Contemporary Educational Psychology Research Articles

A Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Self-Regulated Learning: From the Beginning To 2021

The present study explores the self-regulated learning (SRL) research published in English or Turkish language journals included in the Web of Science database from the beginning to 2021 via bibliometric analysis. The 2197 articles that met the eligibility criteria were included in the study. The results reveal that the research on SRL has been carried out mostly by scholars from the USA and has gained increased attention since the 2000s. The three most influential scholars of self-regulated research are Chia-Wen Tsai, Philip H. Winne, and Roger Azevedo; however, the two top documents by local citations belong to Barry J. Zimmerman (2008) and Paul R. Pintrich (2004) in the study. The analyzed studies cited the Journal of Educational Psychology and Contemporary Educational Psychology most. The results reveal that motivation, metacognition, self-efficacy, and learning strategies are the keywords that most frequently occur and co-occur in the analyzed studies along with SRL. The trend topics of SRL research have been learning analytics, flipped classrooms, and MOOCs since 2018.

Contributions, limitations, and challenges of self-regulated learning in the educational context

Self-regulated learning is an important multidimensional construct in contemporary Educational Psychology, since it encompasses several dimensions essential to strategic learning. It has received increased attention from researchers and educators. In this sense, this article aims to reflect upon the contributions, limitations, and challenges of this theoretical framework in educational contexts in Brazil, Portugal, and the United States. More precisely, it aims to identify its main authors, areas, variables, and most researched domains. It also intends to characterize the main types of research designs, the most used instruments, the impact of the theme on publications and on the organization of events, as well as to examine its current challenges and future paths. We hope to contribute to a better understanding of self-regulated learning in different cultures, as well as to make useful considerations that can guide pedagogical practices and formative actions in Education.

Middle school students’ motivational dispositions and interest in STEM careers

ABSTRACT This study explored the relationship between middle school students’ mathematics- and science-related motivational dispositions and their attitudes toward STEM-related careers. To better understand these constructs, we regressed motivational variables from the Situated Expectancy-Value Framework (Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. 2020. From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101859), on attitudes toward STEM careers by gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Findings showed that, among the five motivational disposition variables (i.e. self-efficacy, identity, enjoyment, utility value, and cost), utility value was the strongest predictor of STEM career attitudes and science-related motivational dispositions explained the variation in STEM career attitudes more than mathematics-related motivational dispositions. We also found changes in the strength of the relationship between students’ motivational dispositions and STEM career attitudes by gender, race, and age. Finally, we reported an indirect effect of self-efficacy on STEM career attitudes mediated by identity, interest, utility value, and cost, a finding that may explain the perplexing results by prior research that contradicts some current theories of self-efficacy and career motivation.

Examining Motivation to Advance Assessment Actions

Assessment UpdateVolume 35, Issue 3 p. 8-9 Article Examining Motivation to Advance Assessment Actions Joseph D. Levy, Joseph D. LevySearch for more papers by this author Joseph D. Levy, Joseph D. LevySearch for more papers by this author First published: 29 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/au.30348Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. References Fuller, M. B., S. T. Skidmore, R. M. Bustamante, and P. C. Holzweiss. 2016. “Empirically Exploring Higher Education Cultures of Assessment.” The Review of Higher Education, 39(3), 395– 429. Jankowski, N. A., J. D. Timmer, J. Kinzie, and G. D. Kuh. 2018. Assessment That Matters: Trending Toward Practices That Document Authentic Student Learning. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). Kuh, G. D., S. O. Ikenberry, N. A. Jankowski, T. R. Cain, P. T. Ewell, P. Hutchings, and J. Kinzie. 2015. Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Levy, J. D. 2020. “Self-Determination Theory and Faculty Behavior: A Quantitative Study of Faculty Leaders’ Use of Assessment Evidence.” Dissertations. 434. Martin, E. T., and H. Khuong. 2021. “Data & Institutional Research at HLC: New Directions for Collaboration” [Conference presentation]. Higher Learning Commission 2021 Annual Conference, Virtual. Metzler, E. T., and L. Kurz. 2018. Assessment 2.0: An Organic Supplement to Standard Assessment Procedure. (Occasional Paper #36.) Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). Ryan, R. M., and E. L. Deci. 2000. “Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-being” American Psychologist, 55(1), 68– 78. Stupnisky, R. H., A. BrckaLorenz, B. Yuhas, and F. Guay. 2018. “Faculty Members’ Motivation for Teaching and Best Practices: Testing a Model Based on Self-Determination Theory across Institution Types.” Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 15– 26. Volume35, Issue3May/June 2023Pages 8-9 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Shifting online: 12 tips for online teaching derived from contemporary educational psychology research

AbstractBackgroundAs a result of the COVID‐19 pandemic, many teachers found themselves making a rapid and often challenging shift from in‐person classroom teaching to teaching in an online environment. As teachers continue to learn about working in this new environment, research in cognitive and learning sciences, specifically findings from cognitive load theory and related areas, can provide meaningful strategies for teaching in this ‘new normal’.ObjectivesThis paper describes 12 tips derived from contemporary research in educational psychology, focusing particularly on empirically supported strategies that teachers may apply in their online classroom to ensure that learning is optimized.Implications for PracticeThese strategies are generalizable across age groups and learning areas, and are categorized into one of two themes: approaches to optimize the design of online learning materials, and instructional strategies to support student learning. A discussion follows, outlining how teachers may apply these strategies in different contexts, with a brief overview of emerging efforts that aim to bridge cognitive load theory and self‐regulated learning research.

Analyzing visual attention during TAP learning and the effect of epistemic beliefs on the understanding of argument components

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze visual attention during students’ learning of Toulmin’s argument pattern (TAP) and the effects of epistemic beliefs in science on the understanding of argument components. A total of 43 undergraduates were recruited through the Internet. Online questionnaires targeting beliefs about knowledge in science [Conley, A. M., Pintrich, P. R., Vekiri, I., & Harrison, D. (2004). Changes in epistemological beliefs in elementary science students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29(2), 186–204] and beliefs about justification for knowing in science [Ferguson, L. E., & Bråten, I. (2013). Student profiles of knowledge and epistemic beliefs: Changes and relations to multiple-text comprehension. Learning and Instruction, 25, 49–61] were used to assess students’ epistemic beliefs. Identification tests for the understanding of TAP were performed before and after an argument reading treatment designed as a self-learning activity. The whole reading process was recorded by the eye-tracking system. To explore the effect of the reading treatment, participants were divided into a progress (P) group and a no-progress (NP) group based on their learning gains.The results indicated that students’ epistemic beliefs in science and their learning strategies would affect their TAP learning performance. The analyses of visual attention distribution indicated that integration information indicated by inter-scanning counts would enhance students’ learning performance. In addition, the LSA results suggested that understanding of data is of primary importance when learning TAP. Suggestions on how to guide students in learning TAP are provided based on the findings.

Twelve recommendations for conducting high-quality writing intervention research

By researching writing interventions, we may learn more about the art of writing, its history, and the most successful teaching strategies. Unfortunately, Graham and his colleagues discovered that a lot of previously completed writing intervention studies had a poor degree of scientific rigor in various meta-analyses, despite the importance of this area of research (Graham, McKeown, Kiuhara, & Harris, 2012; Graham & Perin, 2007; Rogers & Graham, 2008). In the context of this article, we offer twelve recommendations for doing intervention research successfully. These suggestions are based on my ta-analyses, past research (Pressley & Harris, 1994a, 1994b) on raising the caliber of intervention research, and our unique experiences as authors of intervention research and editors of publications that do so, including the Journal of Writing Research. I sincerely hope you will find these suggestions useful. The ideas encompass all aspects of planning, conducting, and reporting the findings of such research, as well as the issues and steps involved.
 This article lists the best procedures for planning, carrying out, and presenting writing interventions-based research. We believe this type of research is crucial for achieving substantial advancements in theory and practice, and as a result, we view this as a serious issue (more about this later). Moreover, we have committed a considerable amount of our academic careers to conducting research of this sort and evaluating and synthesizing the current research on writing interventions, so it is important to us personally and professionally (see Graham & Harris, 2009, 2012). (Graham, Harris, and Chambers are now working on a publication, for instance.)
 Not only do we like what we do, but we also feel that we require experience. Thus we entered this area of work. Having previously worked as general and education professors, we were dissatisfied with the "pied-piper" approach employed to educate in schools (where instructional practices are promoted and sold with passion and articulate rhetoric but with little or no evidence of effectiveness). We were curious to learn more about alternative techniques that may help aspiring writers hone their craft (e.g., Harris & Graham, 1996).
 The suggestions made in this post were created using our former experiences as a guide. Our meta-analyses of writing intervention research's findings have taught us a lot about the benefits and drawbacks of this body of information (e.g., Graham, McKeown, Kiuhara, & Harris, 2012; Graham & Perin, 2007; Rogers & Graham, 2008). We are well aware of the many obstacles that must be overcome to conduct studies of this kind since we have prior experience working in writing intervention research. We have a wealth of experience between us as editors of five publications focused on intervention research, and as a result, we are frequently given a chance to compare cutting-edge and established techniques used in intervention research (Journal of Writing Research, Exceptional Children, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Archives of Scientific Psychology - Section for Educational and School Psychology, and Journal of Educational Psychology). The earlier study on improving educational intervention research by Pressley and Harris (1994a, 1994b) and Pressley, Graham, and Harris (2005) offers a framework for considering how to improve intervention research in writing more specifically.
 We first discuss the relevance of this study before outlining our suggestions for planning, conducting, and reporting better writing intervention research. Before we go any further, you must be made aware that the author's research largely backs some of the claims mentioned in this article. This article is not intended to downplay the important contribution made by other writers' research scholars. Instead, it uses the elements that we are most comfortable with to help us support and build upon our main beliefs. Why Is It Important to Carry Out High-Quality Research on Writing Interventions?

Using Mind Mapping Learning Methods for Children’s Language Skills

Language skills are significant predictors of early academic and social-emotional outcomes of children and are important predictors of school readiness. This study aims to improve children's language skills through the application of mind mapping learning methods. This classroom action research used Kemmis and Taggart's cycle model. The research subjects were 12 children in group B consisting of eight boys and four girls. The data was collected through observation, interviews, and documentation with the validity of the data using source triangulation and method triangulation. This research uses data analysis techniques in the form of data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results showed that the children's language skills through the application of the mind mapping method in the first cycle were 75%, and in the second cycle had increased to 92%. Based on the results of teacher observations in the implementation of cycle I, the children's language skills obtained a percentage value of 61.5%, and in cycle II increased to 92.3%. While the results of observations of children's activities in the implementation of the first cycle obtained a percentage of 54%, and in the second cycle, it increased to 85%. This study found that the teacher's assessment of this mind mapping method was an easy method to understand so that it was easy to apply in classroom learning. The implication of this research is that it is necessary to carry out further research on the application of the mind mapping method for other aspects of development.
 Keywords: Early Childhood, language Skills, Mind Mapping Learning Methods

Development and Application of a Scale for Assessing Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs about the Nature of Educational Psychology

Epistemological beliefs are subjective views about the nature of knowledge and knowing. A large number of research approaches are dedicated to this field. Yet, there is no research investigating the beliefs that pre-service teachers have towards educational psychology, a highly relevant domain for their prospective profession. Based on this theoretical background, two studies have been conducted. In the first study, epistemological beliefs with regard to contemporary educational psychology research and their change during a research-based lecture on educational psychology have been assessed ( N = 82). In a second study, the aim was to examine these epistemological beliefs during different phases of a pre-service teacher programme ( N = 252). Findings indicate that students entering a programme are already partly aware of the nature of educational psychology. Results also reveal that students’ knowledge and beliefs develop during the programme, although the relevance of educational psychology as being a central part future professional practice is not recognized. Findings also imply that especially the trust in scientific quality and the awareness of the importance of this field for teacher training and practice could be enhanced. Possible solutions could include more research-oriented courses and a more reflected integration of educational psychology within the curriculum.

Introduction

Introduction

Meaningful integration within mixed methods studies: Identifying why, what, when, and how

This special issue of Contemporary Educational Psychology brings together an important collection of examples of how researchers have applied mixed methods research to study questions of interest in the field of educational psychology. Collectively, the articles illustrate the unique insights that can be gained when researchers intentionally integrate quantitative and qualitative methods within mixed methods studies. Further, the special issue highlights specific mixed methods strategies that the authors used to achieve and communicate the integration aspects within their studies. The authors’ application of these strategies provides useful models for scholars planning mixed methods studies and scholars reviewing reports of mixed methods studies within educational psychology and beyond.

Female Participation as Top-Producing Authors, Editors, and Editorial Board Members in Educational Psychology Journals from 2009 to 2016

This article examines top-producing female authors, editors, and editorial board members in five educational psychology journals (i.e., Cognition and Instruction, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Review, and Journal of Educational Psychology) from 2009 to 2016. Results extend data from four previous studies (Evans et al. Educational Psychology Review, 17(3), 263–271, 2005; Fong et al. Educational Psychology Review, 21(3), 267–277, 2009; Greenbaum et al. Educational Psychology Review, 28, 215–223, 2016; Robinson et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 23, 331–343, 1998) and also compare top female authors to the top male authors. The top-producing women in the field have, on average, less seniority in the field than do top male authors. Male authors have more publications, on average, and more sole authorships and first authorships, as compared to female authors. No discernible progress has been made by women in terms of editorial board memberships or editorships since 2004.

Envisioning a Culturally Imaginative Educational Psychology

Culture has mostly been neglected in mainstream educational psychology research. In this paper, we argued for the need to cultivate a cultural imagination and provided seven key recommendations for conducting culturally imaginative research. We explained how these recommendations could prove useful in avoiding the two types of errors that trap cross-cultural researchers. The first type is the cultural attribution error which pertains to attributing any observed difference to culture even if culture is not the relevant factor. The second type is the cultural blind spot error which pertains to the failure to see how culture influences psycho-educational processes and outcomes. We proffered seven recommendations to avoid these twin pitfalls. We reviewed the papers published from 2006 to 2016 in four flagship educational psychology journals including the Journal of Educational Psychology, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Cognition and Instruction, and British Journal of Educational Psychology. Our review focused on how educational psychologists have studied culture over the past decade and how the published studies aligned with our seven recommendations. The content analysis indicated that only a small percentage of the articles dealt with culture, most of the studies drew on Western samples, and that almost all studies relied on an etic approach with very few studies using an emic bottom-up perspective. We ended with a justification for why a culturally imaginative educational psychology is urgently needed in an increasingly diverse world.

The Bifactor Model of the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI)

Few self-report measures actually exist that were designed to assess school-aged children’s metacognition. This study examined the factor structure and validity of the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI; Sperling et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27, 51–79, 2002) in a sample of primary school children from Singapore. A bifactor model which includes one general factor of metacognition and two uncorrelated knowledge and regulation of cognition group factors yielded the best fit to the data. The general factor of metacognition was found to have high internal consistency and accounted for a greater amount of variance than the two specific factors of knowledge and regulation of cognition. Multigroup analyses offered empirical evidence for the measurement invariance of the bifactor model across gender and ethnic groups. The criterion validity of the model was also demonstrated by significant predictive associations with measures of learning strategies and mathematics achievement. These results provided initial support for the validity and reliability of the Jr. MAI for use with children in the Asian setting. The implications of the findings for future metacognitive research and assessment among children are discussed.

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Learning Disabilities (LD), and executive functioning: Recommendations for future research

This special issue of Contemporary Educational Psychology brings together multiple studies examining issues important to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disabilities, and executive functioning difficulties. Drawing on these studies, I present five recommendations for future research in these areas: (1) develop specific criteria for identifying research participants; (2) provide more details about study participants and context; (3) expand the number of educational studies directly involving these students; (4) study more than just reading and mathematics; and (5) systematically investigate how to put research findings in these areas into practice.

Instructional and motivational classroom discourse and their relationship with teacher autonomy and competence support—findings from teacher professional development

The present study investigates whether productive classroom discourse in the form of instructional and motivational classroom discourse (Turner et al., Journal of Educational Psychology 94: 88–106, 2002) provides a supportive social context for students that fosters the fulfilment of the basic psychological needs of autonomy and competence (Meyer and Turner, Educational Psychologist 37(1): 17–25, 2002; Ryan and Deci, Contemporary Educational Psychology 25(1): 54–67, 2000). In order to explore this, we studied the ways in which a teacher professional development programme (Dialogic Video Cycle; Groschner et al. 2015) might affect the quality of teachers’ instructional and motivational discourse. The programme provided video-based professional development on productive classroom discourse for an entire school year. During the same period of time, we explored changes in students’ perceptions of autonomy and competence support and possible implications for students’ intrinsic learning motivation. The study followed a two-group field-experiment design; 10 STEM classes participated (N = 226 students). The intervention group (IG) was compared to a control group (CG), which participated in traditional professional development on classroom discourse (IG: n Students = 136, n Teachers = 6; CG: n Students = 90, n Teachers = 4). The results show significant group differences in the development of instructional and motivational discourse throughout the school year, resulting in significant benefits for the IG. Furthermore, the students experienced their teachers as more autonomy- and competence-supportive throughout the year, leading to increased experiences of self-determination and intrinsic learning motivation. The results are discussed in the light of recent research and theory.

The role of EFL learners’ demotivation, perceptions of classroom activities, and mastery goal in predicting their language achievement and burnout

The present study aims at delving into English as foreign language students’ demotivation, burnout, mastery goal orientation, and perceptions of classroom activities. This is accomplished by building a causal structural model through which the associations among the constructs are estimated. The Persian version of the 'de-motivation scale’ designed by Sakai and Kichuki (System 37:57-69, 2009) is used to assess demotivation. It measures six constructs: teachers, characteristics of classes, experiences of failure, class environment, class materials, and lack of interest. To gauge burnout, student version of ‘Maslach Burnout Inventory’ (Schaufeli et al., Psychology, 33(5):464-481, 2002) is employed. It measures three dimensions of burnout, namely, emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic inefficacy. The Persian version of the ‘Students Perceptions of Classroom Activities’ scale designed by Gentry and Gable (My class activities: A survey instrument to assess students’ perceptions of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment in their classrooms, 2001) is utilized in determining student perceptions of their classes. The scale assesses four perceptions: interest, challenge, choice, and joy. Students’ goal orientation is measured by the translated version of ‘Achievement Goal Orientation Inventory’ designed by Midgley et al. (Contemporary Educational Psychology, 23 (2):113-31, 1998). The results display a good overall fit of the proposed model with the empirical data. In particular, demotivators positively and significantly predict student burnout and the two internal demotivators namely, ‘lack of interest’ and ‘experiences of failure’ negatively and significantly impact on student mastery goal orientation. The results also indicate that student burnout negatively and significantly predict student mastery goal orientation and positive perceptions of classroom activities. Student perceptions of interest and joy, on the other hand, positively and significantly play an important role in mastery goal orientation. Student perceptions and mastery goal orientation have positive effects on student achievement.

No Panacea Garden

Essay ExcerptsThree of the seven distinguished researchers whose autobiographical chapters (Berliner, 2016; Sternberg, 2016; Sweller, 2016) I edited, and one that is in process (Gordon, in press), indicate that they were poor or indifferent students early in their academic careers. That is also true of me; so five of the first seven scholars in the Acquired Wisdom series were poor students. I did not explicitly mention my studying difficulties in this chapter because they had already been described in my memoir about how my family found safe haven from the Holocaust in Shanghai, China, during World War II (Tobias, 2009). It may be useful to examine my difficulties and how they relate to educational practice and concepts in the contemporary educational psychology literature. The late Dick Snow, a friend and colleague at Stanford, once commented that research on instructional innovations seemed to him like a random walk through the panacea garden. I have become sceptical of any instructional development, theory, or instructional method that is expected to improve learning for all students in all subjects. I have lived through prior panaceas like programmed and computer assisted instruction, multimedia education, computer games, and educational movements such as progressive, competency based, open corridor, and inquiry education, and the current panacea - constructivist instruction - from all of which I learned something. There are no panaceas that will easily improve learning for everyone, because good instruction is hard work and difficult to do. [Download the PDF ]

Individual and Institutional Productivity in Educational Psychology Journals from 2009 to 2014

This article examines the productivity of both individuals and institutions, indexed through an examination of five educational psychology journals (Cognition and Instruction, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Review, and Journal of Educational Psychology) from 2009 to 2014. These results are discussed relative to four previous studies (Hsieh et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29, 333–343, 2004; Jones et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 35, 11–16, 2010; Smith et al. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 23, 173–181, 1998; Contemporary Educational Psychology, 28, 422–430, 2003). Vanderbilt University and Fred Paas replaced the University of Maryland and Richard E. Mayer as the top research institution and author, respectively. Sixteen of the top 19 researchers’ institutions were outside the USA, compared to only 10 of the top 32 during 2003–2008 and three of the top 20 during 1991–1996. Educational psychology research continues the trend of becoming more international.

Authenticity and Learning: Implications for Reference Librarianship and Information Literacy Instruction

This article articulates and defends a student-centered approach to reference and instructional librarianship defined by authentic engagement with students’ interests. A review of the history of the construct of authenticity in philosophy, humanistic and existential psychology, and contemporary educational psychology is traced. Connections are drawn between the philosophy of authentic engagement and the tradition in librarianship of “Counselor Librarianship.” Recommendations for applications to the library context are then outlined.