Disentangling the predictive validity of high school grades for academic success in university

To refine selective admission models, we investigate which measure of prior achievement has the best predictive validity for academic success in university. We compare the predictive validity of three core high school subjects to the predictive validity of high school grade point average (GPA) for academic achievement in a liberal arts university programme. Predictive validity is compared between the Dutch pre-university (VWO) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Moreover, we study how final GPA is predicted by prior achievement after students complete their first year. Path models were separately run for VWO (n = 314) and IB (n = 113) graduates. For VWO graduates, high school GPA explained more variance than core subject grades in first-year GPA and final GPA. For IB graduates, we found the opposite. Subsequent path models showed that after students’ completion of the first year, final GPA is best predicted by a combination of first-year GPA and high school GPA. Based on our small-scale results, we cautiously challenge the use of high school GPA as the norm for measuring prior achievement. Which measure of prior achievement best predicts academic success in university may depend on the diploma students enter with.     

School context,achievement motivation,and academic engagement: A longitudinal study of school engagement using a multidimensional perspective

This longitudinal study adopts a multidimensional perspective to examine the relationships between middle school students' perceptions of the school environment (structure support, provision of choice, teaching for relevance, teacher and peer emotional support), achievement motivation (academic self-concept and subjective task value), and school engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement). Participants were from an ethnically diverse, urban sample of 1157 adolescents. The findings indicated that student perceptions of distinct aspects of the school environment contributed differentially to the three types of school engagement. In addition, these associations were fully or partially mediated by achievement motivation. Specifically, student perceptions of the school environment influenced their achievement motivation and in turn influenced all three types of school engagement, although in different ways. Moderation effects of gender, ethnicity, and academic ability were also discussed.     

大学生网络交往动机与行为特点研究

为探究大学生网络交往动机与网络行为特点之间的关系,文章采用大学生网络交往动机问卷和大学生网络交往行为量表,对687名大学生进行问卷调查,结果显示:获取信息与上传下载、信息查询、网络教育呈显著正相关;辅助学业与上传下载、信息查询、网络教育呈显著正相关;便利生活与上传下载、网络游戏、网络购物呈显著正相关;表达情感与电子信箱和聊天的使用频率呈显著正相关;确认自我与上网时间及聊天呈显著正相关。因此结论为大学生网络交往动机与网络行为特点存在显著相关。     

普通高校体育教育专业大学生成就动机与自我效能感的关系研究

采用《社会自我效能感量表》和《成就倾向个体差异问卷》,对随机抽取的284名体育教育专业学生进行测量,探讨成就动机与自我效能感的关系．结果发现自我效能与成就动机呈显著正相关;成就动机中追求成功变量与自我效能感存在显著相关;成就动机中避免失败变量与自我效能感存在显著负相关．本研究所调查的自我效能感在性别、学历以及生源地上差异无统计学意义．     

非英语专业大学生英语学习动机与听力成绩相关性研究

以非英语专业学生为研究对象,首先对其进行了学习动机问卷调查和英语听力测试,然后利用因子分析法提取并重新命名了研究对象的学习动机类型,利用相关分析法探讨了学习动机与听力成绩之间的相关性,最后通过独立样本T检验分析了高分组学生和低分组学生在学习动机方面的差异。研究为大学英语教学提出了有益的建议。     

The relationship among achievement goals,standardized test scores,and elementary students’ focus in school

The study examined whether an academic, social, or both an academic and social focus might relate with achievement goals and academic achievement. Participants were 412 urban elementary school students. Results suggest that students with an academic focus toward school have more mastery‐approach and less mastery‐avoid achievement goals. Academic achievement (standardized test scores) did not relate with boys’ or girls’ focus toward school. These findings suggest that academic motivation, but not achievement, correspond with self‐perceptions of school as being a place to learn or school as a place for social interactions.     

A multidimensional analysis of changes in mathematics motivation and engagement during high school

Despite concerns about declining interest and enrolments in mathematics, little research has examined change in a broad range of constructs reflecting mathematics motivation and engagement. The current study used an 11-factor model of motivation and engagement to evaluate levels of maths motivation compared to general academic motivation and to assess group-level and individual-level changes in maths motivation during secondary school. In a multicohort-multioccasion design, Australian students completed an adaptation of the Motivation and Engagement Scale in two consecutive school years. Ratings in mathematics were lower than general academic motivation on several scales but particularly on the planning and task management scales and for the year seven cohort. Mean ratings of valuing and task management decreased over the two years, while stability of mathematics motivation was moderate. Girls reported stronger anxiety, uncertain control and failure avoidance than boys, despite also reporting greater mastery focus. The findings demonstrate that a multidimensional model facilitates a differentiated analysis of possible reasons for a waning interest in mathematics.     

Relationship between perceptions of classroom climate and institutional goal structures and student motivation,engagement and intention to persist in college

Disengagement and a lack of motivation have been found to be the major reasons for student drop out from higher education. In order to broaden our understanding of institutional and personal factors associated with intention to complete a college degree, this investigation examined the relationship between students’ perceptions of classroom climate and institutional goal structures and their motivational orientation, engagement and intention to persist in college. Data was collected from first-year students (N = 1778) enrolled in an institution of higher education near Bangkok, Thailand. The results indicate that perceptions of classroom climate and institutional goal structures have significant associations with students’ motivational orientations and levels of engagement and contribute to intention to persist in college.     

Predicting the academic achievement of first-year,pre-service teachers: the role of engagement,motivation, ATAR,and emotional intelligence

Australian universities are enrolling a larger and more diverse undergraduate student population. Counter to this trend, several states have developed plans to restrict entrance into the teaching profession. This study investigates the role of engagement, motivation, Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), and emotional intelligence in the academic achievement of first-year, pre-service teachers. Eighty-three regionally enrolled pre-service teachers agreed to complete self-report questionnaires that assessed engagement with learning and emotional intelligence. The questionnaire data were supplemented with findings from a series of focus groups. Although ATAR scores were found to be a significant predictor of academic achievement, scores on the Motivation and Engagement Scale emerged as a much stronger predictor of first-year grade point average. Measures of emotional intelligence did not add to the model. The results support the need to consider pre-service teachers’ motivation and engagement with learning, especially given the high stakes nature of proposed reforms to initial teacher education programmes.     

A study into the impact of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs scheme on reading engagement and motivation to read among Early Years Foundation-Stage children

This research explores the impact of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) scheme on reading engagement and motivation among Early Years Foundation-Stage children using a case study approach at a primary school in the English Midlands. There is a notable lack of UK-based research into the READ scheme, which offers a potential alternative method for promoting engagement among young readers. This study used qualitative techniques to determine if the READ scheme is reported to have an impact; and if so, what type of impact. The findings suggest that the READ scheme is successful in a number of areas, including promoting engagement, increased motivation, improved attainment, fostering children’s enjoyment and promoting a love of reading, alongside other additional benefits for specific target groups. It must be recognised that this case study is based on a small pool of opportunity-sampled participants, so the findings cannot be further generalised, but do provide a useful insight into an under-researched area, as a starting point for which more specific aspects and impacts could be investigated.     

Expectancy of success,attainment value,engagement, and Achievement: A moderated mediation analysis

The aim of this study was to examine how expectancy of success, attainment value, and their interaction predicted behavioural engagement, and how behavioural engagement, in turn, predicted achievement. Data were collected from 586 English students aged 10–11 years in their final year of primary school. Expectancy of success was positively related to subsequent achievement directly and indirectly, mediated by behavioural engagement, over and above the variance accounted for by prior achievement and behavioural engagement. Indirect relations from expectancy of success to achievement were moderated by attainment value. Higher attainment value protected performance from low expectancy of success by increasing behavioural engagement. The compensatory role of high attainment value diminished at higher levels of expectancy of success.     

高职学生英语学习动机调查研究

通过对高职非英语专业学生的问卷调查,发现其英语学习有三种类型动因,即社会需求型,个人兴趣型和目标模糊型。对于不同动机类型的学生适宜采取不同的教学策略,以期提高他们学习英语的兴趣和成绩。     

高职院校学生学习动力不足的原因及对策——以宁波职业技术学院为例

影响高职院校教学质量的原因很多,过去我们更多地从教师方面来寻求提高教学质量,而学生学习动力不足所导致的教学质量下降则常常被忽略。宁波职业技术学院努力破解学生学习动力不足这一难题,挖掘学生内因方面的最关键原因,以此为切入点,努力激发学生学习的主动性和积极性,在课程的过程性考核和教学内容和方法的改革等方面进行了具体的有效性探索。     

Determinants of timely completion: the impact of Bachelor's degree programme characteristics and student motivation on study progress

Timely completion of university degree programmes is a topic of growing concern to higher education institutions and their students. This paper reports on a study about the impact of degree programme characteristics and student motivation on study progress. The setting for the study is a Dutch law school. Data on degree programme characteristics, student ability, motivation, academic performance and academic pressure were collected from 168 first-year students six months after the start of their studies. Analysis of the effects of degree programme characteristics and students' initial motivation on study progress shows that study progress mainly depends on ability, timely completion goals and transparency of assessments. The study also shows that transparency of assessment procedures considerably lowers fear of failure and academic pressure.     

A comparative study of learning patterns of secondary school,high school and college students

The main aim of the current research was to identify the similarities and differences in learning patterns used by secondary school, high school and college students. There were 8,072 participants and they responded to the Chinese version of Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) online. Findings show that the three groups of students were significantly different in their adoption of learning patterns; the dimensionalities of learning patterns observed in secondary school and high school students were similar, but were different from those of college students; these students’ learning patterns differed from each other in relation to personal characteristics (i.e. gender and age), but tended to have similar strong relationships with parents’ education level and parents’ jobs. This study contributes to the understanding of the learning patterns characterized by school and college students. By acknowledging this, educators can help to develop better support for students in adapting to new study environments.     

The relations between the student–teacher trust relationship and school success in the case of Korean middle schools

This study examined relations between the student–teacher trust relationship and school success, including school adjustment, academic motivation and performance. Data were collected from 318 7th‐grade Korean middle school students (170 males, 148 females). All intercorrelations were positively correlated and correlation coefficients were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that the student–teacher trust relationship uniquely contributed to students’ performance through school adjustment and academic motivation. This discussion examines theoretical, empirical and practical implications of the trust relationship as a key predictor of adolescents’ school adjustment, academic motivation and performance.     

Attributional profiles: Considering multiple causal attributions for success and failure at the beginning of secondary school

Students typically perceive their successes and failures to have multiple causes. The present study examined students’ profiles of causal attributions for success and failure during the first year of secondary school. The stability of attributional profile membership was assessed across three timepoints. Furthermore, it was examined whether students characterized by different attribution profiles differed in their levels of school engagement, self-esteem, and school performance. Latent profile analyses and latent transition analyses among 657 first-year Dutch secondary school students (M_age = 12.6, SD = 0.4) identified four attributional profiles, which were similar across the three timepoints. The profiles were labelled uncontrollable failure, controllable failure, uncontrollable success, and undifferentiated. About half of the students (52 %) remained member of the same profile across the three timepoints. Students in the uncontrollable success profile reported significantly lower levels of school engagement and self-esteem, and performed less well in school compared to students in the other profiles. Students in the uncontrollable failure profile and the controllable failure profile did not differ from each other with regard to school engagement, self-esteem, and school performance. The findings suggest that attributional retraining interventions may want to shift their focus from changing uncontrollable failure attributions to changing students’ external, uncontrollable attributions for success.     

高职艺术专业学生英语学习动机与策略调查的启示

本文采用定量研究的方法,调查研究了高职艺术专业学生英语学习动机与学习策略运用的特点。得出以下结论：高职艺术专业学生的学习功利性外在动机较强,内在动机较弱;各项学习策略中学生的母语策略使用最频繁;记忆策略和认知策略与学生的英语成绩呈正相关,但这两项策略的使用频率却偏低等。为此,本文最后就高职艺术专业学生英语教学提出几点建议。