Yasemin Tas

Personal and Contextual Factors Associated With Students’ Cheating in Science

The authors conducted a correlational study to investigate the relations among seventh-grade Turkish students’ cheating behavior, academic self-efficacy beliefs, usage of self-handicapping strategies, personal goal orientations, and classroom goal structures specific to the science domain. The Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales was administered to 1,950 seventh-grade students enrolled in 12 public schools. The authors conducted hierarchical linear modeling analyses to measure to what extent personal and contextual factors can be used to predict students’ cheating behavior. Analyses revealed that although students’ cheating behavior was positively predicted by performance-approach goals, it was negatively predicted by mastery goals. Students who used more self-handicapping strategies and who were less self-efficacious were also more likely to demonstrate cheating behavior. The authors found that the mastery goal–structured science-learning environment, in which understanding the material and self-improvement was emphasized, discouraged cheating.

Relationships among constructivist learning environment perceptions, motivational beliefs, self-regulation and science achievement

Background There are attempts to integrate learning environment research with motivation and self-regulation research that considers social context influences an individual’s motivation, self-regulation and, in turn, academic performance. Purpose This study explored the relationships among constructivist learning environment perception variables (personal relevance, uncertainty, shared control, critical voice, student negotiation), motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, intrinsic interest, goal orientation), self-regulation, and science achievement. Sample The sample for this study comprised 802 Grade 8 students from 14 public middle schools in a district of Ankara in Turkey. Design and methods Students were administered 4 instruments: Constructivist Learning Environment Survey, Goal Achievement Questionnaire, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and Science Achievement Test. LISREL 8.7 program with SIMPLIS programming language was used to test the conceptual model. Providing appropriate fit indices for the proposed model, the standardized path coefficients for direct effects were examined. Results At least one dimension of the constructivist learning environment was associated with students’ intrinsic interest, goal orientation, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and science achievement. Self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictor of both mastery and performance avoidance goals rather than the approach goals. Intrinsic value was found to be significantly linked to science achievement through its effect on self-regulation. The relationships between self-efficacy and self-regulation and between goal orientation and science achievement were not significant. Conclusions In a classroom environment supporting student autonomy and control, students tend to develop higher interest in tasks, use more self-regulatory strategies, and demonstrate higher academic performance. Science teachers are highly recommended to consider these findings when designing their lessons. For the creation of such a learning environment, teachers can design open-ended inquiry activities in which students have opportunities to take responsibility, reflect on their views, and accomplish challenging tasks.

Predicting Students' Self-Efficacy towards Learning Science by Constructivist Learning Environment Perceptions

This study investigated predictive effect of middle school students’ perceptions of constructivist science learning environment on their self-efficacy towards learning science. 663 seventh grade students from 15 public schools in Erzurum participated in the study. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data in spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that all perceived constructivist science learning environment features (i.e., personal relevance, uncertainity, critical voice, shared control, and student negotiation) statistically significantly and positively predict students’ efficacy beliefs in science. Students’ constructivist learning environment perceptions accounted for 56.5% of the variance in their self-efficacy beliefs. These findings indicated that when students take active role in their learning, given opportunities for freely asking questions, participate in class discussions and share their knowledge with classmates, they are more likely to have higher confidence for learning science.

The role of motivation between perceived teacher support and student engagement in science class

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the relationships among the middle school students’ perceptions of science teacher support, students’ motivation and students’ engagement in learning science. Student motivation was addressed with task value and academic self-concept while student engagement included aspects of agentic, behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement. In the study, survey method was used and the data were collected though previously validated self-report questionnaires. Valid data were obtained from 1006 middle school students enrolled in one of the nine public schools in Turkey. The path analysis revealed that perceived science teacher’s support positively predicted students’ task value and academic self-concept in science. Furthermore, students who reported high levels of task value and academic self-concept showed higher levels of engagement in science. Accordingly, it seems important for science teachers to listen to the students, behave fairly and help them to solve their problems in order to motivate them for learning science and increase their engagement in science class.

Fen Bilimleri Dersindeki Motive Edici Etkinlikler, Özerkliğin Desteklenmesi ve Öğrenmeye Yönelik Değerlendirme ile Yaklaşma Hedef Yönelimleri Arasındaki İlişkiler

Bu calismada , ortaokul ogrencilerinin fen bilimleri dersindeki sinif ortami hedef algilari (motive edici etkinlikler, ozerkligin desteklenmesi, ogrenmeye yonelik degerlendirmeler) ile ogrencilerin ogrenme yaklasma ve performans yaklasma hedef yonelimleri arasindaki iliski arastirilmistir. Calismanin orneklemini, 316 ortaokul ogrenci olusturmaktadir. Calismada ele alinan degiskenler arasindaki onerilen iliskileri iceren model, LISREL 8.8 programi kullanilarak yol (path) analizi ile test edilmistir. Elde edilen sonuclara gore; motive edici etkinlikler ve ozerkligin desteklenmesi, ogrencilerin ogrenme yaklasma hedef yonelimini pozitif yonde tahmin ederken, ogrenmeye yonelik degerlendirmeler ise ogrencilerin performans yaklasma hedef yonelimini pozitif yonde tahmin etmektedir.