The relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement in African American students who have experienced geographic mobility was the focus of this study. Specifically, this study used quantitative methods to assess African American students from counties in Iowa to obtain information about the students' relocation from urban to rural school environments and to understand how such moves influenced their academic performance and academic self-concept. Gender and length of time since transition were also considered. The sample consisted of 101 African American middle school/junior high students who had been enrolled in Iowa schools for less than 24 months or more than 24 months. Results indicated a significant relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement measures of ITBS composite scores and cumulative GPA. Gender and the length of time since transition were not shown to be linked to students' academic ability or performance in school. Data gathered from this study will assist administrators, parents, educators, and school counselors with understanding geographic mobility, academic self-concept, and academic achievement. Information obtained will also provide insight about other factors that relate to the academic setting and students' assessment of school such as student motivation, perceptions of peers, the academic self-perceptions students possess, students' attitude towards teachers and classes, and students' attitude towards school.

Students’ academic self-concepts (ASC) and their orientation towards self-regulated learning are important elements of success. Despite this fact, little work has been conducted exploring these areas medical students. Given the shifting priorities of medical education toward competency-based education and self-directed learning, the goals of this study were to validate an existing measure of ASC and to improve our measurement capabilities for understanding the Master Adaptive Learner (MAL). Evidence for validity and scale reliability was collected for the ASCS with this novel population and a range of motivational and self-regulative variables (Goal orientation, academic emotion regulation, and lifelong learning) were analyzed and reduced to produce a single scale for MAL. Surveys were administered to 203 medical students at an urban, Mid-Atlantic medical school and students’ grades were linked to survey responses. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the original factor structure was not a good fit to the data for the current data. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify which structure fit better, and while a three-factor structure was produced, only one factor met reliability standards. This factor, confidence, was merged with items from the other surveys, and reliability scores for a composite MAL scale were identified. Based on these findings and the result of an EFA, the total item pool was reduced from 83 to 25. These 25 items discriminated between two clusters of students: MALs and others. Students’ membership in the MAL cluster predicted greater performance on the first exam in medical school, but not on any other grade outcomes. These results provide early evidence for the continued study of MAL and motivation in medical school, which will help researchers and curriculum designers support the development of future physicians.

Researchers have examined the relationship between ability grouping and academic self-concept in math, science, and English, and have found varying results. However, previous studies have not examined the relationship between ability grouping and academic self-concept for the subject of Talmud. Middle school presents a unique opportunity to examine this relationship because middle school is when both ability grouping for Talmud and the study of Talmud begin. The purpose of this correlational study was to assess the relationship between ability grouping and the academic self-concept for Talmud in middle school students. The predictive relationship among individual academic achievement, school average achievement, and academic self-concept for Talmud was also examined. Two-hundred ninety-three 6th and 7th graders from single-gender, traditional Jewish Orthodox boy schools in a suburb of New York City completed a self-report questionnaire measuring academic self-concept for Talmud. The collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance and multiple regression analyses. According to the results of the study, students placed in the lower-ability grouping had a statistically significant lower academic self-concept for Talmud than did those in the middle- and higher-ability grouping. In addition, individual academic achievement was a predictive factor of academic self-concept for Talmud whereas school average achievement was not found to be a predictive factor in this particular study. By understanding the impact of ability grouping, school administrators can develop policies for class placement and can provide additional care to balance the effects of ability grouping for those middle school student negatively affected by placement.

Academic self-concept (ASC) refers to one's beliefs about himself or herself in academic situations. ASC has been found to be moderately correlated with academic performance when ASC and academic outcome measures are in the same domain and at the same level of specificity. It was hypothesized that differentiating between ASC under typical versus maximal environmental press may increase its predictive validity by providing further specificity to items and thus greater reliability to ASC scales. In this study, a battery of assessments was administered to Georgia Tech undergraduates in order to examine the factor structure of new measures of typical and maximal ASC, as well as their predictive and construct validities. A two-factor model fit the data better than a one-factor model, but did not meet criteria for good fit. Most hypotheses about the relationship between typical and maximal ASC and other constructs were not supported, though gender differences were found which may indicate an interesting line of future research.

An acute shortage of African American teachers is well recognized. This shortage poses a problem as school systems attempt to employ a representative number of African American teachers commensurate to their diverse student population. The purpose of this study was to examine why 10 African American teachers in Roanoke City selected teaching and remain in the profession and how those reasons were influenced by two motivational variables (academic self-concept of ability and self-efficacy). Factors further affecting this relationship, such as environmental influences (i.e., home, school, and community)and institutional influences (i.e., experiences in the workplace,job satisfaction, and school climate), also were examined. The research design was a single explanatory case study. Yin (1994) contends that "how" and "why" questions (as used in this study) are explanatory in nature and suitable for a case-study design. Two sources of data were used: an initial survey instrument on environmental factors and a second survey on institutional factors. Two separate interviews were conducted with both instruments. Both sources were intended to capture participants' perceptions relevant to their experiences. A purposive sample of 10 local African American teachers was selected. Pattern matching and explanation building were the dominant modes of analysis. A conversational style with narratives written was used to reflect the richness of language used by the participants to describe their experiences. Findings revealed that home environmental experiences and preparation for teaching were positive overall because of practices used by parents and family members to socialize the the participants for success in school. Both direct assistance with school work and verbal encouragement enhanced academic self-concept of ability and self-efficacy for success in school and in teaching. School experiences before and during college were found rewarding and challenging. However, both types of experiences enhanced self-concept of ability and self-efficacy in attaining a teaching career as well as succeeding and remaining in the profession. Overall, rewarding experiences outweighed challenging ones. High expectations, assistance with school work, and teacher role models were typical examples of such experiences. Two major community influences played a significant role in interest and retention in teacher-education programs: (a) involvement in church activities and (b) sponsorship for teacher-education programs through partnerships with business and industry. The former reinforced self-concept in ability, and the latter afforded some participants an opportunity to attend college and enter a teacher-education program. Results on institutional factors and teacher retention were associated with experiences as classroom teachers, interactions with colleagues,relationships with building principals, and perceptions of the school system as a whole. / Ed. D.

El objetivo del estudio es analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Autoconcepto Académico en estudiantes universitarios. Para tal fin, se desarrolló un estudio instrumental con 352 estudiantes universitarios, cuyas edades oscilaron entre los 18 a 25 años (M=21.17; DE=1.91). También, se aplicó la Escala Atribucional de Motivación de Logro para analizar las evidencias de validez en relación con otras variables. Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio demostraron una estructura de 2 factores y 12 ítems que presentan adecuados índices de bondad de ajuste (χ²= 62.3, gl= 26, CFI= .95, TLI= .94, RMSEA= .06), siendo similares al estudio de validación. Asimismo, se evidencia correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre la escala Autoconcepto Académico y la Motivación de Logro. A su vez, se reporta una fiabilidad adecuada de los factores de la Escala Autoconcepto Académico en los coeficientes Alfa de Cronbach y omega McDonald. Se concluye que la Escala Autoconcepto Académico cuenta con evidencias de validez y fiabilidad. / The objective of the study is to analyze the psychometric properties of the Academic Self-Concept Scale in university students. For this purpose, an instrumental study was developed with 352 university students, ages ranged from 18 to 25 years (M = 21.17; SD = 1.91). Also, the Attributional Achievement Motivation Scale was applied to analyze the evidence of validity in relation to other variables. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a structure of 2 factors and 12 items that present adequate indices of goodness of fit (χ² = 62.3, gl = 26, CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .06), being similar to the validation study. Likewise, statistically significant correlations are evidenced between the Academic Self-Concept scale and Achievement Motivation. In turn, an adequate reliability of the factors of the Academic Self-Concept Scale is reported in the Cronbach alpha and omega McDonald coefficients. It is concluded that the Academic Self-Concept Scale has evidence of validity and reliability. / Tesis

The exploration of African American adolescents' career development has gained increasing attention in light of literature describing various barriers impacting their educational and career development and goals. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) was used as a theoretical framework to help shed light on the contextual factors that influence their career development. This study examined the relationship between career decision self-efficacy, ethnic identity, academic self-concept, and achievement of African American high school students. The sample consisted of African American high school students enrolled in Upward Bound programs. Through quantitative methods, this study adds to the career development literature by including ethnic identity, academic self-concept, and achievement as combined factors that may impact the career development of African American adolescents. Specifically, the results of this study assists teachers, administrators, parents, and school counselors with understanding career decision self-efficacy as it relates to ethnic identity, academic self-concept, achievement, and demographic variables. This study also provides implications for career counseling interventions in schools designed to assist with career development.

Students generally spend more than ten years interacting with teachers in a classroom and thus, such interactions can have a positive or negative impact on students’ academic self-concept and educational goals (Rosenthal, Folse, Allerman, Boudreaux, Soper, & Von Bergen, 2000). The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant relationship between student-teacher interactions and academic self-concept. Participants in the study include African American male high school students in an urban school district. The independent variable is the student-teacher interactions, as measured by the Student-Professor Interaction Scale (Cokley et al., 2004). The dependent variable is the students’ academic-self-concept, which is measured by the Academic Self-Concept Scale (Reynolds, Ramirez, Magrina, & Allen, 1980). The data was analyzed by using Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between the two variables. Findings, study limitations, and future research directions are also discussed.

Relationship between academic self-concept, causal attribution for success and raílure, and academic achievement in pre-adolescents. This study shows the relationship between the variables mentioned above in 284 primary school students in Lima (5"' aI)d 6"' grades). The Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ-I) and the Sydney Attribution Scale (SAS) were applied with a previous validation process. Mathematics and Language final grades were assumed as academic achievement indicators. SAS exploratory factorial analysis showed five factors, tbree of them demonstrated that children do not discriminate between effort and ability. About SDQ, results confirmed that children can differentiate between self-concept dimensions. Participants showed a favorable self-concept in a11 dimensions and a strong intemal locus of control. In the same way, there was a tendency for studems to accept success for internal causes and totally deny failure. / La presente investigación busca identificar las relaciones que se tienden entre las variables mencionadas. 284 estudiantes de 5° y 6° grado de primaria conformaron la muestra. Para medir las variables se aplicó el Cuestionario de Autodescripción (SDQ-I) y la Escala de Atribuciones de Sydney (SAS). Asimismo, se recogieron los promedios finales de las áreas de matemáticas y comunicación integral como indicadores de rendimiento. Un análisis factorial exploratorio del SAS mostró cinco factores, tres de los cuales demostraban que los estudiantes no discriminaban entre esfuerzo y habilidad. Sobre el SDQ, los resultados confirmaron que los niños diferenciaban entre las diferentes dimensiones del autoconcepto. En general, los participantes mostraron un autoconcepto favorable en todas sus dimensiones, lo cual estaría relacionado con el marcado locus de control interno que mostraron. Asimismo, pudo apreciarse la tendencia notable a aceptar el éxito por causas internas y negar las posibilidades de fracaso.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.