Role of the Big Five personality traits in predicting college students' academic motivation and achievement

College students (308 undergraduates) completed the Five Factor Inventory and the Academic Motivations Scale, and reported their college grade point average (GPA). A correlation analysis revealed an interesting pattern of significant relationships. Further, regression analyses indicated that conscientiousness and openness explained 17% of the variance in intrinsic motivation; conscientiousness and extraversion explained 13% of the variance in extrinsic motivation; and conscientiousness and agreeableness explained 11% of the variance in amotivation. Further, four personality traits (conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) explained 14% of the variance in GPA; and intrinsic motivation to accomplish things explained 5% of the variance in GPA. Finally, conscientiousness emerged as a partial mediator of the relationship between intrinsic motivation to accomplish and GPA. These results are interpreted within the context of what educators could do to encourage and nurture student motivation and achievement.     

Modeling treatment motivation in substance-abusing women with children

OBJECTIVES: Children are often considered a primary motivator for women seeking substance abuse treatment. This study tested a model predicting treatment motivation in substance-abusing mothers. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of the Drug Absue Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). It used structural equation modeling to describe factors influencing motivation for treatment. DATOS is a national study of substance abusers entering treatment. Treatment was provided by a sampling of community-based programs, free-standing hospitals, hospital units, county-funded programs, modified therapeutic communities, and criminal justice programs. The subsample of women with children under the age of 18 for whom custody of children could be determined was selected (n=1371). The variables comprising each factor were based on self-report, and standardized scales measuring level of drug involvement, psychological functioning, children, and a desire to stop using drugs were used. RESULTS: Drug involvement was positively related to poorer psychological functioning, child custody issues, and the desire to stop using drugs. Child custody issues had a negative influence, while poorer psychological functioning and a desire to stop using drugs positively influenced treatment motivation. CONCLUSIONS: The negative influence that children have on treatment motivation may reflect the practical or emotional difficulties of having to leave children behind or in some instances having children placed in foster care. Specifically, losing custody of children, particularly with little expectation they will be reunified, may serve as a detriment to motivation. Popular beliefs hold that children serve as a primary source of a mother's treatment motivation; however this study found the opposite was true. Children should not automatically be considered a primary source of motivation for participation in treatment.     

A person-centered approach to homework behavior: Students’ characteristics predict their homework learning type

Homework time (i.e., the total amount of time spent on homework) and homework effort (i.e., the extent to which students work seriously on their homework) are defined as two central aspects that characterize students’ homework behavior. Recent research has identified homework learning types by considering differences in students in both homework effort and homework time with a person-centered approach (Flunger et al., 2015). The present study investigated how students’ characteristics (i.e., motivation, conscientiousness, gender, and verbal abilities) are associated with these homework behavior profiles. To this end, data on homework behavior in the subject of French as a second language of 1649 Swiss eighth-grade students were reanalyzed by applying latent profile analyses (LPAs) with covariates in a modified three-step method (Vermunt, 2010). The findings suggest that large amounts of homework time can be a characteristic of favorable homework behavior: When students simultaneously invested a great deal of effort in their homework, spending a lot of time on homework was associated with high motivation and high conscientiousness. By contrast, when students exerted low effort, large amounts of homework time were found to be associated with low motivation and low conscientiousness.     

Social-emotional characteristics and special educational needs

The aim of the research described in this article was the development of an instrument to measure social emotional characteristics and special educational and pedagogical needs of students in the last grade of primary education. Questionnaires were developed for teachers as well as for students. Exploratory factor analyses showed that the factors underlying the structure of the teacher questionnaire corresponded for the larger part with the negative poles of four factors of the Big Five, i.e., conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability. A stepwise regression analysis was conducted to examine which factors contribute to the prediction of type of secondary education. Intelligence was the most important predictor; lack of conscientiousness accounted for another nine percent of the variance in level of secondary education.     

Adaptive and maladaptive work-related motivation among teachers: A person-centered examination and links with well-being

The primary aim of this study was to identify profiles of motivation among teachers. Using latent profile analysis among n = 519 Australian teachers, we considered multidimensional motivation by examining adaptive (self-efficacy, valuing, mastery orientation) and maladaptive motivation (anxiety, uncertain control, performance avoidance). Results revealed five distinct profiles of teachers' motivation. The study's secondary aim involved determining how the profiles are associated with well-being outcomes (work enjoyment, workplace buoyancy, work disengagement) and teachers' personal and job characteristics. Results revealed significant differences across the profiles. Together, the findings underscore the importance of attending to teachers' motivation in both research and practice.     

Predicting homework motivation and homework effort in six school subjects: The role of person and family characteristics,classroom factors,and school track

This study examines the determinants of homework motivation and homework effort in six school subjects at three levels: student level, classroom level, and school level. We hypothesized that several factors—including stable personality characteristics such as gender and conscientiousness, students' domain-specific homework motivation, and characteristics of homework assignments—have concomitant effects on student homework effort. The sample consisted of 511 students in Grades 8 and 9. Across all six school subjects, multilevel modelling showed that students' homework motivation and homework effort varied primarily as a function of their shared perceptions of homework quality and control (classroom level) and of their conscientiousness, individual perception of homework quality, and expectancy and value beliefs (student level). Domain-specific patterns were found for student gender in line with gender stereotypes. Cognitive ability, family background, and parental homework help or control were only loosely associated with homework motivation and homework effort.     

Personality traits and occupational stress among Chinese academics

The primary objective of this study was to examine the predictive power of personality traits for occupational stress among Chinese university academics. Two hundred and forty-six participants responded to the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised. Results indicated that the strongest predictor for occupational stress is neuroticism, with those higher on neuroticism being more vulnerable to role overload and psychological strain. An equally important predictor is conscientiousness, with academics higher on conscientiousness reporting more frequent use of adaptive coping strategy and less susceptible to the feeling of role insufficiency. Extraversion and openness contributed modestly to occupational stress, while agreeableness was the least important factor in occupational stress. Implications of these findings are discussed concerning faculty members and university senior managers.     

Modifying Negative Attitudes Towards School Work Through Group Contingencies

Teaching a class of secondary school students can be either an exciting or a frustrating experience. Some students tend to be enthusiastic and self-motivated when engaged in certain learning tasks, but the evidence for poor motivation and a lack of enthusiasm is also present. The task of teaching demands that we should not lose sight of the fact that one of our primary responsibilities is to provide effective academic instruction in our classrooms. When we encounter some classroom problems such as negative attitudes towards school work, we should therefore not dismiss the difficulties as insurmountable, nor should we assume that because of their age, behaviour modification procedures will not be effective for secondary school students.     

新时期中小学政治思想教育工作的有效开展方法

思想政治教育工作是学校教育任务的重要组成部分,它关系着中小学生人格的塑造、价值观念的构建以及行为习惯的养成,所以这一工作不能忽视。中小学阶段是学生成长的关键时期,这一阶段形成的学习习惯和思想认知将会影响学生一生。学校要采用科学、高效的方法来开展这一工作,以使中小学生拥有良好的综合素养,今后为祖国建设而努力。     

Exploration of Korean Students’ Scientific Imagination Using the Scientific Imagination Inventory

This article reports on the study of the components of scientific imagination and describes the scales used to measure scientific imagination in Korean elementary and secondary students. In this study, we developed an inventory, which we call the Scientific Imagination Inventory (SII), in order to examine aspects of scientific imagination. We identified three conceptual components of scientific imagination, which were composed of (1) scientific sensitivity, (2) scientific creativity, and (3) scientific productivity. We administered SII to 662 students (4th–8th grades) and confirmed validity and reliability using exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach α coefficient. The characteristics of Korean elementary and secondary students' overall scientific imagination and difference across gender and grade level are discussed in the results section.     

Chinese and US Middle-School Science Teachers' Autonomy,Motivation, and Instructional Practices

This study examined Chinese and US middle-school science teachers' perceptions of autonomy support. Previous research has documented the link between teachers' perceptions of autonomy and the use of student-oriented teaching practices for US teachers. But is not clear how the perception of autonomy may differ for teachers from different cultures or more specifically how motivation factors differ across cultures. The survey measured teachers' motivation, perceptions of constraints at work, perceptions of students' motivation, and level of autonomy support for students. Exploratory factor analysis of responses for the combined teacher sample (n?=?201) was carried out for each of the survey assessments. Significance testing for Chinese (n?=?107) and US (n?=?94) teachers revealed significant differences in teachers' motivation and perceptions of constraints at work and no significant differences for perceptions of students' motivation or their level of autonomy support for students. Chinese teachers' perceptions of constraints at work, work motivation, and perceptions of student motivation were found to significantly predict teachers' autonomy support. For the US teachers, teacher motivation was the only significant predictor of teachers' autonomy support. A sub-sample of teachers (n?=?19) was interviewed and results showed that teachers in both countries reported that autonomy was important to their motivation and the quality of science instruction they provided to students. The primary constraints on teaching reported by the US teachers related to materials and laboratory space while the Chinese teachers reported constraints related to the science curriculum and standards.     

The prediction of academic achievement by a British study habits inventory

The purpose of this study is to determine if the prediction of college success can be improved with the Student Attitude Inventory (SAI). This inventory was developed in Britain and contains 47 items which attempt to identify students in higher education on the basis of: (1) motivation, (2) study methods, (3) examination technique, and (4) lack of distractions toward academic work. Students in six Kentucky community colleges were asked to express their attitudes toward study habits on the Student Attitude Inventory. There were 996 students in the sample population (413 males and 583 females). A measure of ability (composite American College Test score) and academic performance (cumula grade-point average) were obtained for each student sampled. The Student Attitude Inventory did contribute a statistically significant amount of variance beyond an ability measure for males and females.     

An examination of personality traits as a predictor of the use of self-regulated learning strategies and considerations for online instruction

Each learner brings a unique mix of personality traits, preferences, and talents to the educational setting. These factors can influence the extent to which learners are able to effectively deploy skills and strategies to achieve their academic goals. Gaining a deeper awareness of how specific personality traits play a role in the choice and deployment of SRL strategies provides opportunities to anticipate which learners might be effective or ineffective self-regulators. Doing so would enable instructional designers, educators, or higher education administrators to better plan and deliver effective educational experiences for a wide range of learners. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the use of SRL strategies was impacted by learner differences in Big Five personality traits. This mixed methods study examined the potential of utilizing the Big Five Inventory classification as a predictor of self-regulated strategy use. Specifically, the study investigated the relationship between the existence of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism traits as possible predictors of learner use of SRL strategies. Results indicated that learners high in openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness were shown to be more skilled self-regulators than those high in neuroticism. Those high in neuroticism were less skilled self-regulators and tended to use help-seeking strategies more frequently than those in other personality trait categories. The qualitative findings highlighted the need for effective time management as an important self-regulation strategy, a preference for face to face versus an on-line delivery format, and a lack of motivation. However, responses did not seem to systematically vary by personality trait.

     

Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model: Contemporary support for an established theory

This study was an effort to add to the body of research surrounding Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model (BEM). The model was tested to determine its ability to explain factor relationships of organizational safety culture in a high‐risk work environment. Three contextual variables were measured: communication, resource availability, and incentives; and the impact of contextual variables on safety motivation were evaluated. The study produced three outcomes: (1) data and the BEM model demonstrated good fit, (2) communication and resource availability were indirectly related to safety motivation, and (3) incentives mediated the indirect effects of communication and resource availability with motivation. Research findings serve to inform the practice of human performance technology, as Gilbert's model is a primary performance diagnostic tool, adaptable to essentially any workplace context.     

Student-centred and teacher-centred learning environment in pre-vocational secondary education: Psychological needs,and motivation

In this study the perception of psychological needs and motivation in a student-centred and a teacher-centred learning environment are compared, using Self Determination Theory as a framework. The self-report Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was completed by 230 students (mean age 16.1 years) in pre-vocational secondary education. School records on absenteeism and achievement were also analysed. As predicted, multi-level analyses showed that students in the student-centred learning environment reported higher levels of perceived autonomy, competence, relatedness and motivation, measured by pleasure and effort. Furthermore, boys were less absent. Achievement shows no differences. These results suggest that a student-centred form of learning can be more beneficial for students' motivation if granted autonomy is embedded in a supportive environment.     

信息时代的中小学教育

当代科学技术，特别是信息技术的迅速发展，正在迅速地改变着世界的一切，使几百年、几千年来逐渐形成的教育制度受到严重的挑战。面对史无前例的信息技术革命，传统教育制度的深刻变革已成为历史的必然。21世纪是人类全面进入信息化时代的世纪，信息时代给中小学教育注入了新的生机和活力，对基础教育产生了深刻的影响，也提出了更高的要求。开展信息教育、培养中小学生信息意识和信息能力已成为当前基础教育改革的必然趋势。     

The Development of the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory (MCRODI)

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop an inventory that measures students' motivation to engage in critical reasoning in online discussions. Inventory items were developed based on theoretical frameworks and then tested on 168 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis, test–retest reliability, and internal consistency, twenty-two items were selected for the Motivation for Critical Reasoning in Online Discussions Inventory. Six motivational constructs were supported: Interest and Enjoyment, Normative Goals, Outcome Goals, Implicit Theories, Self-Efficacy Perception, and Finishing Requirements. The inventory can be used by other researchers or online instructors to collect students' motivational data to investigate strategies to promote student motivation in online discussions.     

Academic underachievement: Relationship with cognitive motivation,achievement motivation,and conscientiousness

In this study, the role of need for cognition, achievement motivation, and conscientiousness on academic underachievement was investigated. Forty‐seven male and 46 female students in Grades 7 to 10 participated in the study. Student attributes were assessed by self‐report measures, school performance by academic grades, and intellectual abilities by a standardized structure of intelligence test. A regression analytic model (prediction of grade point average by general intelligence) was used to operationally define underachievement. A categorical cutoff definition as well as a continuous definition was investigated. All relationships between underachievement scores and need for cognition, achievement motivation scales, and conscientiousness showed linearity. This warranted the use of a continuous definition of underachievement. Results revealed that need for cognition as well as facilitating anxiety contributed the most to the explanation of underachievement. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 401–411, 2006.