Pey-Yan Liou

Perceived effects of scholarships on STEM majors' commitment to teaching in high need schools

This study examines the Noyce Program, which provides scholarships for STEM majors in return for teaching in high need schools. The perceptions of 555 scholarship recipients were investigated using hierarchical cluster analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch analysis to determine how the scholarship influenced their commitments to teaching in high need schools. The analyses indicated that recipients perceived the scholarship in two ways: it influenced their commitment to complete their certification program and to teach in high need schools. Implications for teacher education programs include that recruitment strategies should identify candidates who are committed to teaching in high need schools and programs should provide experiences to encourage this commitment not just to become certified.

Examining the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect on Students' Self-Concept of Learning Science in Taiwan Based on the TIMSS Databases

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between student self-concept and achievement in science in Taiwan based on the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) model using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 and 2007 databases. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the effects of the student-level and school-level science achievement on student self-concept of learning science. The results indicated that student science achievement was positively associated with individual self-concept of learning science in both TIMSS 2003 and 2007. On the contrary, while school-average science achievement was negatively related to student self-concept in TIMSS 2003, it had no statistically significant relationship with student self-concept in TIMSS 2007. The findings of this study shed light on possible explanations for the existence of BFLPE and also lead to an international discussion on the generalization of BFLPE.

Validation of an Instrument to Measure Students' Motivation and Self-Regulation towards Technology Learning

Background: Few studies have examined students’ attitudinal perceptions of technology. There is no appropriate instrument to measure senior high school students’ motivation and self-regulation toward technology learning among the current existing instruments in the field of technology education. Purpose: The present study is to validate an instrument for assessing senior high school students’ motivation and self-regulation towards technology learning. Sample: A total of 1822 Taiwanese senior high school students (1020 males and 802 females) responded to the newly developed instrument. Design and method: The Motivation and Self-regulation towards Technology Learning (MSRTL) instrument was developed based on the previous instruments measuring students’ motivation and self-regulation towards science learning. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were utilized to investigate the structure of the items. Cronbach’s alpha was applied for measuring the internal consistency of each scale. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine gender differences. Results: Seven scales, including ‘Technology learning self-efficacy,’ ‘Technology learning value,’ ‘Technology active learning strategies,’ ‘Technology learning environment stimulation,’ ‘Technology learning goal-orientation,’ ‘Technology learning self-regulation-triggering,’ and ‘Technology learning self-regulation-implementing’ were confirmed for the MSRTL instrument. Moreover, the results also showed that male and female students did not present the same degree of preference in all of the scales. Conclusions: The MSRTL instrument composed of seven scales corresponding to 39 items was shown to be valid based on validity and reliability analyses. While male students tended to express more positive and active performance in the motivation scales, no gender differences were found in the self-regulation scales.

Relationships among instructional practices, students’ motivational beliefs and science achievement in Taiwan using hierarchical linear modelling

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine students’ perceptions of instructional practices in the classroom, and to further investigate the relationships among instructional practices, motivational beliefs and science achievement. Hierarchical linear modelling was utilised to examine the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 Taiwanese eighth grade student data. The results indicated that the students perceived a greater frequency of teacher-oriented instructional practices applied in the classroom than student-oriented practices. Moreover, teacher-oriented instructional practices have a positively significant relationship with student science achievement, while student-oriented instructional practices do not show such a relationship. The results also show that teacher-oriented instructional practices positively moderate the relationship between students’ self-concept and achievement, but negatively moderate the relationship between intrinsic interest and achievement. On the other hand, the student-oriented instructional practices show the opposite pattern of moderating the relations between motivational beliefs and achievement while they are not statistically significant. The study sheds light on the dynamic relationships between students’ motivational beliefs and science achievement changes as a function of instructional practices.

Students’ motivational beliefs in science learning, school motivational contexts, and science achievement in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Taiwanese students are featured as having high academic achievement but low motivational beliefs according to the serial results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Moreover, given that the role of context has become more important in the development of academic motivation theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship between motivational beliefs and science achievement at both the student and school levels. Based on the Expectancy-Value Theory, the three motivational beliefs, namely self-concept, intrinsic value, and utility value, were the focuses of this study. The two-level hierarchical linear model was used to analyse the Taiwanese TIMSS 2011 eighth-grade student data. The results indicated that each motivational belief had a positive predictive effect on science achievement. Additionally, a positive school contextual effect of self-concept on science achievement was identified. Furthermore, school-mean utility value had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between utility value and science achievement. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the functioning of motivational beliefs in science learning among Taiwanese adolescents with consideration of the school motivational contexts.

Developing an instrument for assessing students’ concepts of the nature of technology

Background: The nature of technology has been rarely discussed despite the fact that technology plays an essential role in modern society. It is important to discuss students’ concepts of the nature of technology, and further to advance their technological literacy and adaptation to modern society. There is a need to assess high school students’ concepts of the nature of technology. Purpose: This study aims to engage in discourse on students’ concepts of the nature of technology based on a proposed theoretical framework. Moreover, another goal is to develop an instrument for measuring students’ concepts of the nature of technology. Sample: Four hundred and fifty-five high school students’ perceptions of technology were qualitatively analyzed. Furthermore, 530 students’ responses to a newly developed questionnaire were quantitatively analyzed in the final test. Design and method: First, content analysis was utilized to discuss and categorize students’ statements regarding technology and its related issues. The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was developed based on the proposed theoretical framework and was supported by the students’ qualitative data. Finally, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were applied to determine the structure of the items and the internal consistency of each scale. Results: Through a process of instrument development, the Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring students’ concepts of the nature of technology. This newly developed questionnaire is composed of 29 items in six scales, namely ‘technology as artifacts,’ ‘technology as an innovation change,’ ‘the current role of technology in society,’ ‘technology as a double-edged sword,’ ‘technology as a science-based form,’ and ‘history of technology.’ Conclusions: The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire has been confirmed as a reasonably valid and reliable instrument. This study provides a useful questionnaire for educational researchers and practitioners for measuring students’ concepts of the nature of technology.

Developing and Validating a High School Version of the Robotics Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire

Robotics has become a crucial domain in technology education, helping students to improve their abilities in assembly and programming. Despite the considerable research that has gone into the learning performance associated with robotics, little work has been done on the cognitive processes involved in learning this subject. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument based on the theoretical framework of MSLQ, with which to evaluate the motivation of high school students to learn robotics and the strategies they employ. Fifty participants in the open category competition of the World Robot Olympiad 2010 completed the self-reported questionnaire RMSLQ-HS. Thirteen factors and fifty one items were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Implications for the educational application of robotics and research suggestions related to RMSLQ are also discussed.