Enhancing Student Learning: Study of a Motivational Resource for Educators

This study surveyed practicing classroom teacher’s perceptions of a proposed educational resource “Avatar Academy” designed to enhance students’, particularly young boys, motivation and general attitude towards learning. The Avatar Academy resource is an instructional guide for implementing a classroom reward system based on common game mechanics. The resource emphasizes the modification of current pedagogies to exploit the use of game design to engage boys. A survey of recent literature indicated an opportunity to study teachers’ perceptions of the possible applications of game design mechanics to support the enhancement of student motivation and learning in the classroom. As a result the Avatar Academy handbook and blog resource were developed to assist teachers with the integration and administration of a program designed to enhance student motivation, especially boys, using avatars and a point based reward system. The resources were initially distributed to several practicing teachers for their review, and their feedback formed the basis for revisions of the Avatar Academy resource. After implementing changes to the resource based on initial teacher feedback, an updated Avatar Academy was redistributed and teacher opinions and perceptions of the tool’s possible impacts on classroom learning were collected.

Mobile Books: Effect of Engagement on Students’ Motivation and Cognitive Strategy Use

This mixed methods research explores the role of reading engagement in 30 grade 1 students’ motivation to read mobile electronic storybooks (eBooks) and cognitive strategies used during eBook reading. Data collection comprised motivation and parent questionnaires, behavioural observation checklists, cognitive strategies rubric, and teacher interviews. Students’ emotional engagement with and enjoyment of mobile eBooks corresponded to 4 motivational aspects of intrinsic motivation: curiosity, control, choice, and challenge. Post-intervention results indicated that most student participants enjoyed answering eBook comprehension questions and preferred eBooks to print books; by the end of the study, all had access to a mobile device at home. A majority of participants were actively engaged during mobile eBook reading sessions and persisted in answering embedded eBook comprehension questions, which together reflected students’ behavioural engagement and time-on-task during mobile reading. Students’ off-task behaviours related to iPads’ accessibility features and inherent reader-friendliness. All participants successfully answered evaluative questions requiring them to activate prior knowledge, and experienced higher levels of difficulty with making personal connections. The study highlights the importance of making school-based literacy practices relevant to students’ outside worlds, and discusses implications for teacher educators, administrators, curriculum developers, and eBook and other digital developers concerning the need for greater collaboration in order to more closely align technology resources with national curriculum expectations.

L'influence de l'engagement de l'élève sur le lien entre le redoublement et le décrochage scolaire

Malgré une diminution de sa prévalence au cours des dernières décennies, le décrochage scolaire demeure une problématique inquiétante et ses effets ont de lourdes conséquences au niveau de l’individu et de la société. Parmi les nombreux facteurs de risque identifiés par les recherches dans le domaine de l’éducation, le redoublement est l’un des prédicteurs les plus puissants du décrochage scolaire. L’engagement scolaire a quant à lui été à plusieurs reprises identifié comme étant une variable prometteuse dans la prévention et l’intervention de l’abandon des études. L’objectif de cette étude est de vérifier l’effet potentiellement médiateur de l’engagement scolaire sur le lien entre le redoublement et le décrochage scolaire chez une population d’adolescents québécois provenant de milieux défavorisés. Malgré que les résultats ne démontrent pas un effet médiateur, ils permettent d’affirmer la présence d’un effet additif de l’engagement de l’élève au redoublement scolaire dans la prédiction du décrochage scolaire.

Préparation à l'école et engagement scolaire : le rôle médiateur de la relation maître-élève

Bien que les facteurs de risque associés au faible engagement scolaire aient été largement étudiés, les mécanismes qui conduisent les enfants moins bien préparés pour l’école à se désengager dès le début de leur parcours scolaire demeurent méconnus. Une meilleure compréhension de ces mécanismes permettrait de prévenir le désinvestissement de ces élèves et favoriserait leur persévérance scolaire. Étant donné l’importance des relations sociales en début de scolarisation, la présente étude a pour objectif d’examiner dans quelle mesure la relation que l’élève entretient avec son enseignant en première année peut expliquer le lien entre la préparation à l’école en maternelle et l’engagement scolaire en deuxième année. Des régressions linéaires multiples hiérarchiques réalisées sur un échantillon de 1492 élèves québécois ont permis de vérifier cette hypothèse. Les résultats obtenus confirment que la relation maître-élève chaleureuse et conflictuelle permet d’expliquer le niveau d’engagement des élèves qui présentent une faible préparation à l’école lorsqu’ils entrent à la maternelle. Les implications pour la recherche et la pratique des intervenants en milieu scolaire seront discutées.

Comportements oppositionnels et engagement scolaire : effet modérateur de la relation maître-élève.

Les élèves aux problèmes de comportements externalisés comme l'opposition éprouvent généralement de la difficulté à s’engager dans leurs apprentissages (Janosz, 2000). Or, un faible engagement scolaire peut générer des problèmes d’ordre académique et mener au décrochage. Toutefois, certains facteurs environnementaux tels que la relation maître-élève semblent influer sur l’investissement des élèves dans les activités scolaires. La présente étude vise à examiner le lien entre le degré d'opposition d'élèves du 2e cycle du primaire et leur engagement comportemental et affectif en français. Elle tente aussi de vérifier si la chaleur ou les conflits présents dans la relation maître-élève agissent comme facteurs de protection ou comme facteurs aggravants face à l’engagement scolaire des élèves oppositionnels. Finalement, cette étude s’intéresse à l’effet différentiel de la relation maître-élève sur l’engagement scolaire des garçons et des filles. Des régressions linéaires multiples hiérarchiques effectuées sur 385 élèves québécois ont permis d’atteindre ces objectifs. Les résultats obtenus révèlent que la chaleur n’agit pas à titre de facteur de protection en ce qui a trait à l’engagement comportemental des élèves oppositionnels, mais qu’elle est bénéfique pour l’engagement comportemental des filles. Les résultats confirment également l’effet aggravant des conflits sur l’engagement comportemental des élèves oppositionnels. Finalement, cette étude indique que les conflits élèves-enseignants sont nuisibles pour l’engagement affectif des garçons. Les implications de ces résultats pour la recherche et pour l’intervention en psychoéducation seront présentées.

Intervention visant à favoriser l'engagement scolaire cognitif et affectif des garçons du troisième cycle du primaire

Rapport d'analyse d'intervention présenté à la Faculté des arts et sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise ès sciences (M. Sc.) en psychoéducation.

L'école j'y tiens: programme de prévention au décrochage scolaire visant l'augmentation de l'engagement comportemental ainsi que la favorisation du développement des habiletés sociales

Rapport d'analyse d'intervention présenté à la Faculté des arts et sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise ès sciences (M. Sc.) en psychoéducation.

L'engagement scolaire des enfants hyperactifs et inattentifs : effets modérateurs des relations sociales

Les élèves qui ont un bon engagement scolaire présentent généralement une bonne adaptation à l’école. Cependant, pour les enfants hyperactifs et inattentifs, cette adaptation est souvent altérée. Les enfants qui entretiennent de bonnes relations sociales ont tendance à présenter un meilleur engagement comportemental, affectif et cognitif. La présente étude vise à déterminer si la prosocialité envers les pairs et les relations chaleureuses avec les enseignants protègent les enfants hyperactifs-inattentifs d’un possible désengagement scolaire. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de 513 élèves du primaire et leurs enseignants au cours de deux années scolaires successives. Les résultats montrent que ces enfants bénéficient des relations positives avec les pairs et les enseignants. En particulier, l’engagement comportemental de ces élèves demeure plus élevé comparativement à ceux qui n’entretiennent pas de relations positives. Pour les enfants très hyperactifs-inattentifs, la relation chaleureuse modère le lien entre hyperactivité-inattention et engagement affectif. L’hyperactivité- inattention ne prédit pas de diminution d’engagement affectif et cognitif. Les implications pour la recherche et la pratique sont discutées.

Bologna-Prozess vs. ehrenamtliches studentisches Engagement?

„Egoist dank Bachelor?“ (Zeit online 2009). So lautet der Titel einer Leserdebatte zu ehrenamtlichem Engagement an der Hochschule, welche in der Online-Ausgabe der Wochenzeitung Die Zeit angestoßen wurde. Der zur Diskussion beitragende User „taralenatara“ äußerte sich am 27. Dezember 2009 um 18.15 Uhr folgendermaßen dazu: „Ich engagiere mich neben meinem Studium im FSR [Fachschaftsrat] und ich muss sagen, dass diese Arbeit sehr viel Zeit in Anspruch nimmt, die ich eigentlich bei meinem Bachelorstudium gar nicht habe. Ich habe zu tun, alles unter einen Hut zu bekommen. Wenn ich meine Arbeit gut machen möchte, muss ich aufpassen, dass das Studium nicht auf der Strecke bleibt. Zudem kann trotz Interesse kaum jemand für so eine Aufgabe gewonnen werden, da alle als Grund ‚Zeitmangel‘ angeben. Ist natürlich u.a. Studiengang abhängig – aber der Unterschied zwischen Diplom- und Bachelorzeiten ist deutlich zu spüren.“ Ein subjektiver Beitrag wie dieser kann sicherlich nicht als allgemeingültig betrachtet werden. Dennoch kritisieren diese und andere Aussagen weiterer Diskussionsteilnehmer den Bologna-Prozess – auch im Vergleich zu den traditionellen Studiengängen wie Diplom oder Magister – bezüglich seines Einflusses auf ehrenamtliches Engagement Studierender vehement. Unter anderem wird die Kritik über folgende Schlagworte angeführt: Überfüllte Lehrpläne, zunehmender Druck, viele Referate und Klausuren, wenig bis keine Freizeit und (oder dadurch?) eingeschränkte oder keine Zeit bzw. Möglichkeit für ehrenamtliches studentisches Engagement an der Hochschule. Bedeutet dies nun, wie Zeit online (2009) provokativ schreibt, „Ellenbogen statt Ehrenamt“ und steht diese Aussage exemplarisch für die Be- bzw. Verhinderung von ehrenamtlichem Engagement durch den Bologna-Prozess? In der vorliegenden Wissenschaftlichen Hausarbeit zum 1. Staatsexamen soll eben jenes Verhältnis herausgestellt werden, ob und inwieweit sich der Bologna-Prozess und ehrenamtliches Engagement an der Hochschule wirklich unversöhnlich gegenüberstehen. Weiter soll thematisiert werden, welche möglichen Zukunftsperspektiven sich daraus ergeben. Die Arbeit gliedert sich hierfür in fünf Teile (inklusive eines resümierenden Fazits), die nachfolgend erläutert werden.

Bilateral trade between New Zealand & the pacific alliance: perspectives and possibilities for further trade engagement

Due to the rapid and effective success of countries in the Pacific Rim for the last two decades, current world trade attention has been focussed on what appears to be the common vision of the ‘Pacific Century’. Reducing attention from the Atlantic and focusing it on the Pacific represents a new challenge for countries touching this ocean. The main Latin American economies bordering the pacific have taken upon this challenge with the creation of the Pacific Alliance in 2011. In this way, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru intend to penetrate and increase trade with the region by forming a coalition. The Pacific Alliance has attracted international attention, interest and support from nations around the world, counting 32 countries as observers; 7 are actually located in the region and six of them rank amongst the Top 15 world economies. As is expected, the possibility of closer trade engagement with big players such as China, India, Japan, South Korea or Australia absorb the main attention of media, governments and academics alike, leaving behind other feasible and possible opportunities unattended. That is precisely the case of New Zealand and its favourable commerce opportunities with the Pacific Alliance. The following document will study the major trends and variations in trade between New Zealand, the Pacific Alliance and its members between 2010 and 2014. Proving that mutual trade is most likely to keep on growing.

Learning Democracy Together in School? : Student and Teacher Attitudes in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The principal aim of this study is to examine attitudes and values, through questionnaires, among students and teachers in the last grade of primary school (grade 8) regarding issues related to authoritarianism, democracy, human rights, children rights, conflict resolution and legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A second aim is to explore and analyze the role of the international community in the democratization and education processes in the light of globalization in this country through secondary sources of data, site visits and observations. Analysis of the student sample reveals suspicion towards democracy, especially when democracy was associated with politics and politicians. When the issue of democracy was de-contextualized from Bosnia and Herzegovina realities in the questionnaire, students showed more positive attitudes towards it. Students generally agreed with very strong authoritarian statements. High achieving students were more democratic, more socially responsible, more tolerant regarding attitudes towards religion, race and disabilities, and less authoritarian compared to low achievers. High achievers felt that they had influence over daily events, and were positive towards social and civil engagement. High achievers viewed politics negatively, but had high scores on the democracy scale. High achievers also agreed to a larger extent that it is acceptable to break the law. The more authoritarian students were somewhat more prone to respond that it is not acceptable to break the law. The major findings from the teacher sample show that teachers who agreed with non-peaceful mediation, and had a non-forgiving and rigid approach to interpersonal conflicts, also agreed with strong authoritarian statements and were less democratic. In general, teachers valued students who behave respectfully, have a good upbringing and are obedient. They were very concerned about the general status of education in society, which they felt was becoming marginalized. Teachers were not happy with the overloaded curricula and they showed an interest in more knowledge and skills to help children with traumatic war experiences. When asked about positive reforms, teachers were highly critical of, and dissatisfied with, the educational situation. Bosnia and Herzegovina is undergoing a transition from a state-planned economy and one party system to a market economy and a multi party system. During this transition, the country has become more involved in the globalization process than ever. Today the country is a semi-protectorate where international authorities intervene when necessary. The International community is attempting to introduce western democracy and some of the many complexities in this process are discussed in this study. Globalization processes imply contradictory demands and pressures on the education system. On one hand, economic liberalization has affected education policies —a closer alignment between education and economic competitiveness. On the other hand, there is a political and ideological globalization process underlying the importance of human rights, and the inclusiveness of education for all children. Students and teachers are caught between two opposing ideals — competition and cooperation.

Relationships Past and Present: Examining the Impact of One's Relationship with His/her Opposite-sex Parent on His/her Attitudes Toward and Engagement in Hookup Culture

Hooking up has become a common and public practice on university campuses across the country. While much research has determined who is doing it, with whom they are doing it, and what they are hoping to get out of it, little work has been done to determine what personal factors motivate students to participate in the culture. A total of 407 current students were surveyed to assess the impact of one’s relationship with his/her opposite-sex parent on his/her attitudestoward and engagement in hookup culture on campus. Scores were assigned to the participants to divide them into categories of high and low attachment with their parent. It was hypothesizedthat heterosexual students who do not perceive themselves as having a strong, close, positive relationship with their opposite-sex parent would be more likely to engage in or attempt to engage in casual sexual behavior. This pattern was expected to be strongest for women on campus. Men and women differed in their reasons for hooking up, with whom they hook up, to what they attribute the behaviors of their peers, and what they hope to gain from their sexual interactions. Effects of parent-child relationships were significant only for women who reported hooking up because “others are doing it,” men’s agreement with the behavior of their peers, and women’s overall satisfaction with their hookups. Developmental, social, and evolutionary perspectives are employed to explain the results. University status was determined to be most telling of the extent to which a student is engaged in hookup culture.

Three Strategies for Promoting Intellectual Engagement in Advanced Undergraduate Seminars

With the humanities increasingly contested, we must adopt pedagogical approaches that promote the integral role of humanistic inquiry in student academic achievement. Whether they explore the eighteenth-century novel, cultural artifacts of the Third Republic, or sociopolitical controversies in contemporary literature, the three models described in this article propose innovative learning strategies for advanced undergraduate French and Francophone Studies seminars that fulfill the humanistic goals of the American university. From directed close reading exercises to analysis of the historical archive to creative exploratory writing, these activities engage students intellectually with complex cultural and narrative materials from diverse traditions and periods.

Investigating and Understanding Student Learning Outcomes in an Online and Face-to-Face Graduate Level Legal Administration Course: An Embedded Mixed Methods Design

Online education is a new teaching and learning medium with few current guidelines for faculty, administrators or students. Its rapid growth over the last decade has challenged academic institutions to keep up with the demand, while also providing a quality education. Our understanding of the factors that determine quality and effective online learning experiences that lead to student learning outcomes is still evolving. There is a lack of consensus on the effectiveness of online versus face-to-face education in the current research. The U.S. Department of Education conducted a meta-analysis in 2009 and concluded that student-learning outcomes in online courses were equal to and, often times, better than face-to-face traditional courses. Subsequent research has found contradictory findings, and further inquiry is necessary. The purpose of this embedded mixed methods design research study is to further our understanding of the factors that create quality and successful educational outcomes in an online course. To achieve this, the first phase of this study measured and compared learning outcomes in an online and in class graduate-level legal administration course. The second phase of the study entailed interviews with those students in both the online and face-to-face sections to understand their perspectives on the factors contributing to learning outcomes. Six themes emerged from the qualitative findings: convenience, higher order thinking, discussions, professor engagement, professor and student interaction, and face-to-face interaction. Findings from this study indicate the factors students perceive as contributing to learning outcomes in an online course are consistent among all students and are supported in the existing literature. Higher order thinking, however, emerged as a stronger theme than indicated in the current research, and the face-to-face nature of the traditional classroom may be more an issue of familiarity than a factor contributing to learning outcomes. As education continues to reach new heights and developments in technology advance, the factors found to contribute to student learning outcomes will be refined and enhanced. These developments will continue to transform the ways in which we deliver and receive knowledge in both traditional and online classrooms. While there is a growing body of research on online education, the field’s evolution has unsettled earlier findings and posed new areas to investigate.

Fostering Teaching Staff's Engagement in Continuous Assessment

Among the factors that affect the convergence towards the European Higher Education Area, university teaching staff's motivation is fundamental, and consequently, it is crucial to empirically know what this motivation depends on. In this context, one of the most relevant changes in the teacher-student relationship is assessment. In fact, the transition from a static assessment -focused on only one temporal point (final exam)- to a dynamic assessment, will require changes in thought and action, both on the part of teachers and students. In this line, the objective of this paper is to analyze the determinants of teaching staff's predisposition to the continuous assessment method. Specifically, we consider the following explanatory dimensions: teaching method used (which measures their degree of involvement with the ongoing adaptation process), type of subject (core, compulsory and optional), and teacher's personal characteristics (professional status and gender). The empirical application carried out at the University of Alicante uses Logit Models with Random Coefficients to capture heterogeneity, and shows that "cooperative learning" is a clear-cut determinant of "continuous assessment" as well as "continuous assessment plus final examination". Also, a conspicuous result, which in turn becomes a thought-provoking finding, is that professional status is highly relevant as a teacher's engagement is closely related to prospects of stability. Consequently, the most relevant implications from the results revolve around the way academic institutions can propose and implement inducement for their teaching staff.