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.

     

Prospective teachers navigating intersecting communities of practice: early school placement

An issue of particular concern in mathematics teacher education is the relationship between theory and practice, and the nature of university–school partnerships. We report here on results from a research project answering the call for a more systematic understanding of the practice learning context. The study focuses on the new Norwegian elementary teacher education programme and highlights the difficulties involved in connecting theory and practice and how prospective teachers may be supported in this respect. Focus group interviews involving 51 first-year prospective teachers and 25 teacher–mentors investigated early school placements, specifically prospective teachers’ positions in the classroom as teachers of mathematics, and the ways in which the mentoring relationship supported their developing role. Taking a communities of practice perspective, we found that the idea of movement across intersecting and sometimes conflicting communities of practice is helpful in aiding our understanding of the difficulty of connecting theory and practice. Additionally, variations in mentoring styles and perceptions of prospective teachers’ mathematics and pedagogic knowledge competencies play a part in some prospective teachers’ difficulties in taking up a role as legitimate peripheral participant in the school. We conclude by considering ways in which prospective teachers might be better supported to cope with school placement.     

Textbook Selection: Evaluative Criteria

As the task of selecting an appropriate textbook for a course is difficult this article presents a procedure (checklist) which instructors might adopt to assist in their decision making. The Textbook Selection Checklist is developed from a strong empirical base and has been trialled to assess the relative merits of introductory and educational psychology textbooks published since 1975. The results of this assessment are provided and the implications for students, instructors, and publishers are discussed.     

The role of values in pre-service teachers’ intentions for professional engagement

This study investigated inclusion of epistemic value into Richardson and Watt Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) framework to produce a more robust, useful teacher motivation model. We specifically examined pre-service teachers’ social utility value (SUV), personal utility value (PUV) and epistemic value regarding pursuing future professional engagement and development. Using principal axis factoring, we found four main factors: PUV, SUV, epistemic value—future value of knowledge (EVF) and persistence/satisfaction. These factors were then used in a structural equation model (SEM) to predict pre-service teachers’ intentions to pursue future professional engagement. Results provided the following three insights: (a) SUV was the most consistent, positive predictor of professional engagement and predicted all dependent variables; (b) EVF was a newly identified factor and a positive predictor of pre-service teachers’ desire to pursue a leadership position and (c) PUV negatively predicted planned effort and a desire to pursue a leadership position.     

Reading,metacognition and motivation: A follow-up study of German students in Grades 7 and 8

This follow-up study to van Kraayenoord and Schneider (1999) examined the performance in reading, metacognition and motivation related to reading of students in Grades 7 and 8. Results showed significant correlations between all of the variables. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that “good” and “poor” readers differed in reading self-concept and metacognitive measures related to reading and memory. A stepwise regression analysis suggested that the metacognitive variables were the best predictors of reading. Furthermore, a comparison of the results of the previous study with those of the current investigation revealed that the findings were stable over time. Since the period between the two studies is the time during which students make important decisions related to enrolment in one of three distinct school-types in Germany, we examined the results of various groups of students: those in “Gymnasium” (high educational track), “Realschule” (middle educational track), and “Hauptschule” (low educational track). Students in the Gymnasium scored significantly better than students in the other two groups on almost all variables related to reading. A re-analysis of the data from our first investigation found that the results of the Gymnasium students in the second study could be predicted from their results obtained during elementary school.     

Students’ confidence and perceived value for participating in cross-cultural wiki-based collaborations

An international wiki-based collaboration was integrated into a large introductory educational technology course enrolling 346 students, divided into 43 teams. Student teams participated in a 5-week project in which they created wiki chapters about the educational uses of specific Web 2.0 tools. Two to four international students, located in their home countries, participated on each team, collaborating via the evolving wiki, as well as other Web 2.0 tools. Using expectancy-value as our motivational framework, we gathered pre- and post-survey data, triangulated with focus group interview data, to examine changes in students’ confidence and perceived value for using these tools to facilitate international collaborations. Survey results showed significant changes in confidence and perceived value, while qualitative results provided insights into students’ perceptions of critical project components. We discuss students’ perceptions of project barriers as well as the strategies they implemented to achieve success.     

Tradutore,traditore: Can the aect code of ethics “speak” across cultures?

Conclusion Although many questions remain unanswered, these early translations of the AECT Code of Ethics will be available at the AECT Web site to ensure that access to the principles is offered in languages other than English. As they become available, more translations will be added to the English, Farsi, French, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish versions. The translations will be saved as PDF files to retain the unique characters of each language. Additional translators with expertise in both educational technology and the targeted languages will be identified. Exploration of ways to encourage debate regarding the viability of the translations within diverse cultures continues. The ultimate hope is that collaboration among members of the professional ethics committee of AECT, the translators, and interested educators will result in the development of a Code of Ethics that “speaks” across cultures and establishes a meaningful guide to professional conduct around the world. Authors’ Note: This article expands on earlier work published in the (2002) Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, edited by M, Simonson.     

Industry into teaching: an alternative model

Teacher shortages have encouraged initiatives to tailor training programs to meet the demand in both past, current and future contexts. Such programs have been streamlined to ensure a rapid response to shortages, in addition to also drawing participants from non‐traditional groups as a source of potential educators. More broadly in teacher education, recent developments have explored online and other forms of distance education, problem‐solving methodologies and increased site‐based workplace learning opportunities. The Accelerated Teacher Training Program (ATTP) currently offered at Charles Sturt University is based on an innovative model which combines together aspects of best practices to deliver an effective and quality course. This program was developed in response to the NSW Department of Education and Training’s (DET) need to meet the demand for more Technology and Applied Studies (TAS) teachers. This paper will look at the issue of teacher supply and demand and discuss the design, context and implementation of the ATTP, with a special focus on the professional practice and problem‐solving elements of the course.     

Neurocognitive function and joint attention ability in young children with autism spectrum disorder versus developmental delay

Studies have shown that young children with autism are not impaired on prefrontal tasks relative to what would be expected for their mental age, raising questions about the executive dysfunction hypothesis of autism. These studies did not include ventromedial prefrontal tasks, however. The present study examined whether young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are impaired on ventromedial prefrontal tasks, and whether performance on such tasks is correlated with a core autism symptom, joint attention ability. Seventy-two 3- to 4-year-old children with ASD, 34 3- to 4-year-old developmentally delayed children, and 39 12- to 46-month-old typically developing children, matched on mental age, were administered ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal tasks and joint attention tasks. Children with ASD performed similarly to comparison groups on all executive function tasks, indicating that at this early age, there is no autism-specific pattern of executive dysfunction. Ventromedial, but not dorsolateral, prefrontal task performance was strongly correlated with joint attention ability, however. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is hypothesized to play a role in the development of joint attention and possibly some aspects of the autistic syndrome.     

Education for the elderly: New directions in a changing Europe

It will be of paramount importance for a united Europe to integrate older men and women and to establish their position in society. European countries are insufficiently prepared for the individual and collective resources of the elderly. Unfortunately the countries lack institutions capable of supporting a lifelong process of education, including the elderly. Today's elderly people become increasingly aware that because of technological and economic demands and changes in society it is necessary to learn and retrain through the whole of one's life. The strengthening of the community of solidarity in Europe requires not only the promotion of older and younger people learning about each other, but especially the transfer of experience and knowledge among the older people of different countries. The reason for this strident demand for education for the elderly has to be seen in the context of a demographic and structural process of change, which affects almost all European societies. Education for the elderly contributes to connecting experiences and the capacity of elderly people to cope with their situation with up-to-date knowledge and with new strategies for possible solutions. At the same time the educational situation is suited to encouraging and promoting a transfer of knowledge between elderly and younger people and among members (elderly or younger) of different countries.

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Zusammenfassung Das Europa der Zukunft verfügt über ein Potential von alternden und letztlich dann alten Frauen und Männern, das zu integrieren und gesellschaftlich zur Geltung zu bringen von zentraler Bedeutung für ein vereintes Europa sein wird. Gleichwohl sind die europäischen Länder auf die individuellen und kollektiven Ressourcen Älterer noch unzureichend eingestellt. Bedauerlicherweise fehlt es an Institutionen, die in der Lage sind, Lern- und Bildungsprozesse lebenslang, vor allem aber im Alter, zu fördern. Alternden Menschen wird heute im zunehmendem Maße bewußt, daß aufgrund technischer und ökonomischer Anforderungen sowie gesellschaftlicher Wandlungsprozesse fortwährende Neu- und Umlernprozesse im Lebensverlauf von Nöten sind. Angesichts der europäischen Integration ist zur Stärkung der Solidargemeinschaft nicht nur ein wechselseitiges Lernen von älteren und jüngeren Menschen zu fördern, sondern vor allem auch der Erfahrungs- und Wissenstransfer zwischen den älteren Menschen verschiedener Nationen. Die Grundlage für die vehemente Forderung nach Bildung im Alter ist in demographischen und strukturellen Wandlungsprozessen zu sehen, von denen nahezu alle europäischen Gesellschaften betroffen sind. Bildung und Lernen im Alter trägt dazu bei, das Erfahrungswissen und die darin eingeschlossenen Auseinandersetzungskompetenzen Älterer in Zusammenhang zu bringen mit aktuellem Wissen sowie mit neuen Lösungsstrategien. Gleichzeitig sind Lern- und Bildungssituationen geeignet, einen Wissenstransfer zwischen verschiedenen Gruppen Älterer, zwischen Älteren und Jüngeren sowie zwischen Mitgliedern (Ältere oder Jüngere) verschiedener Nationen anzuregen und auszubauen.

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Résumé L'intégration des personnes âgées et la promotion de leur position dans la société aura une importance considérable dans l'Europe unifiée. Les pays européens sont mal préparés aux ressources individuelles et collectives de ces personnes. Malheureusement, ces pays manquent d'institutions capables de soutenir un processus d'éducation permanente prenant en considération les personnes âgées. Les personnes d'un âge avancé sont aujourd'hui de plus en plus conscientes, à cause des exigences technologiques et économiques et des changements intervenant dans la société, qu'il apparaît nécessaire d'apprendre et de mettre à jour leurs connaissances tout au long de la vie. Le renforcement de la communauté de solidarité en Europe requiert non seulement la promotion des jeunes et des personnes âgées engagés dans un processus d'apprentissage mutuel, mais surtout le transfert d'expériences et de connaissances entre les personnes âgées de pays différents. La raison de cette demande pressante d'éducation pur les personnes âgées doit être vue dans le contexte d'un processus démographique et structural de changement, qui touche presque tous les pays européens. L'éducation relative aux personnes âgées contribue à établir un rapport entre les expériences et la capacité des personnes âgées à venir à bout de leur situation, et un savoir actuel et de nouvelles stratégies pour des solutions possibles. En même temps, la situation éducative est apte à encourager et à promouvoir un transfert de connaissances entre les jeunes et les personnes âgées et entre les membres (jeunes ou âgés) des différents pays.