Historical perspective taking: A standardized measure for an aspect of students' historical thinking

Researchers widely agree that learning history should involve more than learning historical facts and should include competencies of historical thinking. Various models of historical thinking view students' competency to take historical perspectives as a standard in history education. In this study we introduce a standardized measure for historical perspective taking (HPT) consisting of a short scenario set in the German Weimar Republic. We assessed students' HPT by using rating scales; our data were obtained in grammar schools from 170 German 10th graders. Latent class analyses identified three types of students with similar profiles of HPT. One was present-oriented and two showed more or less contextualized historical thinking. Students' history grades were connected to their HPT competency. We discuss limitations of the study and argue for further research on measures assessing students' historical thinking.     

Sources of self-efficacy in mathematics: A validation study

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate items with which to assess A. Bandura’s (1997) theorized sources of self-efficacy among middle school mathematics students. Results from Phase 1 (N = 1111) were used to develop and refine items for subsequent use. In Phase 2 of the study (N = 824), a 39-item, four-factor exploratory model fit best. Items were revised to strengthen psychometric properties. In Phase 3 (N = 803), a 24-item, four-factor confirmatory factor model fit best. This final model was invariant across gender and ethnicity. Subscales correlated with self-efficacy, self-concept, mastery goals, and optimism. Results suggest that the sources scale is psychometrically sound and could be adapted for use in other domains.     

Social models in the cognitive appraisal of self-efficacy information

The purpose of this investigation was to test (a) whether students distinguished between self-efficacy sources according to social model and (b) how predictive the self-efficacy information students received from each social model was for their self-efficacy beliefs. For this purpose, new vicarious experience and social persuasion scales were developed that independently assess the respective source of self-efficacy information conveyed by three social models, family members, teachers, and peers. As revealed by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multitrait-multimethod analysis, the Korean high school students in Studies 1 (N = 395) and 3 (N = 393) and the Korean college students in Study 2 (N = 220) clearly distinguished between the self-efficacy sources and the social models who delivered this information (family members, teachers, or peers). Student responses to vicarious experience fluctuated more by social model than did their responses to social persuasion. The correlations further suggest the possibility that the existing scale largely taps vicarious experience from teachers and peers rather than vicarious experience from family members. The predictive utility of vicarious experience and social persuasion for self-efficacy also varied according to the social model involved and by the academic domain. Social persuasion by teachers predicted student self-efficacy in mathematics, while vicarious experience from teachers predicted student self-efficacy in English as a foreign language, in addition to mastery experience and physiological state.     

Confidence in prior knowledge,self-efficacy,interest and prior knowledge: Influences on conceptual change

This study explored how confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, and prior knowledge interact in conceptual change learning. One hundred and sixteen college students completed an assessment of confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, prior scientific understanding, and prior misconceptions before reading a refutation text on seasonal change. Students’ misconceptions and scientific understanding of seasonal change was then assessed before and after reading a refutation text, and again at a two week delayed posttest. Three profiles of students emerged based on their confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, prior scientific understanding, and prior misconceptions. The profiles included: (1) Low (low confidence, self-efficacy, interest, and prior scientific understanding and high prior misconceptions), (2) mixed (high confidence, self-efficacy, and interest, but low prior scientific understanding and high prior misconceptions), and (3) high (high confidence, self-efficacy, interest, and prior scientific understanding and low prior misconceptions). Results indicated that the mixed profile appeared to be most productive for conceptual change and that learner characteristics most productive for conceptual change learning may differ from those most productive in other learning situations.     

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

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 multi-user virtual environment to support students' self-efficacy and interest in science: A latent growth model analysis

Using latent growth models, we explored: (a) The effect of middle school students' (n = 189) pre-intervention science self-efficacy and science interest on their initial interest in an Ecosystems Multi-User Virtual Environment (EcoMUVE) and the rate of change in their interest in EcoMUVE; and (b) the mediating effect of students' initial interest in EcoMUVE and rate of change in interest on students' post-intervention science self-efficacy and interest in science. Results showed that: (1) students' pre-intervention self-efficacy for science had an effect both on students' triggered situational interest for EcoMUVE and on students' maintained situational interest for EcoMUVE; (2) both triggering and maintaining situational interest in EcoMUVE were important in developing students' science self-efficacy. In fact, maintained situational interest was the stronger predictor; and (3) maintained situational interest for EcoMUVE translated into individual interest for the science content. Results support and extend social cognitive theory as well as models of interest development.     

Unravelling the interplay of sources of self-efficacy in negotiating in role-play simulations of political decision-making: A longitudinal in-depth case study

This study contributes to current self-efficacy research in two ways. First, it responds to the need for more context- and competency-specific self-efficacy research by expanding the research field to the context of role-play simulations and focusing on the outcome of self-efficacy in negotiating. Second, aiming to investigate sources of self-efficacy and their interplay, the study addresses the need for more in-depth qualitative research by conducting a single holistic case study with a longitudinal design. Moreover, the study focuses on outcomes of an increase or decrease in self-efficacy over time. Data were collected during a four-day European Union simulation. Three data sources – diaries, interviews, and semi-structured observations and field notes – contributed to data convergence, ensuring that more than a single source of evidence supported findings. Four students were selected using maximum variation sampling. The final sample of 27 meaningful events – about the development of self-efficacy in negotiating – were selected by within-case sampling based on a set of inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed by means of content analysis. Three groups of sources of self-efficacy could be defined: personal sources, social sources, and contextual sources, which encompassed and enriched the four previously hypothesized sources of self-efficacy. With regard to the interplay of sources, five main pathways could be defined. Personal sources were present in all pathways. The contribution of social sources to an increase in self-efficacy was more obvious than its role in a decrease in self-efficacy. The contribution of the contextual source to the development of self-efficacy in negotiating was generally less prominent.     

Trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy: A longitudinal analysis of self-efficacy and its sources

The beliefs children hold about their capabilities as readers are known to influence their reading achievement. The aim of this study was to extend previous work by examining trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy among primary school students (N = 1327) and the relations between the trajectories of self-efficacy and their hypothesized sources over 11 months. Using growth mixture modeling, we identified four trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy, involving increasing, stable, and declining trends. These trajectories of change in reading self-efficacy were associated with students’ varying experiences with the four sources of self-efficacy over time. Higher levels of mastery, verbal persuasion, and vicarious experiences and lower levels of physiological arousal were related to positive developmental trajectories of self-efficacy. Students with declining experiences of social sources of self-efficacy (i.e., verbal persuasions and vicarious experiences) had decreasing self-efficacy trajectories. These findings point to the importance of considering the variability in changes in reading self-efficacy and the interplay between changes in self-efficacy and sources of self-efficacy during primary school years, as well as the importance of monitoring these changes over time.     

Telling It Like It Is: Developing Social Stories™ for Children in Mainstream Primary Schools

In this article, the author reports on a practical strategy originally developed for use with pupils with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Based on a small-scale research project, the article focuses on the use of Social Stories to promote pro-social behaviour with a group of non-ASC pupils. The topic was chosen for systematic enquiry by the author, herself the parent of a child with autism, following requests from colleagues to develop the strategy for use with other pupils with behavioural difficulties. The tensions arising from the extension of use of the strategy, devised for a particular group with specific needs, are highlighted, in particular recognising the need to maintain the integrity of the original work. The report concludes that Social Stories involve a complex strategy that relies upon sound relationships between teacher and pupil and suggests that, instead of determining success by behavioural outcome, Social Stories might be judged in terms of self-esteem and perceptions of self of the pupil during the key process leading to the writing of the story. The strategy may be effective in helping all parties to recognise challenging situations, particularly with pupils who have difficulties in taking the perspective of others. The author also makes practical suggestions for consideration by teachers who are concerned with the pastoral care and well-being of pupils.
The words 'Social Story' and uncapitalised variants are the trademarks originated and owned by Carol Gray. References to 'stories' hereafter indicate 'Social Stories^™' as the full citation .     

The big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept and interest in first- and third-grade students

BackgroundThe big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) postulates that class-average achievement has a negative effect on students’ academic self-concept. Research examining the BFLPE with elementary school students is scarce, especially with first graders.AimsThis study examined the BFLPE of class-average achievement on academic self-concept and interest in the math domain with first and third graders.SampleParticipants were Luxembourgish first graders (N = 5057) and third graders (N = 4925).MethodsA multilevel, doubly latent approach was used to assess a BFLPE model containing achievement (as the predictor) and ASC and interest (as outcomes) in the math domain.ResultsThe BFLPE on math self-concept was supported in both grades, whereas the BFLPE on math interest was supported only for third graders. In both grades, larger effect sizes were observed for the BFLPE on math self-concept than on math interest.ConclusionOur results suggest that the social comparisons underlying the BFLPE play an important role in the formation of math self-concept in both grades, but they play a less substantial—and probably later—role in the formation of math interest in elementary school.     

Mapping students' interest in a new domain: Connecting prior knowledge,interest, and self-efficacy with interesting tasks and a lasting desire to reengage

How students experience educational environments and the interconnections between their readiness, task experiences and their long-term desire to reengage with course content are critical questions for educators. Research postgraduate students (n = 310) at a research-intensive university in Hong Kong, engaging in a 24-h introductory teaching course, participated in this study. Learner readiness for the course was assessed as prior Domain interest, self-efficacy, and knowledge. Subsequently, students completed four formative assessments, reported their on-task interest in seven strategically chosen tasks and end-of-course Course and Domain interest. Longitudinal-SEM tested interconnections between readiness components, Task, Course and Domain interest. Initial self-efficacy beliefs for teaching predicted early Task interest, while Domain interest was a predictor of Task interest in explicitly practical task experiences. Strong interconnections between Task interest across the study were evident. Individual written and social discussion tasks presented strong contributions to future Course/Domain interest. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Longitudinal couplings between interest and conceptual understanding in secondary school chemistry: an activity-based perspective

This paper presents the findings of a three-year longitudinal study (Grades 9–11; N?=?756 students in German secondary schools; mean starting age?=?14.7 years) that explores the development of and the interplay between upper-secondary students’ individual interest and conceptual understanding in chemistry. Students’ individual interest was assessed in seven dimensions of school science activities (realistic, investigative, artistic, social, conventional, and networking) according to Dierks et al.'s RIASEC+N model. The data was collected annually using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. In order to analyse the longitudinal relation between students’ academic interest and conceptual understanding, Eccles et al.'s Expectancy-Value Theoretical Model of Achievement Choices (EEVT) was utilised and seven bivariate cross-lagged models were performed to investigate the assumed reciprocal relations between both constructs. Regarding the developmental progression of individual interest and conceptual knowledge, latent growth curve models indicate a small decrease in all of the seven dimensions of students’ interest in school science activities and concomitant a moderate growth of students’ conceptual understanding. Moreover, structural equation modelling suggests weak reciprocal relations between students’ conceptual understanding and their interest in investigative, social and networking school science activities, respectively. Furthermore, students’ interest in enterprising activities predicted their subsequent conceptual understanding. No systematic pattern of cross-lagged effects between the three remaining interest dimensions and conceptual understanding were found. The results indicate that school science activities, which provide the potential for cognitively activating learning opportunities, could enhance the relation between students’ interest and conceptual understanding. Implications for teaching practice and further research are discussed.     

Optimizing science self-efficacy: A multilevel examination of the moderating effects of anxiety on the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement in science

Extant research has demonstrated that anxiety is negatively associated with self-efficacy, especially in science. However, social cognitive theory also posits that anxiety and self-efficacy are likely to dynamically interact (i.e., moderate), such that a student high in anxiety may not garner the benefits of high self-efficacy. It has been suggested that classrooms may also be characterized in terms of this problematic dynamic, such that class-average anxiety may impede potentially positive effects of class-average self-efficacy. Despite this, very little work has focused on the extent to which anxiety thwarts the positive effects of self-efficacy at either the student- or classroom-level, and none has done so among secondary school students or in science specifically. Thus, the present study examines the main effects of science anxiety and self-efficacy on science achievement, as well as the moderating effects of science anxiety on the relationship between science self-efficacy and achievement, at both the student- and classroom-level. With a sample of N = 1,075 high school students clustered in N = 99 science classrooms, doubly latent multilevel structural equation modelling demonstrated that science self-efficacy positively predicted science achievement at both student- and classroom-levels. Also, at the student-level (but not the classroom-level), science anxiety negatively moderated the effects of science self-efficacy on science achievement, such that students high in self-efficacy with higher anxiety scored lower in science achievement than those with lower anxiety. Interestingly, however, student-level (but not classroom-level) findings also suggested a potentially arousing role of anxiety for students low in self-efficacy. These findings have theoretical implications and suggest that a dual intervention approach (i.e., concurrently promoting science self-efficacy and reducing science anxiety) at student-level and interventions targeting self-efficacy at the classroom-level may be warranted to optimize science achievement.     

Depression,anxiety and PTSD in sexually abused adolescents: Association with self-efficacy,coping and family support

Sexual abuse has the potential to generate serious emotional consequences for its victims, but there is high variability in the symptoms reported by different victims. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the factors associated with the symptoms presented by sexual abuse victims. The aim of the study was to use a single model to evaluate the relationship between sexual abuse characteristics (frequency, violence, relation with the aggressor and physical commitment), cognitive and behavioral factors (self-efficacy, active coping and perceived family support) and internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress) in a group of sexually abused adolescents. The participants included 106 female adolescent victims of sexual abuse (M = 14.25 years, SD = 1.74). The results of a path analysis indicated that sexual abuse characteristics were unrelated to symptomatology. Only a negative relationship was observed between the victim’s relationship with the aggressor and PTSD symptomatology. The violence of the sexual abuse was negatively related to self-efficacy, and self-efficacy was positively related to active coping and negatively related to symptomatology. Finally, the perception of family support was positively related to self-efficacy and negatively related to symptomatology. These results suggest the need to consider the studied factors in the process of psychotherapy with victims of sexual abuse.     

中学综合社会课与历史课之比较

综合社会课作为综合课程的一种形式,与历史课在中学教育中有着相同的地位。本文从4个方面比较了两者的差异,可以看出,综合课程有助于改变分科课程的某些弊端。     

Flipping the 4th grade social studies course in a cooperative way: Effects on academic achievement and motivation

In this study, through using the flipped classroom and cooperative learning methods both together and separately, this study examines the changes in the motivation and academic achievement levels of 4th-grade students in primary school. Three experimental groups and one control group were used in the research. As a result of this work, the flipped classroom, the cooperative learning method in the flipped classroom environment and the cooperative learning method used separately achieved both a positive and significant effect on the students' levels of academic achievement and motivation in both the pre-experiment and post-experiment groups, when compared with the control group. At the end of this study, we've provided recommendations on how to use the flipped classroom and cooperative learning methods, both together and separately.     

Development of a social and emotional learning program using educational dance: A participatory approach aimed at middle school students

Participatory research with children and adolescents may increase their responsiveness toward interventions. This study focuses on the development of a program to promote social and emotional skills in middle school students, using educational dance. The main goal was to assess students’ social and emotional needs and their interests in education through art activities, duly supported by the opinions of experts. Initially, focus groups were conducted and a questionnaire given out to students (N = 22), in addition to interviews with school representatives (N = 2). Next, students (N = 6) participated in a workshop and responded to a questionnaire. Experts (N = 3) then evaluated the program. Results revealed (a) students’ social and emotional needs; (b) that music and dance matched students’ interests; (c) students’ high interest and satisfaction with the program; and (d) that the experts’ assessment served to validate the program. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

当前我国(大陆)小学社会科研究述评

1992年 ,我国大陆正式启动小学社会课程。随之展开的是各种各样的研究和探索。内容包括 :在小学开设社会科的意义和价值 ;小学社会科的目的、课程性质、课程内容、课程结构 ;小学社会科的教学目标、教学原则、教学模式、教学方法 ;小学社会科的教材研究 ;小学社会科的比较研究以及一些相关学科领域的具体研究等等。总的看来 ,我国大陆小学社会科的研究还相当薄弱 ,尤其是理论方面仍有很多有待深入探讨和澄清的问题 ,历史研究也是一个空白 ,从实际出发的原则还应进一步强化 ,实验探索和经验总结亟需提高质量和水平。     

Programme implementation in social and emotional learning: basic issues and research findings

Abstract

This paper discusses the fundamental importance of achieving quality implementation when assessing the impact of social and emotional learning interventions. Recent findings in implementation science are reviewed that include a definition of implementation, its relation to programme outcomes, current research on the factors that affect implementation, and a framework for understanding the steps, actions and challenges involved in achieving quality implementation. Examples from the social and emotional learning literature are used to illustrate different issues.