Search

Background: Integrating programming in K‐12 curriculum has become a global consensus. Teachers are central figures in programming instruction. But the majority of current research focuses on teachers' external teaching behaviours and less on teachers' attitudes towards programming. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to validate the K‐12 in‐service Teacher Programming Attitudes Scale (TPAS), to analyse teachers' programming attitudes and their differences in personal, teaching, and environmental factors, and further explore the predictive relationship. Methods: The sample is 888 K‐12 teachers from China. First, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were adopted to validate the availability and reliability of TPAS; Second, independent sample t‐test and one‐way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were adopted to explain the differences. Finally, correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were adopted to verify the correlation and prediction relationship. Results and Conclusion: TPAS possess good reliability and validity (χ2/df = 2.488, RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.935, and IFI = 0.943). Further analysis found that, first of all, male teachers possess more positive programming attitudes than female teachers; second, young teachers who are under 30 and the length of teaching under 5 years possess more positive programming attitudes; thirdly, in addition to Information and Communication Technology teachers, primary science teachers also possess high programming attitudes, followed by teachers of Humanities and Arts, reflecting the potential of teaching programming in integrated subjects and the humanities. Finally, primary school teachers possess the best programming attitudes. With the growth of grade, teachers' enthusiasm for programming has gradually decreased. Additionally, discipline, grade and gender factors were considered to predict K‐12 teachers' programming attitudes. Implications: The results of this study contribute to integrating programming teaching of teachers and promoting programming education in K‐12 classrooms. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic:.Integrating programming in K‐12 curriculum has become the consensus for most countries.Teacher is one of the core figures of K‐12 programming teaching.There is currently less attention paid to teachers' attitudes towards programming.K‐12 teachers' programming attitudes measurement tool is needed to analyze the impact of various factors on teachers' programming attitudes. What this paper adds: The K‐12 teacher programming attitude scale (TPAS) is developed and validated.Male teachers and teachers under the age of 30 and under the length of teaching of five years possess more positive programming attitudes.Information and Communication Technology teachers and primary school Science teachers possess high programming attitudes.Discipline, grade and gender factors are considered to predict K‐12 teachers' programming attitudes. Implications for practice and/or policy: The K‐12 Teacher's Programming Attitude Scale (TPAS) fills the gap in measurements of teachers' programming attitudes.The study results provide the guidance for interdisciplinary programming teaching for K‐12 teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considerable evidence suggests that students' achievement emotions are important contributors to their learning and success online. It is, therefore, essential to understand and support students' emotional experiences to enhance online education, especially under the COVID‐19 context. However, to date, very few studies have investigated how students' achievement emotions might be affected by teaching and learning factors in online learning environments. Objectives: Based on Pekrun's (2006) control‐value theory of achievement emotions, this study examined the influence of students' perceived online teaching quality and appraisals of control and value on their achievement emotions in an online second language (L2) learning context instigated by the COVID‐19. Methods: Data were collected using an online survey of 1503 undergraduates from ten universities across different regions of China. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to test the validity of the instruments and structural equation modelling were conducted to examine the relations between L2 teaching and learning variables. Results and Conclusions: Results revealed that perceived teacher internet and communication technology competence had positive effects on enjoyment, but negative effects on anxiety and boredom, and these effects were fully mediated by perceived control and/or value. Perceived chaotic teaching structure (CTS) had reverse effects for the three emotions. Perceived CTS effects on enjoyment and anxiety were fully and partially mediated by perceived control, respectively. Takeaways: Online teaching quality is critical for students' appraisals and emotions towards L2 learning. Teachers should strive to improve online teaching quality and design interventions targeting students' perceived control and value to temper their affective experiences associated with the crisis‐prompted online teaching practices. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Teachers' internet and communication technology (ICT) competence and pedagogical design can enhance students' e‐learning efficacy, motivation and interests.Students' perceived control and value can influence their achievement emotions in online learning.Teacher's ICT competence and pedagogical design can impact students' emotions in online learning. What this paper adds: Perceived teacher ICT competence and chaotic teaching structures can have differential impact on students' perceived control and value for e‐learning.Perceived control and intrinsic value differently mediated the effects of the two teaching factors on students' emotions for e‐learning.Perceived teacher ICT competence and chaotic teaching structures can have both direct and indirect effects on students' e‐learning emotions via perceived control and value. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teacher training and development programs should prepare teachers for varying teaching formats including unplanned online teaching due to a forced switch to remote teaching.Teachers should acquaint themselves with using various online platforms and software to communicate the goals, expectations, structures and requirements of their language lessons to students' in a clear manner.Online language teaching interventions aiming to increase or decrease a specific emotion could directly target specific combinations of teaching characteristics and appraisals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self‐regulated learning (SRL) ability is the key determinant of the success of full‐time online learning. Thus, exploring the influencing factors of SRL and their influencing mechanisms is necessary to improve this ability among K‐12 students. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence mechanism of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL by examining the structural relationship among teacher autonomy support, parental autonomy support, students' self‐efficacy, and students' online SRL. Methods: We use structural equation modelling and effect analysis to analyse the collected data from 961 Chinese K‐12 students who engaged in full‐time online learning in their homes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak. Results and Conclusions: Parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy play crucial independent mediating roles in the influence of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL. Parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy have a chain mediating effect on the influence of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL. Implications: On the basis of the results, we suggest that in order to develop students' online SRL ability, it is important for teacher to improve parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy. In addition, base on the chain mediating effect, to improve students' online SRL, teacher autonomy support needs focus on parental autonomy support, and then parental autonomy support needs focus on improving students' self‐efficacy. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: • Self‐regulated learning (SRL) ability is the key determinant of the success of online learning. • To improve K‐12 students' SRL ability, it is important to explore the influencing factors and their influencing mechanisms on students' online SRL. • Teacher autonomy support play an important role for students' learning. What is not known about this topic?: • How does teacher autonomy support influence students' online SRL, especially in full‐time online learning? • Do parental autonomy support and student' self‐efficacy play a chain mediating role in the influence of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL? What this paper adds: • Parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy play crucial independent mediating role in the influence of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL. • Teacher autonomy support has a indirect influence on students' online SRL through the chain mediating effect of parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy. Implications for practice and/or policy: • Given that parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy mediating the influence of teacher autonomy support on students' online SRL, it is important to improve parental autonomy support and students' self‐efficacy. • In order to improve students' online SRL ability, teachers need focus on parental autonomy support, and parental autonomy support focus on improving students' self‐efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID‐19 epidemic crisis, students from higher education institutions around the world are forced to participate in comprehensive online curriculums. In such a scenario, it is worth investigating how students perceived their learning outcomes and satisfaction based on this method of teaching and learning online. This study aims to explore the role of six factors, namely, system quality, course design, learner‐learner interaction, learner‐instructor interaction, learner‐content interaction, and self‐discipline, on university students' perceived learning outcomes and their effect on student satisfaction with online curricula during the COVID‐19 epidemic. A structural equation modelling technique was used to assess survey questionnaires obtained from 457 validated students at a Public University in China. The results demonstrated that these determinants had a positive effect on satisfaction and learning outcomes, whereas learner‐instructor interaction had no significant effect. Furthermore, the strongest determinant that affected not only students' satisfaction but also their learning outcomes was the learner‐content interaction. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Online teaching can support students' learning in COVID‐19 epidemic.Various determining factors affect students' learning outcomes and satisfaction towards online learning. What this paper adds?: This study investigates six determinants on students' learning outcomes and satisfaction towards online learning.Learner‐content interaction yielded a stronger effect on university students' learning outcomes and satisfaction.Learner‐instructor interaction has no significant effect. Implications for practice and/or policy: System quality, course design, learner‐learner interaction, learner‐content interaction, and self‐discipline, had a positive impact on university students' perceived learning outcomes and satisfaction in COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital competence is critical for university students to adapt to and benefit from digitally enhanced learning. Prior studies on its measurement mostly focus on educators and relied on factor analyses. However, there is a lack of valid and convenient tools to measure university students' digital competence. This study aimed to develop a digital competence scale for university students (DC‐US) in digitally enhanced learning with robust psychometric properties. An initial DC‐US with 23 items was proposed to measure the single latent trait of digital competence. It was validated and refined continuously through a pilot study, a main study and a predictive validity study in three datasets involving 825 participants altogether, using factor analyses, Rasch analyses and the partial least squares modelling. The final DC‐US turned out to comprise two subscales: technical literacy and digital skills, with 10 items retained, and manifested high internal consistency, unidimensionality and measurement invariance. The scale also demonstrated strong predictive validity, with technical literacy greatly predicting digital skills, which negatively predicted technostress. The DC‐US enables instructors and school administrators to conveniently obtain preliminary information of university students' digital competence, informing their digital class preparation and development of timely interventions for addressing digital deficiencies. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Digital competence is critical for university students to adapt to and benefit from digitally enhanced learning (DEL).There is a lack of valid and convenient tools to measure university students' digital competence.Prior studies on its measurement mostly focus on educators and relied on factor analyses. What this paper adds?: A unidimensional, valid and unbiased digital competence scale was developed for university students.Rasch analyses and classical test theory were employed jointly for the scale development.The digital competence scale comprised two subscales: Technical literacy and digital skills. Implications for practice: University students can use the scale for a quick self‐assessment of their digital competence before joining DEL.Instructors can use the scale to gain an initial knowledge of their students' digital competence to inform digital class preparation.University administrators can rely on the scale to quickly evaluate the implementation effectiveness of DEL schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper aims to explore the determinants of the online health information seeking (OHIS) and usage (OHIU) behaviours of consumers based on the perceived benefits and costs of such activities. Methods: This study applies questionnaires and empirical research methods. A questionnaire is designed according to the hypothesis model. A total of 282 questionnaires are obtained from patients and their accompanying families in two large hospitals, and the SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 17.0 (IBM, Almond, NY, USA) software are used to analyse the sample data and to test the research models. Results: Three key findings are obtained from the analysis. Firstly, functional, learning, social and personal integrative benefits positively affect the OHIS intent of consumers. Secondly, cognitive costs negatively influence the OHIU behaviour of consumers. Thirdly, personal integrative benefits and OHIS behaviour significantly influence the OHIU behaviour of consumers. Conclusion: This paper highlights the differences between OHIS and OHIU based on their impact factors and applies social exchange theory to understand such factors. Online health information providers must improve the ease of use of their websites or applications, enhance the quality of their health information and focus on their functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking (CT) plays a vital role in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, whether students' learning attitude towards STEM is related to their CT skills remains unknown. Two studies were conducted to address this knowledge gap. In Study 1, we validated a newly developed STEM learning attitude scale among a sample of Chinese primary school students (N = 489). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the scale which consisted of three factors (mathematics, science and information technology) could sufficiently measure primary school students' STEM learning attitude in the current sample. In Study 2, we explored the association between students' STEM learning attitude and their CT skills. Evidence revealed that learning attitude towards STEM significantly predicted CT skills. We also found that girls had a more positive learning attitude towards STEM than boys, and the fourth grade might be the key period for the development of CT skills. Implications for promoting primary school students' STEM learning and CT skills were also discussed. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Computational thinking (CT) plays a more and more important role in K‐12 education.STEM has become a natural field for integrating CT into classroom.Students' learning attitude determines their performance and achievements.CT is influenced by personal and situational factors. What this paper adds: Reliability and validity of the STEM learning attitude scale are psychometrically good.Students' STEM learning attitude can positively predict their CT skills.Girls may have more potential for the cultivation of CT in STEM education.The fourth grade may be the key period for the development of CT skills. Implications for practice and/or policy: Promoting CT skills in STEM education by improving students' learning attitude.Adopting teaching methods according to students' psychological and cognitive characteristics.Grasping the key stage of fourth grade to develop students' CT skills.Encouraging and protecting girls' interests and ideas in STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, ) and the resource‐gain‐development perspective (Wayne, Grzywacz, Carlson, & Kacmar, ), this paper examines the differential impact of specific social resources (supervisory support and family support) on specific types of affect (job satisfaction and family satisfaction, respectively), which, in turn, influence work‐to‐family enrichment and family‐to‐work enrichment, respectively. A sample of 276 Chinese workers completed questionnaires in a three‐wave survey. The model was tested with structural equation modelling. Job satisfaction at time 2 partially mediated the relationship between time 1 supervisory support and time 3 work‐to‐family enrichment (capital), and the effect of supervisory support on work‐to‐family enrichment (affect) was fully mediated by job satisfaction. Family satisfaction at time 2 fully mediated the relationship between time 1 family support and time 3 family‐to‐work enrichment (affect, efficiency). Implications for theory, practice and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]