Self-regulated learning in Singaporean context: a congeneric approach of confirmatory factor analysis

The motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) is widely used as a self-report instrument to assess students’ motivation and self-regulation. This study utilized the MSLQ Junior High to examine the motivational beliefs and self-regulation of secondary school students (Grades 8 and 9) from Singapore. The instrument was slightly modified and administered to students (N?=?610) in mathematics and science classes. In the first sample, 314 students completed the MSLQ Junior High while a second sample of 296 students completed the revised MSLQ Junior High. Using a congeneric approach of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the five-factor measurement model was determined with the first sample. This measurement model was further supported using a second sample and its goodness-of-fit indices were compared with other CFA models. Statistical findings showed that the five-factor structure of the revised MSLQ Junior High had a good model fit. The present study contributes a novel methodological approach by investigating the parsimony confirmatory factor structure of the revised MSLQ Junior High in local academic contexts.     

Approaches to studying and perceptions of academic quality in a short web-based course

Both the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI) were administered to students who were taking an introductory web‐based course in computing. The constituent structure of both questionnaires was preserved in this distinctive context, and the students’ scores on the individual scales of the CEQ and the RASI shared over 80% of their variance. Students’ perceptions of academic quality were positively associated with their adoption of desirable approaches to studying and negatively associated with their adoption of undesirable approaches. Students’ academic attainment was positively associated with their perceptions of academic quality and their adoption of a strategic approach to studying and negatively associated with their adoption of a surface approach to studying.     

CHARACTER, CIVIC RENEWAL AND SERVICE LEARNING FOR DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

ABSTRACT:  This article explores the civic republican conception of citizenship underlying the Labour government's programme of civil renewal and the introduction of education for democratic citizenship. It considers the importance of the cultivation of civic virtue through political participation for such developments and it reviews the research into how service learning linked to character education can lead to the civic virtue of duty or social responsibility.     

Developing a Research Agenda in Science Education

The Science Summit reinforced a question upon which many of us in science education are focused: How can we, the science education community of researchers, practitioners, and consumers, lead policy? We include a brief review of the No Child Left Behind Act and its implications for teachers, and elaborate about one ongoing and growing effort to answer the concerns about the paucity of research expressed at the Summit. We describe a unique and growing collaboration across professional science education and science organizations and societies that focuses on the development of a research agenda. The term ‘consilience’ refers to the “jumping together of knowledge” that leads to scientific advancements, progressive, creative, fluid scientific research and intellectual capacity to move a research community toward an enlightened research agenda. A coherent research agenda enables us to specify what we know, what we need to know, and how research can be employed for creating and implementing policy. The use of a dynamic organizer (such as Pasteur’s Quadrant) for a research matrix of topics provides a possible structure for organizing and cataloging research questions, designs, findings from past studies, needed areas for research, and policy implications. Through this unique collaboration, the science education community can better focus on needs and priorities and ensure that teachers, policy makers, scientists, and researchers in education at local through national levels have an important stake in research priorities and actions.     

Approaches to studying and perceptions of academic quality in distance education

The Course ExperienceQuestionnaire (CEQ) and a short form of theApproaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) wereadapted for use in distance education and wereadministered to students taking six differentcourses with the Open University. Theconstituent structure of the CEQ was preservedin this distinctive context, and a second-orderfactor analysis confirmed its status as ameasure of perceived academic quality. Thestudents' scores on the individual scales ofthe CEQ and the ASI shared almost half of theirrespective variance. It is concluded thatapproaches to studying in distance educationare strongly associated with students'perceptions of the academic quality of theircourses.