European Journal of Psychology of Education最新文献

Student dropout represents a significant challenge in distance higher education. To better understand this issue, a comprehensive analysis of institutional data, spanning several years from a private German distance learning university of applied sciences, was conducted. The primary objectives were twofold: (1) to pinpoint institutional factors serving as predictors for student dropout and (2) to analyze the underlying psychological mechanisms. The findings indicate that part-time enrollment, age, interruptions, and overdue payments predicted dropout. Conversely, a good match between a student’s occupation and the study program, as well as employer reimbursement of study fees, predicted degree completion. Further results suggest that students who recommend the program to others are more likely to succeed. However, those referred by friends are at a higher risk of dropping out. Additionally, poor grades and late submission of the first assignment were identified as predictors of dropout. A noteworthy finding was the interaction between these factors and the student’s qualification for studying. Vocationally qualified students tend to submit their first assignment earlier but perform worse academically compared to academically qualified students. Generally, the influence of socio-demographic factors such as the educational background, gender, or nationality was low. This suggests that some of the disadvantages that non-traditional students might face at traditional universities in Germany might cease to exist at private distance universities of applied sciences. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Academic procrastination has been a subject of particular interest in research due to its frequent association with heightened levels of anxiety, stress, and the long-term risk of emotional and behavioural vulnerability (Hoge et al., 2013). Our study tests the correlation between motivational persistence as a trait and academic procrastination, as well as the impact of behavioural disengagement on this relation. A total of 426 female students aged 18 to 30 years participated in the study (M = 1.77, SD = 1.39). The results demonstrate a significant and negative correlation between motivational persistence and academic procrastination, and a weak correlation between behavioural disengagement and academic procrastination. Behavioural disengagement has a significant impact on the association between motivational persistence and academic procrastination; academic procrastination decreases irrespective of the level of behavioural disengagement. We discuss the practical implications from a feminine viewpoint and the extent to which coping strategies remain stable or vary depending on the situation.

Although parents have been shown to be key to children’s motivation and learning, little is known regarding the specific ways in which parents might influence their children’s academic outcomes. The present study aimed to explore the direct effect of parents’ failure beliefs on children’s math achievement as well as the mediating effects of children’s math self-efficacy, responses to failure and intelligence mindset in this context. The participants included 451 Chinese fifth-grade children and their parents. The results of this research revealed that (a) parents’ failure beliefs were directly and positively associated with children’s math achievement; (b) parents’ failure beliefs affected children’s math achievement through the chain mediating effects of children’s responses to failure and math self-efficacy as well as the chain mediating effects of children’s failure beliefs and intelligence mindset; and (c) children’s responses to failure played fully mediating roles in the relationship between parents’ failure beliefs and children’s intelligence mindset as well as in the relationship between parents’ failure beliefs and children’s math self-efficacy. All of these findings can guide parents in their attempts to support their children’s education most effectively.

Authenticity in simulation-based learning is linked to cognitive processes implicated in learning. However, evidence on authenticity across formats is insufficient. We compared three case-based settings and investigated the effect of discontinuity in simulation on perceived authenticity. In a quasi-experiment, we compared formats of simulation in the context of medical education. All formats simulated anamnestic interviews with varying interactant and task representations using highly comparable designs. Interactants (patients) were simulated by (a) live actors (standardized patients), (b) live fellow students (roleplays), or (c) question menus and videoclips (virtual patients). The continuity of simulations varied. We measured perceived authenticity with three subscales: Realness, Involvement, and Spatial Presence. We employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess measurement invariance across settings and analysis of variance on authenticity ratings to compare the effects of setting and discontinuous simulation. CFA supported the assumption of invariance. Settings differed in Realness and Spatial Presence but not Involvement. Discontinuous simulations yielded significantly lower ratings of authenticity than continuous simulations. The compared simulation modalities offer different advantages with respect to their perceived authenticity profiles. Lower levels of interactivity and reduced subtask representation do not necessarily lead to lower ratings of perceived authenticity. Spatial Presence can be as high for media-based simulation as for roleplays. Discontinuation of simulations by offering scaffolding impairs perceived authenticity. Scaffolds may be designed to avoid discontinuation of simulation to uphold perceived authenticity.

Research on learning strategies and learning motivation in different educational contexts has provided valuable insights, but in this field, low-educated adults remain an understudied population. This study addresses this gap by means of a person-oriented approach and seeks to investigate whether quantitatively and qualitatively different learner profiles can be distinguished among low-educated adults in second-chance education (SCE) by relating three key components of learning: learning motivation, regulation and processing strategies. Five hundred twelve adult learners of six SCE-institutions filled in a Learning and Motivation questionnaire. Latent profile analysis showed the presence of motivational profiles differing both in quantity and quality (i.e. good- versus poor-quality and high- versus low-quantity motivational profiles) and regulatory profiles being distinct in the use of regulation strategies (i.e. self-regulated versus unregulated profiles). Mainly quantitatively different processing profiles were found among low-educated adults (i.e. active, moderate, inactive processing profiles). When integrating all three components of learning, analyses identified two more optimal motivational-learning profiles, combining good-quality motivation with a moderately active use of self-regulation and processing strategies (i.e. good-quality motivation – self-regulated – active processing profile and good-quality motivation – moderate profile) and two more suboptimal profiles in which poor-quality or low-quantity motivation was combined with the inactive use of self-regulation and processing strategies (i.e. poor-quality motivation – unregulated – inactive processing profile, low-quantity motivation – unregulated – inactive processing profile). A fifth motivational-learning profile exhibited a pattern of poor-quality motivation combined with a moderately-active use of self- regulation and processing strategies.

In this introduction, we set the stage for a collection of papers from the Co-constructing Mathematics Motivation in Primary Education–A Longitudinal Study in Six European Countries Project (MATHMot for short), an international study aiming to identify the factors that shape the development of motivation in mathematics from a comparative perspective in primary education. Students’ motivation, performance, academic emotions, and subject-related identity and agency are observed across six countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, and Serbia. MATHMot builds on the belief that one of the main goals of mathematics teaching should be children’s long-term motivation for learning the subject, which in turn supports students in striving for exemplary achievement in mathematics. This special section attempts to observe students’ mathematics motivation in early grades and how different contributions from the classroom, home or the student’s individual characteristics shed light on its development and adjacent concepts like academic emotions and math-related identity and agency.

The current study examines the relative impact of take home (open book) examinations (THE) and in class (closed book) examinations (ICE) on student academic performance and wellbeing outcomes. Specifically, this study contributes to our understanding about students’ long-term knowledge retention, measured four to six months after completing the course. A unique longitudinal dataset consisting of four cohorts of a social science bachelor and master course that implemented either a THE or ICE in successive years was used. Survey data included wellbeing and academic performance measures as well as a 10-item knowledge retention quiz. Within the master course, the ICE cohort had higher examination grades and higher knowledge retention scores than the cohorts that completed a THE. In the bachelor course, there were no differences in knowledge retention across cohorts. Examination score was associated with higher knowledge retention scores across both courses. One bachelor cohort reported lower wellbeing compared to others (cohort 2021–2022); however, we found no further differences in academic or wellbeing outcomes based on examination form. The findings suggest a slight advantage of ICEs over THEs with regard to academic performance.

Although previous research has demonstrated that the acquisition of mathematical skills requires support from multiple cognitive abilities, the associations between cognitive precursors in different domains and mathematics at different hierarchical levels among primary school children are not well understood. This study explores the cognitive mechanisms underlying primary school children’s mathematics learning by extending the original pathways model. A total of 409 children participated v.in the study. A battery of cognitive, symbolic number processing, and mathematics measures were performed on the participants. The cognitive pathways supported children’s symbolic number skills, which in turn provided the foundation for formal mathematics. Different hierarchical mathematics skills were supported by different cognitive constellations. A hierarchical progressive development structure was found, from cognitive precursors, through symbolic number processing, to basic math fluency and complex numerical computation, and then, to problem-solving. The study also tried to divide children into two groups, grades 1–3 and 4–5. The exploratory results showed that there were commonalities and differences in the cognitive basis of mathematics learning in the two groups. These findings further explained the cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematical development in primary school children, with possible implications for the effective teaching and practice of mathematics knowledge and early identification and intervention of learning difficulties.

Stage-Environment Fit Theory underlines the role of learning environments and their match with students’ needs as crucial for students’ motivation and learning. This study explores the mediation role of goal orientations in the interplay of academic self-concept and achievement in mathematics and verbal domains in student-directed and teacher-directed learning environments. The sample consists of 1153 adolescent students (M_{age t1} = 13.97; SD = 1.37, 49% girls) from Germany. Multi-group cross-lagged panel analyses confirm the Reciprocal Effects Model for the student-directed learning environment only, as reciprocal relation of academic self-concept and grades over time has been found. The extension of the Reciprocal Effects Model with goal orientations as mediators could not be confirmed for any learning environment.

Abstract

An important question for parents and educators alike is how to promote adolescents’ academic identity and school performance. This study investigated relations among parental education, parents’ attitudes toward their adolescents’ school, parental support for learning at home, and adolescents’ academic identity and school performance over time and in different national contexts. Longitudinal data were collected from adolescents and their parents in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). When adolescents were 16 years old, their mothers (N = 1083) and fathers (N = 859) provided data. When adolescents were 17 years old, 1049 adolescents (50% girls) and their mothers (N = 1001) and fathers (N = 749) provided data. Multiple-group path analyses indicated that, across cultures, higher parent education was associated with better adolescent school performance. Parents’ attitudes toward their adolescents’ school and parent support for learning in the home were not associated with adolescents’ school performance but were associated with academic identity. The findings suggest somewhat different pathways to school performance versus academic identity. Implications for helping parents and educators in different countries promote adolescents’ academic identity and achievement are discussed.