Towards an understanding of academic motivation, classroom behaviour and academic attainment in adolescents

The aim of this thesis was to investigate a number of topics relating to sex differences in adolescents in an educational setting. The experimental studies were designed to investigate the associations between academic motivation, classroom behaviour, mental toughness and academic attainment in adolescents. Also of interest was to investigate the possibility of developmental trajectories of academic motivation and classroom behaviour throughout adolescence. However, the focus within each study was to examine the sex differences in these constructs and trajectories. Chapter 2 revealed sex differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents with girls reporting significantly higher levels of positive dimensions of academic motivation in addition to higher levels of uncertain control and anxiety. Teachers’ reports of negative classroom behaviour revealed that boys engaged more in negative behaviour in the classroom. Interestingly, there was also a closer relationship between boys’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour. It was found that variation in academic motivation was better predicted by gender identity than sex. For both males and females, identification with feminine traits was more closely associated with academic motivation. Variation in negative behaviour was predicted by both sex and gender identity (in particular a masculine identity). Chapter 4 examined sex differences in age-related trajectories of academic motivation and negative classroom behaviour. Boys were generally less motivated and exhibited more behavioural problems than girls throughout adolescence. However, girls showed a substantial decline in academic motivation between early and mid-adolescence. The results from Chapter 5 revealed relationships between mental toughness, motivation and behaviour. The constructs of motivation and mental toughness both predicted shared and unique variance in negative classroom behaviour however, mental toughness made the largest contribution to oppositional behaviour and cognitive problems/inattention. Finally, chapter 6 demonstrated sex differences were found in attainment at GCSE even when statistically controlling for adolescents motivation and classroom behaviour. Throughout the thesis, the results of each study are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice. For example, the introduction of interventions aimed at improving academic motivation, classroom behaviour, or mental toughness during early adolescence may positively affect later attainment

An investigation of gender and age differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents

This study investigated gender- and age-related differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents. Eight hundred and fifty-five students (415 girls and 440 boys) aged 11–16 (M age = 13.96, SD = 1.47) filled in a questionnaire that examined student academic motivation and teachers completed a questionnaire reporting student classroom behaviour. Interestingly, early adolescent boys’ (11–12 years) self-reported academic motivation was significantly more closely associated with reports of student classroom behaviour completed by teachers. However, a surprising result was the significant drop in girls’ adaptive motivation from early to mid-adolescence (13–14 years) and a significant increase in mid-adolescence (13–14 years). Furthermore, teachers reported a significant increase in negative classroom behaviour in mid-adolescent and late adolescent girls (15–16 years). The need to further understand the association between academic motivation and classroom behaviour at different stages in adolescence, and to design interventions to improve classroom behaviour, is deliberated

Gender differences in adolescents' academic motivation and classroom behaviour

© 2013 Taylor & Francis. The present study investigated gender differences in adolescents’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour and gender differences in the extent to which motivation was associated with, and predicted, classroom behaviour. Seven hundred and fifty students (384 boys and 366 girls) aged 11–16 (M age = 14.0, 1.59 SD) completed a questionnaire examining academic motivation and teachers completed assessments of their classroom behaviour. Girls generally reported higher levels of academic motivation, whilst teacher reports of behaviour were poorer for boys. Interestingly, boys’ reported levels of academic motivation were significantly more closely associated with teacher reports of their classroom behaviour. Furthermore, cognitive aspects of boys’ motivation were better predictors of their classroom behaviour than behavioural aspects. On the other hand, behavioural aspects of girls’ motivation were better predictors of their behaviour. Implications for understanding the relationship between motivation and behaviour among adolescent boys and girls are discussed, in addition to interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ classroom behaviour

The approximate number system and mathematics achievement: it's complicated. A thorough investigation of different ANS measures and executive functions in mathematics achievement in children

The ability to represent approximate numerical magnitudes is often referred to as the approximate number system (ANS) and has regularly been proposed as foundational to mathematics achievement. However, some argue that the relation between ANS acuity and mathematics achievement ceases to exist when controlling for domain-general cognitive abilities. The current debate in the literature on whether ANS acuity remains a predictor to mathematics after strict control is applied leads to the need to simultaneously investigate domain-specific and domain-general foundational abilities in different ages. 174 Children took part in two computerised ANS tasks, two executive function tasks, a verbal skills task, two intelligence subscales, and a mathematics achievement task (i.e. global, formal, and informal mathematics achievement). Results demonstrated that, when controlling for intelligence and visuospatial memory, the relation between ANS acuity and mathematics achievement ceased to exist, and that ANS acuity might only play a predictive role in early informal mathematics

Mental toughness in education: exploring relationships with attainment, attendance, behaviour and peer relationships

Mental toughness has frequently been associated with successful performance in sport; however, recent research suggests that it may also be related to academic performance in Higher Education. In a series of three exploratory studies, we examined the relationship between mental toughness and different aspects of educational performance in adolescents aged 11–16, focusing on academic attainment, school attendance, classroom behaviour and peer relationships. Study 1 revealed significant associations between several aspects of mental toughness (but particularly control of life) and academic attainment and attendance. Study 2 revealed significant associations between several aspects of mental toughness (but again particularly control of life) and counterproductive classroom behaviour. Finally, Study 3 demonstrated significant associations between aspects of mental toughness (confidence in abilities and interpersonal confidence) and peer relationships. The results are discussed in terms of the potential value of mental toughness as a useful concept in education

Towards an understanding of academic motivation, classroom behaviour and academic attainment in adolescents

The aim of this thesis was to investigate a number of topics relating to sex differences in adolescents in an educational setting. The experimental studies were designed to investigate the associations between academic motivation, classroom behaviour, mental toughness and academic attainment in adolescents. Also of interest was to investigate the possibility of developmental trajectories of academic motivation and classroom behaviour throughout adolescence. However, the focus within each study was to examine the sex differences in these constructs and trajectories. Chapter 2 revealed sex differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents with girls reporting significantly higher levels of positive dimensions of academic motivation in addition to higher levels of uncertain control and anxiety. Teachers’ reports of negative classroom behaviour revealed that boys engaged more in negative behaviour in the classroom. Interestingly, there was also a closer relationship between boys’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour. It was found that variation in academic motivation was better predicted by gender identity than sex. For both males and females, identification with feminine traits was more closely associated with academic motivation. Variation in negative behaviour was predicted by both sex and gender identity (in particular a masculine identity). Chapter 4 examined sex differences in age-related trajectories of academic motivation and negative classroom behaviour. Boys were generally less motivated and exhibited more behavioural problems than girls throughout adolescence. However, girls showed a substantial decline in academic motivation between early and mid-adolescence. The results from Chapter 5 revealed relationships between mental toughness, motivation and behaviour. The constructs of motivation and mental toughness both predicted shared and unique variance in negative classroom behaviour however, mental toughness made the largest contribution to oppositional behaviour and cognitive problems/inattention. Finally, chapter 6 demonstrated sex differences were found in attainment at GCSE even when statistically controlling for adolescents motivation and classroom behaviour. Throughout the thesis, the results of each study are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice. For example, the introduction of interventions aimed at improving academic motivation, classroom behaviour, or mental toughness during early adolescence may positively affect later attainment

Mental capacity and working memory in chemistry: Algorithmic versus open-ended problem solving

Previous research has revealed that problem solving and attainment in chemistry are constrained by mental capacity and working memory. However, the terms mental capacity and working memory come from different theories of cognitive resources, and are assessed using different tasks. The current study examined the relationships between mental capacity, working memory, algorithmic and open-ended problem solving, and A level chemistry grades. The results revealed that the best predictor of algorithmic problem solving and A level grades was performance on a counting recall task, which requires the simultaneous processing and storage of information within working memory. The best predictors of open-ended problem solving were backwards digit recall and the figural intersection test. The results therefore demonstrated a dissociation between the cognitive resources underlying algorithmic and open-ended problem solving. The results are discussed in terms of both theoretical and practical implications

Sex, gender identity and adolescent's academic motivation and classroom behaviour

© 2012 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Sex differences or gender differences have long been investigated within the school environment; however the distinction between the two is often unclear. Whilst sex refers to differences between males and females at the biological level, gender refers to the characteristics commonly associated with being male or female. This study examines the importance of gender identity to understand differences in adolescent's academic motivation and classroom behaviour. Six hundred and nineteen adolescents (311 female, 308 male; aged 11 - 16) completed questionnaires measuring their academic motivation and gender identity (i.e., the extent to which they identified with masculine and feminine traits). In addition, teachers completed a questionnaire for each adolescent, reporting on negative classroom behaviours. Sex differences were found in academic motivation, with girls reporting higher levels of motivation. However variation in adolescent's reported levels of motivation were better predicted by their gender identity than their sex. For both males and females, identification with feminine traits was more closely associated with academic motivation than identification with masculine traits. With regard to behaviour, sex differences were found in negative classroom behaviours, with teachers reporting higher levels of problematic behaviour among boys. Variation in negative behaviours was predicted by both sex and gender identity (in particular a masculine identity). In addition, for boys in particular, identification with masculine traits was closely associated with negative classroom behaviours. The importance of differentiating between sex and gender identity to investigate sex differences in motivation, behaviour and attainment are considered. Finally, the merit of further educational research with the aim of disarming the hegemonic masculinities that could be preventing boys from achieving is discussed