Exploring Differences in Middle School Students' Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, and Engagement in Achievement-related Behaviors Within Standards-referenced Grading Systems

Exploring Differences in Middle School Students' Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, and Engagement in Achievement-related Behaviors Within Standards-referenced Grading Systems PDF Author: Fierro Westberg LASTNAME (Melinda Ann)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Grading and marking (Students)
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
Research has shown that although the purposes of K-12 education in the United States have changed significantly over the past two centuries, grading and grade reporting have stayed relatively stagnant. A review of a century of studies in grading have found that grades continue to be a mixture of academic results and behavior despite modern recommendations to separate academic grades from behavioral grades. Modern researchers have delineated recommended academic grading practices that are standards-referenced. The same researchers continue to advocate for the evaluation and reporting of achievement-related behaviors in addition to academics albeit separately. Research has also shown mixed results on the effects of grading on student self-motivation, self-efficacy, and student engagement. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study collected data from two standards-referenced grading systems at the 8th grade level (one with achievement-related behavior grades and one without) with the aim of determining whether there were differences in self-motivation, self-efficacy, and self-reported frequency of engagement in achievement-related behaviors in middle school students in order to fill a gap in literature. The results were mixed. A statistically significant difference was found in two of the student self-motivation subscales, but not in any of the other motivation subscales, the self-efficacy scale, or the self-management scale. Results indicate a need for further research on the topic. Implications, limitations, and recommendations are also discussed.

Exploring Differences in Middle School Students' Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, and Engagement in Achievement-related Behaviors Within Standards-referenced Grading Systems

Exploring Differences in Middle School Students' Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, and Engagement in Achievement-related Behaviors Within Standards-referenced Grading Systems PDF Author: Fierro Westberg LASTNAME (Melinda Ann)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Grading and marking (Students)
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
Research has shown that although the purposes of K-12 education in the United States have changed significantly over the past two centuries, grading and grade reporting have stayed relatively stagnant. A review of a century of studies in grading have found that grades continue to be a mixture of academic results and behavior despite modern recommendations to separate academic grades from behavioral grades. Modern researchers have delineated recommended academic grading practices that are standards-referenced. The same researchers continue to advocate for the evaluation and reporting of achievement-related behaviors in addition to academics albeit separately. Research has also shown mixed results on the effects of grading on student self-motivation, self-efficacy, and student engagement. This quantitative quasi-experimental research study collected data from two standards-referenced grading systems at the 8th grade level (one with achievement-related behavior grades and one without) with the aim of determining whether there were differences in self-motivation, self-efficacy, and self-reported frequency of engagement in achievement-related behaviors in middle school students in order to fill a gap in literature. The results were mixed. A statistically significant difference was found in two of the student self-motivation subscales, but not in any of the other motivation subscales, the self-efficacy scale, or the self-management scale. Results indicate a need for further research on the topic. Implications, limitations, and recommendations are also discussed.

Exploring a Complex Model of Student Engagement in Middle School

Exploring a Complex Model of Student Engagement in Middle School PDF Author: Mary Beth Brennan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
A significant body of research and literature supports that student engagement in school is critical to academic outcomes. Research also finds that student's beliefs about their ability to be successful at academic tasks will significantly influence their achievement also. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of academic self-efficacy on achievement in school, as mediated by levels of student engagement. The sample size was approximately 400 students enrolled in the 7th and 8th grade at one middle school building. In order to assess the extent of academic self-efficacy, the Academic Efficacy scale was utilized. In order to measure cognitive, behavioral and affective engagement, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) and The Engagement vs. Disaffection with Learning questionnaire were administered. Levels of previous and current student achievement were collected from the CORE reading Curriculum-Based Measures, English Language Arts and Math grades (converted to GPA) as well as NWEA Measures of Academic Progress. Results of the study did not support the hypothesized model. However, academic-self efficacy was found to be related to student engagement and previous and current achievement. Further, previous achievement was a significant predictor of current achievement.

An Exploration of the Relationships Between Academic Enablers and Middle School Achievement

An Exploration of the Relationships Between Academic Enablers and Middle School Achievement PDF Author: Theresa Strunk
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships between middle school students' academic enablers and their later academic achievement. Based on previous research, five student academic enablers (academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, interpersonal skills, academic engagement, and study skills) were used to predict students' year-end standardized achievement scores after controlling for cognitive ability, prior achievement, gender, and free/reduced lunch status. The final data set included 733 students in Grades 6-8 at one suburban middle school in the Northeast U.S. It was hypothesized that all enablers would demonstrate small to moderate relationships with language arts and math achievement across all grade levels. After controlling for cognitive ability and student background characteristics, none of the academic enablers substantially added to the prediction of achievement test scores. Although math self-efficacy demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with later math achievement in all grades, this relationship was negligible in magnitude. These results were similar to several previous studies that included cognitive ability or previous achievement in the models. Results indicated that cognitive ability and previous achievement continue to have the greatest impact on academic achievement gains at the middle school level as they do in younger and older populations. Limitations of the study, implications of the findings, and directions for future research are addressed.

Handbook of Research on Student Engagement

Handbook of Research on Student Engagement PDF Author: Sandra L. Christenson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461420172
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 839

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Book Description
For more than two decades, the concept of student engagement has grown from simple attention in class to a construct comprised of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components that embody and further develop motivation for learning. Similarly, the goals of student engagement have evolved from dropout prevention to improved outcomes for lifelong learning. This robust expansion has led to numerous lines of research across disciplines and are brought together clearly and comprehensively in the Handbook of Research on Student Engagement. The Handbook guides readers through the field’s rich history, sorts out its component constructs, and identifies knowledge gaps to be filled by future research. Grounding data in real-world learning situations, contributors analyze indicators and facilitators of student engagement, link engagement to motivation, and gauge the impact of family, peers, and teachers on engagement in elementary and secondary grades. Findings on the effectiveness of classroom interventions are discussed in detail. And because assessing engagement is still a relatively new endeavor, chapters on measurement methods and issues round out this important resource. Topical areas addressed in the Handbook include: Engagement across developmental stages. Self-efficacy in the engaged learner. Parental and social influences on engagement and achievement motivation. The engaging nature of teaching for competency development. The relationship between engagement and high-risk behavior in adolescents. Comparing methods for measuring student engagement. An essential guide to the expanding knowledge base, the Handbook of Research on Student Engagement serves as a valuable resource for researchers, scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in such varied fields as clinical child and school psychology, educational psychology, public health, teaching and teacher education, social work, and educational policy.

How People Learn II

How People Learn II PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309459672
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 347

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Book Description
There are many reasons to be curious about the way people learn, and the past several decades have seen an explosion of research that has important implications for individual learning, schooling, workforce training, and policy. In 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition was published and its influence has been wide and deep. The report summarized insights on the nature of learning in school-aged children; described principles for the design of effective learning environments; and provided examples of how that could be implemented in the classroom. Since then, researchers have continued to investigate the nature of learning and have generated new findings related to the neurological processes involved in learning, individual and cultural variability related to learning, and educational technologies. In addition to expanding scientific understanding of the mechanisms of learning and how the brain adapts throughout the lifespan, there have been important discoveries about influences on learning, particularly sociocultural factors and the structure of learning environments. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures provides a much-needed update incorporating insights gained from this research over the past decade. The book expands on the foundation laid out in the 2000 report and takes an in-depth look at the constellation of influences that affect individual learning. How People Learn II will become an indispensable resource to understand learning throughout the lifespan for educators of students and adults.

Motivational Interviewing with Middle School Students

Motivational Interviewing with Middle School Students PDF Author: Gerald Gill Strait
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Motivational interviewing
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Motivational interviewing (MI) is an effective method of promoting change in adults, but its efficacy with children has not received much research attention. This study provides a novel test of the efficacy of MI for promoting academic achievement in middle school students. It also examines theoretically specified mechanisms of action for MI such as cognitive dissonance theory, self-efficacy, empathy, and reactance theory. Participants were 103 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who were randomly assigned to either an MI (n=50) or wait list control condition (n=53). Students in the MI condition participated in a single 50-minute MI session during the 7 th and 8th week of the second semester. Major outcomes included changes in grades and self-reported academic behaviors, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Potential mediators, moderators, and outcome variables were measured at three different times, starting 4 weeks into the second semester and repeating approximately every 4.5 weeks. In comparison to the control group, students in the treatment group demonstrated significant improvements in their class participation and overall positive academic behavior following the treatment. Similarly, students in the treatment group obtained significantly higher 4 th quarter math grades in comparison to the control group after accounting for pretreatment math grades and clustering within teacher. Pretreatment Desired GPA was found to strengthen the effect of the treatment on math grades. No other predicted moderators (e.g., pretreatment self-efficacy and attitude-behavior discrepancies) were found to significantly influence the strength of the treatment. Mixed results were found regarding the importance of empathy and reactance in regards to grade outcomes for the treatment group. Finally, results indicated that predicted mediators (e.g., post treatment self-efficacy and attitude-behavior discrepancies) were not significantly related to the treatment's effect on tested outcomes).

Resources in Education

Resources in Education PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 764

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Book Description


Classroom Motivation

Classroom Motivation PDF Author: Eric M. Anderman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000282996
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
Classroom Motivation is a comprehensive introduction to the practical applications of research on academic motivation to teaching and learning. Though grounded in theory, the book is uniquely structured around instructional practices that teachers use daily in schools, such as rewards, group activities, academic tasks, student assessment, and parent interaction. This thoroughly revised third edition includes new content on interventions, mindsets, technologies, engagement, and social-emotional learning. Each chapter’s case studies, application exercises, and updated empirical findings will further connect preservice teachers with motivation in practice.

Efficacy of a Growth Mindset Intervention to Increase Student Achievement

Efficacy of a Growth Mindset Intervention to Increase Student Achievement PDF Author: Paula Wilkins (Benee' Boozer)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
This research investigation examined the effectiveness of Brainology (c), an online/classroom based curriculum, targeted to increase student motivational behavior and academic achievement. Five middle schools within an urban school district in the Piedmont region of North Carolina participated in this study. Seventh-grade students and their teachers were the targeted sample (N=684). -- A number of school motivational constructs were measured (mindset, effort beliefs, academic self-efficacy, interest and engagement in science, motivation in science, and use of study skills strategies). Teacher ratings of student motivational behavior were used and student academic achievement in math and science was calculated by quarterly grades and interim math assessments. ANCOVAS were run on all constructs to determine if statistically significant changes occurred to the intervention group. Correlations were run to determine the relationship among constructs. A path analysis prediction model was run to determine which model was the best predictor of student achievement outcomes. -- This study found no significant changes in students' mindsets, effort beliefs, academic self-efficacy, and use of study skills strategies for learning. Results showed that the full implementation treatment group showed a positive increase in science engagement and motivation. Students in the partial treatment group used significantly less rehearsal learning strategies by the end of the program. All students showed significant changes in science quarter grades over the course of this study. The survey pre and post data and the focus-group dialogue with students and teachers were analyzed and summarized to obtain insight as to the overall impact of the intervention on participants. This study suggests that further study is needed to determine the effectiveness of interventions that improve student motivational and achievement outcomes.

Exploring Ethnic Differences in the Predictors and Outcomes of Academic Engagement During Middle School

Exploring Ethnic Differences in the Predictors and Outcomes of Academic Engagement During Middle School PDF Author: Robin Margarett Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
Guided by a motivational framework derived from self-determination theory, a study was conducted to examine the role of academic engagement in helping to explain and ameliorate ethnic differences in school achievement. Building on decades of research that documents both the importance of engagement to learning in European American students as well as its malleability, this study relied on an ethnically diverse sample of 6th and 7th grade students to examine three questions (1) Are achievement differences across ethnic groups due to differences in engagement? (2) Does engagement predict achievement similarly or differently across ethnic groups? and (3) Are the predictors of engagement suggested by the motivational model the same or different for students from different ethnic groups? Participants were 194 African-American, Hispanic/Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and European American middle school students who provided information about their engagement, self-system processes (SSPs) of relatedness, competence, and autonomy, and their experiences with teachers in school; information about students' cumulative achievement (GPA) was extracted from school records. First, analyses revealed few ethnic differences in achievement (only Asian/Pacific Islander students' levels of achievement were higher than students from other ethnic groups), and no ethnic differences in engagement. In analyses designed to examine if controlling for variations in engagement would cause achievement differences between ethnic groups to disappear, a test of the simple main effects demonstrated that ethnic differences in achievement were found only at the lowest level of engagement (again Asian/Pacific Islander students outperformed all other student groups). However, at medium and high levels of engagement, there were no significant differences in achievement across the four ethnic groups. Second, analyses designed to examine whether engagement predicts achievement differently across ethnic groups, revealed that although engagement was an important predictor of achievement for all students, it was even more important for non-European American (compared to European-American) students. Third, analyses designed to examine whether potential facilitators (SSPs and contextual constructs) predicted students' engagement similarly or differently across ethnic groups revealed no group differences: All predictors were positively and significantly associated with engagement for students from all four ethnic groups. These findings are considered in the context of the study's strengths and limitations and the larger literatures on engagement and achievement in ethnic minority students. A important implication of the current study is that with a more comprehensive understanding of how to support the engagement of students from ethnic minority backgrounds, schools and teachers will be better equipped to address the engagement gap, and in so doing also eliminate the achievement gap.