Behaviors That Affect the Learning Process in High School and University

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Educational Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 99617

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, University of Zaragoza, 44003 Teruel, Spain
Interests: education; physical education; adventure sports

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Education is a fundamental pillar in the formation of the individual and in the projection of a country. Achieving success in the teaching and learning processes is a priority factor that can have great consequences on student behavior. Different agents interact in educational systems around the world, but above all, these include teachers and students. Psychological aspects of the student himself, such as the way he interacts with the environment, responsibility, academic commitment and even lifestyle outside the school environment can affect his learning. Students’ engagement in activities in their free time, such as sport, art, music and crafts, can influence their behavior at school. Additionally, educators must have skills enabling them to design learning strategies that promote academic, personal growth and job prospects for each of their students. In this way, both agents can intervene in the behavior of students and in achieving success in the educational process. Failure to achieve academic success individually can have serious consequences, such as student frustration, lack of educational achievement and even academic dropout. These problems can be analyzed in two major student stages, in adolescence and in the university environment. Due to these problems, it is necessary to continue exploring the causes and effects of behaviors that affect students and their learning. These findings will help governments, organizations, educators and communities around the world address issues related to student behavior. For this reason, we have organized a Special Issue dedicated to this topic, which is now open for submissions. We welcome original research papers and review articles in the following areas, among others: 

  • Teacher strategies and student behavior;
  • Lack of educational achievement and academic dropout;
  • Adaptation to educational levels;
  • Creative activities in students' free time and behavior at school;
  • Physical activity in free time and academic impact;
  • Disruptive behaviors in the academic environment.

Dr. Raúl Baños
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • high school
  • university
  • motivation
  • teacher strategies
  • academic performance
  • disruptive behaviors

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Published Papers (17 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 503 KiB  
Article
Teacher Support, Academic Self-Efficacy, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Emergency Online Learning
by Liang Huang and Dongsheng Wang
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13090704 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6527
Abstract
With a sample of 651 university students experiencing emergency online learning during COVID-19, this study constructed a structural equation modelling to examine the effects of teacher support on students’ academic achievement, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and [...] Read more.
With a sample of 651 university students experiencing emergency online learning during COVID-19, this study constructed a structural equation modelling to examine the effects of teacher support on students’ academic achievement, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and student engagement. The results show that teacher support had significant total influences on university students’ academic achievement. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy and student engagement, respectively, mediated the effects of teacher support on students’ academic achievement. In addition, academic self-efficacy and student engagement sequentially mediated the effects of teacher support on students’ academic achievement. Research implications are also discussed. Full article
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11 pages, 456 KiB  
Article
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Anxiety Symptoms among Student Nurses in Gauteng Province of South Africa
by Maleke Manana, Sam Thembelihle Ntuli, Kebogile Mokwena and Kgomotso Maaga
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13080630 - 28 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2859
Abstract
Background: Globally, mental disorders are common among nursing students; therefore, effective prevention and early detection are urgently needed. However, the prevalence rate of anxiety symptoms has not been investigated in South African nursing colleges. Aim: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of [...] Read more.
Background: Globally, mental disorders are common among nursing students; therefore, effective prevention and early detection are urgently needed. However, the prevalence rate of anxiety symptoms has not been investigated in South African nursing colleges. Aim: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and their sociodemographic risk factors among nursing students in Gauteng province, South Africa. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath and SG Lourens nursing colleges in the first week of June 2022. A purposeful sampling technique selected the third- and fourth-year nursing students aged ≥ 18 years registered at the two nursing colleges. The seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale was used to assess anxiety symptoms. Results: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 74.7% (95% confidence interval: 69.9–78.9). Being a student at nursing college B, being in the fourth academic year of study and use of substances were identified as predictors of anxiety symptoms in these nursing students. Conclusions: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms in this study is relatively high, with predictors of developing anxiety being a student at nursing college B, in the fourth academic year and current use of psychoactive substances were predictors of anxiety symptoms. These findings highlight the need to develop interventions and strategies to promote mental health assessments and management to prevent and reduce the problem of mental disorders among nursing students. Full article
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13 pages, 918 KiB  
Article
Ideal L2 Self, Self-Efficacy, and Pragmatic Production: The Mediating Role of Willingness to Communicate in Learning English as a Foreign Language
by He Yang and Zheyu Lian
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13070597 - 16 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2388
Abstract
The role that individual difference factors play in pragmatic learning behavior has received increasing attention in second-language (L2) pragmatics. However, there is a dearth of studies exploring the relationship between learners’ motivational variables and their pragmatic production. To address this gap, the present [...] Read more.
The role that individual difference factors play in pragmatic learning behavior has received increasing attention in second-language (L2) pragmatics. However, there is a dearth of studies exploring the relationship between learners’ motivational variables and their pragmatic production. To address this gap, the present study aims to examine a model of the ideal L2 self, self-efficacy, willingness to communicate (WTC), and pragmatic production among English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners. The study also seeks to explore the mediating role of WTC within this structural model. For this purpose, a total of 427 undergraduate students at a public university in China were recruited for an online survey. The structural validity of the questionnaires was established using a confirmatory-factor analysis, while the hypothesized structural relations between the variables were tested through structural-equation modeling. The results demonstrated that self-efficacy and WTC significantly and directly predicated pragmatic production. Nevertheless, the ideal L2 self influenced pragmatic production indirectly, through the mediation of WTC. The study concludes by providing implications for teaching and by offering suggestions for future research. Full article
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20 pages, 612 KiB  
Article
Predictors of Romanian Psychology Students’ Intention to Successfully Complete Their Courses—A Process-Based Psychology Theory Approach
by Ioana-Eva Cădariu and Dana Rad
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13070549 - 1 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1620
Abstract
Student retention is a frequently researched issue due to the incidence of student dropout and its significance to learning outcomes. However, there are research gaps that need to be addressed in understanding the factors influencing student dropout in the context of higher education [...] Read more.
Student retention is a frequently researched issue due to the incidence of student dropout and its significance to learning outcomes. However, there are research gaps that need to be addressed in understanding the factors influencing student dropout in the context of higher education in Romania. This cross-sectional investigation aims to fill these gaps by examining the relationships between satisfaction with the specialization, self-regulation of learning behavior, students’ perceived stress, perceived acceptance from family and friends, and the intention to complete studies. The study utilizes various statistical analysis techniques, including mediation analysis and correlation analysis, to analyze the collected data. An online questionnaire was administered to non-randomized students majoring in Psychology, and a total of 144 valid and consented responses were obtained. The results reveal significant influences of satisfaction with the specialization, self-regulated learning, and students’ perceived stress on the intention to successfully complete courses. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was found to fully mediate the relationship between satisfaction with the specialization and academic adjustment. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the student dropout process in the Romanian higher education system. By identifying the factors associated with student retention, this study provides insights that can inform the development of interventions aimed at improving students’ retention and overall learning outcomes. Full article
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12 pages, 757 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Self-Esteem and Academic Engagement on University Students’ Performance
by Elizabeth Acosta-Gonzaga
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13040348 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 50282
Abstract
The success or failure of a student depends on several factors, including self-esteem, academic engagement, and motivation. Self-esteem and motivation have been found to influence academic engagement, which, in turn, contributes to academic performance. Through a quantitative study, 243 university students were surveyed [...] Read more.
The success or failure of a student depends on several factors, including self-esteem, academic engagement, and motivation. Self-esteem and motivation have been found to influence academic engagement, which, in turn, contributes to academic performance. Through a quantitative study, 243 university students were surveyed to analyze the effects of self-esteem and motivation on their academic engagement, which would be reflected in their academic performance. The results show that self-esteem has effects on emotional and behavioral disengagement. Motivation shows greater effects on academic engagement, with metacognitive engagement predicting students’ academic performance. Therefore, promoting metacognitive strategies that help students learn to plan, monitor, and self-regulate their learning will contribute to their performance. Full article
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18 pages, 1065 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Strategies for Motivation in Learning (DSML)—A New Measure for Measuring Student Academic Motivation
by Caroline Hands and Maria Limniou
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13040301 - 1 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4533
Abstract
Although the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) has been widely used to measure student motivation, researchers have raised questions regarding its length and several problematic statements. This study introduces a new questionnaire, adapting items from the MSLQ and including three new key [...] Read more.
Although the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) has been widely used to measure student motivation, researchers have raised questions regarding its length and several problematic statements. This study introduces a new questionnaire, adapting items from the MSLQ and including three new key themes of course utility, procrastination and use of diverse sources. A total of 1246 students from a university in the northwest of England, studying a range of subjects and from across all grade boundaries, fully completed the questionnaire. Factor analysis suggested a 24-item questionnaire, including 6 factors: test anxiety, self-efficacy, source diversity, study skills, self-regulation and course utility. The measure, Diversity of Strategies for Motivation in Learning (DSML), has good predictive power for students with or without academic successes, and it can be used as a quick and an early alert monitoring tool to measure student motivation and study skills. The DSML has supported various interventions; however, further testing is required in other cultures, languages and educational environments (such as schools and colleges). Full article
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11 pages, 311 KiB  
Article
Is There Any Relationship between Physical Activity Levels and Academic Achievement? A Cross-Cultural Study among Spanish and Chilean Adolescents
by Laura O. Gallardo, Diego Esteban-Torres, Sheila Rodríguez-Muñoz, Alberto Moreno-Doña and Alberto Abarca-Sos
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13030238 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2144
Abstract
The current scientific literature has shown significant disparity in results when physical activity is linked to academic achievement among adolescents. Thus, the main objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the relationship among students’ academic achievement, intention to be physically active, and [...] Read more.
The current scientific literature has shown significant disparity in results when physical activity is linked to academic achievement among adolescents. Thus, the main objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the relationship among students’ academic achievement, intention to be physically active, and physical activity levels depending on the country (Spain or Chile), as well as to analyze these relationships based on students’ socio-economic status, type of school, school year, gender, and body mass index; and (2) to analyze the differences between all these variables depending on the students’ country and gender. In total, 3052 adolescents participated in the research (14.58 ± 1.39 years): 734 Chilean students (336 males and 398 females) and 2318 Spanish students (1180 males and 1138 females). Various questionnaires were used to measure the study variables. The results revealed significant relationships between academic achievement and the rest of the variables in Spanish adolescents, but in the Chilean population, academic achievement was significantly related only to socio-economic status and the type of school. Moreover, Spanish students obtained higher scores, especially the males, except for academic achievement, which was higher in females. There were also significant differences in academic achievement, intention to be physically active, physical activity levels, and socio-economic status depending on the country, with all scores being higher in Spain. Given the results, the country seems to be an important factor when comparing academic achievement and physical activity levels, besides other demographic variables. Full article
16 pages, 543 KiB  
Article
The Relationships among Chinese University EFL Learners’ Feedback-Seeking Behavior, Achievement Goals, and Mindsets
by Yunmei Sun and Yuting Huang
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020190 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2667
Abstract
This study investigated the characteristics of feedback-seeking behavior and the underlying motivational antecedents including the mindsets and achievement goals of Chinese EFL learners. Questionnaire data were collected from 677 learners taking English classes at different levels in China for (1) their beliefs about [...] Read more.
This study investigated the characteristics of feedback-seeking behavior and the underlying motivational antecedents including the mindsets and achievement goals of Chinese EFL learners. Questionnaire data were collected from 677 learners taking English classes at different levels in China for (1) their beliefs about English learning (a fixed or growth mindset), (2) goal orientation in achievement-related situations (development or demonstration goals), and (3) FSB (whether to seek feedback, by what strategies, and from whom). Results indicated that Chinese EFL learners with a growth mindset or demonstration-approach goals proactively seek feedback through variant strategies (i.e., feedback direct inquiry, indirect inquiry, and monitoring) while those with development-approach goals or a fixed mindset seek feedback by monitoring only due to learners’ different perceptions of the cost and value attached to different strategies. Furthermore, a demonstration approach partially mediated the predictive role of a growth mindset on three FSBs, while the relationships between feedback monitoring and the two mindsets were partially or fully mediated by a development approach. Full article
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13 pages, 959 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Motivational Climate on Satisfaction with Physical Education in Secondary School Education: Mediation of Teacher Strategies in Maintaining Discipline
by Clara Marina Bracho-Amador, Antonio Granero-Gallegos, Antonio Baena-Extremera and Ginés David López-García
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020178 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2276
Abstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the mediating role of strategies to maintain classroom discipline between the motivational climate generated by the teacher and the students’ satisfaction with physical education classes. The research design was observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and non-randomized. In [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to analyze the mediating role of strategies to maintain classroom discipline between the motivational climate generated by the teacher and the students’ satisfaction with physical education classes. The research design was observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and non-randomized. In total, 2147 secondary school physical education students participated (Mage = 15.05; SD = 1.45) (male = 1050; female = 1097). A structural equation model was calculated with latent variables controlled by the teacher’s sex and time of service and using the scales of the motivational climate, the teacher’s strategies for maintaining classroom discipline, and the students’ satisfaction with physical education classes. The results from the model highlight the importance of intrinsic strategies in maintaining discipline; these act as a mediator between the motivational climate towards learning and the students’ satisfaction with physical education classes. In addition, the findings reveal the influence of a performance-oriented climate in predicting boredom in a class when the teacher shows an indifference towards maintaining discipline. Full article
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10 pages, 974 KiB  
Article
Parental Rejection and Adolescents’ Learning Ability: A Multiple Mediating Effects of Values and Self-Esteem
by Lili Lan and Xiaofeng Wang
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020143 - 8 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2779
Abstract
Today’s society has been paying increasing attention to the important impact of family parenting practices on the development of adolescents. Adolescents with poor parenting practices may have poor academic performance in school, have low self-evaluation, and are more likely to be captured by [...] Read more.
Today’s society has been paying increasing attention to the important impact of family parenting practices on the development of adolescents. Adolescents with poor parenting practices may have poor academic performance in school, have low self-evaluation, and are more likely to be captured by video games and short videos. The present research explored the mediating role of fashion values and self-esteem in the relationship between a negative parenting style and adolescent learning ability. We aimed to deepen our understanding of the relationship between family parenting and adolescent value identity, as well as between individual self-esteem and school adaptation. We based our research on a total of 997 students in Shanghai from grades 6, 8 and 10. Furthermore, we made use of parenting behaviour, Chinese adolescent values, and of the revised Chinese version of the class drama questionnaires and of the Children’s self-awareness scale. The chain mediation model was used to analyse the mediating effect of fashion values and self-esteem on parental rejection and peer evaluation learning ability. The results showed that fashion values played a partial mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, and that parental rejection positively predicted fashion values, and fashion values negatively predicted learning ability. Self-esteem played a partial mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, while parental rejection negatively predicted self-esteem and self-esteem positively predicted learning ability. Fashion values and self-esteem played a chain mediating role between parental rejection and adolescent learning ability, as parental rejection negatively predicted fashion values, fashion values positively predicted self-esteem, and self-esteem positively predicted learning ability. In conclusion, a negative parenting style influenced the development of adolescent value recognition and self-esteem, and affected the development of adolescent learning ability. That said, we should encourage families to adopt a positive parenting style and adolescent quality education to positively impact adolescent development. Full article
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13 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Measuring Mindfulness in Business School Students: A Comparative Analysis of Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and Langer’s Scale
by Mohammed Laeequddin, K. Abdul Waheed and Vinita Sahay
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020116 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3435
Abstract
Research studies have established that mindfulness helps in psychological well-being, stress reduction, chronic pain management, behavioral therapy, and other areas including organizational development. Mindfulness often refers to a state of consciousness, but mindfulness can also be understood as a personality trait. State mindfulness [...] Read more.
Research studies have established that mindfulness helps in psychological well-being, stress reduction, chronic pain management, behavioral therapy, and other areas including organizational development. Mindfulness often refers to a state of consciousness, but mindfulness can also be understood as a personality trait. State mindfulness is referred as the individual’s capacity to cultivate a particular state of mind during meditative practice. Traits are more permanent facets of personality characteristics that are difficult to change and likely have some basis in genetics. Few scholars have criticized meditative mindfulness as a trend and cautioned that organizations should carefully consider their goals before introducing meditative mindfulness training. This dichotomy has prompted us to review the literature and carry out a comparative analysis of two divergent measurement scales of mindfulness: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Langer’s mindfulness/mindlessness scale. The MAAS is the most widely used mindfulness scale to measure mindfulness, and Langer’s scale measures mindfulness/mindlessness. We developed hypotheses relating Langer’s scale and the MAAS. Further, we studied whether there is any difference in mindfulness/mindlessness among business school students with an undergraduate background in engineering and nonengineering streams. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we measured the mindfulness levels of 221 MBA first- and second-year graduates and tested the hypothesis using partial least squares structural equations modeling (PLS-SEM). We found that Langer’s mindfulness/mindlessness scale was negatively associated with the MAAS. We did not find any effect of gender, education, and professional specializations on mindfulness. Full article
17 pages, 1309 KiB  
Article
Implicit Knowledge Acquisition and Potential Challenges for Advanced Chinese and Spanish EFL Learners: A Word Monitoring Test on English Questions
by Qiaoling He and Isabel Oltra-Massuet
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020099 - 24 Jan 2023
Viewed by 2514
Abstract
This study aims to explore whether advanced EFL learners can acquire implicit knowledge of basic sentence structures, such as English questions. We ran a reaction-time experiment, a word monitoring test experiment to test learners’ implicit knowledge by checking advanced EFL learners’ grammatical sensitivity [...] Read more.
This study aims to explore whether advanced EFL learners can acquire implicit knowledge of basic sentence structures, such as English questions. We ran a reaction-time experiment, a word monitoring test experiment to test learners’ implicit knowledge by checking advanced EFL learners’ grammatical sensitivity to English questions with five types of grammatical errors. The study recruited three groups of participants: native English speakers (n = 12), advanced Chinese EFL learners (n = 32), and advanced Spanish EFL learners (n = 37). Our results revealed that advanced EFL learners had not yet attained native-equivalent implicit grammar knowledge in English questions, despite their English proficiency level. The results also indicated that the learners’ different L1 languages do not impact advanced learners’ overall implicit knowledge acquisition but constitute influential factors for particular morphosyntactic inflections in English question formation. Full article
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11 pages, 971 KiB  
Article
COVID-19 in School Teachers: Job Satisfaction and Burnout through the Job Demands Control Model
by Mariacarla Martí-González, María Lourdes Alcalá-Ibañez, Jose Luis Castán-Esteban, Laura Martín-Bielsa and Laura O. Gallardo
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13010076 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3872
Abstract
The recent pandemic has influenced teachers’ mental health and well-being. The present work follows the Job-Demands-Control model, analyzing changes in the demands, control, and social support during COVID-19, and how they influence job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among school teachers. [...] Read more.
The recent pandemic has influenced teachers’ mental health and well-being. The present work follows the Job-Demands-Control model, analyzing changes in the demands, control, and social support during COVID-19, and how they influence job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among school teachers. The sample comprised 172 school teachers. The instruments applied were The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), The Job Satisfaction Teacher Index (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2014), and The Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). Job satisfaction was predicted exclusively by social support, revealing the importance of social interactions at work. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were predicted by job demands, showing that an increase in job demands (i.e., COVID) affects individuals’ feelings of burnout. The results show that it would be interesting to design strategies that guarantee job control in the teaching context. This would open multiple pathways to implement healthier methodological processes for teachers and the consequent research to support these processes. Full article
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10 pages, 528 KiB  
Article
Assessment of a Novel Instrument Measuring Perceived Physical Education Teachers’ In-Class Skills
by Armando Cocca, Nellie Veulliet, Clemens Drenowatz, Katharina Wirnitzer, Klaus Greier and Gerhard Ruedl
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13010042 - 4 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Physical Education (PE) teachers’ professional and personal skills may not only affect the quality of the teaching-learning processes in PE, but also individuals’ future active/inactive behaviors. The aim of this study is to examine the structure of a pool of items developed for [...] Read more.
Physical Education (PE) teachers’ professional and personal skills may not only affect the quality of the teaching-learning processes in PE, but also individuals’ future active/inactive behaviors. The aim of this study is to examine the structure of a pool of items developed for measuring individuals’ perception of such skills in PE teachers. Exploratory Factorial Analysis and a following structural modeling test on data collected from 660 participants suggest a two-factor structural model for the 10 items considered (χ2 = 191.155; df = 34; CFI = 0.953, and SRMR = 0.0529), with good internal consistency for both factors (factor 1: alpha = 0.879; omega = 0.878; factor 2: alpha = 0.850, and omega = 0.858) and the overall instrument (alpha = 0.892; omega = 0.895). The final “Teachers’ Personal and Professional Skills Questionnaire” is a valid instrument that may be used alone or in combination with other instruments for the analysis of the quality of teaching-learning processes in PE environments and its impact on individuals’ behaviors regarding physical activity in their adult life. Full article
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16 pages, 1885 KiB  
Article
Medical School Students’ Preferences for and Perceptions of Teacher Written Corrective Feedback on English as a Second Language Academic Writing: An Intrinsic Case Study
by Barry Lee Reynolds and Xiaofang Zhang
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13010013 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2410
Abstract
This intrinsic case study investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) medical students’ preferences for and perceptions of teacher written corrective feedback (WCF) on their academic writing. Chinese-speaking second-year first-semester undergraduate medicine majors (n = 71) enrolled in an academic EFL “reading [...] Read more.
This intrinsic case study investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) medical students’ preferences for and perceptions of teacher written corrective feedback (WCF) on their academic writing. Chinese-speaking second-year first-semester undergraduate medicine majors (n = 71) enrolled in an academic EFL “reading to write” course at a university in northern Taiwan were recruited as participants. Qualitative content analysis, as well as some descriptive statistics, was used to investigate data gathered from participants’ responses to an open- and closed-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire enquired about their preferences for and perceptions of teacher WCF relating to writing structure, writing content, and writing mechanics. Qualitative content analysis of two in-depth semi-structured interviews with the English teacher uncovered why the participants preferred certain WCF types and perceived them as helpful. Questionnaire data revealed that students showed a preference for WCF relating to writing structure over content and mechanics, and direct feedback over indirect feedback for both writing content and structure. Compared to writing structure and writing content, the examples given by students of the most (n = 25) and least helpful (n = 14) feedback were predominantly related to writing mechanics. The interview transcript data underscored the influencing factors of EFL medical students’ preferences and the perceived benefits and challenges related to feedback. These findings suggest that writing teachers should consider the specialized preferences of particular learner groups (e.g., EFL medical school students) prior to administering feedback. Full article
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10 pages, 690 KiB  
Article
Validation of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire for Experimental Science Education (AEQ-S)
by Kevin Macías León, M. Ángeles de las Heras Pérez, Raquel Romero Fernández, Yolanda González Castanedo and Pedro Sáenz-López
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12120480 - 26 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2604
Abstract
The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), based on the control-value theory of achievement emotions, has been used in many fields of knowledge and has been translated into many languages. The main objective of this study was to adapt and validate it for the experimental [...] Read more.
The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), based on the control-value theory of achievement emotions, has been used in many fields of knowledge and has been translated into many languages. The main objective of this study was to adapt and validate it for the experimental sciences. A sample of 491 participants aged between 11 and 17 years (M = 13.73, SD = 1.19) from secondary schools in different localities in the provinces of Huelva and Lanzarote, Spain was used. The results obtained from the various statistical analyses showed that the questionnaire was valid and reliable. The main contribution of the work presented is to broaden the field of application of a test on emotions, AEQ-S, to experimental sciences. The AEQ-ES will allow us to learn the emotional profiles of students, thus providing information to teachers, and will be very useful for future research aimed at the study of emotions in experimental sciences. Full article
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8 pages, 594 KiB  
Article
Motivational Orientation in University Athletes: Predictions Based on Emotional Intelligence
by Isabel Mercader-Rubio, Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel, Antonio Granero-Gallegos, Nieves Fátima Oropesa Ruiz and Pilar Sánchez-López
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(10), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12100397 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
While in task orientation, athletes tend to compare themselves to others in order to evaluate their success, in ego orientation athletes have the ability to distinguish between effort and ability and the comparison is made with others in order to evaluate success. The [...] Read more.
While in task orientation, athletes tend to compare themselves to others in order to evaluate their success, in ego orientation athletes have the ability to distinguish between effort and ability and the comparison is made with others in order to evaluate success. The purpose of this study was to inspect the relationship concerning the three dimensions of emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and emotional regulation) and the two predominant motivational orientations: task-oriented motivation and ego-oriented motivation. The sample was composed of a total of 165 university students from studies within the field of sciences related to sport and physical activity. The main contributions of this research demonstrate the correspondence between emotional intelligence and ego-orientation. Full article
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