Scholastic achievements and academic self-concepts in elementary school students

Positive academic self-concepts are valued as highly desirable outcomes in educational contexts and are closely associated with scholastic achievements. With increasing scholastic experiences, academic self-concepts become more realistic. Therefore, the relation between academic self-concepts and scholastic achievements seems to be more pronounced in higher elementary school grades than in lower grades. In this thesis, it was aimed to examine the relations between scholastic achievements and academic self-concepts separately for each elementary school grade and to compare these relations across grades to provide initial evidence for developmental processes in elementary school. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the distinction of school subject-specific academic self-concepts into a competence component (self-perceived ability in a school subject) and an affect component (intrinsic motivational-affective self-perceptions). Constituting the basis for further analyses on the relations between scholastic achievements and academic self-concepts in elementary school students, analyses regarding the assessment of reported grades as indicators of scholastic achievements (study 1; Schneider & Sparfeldt, 2016) and concerning the assessment of academic self-concepts with a differing number of response categories (excursus) were conducted. In study 1, students’ self-reported grades were less accurate in grade 2 and 3 compared with fourth graders. For fourth graders, student reported grades seemed to be appropriate indicators of their actual reported grades. The results of the excursus indicated that data obtained from elementary school students did not differ fundamentally across response formats for competence and affect self-concepts (rating scales with either three, four, or five response categories). In study 2 (Schneider & Sparfeldt, under revision), we examined the effects of scholastic achievements in mathematics and German on (non-)corresponding competence and affect self-concepts in elementary school students. Within the internal/external-frame-of-reference model (I/E model, Marsh, 1986), these effects are associated with social and dimensional comparison processes. Social comparison processes (external comparison of one’s own achievement in one subject with the achievements of peers in the same subject) seem to increase during elementary school, cognitively more demanding dimensional comparison processes (internal comparison of one’s academic achievement in one subject with one’s own achievement in another subject) seem to occur earliest in third grade. In study 2, we extended prior research by assigning the competence-affect-distinction to the I/E model framework to simultaneously examine relations between scholastic achievements and both academic self-concept components in elementary school students. Path coefficients of reported grades on corresponding academic self-concepts indicating social comparison processes were positive and of moderate to high magnitude in all four elementary school grades. Path coefficients of reported grades and non-corresponding competence and affect self-concepts indicating dimensional comparisons were mostly negative; some path coefficients were substantial. The relations between reported grades and corresponding competence self-concept measures were more pronounced compared to those between reported grades and affect self-concepts. Regarding grade-related differences, the relation between reported grades in mathematics and the mathematics competence self-concept was stronger in grade 4 compared to grade 1. The findings of study 2 emphasized the importance of reported grades for students’ corresponding competence and affect self-concepts via social comparison processes. In contrast, dimensional comparison processes seemed to play a minor role. In study 3 (Schneider, Lotz, & Sparfeldt, 2018), the focus was shifted towards subject-specific academic self-concepts as statistical predictors of scholastic achievements. The few prior studies with fourth graders indicated that cognitive variables, especially intelligence, are more important predictors compared to subject-specific academic self-concepts for corresponding scholastic achievements. Regarding academic self-concepts, competence self-concepts revealed higher path coefficients on corresponding scholastic achievements than affect self-concepts. Study 3 was the first to simultaneously inspect the relevance of intelligence, competence self-concept, and affect self-concept for reported grades in elementary school grades 2, 3, and 4. When all three predictors were jointly considered, competence and affect self-concepts substantially contributed to the prediction of the reported grade in mathematics and German beyond intelligence in the examined elementary school grades (with the exception of affect self-concept of fourth graders in German). As expected, competence self-concept was a stronger predictor than affect self-concept. Furthermore, we found no substantial differences in the prediction of reported grades across grades. The findings of study 3 underlined the significance of competence self-concept above and beyond intelligence, whereas affect self-concept seemed to play a minor role for the statistical prediction of reported grades. To conclude, the results of this thesis confirmed the close relation between scholastic achievements (operationalized by reported grades) and corresponding academic self-concepts for each elementary school grade. Although competence and affect self-concepts showed very large construct overlaps within subjects in all elementary school grades, relations between reported grades and corresponding competence self-concept measures were more pronounced compared to those between reported grades and affect self-concept measures in both studies. Differences in the relations between reported grades and both self-concept components across elementary school grades were mostly non-substantial.Schulische Selbstkonzepte weisen eine hohe Bedeutung in schulischen Lehr- und Lernkontexten auf, u.a. sind sie eng mit schulischen Leistungen verbunden. Mit zunehmender Schulerfahrung entwickeln Schülerinnen und Schüler zunehmend realistische schulfachspezifische Selbstkonzepte. Als Folge stehen schulfachspezifische Leistungen und Selbstkonzepte in höheren Klassenstufen in zunehmend engerer Beziehung miteinander. Ziel dieser Dissertation war die Untersuchung des Beziehungsgeflechts schulischer Leistungen und schulischer Selbstkonzepte separat für die Grundschulklassenstufen 1 bis 4. Ein Vergleich dieser Beziehungen zwischen den Klassenstufen sollte Hinweise auf mögliche Entwicklungsprozesse über die Grundschuljahre liefern. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wurde in der Dissertation auf die etablierte Trennung schulfachspezifischer Selbstkonzepte in eine Kompetenzkomponente (Wahrnehmung der eigenen Fähigkeit) und eine Affektkomponente (motivational-affektive Selbstwahrnehmung) gelegt. Grundlage für die Analysen zum Beziehungsgeflecht schulischer Leistungen und Selbstkonzepte bei Grundschulkindern bildeten Untersuchungen zur Akkuratesse schülerberichteter Zeugnisnoten (Studie 1, Schneider & Sparfeldt, 2016) und zur Messung schulischer Selbstkonzepte mit unterschiedlich gestuften Ratingskalen (Exkurs). Die Ergebnisse von Studie 1 deuten auf eine geringere Akkuratesse schülerberichteter Zeugnisnoten in den Klassenstufen 2 und 3 im Vergleich zu Viertklässlern hin. Für Viertklässler scheint eine Verwendung schülerberichteter Zeugnisnoten als Indikatoren ihrer tatsächlichen Leistungen angemessen. Ergebnisse des Exkurses legen eine adäquate sowie vergleichbare Bearbeitung von Ratingskalen mit drei-, vier- oder fünfstufigem Antwortformat bei Grundschulkindern nahe. In Studie 2 (Schneider & Sparfeldt, in Revision) wurden Effekte schulischer Leistungen in Mathematik und Deutsch auf ihre (nicht-)korrespondierenden Kompetenz- und Affektselbstkonzepte bei Grundschülerinnen und -schülern untersucht. Im Rahmen des Internal/external-frame-of-reference-Modells (I/E Modell; Marsh, 1986) sind diese Effekte mit sozialen und dimensionalen Vergleichsprozessen assoziiert. Während soziale Vergleichsprozesse (Vergleich der eigenen schulfachspezifischen Leistung mit den Leistungen anderer im gleichen Fach) über die Grundschuljahre hinweg zunehmen, scheinen die kognitiv anspruchsvolleren dimensionalen Vergleichsprozesse (Vergleich der eigenen Leistung in verschiedenen Schulfächern) erst in der dritten Klassenstufe einzusetzen. Studie 2 verband die etablierte Kompetenz-Affekt-Differenzierung schulfachspezifischer Selbstkonzepte und das I/E Modell. Es zeigten sich substantielle, moderate bis hoch ausgeprägte Pfadkoeffizienten der Mathematiknote bzw. Deutschnote auf die korrespondierenden kompetenzbezogenen Selbstkonzepte (soziale Vergleichsprozesse) sowie fast durchgängig keine bedeutsamen Effekte der Zeugnisnoten auf die nicht-korrespondierenden kompetenz- und affektbezogenen Selbstkonzepte (dimensionale Vergleiche). Die Beziehungen zwischen Noten und Kompetenzselbstkonzepten im gleichen Schulfach waren stärker ausgeprägt als die korrespondierenden Noten–Affekt-Selbstkonzeptbeziehungen. Bezüglich möglicher Unterschiede zwischen Grundschul-klassenstufen zeigte sich ein höherer Pfadkoeffizient von der Mathematiknote auf das Kompetenzselbstkonzept in Mathematik in Klassenstufe 4 verglichen mit Klassenstufe 1. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie verdeutlichen die Bedeutung von Schulnoten auf die korrespondierenden Kompetenz- und Affektselbstkonzepte via sozialer Vergleichsprozesse. Dimensionale Vergleichsprozesse scheinen in der Grundschule eine eher untergeordnete Rolle zu spielen. In Studie 3 (Schneider, Lotz, & Sparfeldt, 2018) lag der Fokus auf der statistischen Prädiktion von Schulleistung in den Fächern Mathematik und Deutsch durch korrespondierende Kompetenz- und Affektselbstkonzepte. Zumindest für Viertklässler gelten kognitive Variablen – insbesondere die Intelligenz – als bedeutendere Prädiktoren für Schulerfolg im Vergleich zu schulischen Selbstkonzepten. Studie 3 erweiterte bisherige Befunde und untersuchte die (relative) Bedeutsamkeit von Intelligenz sowie schulfachspezifischer Kompetenz- und Affektselbstkonzepte bei der gemeinsamen statistischen Vorhersage von Zeugnisnoten separat für die Fächer Mathematik und Deutsch. Bei simultaner Berücksichtigung der drei Prädiktoren waren Kompetenz- sowie Affektselbstkonzepte in allen Klassenstufen substantielle Prädiktoren der korrespondierenden Zeugnisnoten über Intelligenz hinaus (mit Ausnahme des affektiven Selbstkonzepts in Klassenstufe 4 in Deutsch). Das Kompetenzselbstkonzept war der bedeutendere Prädiktor im Vergleich zum affektbezogenen Selbstkonzept. Ein Vergleich der Pfadkoeffizienten zwischen den Klassenstufen ergab für beide Fächer keine bedeutsamen Unterschiede in der Höhe der Koeffizienten. Die Ergebnisse von Studie 3 verweisen auf die Bedeutung von Intelligenz und Motivation für Schulerfolg, auch in der Grundschule. Sie unterstreichen insbesondere die Bedeutung des Kompetenz-selbstkonzepts für die Schulleistung. Affektselbstkonzepte spielen hingegen nur eine kleine Rolle bei der statistischen Prädiktion von Zeugnisnoten. Die Ergebnisse dieser Dissertation unterstreichen die enge Beziehung zwischen schulischen Leistungen (operationalisiert durch Noten) und korrespondierenden schulischen Selbstkonzepten in den untersuchten Grundschulklassenstufen. Obwohl Kompetenz- und Affektselbstkonzepte hohe Anteile geteilter Varianz innerhalb eines Schulfachs aufwiesen, zeigten sich konsistent engere Beziehungen zwischen Noten und korrespondierenden Kompetenzselbstkonzepten als zwischen Noten und Affektselbstkonzepten im gleichen Schulfach. Alterskorrelierte Veränderungen in den Beziehungen schulischer Leistungen und Selbstkonzepte waren zumeist nicht substantiell

Social Justice: A Catholic Autistic Perspective

This is a collection of short stories about social injustices impacting the autistic community and how Catholic Social Teaching supports a more just approach. It is written from an autistic perspective and informed by the stories of people who are actually autistic. Each story is followed by an analysis that explains the choices made, which are backed by both research and the experiences of the autistic writer and the autistic community. This collection also includes information on how justice can be attained on the individual level by allies and on the institutional level by organizations

Effects of Current Nature Versus Nurture Based Treatments on Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Conduct Disorder

A review of literature was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of nature versus nurture based therapies on children and adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder. Physiological or nature based studies included research on the effects of 5-HT uptake in platelets, a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor called paroxetine, as well as the stimulants methylphenidate and clonidine. The 5-HT uptake study provided significant data correlating 5-HT uptake with reactive or retaliatory aggression. Environmental or nurture based studies included research on Parent Management Training, Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, and the Dina Dinosaur Treatment program. The Cognitive-behavioral therapy study identified a positive correlation between age and treatment effectiveness. The Dina Dinosaur Treatment displayed a correlation between a combination of Parent and Child Training and improvement in the home. Hans Eysenck’s biosocial theory of personality is also examined as a tool in predicting whether physiological, behavioral, or combinations of both treatments are most effective in treating conduct disorder. This study showed significant results in a multi-systemic treatment approach towards conduct disorder. Results of the studies reflect a weakness in the amount of research being conducted to determine whether therapy combined with medication produces higher effects on conduct disorder than therapy or medication alone

Blood Parasite Infection and Plumage Elaboration of Migratory and Resident Populations of the Common Yellowthroat

In birds, blood parasite diversity varies with latitude, seasonal changes, and habitat type. As a consequence, migratory populations of birds have greater exposure to parasites during their annual cycle than resident populations. Parasite infections may negatively affect the health of individuals which could, in turn, affect the development of elaborate plumage ornaments. We compared migratory (Wisconsin) and resident (Florida) populations of common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) to test whether migratory birds in Wisconsin have more prevalent, intense and diverse infections of blood parasites and subsequently less elaborate ornamentation than their resident counterparts in Florida. As predicted, we found higher prevalence, intensity and diversity of blood parasites in Wisconsin than Florida birds. In terms of ornamentation, we found that Wisconsin males had brighter plumage in the yellow and ultraviolet spectra. These results demonstrate that blood parasite infection and plumage elaboration both differ between conspecific populations, possibly because of differences in migratory behavior

Role of the cellular environment in interstitial stem cell proliferation in Hydra

The role of the cellular environment on hydra stem cell proliferation and differentiation was investigated by introduction of interstitial cells into host tissue of defined cellular composition. In epithelial tissue lacking all non-epithelial cells the interstitial cell population did not grow but differentiated into nerve cells and nematocytes. In host tissue with progressively increased numbers of nerve cells growth of the interstitial cell population was positively correlated to the nerve cell density. In agreement with previous observations (Bode et al. 1976), growth of the interstitial cell population was also found to be negatively correlated to the level of interstitial cells present. The strong correlation between the growth of the interstitial cell population and the presence of interstitial cells and nerve cells implies that interstitial cell proliferation is controlled by a feedback signal from interstitial cells and their derivatives. Our results suggest that the cellular environment of interstitial cells provides cues which are instrumental in stem cell decision making

The Nature of Student Science Projects in Comparison to Educational Goals for Science

Author Institution: St. Francis de Sales High School ; Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Southern Illinois UniversityThe objective of this research was to determine if student science projects in Ohio were meeting educational goals for science as recommended by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Teachers Association, and the Ohio Department of Education. In addition, five methods were examined to determine if each had a positive effect on science projects in meeting these educational goals. Teachers from the Diocese of Toledo with students completing science projects in The Ohio Academy of Science's District 2 were asked to rate projects for each aspect of eight educational goals for science defined by this study. Science projects were rated overwhelmingly and consistently positive on each goal. Modeling of skills in the classroom was found to be significantly linked to six of the eight goals for science education. In addition, there was evidence to suggest that participating at a district science fair and supportive help also improved these ratings

Central precocious puberty: From genetics to treatment

Central precocious puberty (CPP) results from early activation of the hypothalamic - pituitary -gonadal (HPG) axis and follows the same sequence as normal puberty. While many factors involved in pubertal initiation remain poorly understood, the kisspeptin system is known to play a key role. Currently, mutations in the kisspeptin system, MKRN3, and DLK1 have been identified in sporadic and familial cases of CPP. The diagnosis is based on physical exam findings indicating advancing puberty and on laboratory tests confirming central HPG axis activation. GnRH analogs are the mainstay of treatment and are used with the goal of height preservation. Newer extended release formulations continue to be developed. Currently there is no evidence of long-term complications associated with treatment. However, many areas remain to be explored such as targeted therapies and aspects of clinical management. Further investigation into psychological effects and additional data regarding long-term outcomes, particularly in males, is needed

Oculomotor capture by search-irrelevant features in visual working memory: on the crucial role of target–distractor similarity

Foerster RM, Schneider WX. Oculomotor capture by search-irrelevant features in visual working memory: on the crucial role of target–distractor similarity. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. 2020;82:2379–2392.When searching for varying targets in the environment, a target template has to be maintained in visual working memory (VWM). Recently, we showed that search-irrelevant features of a VWM template bias attention in an object-based manner, so that objects sharing such features with a VWM template capture the eyes involuntarily. Here, we investigated whether target–distractor similarity modulates capture strength. Participants saccaded to a target accompanied by a distractor. A single feature (e.g., shape) defined the target in each trial indicated by a cue, and the cue also varied in one irrelevant feature (e.g., color). The distractor matched the cue’s irrelevant feature in half of the trials. Nine experiments showed that target–distractor similarity consistently influenced the degree of oculomotor capture. High target–distractor dissimilarity in the search-relevant feature reduced capture by the irrelevant feature (Experiments 1, 3, 6, 7). However, capture was reduced by high target–distractor similarity in the search-irrelevant feature (Experiments 1, 4, 5, 8). Strong oculomotor capture was observed if target–distractor similarity was reasonably low in the relevant and high in the irrelevant feature, irrespective of whether color or shape were relevant (Experiments 2 and 5). These findings argue for involuntary and object-based, top-down control by VWM templates, whereas its manifestation in oculomotor capture depends crucially on target–distractor similarity in relevant and irrelevant feature dimensions of the search object

The Effect of Upper Extremity Immobilization Following Surgical Rotator Cuff Repair on Balance in Elderly Individuals

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between upper extremity immobilization following surgical rotator cuff repair and balance in elderly individuals. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers (nine with rotator cuff repair, nineteen without) aged 53 to 74 participated in the study. Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Measure, Modified Berg Balance Measure, Functional Reach Test, and force plate analysis. Results were analyzed using t-tests for paired and independent samples, Mann Whitney U (Wilcoxon Rank Sum W) tests and Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed- Ranks tests. Significant differences were found between the post-rotator cuff surgery and control groups for performance on the Berg (p=0.0125) and Modified Berg (p=0.019, p=0.0120), as well as between the sling and no-sling block for two measures of posterior maximal lean (p=0.0249, p=0.0179). Results suggest that long and short term immobilization have some effect on balance. A need for balance training may exist in this population