The association between academic achievement and health status among eighth -grade Hispanic students in Houston

This cross-sectional study examines the association between health and academic achievement among Hispanic eighth-grade students in the Houston Independent School District. As part of the district's 3 year Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative to enhance comprehensive educational programs, a brief anonymous questionnaire was administered in the classroom to 359 students in two schools during a one-month period in the early part of the 2001 school year. ^ The primary study questions are: Among this sample of Hispanic adolescents, is there a significant association between academic achievement and health status? and in this same population, is there a significant association between health risk behavior and health status? The specific aims of this research are: (1) to describe the association between academic achievement and health status; (2) to describe the association between health risk behaviors and health status; and (3) to describe the relative contribution of health risk behaviors and academic achievement to adolescent health status among this sample of Hispanic adolescents. ^ The survey instrument was a 32-item questionnaire that incorporated: several academic achievement questions measuring usual grades, school-related performance, attendance, student and perceived parental satisfaction with academic achievement, and educational aspirations; two health and quality of life scales measuring adolescent self-reported health; and specific measures of health risk behavior, e.g., frequency of tobacco cigarette smoking, alcohol and other drug use, aggression, and suicidal ideation and behavior that were incorporated from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Questions pertaining to sexual behavior and pregnancy were omitted to comply with school district guidelines. ^ Analysis revealed that strong associations between academic achievement and health status and between health risk behaviors and health status were observed after controlling for the covariates. Eight factors were found to be significantly associated with poor health status: usual grades (low), academic performance (low), academic achievement beliefs (low), classroom and homework performance satisfaction (low), ever drinking alcohol (6 or more times), suicidality (ever thought about, planned for, or sought medical help after attempting suicide), gender (female), and age (15 years and older). (Abstract shortened by UMI.) ^

The influence of transparency on self-evaluation as part of the university accreditation process in Peru.

In order to show the choice of transparency as the guiding principle of the accreditation process, the article evaluates its influence on the fundamental subprocess of self-evaluation, thereby confirming that transparency is an essential tool for continuous improvement of academic processes and those of educational quality management. It fosters educational innovation and permits the sustainability of the continuous accreditation process over time, resulting in greater probabilities of university self-regulation through systemization of the process, with the objective of continuous improvement of university degree programs. The article analyzes the influence of transparency on each activity of the self-evaluation process according to the Peruvian accreditation model prepared under the total quality approach, as a reference for other accreditation models, proposing concrete transparency actions and evaluating its influence on the stakeholder groups in the self-evaluation process, as well as on the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. It is concluded that transparency has a positive influence on the training of human capital and the formation of the university?s organizational culture, facilitating dissemination, understanding and involvement of the stakeholder groups in the continuous improvement of accreditation activities and increasing their acceptance of change and commitment to the process. It is confirmed that transparency contributes toward increasing the efficiency index of the self-evaluation process by reducing operating costs through adequate, accessible, timely contribution of information by the stakeholders and through the optimization of the time spent gathering relevant information. In addition, it is concluded that transparency contributes toward increasing the effectiveness index of self-evaluation by facilitating the achievement of its objectives through synthetic, useful, reliable interpretation of the education situation and the formulation of feasible improvement plans based on the adequacy, relevance, visibility, pertinence and truthfulness of the information analyzed.

Relationships among multiple intelligences, motor performance and academic achievement in secondary school children

This study examines the relationships between multiple intelligences, academic achievement and motor performance in a group of secondary school children. Four hundred and eighty schoolchildren participated in this study (171 female and 309 male) with an average age of 13.33 years (SD: 1.41). The Revised self-efficacy Inventory for Multiple Intelligences (IAIM-R) and the motor test Sportcomp were applied, and the average results of the academic year they had made were obtained. The analysis of the results showed how female scored significantly higher on the Linguistic, Spatial and Interpersonal intelligences, and older pupils scored significantly higher on the linguistic and naturalistic intelligences. It was the logical-mathematical intelligence which showed significant relationships with academic performance and it was the intelligence that better predicted this achievement. It was the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that was significantly related to motor competence and the best intelligence that predicted its achievement. Finally, indicate that schoolchildren with better scores in the motor test were those who scored higher in both academic achievement and all the multiple intelligences, with the exception of musical intelligence.

A structural model of cognitive-motivational variables as explanatory factors of academic achievement in Spanish Language and Mathematics

In recent years, several explanatory models have been developed which attempt to analyse the predictive worth of various factors in relation to academic achievement, as well as the direct and indirect effects that they produce. The aim of this study was to examine a structural model incorporating various cognitive and motivational variables which influence student achievement in the two basic core skills in the Spanish curriculum: Spanish Language and Mathematics. These variables included differential aptitudes, specific self-concept, goal orientations, effort and learning strategies. The sample comprised 341 Spanish students in their first year of Compulsory Secondary Education. Various tests and questionnaires were used to assess each student, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to study the relationships in the initial model. The proposed model obtained a satisfactory fit for the two subjects studied, and all the relationships hypothesised were significant. The variable with the most explanatory power regarding academic achievement was mathematical and verbal aptitude. Also notable was the direct influence of specific self-concept on achievement, goal-orientation and effort, as was the mediatory effect that effort and learning strategies had between academic goals and final achievement.

Goal Orientation Profiles and Self-Concept of Secondary School Students

The objective of this study is to identify possible combinations of multiple goals that lead to different goal orientation profiles and to determine whether there are significant group differences in self-concept dimensions. The Achievement Goals Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ) and the Self-Description Questionnaire-II (SDQ-II) were administered to a sample of 2,022 students of Compulsory Secondary education, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years (M = 13.81, SD = 1.35). Cluster analysis identified four profiles of motivational goals: a group of students with a generalized high motivation profile, a group of students with generalized low motivation profile, a group of students with a predominance of learning goals and achievement goals, and a last group of students with a predominance of achievement goals and social reinforcement goals. Results reveal statistically significant differences among the profiles obtained regarding self-concept dimensions.

Motivational profiles Spanish students of Compulsory Secondary Education: Differential analysis of academic self-attributions

Academic goals and academic self-attributions are relevant variables in school settings. The objective of this study is to identify whether there are combinations of multiple goals that lead to different motivational profiles and to determine whether there are significant differences between the groups obtained regarding causal attributions of success and failure (ability, effort, or external causes) in Mathematics and Language and Literature, and in overall academic performance. The Goal Achievement Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS) were administered to a sample of 2022 students of compulsory secondary education, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years (M = 13.81, SD = 1.35). Cluster analysis identified four motivational profiles: a group of students with a high generalized motivation profile, a group of students with low generalized motivation profile, a group of students with predominance of learning goals and achievement goals, and a final group of students with predominance of social reinforcement goals. Results revealed statistically significant differences between the profiles obtained in academic self-attributions.

The Influence of Gender, Intellectual Ability, Academic Self-Concept, Self-Regulation, Learning Strategies, Popularity and Parent Involvement in Early Adolescence

The present study examined the predictive effects of gender, intellectual ability, self-concept, motivation, learning strategies, popularity and parent involvement on academic achievement. Hiearchical regression analysis were performed with six steps in which each variable was included, among a sample of 1398 high school students (mean age = 12.5; standard deviation = .67) of eight education centers from the province of Alicante (Spain). The results revealed significant predictive effects of all of the variables, explaining 59.1% of the total variance.

Academic Achievement in Early Adolescence: The Influence of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Variables

The present study examined the predictive effects of intellectual ability, self-concept, goal orientations, learning strategies, popularity and parent involvement on academic achievement. Hierarchical regression analysis and path analysis were performed among a sample of 1398 high school students (mean age = 12.5; SD =.67) from eight education centers from the province of Alicante (Spain). Cognitive and non-cognitive variables were measured using validated questionnaires, whereas academic achievement was assessed using end-of-term grades obtained by students in nine subjects. The results revealed significant predictive effects of all of the variables. The model proposed had a satisfactory fit, and all of the hypothesized relationships were significant. These findings support the importance of including non-cognitive variables along with cognitive variables when predicting a model of academic achievement.

The relationship of child perceptions to achievement and behavior in the early school years

"Cooperative research project no. 814 ... supported by the cooperative research program of the Office of education, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare."

The perceived benefits of the chronic disease self-management program among participants with stroke: A qualitative study

Despite the expense associated with rehabilitation following stroke, dissatisfaction with psychosocial outcomes is common (Thomas & Parry, 1996). The rehabilitation system has been critiqued as lacking a theoretical base for psychosocial interventions (Goldberg, Segal, Berk, Schall, & Gershkoff, 1997). The current paper examines the possible role of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program ([CDSMP] Lorig, 1996) in contributing to the psychosocial rehabilitation of people with stroke. This paper focuses on the analysis of incidental comments made by participants about a version of the CDSMP, tailored for people with stroke. These comments, collected over an 18-month follow-up period, provide interesting insights into the key aspects of the program. Six informative themes emerged from the more specific comments, namely (1) the importance of social contact and comparison, (2) increased awareness and knowledge about stroke, (3) motivation to pursue goals and activities, (4) a sense of achievement, (5) maintenance of gains, and (6) the paradoxical nature of social support. According to participants, the program was associated with enhanced self-efficacy. Other reported benefits (such as social support and enhanced knowledge) were indirectly associated with the program and appeared to reflect social aspects of the group and its stroke-specific focus. Maintenance of gains made by participants was seen as a crucial issue.

General self-concept and life satisfaction for boys with differing levels of physical coordination: The role of goal orientations and leisure participation

Participation in leisure-time activities, self-concept perceptions and individual dispositional goal orientations were examined as mediators of relationships between physical coordination and self-evaluations of life satisfaction and general self-concept for 173 boys aged 10-13 years. Participants completed seven-day activity diaries and 12-month retrospective recall questionnaires recording participation in leisure-time activities. Self-report measures of self-concept, global life satisfaction and dispositional goal orientations were also completed. Results showed that boys with moderate to severe physical coordination difficulties had significantly lower self-concept perceptions of physical ability and appearance, peer and parent relations and general self-concept, as well as lower life satisfaction than boys with medium to high levels of physical coordination. The relationships between boys' physical coordination and their self-perceptions of life satisfaction and general self-concept were significantly influenced by individual self-concept appraisals of physical ability and appearance, peer and parent relations. Adopting task-oriented goals was found to positively change the relationship between physical coordination and both general self-concept and life satisfaction. Team sport participation positively mediated the relationship between physical coordination and life satisfaction. The potential for team sport participation and adoption of task-oriented goals to influence life satisfaction for boys with differing levels of physical coordination was discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

A systems approach to students' motivation and academic achievement

This research followed earlier work (reported in a thesis presented in 1970) on factors associated with the academic performance of a sample of technical college students, which recommended the further study of students' motivation. The technical college then became part of a polytechnic, but the courses chosen for the continuation of the research were all of a specifically vocational character. The approach was influenced by Angyal (1941) in seeking to relate symbolic processes to broader behaviour patterns within a systems framework. Forms of semantic differential were developed to obtain the students' responses to words representing various activities and various people both within and outside the academic environment. Also, a "!growth motivation questionnaire" was produced using ideas from self-actualisation, job satisfaction and expectancy theory and examination marks were recorded. From pre-coded responses to the growth motivation questionnaire, scores on a 'study satisfaction' factor were calculated, and subsamples of students were taken at the extremes of this scale. Wriitten responses from the same questionnaire and semantic differential factor scores showed contrasting patterns between the two subsamples. Interpretation of these patterns suggested a diversity of approach to academic work among the students which calls for greater flexibility in the educational system serving them.

Revisiting goal-oriented models for self-aware systems-of-systems

Systems-of-systems (SoS) are systems resulted from the interaction among other independent constituent systems that collaborate to offer new functionalities towards accomplishing global missions. Each of these constituent systems accomplishes its individual missions and is able to contribute to the achievement of the global missions of the SoS, both being viewed as a set of associated goals. In the perspective of self-aware systems, SoS need to exhibit goal-awareness, i.e., They need to be aware of their own goals and of how their constituent systems contribute to their accomplishment. In this paper, we revisit goal-oriented concepts aiming at identifying and modeling goals at both SoS level and the constituent systems level. Moreover, we take advantage of such goal-oriented models to express the relationship among goals at these levels as well as to define how each constituent system can contribute to the accomplishment of global goals of an SoS. In addition, we shed light on important issues related to goal modeling in self-aware SoS to be addressed in future research.

The development and analysis of a field project model curriculum and its impact on achievement and attitude toward science and the environment with at-risk eleventh and twelfth grade students

This study was an evaluation of a Field Project Model Curriculum and its impact on achievement, attitude toward science, attitude toward the environment, self-concept, and academic self-concept with at-risk eleventh and twelfth grade students. One hundred eight students were pretested and posttested on the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, PHCSC (1985); the Self-Concept as a Learner Scale, SCAL (1978); the Marine Science Test, MST (1987); the Science Attitude Inventory, SAI (1970); and the Environmental Attitude Scale, EAS (1972). Using a stratified random design, three groups of students were randomly assigned according to sex and stanine level, to three treatment groups. Group one received the field project method, group two received the field study method, and group three received the field trip method. All three groups followed the marine biology course content as specified by Florida Student Performance Objectives and Frameworks. The intervention occurred for ten months with each group participating in outside-of-classroom activities on a trimonthly basis. Analysis of covariance procedures were used to determine treatment effects. F-ratios, p-levels and t-tests at p $<$.0062 (.05/8) indicated that a significant difference existed among the three treatment groups. Findings indicated that groups one and two were significantly different from group three with group one displaying significantly higher results than group two. There were no significant differences between males and females in performance on the five dependent variables. The tenets underlying environmental education are congruent with the recommendations toward the reform of science education. These include a value analysis approach, inquiry methods, and critical thinking strategies that are applied to environmental issues. ^

The influence of weak parental and peer attachment on academic achievement among late adolescent college students

The current study examined the influence of weak parental and peer attachment on academic achievement among late adolescent college students. In previous research, weak attachment to parents and/or peers had been found to have an adverse influence on the academic success of college students. This study also examined the potential moderating influence of several cognitive and non-cognitive psychosocial variables that might act as protective factors for weakly attached students and, therefore, enhance their academic competence. Data regarding attachment, cognitive variables, and non-cognitive variables were collected using several self-report measures. The multi-ethnic sample of students in this study (n = 357) attended an urban university. Students were classified into one of nine parental-peer attachment groups (e.g., Low-Low, Medium-Medium, High-High). Attachment groups were compared in terms of cognitive and non-cognitive variables. Contrary to the hypothesis, no statistically significant academic achievement differences were revealed for the group of college students who perceived themselves to be weakly attached to both parents and peers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified the High-High group to be significantly different in terms of academic outcome variables from the other eight groups while the Low-Low group had significantly lower levels of non-cognitive variables than several of the other attachment groups. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that cognitive variables accounted for significant amounts of variance in academic outcomes and that several non-cognitive variables were significant predictors of scholastic competence. Correlational analyses revealed that parental and peer attachment were positively correlated with several cognitive and non-cognitive variables but neither was significantly correlated with self-reported college GPA. In general, the findings do not provide support for a main effect of weak attachment to parents and peers upon academic adversity among college students. Results suggest that both cognitive variables and non-cognitive variables may moderate academic risk due to weak attachment to parents and peers. Descriptive within group analyses of the Low-Low group revealed a heterogeneous group of students with regards to academic outcomes and scores on non-cognitive measures. Gender and ethnic differences were found for attachment status but not for cognitive or non-cognitive variables. Implications for interventions and suggestions for future research are presented. ^