Development of mathematics motivation scale: A preliminary exploratory study with a focus on secondary school students

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Academic Achievement and Delay: A Study with Italian Post Graduate Students in Psychology

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Analysis of relations between attitude towards mathematics, prior knowledge, self-efficacy, expected and actual grades in mathematics

The purpose of this study is to analyse relations between students’ attitude towards mathematics, prior knowledge, self-efficacy, expected grades, and performance in mathematics among 115 firstyear engineering students. We combine two statistical techniques to analyse the data we generated by questionnaires and two tests. First, item-level modeling, in terms of confirmatory factor analysis, which we use to compute the factor scores of construct-validated measures, and to control for measurement errors. Second, composite modeling, in terms of path analysis, which we use to test the research hypotheses. The findings show that both self-efficacy and expected grades have substantial effects on students’ performance. Prior knowledge has a non-trivial effect on self-efficacy which, in turn, plays a significant role in students’ grade expectations. All other hypothesised relations are not significant. We argue that these findings confirm some basic tenets of social cognitive theory. Keywords: Affect, higher education, item-level modeling, path analysis, self-efficacy.publishedVersio

The Role of a Restorative Resource in the Academic Context in Improving Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation and Flow within the Job Demands–Resources Model

The perceived quality of the learning environment may influence both motivation and concentration. Little is known about how perceived characteristics of the learning environment, and specifically sub-dimensions of Perceived Restorativeness (being away, fascination, compatibility, and extent), can promote these positive effects in an academic context. We addressed, through a correlational study, the possibility that the characteristics of learning environments may promote concentration and involvement in activity (i.e., flow) via intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for academic study within the job demands–resources model. A total of 165 Italian university psychology classes in a 3-year degree course from two different universities context completed an online questionnaire made up of the construct considered in this study. Results in the hierarchical multivariate regression analyses confirm that the restorative quality of learning environments (i.e., being away, compatibility, extent) is positively correlated with flow. However, there is a non-significant relationship between extent and flow. Regression analyses show a significant indirect effect of compatibility, both through intrinsic and extrinsic student motivation. Furthermore, the results confirm a significant indirect effect of extent through intrinsic motivation and being away, and fascination through Extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation is a full mediator between the extent and flow relationship. The results underline the importance of considering the restorative quality of the environment for improving place design, concentration, and student learning motivation

Approach to Study as an Indicator of the Quality of Teaching and of Learning Environment: the contribution of John Biggs

This review investigates the contribution of John Biggs in playing an important role within learning research and educational system quality. Schools and Universities have gradually structured their policies on the bases of their students’ perceptions, satisfaction, and needs. The interest in the measurement of student’s study strategies and perceptions is the result of the needs for educational institutions to demonstrate their effectiveness in teaching. Biggs’s model conceptualizes the learning process as an interactive system of three sets of variable: the learning environment and student characteristics, students’ approach to learning, and learning outcomes. By exploring findings from educational studies, the review seeks to examine the evolution of Biggs’s learning model and his contribution to understand individual, interpersonal and contextual factors that determine effectiveness of learning