Measures Of Academic Self-concept Research Articles

Gender differences in grades versus grade penalties: Are grade anomalies more detrimental for female physics majors?

Creating equitable learning environments has been an area of significant focus for physics education researchers in recent years. Here we introduce a framework that posits that grade penalty is a measure of academic self-concept and investigate if there are gender differences in grade penalties in physics courses for students majoring in physics. In order to quantify grade penalty, we define grade anomaly as the difference between a student’s grade in a course under consideration and their grade point average (GPA) in all other classes thus far. A grade anomaly lower than students expected grade based on their GPA is a grade penalty and higher than expected average grade is a grade bonus. Our framework posits that since women have traditionally been marginalized in physics, female physics majors are more likely to be negatively impacted by a grade penalty in their courses since their academic self-concept as a physics major hinges on them securing a certain grade. In the study presented here, we examine the average grade anomalies across a number of courses for female and male physics majors. We find that these students received grade penalties in almost all physics courses studied, though there were grade bonuses in a few laboratory courses. We also find that in physics courses, on average, women often had larger grade penalties than men, especially in introductory courses. We hypothesize that, because their grade penalties are often larger than men’s, women’s decisions to pursue a physics major and career may be particularly affected by grade penalties received in their various courses. Furthermore, the grade penalty measure can be easily computed by the physics programs concerned with equity.Received 19 January 2022Accepted 11 July 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020127Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasDiversity & inclusionLearning environmentLearning theoryProfessional TopicsLower undergraduate studentsUpper undergraduate studentsPhysics Education Research

The Influence of Pubertal Development on Adolescent Depression: The Mediating Effects of Negative Physical Self and Interpersonal Stress.

The current study examined the influence of pubertal development stage on depression and its psychosocial mechanisms in a non-clinical population of 502 adolescents (244 boys and 258 girls) in China, graded 5 to 8. Results indicated that (1) pubertal development was positively correlated with depression, negative physical self and interpersonal stress. (2) There is a significant gender by pubertal development interaction on the measure of academic self-concept, which is accounted for by decreased academic self in boys but not in girls as a function of pubertal development. (3) Mediation analyses show that increased depression in late compared to pre- puberty is partly mediated by the enhancement of negative physical self and interpersonal stress. These findings suggest that the late stage of puberty is coupled by a higher risk of depression in adolescents partly through increased negative physical self and interpersonal stress.

An Investigation of Success Factors in a High School Algebra Intervention Program

This quantitative study allowed investigation of a high school Algebra intervention program through examination of potential relationships among teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning, teachers’ instructional styles, students’ academic self-concept in mathematics, and students’ mathematics achievement. Existing research focused on individual components used in this study on the elementary level; thus, leaving a gap in understanding of how factors related to the success of high school students. Results may provide information to teachers and administrators regarding relationships among factors shown to impact student achievement in mathematics, and provide evaluation of an Algebra intervention program at the secondary level. The researcher utilized the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Teaching and Learning Beliefs Questionnaire to identify beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics and the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to determine how closely instruction in Algebra classrooms aligned with constructivist practices. Students were given the Academic Self-Description Questionnaire II (ASDQII) as pre-and-post measures of academic self-concept in relation to mathematics; then, data were checked for relationships to achievement, measured by common semester final exams. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis determined significant relationships existed between RTOP scores and the ASDQII prompts: I am hopeless when it comes to mathematics; work in mathematics is easy for me; and I get good marks in mathematics classes. Significant relationships were defined between Teaching Style and both Productive and Unproductive Teacher Beliefs, as well as between students’ academic self-concept in mathematics and overall mastery of Algebra content, measured by scores on common semester finals.

Learning in colour: children with grapheme-colour synaesthesia show cognitive benefits in vocabulary and self-evaluated reading.

Cognitive benefits associated with grapheme-colour synaesthesia in adults are well documented, but far less is known about whether such benefits might arise in synaesthetes as children. One previous study on a very small group of randomly sampled child synaesthetes found cognitive benefits in short-term memory and processing speed (the ability to quickly scan an array of images and discriminate between them), but was inconclusive for a test of receptive vocabulary. Using a stratified population sample (Growing Up in Scotland Project, Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive, 2007), we investigated the performance of a large cohort of child grapheme-colour synaesthetes using four literacy measures taken at age 10 years. These were three verbal comprehension measures (expressive vocabulary, receptive vocabulary and sentence comprehension) and one measure of academic self-concept in reading (plus one measure of academic self-concept in numeracy as a comparison). After controlling for demographic differences between groups, synaesthetes showed significantly enhanced performance for expressive and receptive vocabulary compared to their peers, but no benefits in sentence comprehension. Child synaesthetes also reported significantly higher academic self-concept for reading, but not for numeracy. Finally, we found that synaesthetes made significantly more progress than controls across the primary school years, although they began school with no a priori advantage. Our study provides powerful new evidence that children with grapheme-colour synaesthesia show vocabulary and literacy differences, which we contextualize within a theory of synaesthetic development. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Bridging senses: novel insights from synaesthesia'.

Measurement Invariance in a Grid-Based Measure of Academic Self-Concept

Abstract. Grid-based measures, where item stems are rated across diverse domains or subjects, represent an economic measure to assess multifaceted constructs such as academic self-concept. Although testing for measurement invariance between groups (e.g., based on gender or age) and within subjects over time (e.g., in longitudinal research) is common practice, research on invariance across domains is still lacking. We examine measurement invariance across selected self-concept domains in the Differentiated School Self-Concept (DISC) Grid as an example of grid-based self-concept measures. Using a highly diverse student sample, we assessed invariance of the DISC grid across three academic domains (German, English, and mathematics). Based on adequate model fit within each domain, the DISC grid proved to be strictly invariant across the three subject-specific self-concepts (German, English, and mathematics). Implications for theory (e.g., Möller and Marsh’s Dimensional Comparison Theory), empirical research (e.g., on the Internal/External Frame of Reference model), assessment (e.g., regarding other measures using similarly worded items across domains, such as the Self-Description Questionnaires [SDQ]), and practice (e.g., academic counseling) are discussed.

Negating Stereotype Threat: Autonomy Support and Academic Identification Boost Performance of African American College Students

Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, we examined the effects of stereotype threat and autonomy support on the test performance of 190 African American college students. Participants completed a set of 7 easy and 7 difficult problems from Raven’s Progressive Matrices and a survey including measures of Academic Self-Concept, Learning Climate, and Perceptions of Stereotype Threat. ANOVA results revealed that among African American men, those who had a stronger academic identification performed worse than those with a weaker identification; however, the reverse was true among African American women, as those who had stronger academic identification performed better than those with a weaker identification. Finally, both stereotype threat and autonomy support improved test performance for all participants (on easy items), except when women received both conditions. Our results indicate that the deleterious effect of stereotype threat is not consistent, and that performance may be boosted by providing greater autonomy support and strengthening academic identification (especially for female African American students).

Relationship between self-esteem and academic self-concept for German elementary and secondary school students

This study aims to investigate the construct of global self-esteem and its relationship with academic self-concept within a sample of German students attending grades 3–6 (N = 1958), considering the domain specificity and competence–affect separation of academic self-concept. Confirmatory factor analyses found global self-esteem to be similarly related to domain-specific (math and verbal) and general measures of academic self-concept. Self-perceived competence and affect were similarly related to global self-esteem. There was some evidence that the mean level of global self-esteem was higher for fourth grade students (before transition) than for 5th graders (after transition), and the lowest for 6th grade students. The relationship between global self-esteem and academic self-concept was found to be invariant across grade levels although descriptive results indicated a weaker relationship after transition.

The effects of using ticks and crosses on academic self-concept

Behaviour, including academic performance, can be influenced by implicit primes; and both objective performance and subjective ratings are susceptible to priming effects. Here, we report a new priming effect on academic self-ratings. Participants twice completed a measure of academic self-concept. In the first session, they all used circles to answer questions regarding their own perceived academic ability. In the second session, half of the participants answered with ticks (often used to indicate a correct answer in academic feedback) and the other half with crosses (often used to indicate an incorrect answer in academic feedback). Participants who used crosses had significantly lower academic self-ratings compared to the first session. No such reduction in academic self-rating was observed in participants who used ticks. Moreover, response mode only affected the academic self-concept, and self-ratings regarding physical self-concept were unaffected by response mode. None of the participants reported awareness of the response mode manipulation.

Causal ordering of academic self‐concept and achievement: Effects of type of achievement measure

The relation between academic self-concept and achievement has been examined in a large number of studies. The majority of these studies have found evidence for a reciprocal effects model. However, there is an ongoing debate on how students' achievement should be measured and whether the type of achievement indicator (grades, tests, teacher ratings) affects the causal pattern found in these studies. The study aims at clarifying how the types of achievement measures and the way they are modelled can affect the results of causal ordering studies. In that sense, the study will yield recommendations for researchers in this domain and also provide some direction for practitioners seeking ways to enhance their students' achievement and/or academic self-concept. Repeated measures of academic self-concept and achievement (standardized tests and teacher ratings) were examined in a sample of 1,753 students in Grades 7, 8, 10, and 12. Structural equation modelling was used. Several models (with different types and numbers of achievement measures) were compared. Only small differences were found between models using one or two indicators of achievement. All models generally supported the reciprocal effects model. However, the final model, wherein tests and teacher ratings were used as separate latent variables, showed different developmental patterns in the causal relation between academic self-concept and achievement. Researchers should interpret the results of causal ordering studies discerningly because the type of measure chosen as an indicator of achievement might affect the causal pattern between academic self-concept and achievement.

Effects of peer academic reputation on achievement in academically at-risk elementary students

664 relatively low achieving first grade children were recruited into a longitudinal study. Measures of peer academic reputation (PAR), peer acceptance, teacher-rated academic engagement and achievement, and reading and math achievement were obtained in Year 2, when the majority of students were in second grade, and 1 year later. Measures of academic self concept were obtained in Year 1 and in Year 3. As young as second grade, children's perceptions of classmates' academic competence were distinct from their perceptions of peers' other social and behavioral characteristics. SEM analyses found that Year 2 PAR predicted Year 3 teacher-rated academic engagement and reading (but not math) achievement test scores, above the effects of prior scores on these outcomes and other covariates. Furthermore, the effect of PAR on academic engagement and achievement was partially mediated by the effect of PAR on children's academic self concept. Implications of these findings for educational practice and future research are discussed.

Using Self-Concept Instruments With High-Ability College Students

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the academic subscales of Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire III and Neeman and Harter's Self-Perception Profile for College Students for use with high-ability college students. Participants included 100 high-ability college students and 196 average-ability college students enrolled in a comprehensive university in the South. Data analysis estimates of internal consistency were moderate, and estimates of relationships with external validity criteria, namely, academic achievement, aspirations, and year in school, moderately supported the validity of each subscale. Results indicate some support for the use of each subscale with high-ability college students. Putting the Research to Use: Academic self-concept is a construct that likely affects multiple other academic areas, including academic achievement, educational aspirations, career aspirations, and retention. Among high-ability college students, academic self-concept may be related to participation in an honors program and living in an honors residence hall, which may further the academic, social, and emotional collegiate experience. Having a psychometrically sound measure of academic self-concept that is appropriate for use with high-ability college students will enable researchers to effectively study the academic self-concepts of high-ability college students. Traditional measures of academic self-concept are often validated on younger samples of high-ability students, but the research is lacking on validity research related to samples of college students.

Gender Differences in Gifted and Average-Ability Students

This article investigates gender differences in 181 gifted and 181 average-ability sixth graders in achievement, academic self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics. Giftedness was conceptualized as nonverbal reasoning ability and defined by a rank of at least 95% on a nonverbal reasoning subscale of the German Cognitive Abilities Test. Mathematical achievement was measured by teacher-assigned grades and a standardized mathematics test. Self-concept, interest, and motivation were assessed by questionnaire. In both ability groups, boys earned significantly higher test scores but there were no gender differences in grades. Girls scored lower on measures of academic self-concept, interest, and motivation. Gender differences were larger in gifted than in average-ability students. Ability group differences for self-concept and interest were only found for boys in favor of the gifted. Results support the assumption that gender differences in self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics are more prevalent in gifted than in average-ability students.

Multiplicative Covariance Structure Models in the Analysis of Scores on a Chinese Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity of scores on a Chinese version of an academic self-concept measure entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) using composite direct product (CDP) models. Measures of five traits-Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification vs. Alienation-were obtained from a convenience sample of 769 junior high school students by using self ratings, peer ratings, and parent ratings. The degree of convergent and discriminant validity was moderate to low based on the evaluation in terms of both Campbell and Fiske (1959) guidelines and the comparison of nested multitrait-multimethod CDP models. In particular, concern about the discriminant validity of scores on traits of Level of Aspiration, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, and Identification vs. Alienation was raised. Implications for the use of CDP models in the assessment of construct validity of scores on an academic self-concept measure were discussed.

The development and construct validation of a Spanish version of an Academic Self-Concept scale for middle school Hispanic students from families of low socioeconomic levels.

For a sample of 305 6th, 7th and 8th grade students, of whom 95% was from economically disadvantaged Hispanic families and for whom English was their second language, evidence was sought regarding the reliability and construct validity of scores on a Spanish version of an academic self-concept measure entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), comprising five subscales bearing the same names as those of the five hypothesized constructs that they were intended to operationalize: Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Reliability estimates varying between .72 and .80 were judged to be reasonably satisfactory. Results from oblique factor analysis lent empirical support for the hypothesized constructs of Anxiety, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Scores associated with the subscales of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction generated a factor interpreted as a fusion of the two constructs of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction.

A Construct Validity Investigation of Scores on a Japanese Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale for Secondary School Students

For a sample of 354 students taken from two highly similar college preparatory, girls-only Catholic high schools in Japan, the twofold purpose of this study was to obtain evidence of the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of scores on each of five dimensions of a Japanese version of an academic self-concept measure titled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), Form S, Japanese version. Internal consistency estimates of reliability of scores on the five 14-item subscales varied between .71 and .84, with a median value of .77. From each of the five factor subscales, three subtests each comprising four or five items were formed, scored, and intercorrelated (15 subtests in all). Confirmatory maximum-likelihood factor analyses for several alternative factor models indicated that a five-factor oblique model accounted for the greatest proportion of covariance in the matrix of 15 subtests.

Discriminant and predictive validity of academic self-concept, academic self-efficacy, and mathematics-specific self-efficacy.

This study examined whether global academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy beliefs that vary in domain specificity-globality represent distinct or common underlying dimensions. Participants were 205 university students who completed measures of academic self-concept, global academic self-efficacy, and domain-specific mathematics self-efficacy. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that each of the variables represented separate, though related, latent dimensions of self-perception. Self-efficacy and self-concept were also differentially useful in predicting relatively domain-specific versus global academic and vocational criteria. The implications of these findings for theory and practice related to academic achievement and career development are considered.

Family influences on school achievement in low-income, African American children.

The authors examined the achievement-related beliefs and behaviors of parents of economically disadvantaged African American youth, and the relations among parental factors and children's academic self-concept and achievement. Forty-one children and their primary caregivers were interviewed. Parents reported on their academic-related beliefs and behaviors. Children completed measures of academic self-concept and 2 standardized achievement tests: 1 during the summer and 1 at the end of the following school year. Significant and positive relations were found between parental belief and behavior measures within the domains of reading and math; however, parental beliefs were more strongly linked with child outcomes than were parents' achievement-oriented behaviors. The relation between parental beliefs and child outcomes was not mediated by children's academic self-concept. Results are discussed in light of models of family influences on achievement.

Self-Concept and Metacognition in Ethnic Minorities

This study explores the relationship between measures of academic self-concept and metacognition in three different ethnic groups-Black, Hispanic, and Asian American. The BACEIS model of intellectual performance suggests that cognitive, affective, and environmental factors contribute to academic achievement. In general, this model predicts that academic self-concept and metacognition are correlated and that culturally distinct ethnic groups vary on these measures. The results of this study support the predictions derived from the BACEIS model. Implications for research and instruction are discussed

PREDICTING GENDER AND MAJOR-FIELD DIFFERENCES IN MATHEMATICAL SELF-CONCEPT DURING COLLEGE

Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. vol. I. pp. 291-307. I994 PREDICTING GENDER AND MAJOR-FIELD DIFFERENCES IN MATHEMATICAL SELF-CONCEPT DURING COLLEGE Linda J. Sax Higher Education Research Institute, University of Califomto. Los Angeles. Los Angeles. CA 90095 Self-ratings of tnatltetnatical ability produce some of the largest gender dtferences among first-year college students. Further. mathematical self-concept is the one measure of academic self-concept that decline: during college. However. little research hasfacrtsed on the predictors of math cotfidence for college students. This study exantinexflxtots related to changes in tnatltetnatioal self-concept during college atdfixuse: specifically on how were factors drier by gender and major field. Regression results indicate that traditional predictors of math confidence operate difleretttly for men and women in science and nottscience fields. INTRODUCTION Among academic self-rating measures. self-concept in math ranks near the bottom among college students: while 53.8% of first-year college students rate themselves “above aver- ageq or in the “highest I095q in academic ability, only 37.7% choose these top categories for mathematical ability (Astin, Korn. Sax. & Mahoney. 1994). During the college years. while students gain confidence in their overall academic abilities, their confidence in math has been shown to decline (Astin. I977, 1993). Additionally. such declines occur dispro- portionately among women (Sax. I99-ta). These findings are especially discouraging given the welI—documented connection between self-concept and achievement (Astin. I977. I993; Bailey, I971; Byme, 1984; Hansford and Hattie. I982). Mathematical self-concept has long been shown to be a positive predictor of persistence in math (Sherman, I983) and perfonnance on tests of math ability (Astin. I993; Ethington, I988; Marsh. Smith. & Barnes. I985; Meece, Parsons. Kaczala, Goff & Futterman. 1982; Sherman, I982). Even when one controls for math ability, math self-concept is uniquely predictive of a number of college outcomes, includ- ing overall college grades, GRE-Quantitative scores, and postcollege scientific career aspirations (Sax. 1993). Given the importance of math self-concept for college outcomes. it is important to outline the factors that promote math confidence during college. Unfortunately, little research is available on the factors associated specifically with the development of math An earlier version of this paper was presented at the I993 meeting or‘ the Association for the Study of Higher Education. in‘Piusburgh, Pennsylvania. This research is aided by grams from the Exxon Education Foundation and the National Science Foundation. ISSN I072-8325I94S3.00 Cnpyrighl 0 I994 by Begell House. Inc. 29]

PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES ON VALIDITY INDEXES OF THE PERCEPTION OF ABILITY SCALE FOR STUDENTS

The present study examined the performance of 78 students with learning disabilities and 71 normally achieving students in regular Form 1 (Grade 6) classes on three validity indexes of the Perception of Ability Scale for Students, a measure of academic self-concept. The three indexes assess consistency of responding, negative or positive response biases, and misrepresentation of self-perceptions in terms of unrealistic perceptions of perfection in school. Analysis showed that learning disabled students obtained significantly lower Full Scale scores than the normal students, but no significant differences appeared on the three validity indexes. Users of the test can be confident that learning disabled students respond to items in as valid a manner as other students. Having specific learning problems in school should not interfere with response patterns on this scale.