An investigation of gender and age differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents

This study investigated gender- and age-related differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents. Eight hundred and fifty-five students (415 girls and 440 boys) aged 11–16 (M age = 13.96, SD = 1.47) filled in a questionnaire that examined student academic motivation and teachers completed a questionnaire reporting student classroom behaviour. Interestingly, early adolescent boys’ (11–12 years) self-reported academic motivation was significantly more closely associated with reports of student classroom behaviour completed by teachers. However, a surprising result was the significant drop in girls’ adaptive motivation from early to mid-adolescence (13–14 years) and a significant increase in mid-adolescence (13–14 years). Furthermore, teachers reported a significant increase in negative classroom behaviour in mid-adolescent and late adolescent girls (15–16 years). The need to further understand the association between academic motivation and classroom behaviour at different stages in adolescence, and to design interventions to improve classroom behaviour, is deliberated

Towards an understanding of academic motivation, classroom behaviour and academic attainment in adolescents

The aim of this thesis was to investigate a number of topics relating to sex differences in adolescents in an educational setting. The experimental studies were designed to investigate the associations between academic motivation, classroom behaviour, mental toughness and academic attainment in adolescents. Also of interest was to investigate the possibility of developmental trajectories of academic motivation and classroom behaviour throughout adolescence. However, the focus within each study was to examine the sex differences in these constructs and trajectories. Chapter 2 revealed sex differences in academic motivation and classroom behaviour in adolescents with girls reporting significantly higher levels of positive dimensions of academic motivation in addition to higher levels of uncertain control and anxiety. Teachers’ reports of negative classroom behaviour revealed that boys engaged more in negative behaviour in the classroom. Interestingly, there was also a closer relationship between boys’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour. It was found that variation in academic motivation was better predicted by gender identity than sex. For both males and females, identification with feminine traits was more closely associated with academic motivation. Variation in negative behaviour was predicted by both sex and gender identity (in particular a masculine identity). Chapter 4 examined sex differences in age-related trajectories of academic motivation and negative classroom behaviour. Boys were generally less motivated and exhibited more behavioural problems than girls throughout adolescence. However, girls showed a substantial decline in academic motivation between early and mid-adolescence. The results from Chapter 5 revealed relationships between mental toughness, motivation and behaviour. The constructs of motivation and mental toughness both predicted shared and unique variance in negative classroom behaviour however, mental toughness made the largest contribution to oppositional behaviour and cognitive problems/inattention. Finally, chapter 6 demonstrated sex differences were found in attainment at GCSE even when statistically controlling for adolescents motivation and classroom behaviour. Throughout the thesis, the results of each study are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice. For example, the introduction of interventions aimed at improving academic motivation, classroom behaviour, or mental toughness during early adolescence may positively affect later attainment

Gender differences in adolescents' academic motivation and classroom behaviour

© 2013 Taylor & Francis. The present study investigated gender differences in adolescents’ academic motivation and classroom behaviour and gender differences in the extent to which motivation was associated with, and predicted, classroom behaviour. Seven hundred and fifty students (384 boys and 366 girls) aged 11–16 (M age = 14.0, 1.59 SD) completed a questionnaire examining academic motivation and teachers completed assessments of their classroom behaviour. Girls generally reported higher levels of academic motivation, whilst teacher reports of behaviour were poorer for boys. Interestingly, boys’ reported levels of academic motivation were significantly more closely associated with teacher reports of their classroom behaviour. Furthermore, cognitive aspects of boys’ motivation were better predictors of their classroom behaviour than behavioural aspects. On the other hand, behavioural aspects of girls’ motivation were better predictors of their behaviour. Implications for understanding the relationship between motivation and behaviour among adolescent boys and girls are discussed, in addition to interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ classroom behaviour

AN INVESTIGATION INTO USE OF THE FRESHWATER GASTROPOD VIVIPARUS AS A RECORDER OF PAST CLIMATIC CHANGE

Through isotopic analysis of Viviparus lentus (V. lentus) a high resolution record of stepwise changes in 8 180 and 8 13C across the Eocene I Oligocene transition and Oi-l glacial maximum has been produced for the continental Solent Group strata, Isle of Wight (UK). Comparison of this V. lentus δ18 Ocarb. record with high resolution marine δ18 Ocarb. records shows that similar isotopic shifts exist in the near coastal continental and marine realms. In order to calculate palaeotemperatures from this new continental record an investigation into the biology of modern Viviparus and its effect on the isotopic composition of its shell carbonate was undertaken. Experimental measurements of the 180 / 160 isotope fractionation between the biogenic aragonite of Viviparus and its host freshwater were undertaken on samples derived from the Somerset Levels in order to generate a genus specific thermometry equation. The results from using this new Viviparus equation on fossil V. lentus shell fragments suggests that aquatic and terrestrial biota were being affected by climate change associated with the Late Eocene Event. This coincides with a decrease in mammal species richness in the Osborne Member, reaching its climax at the end of the Osborne I Seagrove Bay Members. This event is followed by a brief warming in the Bembridge Limestone which was marked by a within-Europe mammal turnover involving dispersal from the south and an increase in species richness, concurrent with this is an increase in size of Harrisichara gyrogonites. An additional investigation into seasonal isotopic variability using whole well preserved V. lentus specimens has also revealed a shift from tropical /subtropical to temperate climatic zones occurring before the Eocene /Oligocene boundary and Oi-1 glacial maximum. Overall the evidence provided by these investigations would suggest that climatic change was already in progress prior to the build up of glacial ice on Antarctica

Perceptions and practices of effective distance teaching: a survey of faculty at Iowa State University

This study was conducted to examine the beliefs and practices of effective distance teaching by university faculty members and to compare distance teaching practices with face-to-face practices. An on-line survey using multiple choice and open-ended questions was distributed to a convenience sample of faculty members from a large, Midwestern university who taught at a distance between the spring of 2001 and the spring of 2005. Descriptive data were collected on demographics, beliefs, and practices of faculty members teaching at a distance. The response rate for this study was almost 64%. The results showed evidence that the faculty members were satisfied with teaching at a distance. Furthermore, the results showed that the faculty members believed their distance education students are as satisfied or more satisfied and achieve as much or more than their face-to-face students. Although the faculty members reported receiving adequate administrative and technical support for teaching distant courses, they also indicated wanting much more than what they currently receive. Finally, the results provided evidence that the faculty members knew what elements are effective for delivering courses at a distance, and they are working to implement them. The findings of this study may help inform administrators on how to support faculty teaching at a distance; faculty on how to deliver courses effectively at a distance, and researchers on issues in distance education that need further study

The Quantum Vacuum Near Time-Dependent Dielectrics

The vacuum, as described by Quantum Field Theory, is not as empty as classical physics once led us to believe. In fact, it is characterised by an infinite energy stored in the ground state of its constituent fields. This infinite energy has real, tangible effects on the macroscopic clusters of matter that make up our universe. Moreover, the configuration of these clusters of matter within the vacuum in turn influences the form of the vacuum itself and so forth. In this work, we shall consider the changes to the quantum vacuum brought about by the presence of time-dependent dielectrics. Such changes are thought to be responsible for phenomena such as the simple and dynamical Casimir effects and Quantum Friction. After introducing the physical and mathematical descriptions of the electromagnetic quantum vacuum, we will begin by discussing some of the basic quasi-static effects that stem directly from the existence of an electromagnetic ground state energy, known as the \textit{zero-point energy}. These effects include the famous Hawking radiation and Unruh effect amongst others. We will then use a scenario similar to that which exhibits Cherenkov radiation in order to de-mystify the 'negative frequency' modes of light that often occur due to a Doppler shift in the presence of media moving at a constant velocity by showing that they are an artefact of the approximation of the degrees of freedom of matter to a macroscopic permittivity function. Here, absorption and dissipation of electromagnetic energy will be ignored for simplicity. The dynamics of an oscillator placed within this moving medium will then be considered and we will show that when the motion exceeds the speed of light in the dielectric, the oscillator will begin to absorb energy from the medium. It will be shown that this is due to the reversal of the 'radiation damping' present for lower velocity of stationary cases. We will then consider how the infinite vacuum energy changes in the vicinity, but outside, of this medium moving with a constant velocity and show that the presence of matter removes certain symmetries present in empty space leading to transfers of energy between moving bodies mediated by the electromagnetic field. Following on from this, we will then extend our considerations by including the dissipation and dispersion of electromagnetic energy within magneto-dielectrics by using a canonically quantised model referred to as 'Macroscopic QED'. We will analyse the change to the vacuum state of the electromagnetic field brought about by the presence of media with an arbitrary time dependence. It will be shown that this leads to the creation of particles tantamount to exciting the degrees of freedom of both the medium and the electromagnetic field. We will also consider the effect these time-dependencies have on the two point functions of the field amplitudes using the example of the electric field. Finally, we will begin the application of the macroscopic QED model to the path integral methods of quantum field theory with the purpose of making use of the full range of perturbative techniques that this entails, leaving the remainder of this adaptation for future work.EPSR

Negative frequencies in wave propagation: A microscopic model

A change in the sign of the frequency of a wave between two inertial reference frames corresponds to a reversal of the phase velocity. Yet from the point of view of the relation E=ω, a positive quantum of energy apparently becomes a negative-energy one. This is physically distinct from a change in the sign of the wave vector and can be associated with various effects such as Cherenkov radiation, quantum friction, and the Hawking effect. In this work we provide a more detailed understanding of these negative-frequency modes based on a simple microscopic model of a dielectric medium as a lattice of scatterers. We calculate the classical and quantum mechanical radiation damping of an oscillator moving through such a lattice and find that the modes where the frequency has changed sign contribute negatively. In terms of the lattice of scatterers we find that this negative radiation damping arises due to the phase of the periodic force experienced by the oscillator due to the relative motion of the lattice.EPSRC programme grant EP/1034548/1