How much trait variance is captured by measures of academic state emotions? A latent state-trait analysis

Abstract. Although the popularity of research on academic emotions is on the rise, little is known about the extent to which these emotional experiences are due to stable (trait) versus situational (state) influences. In the present paper, we applied the latent state-trait approach (LST) to multiple state assessments of five frequently experienced discrete academic emotions (enjoyment, pride, anger, anxiety, boredom) to disentangle their trait versus state variance components. We had two main aims: (1) to identify the differential contributions of the person-specific (trait) and situation-specific (state) variance components of discrete academic emotions, and (2) to examine the relations between different discrete academic emotions with regard to their latent trait and latent state residual components. Eight hundred thirty-seven German students participated in this diary study that lasted 2–3 weeks. During this time, students responded to short (two items per emotion) questionnaires asking about their lesson-specific state emotions in mathematics. The results revealed that for each academic emotion the trait variance and state residual components were of about equal size. Further, while differently valenced (positive vs. negative) latent trait components of students’ emotions were mostly uncorrelated (with the exception of boredom), differently valenced latent state residual components of students’ emotions were negatively correlated. We discuss our findings in relation to the structure of current affect and highlight their implications for classroom practices. </jats:p

Stresserleben in Jahrgangsstufe 4 unter dem Einfluss des ersten coronabedingten Lockdowns

Der Übertritt von der Grundschule in die weiterführende Schule als normatives Lebensereignis kann für die Schüler:innen mit Stress verbunden sein. Im Schuljahr 2019 / 2020 wurde dieses Ereignis zudem vom coronabedingten Lockdown bestimmt. Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, wie sich das Stresserleben von Schüler:innen der vierten Klasse unter dem Einfluss des ersten coronabedingten Lockdowns entwickelt. Es zeigt sich, dass die Kinder im Mittel insgesamt relativ wenig Stress erleben und dies während des Distanzlernens noch einmal signifikant absinkt. Die Befunde werden diskutiert und weitere Forschungsdesiderata aufgezeigt. (DIPF/Orig.

How Accurately Can Parents Judge Their Children\u27s Boredom in School?

The purpose of the present study was to explore what parents know about their Children’s boredom in school; specifically, the frequency, intensity, and antecedents of their Children’s boredom, as well as how they cope with boredom. A questionnaire was administered to 437 grade 9 students (54% female, Mage = 14.82) and their parents (72% mothers, 14% fathers, 12% both parents, Mage = 45.26) measuring variables related to students boredom in mathematics class. Three different measurements were used to evaluate the accuracy of parents’ judgments: (1) the correlation between parents’ and students’ answers, (2) the mean differences between parents’ and students’ answers, and (3) the mean values of absolute differences of parents’ and students’ answers. The results suggest that parents generally have an informed knowledge about their child’s boredom and related facets. This is reflected by a mean correlation of medium size (r = 0.34) and a small mean effect size of the difference between parents’ and students’ judgments over all items (d = 0.20). Parents are also substantially better in judging their Children’s boredom compared to guessing for all variables (mean effect size of d = 0.65). They had the most precise judgments for the frequency and intensity of boredom. The antecedents of boredom (e.g., characteristics of instruction) were also well estimated by parents; specifically, parents tend to have a bias in favor for their children evidenced by overestimating antecedents that cannot be influenced by the students and underestimating those that can be influenced by the students. The least concordance was found between parents’ and Children’s perception of boredom coping strategies (e.g., accepting boredom), implying that parents lack information about how their children intentionally cope with boredom. Implications for research on student boredom are discussed as well as practical applications involving parents in boredom prevention

Emotionales Erleben von Schüler*innen in Jahrgangsstufe 4 unter dem Einfluss der Covid-19-Pandemie im Schuljahr 2019/2020

Recent empirical studies support the interaction between achievement emotions with school performance. Situational as well as individual factors were found to have an impact on these emotions. In grade 4, the approaching transition to secondary school is a particularly important event and is associated with specific further events, such as school reports. During the year 2019/2020, the Covid-19-induced lockdown, in Germany associated with distance learning, was also an event that might be of impact. The present paper explores the question of how emotional experiences develop from the end of 3rd to the end of 4th grade as a function of school-year-specific as well as individual factors. In a longitudinal questionnaire study, 225 students in Bavaria rated their subject-related emotions and their emotions towards the upcoming transition. In general the results show that the students experience a positive pattern of emotions. The distance learning is accompanied by significant changes in students’ emotional experiences. School performance and, to some extend the individual factors gender and migration background, have a significant impact on the emotional experiences as well as changes in these emotional experiences. The results are discussed and further research desiderata are identified

Predicting Delay in Goal-Directed Action: An Experience Sampling Approach Uncovering Within-Person Determinants Involved in the Onset of Academic Procrastination Behavior

Academic procrastination involves the delayed implementation of actions required to fulfill study-related tasks. These behavioral delays are thought to result from momentary failures in self-regulation (i.e., within-person processes). Most previous studies focused on the role of trait-based individual differences in students’ procrastination tendencies. Little is known about the within-person processes involved in the occurrence of procrastination behavior in real-life academic situations. The present study applied an event-based experience sampling approach to investigate whether the onset of task-specific delay behavior can be attributed to unfavorable changes in students’ momentary appraisals of tasks (value, aversiveness, effort, expectations of success), which may indicate failures in self-regulation arise between critical phases of goal-directed action. University students (N = 75) used an electronic diary over eight days to indicate their next days’ intentions to work on academic tasks and their task-specific appraisals (n = 582 academic tasks planned). For each task, a second query requested the next day determined whether students’ task-related appraisals changed and whether they implemented their intention on time or delayed working on the respective task (n = 501 completed task-specific measurements). Students’ general procrastination tendency was assessed at baseline using two established self-report questionnaires. Stepwise two-level logistic regression analyses revealed that within-person changes in task-related appraisals that reflected a devaluation of the study-related tasks increased the risk for an actual delay. The risk to delay decreased when students maintained a positive attitude toward the task. Students’ general procrastination tendency did not predict individual differences in their task-specific delay behavior. We discuss these findings in light of the growing effort to understand the within-person processes that contribute to induce procrastination behavior under real-life academic conditions and illustrate how this knowledge can benefit the design of tasks and instructions that support students’ self-regulation to their best

Kurzmanual für einen Workshop zur Förderung günstiger Bedingungen für die Selbstregulation im Rahmen universitärer Lehrveranstaltungen : Zur Förderung der Emotionsregulation bei Studierenden

Der Workshop zur Förderung der Emotionsregulation bei Studierenden baut auf aktuellen Forschungsbefunden auf und bezieht insbesondere Erkenntnisse zur situationsspezifischen Wirksamkeit bestimmter Emotionsregulationsstrategien im Lern-/Leistungskontext mit ein, die aus einem vierjährigen Forschungsprojekt zur Selbstregulation im Alltag von Studierenden (SriAS, gefördert vom BMBF 2014-2018) hervorgegangen sind. Die Vermittlung des Wissens über die Entstehung und die Auswirkungen von Lern-/Leistungsemotionen ist zentrales Element des Workshops und schafft die Basis zur Vermittlung von Maßnahmen, die darauf abzielen, das Erleben förderlicher Leistungsemotionen im Rahmen der Lehre zu erhalten bzw. zu stärken und die Entstehung hinderlicher Leistungsemotionen zu vermeiden. Das Manual zu diesem Workshop enthält Hinweise zu den Zielen, Inhalten und dem Ablauf des entwickelten modularen Online-Workshops. Präsentiert wird ein halbtägiges Qualifizierungsangebot für Personen, die in der Lehre und Beratung von Studierenden tätig sind sowie ein Kurzformat zur Schulung studentischer Mentor*innen und Tutor*innen. Die modulare Struktur ermöglicht Erweiterungen und Anpassungen des Angebots (exemplarisch dargestellt wird ein erweitertes Ganztagesformat)