A Control-Value Theory Approach: Relationships Between Academic Self-Concept, Interest, and Test Anxiety in Elementary School Children

Academic Self-Concept Wins the Race: The Prediction of Achievements in Three Major School Subjects by Five Subject-Specific Self-Related Variables

The importance of self-related constructs in predicting academic achievement has been increasingly emphasized in recent decades. Typically, bivariate associations of self-related variables with achievements have been reported. Research quantifying the combined predictive power of more than two self-variables has been scarce. Moreover, except for the academic self-concept, these variables have almost always been measured across domains, i.e., without considering the specifics of individual school subjects. The current study aimed to statistically predict academic achievement (operationalized via school grades) in three major subjects (Chinese (native language), mathematics, and English (foreign language)) by using subject-tied scales, namely academic self-concept, conscientiousness, need for cognition, perseverance of effort, and consistency of interest. The sample comprised 791 Chinese adolescents. Each scale was related separately to each of the three school subjects. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were run. The control variable, biological sex, accounted for 2% of Chinese grades and 8% of English grades, but not of mathematics grades. Adding subject-specific self-concept scales increased the explained variance to 7% (Chinese), 16% (mathematics), and 32% (English). Further additions to the other four self-related scales did not increase the variances that were accounted for. The discussion underlines the relevance of subject-specific academic self-concepts as predictors for subject-tied academic achievements.

How Classroom Environment Influences Academic Enjoyment in Mathematics Among Chinese Middle School Students: Moderated Mediation Effect of Academic Self-Concept and Academic Achievement

Purpose

Substantial literature has documented the influence of classroom environment on academic enjoyment. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on the control-value theory and the individual-context interaction model, a moderated mediation model was constructed in this study to further examine whether academic self-concept mediated the relation between classroom environment and enjoyment in mathematics and whether this mediating effect was moderated by academic achievement.

Methods

We recruited 750 Chinese middle school students and they completed the classroom environment, academic self-concept, and academic enjoyment questionnaires.

Results

After controlling for gender and grade, the results of structural equation modeling showed that academic self-concept partially mediated the association between classroom environment and enjoyment in mathematics. The mediating path from classroom environment to academic self-concept was moderated by academic achievement. Classroom environment positively predicted academic self-concept for the higher achieving students. However, the effect of classroom environment on academic self-concept was not significant for the lower achieving students.

Conclusion

These findings highlight that classroom environment has a more salient impact on academic self-concept and enjoyment for higher achieving students than for lower achieving students. The study results provide guidelines for educators regarding effective interventions for fostering positive academic emotions.

Teacher's Emotional Support and Math Performance: The Chain Mediating Effect of Academic Self-Efficacy and Math Behavioral Engagement

Positive teacher-student interaction can exert a positive influence on student engagement and math performance. As an important part of teacher-student interaction, emotional support of a teacher plays an indispensable role in the math performance of junior middle school and elementary school students. This study aimed to explore the effects of teacher's emotional support on math performance, and examine the mediating role of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement. A total of 1,294 students in grades 3-5 and 7-8 from 14 junior middle and primary schools in China took part in the web-based survey. Results showed the following: (1) academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; math behavioral engagement mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; (2) The relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese junior middle school boys and girls was mediated by the chain of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement.

Students' Motivation and Affection Profiles and Their Relation to Mathematics Achievement, Persistence, and Behaviors

Objective

We aimed to explore profiles of subgroups of United States students based on their motivational and affective characteristics and investigate the differences in math-related behaviors, persistence, and math achievement across profiles.

Method

We used 1,464 United States students (male 743 51%, female 721 49%, age 15.82 ± 0.28) from PISA 2012 United States data in our study. First, we employed latent profile analysis and secondary clustering to identify subgroups of students based on motivational (math self-concept, interest in math, perceived control, and instrumental motivation) and affective factors (math anxiety). Next, we used regression to compare differences in math behavior, persistence, and achievement among all identified subgroups.

Results

We found five distinct groups of students with different patterns of motivation and affection. The subgroup of students with the lowest math anxiety and the highest motivation levels showed the highest math achievement and levels of persistence. The groups with high math interest, math self-concept, and instrumental motivation showed the most frequent math-related behaviors.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal the complexity of the students’ motivational and affective profiles. Our findings are significant for teachers and educators to understand the diversity of students and provide theoretical and practical support for individualized and differentiated instruction.

Prüfungsangstprofile von Schülerinnen und Schülern und deren Zusammenhänge mit verschiedenen Schülermerkmalen

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Querschnittsstudie mit 696 Schülerinnen und Schülern zwischen 10 und 18 Jahren untersucht anhand latenter Profilanalysen, ob sich die Prüfungsangst von Schülerinnen und Schülern in Profilen klassifizieren lässt, wie sich diese Profile hinsichtlich verschiedener Schülermerkmale voneinander unterscheiden und ob spezifische Lernverhaltensmerkmale (Ausdauer, Konzentration, Selbstständigkeit, Sorgfalt) durch diese Profile erklärbar sind. Basierend auf den zwei zentralen Prüfungsangstfacetten Besorgtheit und Aufgeregtheit ließen sich fünf Prüfungsangstprofile identifizieren: die „Prüfungsängstlichen“, die „Unbesorgten“, die „Unauffälligen“, die „Gelassenen“ und die „Besorgten“. Diese fünf Profile unterschieden sich hinsichtlich des Geschlechts, des Selbstkonzepts und der Zielorientierung sowie der Erklärung des Lernverhaltens. Multinomiale logistische Regressionsanalysen zeigten z.B., dass Mädchen häufiger den „Prüfungsängstlichen“ angehörten als Jungen und sich das Selbstkonzept, die Lernzielorientierung und die Vermeidungs-Leistungszielorientierung als bedeutsame Prädiktoren der Profilzugehörigkeit erwiesen. Schülerinnn und Schüler mit geringeren Werten in der Besorgtheit und durchschnittlichen Werten in der Aufgeregtheit („Unbesorgte“) berichteten die ungünstigsten Lernverhaltensweisen.

Factors Promoting Learning With a Web Application on Earthquake-Related Emotional Preparedness in Primary School

Little is known about interventions aimed at building children's emotional resilience to combat the psychological trauma associated with future earthquakes. However, natural disasters have potentially a highly traumatic impact on children's psychological functioning. Therefore, within the Emotional Prevention and Earthquakes in a primary school project, we developed a web application promoting earthquake-related emotional preparedness called HEMOT® (Helmet for EMOTions). We studied the role of achievement emotions as factors associated to learning using the web application, coherently with the assumptions of the control-value theory. We also took into account class level and gender. We involved 64 second and fourth graders who used a nine-level web application focused on earthquake-related knowledge, emotions, and emotion regulation. We assessed children's digital self-concept, learning at the web application (operationalized as digital text comprehension), application-related achievement emotions, and text comprehension. We analyzed the data through linear and generalized linear models, and path analyses. First, our findings documented class differences in some of the examined constructs: Pride was higher for younger compared to older children, while the digital performance was higher for older compared to younger students. Second, digital self-concept was positively linked to application-related pride and relaxation. In turn, pride, relaxation, and sadness, and also text comprehension, were linked to the digital performance. With some exceptions, these relations were in line with the assumptions of the control-value theory, extending it to a context disregarded within the current literature. This knowledge is a first step to develop further interventions fostering children's resources to promote learning related to emotional preparedness.

Autoconcepto y tendencia religiosa en universitarios: propiedades psicométricas del AF-5

El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido analizar las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario AF-5 mediante técnicas de tipo exploratorio y confirmatorio en universitarios de diferentes tendencias religiosas, así como analizar la relación entre el autoconcepto y tendencia religiosa (cristianos, musulmanes y ateo-agnósticos). La muestra estuvo formada por 597 estudiantes (23.04 ± 3.72 años), donde 156 (26.1 %) eran hombres y 441 (73.9 %) mujeres, empleando como principales instrumentos el test de Autoconcepto AF-5 y una hoja de autorregistro para la tendencia religiosa. Los resultados indican que el cuestionario ofrece índices de fiabilidad superiores a α = 0.7. La factorialidad se ajusta adecuadamente al modelo de cinco factores original. Asimismo, las dimensiones académica y emocional presentan una mayor fortaleza en los cristianos, mientras que la social lo hace en los musulmanes. Las dimensiones familiar y física son más elevadas para universitarios que profesan alguna religión.

Social Comparison Orientation and Social Adaptation Among Young Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Concept

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among social comparison orientation, academic self-concept (ASC), and social adaptation. A total of 1658 Chinese adolescents (48.88% male; aged 14–18 years, M_age = 16.01 ± 0.86 years) voluntarily participated in this study and completed questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the theory-driven model. The results showed that the relationship between comparison of opinion and social adaptation was mediated by ASC but that ASC did not play a mediating role between comparison of ability and social adaptation. These findings indicated that ASC could be one mechanism explaining the link between adolescents’ social comparison orientation and social adaptation. Furthermore, it is possible to intervene in their social comparison orientation and ASC to improve adolescents’ social adaptation.