This study was designed to investigate more completely the variable of achievement effort (effort in school) as related to self rating, teacher rating, student self concept, actual achievement, and sex differences. A group of 198 sixth grade students were used as the experimental subjects. Five sets of data were obtained on the students: (a) students' self ratings on an achievement effort rating scale, (b) teachers' ratings of their students on the same achievement effort rating scale, (c) students' scores on a self concept scale, (d) students' performances on an achievement test, and (e) students' performances on an intelligence test. Partial correlation, product-moment correlation, and chi-square were the statistical techniques used to analyze the data. The results showed that the correlations which were not significantly different than zero were: (1) achievement with self concept, and (2) achievement with achievements effort as rated by the student. The correlations which were significantly greater than zero were: (1) achievement effort as rated by the student with self concept, (2) achievement with achievement effort as rated by the teacher, and (3) achievement effort as rated by the student with achievement effort as rated by the teacher.

The attainment of high grades on the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is critical to the future study and employment prospects of many Australian adolescents. Thus it is important to understand the factors that contribute to performance in the VCE. The aims of this study were twofold: the main aim was to test competing models of academic performance, subsuming a range of situational and dispositional variables based on a) self-efficacy theory, b) target and purpose goals, c) cognitive skills and self-regulatory strategies, and d) positive psychology. These models were each tested in terms of English performance and mathematics performance as these units contribute proportionally the most to overall VCE scores. In order to study whether pressures peculiar to the VCE impact on performance, the competing models were tested in a sample of Victorian students prior to the VCE (year 10) and then during the VCE (year 11). A preliminary study was conducted in order to develop and test four scales required for use in the major study, using an independent sample of 302 year nine students. The results indicated that these new scales were psychometrically reliable and valid. Three-hundred and seven Australian students participated in the year 10 and 11 study. These students were successively asked to provide their final years 9, 10 and 11 English and mathematics grades at times one, three and five and to complete a series of questionnaires at times two and four. Results of the year 10 study indicated that models based on self-efficacy theory were the best predictors of both English and mathematics performance, with high past grades, high self-efficacy and low anxiety contributing most to performance. While the year 10 self-efficacy models, target goal models, positive psychology models, self-regulatory models and cognitive skill based models were each robust in the sample in year 11, a substantial increase in explained variance was observed from year 10 to year 11 in the purpose goal models. Results indicated that students’ mastery goals and their performance-approach goals became substantially more predictive in the VCE than they were prior to the VCE. This result can be taken to suggest that these students responded in very instrumental ways to the pressures, and importance, of their VCE. An integrated model based on a combination of the variables from the competing models was also tested in the VCE. Results showed that these models were comparable, both in English and mathematics, to the self-efficacy models, but explained less variance than the purpose goal models. Thus in terms of parsimony the integrated models were not preferred. The implications of these results in terms of teaching practices and school counseling practices are discussed. It is recommended that students be encouraged to maintain a positive outlook in relation to their schoolwork and that they be encouraged to set their VCE goals in terms of a combination of self-referenced (mastery) and other-referenced (performance-approach) goals.

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors that affect students’ perceptions of the use of online peer and self assessment in an online collaborative learning environment, and to explore the impacts of the assessments on the online collaboration of the students. The setting of this study was a university graduate-level online credit course entitled Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which all course activities were conducted collaboratively through online communications and online peer and self assessment was provided at the end of every group project. Data sources included: face-to-face or online video conferencing interviews with 14 participants; participants’ written reflections; their portfolios; messages that each participant posted to their group online discussion board; and peers’ and self comments on the online peer and self assessment. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory approach. Results of the data analysis showed that many factors allowed students to have varied perceptions, attitudes, and feelings in conducting the online peer and self assessment. The factors were grouped into three: learning context, individual differences, and online learning community. Learning context encompassed all parts of the CSCL online course strongly related to the peer and self assessment, including course elements, online assessment system, types of assessment feedback, and graduate school environment. Categories under the factor of individual differences included stringency-leniency in ratings, objectivity of ratings, previous assessment experience, purpose of the assessments, and degree of self-confidence in assessing their own contributions to the group activity. Categories related to the online learning community included group composition, engagement of group members, and sense of community. Additionally, the results revealed the impact of the use of peer and self assessment on the group collaboration in terms of understanding others’ perspectives, reflections on themselves, awareness of the assessments, interpersonal skills for collaboration, accountability, participation, personal criteria for the assessments, level of confidence with the assessments, and group collaboration. / text

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the implementation of criteria-referenced self-assessment in students’ learning in argumentative writing especially for students learning Chinese as a second language (CSL). Participants were 4 year-8 students in an international school in Hong Kong. Follow-up interview was also conducted to investigate students’ perspectives of self-assessment. Findings include the changes of students’ writing performance in argumentative essays based on the comparison of pre-test and post-test in the aspects of the 3 metafunctions of language: ideational, interpersonal and textual defined by M.A.K. Halliday. The result suggests that integrating criteria-referenced self-assessment in CSL writing classes can improve students’ writing performance and enhance their understanding of marking criteria for argumentative essay. 本文透過準實驗性研究的設計，以香港一所國際學校4位8年級學生為研究對象，了解透過量表自評在中文第二語言寫作教學中的實施，是否能夠提升學生在議論文寫作的表現。本文根據系統功能語言學對於語言元功能的分類，分析學生前後測寫作的表現。結果發現，經過一個月的量表自評實驗，學生的寫作表現在語言的概念功能、人際功能以及語篇功能三個方面均產生變化。此外，透過實驗後的跟進訪談發現，量表自評使得學生對於議論文寫作的評估標準有了更清楚的認識，同時也能夠將這樣的認識體現在對於議論文寫作的評斷當中。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Not available / text

In this master‘s of psychology final work peculiarities and connections between motivation of learning, self-evaluation and success in learning of younger teenagers are discussed. The research work was carried out at Kėdainiai „Ryto“ Secondary School. 161 students took part in the research work, 95 of them the seventh and 66 - the ninth formers. Methodics used in this final work is: subjective self-evaluation scale (A.Petrulytė, 1995). and the test of motivation of teenagers‘ learning (Entwistle N.J.1979,1981,1983 ). To achieve the final goal the following aims were to be carried out: to find the arithmetical mean of motivation of learning and self-evaluation of the whole group of students; to investigate peculiarities of motivation of learning and self-evaluation between boys and girls; to compare the indices of motivation of learning and self-evaluation of the seventh and ninth formers; to define connection between studets‘ self-evaluation, motivation of learning and academical success. With the help of statistical analyses it was established that more students evaluate themselves better than do not evaluate, there is no difference between girls and boys nor the seventh and ninth formers according to self-evaluation and motivation of learning indices. Statistical reliable relation between academical success and motivation of learning and self-evaluation are found. Statistically reliable relation is not observed between self-evaluation and motivation of learning. The... [to full text]

This study focuses on a large-scale, foreign-funded education intervention, the Imbewu Project (IP). This project was funded by United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) and was implemented in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa between 1997 and 2000 in close consultation with the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Department of Education (ECDE). The impact of the project is examined through the eyes of the primary school participants, principals, teachers and members of School Governing Bodies. The major concern of the study is to explore the impact of the intervention on the management practices of schools. The study examines those factors which promoted or undermined the efficacy of the IP. Cluster or multi-stage sampling was used for sampling schools from which respondents for questionnaires were selected. A total of 250 copies of the two questionnaires (200 for teachers and 50 for school principals) were sent to selected schools. Out of these, 33 were filled in and returned by school principals and 119 were filled in and returned by teachers. Convenience sampling was used for sampling the schools from which interviewees were selected. Five (5) principals, eight (8) members of the school governing bodies, 15 key teachers and 15 non-key teachers were interviewed. A largely descriptive research design was used to explore the views and perceptions of principals, teachers and school governing body (SGB) members about changes in the management practices in their schools. School documents from the schools used for interviews were analysed in order to corroborate the information given by the respondents. The training materials used by the IP were closely aligned with the imperatives identified in the South African Schools Act (1996). The education management development (EMD) modules of the IP and the management areas in the South African Schools Act (1996), for example, suggests that the IP training programme was guided by official policy. The IP programme was therefore appropriate for supporting and enhancing the work of the ECDE in improving school efficiency and for the transformation of education in the schools. Advanced age, lengthy experience and the poor quality of teacher training tended to limit the optimal impact of the IP. The IP training helped principals and SGB members to understand their roles in the school and to participate more effectively than before. In the IP, while the quality of the training was perceived as good, it appeared that the duration did not allow for assimilation and in-depth understanding of the content. In addition, the cascading model of training was regarded as a threat to the successful implementation of the IP as it distorted and reduced the amount of knowledge that reached the majority of teachers in the schools. Principals did not warmly support the transformation agenda that forced them to work with SGB members who were often poorly informed about school matters. However, principals were ready to use the SGBs in aspects such as mobilizing parents to attend meetings and providing security for the school that were not directly related to their own management work. Principals continued to wield power in the SGBs because they were superior to all parent members of the SGBs in terms of academic qualification, expertise, and official information. The heads of departments (HODs) in the schools were not targeted for the IP training. Consequently, most of them had to be trained by their teachers in the IP activities at the schools. The fact that these HODs were not trained in the IP meant that their professional authority in the implementation process of IP activities was undermined as they had to depend on their teachers regarding these activities in their departments. This tended to undermine the institutionalization and sustainability of the intervention. Poverty proved to be a serious challenge to the success of the IP intervention in the most disadvantaged schools. The poorest schools were unable to take full advantage of the IP intervention in terms of training manuals and learning material compared to those which were better off. There was therefore a tendency for the IP to inadvertently promote and increase inequalities. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The assessment procedures utilised in first year Geography modules at the University of Natal Durban were critically reviewed. This revealed a rather narrow approach with an emphasis on summative assessment, limited feedback and a hidden assessment agenda with no student involvement. It was recognised that this traditional approach encouraged a surface approach to learning. In order to broaden the range of assessment procedures available to the students and to improve upon the assessment practice in general, peer and self-assessment exercises were incorporated into a first year module (Environmental Geography I) during this study. It was felt that by participating in peer and self-review exercises, students' self-reflective skills could be developed in order to equip them to become life-long learners. The main aim of the study was to integrate assessment with learning and to determine whether active involvement in the assessment process provided insight into the process and positively influenced students' motivation, attitude and approach to learning. The study, which was conducted over a two-year period using an action research approach, revolved mainly around an essay test students wrote a few weeks into the module. During tutorials prior to the test students were introduced to the skill of essay writing and the concept of criteria by which essays could be assessed. After the test, using a criteria sheet and model answer, students were expected to mark (Le. provide both written feedback as well as a grade) both an essay of an anonymous ' peer' as well as their own test essay. The lecturer subsequently marked the test as well as the actual assessment done by the students. Quantitative comparisons of student-awarded grades and lecturer-awarded grades, as well as a qualitative analysis of student and lecturer feedback during the process, and comments from the evaluations, revealed some general trends from both iterations: • Students showed increased insight into the process of self-assessment with practice. • Good students tended to under-estimate, poor students over-estimate grades. • Students were critical when marking an anonymous peer. • Students tended to be less critical when marking themselves. • Students battled with understanding/implementing certain criteria. • Students found it hard to separate out content from structure and style in an essay. • Students generally saw credit and value in the process of self-assessment. • Students were generally positive about the process of self-assessment • Students were rely-ctant to engage in the process of self-assessment on a more regular basis • Students felt the feedback comments from the lecturer on the self-assessment were the most valuable learning exercise. A large part of the success of the study was that, through integrating assessment in the learning process, students were able to be more critical of their own work. This in turn should pave the way for them being able to work in more self-reflective and independent ways in the future. Furthermore, the study served to open up dialogue with students with respect to our teaching and their learning. By participating in the peer and self-review process they became more aware of the "hidden" aspects of the curriculum. Students appear to have acquired an awareness of the value of criteria in assessment and were able to apply them to some degree in their own context. In general, students felt they had a beneficial experience in peer and self-assessment. The study highlighted a number of issues that need addressing. Firstly, there was a large gap between lecturer expectations in a written answer and what the students felt was acceptable. In particular, students had problems with being able to discriminate and internalise certain criteria such as relevance of information' and in general resorted to what has been tenned the 'shotgun ' approach when providing answers. It is recognised that interpretation of such gaps in understanding have social, cultural and political contexts. Secondly. the actual awarding of grades was an intimidating process for many students and should be done in a less threatening way in the future. Thirdly from a personal point of view, it is recognised that it requires not only a high level of critical reflection but also active engagement and discipline to make necessary changes in an action research process. A conceptual framework in which traditional and educational forms of assessment are represented as two extremes of a continuum of student-lecturer involvement, is presented. This helps to locate the present study and provides direction for future assessment studies in which student learning is the central focus. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal,Durban, 2001.

This study investigated the accuracy of healthy aging adults‟ self-rating of communication style, as measured by quantifiable measures of discourse performance. Ninety cognitively healthy adults participated and comprised three age cohorts (20s, 40s, 60s). Participants completed discourse tasks that included recounting a vacation, telling a story, and describing a picture. Participants also self-rated their communication style, placing them in a talkative or reserved cohort. Communication style was measured by discourse performance variables of interest: length of output (TNW) and informativeness (%IU). When presented with an unconstrained task (recounting a vacation), talkative and reserved groups, regardless of age, produced a similar TNW and %IU. When considering age and self-rating, talkative 20, 40, and 60 year olds produced a similar TNW and %IU as reserved 20, 40, and 60 year olds. Overall, adults were found to be inaccurate, due to lack of significant differences between self-rating groups. Results indicated the need for further research on the relationship between age, discourse performance, and accuracy of self-rating of communication style of healthy aging adults.