Track Students Research Articles

Different pathways, same effects: Autonomous goal regulation is associated with subjective well-being during the post-school transition

Using self-determination theory as a theoretical framework, this study examines the associations between autonomous goal regulation and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, self-esteem) during the post-school transition. The sample consisted of 2,284 academic track students (62 % female) in Germany who answered a questionnaire at the end of high school and again 2 years later, allowing us to differentiate three post-school trajectories (university, vocational training, not in education). Structural equation modeling showed that autonomous goal regulation measured at Time 1 positively predicted Time 2 life satisfaction, positive affect, self-esteem, and autonomous goal regulation and negatively predicted negative affect, controlling for construct stability. However, subjective well-being indicators at Time 1 did not predict autonomous goal regulation at Time 2. Multigroup analyses indicated comparable associations between goal regulation and subjective well-being across groups, highlighting the strength and generalizability of the effect of autonomous goal regulation on subjective well-being during the post-school transition.

학습자의 핵심역량 개발을 위한 과학과 수업방법 개선 방안

본 연구의 목적은 학습자의 핵심역량 개발을 위한 과학과 수업방법을 탐구하는 것이다. OECD의 DeSeCo 프로젝트를 계기로 핵심역량은 '학생들이 향후 사회적 삶을 성공적으로 살아가기 위해 필요로 하는 능력'으로 재정립됨으로써 여러 나라에서 '역량기반 교육과정'이 강조되기에 이르렀다. 본 연구에서는 국외의 역량기반 교육과정 선도국과 국내의 외국인학교 및 국제중학교를 방문하여 관계 전문가들을 대상으로 교과교육 혁신 사례를 수집하고 분석하였다. 역량기반 교육과정을 구현하는 국외 사례수집과 더불어, 각 사례별로 교사 및 학교장을 대상으로 심층면담을 통해 학습자의 핵심역량 제고를 위해 요청되는 과학과 수업 개선 방안을 탐색하였다. 외국 사례에서는 학습자의 핵심역량 개발을 위해 과학 수업에서 핵심역량 측면에서 학생들에게 무엇이 기대되는지를 알게 하는 것이 중요하며, 활동과 학생중심 학습을 강조하고, 교과내용 중심의 기존 교육과정에 비해 수업에서 학생들 간의 집단 활동이나 협력을 중시하며, 교과 간 또는 과학영역 간 통합수업이 강조됨을 알 수 있었다. 한국의 과학교사들은 핵심역량은 결국 수업방법을 통해 구현되어야 하며, 과학적 사고력을 길러줄 수 있는 탐구경험을 제공하고, 실제 세계와의 연계를 강조하며, 핵심역량을 체험할 수 있도록 다양한 경험을 제공하고, 교과 간 통합수업을 활용해야 한다고 주장하였다. 결론 부분에서는 과학과 교육과정이나 수업에 핵심역량을 통합할 경우 예상되는 어려움이나 문제점을 살펴보고, 그 해결방안을 제언하였다. The goal of this research is to investigate ways to improve science teaching methods to develop students' key competencies. Since the OECD DeSeCo (Definition and Selection of Key Competencies) project, key competencies are redefined as 'what people should know and be able to do in order to lead a successful life in a well-functioning society, which leads many countries to emphasize competency-based curriculum. In this research, we collected and analyzed foreign and domestic classroom cases that have implemented competency-based curriculum in science teaching. Through open-ended interviews with the teachers and principals, we explored ways to improve science teaching methods to develop students' key competencies. In foreign cases, science teachers emphasized students' knowing what KCs to accomplish, activities and student-centered learning, students' group activities and collaboration, and greater curriculum integration among subjects and contexts. Korean science teachers argued that the KCs should be realized through teaching methods and emphasized scientific inquiry learning whereby non-science track students could also benefit from science lessons. Korean science teachers also emphasized links to real-life situations, providing students with various learning experiences that supported students to develop the KCs, and the delivery of an integrated curriculum. In the conclusion section, the difficulties with the implementation of key competencies are discussed.

Personality traits moderate the Big-Fish–Little-Pond Effect of academic self-concept

Equally able students have lower academic self-concepts in high-achieving classrooms than in low-achieving classrooms. This highly general and robust frame of reference effect is widely known as the Big-Fish–Little-Pond Effect (BFLPE; Marsh, 1987). This study contributes to research aiming to identify moderators of the BFLPE by investigating the effects of students' personality (i.e. Big Five traits and narcissism). Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to test the moderator hypotheses, drawing on data from a large sample of N=4973 upper secondary track students (M age=19.57). Consistent with a priori predictions, the negative effect of school-average achievement (the BFLPE) interacted significantly with narcissism. Students high in narcissism experienced smaller BFLPEs than did students with low or average levels of narcissism. The statistically significant effect for neuroticism acted in the opposite direction. The study illustrates how personality moderates frame of reference effects that are central to self-concept formation.

How minimal grade goals and self-control capacity interact in predicting test grades

The present research examined the prediction of school students' grades in an upcoming math test via their minimal grade goals (i.e., the minimum grade in an upcoming test one would be satisfied with). Due to its significance for initiating and maintaining goal-directed behavior, self-control capacity was expected to moderate the relation between students' minimal grade goals and their actual grades. Self-control capacity was defined as the dispositional capacity to override or alter one's dominant response tendencies. Prior to a scheduled math test, 172 vocational track students indicated their minimal grade goal for the test and completed a measure of self-control capacity. The test grade was assessed at a second time of measurement. As expected, minimal grade goals more strongly predicted the actual test grades the higher the students' self-control capacity. Implications can be seen in terms of optimizing the prediction and advancement of academic performance.

Motivational Beliefs and Self-regulated Learning in Low Vocational Training Track Students

The present study investigates students’ self-regulation of cognition and motivation and how they relate to motivational beliefs across three topics. Three types of topic-specific motivational beliefs (self-efficacy beliefs, achievement goals, and perceived instrumentality) and cognitive (cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics) and motivational self-regulation were assessed by self-report in a sample of 243 vocational students in low vocational training tracks. The results indicate that perceived instrumentality is the prominent predictor of cognitive self-regulation across the three topics whereas mastery goals and self-efficacy play a significant but minor role in that prediction. Moreover, a significant self-efficacy by perceived instrumentality interaction effect emerged regarding cognitive self-regulation in mathematics. Motivational self-regulation is predicted consistently by self-efficacy, mastery goals, and work-avoidance goals. The differential effects of motivational beliefs on the facets of self-regulation are discussed.

New Tool Helps Track Student Loan Forgiveness

New Tool Helps Track Student Loan Forgiveness

Self-esteem of academic and vocational students: Does within-school tracking sharpen the difference?

Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the British and North American context, where the bulk of this kind of research has been carried out, ability grouping commonly occurs within schools. In Flanders – the Dutch-speaking, northern part of Belgium – as in other European countries, there are not only tracks within schools, but schools themselves can be distinguished by the curriculum they offer. This study questions whether students’ global self-esteem is affected differently by processes of within-school tracking (multilateral schools) compared to processes of between-school tracking (categorial schools). Analyses are based on a subsample of the Flemish Educational Assessment, gathered in 2004–2005, encompassing 10 multilateral and 56 categorial schools with 3,758 academic and 2,152 vocational students. Multi-level analyses (HLM6) show that academic students have a significant higher self-esteem than vocational students and this difference is larger in multilateral schools. Academic students in multilateral schools have a slightly higher self-esteem than those in categorial schools. Conceivably, academic students compare themselves with the vocational track students, leading to a higher awareness of status gratification, resulting in a higher self-esteem.

The Effect of Tracking Students by Ability into Different Schools

The Effect of Tracking Students by Ability into Different Schools

The Effect of Tracking Students by Ability into Different Schools: A Natural Experiment

The tracking of pupils by ability into elite and nonelite schools represents a controversial policy in many countries. There is no consensus on how large the elite track should be and little agreement on the effects of any further increase in its size. This paper presents a natural experiment where the increase in the size of the elite track was followed by a significant improvement in average educational outcomes. This experiment provides a rare opportunity to isolate the overall effect of allowing entry to the elite track for a group that was previously only at the margin of being admitted.

A school-based universal programme to prevent depression and to build up life skills

AimTo prevent the development and increase of depressive symptoms in adolescents by empowering adolescents to improve their life skills, to foster their realistic thinking, and to influence school behaviour.Subjects and methodsVocational track students in grade 8 from the southwest of Germany participated either in a school-based universal prevention programme or a non-intervention control group (standard curriculum). The cognitive-behavioural programme LARS&LISA includes 10 sessions held in a regular school setting in same-gender groups. The programme is based on the social information-processing model of social competence (Dodge, Annual Review of Psychology 44:559-584, 1993) and consists of five basic elements: (1) formulation and setting of personal goals; (2) relationship between cognitions, emotions and behaviour; (3) exploration and change of dysfunctional cognitions; (4) training of social competence; (5) assertiveness training.ResultsThe programme is extensively evaluated in three studies and has shown positive effects on the participants’ social network, symptoms of depression and aggressive behaviour compared to teaching as usual.ConclusionsWe have demonstrated that the programme can be successfully delivered to students in a higher vocational track of school (Realschule) by psychologists. Currently it is being evaluated in a lower vocational track of school (Hauptschule) by teachers and psychologists. With LARS&LISA we provide a prevention strategy that can be successfully delivered to a school-based population and integrated into classroom curriculum.

ED Nurses as Business Developers: Creating a Community, Part 2

ED Nurses as Business Developers: Creating a Community, Part 2

Collective school‐type identity: Predicting students’ motivation beyond academic self‐concept

In Germany, according to their prior achievement students are tracked into different types of secondary school that provide profoundly different options for their future educational careers. In this paper we suggest that as a result, school tracks clearly differ in their social status or reputation. This should translate into different collective school-type identities for their students, irrespective of the students' personal academic self-concepts. We examine the extent to which collective school-type identity systematically varies as a function of the school track students are enrolled in, and the extent to which students' collective school-type identity makes a unique contribution beyond academic self-concept and school track in predicting scholastic motivation. In two cross-sectional studies a measure of collective school-type identity is established and applied to explain motivational differences between two school tracks in Berlin. In Study 1 (N = 39 students) the content of the collective school-type identity is explored by means of an open format questionnaire. Based on these findings a structured instrument (semantic differential) to measure collective school-type identity is developed. In Study 2 (N = 1278 students) the assumed structure with four subscales (Stereotype Achievement, Stereotype Motivation, Stereotype Social, and Compensation) is proved with confirmatory factor analysis. This measure is used to compare the collective school-type identity across school tracks and predict motivational outcomes. Results show large differences in collective school-type identity between students of different school tracks. Furthermore, these differences can explain motivational differences between school tracks. Collective school-type identity has incremental predictive power for scholastic motivation, over and above the effects of academic self-concept and school track.

Communication Processes in Virtual Learning Environments and their Impact on Online Lifelong Learning

Completing a regulated education in a specific area is no guarantee of getting a job or, for that matter, of achieving job security. In view of this situation, adults choose to carry on learning. This article analyses participation in higher-education lifelong learning courses entirely undertaken in virtual learning environments (VLEs). The aim is to establish which aspects of the communication process add quality to online courses. The sample consists of four lifelong learning courses published on WebCT for graduates in general and teachers/lecturers at various educational levels in particular, whose goal is to further their academic training in order to specialise in a specific field. The research combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Two main tools were used to gather data: the WebCT “Track Students” tool and the communication tool. The results show that quality in the communication processes of online courses has a direct impact on student participation in online teaching-learning processes. Dealing with students in a personalised manner, designing communication tools that take account of the needs of academic disciplines and of users, offering a variety of discussion topics, coordinating them and directing them in a responsible, effective manner, and offering quick, smooth interaction are some of the intervening variables.

The Effect of Tracking Students by Ability into Different Schools: A Natural Experiment

The tracking of pupils by ability into elite and non-elite schools represents a controversial policy in many countries. There is no consensus on how large the elite track should be and little agreement on the effects of any further increase in its size. This paper presents a natural experiment where the increase in the size of the elite track was followed by a significant improvement in average educational outcomes. This experiment provides a rare opportunity to isolate the overall effect of allowing entry to the elite track for a group that was previously only at the margin of being admitted.

Privacy Concerns in E-learning: Is UsingTracking System a Threat?

This paper presents a study on security and privacy concerns in E-learning. The study has been conducted along with our research effort that focuses on tracking students' activities on Computer-Mediated Communication tools (e.g. discussion forum, blog, wiki, etc.). It aims to express our attention on technical and ethical aspects of using tracking approach in the learning process. While the study covers an analysis of some existing research data of security in E-learning and user privacy protection provisions, it helps us gain a broader perspective of utilizing the tracking approach in our research. The major contribution of this paper is awareness-raising of the relevant issues, which are often neglected in the research efforts that implicate user tracking and personal data usage for instructional purposes.

Using State Unemployment Insurance Data to Track Student Postsecondary Outcomes

Despite the proliferation of data about student performance, secondary school educators have had difficulty accessing data on their former students’ post—high school employment and earnings in the formal economy. This article describes how one community used state unemployment insurance data, merged with student record data, to investigate the early labor market outcomes of dropouts and graduates. The authors explain how they merged the data and present findings from the descriptive research questions that were addressed with these data.

Using Ajax to Track Student Attention

Tracking the behaviour of users of online learning systems is an important issue, but current techniques have not been able to give deep views on what users do with Web-based learning systems. This paper shows how the use of Ajax can provide a richer model of how users interact with Web systems. In this paper, the authors will discuss a case study used to better track behaviours of online learning systems and how Ajax improves this understanding of user interactions.

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Contesting institutional discourse to create new possibilities for understanding lived experience: life‐stories of young women in detention, rehabilitation, and education

This research explores autobiographies of young women in detention, rehabilitation, and education as counter‐stories to the official, institutional stories of their lives. The context of the study is a private detention facility in the United States; the participants are young women aged 15–19 years in a detention classroom; and data for the study comprises their autobiographies, official documents of their life stories, and the researcher's field notes. Through various lenses the analysis supports how students' counter‐stories disrupt the combined institutional discourses of the juvenile justice and the school systems. Students' counter‐stories provide evidence of institutional discourses that racialize and gender certain groups of young women to shape, define, and at times, predicate their detention further compounded by the normalization process of education for rehabilitation. The overrepresentation of minority groups in the juvenile detention system combined with school discourse of sorting, labeling and tracking students based on officially sanctioned norms privileges certain groups of students while fast‐tracking others into the school‐to‐prison pipeline. The article concludes by calling upon educators, curriculum developers, activists, reformers, and administrators to end the pathologizing of minority groups of students through socially unjust practices and policies.

An Analysis on Proactive-Reactive Personality Profiles in Student-teacher Relationship through the Metaphorical Thinking Approach

This study analyzed the proactive and reactive personality traits in teachers and students. These traits were interpreted with the help of the ideas and images revealed through metaphors. With the help of these metaphors, the certain imaginative categories and statements of student teachers about the teacher, the student and teacher-student relationship were associated with both reactive and proactive personality models. The sampling of the study involved 330 Biology, Physics and Chemistry track students at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education. As the metaphors of student teachers were examined in terms of the teacher-student relationship, “teacher is proactive and student is reactive” was found to be the common dominant view.