Existing scales were modified and factor-analysed through "prepilof' and pilot studies for exploring relations between academic motivation, achievement, and cognitive factors such as locus of control (LOC), attributions, perceived self-determination and ability. Distinct, conceptually meaningful factors emerged. Thirty-seven hypotheses were tested on Unisa students. Among notable findings were: • Internal LOC related to academic motivation, but treating LOC as a set of distinct factors rather than a bipolar dimension offered more insights (e.g. "Impotence" rather than other external LOC factors related negatively to · achievement). • Little was gained from categorising attributions according to Weiner's dimensions. • Intrinsic motivation and "identified regulation" related positively to motivation. • Students' (especially unsuccessful students') expectations of success and perceptions of their ability were over-estimated. • Different factors related to motivation and achievement in different cultural groups. • Although motivation and achievement are usually positively related, this did not apply to disadvantaged groups. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

本研究旨在探討研究生的希望信念、師徒功能、意義建構、學術熱情與情緒調節間的互動關係，以及這些變項對學術動機的影響。本研究以台灣地區公、私立研究所1028位研究生為研究對象，其中包含366位男性、662位女性。研究工具包括希望量表、師徒功能量表、意義建構量表、學術熱情量表、情緒調節量表與學術動機量表。本研究採用單因子多變量變異數分析與潛在變項模式分析進行資料分析。研究發現陳述如下： 一、 以希望信念、師徒功能與意義建構為自變項、以學術熱情與情緒調節能力為中介變項、以學術動機為依變項所建構的路徑模式獲得支持。亦即學術熱情與情緒調節能力會直接影響學術動機；希望信念、師徒功能與意義建構能力則會透過學術熱情與情緒調節能力間接影響學術動機。 二、 參與研究生具有希望信念、知覺到良好的師徒功能、具備意義建構與情緒調節能力、擁有學術熱情與動機。 三、 男性研究生的學術動機高於女性研究生。 四、 已畢業之碩士生的希望信念、所知覺到的師徒功能與意義建構能力均優於全職碩士生。 五、 博士生的希望信念、所知覺到的師徒功能、意義建構能力、學術熱情、情緒調節能力與學術動機皆優於碩士生。 六、 教育學院研究生之希望信念與學術熱情皆高於工學院研究生。 最後，根據本研究主要發現提出若干意見，以提供相關單位與人員在教育以及學術研究上之參考。 / The main purpose of this study was to explore the interactive relationships of graduate students’ belief in hope, perceived mentoring function, ability of meaning making, academic passion, and ability of emotion regulation, and further, how these variables might influence their academic motivation. The participants in this study were 1028 graduate students in Taiwan. Among the participants, 366 were males and 662 were females. Moreover, the employed instruments included the Inventory of Hope, the Inventory of Mentoring Function, the Inventory of Meaning Making, the Inventory of Academic Passion, the Inventory of Emotion Regulation, and the Inventory of Academic Motivation. The collected data was analyzed by one-way MANOVA and SEM. The main findings of this study were as follows: 1. The graduate students’ academic passion and ability of emotion regulation had direct effects on their academic motivation; moreover, the graduate students’ belief in hope, perceived mentoring function, and ability of meaning making had indirect effect on their academic motivation via academic passion and ability of emotion regulation. 2. The graduate students had an above-average level of belief in hope, academic passion, and academic motivation. Moreover, they perceived good mentoring function and had good ability of meaning making as well as emotion regulation. 3. Males had stronger academic motivation than females. 4. Graduated students had stronger belief in hope, perceived better mentoring function, and had better ability of meaning making than full-time students. 5. Doctoral students’ belief in hope, perceived mentoring function, ability of meaning making, ability of emotion regulation, academic passion, and academic motivation were better than those of master students. 6. Graduate students in College of Education had stronger belief in hope and academic passion than those in College of Engineering. Finally, the researcher proposed a few suggestions for education and academic research.

The concept of academic self-efficacy, which refers to Albert`Bandura`s self-efficacy theory, is an important factor in students` academic achievement. In this thesis we attempted to develop a research tool for assessing academic self-efficacy. The theoretical part focuses on general definition of self-efficacy and specific characteristics of perceived academic self-efficacy. The empirical part deals with the development of the questionnaire, with verification of its psychometric characteristics and determines its validity. The questionnaire was tested on a research sample of 611 students of five Prague secondary schools, aged 15 - 19. The findings indicate that the developed assessment tool is reliable, has good psychometric qualities and satisfactory validity, and is applicable in school practice. The research has also revealed interesting relations between academic self-efficacy and other variables such as gender, age or demanding school situations experienced by student. Keywords: self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, high school students, assessment, The Study Experience Questionnaire

No description available.

Healthcare professions educational programs have a responsibility to develop professionally engaged lifelong learners. Knowledge of the factors important to the development of these desirable characteristics may inform educational leaders’ decisions about program and curriculum design. This study aimed to investigate the relation between level of education and an orientation towards lifelong learning and future professional engagement. In addition, the influence of learners’ type of motivation for continued learning, and learning goal orientation on this relation was also assessed. A cross-sectional survey of learners from a single healthcare profession, physical therapy was conducted to investigate these relations. Physical therapist learners from across the United States at all levels of formal professional and post-professional education were included invited to participate in the anonymous online survey. Path analysis was used to analyze the relations between the included factors. A total of 251 usable responses were included in the analysis. Results suggest that physical therapist learners increase their orientation toward lifelong learning and future professional engagement as they advance through the physical therapy education continuum. Furthermore, having greater autonomous and less controlled motivation increases this relation. Mastery goal orientation also had a positive direct effect on lifelong learning and professional engagement but this effect was independent of learners’ current level of education. Implications for educational leaders in the physical therapy profession are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Existing scales were modified and factor-analysed through "prepilof' and pilot studies for exploring relations between academic motivation, achievement, and cognitive factors such as locus of control (LOC), attributions, perceived self-determination and ability. Distinct, conceptually meaningful factors emerged. Thirty-seven hypotheses were tested on Unisa students. Among notable findings were: • Internal LOC related to academic motivation, but treating LOC as a set of distinct factors rather than a bipolar dimension offered more insights (e.g. "Impotence" rather than other external LOC factors related negatively to · achievement). • Little was gained from categorising attributions according to Weiner's dimensions. • Intrinsic motivation and "identified regulation" related positively to motivation. • Students' (especially unsuccessful students') expectations of success and perceptions of their ability were over-estimated. • Different factors related to motivation and achievement in different cultural groups. • Although motivation and achievement are usually positively related, this did not apply to disadvantaged groups. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Although access to South African universities has increased, academic persistence among undergraduate students remains low. Three cross-sectional studies were conducted to investigate the underlying psychosocial and social identity factors that influence academic persistence among undergraduate students at a South African university. Studies 1, 2, and 3 demonstrated that academic adjustment, academic motivation and identification with the academic department are prominent factors in predicting academic persistence. Studies 1 and 2 supported the hypothesis that students who highly identified with the university/academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to be academically motivated and academically persistent. Study 3 confirmed that students who highly identified with the academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to persist academically. The studies also revealed that the relationship between identification with the university/academic department and academic persistence via academic adjustment and academic motivation was conditional on whether students were from historically underrepresented or overrepresented racial groups (Studies 1 and 2) and whether students were first-generation or continuing-generation students (Study 3). These results underscore the importance of psychosocial and social identity factors on academic persistence among undergraduate students. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)

Several children immigrate to South Africa every year and it has been shown that some migrant children experience challenges in their host countries. These challenges have been documented to affect their academic performance in school. A total number of 164 immigrant learners from Gauteng schools, in grade 11 and 12 participated in the study. The study first, determined the positive correlation between academic motivation, academic self-concept and perceived support and academic performance. Second, the study established whether academic motivation, academic self-concept and perceived support would predict academic performance. Third, the study determined whether academic self-concept would mediate the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. Correlation, regression and mediation analyses were used to address the aims of the study. There was a positive relationship between academic motivation, academic self-concept, perceived support and academic performance. Only academic self-concept predicted academic performance. Academic self-concept significantly mediated the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. The results from the study demonstrate the importance of psychological factors informing immigrant learners’ academic performance in school. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

No description available.

The main aims of this broad exploratory study were (a) to gain insights as to the possible interrelations between Unisa students' expectations for success and a variety of significant variables (such as their academic performance, self-perceptions, confidence, motivation, self-determination, others' expectancies, locus of control and attributions relating to previous performance), and (b) to discover possible differences relating to various groups (i.e. racial and gender groups; 'pass' and 'fail' groups; and 'realistic' and 'unrealistic' groups). The results of 61 hypotheses are compared with a variety of theoretical suggestions and past findings. It was found that, on the whole, the various groups, inter alia, expected to succeed, were confident about the accuracy of their expectations, perceived themselves to work hard, considered themselves to have considerable ability and to be above class average. Despite this rosy outlook many students failed the examinations. Two of the most striking findings of this study were that (a) those who failed overestimated their future performance to a significantly greater extent than those who passed, and (b) overestimations were negatively correlated with achievement. In contrast to theory and numerous research findings, the psychological profiles of 'overoptimists', 'realists', and 'underestimators' revealed that overoptimistic expectancies and self-perceptions appear to be maladaptive in an academic context. Indeed, the findings suggest that accurate or even underoptimistic self-assessments may be more conducive to academic success. It is proposed that overoptimism may reflect ignorance of standards required, of adequate study methods, or may result in inappropriate preparation. In light of the findings, the implications and possible benefits and dangers of overoptimistic expectations and self-perceptions are discussed. The subjects are 715 third year Unisa psychology students, who are more heterogeneous than most other university students as they not only vary considerably in age but also come from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)