Academic self‐attributions for success and failure in mathematics and school refusal

The aim of this research is twofold: to analyze the mean differences scores in mathematic self‐attributions based on school refusal and to verify its predictive capability on high scores in school refusal. The Sydney Attribution Scale and the School Refusal Assessment Scale‐Revised were administered to 1078 Spanish students (50.8% boys) aged between 8 and 11 years (M = 9.63; SD = 1.12). School refusers based on negative affect or anxiety attributed their failures more to the lack of capacity and effort, whereas students searching for tangible reinforcements outside of the school were more likely to attribute their successes to capacity. In turn, academic attributions acted as both positive and negative predictors of high‐school refusal. Results are discussed considering more adaptive attributional styles.     

Attributional profiles: Considering multiple causal attributions for success and failure at the beginning of secondary school

Students typically perceive their successes and failures to have multiple causes. The present study examined students’ profiles of causal attributions for success and failure during the first year of secondary school. The stability of attributional profile membership was assessed across three timepoints. Furthermore, it was examined whether students characterized by different attribution profiles differed in their levels of school engagement, self-esteem, and school performance. Latent profile analyses and latent transition analyses among 657 first-year Dutch secondary school students (M_age = 12.6, SD = 0.4) identified four attributional profiles, which were similar across the three timepoints. The profiles were labelled uncontrollable failure, controllable failure, uncontrollable success, and undifferentiated. About half of the students (52 %) remained member of the same profile across the three timepoints. Students in the uncontrollable success profile reported significantly lower levels of school engagement and self-esteem, and performed less well in school compared to students in the other profiles. Students in the uncontrollable failure profile and the controllable failure profile did not differ from each other with regard to school engagement, self-esteem, and school performance. The findings suggest that attributional retraining interventions may want to shift their focus from changing uncontrollable failure attributions to changing students’ external, uncontrollable attributions for success.     

Social and dimensional comparison effects on academic self-concepts and self-perceptions of effort in elementary school children

By focusing on the domains of math and German, the present study with 200 elementary school children investigated the specific relationships of self-reported grades with academic self-concepts and self-perceptions of effort within the competence-affective separation of academic self-concepts. In addition, possible mediator effects of academic self-concepts were explored. In both domains, self-reported grades positively predicted academic self-concepts of corresponding domains, which, in turn, positively predicted self-perceptions of effort of corresponding domains. However, there were no negative cross-domain achievement effects on academic self-concepts and no negative cross-domain self-concept effects on self-perceptions of effort. Both academic self-concepts mediated the effects from self-reported grades to self-perceptions of effort in corresponding domains. This research indicates that children’s self-perceptions of effort can be inferred by their competence and affective self-concepts.

• Highlights

• Self-reported grades positively predict academic self-concepts of corresponding domains.

• Academic self-concepts positively predict self-perceptions of effort of corresponding domains.

• There are no negative cross-domain achievement effects on academic self-concepts and no cross-domain self-concept effects on self-perceptions of effort.

• Academic self-concepts mediate the effects from self-reported grades to self-perceptions of effort in corresponding domains.

     

Academic self-efficacy and academic self-concept: Reconsidering structural relationships

The current study investigates (1) whether academic (e.g. math) self-efficacy and academic self-concept represent two conceptually and empirically distinct psychological constructs when studied within the same domain, (2) the nature of the relationship existing between both self-constructs, (3) their antecedents, and (4) their mediating and predictive qualities for background variables such as gender and prior knowledge and outcome variables such as math performance, math interest, and math anxiety. Results indicate that (1) math self-efficacy and math self-concept do indeed represent conceptually and empirically different constructs, even when studied within the same domain, (2) students' academic self-concept strongly influences their academic self-efficacy beliefs, (3) academic self-concept is a better predictor (and mediator) for affective–motivational variables, while academic self-efficacy is the better predictor (and mediator) for academic achievement. These findings underpin the conceptual and empirical differences between both self-constructs as suggested by Bong and Skaalvik [Bong, M., &; Skaalvik, E.M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really?. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 1–40.].     

The developmental interplay of academic self-concept and achievement within and across domains among primary school students

The reciprocal internal/external frame of reference model (RI/EM) extends the internal/external frame of reference model (I/EM) over time and the reciprocal effects model (REM) across domains. The RI/EM postulates positive developmental relations between academic achievement and self-concept within a domain and negative relations across two non-matching domains (e.g., math and English). However, until now, empirical investigations of the RI/EM had only focused on secondary school students from specific countries. In the present study, we test whether the RI/EM also applies to primary school students and to students in the United States, by using a representative longitudinal data set: the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K: 1998–1999). We found positive reciprocal relations between academic self-concept and standardized test scores within a domain, whereas the effect of prior achievement on self-concept was much stronger (skill-development part) than the effect of self-concept on achievement (self-enhancement). Furthermore, we found negative effects of achievement on subsequent self-concepts across domains (I/E frame of references). Overall, the findings of the study strongly support the RI/EM for primary school students. Our results are compared to previous findings in the literature for secondary school students and are discussed with regard to self-concept formation in primary school.     

School motivation: A comparison between Kenya and Italy

The authors compare school motivation in Kenya and Italy, two countries that differ in terms of socioeconomic conditions, structure of the school system, and access to education. Free primary education is indeed a recent attainment for Kenyan students. The participants, 449 Kenyan and 480 Italian students, 9–14 years old and attending Grades 4–8, were asked to complete a questionnaire about learning motivation. A factor analysis revealed that school motivation can be described by five dimensions in both contexts: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, academic self-concept, causal attribution, and amotivation. Differences between countries and lower (Grades 4–5) and higher (Grades 6–8) grades emerged: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and academic self-concept were found to be higher in Kenyan than in Italian students, whereas amotivation was lower. Moreover, only Italian students showed less intrinsic motivation and more amotivation in higher grades than in the lower ones.     

Academic self-concept and emotion relations: Domain specificity and age effects

The present study investigated the relations between academic self-concepts and the emotions of enjoyment, pride, anxiety, anger, and boredom as experienced in mathematics, physics, German, and English classes (N = 1710; grades 8 and 11). In line with our hypotheses derived from appraisal-based emotion theories and self-efficacy research, within-domain relations between self-concepts and emotions were relatively strong and notably stronger within quantitative domains (mathematics and physics) than verbal domains (German and English). Also consistent with our hypotheses, stronger relations between self-concepts and emotions were observed among older students. Self-concept and emotion relations further differed as a function of the specific emotion assessed, with pride showing the strongest and boredom the weakest relations with academic self-concepts in the four domains assessed. Methodological and educational implications as well as directions for future research are discussed.     

Joint trajectories of behavioral,affective, and cognitive engagement in elementary school

The aim of the present study was to model student trajectories of behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement from Grade 3 to Grade 6. The authors also examined whether teachers perceptions could predict student trajectory membership. The authors collected data from a sample of 831 students and 152 teachers. Using multiple-process growth mixture modeling, they identified 5 distinct trajectories of student engagement. Although a large majority of children presented a stable and high level of engagement on the three dimensions over time, more than one third of them showed a lower or changing level of engagement as the years progressed. These students were more likely to be boys and to be perceived by teachers as being less engaged. They also present more learning or behavioral problems and share less positive relationships with teachers. The results support the need to consider group-based differences when designing and adapting prevention and intervention strategies to favor student engagement.     

Affect and motivation within and between school subjects: Development and validation of an integrative structural model of academic self-concept,interest, and anxiety

A comprehensive model of affect and motivation is necessary for disentangling the variance of subject-specific measures into components that are (a) construct-specific and generalize across different subjects, (b) subject-specific and common to different constructs, and (c) specific to a particular construct in a particular subject. In the present study, we developed and investigated an integrative model that yields new insights concerning the generality and school-subject-specificity of affective-motivational constructs. To this end, we first examined structural models that could account for the hierarchical and subject-specific nature of academic self-concept, anxiety, and interest, respectively. In a second step, we combined these construct-specific models to investigate an integrative model that was able to simultaneously address between- and within-subject relations. We used data from four large-scale samples of ninth-graders (N = 866–6146) on academic self-concept, interest, and anxiety in three subjects (mathematics, French, and German). Our results underscored the importance of the components at the more global level: The major part of reliable individual differences in subject-specific measures of affective-motivational constructs and their relations to achievement indicators (grades and standardized test scores) was explained by the general components of the affective-motivational constructs and the global affective-motivational appraisals of specific subjects rather than by the construct-and-subject-specific components. Overall, the structural architecture of the integrative model provides a way to simultaneously analyze complex within- and between-subject relations of affective-motivational constructs.     

The formation of academic self-concept and interest in primary school: Examining the generalized internal/external frame of reference model with first- and third-grade children

The generalized internal/external frame-of-reference (GI/E) model explains the formation of self-perceptions and motivational constructs through social and dimensional comparisons. Research examining the GI/E model with primary school children is scarce, especially with first-grade children. Using two fully representative first-grade cohorts and two fully representative third-grade cohorts (N = 21,162; 48% girls) from Luxembourg, we examined the relations between math and verbal achievements and corresponding domain-specific academic self-concepts (ASCs) and interests. In addition, we tested whether the relations between domain-specific achievements and interests are cross-sectionally mediated through ASCs. Positive achievement-ASC and achievement-interest relations were found within matching domains in both grade levels, while the relations between achievements and ASCs and between achievements and interests across nonmatching domains were significantly negative for third-grade children. For first-grade children, the majority of cross-domain relations were nonsignificant, except for the path between math achievement and verbal interest. For school children in both grade levels, domain-specific ASCs were found to mediate the relation between achievements and interests. Overall, the findings indicate that social comparisons play an important role in the formation of domain-specific ASCs and interests for both grade levels, while dimensional comparisons are not as important in the first school year as it is later in the third grade. Gender and cohort invariance were established in both grade levels.     

Self-concept a game changer for academic success for high-achieving Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous students: Reciprocal effects between self-concept and achievement

Indigenous Australians are highly disadvantaged educationally and on all socioeconomic indicators, but graduating from university largely closes this gap. However, despite clear examples of Indigenous success, little research has focused on the drivers of success of high-achieving Indigenous students to emulate their success. Thus, the explicit purpose of our study is to identify psychological drivers of Indigenous academic success for high-achieving students and compare these to those of high-achieving nonIndigenous students. To accomplish this purpose, we test the reciprocal effects model (REM) of self-concept and achievement for high-achieving Indigenous students (N = 493) and matched nonIndigenous students (N = 586) in primary and secondary schools. Academic achievement and self-concept were reciprocally related over three annual time waves, supporting the REM for high-achieving Indigenous and nonIndigenous students. Furthermore, results were invariant over two within-person facets (time and content-domain—math vs. English) and two between-person facets (Indigenous vs. nonIndigenous, and primary vs. secondary students). The results have important policy/practice implications for the drivers of success for high-achieving Indigenous students, education of high-achieving students more generally, and self-concept theory and research.     

Promoting Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success: Evidence from a four‐wave longitudinal study

Low schooling, high non‐attendance and school dropout rates are critical phenomena within disadvantaged groups, especially among the Gypsy community. For example, in the UK, 10%–25% of Gypsy children do not attend school regularly and have significantly higher levels of overall absence from school (percentage of half‐day sessions missed) than pupils from other ethnic groups. In Portugal, available data on Gypsy children is sparse, yet data from one geographic region of the country reports high school failure (45%) and dropout rates (15%) among this population. The present study assessed the efficacy of a four‐year intervention to promote Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success. Gypsy communities were contacted and 30 children participating in the four waves were randomly distributed into control and experimental groups. Every school day throughout four years, 16 children in the experimental group were called at home and invited to go to school. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in four waves (at the end of each of the four school years), assessing behavioural engagement (i.e. school non‐attendance, classroom behaviour) and school achievement (i.e. mathematics achievement, student progression). Findings show the efficacy of the intervention on promoting behaviour engagement and academic success without devaluing Gypsy people's culture.     

A well-rounded view: Using an interpersonal approach to predict achievement by academic self-concept and peer ratings of competence

Academic self-concept is a prominent construct in educational psychology that predicts future achievement. Similarly, peer ratings of competence predict future achievement as well. Yet do self-concept ratings have predictive value over and above peer ratings of competence? In this study, the interpersonal approach (Kwan, John, Kenny, Bond, & Robins, 2004) was applied to academic self-concept. The interpersonal approach decomposes the variance in self-concept ratings into a “method” part that is due to the student as the rater (perceiver effect), a shared “trait” part that is due to the student’s perceived achievement (target effect), and an idiosyncratic self-view (self-enhancement). In a round-robin design of competence ratings in which each student in a class rated every classmate’s competence, a total of 2,094 school students in 89 classes in two age cohorts rated their own math competence and the math competence of their classmates. Three main results emerged. First, self-concept ratings and peer ratings of competence had a substantial overlap in variance. Second, the shared “trait” part of the competence ratings was highly correlated with achievement and predicted gains in achievement. Third, the idiosyncratic self-view had a small positive association with (future) achievement. Altogether, this study introduces the interpersonal approach as a general framework for studying academic self-concept and peer ratings of competence in an integrated way.     

Co-developmental trajectories of psychological need satisfactions at school: Relations to mental health and academic functioning in Chinese elementary school students

This study explored the co-developmental trajectories of autonomy, competence and relatedness need satisfactions at school and their relations to mental health and academic functioning in Chinese elementary school students. An accelerated longitudinal design was used with a sample of three cohorts (grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5) (N = 1070, 45.8% female; M_age = 9.44, SD = 0.97) on four occasions at 6-month intervals. Parallel process latent class growth models revealed five heterogeneous patterns (i.e., Congruent-moderate; Congruent-high; Congruent-low; Congruent-decreasing; Low-autonomy, High-competence and relatedness), all of which significantly associated with time-varying mental health and academic functioning indicators. The findings highlight the importance of subgroup differences and possible cultural considerations in understanding the progression of psychological need satisfactions and the need for universal screening and dynamic monitoring of students’ psychological need satisfactions at school and implementing more sophisticated interventions tailored to the unique characteristics of the relevant subgroups to promote optimal mental health and learning.     

Homelessness in the elementary school classroom: social and emotional consequences

This study examined elementary school teachers’ experiences working with homeless students. Specifically, we focused on the psychosocial impacts of homelessness on students and their teachers. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 teachers who worked at designated public schools for family homeless shelters. A prominent theme that emerged from teachers’ accounts was how the instability tied to homelessness affected students’ behavioral, social, and emotional adjustment in the classroom (e.g. externalizing problems, difficulty developing peer relationships, and withdrawn behavior). Teachers’ own social and emotional competencies (e.g. fostering positive teacher–student relationships, and perspective taking) influenced the manner in which they responded to their students’ needs. Findings suggest that critical components may be lacking articulation in the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program such as guidelines for teacher responsibilities, supports for teachers, and an emphasis not only on children’s academic but also social and emotional needs.     

An investigation on value orientations,attitudes and concern towards the environment: the case of Turkish elementary school students

Environmental attitudes depend on the relative importance that individuals attach to themselves, other people, or all living things. These distinct bases have been found to predict environmental concern, and may act as statistically significant determinants of pro-environmental behaviours. We claim that examining the complex nature of value orientations and concern levels among elementary school students as well as the interrelationships between these attributes could guide researchers and educators in Turkey. This study aimed (1) to explore Turkish elementary students’ ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes, and environmental apathy; (2) to investigate their egoistic, altruistic and biospheric value orientations as well as their environmental concerns; (3) to examine relationships among environment-related attributes and (4) to determine the role of gender on these attributes. Participants seemed to be highly concerned and held favourable ecocentric attitudes. Furthermore, students with higher levels of anthropocentric attitudes tended to exhibit higher levels of environmental apathy, and those expressing biospheric concerns held lower levels of egoistic concerns. The findings suggest that girls were significantly more concerned about environmental problems and tended to value nature more for its own sake than boys.     

小学教师"三二分段"培养模式研究

本文探索"三二分段"小学教师培养模式,即通过综合化的课程设置,转变学生的学习方式,突出学生实践能力的训练,努力培养适应我国基础教育改革的专业化的小学教育新师资.     

Relations between mathematics achievement growth and the development of mathematics self-concept in elementary and middle grades

Creating an educational program that results in positive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM-oriented outcomes for all students is an important education objective and federal policy directive in the United States. In addition to developing strong mathematics foundations in Grades K–8 that are closely associated with successful STEM outcomes, intrapersonal skill development is also critical to academic and postsecondary success. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 the current study applied structural equation growth modeling to examine relationships among mathematics achievement in Grades K–1 and Grades 3–8, and mathematics self-concept development across Grades 3–8. Study results revealed that students reported declining levels of mathematics self-concept across the middle grades. Importantly, third grade reports of self-concept were associated with both mathematics achievement at kindergarten entry and third grade mathematics achievement; however, mathematics achievement at kindergarten entry was also associated with the development of mathematics self-concept in third through eighth grade. In addition, after accounting for mathematics achievement in Grades K–1, mathematics achievement growth in Grades 3–8 was directly associated with mathematics self-concept development across the same time period. Implications for future research, mathematics instruction, and curriculum development are discussed.