Frontline Learning Research (E-Journal - EARLI, European Association for Research on Learning)
Not a member yet
256 research outputs found
Sort by
Relations among personal initiative and the development of reading strategy knowledge and reading comprehension
Full text linkReading comprehension is a self-regulated activity that depends on the proactive effort of the reader. Therefore, the authors studied the effects of personal initiative (PI) on the development of reading comprehension, mediated by reading strategy knowledge. Structural equation modelling was applied to a longitudinal study with two data waves separated by two years. At Time 1, the participants (N = 1,102) were either in third or fourth grade. At Time 2, third graders had moved to grade five, and fourth graders had moved to grade six (N = 1,009). At both grade levels, PI explained unique variance in reading strategy knowledge and reading comprehension at Time 2. Moreover, from fourth to sixth grade the effect of PI on reading comprehension was mediated by reading strategy knowledge. No mediation was observed from third to fifth grade. These findings emphasize the relevance of PI in the development of reading strategy knowledge and reading comprehension. They further reveal that the hypothesized mediation process does not unfold until sixth grade.
One more reason to learn a new language: Testing academic self-efficacy transfer at junior high school
Full text linkThe powerful role of self-efficacy within human development broadly, and in education specifically, is widely acknowledged. Less is understood about how self-efficacy might transfer between domains of varying conceptual distance. The current study examines academic self-efficacy in three domains (mathematics, Japanese and foreign language) across students’ first year at junior high school. Two studies were conducted each including three school (study-A: n=480; study-B: n=398) to support a test and retest of the differences and inter-relationships across this critical period of adjustment. Difference testing presented a general pattern of significant small declines in students’ self-efficacy for all three subjects. Longitudinal latent analyses indicated a consistent moderate effect from foreign language self-efficacy to native language self-efficacy. The pattern of declines, while consistent with research in Western contexts is a source of concern. The transfer of self-efficacy from foreign to native language learning has educational and broad theoretical implications.
Prospects and pitfalls in combining eye tracking data and verbal reports
Full text linkIt is intuitively appealing to try to combine eye-tracking data and verbal reports when investigating medical image interpretation. However, before collecting such data, important decisions have to be made including exactly when and how to collect the verbal reports. The purpose of this methodological article is to reflect upon the pros and cons of different solutions and to offer some guidelines to investigators. We start by exploring the ontology of vision and speech production and the epistemology of eye movements to grasp what fixations and verbal reports actually reflect. We are also interested in the major constraints of the two systems. Second, we elaborate on two dominant investigational approaches to verbal accounts, namely concurrent think-aloud and Chi’s explanations, and move on to other approaches. Third, we present and critically evaluate studies from the literature on medical image interpretation that have sought to contrast or integrate eye movement data and verbal reports. Fourth, we conclude with some practical guidelines and suggestions for further research.
Mood Moderates the Effect of Self-Generation During Learning
Full text linkGenerating information, compared to reading, improves learning and enhances long-term retention of the learned content. This so-called generation effect has been demonstrated repeatedly for recall and recognition of single words. However, before adopting generating as a learning strategy in educational contexts, conditions moderating the effect need to be identified. This study investigated the impact of positive and negative mood states on the generation effect with short expository texts. According to the dual-force framework (Fiedler, Nickel, Asbeck, & Pagel, 2003), positive mood should facilitate generation by enhancing creative knowledge-based top-down processing (assimilation). Negative mood, however, should facilitate learning in the read-condition by enhancing critical stimulus-driven bottom-up processing (accommodation). In contrast to our expectations, we found no general generation effect but an overall learning advantage of read compared to generated texts. However, a significant interaction of learning condition and mood indicates that learners in a better mood recall generated texts better than learners in a more negative mood, whereas no mood effect was found when the texts were read. The results of the present study partially support the predictions of the dual-force framework and are discussed in the context of recent theoretical approaches to the generation effect
Group, team, or something in between? Conceptualising and measuring team entitativity
Full text linkThe main aim of this study includes bridging the gap between strict team and broader group research by describing the distinction between strict teams and mere collections of individuals as the degree of team entitativity or teamness. The concept of entitativity is derived from social psychology research and further developed and integrated in team research. Based upon the entitativity concept and the core team definitions, the defining features shaping teams’ degree of entitativity are determined: shared goals and responsibilities; cohesion (task cohesion and identification); and interdependence (task and outcome). In a next step, a questionnaire is developed to empirically grasp these features. The questionnaire is tested in two waves of data collection (N1=1320; N2=731). Based upon a combination of Classical Test Theory analyses (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) and Item Response Theory analyses the questionnaire is developed. The final questionnaire consists of three factors: shared goals and cohesion, task interdependence, and outcome interdependence. Further psychometric analyses include the investigation of validity, longitudinal measurement invariance, and test-retest reliability. This manuscript describes frontline research by: (1) developing a novel conceptualisation bridging groups and teams based upon two research traditions (social psychology and team research) and (2) combining two methodological traditions regarding questionnaire development and validation (Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory)
Relationships among motivation, commitment, cognitive capacities, and achievement in secondary education
Full text linkThe aims of the present study were (1) to identify to what extent school motivation and school commitment contributed to the explanation of students’ academic achievement in addition to the effect of students’ cognitive capacities, (2) to find out whether school commitment mediated the relation between school motivation and academic achievement, and (3) to find out whether school motivation mediated the relation between school commitment and academic achievement. New in the field is that perspectives from two different research traditions were adopted, resulting in a selection of variables introduced by identity development theory and by motivational theories on achievement goals. The overall goal was to provide insight in the underlying structure of the relationships among these variables by providing new empirical evidence derived from a large student sample. A sample of more than 6,000 secondary school students from the Netherlands was therefore used in the study. Path models (structural equation models) were used to analyse the data. Fit indices of the final model were satisfactory. This model included students’ cognitive capacities, three motivation factors (performance, social, and extrinsic motivation; mastery was excluded) and one commitment component (in-depth exploration; the ‘commitment’ and ‘reconsideration of commitment’ components were excluded). The results showed small effects of performance (+), social (+), and extrinsic (-) motivation on academic achievement in addition to students’ cognitive capacities. A very small negative effect was found for in-depth exploration. In-depth exploration mediated the motivation – achievement relationships to a limited extent. Suggestions for further research are discussed
Psychometric properties of the Epistemological Development in Teaching Learning Questionnaire (EDTLQ): An inventory to measure higher order epistemological development
Full text linkQualitative research supports a developmental dimension in views on teaching and learning, but there are currently no quantitative tools to measure the full range of this development. To address this we developed the Epistemological Development in Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (EDTLQ). In the current study the psychometric properties of the EDTLQ were examined using a sample (N= 232) of teachers from a Swedish University. A confirmatory factor and Rasch analysis showed that the items of the EDTLQ form a unidimensional scale, implying a single latent variable (eg epistemological development). Item and person separation reliability, showed satisfactory levels of fit indicating that the response alternatives differentiate appropriately. Endorsement of the statements reflected the preferred constructivist learning-teaching environment of the response group. The EDTLQ is innovative since is the first quantitative survey to measure epistemological development and it has a potential to be used as an apt tool for teachers to monitor the development of students as well as to offer professional development opportunities to the teachers
Challenges and learning outcomes of educational design research for PhD students
Full text linkEducational design research (EDR) is described as a complex research approach. The challenges resulting from this complexity are typically described as procedural, whereas EDR might also be challenging for different reasons, specifically for early career researchers. Yet challenging experiences may be noteworthy in the process of learning to do research and becoming a researcher. To explore this issue further, we engaged in a collaborative self-study, and conducted a narrative cross-case analysis of two PhD candidates’ experiences of engaging in EDR, focusing on challenges and learning outcomes. We find indications that the challenges of EDR might be more related to EDR’s relatively new and minority position in educational sciences and the role a (early career) researcher needs to assume in EDR. Retrospectively, the challenges appear closely related to learning outcomes, which are described in terms of a more profound understanding of research (quality) and of oneself as a researcher. As such, insights gained by self-study of research practices provide a complementary perspective to existing literature on EDR and becoming a researcher
Does Physical Environment Contribute to Basic Psychological Needs? A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Learning in the Chemistry Laboratory
Full text linkThe role of motivation and emotions in learning has been extensively studied in recent years; however, research on the role of the physical environment still remains scarce. This study examined the role of the physical environment in the learning process from the perspective of basic psychological needs. Although self-determination theory stresses the role of the social and cultural environment, as yet the role of the physical environment has been unexplored.The study focused on beginning chemistry university students’ (n=21) experiences in a chemistry laboratory. The data consisted of focus-group interviews and self-report questionnaires. The results indicate that the physical environment can support or thwart the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs. The usability and functionality of spaces and tools contributed to not just the fluency of the intellectual activity but also to the related emotional experience of oneself acting in a particular environment. The physical environment was a source of procedural facilitation: It complemented and challenged the students’ existing skills, contributing to their experiences of autonomy and competence. The everyday successes or struggles in the laboratory built on the students’ developing professional identity as well as their sense of belonging to the professional community.This study demonstrates that the design and functionality of the physical environment has a significant role in users’ intellectual and emotional functioning. It is essential to utilize psychological and pedagogical knowledge when designing or renovating work and learning environments in order to fully make use of the potential of physical environments as part of human performance.