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The aim of this study was to examine if perceived family violence of victimized children is related to their perceived aggressive behavior. It has been acknowledged that children learn and behave what they observe and practice including violence. A stratified random sample (N =1160) of Omani school students was drawn from grades 6 to 9. The study used perceived family violence and perceived aggressive behavior measures to collect data. CFA was performed to test the proposed factor structure as well as the structural model. The invariance test lent support to the hypothesis that the structure of constructs is invariant across gender. However, the relations between constructs were not invariant. Children (boys and girls) who expressed high verbal violence on them reported they were more verbally and physically aggressive. Boys, but not girls, who reported high physical violence on them reported they were more verbally and physically aggressive. The relation between perceived family violence and perceived aggressive behavior seem to be dependent on gender and types of family violence as well as the kind of children's aggressive behavior.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine if the perception of teaching value and a teacher's self-efficacy (SE) are related to burnout. Previous research has shown a strong relation between teachers SE and burnout. Rarely, however, job value has been included in any of the previous studies. Method: A stratified random sample (N =2446) of Omani teachers was drawn. Three measures: Job value, Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and the teachers' sense of efficacy scale (TSES) were used. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the proposed factor structure of the measures as well as the proposed structural model. Results: The invariance tests proved that the structure of constructs and the relations between constructs were invariant across gender. Job value significantly related to both SE and burnout dimensions. Consistent with predictions, SE of student engagement related to all three burnout dimensions; whereas the other two dimensions of SE didn't relate to burnout dimensions in the expected direction. Job value and SE explained significant variances in each of the burnout dimensions. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of job value and SE of engaging students as cognitive self-regulatory mechanisms used in the stressful situations like teaching and to help control stress and burnout. Ministry of education, media and socity at large should be aware of the social status of teaching and teachers and provide more respect to the teachers and their job. Such respect would improve the morale of teachers and help them become more efficacious and less exhausted.

Introduction: Mathematics is one of the most important academic subjects in school. However, it is one of the most difficult subjects, and both students and teachers face difficulties in this subject. Teachers have difficulty engaging students in learning the subject. Rarely has the concept of engagement been researched in the Middle East region, in general, and in Oman in particular. Similarly, the concept of self-efficacy has been minimally investigated. The purpose of this study is to test the construct validity of: self-efficacy, engagement, and anxiety in mathematics. Once constructs are validated, models of relations among constructs were developed and tested. Method: A multi stage cluster sample (n=900: 420 females; 480 males) was selected from two Omani school directorates. The sample was selected from grades 6, 8 and 10 in Muscat and Aldhahira. Three measures were administered to intact classes. Results: The results revealed reasonable construct validity for each construct. Structural equation models indicated that self-efficacy significantly predicted engagement. Neither self-efficacy nor engagement was able to predict anxiety. Discussion and Conclusion: The implication of our results is that for programs and initiatives to promote engagement in mathematics, students should develop confidence in learning mathematics. Also, any program should assess students math anxiety and focus more on students with low to medium math anxiety since students in this category of math anxiety produce negative correlations between math anxiety and self-efficacy and between math anxiety and engagement in mathematics.

The aims of this study are to: (a) assess if cognitive self-concept (competence) and affective self-concept in mathematics and science are different constructs, (b) evaluate the construct validity of self-concept in the context of conflation and separation, and (c) test if the relationships among cognitive and affective variables are invariant across gender. The data for this study were obtained from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007 database. Data about 2,687 out of 4,099 eighth grade Saudi students were subject to various analyses. The variables used in this study were mathematics and science self-concepts, and mathematics and science subject value as part of the Students Background Questionnaire. The relationships among constructs were examined with the use of SPSS16 and the structural equation modeling software, AMOS16. The results demonstrated that subject value and self-concept were different constructs. Also, the results demonstrated that cognitive and affective self-concepts were independent, but strongly related constructs, and the structure of the construct was clearer when self-concept was separated into cognitive and affective components than when it was conflated. The relationships among cognitive, affective, and subject value in mathematics and science were invariant across gender. However, their relationships with achievement were not invariant across gender.

Introduction: Learning difficulties (LD) is a recent construct. It has been agreed that the individual who suffers from learning difficulties has a disorder in one or more of the basis psychological processes, including attention, cognition, formation of concepts, memory, problem solving, understanding or reading, speaking or writing, or computing. Method: This study was designed to test the construct (convergent and discriminate) validity of this conception of LD with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Also, responses of normal students were compared to responses of students identified as having learning difficulty. The sample comprised 410 children from Muscat School Zone, who were rated by their teachers (30) based on the new questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed by six domains and each measures one component of difficulties. These components are difficulties in: perception, attention, memory, writing, arithmetic and reading. Results: Reliability analysis and factor analysis revealed that the measure possesses both reliability and factorial validity. Discussion and conclusion: The CFA confirmed the structure of the measure. ANOVA revealed significant differences between normal and LD children on most of the LD components, the providing further support to its construct validity.

Introduction: Optimism and pessimism are two psychological constructs that play a significant role in human mental and psychological hygiene. The two construct are strongly but negatively correlated. Optimism and pessimism can be influenced by culture and the environment. The present study attempts to test the structure of optimism and pessimism across two countries: United Arab Emirates and Oman. Also, physical education students were compared to non-physical education students. Method: College students from SQU in Oman (n = 103) and the UAEU (n = 200) participated in the study. The sample was a convenient one. The SQU sample was primarily physical education students (males = 60, females = 43). The instrument consisted of thirty Likert-type items. Optimism was measured by 15 items and so as pessimism. Results: Exploratory factor analysis clearly identified two factors rather than one bipolar factor. The number of factors (2), the pattern of factor loadings, the factor correlations and uniqueness were invariant across P.E. and non P.E samples. MANOVA revealed that P.E. subjects were more optimistic than non P.E. subjects. However, no significant difference was found in pessimism between P.E. and non P.E. subjects. Discussion and Conclusion: The results revealed that optimism and pessimism can influenced by the immediate environment as well as the type of study. It terms of structure, the instrument was as valid and reliable in Oman and UAE as it was valid and reliable in Kuwait where the instrument was originally developed and standardized. (Contains 4 tables.)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a diagnostic measure of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder and impulsivity. Method: The instrument was administered to normal (n=51), learning disability (LD) (n=96) and intellectually disabled (ID) (n=108) children. The instrument in its final form comprises 36 items. Results: Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the instrument possesses good reliability and validity estimates. MANOVA revealed that intellectually disabled, learning disabled and normal children differed significantly on all of the five subscales. The pattern of difference mainly favored I.D. children then L.D. The lowest scores on all of the subscales were those of the normal children. Discussion and Conclusion: It is important that children with L.D. be differentiated from other types of disabilities. The instrument at hand is presumed to make such distinction. Namely, the instrument is a tool to identify children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

The aim of this study is to predict how anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic affects empathy, compliance with government actions, safety precautions, and precautions, and conspiracy beliefs, among adult Arab citizens. Responses were recruited electronically through a self-report online questionnaire designed electronically on the Jotform website during the period from April 25 to May 17, 2020. Respondents were 1302 (62% females) citizens from several Arab countries and Arab residents in some countries around the world with an age range between 22 and 60 years. Consistent with previous research, we found a positive association between anxiety and conspiracy thinking. The more anxious Arab males and females were the more they endorsed conspiracy theory. The results revealed a stronger association between anxiety and conspiracy thinking among males than females. Also, in line with previous research, adherence to official measures is negatively associated with conspiracy thinking, but only for males. Males who showed weak readiness to obey official measures (guidelines), believed more in conspiracy theory. Pandemic anxiety generated stronger feelings of empathy toward others and more respect for safety precautions. Empathic responding, in turn, was a strong predictor of compliance to official measures whereas, anxiety was unrelated to compliance. The findings are useful in terms of providing evidence for designing interventions and implementing preventative approaches to mitigate the psychopathological consequences of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]