Students' Self-Concept and Academic Achievement in Zimbabwe: A Preliminary Study

Students' personal beliefs about their capabilities to learn influence their motivation and learning. This study determined the relationship between self-concept and academic achievement of Zimbabwean primary school students. A qualitative approach was used to collect data from 75 pupils (36 girls, 39 boys: age range 9–12 years). Data were also collected from five of the students' teachers. Pupils' perceptions of comments or feedback from classmates and teachers comprised the self-concept measures. Academic achievement was measured using teachers' ratings of pupils' academic performance. Pupils who reported receiving positive comments from classmates and teachers were more likely to be rated by their teachers as having higher academic achievement compared to those who perceived themselves to be less favourably regarded by teachers.     

Motives for Choosing a Career in Teaching: A South African Study

The study investigated motives for teaching career entry by students (n= 232, males= 103, females= 129, mean age 23) at a large South African university. Data were collected using a career motives survey differentiating extrinsic, intrinsic and altruistic motivators. Extrinsic motivators scored higher than intrinsic or altruistic motivators. The motives advanced for teaching were in alignment with those reported in similar research carried out in metropolitan and developing countries.     

Optimal Experience Among Teachers: New Insights Into the Work Paradox

Several studies highlighted that individuals perceive work as an opportunity for flow or optimal experience, but not as desirable and pleasant. This finding was defined as the work paradox. The present study addressed this issue among teachers from the perspective of self-determination theory, investigating work-related intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as autonomous and controlled behavior regulation. In Study 1, 14 teachers were longitudinally monitored with Experience Sampling Method for one work week. In Study 2, 184 teachers were administered Flow Questionnaire and Work Preference Inventory, respectively investigating opportunities for optimal experience, and motivational orientations at work. Results showed that work-related optimal experiences were associated with both autonomous regulation and with controlled regulation. Moreover, teachers reported both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at work, with a prevailing intrinsic orientation. Findings provide novel insights on the work paradox, and suggestions for teachers’ well-being promotion.     

Strategies School Practitioners Report They Would Use to Resist Pressures to Practice Unethically

Abstract

This study focused on strategies school psychologists and special education teachers report they would use to resist administrative pressures to practice unethically. Data came from a national sample of 141 school psychologists and 130 special education teachers who responded to a survey by predicting how they and others would respond to four ethical dilemmas. Qualitative analysis of data revealed four strategies that were generalized across all dilemmas. These general strategies were: preventing dilemmas from occurring; educating and/or threatening others; involving others in solutions; and combining strategies into more comprehensive responses. Qualitative analysis also revealed three strategies that were suggested for only some of the dilemmas (dilemma-specific strategies). Both the general and dilemma-specific strategies appear potentially useful to practitioners seeking ways of resisting pressures to practice unethically.     

人际间情绪预测过程中的样例锚定效应

以教师预测学生的情绪为例,考察人际间情绪预测中是否存在样例锚定效应。两个实验分别采取自由回忆和样例启动范式操纵样例锚,并请教师预测典型教育情境中学生的情绪反应。结果发现,样例中学生的情绪越强烈,教师预测学生的情绪也越强烈,预测的准确性越低。可见,在教师预测学生情绪这样的人际间情绪预测过程中,存在样例锚定效应,但只有典型的样例锚才能促进情绪预测的准确性。     

专家与新手教师内隐与外显学习的比较

教师作为典型的知识密集、技术密集的群体,其隐性知识也自然比较集中和典型,而专长研究可以有效地揭示教师的知识获取特点和学习规律。然而,以往的专长研究往往通过测量专家教师和新手教师在某方面的外显行为或外显知识的差异了解教师的知识结构和行为特点,这种做法由于忽略了教师的内隐学习和隐性知识,因此难以有效地揭示专家教师与新手教师在知识和能力结构上的真实差异。本研究借鉴认知心理学对专长的研究方式（即专家--新手比较）,运用经典的序列反应时任务（SRT）调整后的范式,采用带颜色边框的同一个学生的四种真实课堂表情图片作为刺激材料,以表情作为内隐学习的维度,以颜色作为外显学习的维度,对61名专家教师与88名新手教师在内隐/外显序列学习上的差异进行了比较研究。结果发现：（1）专家和新手教师被试群体均能够习得内隐/外显序列规则;（2）专家教师与新手教师在内隐学习上存在显著差异,专家教师内隐学习效果要优于新手教师;（2）专家教师与新手教师在外显学习维度上差异并不显著。结论：专家教师与新手教师有着近乎相当的外显学习能力和外显知识水平,但专家教师的内隐学习能力和隐性知识水平要显著高于新手教师。     

中小学教师职业人格与主观幸福感的关系:工作投入的中介作用

采用问卷调查法,以692名中小学教师作为被试,探讨教师职业人格和主观幸福感的关系及其机制。结果发现：（1）专家型教师在职业人格得分上显著高于新手、熟手型教师,体现出与教师职业更匹配、更具适应性的人格特点;（2）职业人格与主观幸福感正相关显著,职业人格可通过影响工作投入程度进而影响主观幸福感,工作投入在二者之间起部分中介作用;（3）新手、熟手和专家型教师职业人格影响主观幸福感的作用机制存在差异：新手职业人格直接影响主观幸福感,熟手大部分通过工作投入影响主观幸福感,而专家完全通过工作投入影响主观幸福感。研究表明,教师职业人格可通过提高工作投入程度,进而提升其主观幸福感。     

教师组织公平感与组织公民行为:工作倦怠的中介作用

采用问卷调查法,检验教师组织公平感与组织公民行为之间关系以及教师工作倦怠在二者之间的作用。通过对来自重庆和湖南郴州共32所中小学1325名教师的调查数据进行层次回归分析、中介效应检验和优势分析,结果显示:学校组织程序公平是教师组织公民行为的显著正向预测变量;教师工作倦怠是教师组织公民行为的显著负向预测变量;教师工作倦怠在教师组织公平感与其组织公民行为关系之间有显著的中介作用,其中热情枯竭和成就丧失的中介效应更为显著。     

中学骨干教师人格特质、一般自我效能感及其关系

该研究旨在了解中学骨干教师的人格特征、一般自我效能感特征,以及两者之间的关系。采用卡特尔16人格因素问卷以及一般自我效能感量表,随机选择参加江西省骨干教师、骨干班主任培训的286名中学教师进行测查。结果:1)中学骨干教师人格特质存在性别差异和学科差异;2)中学骨干教师一般自我效能感较高,但与性别、学科、教龄、职称等均相关不显著,教龄和一般自我效能感总体上呈倒U型曲线变化趋势;3)人格特质与自我效能感相关显著,稳定性、恃强性、自律性、忧虑性等4种人格特质比其它人格特质更能预测一般自我效能感的变化。结论:中学骨干教师人格特质具有自身的优越性,一般自我效能感水平较高,人格特质能够预测一般自我效能感的变化。     

高校教师心理契约问卷的编制

在文献分析与教师访谈的基础上,编制了《高校教师心理契约问卷》。对174名高校教师进行预试,通过对问卷的信度、效度的检验与探索性因素分析后,形成初步问卷。应用该问卷对11个省31所大学的358名教师进行测量,验证性因素分析后修正了高校教师心理契约的结构模型。结果表明,高校教师心理契约的结构符合三维度结构模型,且教师责任和学校责任两方面均分为交易责任、发展责任和关系责任。编制的高校教师心理契约问卷共24个项目,信度、效度良好,适合用以研究高校教师的心理契约。