命愿景的关系研究

以成就动机量表、一般自我效能感量表和生命愿景量表就大学生成就动机、一般自我效能感和生命愿景的关系进行问卷调查,并以SPSS17．0软件进行统计分析。研究结果表明：大学生成就动机、一般自我效能感和生命愿景在年级、任职情况人口学变量上差异显著;大学生成就动机、一般自我效能感和生命愿景显著相关;大学生成就动机、一般自我效能感能够有效地预测生命愿景,且一般自我效能感在成就动机与生命愿景关系中起部分中介作用。     

Unraveling the impact of the Big Five personality traits on academic performance: The moderating and mediating effects of self-efficacy and academic motivation

The main purpose of this study is to unravel the impact of the Big Five personality factors on academic performance. We propose a theoretical model with conditional indirect effects of the Big Five personality factors on academic performance through their impact upon academic motivation. To clarify the mixed results of previous studies concerning the impact of neuroticism, we suggest a moderating role of self-efficacy. Hierarchical, moderated mediation and mediated moderation regression analyses were performed on longitudinal data collected from 375 students of a University college in Belgium. The findings revealed a positive indirect effect of neuroticism on academic performance at higher levels of self-efficacy, complemented by a positive direct effect of neuroticism at lower levels of self-efficacy. Finally, this study showed that conscientiousness positively affected academic performance indirectly through academic motivation, but also that it is a condition for the indirect impact of extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.     

Performance,Perseverance, and the Full Picture of College Readiness

Although college readiness is a centerpiece of major educational initiatives such as the Common Core State Standards, few systems have been implemented to track children's progress toward this goal. Instead, college‐readiness information is typically conveyed late in a student's high‐school career, and tends to focus solely on academic accomplishments—grades and admissions test scores. Late‐stage feedback can be problematic for students who need to correct course, so the purpose of this research is to develop a system for communicating more comprehensive college‐readiness diagnoses earlier in a child's K‐12 career. This article introduces college‐readiness indicators for middle‐school students, drawing on the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of educational inputs, contexts, and outcomes. A diversity of middle‐school variables was synthesized into six factors: achievement, behavior, motivation, social engagement, family circumstances, and school characteristics. Middle‐school factors explain 69% of the variance in college readiness, and results suggest a variety of factors beyond academic achievement—most notably motivation and behavior—contribute substantially to preparedness for postsecondary study. The article concludes with limitations and future directions, including the development of college‐readiness categories to support straightforward communication of middle‐school indicators to parents, teachers, and students.     

Understanding the Link Between Noncognitive Attributes and College Retention

The attention to students’ noncognitive attributes has recently flourished within academic research and public discourse. This paper adds to the literature by examining the interrelationships among several key noncognitive attributes as well as exploring direct and indirect relationships between noncognitive attributes and second-year retention. Within a multi-institutional sample of 10,622 students, academic self-efficacy, academic grit, self-discipline, and time management all load onto a single noncognitive factor with strong inter-item correlations and internal reliability. Moreover, structural equation modeling analyses indicate a sizable and positive indirect effect of noncognitive attributes on college retention, which is mediated by social adjustment, institutional commitment, and college grade point average.

     

Systemizing and the gender gap: examining academic achievement and perseverance in STEM

For years, a popular explanation for women choosing to abandon studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been their lack of aptitude. This study challenged that notion by integrating theories of cognitive style, academic emotion, self-efficacy, and motivation to explain students’ academic achievement and perseverance in STEM when transitioning to college. A sample of 1597 high school and junior college students participated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were first conducted to validate a reduced version of the cognitive style questionnaire. Structural equation modeling revealed that the cognitive style known as systemizing indirectly predicted STEM achievement and persistence by way of intrinsic motivation, learning anxiety, and self-efficacy, providing a new perspective for re-examining the gender gap in STEM.