DYNAMICS OF ENGAGEMENT AND DISAFFECTION IN A SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM CONTEXT

In this investigation, we replicated Skinner et al.’s study of the dynamics of engagement with a more diverse sample of Grades 6 and 7 students from a middle school with a large English learner (primarily Spanish‐speaking) student population. We tested dimensions of the self‐system model of motivational development in a specific academic domain (i.e., social studies). Some relationships found by Skinner and colleagues were supported, whereas others were not. Emotional engagement predicted changes in behavioral engagement and disaffection. The classroom context and students’ self‐perceptions predicted changes in engagement and disaffection. Students’ self‐perceptions also mediated the relation between teacher support and engagement and disaffection. None of these relations were moderated by language status.     

Voices of disaffection: disengaged and disruptive youths or agents of change and self‐empowerment?

This article presents findings from research conducted into school disaffection in the north of England. Bourdieu's concept of capital is utilised to explore the perspectives of 14‐ to 16‐year‐old girls undertaking vocational learning as a strategy for re‐engagement. Data emanate from semi‐structured interviews in which social and linguistic capital in school is identified as a privileged feature of a select few. Thus, within the field of education, capital facilitates student empowerment, whereupon the lack of such can lead to marginalisation, disaffection and, subsequently, disengagement. However, voice is presented as a powerful mechanism for challenging the existing inequities of compulsory schooling in England by validating unacknowledged capital, recognising agency, and thus facilitating the self‐empowerment of disaffected young people. Schools are encouraged to rethink their political stance to consider the potentially detrimental impact of a discourse that validates the dominant sociocultural capital and empowers only those students whose individual dispositions align with institutional practices.     

Gifted learning disabled students

Abstract

Up to 30 per cent of gifted students display a learning disability, with 10 per cent reading at two or more years below their grade level. They are referred to as being ‐gifted learning disabled’ or as having the dual exceptionalities of giftedness and learning disabilities. For these students, their learning disability is more likely to be recognised and targeted in teaching than their gifted ability.

The present study reviews their learning characteristics and explains these in terms of an information processing model of learning. Nine characteristics are addressed: their superior general intellectual ability in at least some domains of knowledge, a global wholistic preference in thinking, a negative academic self‐concept, low resilience in learning, patterns in motivation to learn orientation, their use of metacognifion, their ability to show what they know, their uneven rates of development, their high standards and goals, and the quality of their interpersonal interactions.

The paper uses these characteristics to recommend a set of procedures for identifying these students. It examines the influence that a learning disability can have on the display of gifted knowledge and describes how dynamic assessment procedures can be used to obtain a more accurate diagnosis. It describes the two main types of general ability profiles that emerge. Procedures for assessing creativity and divergent thinking, a learning disability, aptitude in particular areas, an intrinsic motivation to learn, self‐concept, metacognition and self management of learning are discussed.

To his teachers, Adam was a conundrum. He was a very quick thinker, but not in the ways that would help him excel academically. He had excellent knowledge of a range of subjects but this didn't seem to help him achieve academic success. His answers to questions were unexpected, although, when analysed, creative. On excursions he could be relied on to see ways around obstacles that arose; his teachers valued his ‘native intelligence’ on these occasions. It was less valued in classroom contexts in which they were developing a topic with a group and Adam would interject with ideas and questions that were either ‘marginally relevant’ or ‘further down the track’. They wished he would put his energy more into improving his spelling and writing ability, that were extremely low, and bis recall of the times tables.

Ann, an eight year old, was also perplexing to her teachers. In class she was ‘off task’ and daydreamed a lot. She did not finish most tasks, frequently lost her place and made many careless errors. Her distractability meant that she was frequently disruptive. As a consequence, her level of academic achievement was low. Her teacher interpreted her inattention and impulsivity as a lack of interest in learning and her preference to avoid tasks. As well, however, her teacher noticed her comparatively high level reading ability and her advanced oral language capacity and had difficulty reconciling the two sets of observations.     

Self‐concept in Arab American adolescents: Implications of social support and experiences in the schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate three domains (Scholastic Competence, Social Acceptance, and Global Self‐Worth) of self‐concept in Arab American adolescents in relation to their school experiences, including discrimination, self‐perceived teacher social support, and self‐perceived classmate social support. Half of the sample either experienced some form of discrimination or knew someone who had. An experience of discrimination was significantly related to students' Scholastic Competence. Self‐perceived classmate support was significantly related to all domains of self‐concept; however, self‐perceived teacher support was not significantly related to any of the self‐concept domains. Implications of these results are discussed, as well as strategies for how to provide positive relationships for Arab American students and their families.     

Self-efficacy's influence on student academic achievement in the medical anatomy curriculum

Self‐efficacy is defined as a person's beliefs in his or her own abilities to successfully complete a task and has been shown to influence student motivation and academic behaviors. More specifically, anatomical self‐efficacy is defined as an individual's judgment of his or her ability to successfully complete tasks related to the anatomy curriculum; these include dissecting, learning anatomical concepts, and applying anatomical knowledge to clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of anatomical self‐efficacy on the academic performance of students enrolled in a medical gross anatomy course. To obtain students' anatomical self‐efficacy ratings, surveys containing the same anatomical self‐efficacy instrument were completed by first‐year medical students at a southeastern United States allopathic medical school after each of four gross anatomy assessments. Additional data collected included student demographic information, Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) scores, and anatomy assessment scores, both written examination and laboratory practical. To investigate the potential predictive nature of self‐efficacy for academic performance on both the written examination and the laboratory practical components of medical anatomy assessments, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. For these analyses, academic ability (defined as the sum of the physical sciences and biological sciences MCAT scores) was controlled. The results of the hierarchical linear regressions indicated that all four laboratory practical scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings, while two (i.e., thorax/abdomen and pelvis/lower limb) of the four written examination scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings (P ≤ 0.05). Anat Sci Educ. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Influence of a catalan peer tutoring programme on reading comprehension and self‐concept as a reader

This study relates to the results obtained in the development of reading comprehension (RC) and self‐concept as a reader in students who participated in Llegim en parella (Reading in pairs), a Catalan peer tutoring programme. The research combines a quasi‐experimental design with the use of comparison groups and pre‐tests/post‐tests for both variables; a qualitative approach is adopted by analysing the interactions in order to detect influencing factors. Statistically significant results were obtained for all students in terms of RC but only for student tutors in relation to reading self‐concept. The factors involved in the improvements identified in RC are: reading strategies, scaffolding in inferential and deep comprehension questions. Regarding self‐concept, the tutor's own role, his involvement with their tutees' progress, reading aloud and the metacognitive reflection processes, are all factors that enable us to explain the improvement in the tutor's reading self‐perception. The positive influence of peer tutoring on the development of reading competence through this programme is clearly evident.     

Body dissatisfaction,drive for thinness,and self‐esteem in African American college females

Ninety‐five African American undergraduate females who were attending three predominately Caucasian universities were evaluated for body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness as well as on four dimensions of self‐concept (physical, social, academic, and personal competence). The participants were largely middle class, with 78% reporting parental education levels between high school to college graduation. Results indicated body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness at levels commensurate with Caucasian samples. A hierarchial multiple regression found a combination of physical self‐concept, drive for thinness, and personal competence to be highly predictive of body dissatisfaction in this sample. Using this model, an effective psychosocial prevention program that focused on reduction of risk factors (e.g., drive for thinness) and enhancement of protective factors (e.g., satisfaction with physical appearance and abilities, personal efficacy) would be advantageous. It is suggested that prevention programming with African American women occur within a cultural context that may provide further support. That is, it may be beneficial to facilitate a critical evaluation of current social mores, encourage personal value clarification, and enhance individual resilience within a context of cultural pride. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Children's Social Self‐Concept and Internalizing Problems: The Influence of Peers and Teachers

This study aimed to understand how relationships with peers and teachers contribute to the development of internalizing problems via children's social self‐concept. The sample included 570 children aged 7 years 5 months (SD = 4.6 months). Peer nominations of peer rejection, child‐reported social self‐concept, and teacher‐reported internalizing problems were assessed longitudinally in the fall and spring of Grades 2 and 3. Teacher reports of support to the child were assessed in Grade 2. Results showed that peer rejection impeded children's social self‐concept, which in turn affected the development of internalizing problems. Partial support was found for individual (but not classroom‐level) teacher support to buffer the adverse effects of peer problems on children's self‐concept, thereby mitigating its indirect effects on internalizing problems.     

Children’s classroom engagement and disaffection in Vietnamese kindergartens

In this study, we investigated children’s classroom engagement and disaffection and their relationships with class size, child gender, child age and school type in Vietnamese kindergartens. Children’s classroom engagement and disaffection were examined among 1315 kindergarteners (mean age?=?5.49; SD?=?0.87) and 33 teachers from 31 classrooms in 8 kindergartens. The results of confirmatory factor analyses indicated that children’s classroom engagement and disaffection included four dimensions: behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, behavioural disaffection and emotional disaffection. The results also showed that both behavioural and emotional dimensions of classroom engagement were higher than those of disaffection. Girls had higher emotional and behavioural classroom engagement and lower emotional disaffection than boys. Class size had a negative relationship with both dimensions of children’s disaffection. The findings also indicated that children in the older age group showed greater emotional disaffection and lower emotional engagement compared to children in the younger age group.     

The Self–Concept of Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta–Analysis of Comparisons Across Different Placements

Although placement in less restrictive settings is generally believed to be associated with more positive social outcomes for students with disabilities, the empirical research has yielded equivocal findings. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the empirical research comparing the self–concept of students with learning disabilities (LD) in different educational placements. Meta–analysis revealed no overall association between self–concept and educational placement for four out of five comparisons: regular class vs. resource room, regular class vs. self–contained class, resource room vs. self–contained class, and regular class vs. special school. Students with LD receiving instruction in self–contained classrooms in regular schools exhibited lower self–concept compared to students with LD attending special schools. Follow–up analyses were conducted to explore whether the variability of effect sizes in regular class–resource room comparisons was associated with any of several potential moderator variables; the only variable for which the association approached significance was whether students in the regular classroom were provided with appropriate special education supports and services. The findings are discussed in light of documented individual variation in students’ placement preferences.     

Reading speed as a constraint of accuracy of self‐perception of reading skill

We hypothesised that college students take reading speed into consideration when evaluating their own reading skill, even if reading speed does not reliably predict actual reading skill. To test this hypothesis, we measured self‐perception of reading skill, self‐perception of reading speed, actual reading skill and actual reading speed to determine the relations that exist. The results supported our predictions. Primarily, self‐perceived reading speed strongly correlated with self‐perceived reading skill, whereas the correlation between actual reading speed and actual reading skill was low. Next, a multiple regression analysis showed that self‐perception of reading speed significantly predicted self‐perception of reading skill after controlling for actual reading skill. Lastly, how highly correlated reading skill was with self‐perceived reading speed was found to affect how accurately one perceived his or her reading skill. Consequently, the study results suggest a negative impact of self‐perceived reading speed on accuracy of self‐perceived reading skill, as hypothesised.     

THE SLOW LEARNER‐‐SEGRATION OR INTEGRATION

Professor Lynn suggests that two investigations carried out by Dr. Barker Lunn have yielded inconsistent results: the first (cross‐sectional) study showed that the attainment of children in streamed schools was superior and the second (longitudinal) study showed that streamed children did better on one set of tests and unstreamed children did better on a parallel set of tests. He suggests that the children in the first study were crudely matched for social class, and that both studies fail to solve the problem of streaming because of possible statistical distortions in the analysis.

Dr. Lunn replies that the apparently inconsistent results were due to the differences in the aims of the two stages. The cross‐sectional stage, examining absolute measures of attainment, was exploratory‐‐factors such as the individual pupil's social class, and his initial ability were not taken into account. The second or main longitudinal stage was concerned with the progress of one age group of children comparable in terms of sex, social class and ability throughout their junior school careers. In the latter stage the problem of social class was overcome by examining the progress of children who were comparable in this respect.

Dr. Lunn rejects Professor Lynn's statement that streamed children did better on one set of tests and unstreamed children did better on the other as a misrepresentation of fact. Non‐streamed schools in Sample A (working on both tests) tended to do better and streamed schools in Sample B tended to do better, although there were no significant differences between 85 per cent of the comparisons of mean scores.     

Mori Akira's Education for Self‐Awareness: Lessons from the Kyoto School for Mindful Education

What does it mean to educate for self‐awareness? How does this fit within education, with its other objectives, and other learning processes? These are key questions for more comprehensive versions of the mindful education movement. In order to provide some responses to these questions from a cohesive philosophical position, this article examines the philosophy of education of Mori Akira (1915–1976). It closely analyses his philosophy of self‐awareness (jikaku), while drawing comparisons with other Kyoto School philosophers. In order to fully understand Mori's particular conception of self‐awareness, it traces how this idea developed throughout his entire career: from his first book, The Philosophical Quest for Educational Ideals (1948), which focusses on the questing self‐awareness of the teacher, to the early–middle period (particularly The Practicality and Inwardness of Education, 1955, and Philosophical Anthropology of Education, 1961), which develops a systematic view of the self‐awareness of students, and to his final book, The Fundamental Principles of Human Formation (1977), which re‐examines generativity in light of uncertainty and death. What this trajectory shows is a view of education centred on self‐awareness and dynamically wrestling with key educational paradoxes, potentially deepening the philosophical grounding of mindful education.     

The Developmental Roots of Disaffection?

Recent studies have shown that self‐esteem may play an important role in the onset of disaffection among secondary age pupils. It has been suggested that low‐achieving pupils deal with the threat posed to their self‐esteem by poor academic achievement by re‐organising their domain‐specific evaluations so that investment is increased in potentially more rewarding areas (in being part of a scholastic counter‐culture). In this vein, an exploratory study was conducted in which self‐esteem, mood/affect, and perceptions of social support were examined in 62 high and low achieving Year 7 (mean age: 11.8) pupils. We found differences between high‐ and low‐achieving pupils in a variety of constructs, including academic self‐esteem, mood/affect, and global self‐worth. Further, within‐group correlations revealed distinct differences between high and low achieving pupils, in the relationships between self‐esteem, mood/affect, and social support. The findings are discussed in relation to suggested psychosocial mechanisms in the onset of disaffection. In particular, differences between the findings of this and other studies involving older participants are examined, and Year 7 is tentatively suggested as a critical period of self‐esteem re‐organisation for low achievers.     

Does your approach to time matter for your learning? The role of time perspectives on engagement and achievement

Time perspectives have been found to be related to a wide range of psychological phenomena. However, in the educational context, there remains to be a lack of research on how they relate to important academic outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine how time perspectives are related to educational outcomes such as engagement, its opposite disaffection and achievement. A model positing time perspectives as antecedents, engagement and disaffection as mediators, and academic achievement as an outcome was proffered. Filipino university students were recruited to answer relevant questionnaires. Results showed that future and past-positive time perspectives were positively associated with engagement and negatively associated with disaffection. Past negative and present fatalistic time perspectives were associated with disaffection. Interestingly, present fatalistic time perspective was related to both positive (engagement) and negative (disaffection) outcomes. A cultural explanation was proposed. Moreover, engagement positively predicted academic achievement, while disaffection negatively predicted it. Implications for integrating research on individual differences in time perspectives and academic outcomes are discussed.     

How Children Construct Views of Themselves: A Social‐Developmental Perspective

As they grow up, children construct views of themselves and their place in the world, known as their self‐concept. This topic has often been addressed by social psychologists (studying how the self‐concept is influenced by social contexts) and developmental psychologists (studying how the self‐concept changes over time). Yet, relatively little is known about the origins of the self‐concept. This article calls for research that bridges social and developmental psychology to illuminate this important issue. Adopting such a social‐developmental approach, the current special section shows that children construct their self‐concept based on the social relationships they have, the feedback they receive, the social comparisons they make, and the cultural values they endorse. These findings underline the deeply social nature of self‐development.     

RECALL SCORES OF OLD AND YOUNG PEOPLE AS A FUNCTION OF REGISTRATION INTERVALS

The subjects, 24 old (mean age, 69 yr) and 24 young (mean age, 19 yr) people, were given one learning trial on paired associate lists under each of four temporal conditions: (1) 3 sec study (association) interval; (2) self‐paced study interval; (3) self‐paced study interval and 4 sec registration interval; (4) self‐paced study and registration intervals. The response interval for the single recall trial was self‐paced for all conditions. The subject was instructed to use the registration interval to ensure that the association between the paired items was “fixed” in his or her mind. The recall scores of the elderly subjects but not the young subjects improved significantly as a function of the registration interval. The results suggest that with advanced age more time is required for information processing, and specifically for the registration of an association and/or its transfer from primary to secondary memory. The significant improvement of the older subjects from the paced‐study‐interval condition to the self‐paced‐study‐and‐registration‐intervals condition supports the contention that modification of conditions under which the older person is expected to perform can result in substantial performance increments.     

Affective Learning in Online Multimedia and Lecture Versions of an Introductory Computing Course

This study evaluated students' affective learning in an introductory computing course that was taught in Hong Kong once in a lecture format and twice in a rich interactive multimedia online format to 414 college students in all. A simplified experience sampling method was used to assess affective learning at the midterm and end of each course in terms of intrinsic engagement (positive affect, perceived challenges, perceived skills in course activities), extrinsic engagement (performance expectations, performance goals, performance self‐efficacy), and negative affect in course activities. Controlling for students' computing background and pre‐enrollment academic ability, multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that, compared to lectures, e‐learning modules fostered more intrinsic engagement, comparable extrinsic engagement, and more negative affect. Findings suggest directions for developing online courses that optimise both cognitive learning and affective learning.     

The Teacher's Characteristics and Reactions to Him by Students and Experts

Abstract:Sandven, Johs. 1981. The Teacher's Characteristics and Reactions to Him by Students and Experts. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 25,171‐187. It is assumed that the characteristics of the teacher are bound to have implications for his behavior as a teacher and that this in turn will influence the way in which he is perceived and evaluated by students and experts. The aim of the investigations reported was to establish this relationship and to bring to light which characteristic or characteristics that in particular may be influential. Four characteristics were included: problem solving ability, social sensitivity, feeling of security, and educational attitude. Tasks of microteaching were carried out, videotaped and later presented for evaluation. The different comparisons between teacher characteristics and reactions by students and experts made it evident that the teacher's characteristics have a bearing on his standing as a teacher. In particular the social sensitivity of the teacher proved to be important.     

Ability Grouping: year group differences in self‐concept and attitudes of secondary school pupils

The vast international literature on the effects of different types of ability grouping on self‐concept and pupils' attitudes towards school has focused on pupils from single year groups. This article aimed to explore year group differences in pupils' self‐concept and attitudes towards school as influenced by ability grouping. The study was cross‐sectional in design and measured attitudes towards school and mathematics, general and school self‐concept and preferences for different kinds of grouping in 234 pupils from years 7 through 10 attending a mixed comprehensive school. The findings indicated that mathematics self‐concept was consistently lower than school and general self‐concept; all aspects of self‐concept increased up to Year 9 and then declined in Year 10, pupils in the higher sets tended to have higher self‐concepts; pupil preferences for setting were greater in the higher year groups, as was the extent to which the top set was perceived to be the best. A substantial proportion of pupils wanted to move set, usually to a higher set. Set placement itself did not appear to have a consistent effect on attitudes towards mathematics. This seemed to be mediated by the quality of teaching.