Relationships among properties of college students’ self-set academic goals and academic achievement

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among properties of college students’ self-set academic goals and academic achievement, using multiple theoretical perspectives. Using a personal goal-based research methodology, college students enrolled in a learning-to-learn course (N?=?130) were asked to list 20 of their goals (academic and/or non-academic). For each of their goals, goal specificity, value, expectation of success and autonomous and controlled motivation were measured and then ratings on each goal property were averaged across students’ academic goals (24.75% of all goals) to predict students’ grade point average (GPA) for the semester. Regression results suggested a positive affect on students’ semester GPA for goal specificity and a negative effect for controlled motivation; the model explained 19% of the variation in GPA. This research may help to inform motivation researchers and educational practitioners who assist college students with goal setting.     

Architecture students’ perceptions of their learning environment and their academic performance

Scholars have agreed that the way in which students perceive their learning environments influences their academic performance. Empirical studies that focus on architecture students, however, have been very scarce. This is the gap that an attempt is filled in this study. A questionnaire survey of 273 students in a school of architecture in Nigeria provided data for this pilot study. The perceptions of the students were best defined by the involvement of the students in their studies, the perceived support, and conduciveness of the learning environment. The students’ perceptions of their learning environment varied with their years of study, age and gender. Their perceptions of inflexibility of schedule, positive assessment, and fairness influenced the overall grades of students. The results suggests which aspects of learning environment that can be manipulated by architectural educators to improve the performance of their students. The study of the learning environment of architecture students still appears to be relatively unexplored. The value of this study therefore lies in its exploration of the perceptions of the learning environment from the point of view of students.     

Teachers adapt their instruction according to students’ academic performance

This study examined the extent to which a student’s academic performance in first grade contributes to the active instruction given by a teacher to a particular student. To investigate this, 105 first graders were tested in mathematics and reading in the fall and spring of their first school year. At the same time points, their teachers filled in a questionnaire on five successive days on the active instruction they have given a particular student. The results showed that the poorer the performance in reading a student showed in fall, the more active instruction teachers reported giving a student in spring. Moreover, the poorer the performance in mathematics a student showed in fall, the more active instruction less-experienced teachers reported giving that particular student in spring. The giving of active instruction by less-experienced teachers also contributed to an increase in children’s subsequent performance in mathematics.     

GCE performance of FE and sixth‐form college students

This study set out to examine and identify differences in GCE O/A‐level performance of a sample of further education and sixth‐form college students, employing selected biographical, intellectual and dispositional measures. The sample comprised 356 two‐year, full‐time students who entered further education and sixth‐form colleges immediately after completing their fifth‐form work in schools. The results show that taking account of students’ dispositional characteristics significantly increases the explained variation in attainment beyond that accounted for by intellectual ability and previous examination performance. Also indicated are significant differences in the factors associated with examination success; these are shown to be related to students who attend different types of institution. The findings would appear to have implications for current policies concerned with the educational provision for students in the 16‐19 age range.     

Quality over quantity?: Mentoring relationships and purpose development among college students

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that purpose in life is associated with positive outcomes among adolescents and young adults. The college years represent an important period of both personal and professional growth, including purpose in life. Supportive relationships may play a critical role in the identification and pursuit of purpose. Relationships with mentors, for example, have been linked with purpose among adolescents. The present study examined whether mentoring relationships were linked with purpose among college students (N = 194) from three institutions across the United States. Both aspects of quality (relational health) and quantity (i.e., number of mentors) were examined as predictors of purpose. Students who had at least one mentor reported higher levels of purpose compared to students with no mentors. Among students with at least one mentor, quality of mentoring was significantly associated with a greater commitment to purpose, while the number of mentors was not associated with commitment to purpose. Results are discussed in the context of practical applications regarding student success and purpose formation in higher education settings.     

Judgments of self-perceived academic competence and their differential impact on students’ achievement motivation, learning approach, and academic performance

Using path analysis, the present study focuses on the development of a model describing the impact of four judgments of self-perceived academic competence on higher education students’ achievement goals, learning approach, and academic performance. Results demonstrate that academic self-efficacy, self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, academic self-concept, and perceived level of understanding are conceptually and empirically distinct self-appraisals of academic competence which have a different impact on student motivation, learning, and academic performance. Furthermore, the current study suggests that students reflecting high scores on the four measures of self-perceived competence, are more persistent, more likely to adopt mastery and/or performance approach goals, less anxious, process the learning material at a deeper level, and achieve better study results. However, this study also warns that high self-perceived competence (e.g., perceived level of understanding), if not accompanied by a mastery goal orientation, can turn into overconfidence resulting in lower persistence levels and poorer study results.     

Does executive function mediate SES and home quality associations with academic readiness?

This study examined the extent to which executive function (EF) mediated associations of socioeconomic status (SES) and home-environment quality with academic readiness (math, letter and word identification, and knowledge of story-and-print concepts). Forty-nine 54–66-month old children and their mothers participated in a home observation and laboratory visit. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed the EF mediated associations between SES and math outcomes. These findings were observed after controlling for child verbal abilities. Implications for the role of verbal ability in EF, the developmental context in predicting EF, and the influence of EF on academic readiness are discussed.     

When do students ask why? Examining the precursors and outcomes of causal search among first-year college students

It has been theorized that students are most likely to ask why following unexpected, negative, and/or important events (Weiner, 1985); however, the unique contribution of these precursors to causal search and the resultant cognitions, emotions, and behaviors remain largely unclear. In the current study we examined causal search regarding test outcomes among 371 first-year college students. Responses to hypothetical scenarios indicated that unexpected events, and unexpected/negative events in combination, would elicit the most causal search. Based on performance on an actual test, precursors measured prior to the test indicated negative test outcomes elicited the greatest causal search. Alternatively, precursors measured following the test indicated a similar pattern to the scenarios. In each instance, event importance was also found to positively predict casual search. Overall, the results suggest that the exclusion of relevant precursors, self-serving biases, and divergent methodologies may have resulted in the discrepancies of previous research on causal search precursors. Finally, students who engaged in more causal search made more ability, test difficulty, and luck attributions, fewer effort attributions, experienced less pride and more shame, guilt, regret, and anger, and received poorer grades. The internal/uncontrollable attributional pattern suggests that first-year college students who are at-risk of de-motivating cognitions, emotions, and behaviors could be supported with cognitive interventions such as attributional retraining.     

Comparing students’ self-discipline and self-regulation measures and their prediction of academic achievement

Using a multi-source, multi-measure research design involving 507 high school students and their teachers, we compared prediction of these students’ academic achievement by a composite of students’ and teachers’ measures of students’ self-regulation (SR) with a composite of students’ and teachers’ measures of students’ self-discipline (SD). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the SR composite was more predictive of students’ grade point average and performance on a state-wide achievement test than the SD composite. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that, although SD and SR latent factors correlated significantly, a two-factor solution provided an acceptable fit for the results. Structural Equation Modeling analyses indicated that the SR latent factor predicted both measures of students’ achievement significantly, but the SD factor did not predict either achievement measure significantly. No significant gender differences were found with students’ SD, SR, or achievement measures. These results suggest a path for integrating two relatively separate streams in self-regulation research on the basis of a well-established distinction between learning and performance processes.     

Latinx students’ experiences with college access and preparation at college preparatory charter schools

Charter schools that target underserved communities, including Latinxs, have proliferated in the U.S., claiming a unique, more autonomous and successful alternative to traditional public schools, often with a promise of increased postsecondary access and preparation. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding their effectiveness on academic outcomes, prompting additional research on charter schools. This study examined the college access and preparation experiences of 14 Latinxs attending college preparatory charter schools within one school system in Texas. Findings highlight how schools assisted students in preparing for college, but challenges in accessing college knowledge and assistance still existed, particularly for undocumented students.     

Investigating academic dishonesty among Chinese undergraduate students: does gender matter?

The high rate of academic dishonesty reported among Chinese college students has created challenges for practitioners in both domestic and Western universities. Following two contrasting yet complementary scholarly approaches, this study explored the relative importance of predictors indicative of students’ intention to cheat (moral attitude, subjective norm and penalty enforcement) and of their educational preparedness for academic integrity (integrity engagement) in explaining academic dishonesty, with an emphasis on gender differences. We administered a questionnaire survey to a sample of 2009 Chinese undergraduate students. The results indicated that moral attitude and integrity engagement were the major predictors, that subjective norm accounted for marginal variations of academic dishonesty, and that the influence of penalty enforcement was insignificant. Some gender differences on both the mean score and effect levels of the four predictors were revealed. The effects of grade, year and area of study on academic dishonesty (and particularly their joint effects with gender) were noteworthy. These findings are discussed relative to the results of prior studies and the Chinese context.     

Ya’at’eeh: Race-reimaged belongingness factors,academic outcomes,and goal pursuits among Indigenous community college students

For decades, students’ sense of belonging has been conceptualized through colonial perspectives, assuming students are to assimilate to educational institutions in order to belong. To challenge these perspectives, we race-reimaged belongingness factors in an investigation of Indigenous students (n = 887) from 156 U.S. community colleges in a secondary dataset. We first used measurement invariance testing to examine how Indigenous students interpret belongingness items differently from their non-Indigenous counterparts. Second, we used multilevel modeling to assess the role of Native-specific sense of belonging, operationalized through Indigenous ways of knowing and being, on GPA and goal pursuits. Our findings suggest that both traditional conceptualizations of belongingness factors (i.e., student relationships to teachers and peers) and Native-specific constructions of belongingness factors via relationships to community, family, and cultural identity were salient. Native-specific factors were more consistently associated with Indigenous students’ outcomes. Implications for best practices to foster belongingness and future directions for race-reimaging research will be discussed.     

How do school resources and academic performance differ across Australia’s rural, regional and metropolitan communities?

This study uses data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to gain a better understanding of how academic performance and resources vary across rural–urban school communities in Australia. While it is well known that schools in rural areas have difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers, the degree to which schools in larger sized communities across Australia also face this problem is less understood. Moreover, very little is known about the degree to which shortages of instructional materials and equipment are associated with rural–urban location. The analysis includes 353 schools across eight community types that range in size of <1,000 people in small country towns to more than a million people in large capital cities. School principals reported the degree to which instruction in their school is hindered by a shortage of resources, which include qualified teaching staff and instructional materials and equipment. The findings highlight the extent to which school resources vary across geographic location, as reported by school principals. Principals of schools in the centre of large cities were the least likely to report that shortages of teaching staff or instructional materials hinder learning, while principals in rural and remote communities were the most likely to report that such shortages hinder instruction. These differences closely mirror student PISA academic performance and school socioeconomic composition. PISA data indicates that schools located in small rural communities have the lowest socioeconomic profiles, the lowest academic performance and the largest shortages of teaching staff and instructional materials, while schools in central neighborhoods of large cities enjoy the highest socioeconomic profiles, the highest academic performance and the fewest shortages.     

Adaptability: does students’ adjustment to university predict their mid-course academic achievement and satisfaction?

ABSTRACT

Individual differences in ‘adaptability’ – cognitive, behavioural, and emotional adjustment in the face of change, novelty, and uncertainty – are theorised to influence students’ academic achievement and course satisfaction; although the literature examining these relations in tertiary education is sparse. In the present study, first-year undergraduate students were surveyed for their adaptability, academic buoyancy, and academic motivation (predictor variables) along with their mid-course academic achievement and course satisfaction (outcome variables). Correlation analyses revealed that adaptability was significantly associated with all other variables in this study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that after controlling for individual differences in academic buoyancy and academic motivation, adaptability explained unique variance in both academic achievement and course satisfaction. These findings have important implications for researchers and educators seeking to understand first-year students’ adjustment to university and the influence this may have on their educational outcomes.     

Relationships between the use of test results and US students’ academic performance

In this study, we examined relationships between the use of test results and US students’ math, reading, and science performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009. Based on a literature review, we hypothesized that the 16 items in the PISA school questionnaire, which are related to the use of test results, can be categorized according to 4 factors. We validated this hypothesized factor structure using a confirmatory factor analysis and then obtained composite scores for each factor. As revealed by a multilevel analysis, when student and school demographic variables were controlled for, using test results to hold schools accountable to authority and the public was significantly positively related to students’ performance across all 3 subjects. No statistically significant relationship, however, was detected between students’ performance and the following uses of test scores: informing parents of their children’s performance, providing information for instructional purposes, and evaluating teachers and principals.     

Impacts of an AI-based chabot on college students’ after-class review,academic performance,self-efficacy,learning attitude,and motivation

Educational technology research and development - Review strategies after learning new knowledge are essential for students to consolidate the key points, understand the subject content, analyze...     

Teachers’ motivational profiles and their longitudinal associations with teaching quality

This study used an integrated theoretical approach to investigate teacher motivation and its influence on teaching quality. Drawing on Expectancy-Value-Theory and Achievement-Goal-Theory, a person-centered approach was used to investigate how multiple characteristics (i.e., self-efficacy, enthusiasm, and goal orientation) combined to form teachers’ motivational profiles. The profiles were then analyzed to see if there was a link to teaching quality. Latent profile analysis for 156 secondary-level mathematics teachers identified three motivational profiles which differed only in their performance goals: low performance goal-oriented (49%), high performance goal-oriented (38%), and high performance-avoidance goal-oriented (13%). Multilevel path analysis showed that motivational profile membership was not significantly related to student-rated teaching quality when baseline teaching quality was controlled (N = 1497 available on both measurement points). The findings revealed that the link between teacher motivation and teaching quality was less clear than expected. Possible reasons for the results are discussed.     

Coping with mismatched courses: students’ behaviour and performance in courses mismatched to their learning styles

Although learning styles are considered as an important factor in education, students often have to learn in courses that do not support their learning styles. A challenge for technology facilitated learning is therefore to assist and help students to cope with courses that do not match their learning styles by training and developing their less preferred skills. In this paper, the interactions between students’ learning styles, their behaviour, and their performance in an online course that is mismatched regarding their learning styles were analysed. The results show which learners need more help in mastering mismatched courses, help in getting a better understanding about how students with good performance record and poor performance record learn with respect to their learning styles, and provide information about how to identify learners who might have difficulties in learning based on their behaviour.     

Parental level of education: associations with psychological well‐being,academic achievement and reasons for pursuing higher education in adolescence

The purpose of the current study is to determine the interconnection between parental level of education, psychological well‐being, academic achievement and reasons for pursuing higher education in adolescents. Participants included 439 college freshmen from a mid‐size state university in the northeastern USA. A survey, including indices of parental level of education, life‐satisfaction, academic achievement and reasons for pursuing higher education, was administered in class. Overall results indicated a positive correlation between parental level of education and adolescents’ reasons for pursuing higher education for societal expectations. Furthermore, paternal education independently predicted societal expectations as a reason for college attendance.     

A person-centered approach to examining high-school students’ motivation,engagement and academic performance

This study examined the relationship among motivation, engagement, and academic performance through a person-centered research approach. Participants included 10,527 students in grades 9 to 12 from twenty public high schools across the state of Ohio in the United States. Latent profile analysis revealed seven profiles of academic motivation including the amotivated, externally regulated, balanced demotivated, moderately motivated, identified/externally regulated, balanced motivated, and autonomously motivated profile groups. Students in these motivational profiles exhibited differences in cognitive and social engagement, as well as academic performance. In addition, multiple-group path analysis revealed different patterns of relationship among cognitive engagement, social engagement, and GPA, suggesting that motivational profile membership moderated the relationship between engagement and academic performance.