Comparing short-term growth in traditional and cyber forms of bullying in early and mid-adolescent students

The present study sought to investigate the short-term growth in the levels of traditional and cyber forms of bullying and victimization and examine how growth in one form of bullying relates to that of others’, for students in late elementary and early high school grades (ages 10 to 15) and to examine how the educational level of the students affects this growth. In total 868 students participated in the study during four measurement waves with an approximate five-week time-lag between each wave. The Latent Growth Modelling technique was implemented in data analysis and results indicated considerable differences between traditional and cyber forms of bullying. For example, a steeper fluctuation was indicated for cyber forms of bullying and victimization, which was more precipitous for students who were already reporting high levels of such behaviours, contrary to what was found for traditional forms of bullying. Nonetheless, similarities between the two forms were also present. Implications for research and practice are discussed

The effect of parental style on bullying and cyber bullying behaviors and the mediating role of peer attachment relationships: A longitudinal study

The purpose of the present study was the examination of the longitudinal effect of parental style on short-term changes in conventional and cyber forms of bullying/victimization, and the investigation of the mediating role of peer attachment relationships on this effect. The participants were 861 children and adolescents (52% girls, M  = 11.72 years) attending Cyprus public institutions. Students provided information during three measurement points. There was a six and a 12 week interval among the three measurement points, respectively. The findings of the study indicated that parenting seems to be a significant predictor of all forms of bullying/victimization, conventional and cyber, in early adolescents, even when accounting for bullying/victimization levels eighteen weeks back. More importantly, results showed that the effect of parental style on bullying forms was mediated by peer attachment relationships. Results are discussed in the light of theoretical and practical implications. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2018 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The classroom psycho-social climate, teacher's interpersonal behavior and their relationship with students' achievement and their attitudes towards Language and Mathematics: the role of students' achievement goals

The purpose of the present study was to thoroughly investigate the conceptual meaning of the constructs “psychosocial classroom climate” and “teacher interpersonal behavior” in a sample of students attending the 5th and 6th grades of the Greek primary school, as well as their teachers, and to examine the effect of these constructs on students’ achievement and attitudes in Language and Mathematics. The study was based on a mixed-methods research design which included two pilot and one main studies. Semi-structured interviews with a sample of 48 students and 12 teachers were carried out in the first pilot study, the outcomes of which assisted the adaptation of two internationally acknowledged questionnaires for measuring the target constructs. In the second pilot study, the two questionnaires were administered to a random sample of 504 students and 36 teachers, along with scales measuring the target variables of the study (i.e. students’ achievement and attitudes, achievement goals and self-efficacy), in order to examine their psychometric properties. Finally, in the main study, the measures were administered to a random sample of 984 students and 77 teachers, in order to investigate the effects of the classroom psychosocial climate and teacher’s interpersonal behavior on students’ achievement and attitudes, and to examine the mediational role of students’ self-efficacy and achievement goals. Results indicated that both students and teachers identified, through their descriptions, the seven indices of the classroom psychosocial climate and the eight facets of teachers’ interpersonal behavior previously established in the relevant research literature, with certain modifications as to the exact manifestation of these indices and facets in the Greek elementary context. In addition, results also showed that perceived psychosocial climate and perceived teacher interaction were significantly related to students’ achievement and attitudes, with this relation following various pathways, partially mediated by students’ achievement goals and self-efficacy. Implications for practice, research and future directions are discussed.Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν η εξέταση των εννοιολογικών κατασκευών «ψυχοκοινωνικό κλίμα της τάξης» (ΨΚ) και «διαπροσωπική συμπεριφορά» (ΔΣ) του εκπαιδευτικού σε μαθητές Ε′ και Στ′ τάξεων ελληνικών δημοτικών σχολείων, και η διερεύνηση της σχέσης τους με την επίδοση και τις στάσεις των μαθητών στα μαθήματα της Γλώσσας και των Μαθηματικών. Για την επίτευξη του σκοπού αυτού διενεργήθηκαν δύο πιλοτικές και μία κύρια μελέτη, με τη χρήση ποιοτικών και ποσοτικών μεθόδων. Στην πρώτη πιλοτική μελέτη πραγματοποιήθηκαν συνεντεύξεις, στις οποίες συμμετείχαν 48 μαθητές και 12 εκπαιδευτικοί. Με βάση τα ευρήματα των συνεντεύξεων προσαρμόστηκαν στο ελληνικό εκπαιδευτικό πλαίσιο δύο διεθνώς αναγνωρισμένα ερωτηματολόγια μέτρησης των παραπάνω εννοιών. Η δεύτερη πιλοτική μελέτη αφορούσε στη χορήγηση και στον έλεγχο των ψυχομετρικών ιδιοτήτων των δύο προσαρμοσμένων ερωτηματολογίων, καθώς και άλλων ερευνητικών εργαλείων για τη μέτρηση της επίδοσης και των στάσεων των μαθητών στη Γλώσσα και στα Μαθηματικά, των στόχων επίτευξης και της αυτεπάρκειας, σε τυχαίο δείγμα 504 μαθητών και 36 εκπαιδευτικών. Τέλος, στην κύρια μελέτη τα ερωτηματολόγια χορηγήθηκαν σε τυχαίο δείγμα 984 μαθητών και 77 εκπαιδευτικών για τον έλεγχο ενός μοντέλου μεσολάβησης της επίδρασης του ΨΚ της τάξης και της ΔΣ του εκπαιδευτικού από τους στόχους επίτευξης και την αυτεπάρκεια των μαθητών. Τα ποιοτικά και τα ποσοτικά ευρήματα κατέδειξαν ότι μαθητές και εκπαιδευτικοί ήταν σε θέση να αναγνωρίσουν τους εφτά δείκτες του ΨΚ της τάξης και τις οκτώ όψεις της ΔΣ του εκπαιδευτικού, με ορισμένες διαφοροποιήσεις αναφορικά με τον τρόπο εκδήλωσης των συμπεριφορών που περιγράφονται σε αυτούς στο ελληνικό δημοτικό σχολείο. Επίσης, τα ευρήματα έδειξαν ότι το αντιληπτό ΨΚ της τάξης και η αντιληπτή ΔΣ του εκπαιδευτικού σχετίζονταν σημαντικά με τη σχολική επίδοση των μαθητών και στις στάσεις τους στη Γλώσσα και στα Μαθηματικά, ενώ η σχέση αυτή φάνηκε να ακολουθεί ποικίλες διαδρομές, μεσολαβούμενη μερικώς από τους στόχους επίτευξης και την αυτεπάρκεια των μαθητών. Παρατίθεται κριτική συζήτηση της συμβολής των ευρημάτων στη βιβλιογραφία και διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για εκπαιδευτικές εφαρμογές των ευρημάτων, καθώς και για μελλοντική έρευνα

The Classroom Psycho-Social Climate: Conceptual Content, Theoretical Background, Measurement Instruments and Relation to Students' Learning Outcomes

To ψυχοκοινωνικό κλίμα (ΨΚ) της τάξης έχει αποτελέσει αντικείμενο συστηματικής μελέτης στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Ωστόσο, παρά τη σημαντική πρόοδο που έχει σημειωθεί, η έρευνα γύρω από το ΨΚ της τάξης διέπεται από συγκεκριμένες παρανοήσεις, αντιφάσεις και ελλείψεις τόσο σε θεωρητικό, όσο σε εμπειρικό επίπεδο. Ο σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν να εξετάσει την πορεία της έρευνας που αφορά στο ΨΚ της τάξης, επιχειρώντας να αποδομήσει παρανοήσεις και αντιφάσεις, καθώς και να παρουσιάσει κριτικά δύο από τα σημαντικότερα επιτεύγματα αυτής της ερευνητικής περιοχής: (α) την κατασκευή πληθώρας έγκυρων και αξιόπιστων ερευνητικών εργαλείων για τη μέτρηση του ΨΚ της τάξης σε διάφορα μαθησιακά περιβάλλοντα και βαθμίδες εκπαίδευσης, και (β) τη σύνδεση του ΨΚ της τάξης με ποικίλα μαθησιακά επιτεύγματα γνωστικής και συναισθηματικής φύσης. Συζητούνται οι εκπαιδευτικές προεκτάσεις των ευρημάτων της σχετικής έρευνας, καθώς και ενδεχόμενες μελλοντικές ερευνητικές κατευθύνσεις.The purpose of the present paper was to review the extant research on Classroom Psycho-Social Climate (CPSC), in order to underscore and resolve misconceptions, contradictions, and deficiencies, as well as to critically present two of its most important research accomplishments: (a) the construction of a plethora of valid and reliable research instruments to measure the construct of CPSC in various learning environments and at different educational levels, and (b) the association of CPSC with cognitive and affective learning outcomes. The definitions proposed for CPSC are generally characterized by ambiguity. Yet, most researchers agree that the CPSC represents a multidimensional construct, the defining indicators of which, tend to be statistically confirmed in most studies, while at the same time new ones are added, thus providing the construct with a dynamic status. Various theories have been proposed to conceptualize CPSC, the most acknowledged being that of Lewin’s (1936) Field Theory, Murray’s (1938) Needs-Press model, and Getzel and Thelen’s (1960) Socio-Psychological Theory. Two independent research programs and their enduring theoretical and empirical legacy signaled the new era in CPSC research. Rudolf Moos proposed a three-dimensional structure descriptive of all psycho-social climates regardless of the social context (school classrooms, correctional institutions, military facilities, etc.) (1974), and Herbert Walberg demonstrated that students’ were in position to make valid inferences regarding CPSC (1969). Contemporary CPSC research has revealed some methodological issues which need to be taken into consideration when designing CPSC studies. One of the most remarkable achievements of CPSC research is the development of many valid and widely used research instruments for measuring CPSC in various educational contexts and at different educational levels. These instruments reflect the expansion of CPSC research in terms of the integration of new conceptual dimensions, as well as the widening of the age level of students to whom they are addressed. However, despite the increased production of mixed-methods studies in contemporary CPSC research, the cross-cultural adaptation of CPSC instruments, especially those addressing elementary students, has resulted in ambiguous findings. Moreover, whereas most CPSC instruments are based on Moos’s three-dimensional proposal, empirical findings support different allocation of the subscales in these dimensions than the scale developers. Another significant outcome of CPSC research is the examination of the association of CPSC with students’ cognitive and affective learning outcomes. Indeed, empirical findings support the link between the CPSC and various learning outcomes, such as academic achievement, attitudes, self-efficacy, motivation, self-handicapping, and students’ emotional and cognitive involvement. In addition, contemporary CPSC research has examined different paths through which CPSC affects student outcomes. For example, researchers have shown that self-efficacy and achievement goals mediate the relationship between CPSC and student outcomes, such as academic achievement, emotional involvement, etc. Nonetheless, and despite the extended investigation of the relationship between CPSC and student outcomes, research has failed to present consistent evidence with regards to the effect of specific CPSC indicators on student outcomes. What’s more, in cases where CPSC indicators presented negative associations with student outcomes, the explanations provided were insufficient, whereas follow up investigations did not take place. Of course CPSC research has followed other fruitful directions which are also presented in this review. Practical implications of CPSC research findings and future research directions are also discussed