Primary students’ conceptions of the Earth: Re-examining a fundamental research hypothesis on mental models

Research on pupils’ conceptions of the earth has proposed certain mental models within the theoretical perspective known as coherent or theory-like knowledge. Alternatively, the fragmented knowledge hypothesis refutes the existence of such models and proposes a different perspective. Although the relevant discussion has not been converged in to a definite answer, recently, the debate between the two theories has been brought up into consideration by the advances in methodology and statistical analysis. In this paper pupils’ conceptions of the earth were analyzed by latent class analyses. Children’s ideas (N=184, grades 1st to 3rd), were investigated using a closed-ended questionnaire, which includes illustrations corresponding to certain mental models. The results showed that pupils’ conceptions of the earth are not characterized by consistency and thus they do not support the existence of coherent mental models. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

Primary students’ conceptions of the Earth: Re-examining a fundamental research hypothesis on mental models

Research on pupils’ conceptions of the earth has proposed certain mental models within the theoretical perspective known as coherent or theory-like knowledge. Alternatively, the fragmented knowledge hypothesis refutes the existence of such models and proposes a different perspective. Although the relevant discussion has not been converged in to a definite answer, recently, the debate between the two theories has been brought up into consideration by the advances in methodology and statistical analysis. In this paper pupils’ conceptions of the earth were analyzed by latent class analyses. Children’s ideas (N=184, grades 1st to 3rd), were investigated using a closed-ended questionnaire, which includes illustrations corresponding to certain mental models. The results showed that pupils’ conceptions of the earth are not characterized by consistency and thus they do not support the existence of coherent mental models. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

Attitudes towards STEM education: nonlinear effects of teachers’ readiness and the crucial role of affective conditions

IntroductionTeacher attitudes (Att) toward STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—education is decisive for its successful integration into contemporary curricula. On the other hand, teachers’ readiness for STEM influences their attitudes and controls their behavior in everyday practice.MethodsIn this study, the four dimensions of readiness for STEM, i.e., affective conditions (Affe), cognitive preparedness (Cogn), self-efficacy (SEff), and STEM commitment (Com), measured via the TRi-STEM scale, were tested as predictors of attitudes using non-linear models. Data were taken from teachers (N = 494) who completed the TRi-STEM questionnaire and the attitudes towards STEM scale for measuring attitudes. Catastrophe theory was applied, and three cusp models, superior to the linear and logistic counterparts, were proposed predicting attitudes (Att) as a function of combinations of Cogn, SEff, Com, and Affe.ResultsThe three models are as follows: Cusp 1 with (Cogn – Affe) as asymmetry and (Cogn + Affe) as bifurcation factors; Cusp 2 with (Com – Affe) as asymmetry and (Com + Affe) as bifurcation factors, and Cusp 3 with (SEff – Affe) as asymmetry and (SEff + Affe) as bifurcation factors. The findings showed that affective conditions involved in a dynamic interplay with other independent variables could lead to sudden and abrupt changes in Att.DiscussionThe empirical evidence for non-linear effects in teacher attitudes (Att) toward STEM informs theory development and practice by supporting the complexity and dynamical system framework as a more realistic premise to describe and interpret potentially occurring phenomena of teachers’ behavior in the context of STEM education

CAREER DECISION DIFFICULTIES AND DECISION STATUSES AMONG GREEK STUDENT TEACHERS

This study examined the perceived career decision-making difficulties among Greek student teachers via the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ). The Greek version of CDDQ was firstly analyzed with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. In a sample of student teachers majoring in humanities and social sciences (N = 780), the initially proposed structure of CDDQ was partially confirmed with seven of the ten anticipated factors present. These factors were used as independent variables in multivariate models predicting participants' overall difficulty during the career decision-making process, the degree of certainty for their choices, and their decision status. Discussion of the findings is provided

Research Methods for Complexity Theory in Applied Linguistics.

This book is written for those interested in Complex Dynamical System Theory(CDST) focusing on applied linguistics

Examinees’ Four Skills Performance Balance in High Stake Foreign Language Examinations

The present study aims to investigate the balance of the examinees’ performances in different skills tests as part of a foreign language examination. In many cases, the examinees’ performances in the four skills present significant deviations. This deviation raises the question of whether it is an indication of an error in the construction or rating of the test or whether it is an expected result. In order to explore this question, a study was conducted using real data collected from 8715 candidates who participated in Italian language exams, administered by the Greek State Certificate Language Proficiency System (KPG), between 2011 and 2015 (ten sessions). The data were analysed with Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and indicated that there is no balance between the performances of the examinees in the different skills tests

Teachers’ Innovative Work Behavior Scale: Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version and Measurement Invariance across Genders

Innovation refers to the implementation of creative ideas into practice. In that sense, innovative work behavior (IWB) is a type of behavior and a multidimensional construct that involves four factors: the generation, promotion, realization, and sustainability of new ideas for the whole organizations’ benefit. Thus, the development of instruments for measuring and singling IWB is an interesting and necessary endeavor. The present study appraises the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the innovative work behavior scale (IWBS-G), a 44-item self-reported instrument, using data collected from two studies with in-service teachers. In the first study dataset (N = 485), exploratory factor analysis was applied, which, by implementing scree plot with parallel analysis, revealed the dimensionality of four factors, namely: Idea Generation (IG), Idea Promotion (IP), Idea Realization (IR), and Idea Sustainability (IS). The corresponding reliability measures using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega ranged between 0.917 and 0.944. In the second study dataset (N = 964), confirmatory factor analysis validated a sufficient fit of the measurement model [χ2 = 396.85, df = 203, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.994; RMSEA = 0.031], while the corresponding internal consistency measures ranged between 0.814 and 0.914. Furthermore, measurement invariance was conducted, which demonstrated insignificant differences between genders. Discussion on the significance of innovative work behavior and the potential implementation of the IWBS instrument in educational research is provided

Teachers’ Innovative Work Behavior Scale: Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version and Measurement Invariance across Genders

Innovation refers to the implementation of creative ideas into practice. In that sense, innovative work behavior (IWB) is a type of behavior and a multidimensional construct that involves four factors: the generation, promotion, realization, and sustainability of new ideas for the whole organizations’ benefit. Thus, the development of instruments for measuring and singling IWB is an interesting and necessary endeavor. The present study appraises the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the innovative work behavior scale (IWBS-G), a 44-item self-reported instrument, using data collected from two studies with in-service teachers. In the first study dataset (N = 485), exploratory factor analysis was applied, which, by implementing scree plot with parallel analysis, revealed the dimensionality of four factors, namely: Idea Generation (IG), Idea Promotion (IP), Idea Realization (IR), and Idea Sustainability (IS). The corresponding reliability measures using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega ranged between 0.917 and 0.944. In the second study dataset (N = 964), confirmatory factor analysis validated a sufficient fit of the measurement model [χ2 = 396.85, df = 203, p CFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.994; RMSEA = 0.031], while the corresponding internal consistency measures ranged between 0.814 and 0.914. Furthermore, measurement invariance was conducted, which demonstrated insignificant differences between genders. Discussion on the significance of innovative work behavior and the potential implementation of the IWBS instrument in educational research is provided

Burnout of Greek Teachers: Measurement Invariance and Differences across Individual Characteristics

Burnout (BT) is a vital determinant of work effectiveness and a well-studied psychological construct. The dominant theoretical perspectives have defined BT via the proposed dimensional structures and have provided the corresponding instruments for measuring them. The present endeavor adopts the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), as its purpose is to examine the psychometric properties of a short version for the Greek teachers and to find differences across their individual characteristics. The Greek short version of OLBI comprises two dimensions: Disengagement (four items) and Exhaustion (five items), with reliability measures utilizing Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega: Exhaustion (α = 0.810/ω = 0.823) and Disengagement (α = 0.742/ω = 0.756). Confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit of the measurement model: χ2 = 320.291, df = 26, p CFI = 0.970; TLI = 0.958; RMSEA = 0.068; 90% CI of RMSEA = [0.062; 0.075]; SRMR = 0.067; NFI = 0.967; GFI = 0.986]. The proposed model is extracted after two studies (N1 = 134, N2 = 2437). The novel aspect of this endeavor is the measurement invariance explored across selected demographic variables. The findings supporting the measurement invariance make an essential contribution to the field, and the implications for educational research are provided along with a concise presentation of theoretical issues

Teachers’ Irrational Belief Scale: Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version and Measurement Invariance across Genders

Irrationality refers to human thoughts and beliefs that signify lack of rationality and entail erroneous perceptions about situational, personal, or collective idiosyncrasies, while it is independent of one’s intellectual ability. Irrational beliefs are ubiquitous in all social and cultural groups and attract a special interest in behavioral sciences, where the primary concern is the development of instruments for identifying and measuring them. The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of Greek version of Teachers’ Irrational Belief Scale (TIBS-G), a 25-item self-reported instrument using data collected from 835 participants. The exploratory procedure, implementing scree plot with parallel analysis, demonstrated the dimensionality of four factors, namely: Self-downing (SD), Authoritarianism (A), Demands for Justice (DJ), and Low Frustration Tolerance (LT). The corresponding reliability measures using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega were ranged between 0.70 and 0.80. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit of the measurement model [χ2 = 579.98, df = 183, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.960; TLI = 0.956; RMSEA = 0.051]. In addition, measurement invariance was performed, which demonstrated differences between genders. Finally, discussion on the importance of irrational beliefs and the possible implementation of the TIBS instrument in educational research is provided