Perceived and actual academic competence in maltreated children

OBJECTIVE: The aims were twofold: 1) to determine whether maltreated and nonmaltreated children differed in the accuracy of their self-assessments of academic achievement; and 2) to determine whether discrepancies between perceived and actual academic competence were related to perceptions of social support from mothers, teachers, and peers. METHOD: A sample of 195 maltreated children known to a state protective service agency was compared to a control group of 179 nonmaltreated children. The groups were matched on child's gender, age, ethnicity, and birth order; socioeconomic ranking of neighborhood; and family structure. RESULTS: Although maltreated children had significantly lower achievement scores than did nonmal-treated children, the two groups did not differ on perceived academic competence. With regard to discrepancies between perceived and actual competence, maltreated children were more likely than nonmaltreated children to overestimate their level of competence, particularly for reading and arithmetic. Overall, children who reported low maternal support were more likely to overestimate reading competence than were those who reported average or high maternal support. When maltreatment status was considered, maltreated children with low support seemed likely to overestimate abilities, whereas nonmaltreated children with low support seemed likely to underestimate competence. CONCLUSIONS: Maltreated children may overestimate their academic abilities in order to compensate for self-perceptions of low self-worth. Efforts to improve academic performance in maltreated children should focus not only on increasing academic skills but also on enhancing self-esteem.     

Measuring perceived competence and social acceptance in children with cerebral palsy

The Dutch Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Children with Cerebral Palsy was translated and administered to an English sample. This scale was developed to assess the child's perception on cognitive, physical and social domains. Thirty-two children, aged 4 to 9 years, were tested twice. The results indicate good test/retest reliability and good internal consistency. The results on the intercorrelations between the four sub-scales supported internal validity of the pictorial scale. It is concluded that the pictorial scale for young children with cerebral palsy is a reliable and valid instrument for determining the perception of children with cerebral palsy, and application in clinical and class settings is discussed.     

Profiles of social competence among low-income African American preschool children

Relations between children's personal attributes and peer play competence were investigated in a sample of 141 African American preschool children who participated in Head Start. Variable-oriented analyses confirmed that dispositions of temperament, emotion regulation, autonomy, and language were related to children's peer play competence in the classroom. Person-oriented analyses revealed distinctive profiles of personal attributes linked to adaptive preschool social functioning. A small group of resilient children whose profile was characterized by highly adaptable temperament, ability to approach new situations, and above average vocabulary development evidenced the greatest social competence with peers. Children who were disruptive with peers were equally divided between two profiles characterized by inattention and activity, but with differential performance on vocabulary tasks. A profile containing calm, reticent children was the group least likely to engage in disruptive peer play. Inspection of the six profiles revealed the within-group variability for this economically disadvantaged sample and illustrated the differential importance of temperament, regulation, and language constructs. Findings from the profile analyses and relations with peer competence inform the study of resilience in social development for urban African American children who participate in early intervention preschool programs.     

Attitudes,perceived competence,and social limitation among older adults with hearing problems

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This study aims to examine the association between attitudes, perceived competence, and social limitation among older adults with hearing impairment.     

What children say about classroom performance: sex and grade differences in perceived competence

Naturalistic observations and interviews with children in kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grades (ages 5 1/2-10 years) were used to examine sex and age differences in evaluations of, and attributions to performance of, self and others. Observers coded the content of peer verbal exchanges during class work times, and the children were subsequently interviewed about their and their peers' classroom performance, as well as expectancies of performance on a novel task. Analyses of classroom observations generally supported previous laboratory findings; positive evaluation declined with grade level, and more negative self-evaluations and attributions were made by girls than by boys. In contrast, the interview measures did not show grade or sex differences in self-assessment; however, the consistency across interview and observation measures was greater at higher grade levels and for boys than for girls. Previous interpretations of age and sex differences in performance assessment are reexamined, and the possible impact of social context on evaluative statements is discussed.     

Correlates of overrating and underrating of cognitive competence among kindergarten children

This study focused on kindergarten children who were rated by teachers as low but rated themselves as high on cognitive competence (“overraters”), and on kindergarteners who were classified by teachers as high but rated themselves as low on cognitive competence (“underraters”). Children rated themselves and were rated by their teachers on Harter and Pike's (1984) Pictorial Scale for Young Children. Results showed that overrating and underrating in the cognitive domain were associated with similar tendencies in the physical, peer, and mother acceptance domains. Overraters were rated by teachers as lower on peer and mother acceptance than were accurate perceivers with similar teacher-rated cognitive competence. Underraters did not differ on these variables from accurate perceivers of similar teacher-rated cognitive competence. The findings are consistent with the notion that extreme overrating among kindergarteners is not a chance phenomenon, but a defensive strategy that occurs most often among children who are particularly unsuccessful in the social domains. In contrast, underrating among kindergarteners does not seem to be associated with low social acceptance.     

Experiences in day care and social competence among maltreated children

The experience of 39 preschool-age maltreated children from 13 child care facilities was examined to determine the extent to which the children's social development was related to the quality of day-care service. Maltreated children assigned by the Arkansas Department of Social Services to three different types of child care facilities were observed: specialized day-care programs, regular day-care centers and family day homes. The children scored below average in intelligence and were rated by their parents as displaying higher than normal rates of disturbed behavior. While no comparison group of non-maltreated children was included in the study, observations of the maltreated children in the child care setting revealed substantially more positive than negative social behavior. The children were reasonably effective in interacting with adult caregivers in day care. The maltreated children were also productive in most encounters with peers. Ratings of the quality of care received in day care were significantly correlated with the children's social competence in child care. Aspects of social behavior in maltreated children were related to the organization of the program, the physical facilities, traits of the caregiver, and caregiver expectations for the children.     

Relationships among perceived competence,intrinsic value and mastery goal orientation in English and maths

A large and burgeoning literature has established that mastery goal orientations yield positive cognitive and behavioural educational outcomes. Less research has focused on the psychological antecedents of adopting mastery goals. The present study draws upon prominent psychological theories of ac motivation, specifically the expectancy-value theory of Eccles, Wigfield and colleagues (Wigfield and Eccles 2002), to explore possible antecedents of students’ mastery goals. Based on this theoretical framework, our study focused on children’s perceptions of their competencies in English and maths and how these related to intrinsic value and mastery goals for English and maths. Questionnaires were used to gather data about Year 6 (N=60) participants’ perceived competence, intrinsic value and mastery goal orientation, and correlational analyses established the direction and strength of the relationships between the perceptions. Participants were targeted for follow-up interviews (n=17) according to a matrix of low and high competence perceptions and mastery goals, with students selected from within each of six focal groups. Interview responses were reported according to emergent themes, from which we describe how the constructs under consideration relate to one another and highlight implications for educational practice.     

A three-phase examination of academic comparative optimism and perceived academic control

Early academic perceptions are critical to undergraduate students' success in college. This 3-phase study examined stability of and links between academic comparative optimism (ACO; positive expectations about future performance) and perceived academic control (PAC; sense of influence over academic outcomes) among 68 undergraduate students. ACO and PAC were assessed at the start, midway through, and at the end of a semester and a cross-lagged panel analysis tested which academic perception better predicted the other. We also examined early ACO and PAC as predictors of later achievement. Students' ACO and PAC were fairly stable throughout the semester. Regression analyses (controlling for course load, prior achievement, and prior ACO or PAC) indicated ACO predicted PAC more so than the reverse, suggesting students may boost their PAC via optimistic social comparisons. Early ACO predicted later performance. Implications for enhancing ACO and PAC early in the academic year are discussed.     

The timing of academic difficulties among maltreated and nonmaltreated children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we examined the relationship between child maltreatment and the timing of academic difficulties. METHOD: This study uses survival analysis to investigate the timing of risk of experiencing an academic difficulty for the first time. Three types of academic difficulties were examined-grade repetitions, poor English grades, and poor math grades. The sample included approximately 300 maltreated and 300 nonmaltreated children aged 5-18. RESULTS: Maltreated children displayed greater risk than nonmaltreated children of repeating a grade and receiving a poor English and mathematics grade for the first time across most elementary years. Maltreated and nonmaltreated children share the same peaks in risk: first grade for their first grade repetitions and kindergarten for their first poor English and math grade. The best-fitting discrete time hazards models suggested underlying temporal patterns of risk vary according to the type of academic difficulty. For instance, maltreated children were at substantially higher risk than nonmaltreated children of repeating kindergarten and first grade. From second through sixth grade, maltreated and nonmaltreated children were indistinguishable in their risk of repeating a grade for the first time. In contrast, discrete-time hazards modeling showed that while the absolute risk of receiving a poor English or mathematics grade changes across the elementary years, the relative risk by maltreatment status does not. CONCLUSIONS: While maltreated and nonmaltreated children share the same peaks in risk, the relative risk changes across time for grade repetitions but not for the first occurrence of a poor English or mathematics grade. In summary, this study highlights the importance of time in understanding the relationship between child maltreatment and academic difficulties.     

Effects of the structure of classmates' perceptions of peers' academic abilities on children's perceived cognitive competence, peer acceptance, and engagement

This study examined the effects of classroom indegree for ability (the degree to which peer nominations as academically capable show high consensus and focus on a relatively few number of children in a classroom) on first grade children's peer acceptance, teacher-rated classroom engagement, and self-perceived cognitive competence. Participants were 291 children located in 84 classrooms. Participating in sociometric interviews were 937 classmates. Consistent with social comparison theory, classroom indegree moderated the associations between children's achievement and classroom engagement and peer liking. Children with lower ability, relative to their classmates, were less accepted by peers and less engaged in classrooms in which students' perceptions of classmates' abilities converged on a relatively few number of students than in classrooms in which peers' perceptions were more dispersed. High indegree was associated with lower self-perceived cognitive competence regardless of ability level.     

From perceived competence to emotion regulation: assessment of the effectiveness of an intervention among upper elementary students

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The aim of this article is to assess the effects on learners’ emotions and emotion regulation of an intervention promoting the development of...     

Cultural Considerations: Interpretations of blame and perceived ability among children in India

In the first study, children's ability attributions following teacher blame was assessed for 218 Tamil-speaking children in India between 6 and 12 years of age. Indian children of all ages attributed low ability to the child that was blamed and high ability to the child who was not blamed by the teacher. This finding does not conform to expectations based on studies conducted in the West. In the second study, children between the ages of 6 and 12 were given questionnaires that attempted to explore their conceptions of ability and effort. It was found that the Indian sample did not clearly distinguish between ability and effort. Studies conducted in the West have found that older children clearly differentiate between ability and effort and value ability more than effort. The reasons for these culturally different findings in children's attributions is examined, and several possible explanations are offered.     

Factors associated with middle and secondary students' perceived science competence

The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of students' perceived science competence by examining potentially related beliefs and perceptions in a diverse sample of middle and secondary students (N = 1289). Results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that students' perceived science competence was related to: (a) students' age, gender, and ethnicity; (b) students' mastery and performance–approach goals; (c) students' self‐perceptions of their ability to generate creative ideas (i.e., creative self‐efficacy); and (d) students' perceptions of teacher support and press (i.e., challenging academic demands). Of all these factors, creative self‐efficacy was found to have the strongest positive relationship with students' perceived science competence. Implications for subsequent research are discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 800–814, 2007     

Intellectual competence and academic performance: A Spanish study

This study assessed the explanatory power of the intellectual competence (IC) model for understanding the relationship among the main ability and non-ability determinants of academic performance (AP) in a sample of Spanish undergraduates. Thus it attempted to replicate the preliminary evidence for this model provided in a recent UK study and expand on it by including more comprehensive measures of intelligence and AP. Results showed mixed support for individual paths, but good support for the overall model. The expanded IC model showed that some individual difference factors explain AP variance that is common to high school, university entry, and university exam grades, whereas other individual differences explained AP variance specific to university. Inconsistencies, limitations, and implications are discussed.     

Linkages between approaches to learning,perceived stress and expected and actual academic outcomes among first-semester psychology students

Previous research indicates that higher educational students’ perceptions of stress are in part related to the teaching and learning context, and influence academic outcomes. This study intends to deepen our understanding of these processes by examining the linkages between approaches to learning, perceived stress and expected and actual academic outcomes within a specific educational setting. First-semester psychology students (N = 191) completed a questionnaire, including short versions of ASSIST and PSS, and estimated their course grade before a written examination. Later, actual grades were added. The results suggest that surface approach to learning is positively associated with high levels of perceived stress, and reflected in lower levels of expected grades. The relationships between deep and strategic approaches to learning and perceived stress seem to be more ambivalent, despite positive associations with expected grades. Coping and motivational aspects of the concepts of surface and strategic approaches to learning seem to be crucial to understanding the linkages between the examined factors. Also, the significance of a strategic approach in relation to actual academic outcomes is highlighted.     

Predictors of academic motivation in first grade among children born to low-income adolescent mothers

The central question addressed in this study was: What factors are associated with individual differences in academic motivation among first-grade students who were born to low-income adolescent mothers? Data from a 7-year longitudinal study were used to address the question. First-grade teachers assessed academic motivation for 89 children at the end of the school year. We tested a model that children’s experiences in the home prior to school entry influence the developmental trajectories of the children; experiences in the home are likely to influence the cognitive abilities children have when they enter school. More competent children are likely to be more successful on school-related tasks, which in turn, should influence level of motivation in the early elementary grades. The results of a path analysis were consistent with this model. Parenting practices and quality of the home environment during the early childhood period were predictive of children’s receptive language skills at age 4.5 years and achievement in the fall semester of first grade; achievement test scores were, in turn, predictive of academic motivation at the end of first grade. We also expected parental support for achievement after school entry to be related to individual differences in academic motivation, but this hypothesis was not supported.     

The preparation of highly motivated and professionally competent teachers in initial teacher education

Education systems around the world need to recruit highly motivated individuals to become teachers and prepare professionally competent teacher education graduates to take up these broadened and deepened roles and responsibilities with a deep and lasting engagement to the profession. This article reports on a mixed-methods study that examines types of teaching motivation in relation to various facets of professional competence and planned engagement in future teaching. One hundred and thirty-two student teachers of a postgraduate diploma in education programme participated in the quantitative survey of whom seven were interviewed. The quantitative data analysis shows the positive association between ‘intrinsic–altruistic motivation constellation’ and selected facets of professional competence, with ‘intrinsic–multifaceted and stimulating job nature’ as the most distinctive type of teaching motivation. To complement the quantitative findings, the qualitative data analysis reveals two professional orientations of the ‘intrinsic–altruistic motivation constellation’, namely (1) student-centred orientation and (2) subject-centred orientation. In addition, three types of professional development aspirations are identified: ‘classroom engaged careerists’, ‘highly engaged persisters’ and ‘pessimists’. The study provides insights into the design of appropriate ITE practices to support professional learning in the light of student teachers’ motivations. It also suggests the importance of matching career opportunities and beginning teachers’ professional development aspirations and supporting ‘pessimists’ in the face of the stringent job market.     

Parenting behaviors and perceived parenting competence of child sexual abuse survivors.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports data testing two alternative hypotheses: (1) the relationship between child sexual abuse and subsequent parenting attitudes and behaviors is a function of the third variable, growing up experiences other than CSA; and (2) maternal depression mediates the relationship between CSA and the same parenting variables. METHOD: The current study was a retrospective survey of 516 very low-income, urban mothers. Parenting was assessed with three measures: The Parenting Competence Scale and the verbal and severe violence subscales of the Conflict Tactics Scale. RESULTS: Findings for two of the dependent variables, perceived parenting competence and severe violence, supported the third variable hypothesis. The mediational hypothesis was not supported for any of the parenting indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Findings regarding the third variable hypothesis are discrepant from those of the one earlier study that tested this hypothesis, suggesting that before conclusions can be drawn regarding the effect of CSA on parenting further research is in order.