Wan Har Chong

The Relationships among School Types, Teacher Efficacy Beliefs, and Academic Climate: Perspective from Asian Middle Schools.

ABSTRACT The authors explored how prior student achievement, through school types, predicted teacher self- and collective efficacy and perceived academic climate of 222 middle school teachers in Singapore. Teachers assigned to high-track and regular middle schools differed in their perception of self- and collective efficacy to promote organizational changes and student achievement, and of the academic climate of the school. Prior achievement was shown to be best predicted by perceived teacher collective efficacy and academic climate, but not self-efficacy. Further analyses revealed that the teacher collective efficacy partially mediated the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and academic climate. These findings were discussed with respect to the sociocognitive perspective.

Cross-cultural invariance of the Academic Expectations Stress Inventory: adolescent samples from Canada and Singapore.

We provide further evidence for the two-factor structure of the 9-item Academic Expectations Stress Inventory (AESI) using confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 289 Canadian adolescents and 310 Singaporean adolescents. Examination of measurement invariance tests the assumption that the model underlying a set of scores is directly comparable across groups. This study also examined the cross-cultural validity of the AESI using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis across both the Canadian and Singaporean adolescent samples. The results suggested cross-cultural invariance of form, factor loadings, and factor variances and covariances of the AESI across both samples. Evidence of AESIs convergent and discriminant validity was also reported. Findings from t-tests revealed that Singaporean adolescents reported a significantly higher level of academic stress arising from self expectations, other expectations, and overall academic stress, compared to Canadian adolescents. Also, a larger cross-cultural effect was associated with academic stress arising from other expectations compared with academic stress arising from self expectations.

Teacher-Student Relationship: The Influence of Teacher Interpersonal Behaviours and Perceived Beliefs about Teachers on the School Adjustment of Low Achieving Students in Asian Middle Schools.

This study investigated aspects of the teacher-student relationship as they relate to school adjustment with 523 Grade 8 students in Singapore. The first question examined what configurations of teacher-student support could be identified with low-achieving students. Cluster analysis identified two sub-groups on the basis of specific qualities of the teacher-student relationship and patterns of teacher interpersonal behaviours in the classroom deemed important for improving the psychosocial aspects of their school experience. The second question examined the contribution of these teacher-student relationship variables in predicting school adjustment for each cluster. Finally, post hoc analyses showed students’ attitude toward teachers was significant in mediating between teacher-student relational quality and school liking. Implications from the study were discussed.

Gender Differences in Adolescent Concerns and Emotional Well-Being: Perceptions of Singaporean Adolescent Students.

Although much has been written about adolescent adjustment and coping in Western countries, relatively little is known about similar issues in Asia. The authors examined the emotional adjustment of young adolescents in Singapore. They report adolescent concerns and how they influence adaptive functioning and emotional well-being. Data were obtained from three self-report measures: the Adolescent Concerns Measure (R. P. Ang, W. H. Chong, V. S. Huan, & L. S. Yeo, in press), selected scales of the Behavioral Assessment System for Children Personality Self-Report (C. R. Reynolds & R. W. Kamphaus, 1998), and the Emotional Distress Scale of the Reynolds Adolescent Adjustment Screening Inventory (W. M. Reynolds, 2001). Emotional well-being emerged as a dominant concern for Singaporean youths with significant gender differences. Girls reported a more positive attitude toward school, better friendship skills, and stronger relationships with parents than did boys. However, girls registered significantly greater worries about self and emotional distress compared to boys. The authors discuss implications for teachers and mental health professionals.

Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory: Testing for Invariance Across Upper Elementary and Junior High Samples

Teacher—student relationships have been extensively studied in preschool and early elementary school samples. However, much less is known about childrens relationships with their teachers in upper elementary grades through high school. Using confirmatory factor analysis, this study extended previous research by providing further evidence for the three-factor structure of the Teacher—Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) using an upper elementary school sample (n = 420) and a sample from junior high school (n = 635). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was also used to examine the invariance of the TSRI across both samples. Results from multigroup confirmatory factor analysis suggested that although partial invariance was observed across the samples, the consistency of fit indices together with explicit tests for the reasonableness of partial measurement invariance provided support that partial invariance was acceptable. Taken together, findings indicate cross-sample generalizability of the 14-item TSRI measure.

An inclusion initiative in Singapore for preschool children with special needs

This paper describes a preschool inclusion initiative in Singapore, which currently has no mandate for integrating children with special needs in mainstream schools. This very small-scale qualitative study involving children with mild learning disabilities discusses a therapy outreach programme by a local childrens hospital. It explores the supports and challenges of this experience based on interviews with therapists, teachers, principals, and parents. Facilitators of inclusion included communication, collaboration, availability of training and resources, and a readiness for inclusion. Barriers to inclusion included person-related hindrances, structural obstacles, gaps in programme delivery, and limited specialized training and resources. We learned that in the absence of mandatory provisions for inclusion, children with special needs can be supported in regular education when there is “buy in” for early inclusion and intervention amongst key stakeholders. Practical strategies toward this end are discussed.

The Impact of Shyness on Problematic Internet Use: The Role of Loneliness

ABSTRACT In recent years, research indicated that the problematic effects of Internet use must be examined together with individual differences present in its users with which such effects are contingent. This study examined loneliness in adolescents as a mediator of the relationship between shyness and their generalized problematic Internet use (PIU). A total of 1469 adolescents (48.5% male, 51.5% female) from Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes participated in this study. Using the Social Reticence Scale (SRS), the revised UCLA Loneliness scale and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use scale, initial findings indicated significant correlations among the three variables. Results from the study further revealed that loneliness completely mediated the relationship between shyness and generalized problematic Internet use. Implications for intervention work addressing both loneliness and shyness issues facing adolescents who are problematic users of the Internet were discussed.

Teachers’ experience with inclusive education in Singapore

Teachers’ positive attitude is most critically and consistently associated with successful inclusion. However, little is known about teachers’ first-hand encounters with inclusive education in Singapore. We present findings from a qualitative study on inclusion based on focus group interviews with 202 teachers from 41 resourced primary schools. The data were transcribed and coded using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis and NVIVO software. Two broad clusters identified were teachers’ positive and negative experiences in implementing inclusion. More reference was made to negative than positive experiences. The most dominant negative experience was stress from challenging behaviours and instructional difficulties of catering adequately for diverse needs in the same classroom. The most salient positive experience was satisfaction with pupils’ progress and new learning for teachers. Classroom practices that facilitated inclusion and the value of training in shaping teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion were highlighted.

Concerns and Coping in Asian Adolescents—Gender as a Moderator

ABSTRACT The authors investigated the role of gender in moderating the type of coping strategies employed by intellectually gifted adolescents in Singapore when confronted with different types of concerns. A total of 1,791 adolescents participated in this study, and data were obtained using self-report measures. Initial findings indicated that boys and girls did not differ in their use of problem-solving coping strategies in dealing with different areas of concerns. However, further findings showed that intellectually gifted girls were more likely to employ nonproductive strategies in coping with school concerns than were gifted boys. These girls were also less likely to seek social support in coping with peer concerns compared with their male counterparts. Possible explanations for the results are suggested and implications of findings are discussed.

Fostering student engagement in schools: International best practices:

Finding ways to promote school success and support student learning and adjustment have been enduring topics of interest within the educational research community. A myriad of individual and contextual factors have been identified to explain the extent to which students are committed to and participate in learning and school activities that contribute to educational attainment, and that come to influence their developmental trajectories over time (Lee & Shute, 2010; Lucio, Hunt, & Bornovalova, 2012). Indeed, numerous western-derived theoretical models have provided explanations on how students succeed in schools and for those who fail to perform or eventually drop out of school (e.g., Eccles, 2004; Finn, 1989). Empirical evidence suggests active engagement in school to be critical in fostering student learning and academic success (e.g., Wang, Willet, & Eccles, 2011). Students who attend school regularly, have acquired the ability to selfmanage their studies, adhere to school rules, and are active in after school curricular activities generally perform better. Student engagement has thus emerged as a key summary marker of the quality of students’ experiences in school and has shown promise as a conceptual model in bringing together specific personal characteristics and proximal contextual factors to explain for the different levels and patterns of engagement by students in understanding successful and unsuccessful academic outcomes (Skinner & Pitzer, 2012).