Teacher Use of Loss-Focused, Utility Value Messages, Prior to High-Stakes Examinations, and Their Appraisal by Students

This study set out to assess a new instrument designed to measure the perceived frequency that teachers use fear appeals (communicated value messages that focus on avoiding failure) prior to a high-stakes examination and their appraisal as a challenge or a threat. Data were collected from two samples of students preparing for their high-stakes school exit examinations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor structure of message frequency, challenge, and threat appraisal. Challenge appraisal positively correlated with value, academic self-efficacy, and engagement. Threat appraisal negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy and engagement. Message frequency was unrelated to value, academic self-efficacy, and engagement. The critical factor in determining relations with antecedents and outcomes is not the message frequency but how it is appraised

Verifying the learning process in Physics

The paper describes an automated evaluation system for the learning of general Physics. The system whose name is Test on Line (ToL) is based on a questions bank from which an appropriate software generates individual multi-issue questionnaires to be submitted through the web. ToL has been extensively experimented during three years and is presently in use for basic Physics courses at the Engineering Faculties of the Turin Politecnico. The results of the experimentation and use are presented and discussed. Cumulating data allows for an optimization of the internal partitions of the questions bank and of the selection criteria for the generation of the questionnaires. The instrument proved to be useful and reliable and could become the core of an agreed common standard for physics education at university level.Comment: HTML, 10 pages, 8 figures. To appear on European Journal of Physic