A longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis of indirect and physical aggression: evidence of two factors over time?

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether indirect aggression was distinct from physical aggression across developmental periods. Participants were 3,089 Canadian children aged 4 to 7 years (Time 1), 6 to 9 years (Time 2), and 8 to 11 years (Time 3). Confirmatory factor analysis using an accelerated longitudinal design confirmed a 2-factor model that was stable across cohorts, time, and sex. The longitudinal predictive links between indirect and physical aggression were also examined in a path analysis. Findings did not support the notion that maturation is associated with changes in the ways children aggress but rather suggest that children are consistent in the type of aggression they use over time, whether it be indirect or physical.     

Attitudes towards School,Teacher, and Classmates at Classroom and Individual Levels: An application of two‐level confirmatory factor analysis

Pupils' responses in Grade 6 to a 40‐item questionnaire originally constructed to reveal different school attitudes were re‐analysed using recently developed techniques for latent variable analysis of two‐level data. One aim was to test a model for investigation of classroom environment and another aim was to compare exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis when applied at individual and class levels. When using confirmatory factor modelling a separation of the individual and class‐level influences on the between‐group matrix was obtained. At class level three factors could be justified: Teachers and Teaching, Social Relations in Classrooms and Work Atmosphere in Classrooms. We conclude that the present analysis encourages further use of this type of questionnaire when investigating pupils' attitudes in a large number of classes. Two‐level latent variable analysis is useful for comparing pupils' attitudes within and between classes     

Levels of aggregation in higher level confirmatory factor analysis: Application for academic self‐concept

The effects of levels of aggregation on measures of goodness of fit and higher order parameter estimates obtained from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were investigated. For a higher order model of academic self‐concept, 3 levels of aggregation were considered—disaggregated, partially disaggregated, and partially aggregated. In the disaggregated model, measured variables represented individual items. In the partially disaggregated model, testlets (groups of 4 items) represented measured variables. In the partially aggregated model, subscale scores represented measured variables. Three indexes of fit were employed: the Tucker‐Lewis Index (TLI), the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), and chi‐square. Solutions for the disaggregated models consistently evidenced poor fit. TLI and CFI values for partially disaggregated and partially aggregated solutions were satisfactory. Standardized parameter estimates were similar across all solutions. Implications of these findings are discussed with consideration of other research on model complexity in CFA.     

Effect of the number of scale points on chi‐square fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis

This article investigates the effect of the number of item response categories on chi‐square statistics for confirmatory factor analysis to assess whether a greater number of categories increases the likelihood of identifying spurious factors, as previous research had concluded. Four types of continuous single‐factor data were simulated for a 20‐item test: (a) uniform for all items, (b) symmetric unimodal for all items, (c) negatively skewed for all items, or (d) negatively skewed for 10 items and positively skewed for 10 items. For each of the 4 types of distributions, item responses were divided to yield item scores with 2,4, or 6 categories. The results indicated that the chi‐square statistic for evaluating a single‐factor model was most inflated (suggesting spurious factors) for 2‐category responses and became less inflated as the number of categories increased. However, the Satorra‐Bentler scaled chi‐square tended not to be inflated even for 2‐category responses, except if the continuous item data had both negatively and positively skewed distributions.     

A confirmatory factor analysis of the hendrick‐hendrick love attitudes scale: We may not yet have an acceptable model

Loving is a fundamental aspect of being human. Freud himself argued that the inability to love leads to illness, and some empirical research appears to support his view. Yet our knowledge of the nature of love remains primitive, because until recently it was not considered scientifically respectable to investigate love phenomena. This study used confirmatory factor analytic methods to test the fit of various models to data provided by 499 subjects on the 1990 version of the Hendrick and Hendrick Love Attitudes Scale. The results suggest that counselors and researchers should not treat the love styles delineated by Lee as discrete or uncorrelated entities. The results also suggest that the traditional model regarding this measure, positing (a) six factors (b) that are uncorrelated, may not provide a very good fit to data from the Love Attitudes Scale.     

Stability of attitudes toward abortion and sex roles: A two‐factor measurement model at two points in time

In the decades since 1960, issues associated with the women's movement have significantly impacted American public opinion. Although it is generally agreed that women have made progress in the workplace, education, and politics, the trends supporting all aspects of the women's movement have not been uniform over time. Changing attitudes toward women's roles and toward the question of legal abortion are two clusters of attitudes that illustrate the complexity and multidimensionality of public perceptions of feminist issues. The purpose of this study is to test the hypotheses that these two clusters of attitudes are discrete, that they are correlated with each other, and that their relation to each other has remained stable over time.     

Empirical model and analysis of mastery and performance‐approach goals: a developmental approach

This study used latent growth modelling (LGM) to explore the developmental course and longitudinal relationships between achievement goals (mastery and performance‐approach) and academic performance over a three‐year period (four time‐points of data collection). Three hundred and fifty‐two university students (152 women, 200 men) who first enrolled in 2006 took part in this study. Likert‐scale inventories were used to elicit relevant data from students. Academic performance was collated from students' course and final exam marks in two different undergraduate courses. LISREL 8.72 and SPSS 17 were used to test and evaluate the conceptual model proposed. Causal modelling analyses indicated the temporally displaced effects of mastery and performance‐approach goals on academic performance. The results indicated that individuals' mastery goals increased over time, whereas there was no increase in growth change with performance‐approach goals. Causal modelling also indicated: (1) performance‐approach goals → academic performance → mastery goals relationship and (2) mastery goals → academic performance → mastery goals relationship. Finally, the use of LGM provided a clearer perspective concerning the developmental trajectories of mastery goals over time.     

Labelling and self‐esteem: the impact of using specific vs. generic labels

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between being labelled either as having dyslexia or as having general special educational needs (SEN) and a child's self‐esteem. Seventy‐five children aged between 8 and 15 years categorised as having dyslexia (N = 26), as having general SEN (N = 26) or as having no learning difficulties (N = 23), completed an age‐appropriate version of the Culture‐Free Self‐Esteem Inventory and a standard test of reading ability. When the self‐esteem scores of the groups were compared (with the discrepancy between reading and chronological age being partialled out), it was found that the self‐esteem scores of those in the ‘general SEN’ group had significantly lower self‐esteem scores than those in both the ‘dyslexia’ group and the ‘control’ group. There was no significant difference between the self‐esteem scores of the ‘dyslexia’ and the ‘control’ group. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that being labelled as having a general SEN may negatively affect children's self‐esteem because, unlike the label dyslexia, this label offers very little in the way of an explanation for the child's academic difficulties and because targeted interventions are not as available for those with a less specific label.     

A content analysis of school anti‐bullying policies: progress and limitations

Schools in England are legally required to have an anti‐bullying policy, but the little research so far suggests that they may lack coverage in important areas. An analysis of 142 school anti‐bullying policies, from 115 primary schools and 27 secondary schools in one county was undertaken. A 31‐item scoring scheme was devised to assess policy. Overall, schools had about 40% of the items in their policies. Most included improving school climate, a definition of bullying including reference to physical, verbal and relational forms, and a statement regarding contact with parents when bullying incidents occurred. But many schools did not mention other important aspects, and there was low coverage of responsibilities beyond those of teaching staff; following up of incidents; management and use of records; and specific preventative measures such as playground work and peer support. There was infrequent mention of homophobic bullying, and of cyberbullying. There was little difference between policies from primary and secondary schools. Findings are discussed in terms of national policy, and ways to support schools in maximising the potential of their policies for reducing bullying.     

Change‐of‐career secondary teachers: motivations,expectations and intentions

In New Zealand there is an increasing trend for people with prior occupational experiences to enter secondary teaching. At a time when the media is continually questioning the status and capability of the teaching profession, we explore what or who motivates people to change their occupational paths and enter the teaching profession. Our sample of 68 newly qualified change‐of‐career teachers reported multiple factors related to their decision to pursue teaching. The matrix of reasons involved a range of “push and pull” factors related to previous work and family experiences, values and task expectancies. Three cluster groups of teachers – “Looks Good”, “Time is Right” and “Teaching is Me” – were developed to illustrate the relative influence of different combinations of reasons. We looked at how these teachers' motivations and prior experiences impacted on early and long‐term career expectations and intentions.     

Predicting university performance in Psychology: the role of previous performance and discipline‐specific knowledge

Recent initiatives to enhance retention and widen participation ensure it is crucial to understand the factors that predict students' performance during their undergraduate degree. The present research used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test three separate models that examined the extent to which British Psychology students' A‐level entry qualifications predicted: (1) their performance in years 1–3 of their Psychology degree, and (2) their overall degree performance. Students' overall A‐level entry qualifications positively predicted performance during their first year and overall degree performance, but negatively predicted their performance during their third year. Additionally, and more specifically, students' A‐level entry qualifications in Psychology positively predicted performance in the first year only. Such findings have implications for admissions tutors, as well as for students who have not studied Psychology before but who are considering applying to do so at university.     

Variation in the conduct and the quality of self‐evaluations: a multi‐level path analysis

While self‐evaluation leads to valuable results in some schools, it appears that in other schools this is true only to a lesser extent or not at all. This raises the question of how differences in the results of self‐evaluations can be explained. This study looks at to what extent the results of self‐evaluation are determined by the way in which self‐evaluation is conducted, by characteristics relating to the general functioning of the school and by the support which schools enjoy. One thousand seven hundred and eighty‐six school principals and team members from 96 schools (primary and secondary) were surveyed by means of a written questionnaire. The data collected were then analysed using multi‐level structural equation modelling. The results provide strong empirical evidence that “attitude with regard to self‐evaluation”, “self‐evaluation as a policy action” and “self‐evaluation as an act of research” are powerful predictors of the quality of self‐evaluations.     

Thread,Web and Tapestry‐making: processes of development and language

Development models have moved away from the simple export or imitation of western patterns towards local ownership and participatory approaches. This movement has brought with it increasing attention to the place of culture, ethnicity and language in development. In situations of high linguistic diversity, debate has concentrated largely on language choice and use in the formal educational system without reference to wider participatory processes of development in the community. Questions of language choice in both education and development are, however, crucial where local community languages have little written tradition and may have been considered of too little significance to develop. This article will review the major features of participatory development and ask how far similar processes have been or might be applied in promoting the use of local languages for such development. These questions will be explored in selected African contexts. How does intervention for language development dovetail with other kinds of development intervention? What is the interplay between the cultural basis of participatory development and the expression of ethnic identity through local languages? What lessons might be drawn from participatory development for community‐based processes of language development? How significant is the notion of empowerment with regard to the linguistic resources of a community? In conclusion, the article will argue that language development processes must figure prominently in participatory approaches to development multilingual environments and that attention to language must proceed along similar participatory lines.     

Examination and learning: an activity‐theoretical analysis of the relationship between assessment and educational practice

The backwash effect of assessment on learning is widely acknowledged. This article discusses the impact of assessment on learning in a wider sense, by focusing on how assessment drives not only student learning, but also the teaching practices, the designing of educational programmes and the production of learning material. The focus is on how assessment affects education at a system level and the article conceptualizes the backwash effect of assessment on learning from a systemic perspective. Activity theory, as developed by Engeström (1987 Engeström Y (1987) Learning by expanding. An activity‐theoretical approach to developmental research (Helsinki, Orienta‐Konsultit Oy)  [Google Scholar]), is used as a framework to conceptualize this systemic affect of assessment. The empirical basis for the analysis is an ethnographic study of the compulsory preparatory course in philosophy, logics and philosophy of science at the University of Oslo.     

English teachers of deaf and hard‐of‐hearing students in French schools: needs,barriers and strategies

This paper deals with English teachers who work with deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (D/HH) students. In France deaf students are required to attend foreign language classes – mostly English classes. The purpose is not to teach them British sign language (BSL) or American sign language (ASL), but written and/or spoken English. Indeed, sign languages are distinct from spoken languages and differ from country to country: there is no universal sign language. English teachers of the deaf are mostly hearing people. They work either in mainstream or special schools. Most of them have no specific qualifications. In this context, they are faced with the tremendous challenge of how to adjust their teaching to their students’ impairment and at the same time develop the latter's knowledge and skills in English. In order to analyse teaching practices in English classes, questionnaires, interviews and in‐class observations in several special and mainstream schools were conducted. Findings show that different teaching strategies are used in order to make English lessons accessible to D/HH students: teachers have to adapt their teaching language and also use written and visual supports to accommodate D/HH students. Obviously teacher training needs to be improved.     

Self‐directed learning and prostate cancer: a thematic analysis of the experiences of twelve patients

Although self‐directed learning is a common response for many of the 232,090 US men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, very little is known about the nature of the experience for them. Four themes emerged from interviews with 12 prostate cancer patients describing their self‐education efforts in regard to their disease. A qualitative paradigm was used for this study with data collected using a semi‐structured interview protocol. Purposeful sampling technique was employed to identify information‐rich subjects who were within five years of diagnosis and who had used self‐directed learning extensively in coping with their prostate cancer. Using the constant comparative method, four common themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews:

• Men don’t talk. The participants indicated that men are reluctant to talk about health problems, including prostate cancer.

• Living with the reality of my situation and my choices. These prostate cancer patients found that they had difficult choices to make in regard to their treatment and that learning about the side effects of their cancer treatments did not prepare them for the reality of actually experiencing them.

• The struggle with emotions. The men in this study appeared to be very strong in regard to the cognitive aspects of their self‐directed learning in regard to their cancer but to struggle with their emotional responses.

• Watchful waiting. The men in this study indicated that once having been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the process of dealing with it is never over. Their learning involved coming to terms with this uncertainty.

Conclusions included that, for the men in this study, gender appeared to be an important influence on their experiences with self‐directed learning and prostate cancer.     

Kids’ Time: childhood,television and the regulation of time

This article is concerned with the relationships between children's understanding of the organisation of television time and their sense of what it means to be a child. It is based on qualitative data gathered in one inner city primary school, as part of a broader research project investigating the changing nature of children's media cultures. The article suggests that the notion of time is a crucial aspect of the ways in which children define their relationship with television. It analyses three related aspects of this phenomenon: firstly, children's perceptions of the institutional definitions embodied in the practice of television scheduling; secondly, their notions of psychological development, based partly on the structure of the schedule and partly on their own ‘reading histories'; and thirdly, the place of their television viewing in the scheduling and organisation of family life.