An integrated analysis of secondary school students’ conceptions and beliefs about learning

Students’ conceptions and beliefs about learning are constructs that have been proposed in two independent lines of research, phenomenographic and metacognitive, and analysed using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, respectively. The present research examines and integrates in a single study both constructs and methodologies. Data were collected through an open-ended task (Tynjäla, 1997) and an epistemological questionnaire (Schommer, 1990), administered to a sample of 1,200 secondary students. Three major statistically significant findings emerged. First, students’ conceptions of learning and epistemological beliefs changed from simplistic to more complex as they progressed through school. Second, the two constructs were linked to each other. The most advanced category on the ‘dimension of depth’ of learning conceptions corresponded to the highest scores at the complex pole of the belief system. Third, learning conceptions as well as epistemological beliefs were predictors of academic performance. The more capable students were of constructing meaning, the better their academic achievement appeared to be. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed with regard to further research, classroom instruction, and the value of combining both research methodologies in order to deepen our understanding of students’ learning experience.     

英语谚语中的迷信内容及翻译

探讨英美国家中的迷信现象及其在英语谚语里的体现,提出了正确理解和翻译这些谚语的方法。     

Self-efficacy beliefs and the writing performance of entering high school students

Path analysis was used to test the influence of writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, and writing aptitude on the essay-writing performance of 181 ninth-grade students. A model that also included gender accounted for 53% of the variance in performance. As hypothesized, both aptitude and students' self-efficacy beliefs had strong direct effects on performance. Aptitude also had a strong direct effect on self-efficacy, which largely mediated the indirect effect of aptitude on performance. Self-efficacy had a strong direct effect on apprehension, which, in turn, had a modest effect on performance. Girls and boys did not differ in aptitude or performance, but girls reported lower writing self-efficacy. Native English-speaking Hispanic students had lower aptitude and performance scores, lower self-efficacy, and higher apprehension. Results support the hypothesized role of self-efficacy in Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Spiritual beliefs among Chinese junior high school students

Objective: To explore the characteristics of the spiritual beliefs among junior high school students. Method: 431 junior high school students are measured by Students’ Basic Information Questionnaire (SBIQ) and Middle School Students’ Spiritual Beliefs Questionnaire (MSSSBQ). Results: (1) The overall characteristics of the spiritual beliefs among junior high school students are as follows: social beliefs rank first, practical faith second, and supernatural beliefs last. The ranks of the seven beliefs from high to low are nationalism, political conviction, family’s doctrine, life worship, religious beliefs, money/material and gods worship. (2) Boy students have higher political conviction and money/material faith than girl students. Girl students have higher religious beliefs than boy students. (3) On the beliefs of money/material and life worship, students in Grade 9 take the first place, Grade 8 second and Grade 7 last. (4) Non-student cadres have stronger money/material faith than cadres. (5) League members have higher political beliefs than non-members. (6) Students who are good at studies have stronger national faith than students who are average or poor at studies. Students who are poor at studies have stronger money/material faith than other students. Conclusion: The spiritual beliefs of junior high school students are positive. __________ Translated from Psychology Development and Education, 2005:2.     

A longitudinal study of upper secondary school students’ values and beliefs regarding policy responses to climate change

Abstract

This article explores changes of environmental values and beliefs among secondary school business and economics students regarding government and market solutions to climate change. The quantitative study is longitudinal and a survey was administrated to students at two occasions including 212 participants in the first measurement. Results show a small significant increase in importance for altruistic, biospheric and egoistic value orientations at average. At an individual level, there are substantial movements over time. Nearly two-thirds of the students changed the strength of their value orientations over time. Taxes and legislation were regarded as the most effective solutions to climate change, however there was a decrease in seeing market prices as important mechanisms for change. Analysis suggested no direct relationship between change in environmental value orientation and change in norms. However indirect associations were mediated by changing beliefs in the efficacy of education and information and the efficacy of tax policies. For example, students who became more egoistic and more convinced about the efficacy of tax were less likely than others to be willing to take personal actions.     

Canny Writers: Tyneside dialect and the writing of secondary school students

The issue of writing in accordance with the conventions of standard English usage is one which is becoming increasingly prominent, with changes in the National Curriculum in English reflecting concerns about correctness in language. The present study examines the writing of a group of Year 11 pupils to examine the nature of the deviance of their writing from standard English patterns and, in particular, to assess the impact of non‐standard dialect forms on their written work. Errors in writing are seen to be very largely attributable to difficulties with such aspects of the system as punctuation, spelling and other orthographic features. There is evidence of non‐standard dialect influences on grammar and vocabulary but these are relatively slight, and, it is argued, should not be the prime concern of teachers interested in meeting the demands of the National Curriculum with regard to writing.     

Teaching beliefs: a comparison between Italian primary and secondary school trainee teachers

This paper presents research which compares the teaching beliefs of primary and secondary school trainee teachers. Participants were 177 trainee teachers, 92 enrolled in a primary school teacher degree course, and 85 enrolled in a postgraduate teacher training course specifically for music teaching at secondary school level (middle and high school). A questionnaire was employed for assessing beliefs. By performing factor analysis, the following four dimensions were extracted: innovative teaching and cooperative learning, teacher-centred approach, learner-centred approach and working collaboratively. Data were subjected to analysis of variance for each factor of the questionnaire. Significant differences between primary and secondary trainee teachers in the way they think about music teaching were found. The relevance of these factors and differences was discussed in considering how to improve the education of teachers.     

Epistemological beliefs and their relationship to the knowledge of preservice secondary school teachers

The authors analyse epistemological beliefs and their relationship to the knowledge developed by students engaged in a reorganized programme of training for secondary school teachers in Quebec. They examine two contexts for initial training: the training in their discipline that university students follow, and the practical training students undertake in the school environment. Qualitative data were obtained through critical exploration (Piagetian) interviews with twelve pre-service teachers. These results made it possible to outline multiple epistemological postures, and to describe the tensions between the subject-related and practical aspects of initial training. In particular, based on an analysis of their epistemological beliefs and their relationship to knowledge, it would appear that pre-service teachers develop a less refined approach through practical training than they attain at university. Finally, the authors raise some issues concerning teacher training.     

Perceived school climate and school grades in secondary school students: The mediating effect of self-determined motivation

Students’ perception of school climate plays an important role in the quality of their academic experience. However, the effects of perceived school climate on self-determined academic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2020) have received little empirical attention to this day. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the role of school climate in predicting changes in self-determined academic motivation and grades in a longitudinal study with secondary school students. Participants are 957 Belgian students (girls = 52.87 %; M_age = 14.41 years, SD_age = 1.66 years) who took part in a three-wave, year-long study. Results from structural equation modeling showed that students’ positive perceptions of school climate at the beginning of the study (Time 1) were positively related to changes in self-determined academic motivation at the mid-point (Time 2), which in turn were positively associated with changes in grades by the end of the study (Time 3), over and above the effects of gender and age. These results have implications for educational psychology by suggesting that organizational aspects of the school setting can positively influence students’ academic grades through increases in the quality of their motivation over time.     

论职校生健全人格的塑造与完善

人格完善是指个体有自觉的自我认识，维持身心相对平衡的状态，促使自己向着能充分发挥自身潜能的方向发展，为人类作出一定贡献的过程，是伴随一个人终身的过程。我国的职业教育不仅应重视学生职业知识与技能的学习训练，而且更应重视其健康职业心理与职业伦理道德的形成，重视健全人格的塑造与完善，最终把他们培养成为21世纪成功的劳动或创业。     

Motivational beliefs as mediators in the association between perceived scholastic competence,self-esteem and learning strategies among Greek secondary school students

The present study investigated the links between self-motivational beliefs, perceived scholastic competence, self-esteem and learning strategies among 134 Greek junior high school students in the subject of Greek language, through self-report. A model was tested with motivational constructs as mediators between perceived scholastic competence and self-esteem on the one side and participants’ learning strategies in language on the other. Mediation analyses results showed that perceived scholastic competence predicted all learning strategies both directly and indirectly through intrinsic goal orientation and task value. Self-esteem was not found to predict learning strategies directly, but only indirectly through intrinsic goal motivation. The findings are discussed in terms of their educational implications.     

Sources of academic and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs of entering middle school students

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Bandura’s (1997) hypothesized sources of self-efficacy on the academic and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs of entering middle school students (N = 263) and to explore whether these sources differ as a function of gender, reading ability, and race/ethnicity. For the full sample, mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological state independently predicted academic and self-regulatory self-efficacy, with mastery experience proving the strongest predictor. Mastery experience and social persuasions predicted girls’ academic and self-regulatory self-efficacy, whereas mastery and vicarious experiences predicted these self-beliefs for boys. African American students’ mastery experiences and social persuasions predicted their academic self-efficacy. Mastery experience did not predict the self-efficacy beliefs of low-achieving students. Findings support and refine the theoretical tenets of Bandura’s social cognitive theory.     

中职生学校生活质量评定量表的编制

参照澳大利亚教育研究评议会《学校生活质量量表（QSLS）（中学版）》,结合中职生学校生活现状,编制《中职生学校生活质量评定量表》,对426名中职生进行测试,并对测试结果进行了探索性因素分析.研究结果表明：中职生学校生活质量包含学校认同感、校园环境、自我认知、同伴关系、师生关系、成就感、积极情感和消极情感8个因子.利用新量表进一步对468名中职生进行测试,对测试结果进行验证性因素分析,发现模型拟合度较好.量表具有良好的信度与效度,可以作为中职生学校生活质量评定的工具.     

Exploring epistemological approaches and beliefs of middle school students in problem-based learning

Abstract

The authors investigated the influence of engaging in a problem-based learning unit on middle school students' epistemic beliefs, and how such students' epistemic beliefs and approaches to argumentation within and outside of their small groups related. Data sources include state science achievement test scores, epistemic beliefs pre- and posttests, videotaped class sessions, retrospective interviews, and pre- and post-cognitive interviews. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed from 59 students, while the qualitative subsample consisted of 15 students. Engaging in problem-based learning led to a significant effect on students' epistemic beliefs. The effect was of a large magnitude among high-achieving students, of a small magnitude among average-achieving students, and of a small negative magnitude among lower-achieving students. Students employed different approaches to generating and evaluating arguments in different ecosystems, including as small groups and in discussions with the teacher.     

建立大、中专在校学生自我管理机制

随着全国大学本科及大专科考就读人数逐年增招,所以高素质大、中专生源日益凸显乏人,初中应招的高职大、中专学生多数是由于家庭困难或渺于前途而选择接受中专教育,以便捷于早日就业。     

The experience of bullying among secondary school students

The present study was designed to qualitatively investigate secondary students' interpretations and experiences of bullying (and victimization) in Greek schools, with a focus on gender similarities and differences. Overall, 95 students (50 boys and 45 girls), 15 or 16 years old, participated in focus group interviews that were homogeneous in terms of grade and gender. Data analysis, using the interpretative phenomenological approach, showed that different interpretations and meanings of bullying between genders have important consequences on actual behavior. Furthermore, students do not reveal bullying and victimization to either parents or teachers, who are described as indifferent and ineffective. Results are indicative of a school culture that is conducive to bullying behaviors and have important implications for antibullying interventions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Motivation beliefs of secondary school teachers in Canada and Singapore: A mixed methods study

A mixed methods approach was used to explore secondary teachers’ motivation beliefs in Canada and Singapore. Results from Study 1 revealed that socio-economic status (SES) was the strongest predictor of school climate in Canada, and that collective efficacy mediated the effect of SES on school climate in Singapore, but not in Canada. In Study 2, interviews were conducted with 10 teachers in Canada and 14 teachers in Singapore. Teachers in both settings discussed students’ social and behavior problems, but the range of the social problems was greater in Canada than in Singapore, and had a stronger impact on teachers’ motivation beliefs.     

Vocational assessment of secondary students with disabilities and the school psychologist

Although much progress has been made in the identification and remediation of academic learning difficulties, less attention has been given to the career development of students with disabilities. Through their psychoeducational evaluations school psychologists are in an excellent position to provide useful information about the vocational functioning of these students. Some school practitioners may be hesitant to contribute fully to the vocational assessment process because they are unfamiliar with vocational behavior literature. In an effort to encourage greater involvement, the school psychologist's role as member of a career assessment team is discussed, and vocational theory and research concerning interest, ability, and personality characteristics are reviewed. Assessment and data integration strategies are offered. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.