Cross-Domain Trajectories of Students’ Ability Self-Concepts and Intrinsic Values in Math and Language Arts

Different cross-domain trajectories in the development of students’ ability self-concepts (ASCs) and their intrinsic valuing of math and language arts were examined in a cross-sequential study spanning Grades 1 through 12 (n = 1,069). Growth mixture modeling analyses identified a Moderate Math Decline/Stable High Language Arts class and a Moderate Math Decline/Strong Language Arts Decline class for students’ ASC trajectories. Students’ intrinsic value trajectories included a Strong Math Decline/Language Arts Decline Leveling Off, a Moderate Math Decline/Strong Language Arts Decline, and a Stable Math and Language Arts Trajectories class. These classes differed with regard to student characteristics, including gender, family background, and math and reading aptitudes. They also resulted in different high school math course enrollments, career aspirations, and adult careers.     

The Sequential Composition of Collaborative Groups’ Emotion Regulation in Negative Socio-emotional Interactions

Research indicates that to adjust a group’s emotional atmosphere for successful collaborative learning, group members need to engage in group-level emotion regulation. However, less is known about the whys and ways regulation is activated at a group level. This research explores what triggers 12-year-old primary school students’ (N = 37) negative socio-emotional interactions during a collaborative science task and whether the nature of the trigger makes a difference to group-level emotion regulation strategies and their sequential composition in these interactions. Groups’ collaborative working was videotaped, and triggers and strategies were analysed. The results reveal that the triggers of negative interactions are linked to the groups’ activated regulation strategies. Motivation control strategies were more represented in situations where negative interactions were triggered by task-related issues, whereas socially related triggers were associated with behavioural regulation strategies. Furthermore, the results illustrate that strategies are concatenated to a series of strategic actions, which mostly begin with sharing an awareness of the trigger. The results indicate a need to focus on the series of strategic actions activated in group interactions. This will help reveal how socially shared regulatory processes build a group’s emotional atmosphere.

     

Changing organizational culture and instructional methods in elementary schools: Perceptions of teachers and professional educational consultants

The present study examines teachers’ perceptions of organizational changes in their elementary schools. These changes occurred following the implementation of a long-term comprehensive school improvement project (CSIP). One hundred and seventy one teachers who taught in six elementary schools located in two different school districts in Israel responded to a questionnaire both before and after a period of 3 years during which they participated in a CSIP. The teachers, assisted by six professional consultants, one in each school, studied cooperative learning as well as new forms of collaborative staff work. The study addressed two primary research questions: What changes in teachers’ perceptions of their schools’ organizational culture emerged from teachers’ participation in the project? How were the professional relationships between the schools’ supervisors and the teachers in the two districts reflected in the teachers’ perception of school organizational changes? Results indicated that teachers in three schools from one district recorded a significant improvement in their perceptions of their schools’ organizational culture at the end of the project, whereas the teachers from the other district indicated either no change, or a significant decline in their evaluation of their schools’ organizational culture. A cross-validation of the teachers’ data was performed through a content analysis of 500 reports written over the course of 2 years, submitted by six external consultants. The analysis yielded four categories: general difficulties to work with the school’s staff, problems implementing the project, teacher resistance, and cancellations of planned meetings. The analysis provided valuable information as to why the teachers from the two districts differed in their reactions to the project.     

How elementary school students' motivation is connected to self-regulation

Empirical research reveals that students face difficulties engaging in learning and achieving their goals in a variety of learning contexts. To study effectively, students need to regulate their learning process. In spite of increased understanding of cognitive aspects of self-regulation, motivational aspects of regulation have not yet been thoroughly probed. This study investigates how motivation is connected to self-regulated learning when elementary school students (N = 32) study science in real classroom contexts using gStudy software. This was done by: (1) identifying students' situated motivation during the learning process, (2) analyzing how the students with different motivational approaches activated cognitive self-regulation in authentic learning situations across multiple learning episodes, and (3) complementing the understanding with the students' individual accounts of their motivation regulation during the learning process. The results show that there are qualitative differences in the self-regulation tactics used by the high- and low-motivation students as they study. Motivation is linked closely to active self-regulation.     

Academic choices and motivation: Diverse groups in Israel

Israel is a multi-cultural society with a Jewish majority and a large Arab minority. This study aims to examine whether Israeli Arab and Jewish students have different motivations and consider different factors when choosing a college for postgraduate studies. A case study, during the academic year 2010–11 administered questionnaires to 290 Jewish and Arab postgraduate students in a private academic college in order to investigate students’ motivations for postgraduate studies and choice of college. Findings indicated that the strongest motivation expressed by all the students is a desire for self-fulfilment. Motivation for social mobility and to help to empower their society is more important for Arab students. Convenience considerations (proximity to home, flexible entrance standards and employment prospects while studying) determined college choice for Jews and Arabs more than college reputation and teaching quality. Yet Arab students attach more importance than Jewish students to the college’s quality. It is concluded that postgraduate programmes should be more sensitive to diverse students’ needs.     

One Student at a Time: A Reflection of Support for a First-Year GSA Club and its Impact on Perceived Acceptance for LGBTQ Students

Despite gains in the LGBTQ community, many schools still feel cold and unwelcoming for LGBTQ youth. Identity development is important for adolescents, but LGBTQ students often see the ability to freely share their identity limited in public education. Providing a gay–straight alliance (GSA) club within the school has been shown to increase feeling of acceptance and well-being for LGBTQ students. This article looks at the history of GSA in education, the positive and negative outcomes of LGBTQ inclusion and the author's personal reflection of successes and challenges as a sponsor for a GSA club during its inception year.     

Novelty-oriented value propositions for new technology-based firms: Impact of business networks and growth orientation

To perform, new technology-based firms (NTBFs) need to develop value for customers that distinguish them from others in the market. Therefore, the development of novelty-oriented value propositions are important, and may be influenced by several factors. We argue that the propensity to become more novelty-oriented can be influenced by an internal drive to grow (growth orientation) and by external contributions (business networks). Hence, the purpose of this paper is to analyse how business networks and growth orientation effects on the novelty orientation of NTBF value propositions. Based on survey data from 401 NTBFs founded between 2013 and 2015, in the nascent start-up phase novelty-oriented value propositions of NTBFs positively relate to informal (management) networks, as well as founders' attitudes towards growth. Thus, such networks and attitudes from founders should be supported in the very early phases of start-up if novelty orientation is to be preferred as a performance determinant.     

Contrasting Social and Cognitive Accounts on Overimitation: The Role of Causal Transparency and Prior Experiences

Three experiments (N = 100) examine the influence of causal information on overimitation. In Experiment 1, a transparent reward location reveals that the reward is unaffected by nonfunctional actions. When 5‐year‐olds observe an inefficient and subsequently an efficient strategy to retrieve a reward, they show overimitation in both phases—even though the reward is visible. In Experiment 2, children observe first the efficient then the inefficient strategy. The latter is always demonstrated communicatively, whereas the efficient strategy is presented communicatively (2a) or noncommunicatively (2b). Regardless of whether the efficient strategy is emphasized through communication or not, most children do not switch from the efficient to the inefficient strategy. Depending on the situation, children base their behavior on social motivations or causal information.