Transforming students' attitudes towards learning through the use of successful educational actions.

Javier Díez-Palomar,Rocío García-Carrión,Linda Hargreaves,María Vieites,Christian Stamov Roßnagel

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240292

Javier Díez-Palomar, Rocío García-Carrión + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240292

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Abstract

Previous research shows that there is a correlation between attitudes and academic achievement. In this article, we analyze for the first time the impact of interactive groups (IG) and dialogic literary gatherings (DLG) on the attitudes that students show towards learning. A quantitative approach has been performed using attitude tests validated by previous research. The data suggest that in both cases, the participants show positive attitudes. The social context has an important influence on students' attitudes. The items with higher correlations include group work, mutual support, and distributed cognition. In the case of IGs, group work is much more appreciated, while in the case of DLGs, self-image and self-confidence are the two most clearly valued attitudes. The positive impact of IGs and DLGs on students' attitudes may have potential for teachers in transforming their practices and decision-making within the classroom.

Highlights

We address the following research question: What impact does participation in interactive groups (IGs) and dialogic literary gatherings (DLGs) have on the attitudes that students show towards learning? To define “attitudes”, we draw on the definition of HarmonJones, Harmon-Jones, Amodio and Gable [1], who characterize attitudes as “subjective evaluations that range from good to bad that are represented in memory” [1]
The data collected suggest that the students who participate in the IGs and the DLGs have positive attitudes towards learning in general terms
When we observe the results for the case of the DLGs, the component matrix (Table 8) indicates that factor 1 is formed mainly by the components of “positive discussion” (#11 “I like discussing the books we read with the class”), “self-confidence in school” (#10 “I am more confident about learning in school than I used to be), and “participation” (#2 “We can learn more when we can express our own ideas”)

Summary

Introduction

To define “attitudes”, we draw on the definition of HarmonJones, Harmon-Jones, Amodio and Gable [1], who characterize attitudes as “subjective evaluations that range from good to bad that are represented in memory” [1]. This definition is consistent with the classic definitions about “attitudes” used in social psychology studies [2]. Classic studies in the field of educational research [5] concluded that teachers’ expectations about students’ attitudes and behaviors may explain students’ effective academic achievement.

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