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.     

论合作学习与成就目标理论

合作学习的研究虽已有百年的历史，但却是近年来在西方兴起的一种教学策略。成就目标理论是在20世纪70年代提出的一种动机理论。合作学习教学策略的实施和成就目标定向之间有一定的联系，而发现这种联系对我国现行的教育发展能够起到一定的促进作用。     

A Plan of Classifying Pupils

ABSTRACT

Critical ethnic and gender gaps exist in college retention and graduation rates. Early achievement motivation may play an important role in student persistence. A sample of undergraduates completed surveys tapping motivation at the beginning (n = 591) and end (n = 232) of their first semester in college. African American and Caucasian students were more academically self-efficacious than Asian American students. Self-efficacy increased over the semester and was higher for male than female students at both time points. African American and Asian American students were initially more extrinsically motivated than Caucasian students; however, by the end of the semester, all ethnic groups were similar on extrinsic motivation. Female students were more extrinsically motivated and mastery oriented than male students who were more performance oriented. Performance goal orientations were negatively associated with grade point average whereas mastery orientation, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation were positively associated with academic performance. Implications for higher education are discussed.     

Some Parent-Child Relationships as Shown in Clinical Case Studies

The identification and composition of four subtests constituting the major areas of competence of English as a foreign langauge is reported, largely based on a study of the literature. A 160-item, four-choice test was used to obtain a number of reliability and validity indices. It was found that grammar was the most reliable and the most valid component when based on total test scores as the criterion, where-as translation was lowest on these two measures. The opposite trend was observed with Grade Point Average as the criterion, whereas the third criterion, writing ability, was found to correlate highest with listening comprehension, which was also found to contribute to the highest unique nonchance variance of the four components. These findings and their explanation are discussed.     

成就目标定向理论对高中英语自主性学习能力培养的启示

对于英语的学习,自主性学习能力非常重要。因为外语学习需要学生课外进行大量的听、说、读、写等方面的训练,并且结合课堂知识才能培养熟练的语言技能。在新课程改革下自主性学习能力的培养尤其具有重要意义。自主性学习是建立在内部动机基础上的。成就目标定向被认为是极其重要的动机因素。文章试图结合成就目标定向理论。就自主性学习能力的培养问题。进行简要探索,并得出对课堂教学的启示。     

国外教师动机理论及研究

教师动机与教师教学行为、专业发展,与学生对教学感知及学业表现密切相关。本文在对教师领域主要的三种动机理论及相关研究的介绍基础上,概述了这些理论的联系和区别,最后指出了这些理论和研究对我国的启示。     

学生成就目标定向的结构维度、理论依据及对学业发展的影响

成就目标定向是学习者目标达成的重要动力机制,有助于学生建立积极的学业倾向,促进学生发展和学业质量的提升。成就目标定向的结构早期被分解为"成绩目标"和"学习目标",并由此衍生出了"2×2结构"和"3×2结构"维度。研究依据行为动力学假说、自我效能感理论、成就动机理论和自我归因理论等阐释了成就目标定向的发生机制。研究认为,趋近目标定向可降低学生的考试焦虑程度,有助于提升个体语言技能;掌握目标定向有助于提升学生的学业成绩,激发学生的学习兴趣,并塑造学生的完美主义人格特质。未来的研究需开展大量的跨文化的比较研究,扩大研究对象的范畴,使用实验法等多元化的研究方法,验证成就目标定向结构模型的科学性,探明成就目标定向影响机理,强化教育干预与认知训练的实践研究,提升成就目标定向的应用价值。     

成就目标理论与大学生的学习动机

动机是影响学生学习的动力系统。成就目标理论从认知的角度来研究动机的内部关系。掌握性成就目标是有助于激发学生关注学习过程、创新学习的主要动因，但研究发现，大学生有随年级高掌握性成就目标呈降低趋势，而且有专业差异。为此，本文提出一些对策。     

Chinese mindset: theories of intelligence,goal orientation and academic achievement in Hong Kong students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between theories of intelligence and goal orientations, and their joint connections to students’ academic achievement in the Chinese cultural context. A total of 418 university students in Hong Kong participated in the present study. The survey was administered to collect information on students’ beliefs about their goal orientations, theories of intelligence and their college grade point averages. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results suggest that beliefs in the incremental theory of intelligence contribute to students’ academic achievements by facilitating their endorsement of mastery goals and performance-approach goals. Students’ performance-avoidance goals have a negative association with academic success. Cultural factors and considerations are addressed to clarify further the culture-specific findings.     

对影响学习的因素的分析研究

本研究采用日本藤原喜悦先生制订的学习因素诊断测验（Diagnostic Test of Achievement Factor,简称DTAF）,对苏南部分中小学生进行抽样测验,以了解影响学生学习成绩的主要因素。研究结果表明,学习动机、学习计划、学习技能、学习环境对学习结果具有重要影响。     

大学生自我效能感、成就动机与成就目标定向的关系探究

目的：考察大学生自我效能感、成就动机和成就目标定向的性别差异及相互关系。方法：采用自我效能感量表、成就动机量表和成就目标定向问卷对300名南阳师院在读本科大学生进行问卷调查。结果：自我效能感、成就动机和学习目标定向在性别上差异极显著;成就动机在自我效能感和学习目标定向之间起完全中介作用。     

学习障碍学生社会支持、学习动机与学业成绩的关系研究

用社会支持评定量表和学习动机量表对学习障碍学生的社会支持和学习动机进行测量,并对其与学业成绩间的关系进行了分析。结果发现:学习障碍学生和普通学生的社会支持和学习动机之间存在显著差异,社会支持和学习动机两者的交互作用显著;学习障碍学生学习动机和学业成绩有显著的正相关,并呈现出线性关系,学习动机是学习障碍学生学业成绩的良好预测指标之一;学习障碍学生学习动机对学业成绩有直接的影响;社会支持对学习动机有直接的影响,而社会支持则需要通过学习动机因素间接影响学业成绩。     

Students' perfectionistic profiles: Stability,change, and associations with achievement goal orientations

In this study, we examined what kind of perfectionistic profiles (i.e., different patterns of perfectionistic strivings and concerns) can be identified among general upper‐secondary school students, how stable those profiles are over the school year, and how they are connected with students' motivation (i.e., achievement goal orientations). Four distinct profiles were identified. Students with high strivings and low concerns had their focus mainly on mastery, while students with an opposite profile emphasized performance‐avoidance and work‐avoidance orientations. Students with high strivings and concerns favored both performance‐ and mastery‐related goals, whereas students characterized by low strivings and low concerns did not display a dominant tendency toward any orientation. Perfectionistic profiles were relatively stable over time, with the majority of students reporting similar tendencies across the measurements, and with no extreme changes observed. Some indications of more students displaying less adaptive perfectionistic tendencies by the end of the school year were nevertheless found. Our findings demonstrate not only stability in perfectionistic tendencies, but also their motivational relevance in the academic context where students' goals and performance concerns play an important role.     

The Influence of Achievement Goal Orientations and Task Concreteness on Situational Interest

This study investigated changes in elementary school students’ (n = 140) situational interest as a function of achievement goal orientation profiles and task characteristics. The authors repeatedly measured situational interest during a simulated science learning task in 2 task conditions that differed in the concreteness of the task elements. The authors identified 3 groups of students with different goal orientation profiles: success-, mastery-, and avoidance-oriented. Results of repeated-measures analysis of covariance showed that students with different profiles displayed different patterns of changes in situational interest in the 2 task conditions. The results confirmed the importance of acknowledging the interaction of student and task characteristics in the arousal and maintenance of situational interest across a learning task.     

A Note on the Validity and Difficulty of Items in form a of the Otis Self-Administering Tests of Mental Ability

Rewards are frequently used in classrooms and recommended as a key component of well-researched methods of cooperative learning (e.g., Slavin, 1995 Slavin, R. E. 1995. Cooperative learning: Theory, research, and practice (, 2nd ed., Needham Heights, MA: Allyn &; Bacon.  [Google Scholar]). While many studies of cooperative learning find beneficial effects of rewards, many studies of individuals find negative effects (e.g., Deci, Koestner, &; Ryan, 1999 Deci, E. L., Koestner, R. and Ryan, R. M. 1999. A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125: 627–668. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Lepper, 1988 Lepper, M. R. 1988. Motivational considerations in the study of instruction. Cognition and Instruction, 5: 289–309. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This may be because the effects of reward-removal are not typically assessed in studies of cooperative learning whereas they typically are in studies of individuals. Alternatively, rewards and their removal might function differently for groups than individuals. The present study tested the hypothesis that groups would show less detrimental effects of reward-removal than individuals. Results showed a significant interaction where dyads increased their performance after reward-removal, while individuals showed a decrease on difficult transfer questions.     

刍我导向的学习：概念与策略

自我导向的学习是指由学习者自己评价学习需要、确立学习目标、寻求学习资源、选择学习策略和评鉴学习结果的学习活动。它是一种独特的学习形式,其学习策略包括：明确的目标、必要的认知策略以及相应的动机策略等。教师的教学水平与风格、学生已有的学习经验以及无意识认知、情绪等都是对自我导向的学习产生重要影响的环境因素。在学生自我导向的学习活动中,教师应该成为互动的伙伴和学习环境的设计者。     

Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Structural Equation Models for Continuous Data: Standard Errors and Goodness of Fit

Classical accounts of maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of structural equation models for continuous outcomes involve normality assumptions: standard errors (SEs) are obtained using the expected information matrix and the goodness of fit of the model is tested using the likelihood ratio (LR) statistic. Satorra and Bentler (1994) introduced SEs and mean adjustments or mean and variance adjustments to the LR statistic (involving also the expected information matrix) that are robust to nonnormality. However, in recent years, SEs obtained using the observed information matrix and alternative test statistics have become available. We investigate what choice of SE and test statistic yields better results using an extensive simulation study. We found that robust SEs computed using the expected information matrix coupled with a mean- and variance-adjusted LR test statistic (i.e., MLMV) is the optimal choice, even with normally distributed data, as it yielded the best combination of accurate SEs and Type I errors.     

Achievement goal orientations,learning strategies,and mathematics achievement: A comparison of Chinese Miao and Han students

This study compared the relationships between the goal orientations, learning strategies, and mathematics achievement of Chinese Miao and Han students. A total of 211 Han and 321 Miao fifth‐ and sixth‐grade students from Qiandongnan participated in the study. The results suggest that, in both samples, mastery orientation positively predicted the use of surface/deep learning strategies and mathematics achievement, and that performance‐approach orientation significantly predicted the use of surface strategies. Ethnic differences were also detected. The positive relationship of the performance‐approach orientation to deep strategies was stronger among the Han than the Miao students. Overall, our findings confirm that goal orientations have an important influence on Chinese students’ strategy use and achievement and that ethnic differences affect the patterns of these relationships. Possible explanations for the results and the practical implications for school practitioners are discussed.     

Differential prospective relationships of social-oriented and individual-oriented achievement motivations with achievement goals and affective wellbeing: A 1-year follow-up study

This study aimed to investigate the differential prospective relationships of social-oriented achievement motivation (SOAM) and individual-oriented achievement motivation (IOAM) with student's adoption of specific achievement goals and their affective wellbeing (AWB). A total of 332 Chinese university students (M_age = 19.139; Female = 75%) voluntarily participated in the baseline and the 1-year follow-up surveys of this study. The factor score path analysis results showed statistically significant positive paths from SOAM and IOAM at baseline to performance goals and mastery goals, respectively, at follow-up. Moreover, a statistically significant positive path was found from SOAM at baseline to negative affective experiences, at follow-up, and no association was found between IOAM and AWB, after controlling for achievement goals. The findings suggest the usefulness of raising educators' and parents' awareness regarding the double-edged sword of utilizing socially valued motives to promote performance approach goals in individuals because such values potentially lowering their psychological wellbeing.     

Learning from peers: Beyond the rhetoric of positive results

This paper extends previous efforts to provide clarity to the field of cooperative learning. Various theoretical approaches to learning from peers are described, and the implications of these approaches for key instructional choices by teachers are delineated. The primary perspectives of interest in this paper were social-behavioral approaches and cognitive approaches. Potential sources of problems are identified, and suggestions for averting such problems are provided. The role of the teacher within the cooperative classroom is also discussed.