Search

Though HIV preventive and other health interventions in educational settings have often been grounded in health behavior theory, such interventions have rarely taken into account achievement motivation theory. The purpose of this article is to discuss how and why theories of both health behavior and achievement motivation have the potential to play an important part in the design and delivery of HIV preventive interventions in school settings. First, we briefly discuss health behavior theories, with a primary focus on their commonalties. Next, we discuss theories of achievement motivation and what is known about motivating students to learn and excel in the classroom, specifically applying these theories to safer sexual education. The complementary aspects of these theoretical perspectives are then considered. Finally, implications for improving the design of HIV preventive and other health interventions in school settings are discussed. Such interventions may be vastly improved if they pay greater attention to the motivational tenets of achievement motivation theories and their associated classroom dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have examined the importance of school administrative support for teacher safety, victimization, anxiety, and retention; however, studies to date have rarely focused on school administrators' perceptions of support by their district leaders, and its relation to administrators' anxiety/stress, safety, and their intentions to transfer or quit their jobs. In the current study of 457 PreK-12th grade school administrators in the United States, structural equation modeling was used to examine relations between administrators' perceptions of support from their district leaders and their anxiety/stress, safety, and intentions to transfer or quit their jobs. Administrator experiences of violence by student offenders served as a moderator. Results indicated that administrators' perceptions of district leaders' support were associated with lower intentions to transfer or quit their positions both directly and indirectly as a function of decreased anxiety/stress. District support was positively related to administrator safety, particularly for administrators who reported experiencing more student violence. Findings highlight the importance of district support of administrators for reducing mental health concerns and transfer/quit intentions in the context of student violence against school administrators. Implications of findings for research and practice are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel have raised public health concerns that require attention from researchers, policymakers, and training providers in U.S. schools. School aggression and violence have negative effects on school personnel health and retention and on student achievement and development. In partnership with several national organizations, the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel administered two national, multi-informant, cross-sectional surveys. Time 1 data were collected in 2020–2021 from 14,966 respondents; participants reflected on their experiences of violence and aggression before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 restrictions in this survey. One year later, in 2022, 11,814 respondents completed the Time 2 survey after COVID-19 restrictions ended. Participants included teachers, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, staff members, and administrators from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Rates of violence and aggression directed against educators by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators were substantial before COVID-19, were lower during COVID-19 restrictions, and returned to prepandemic levels or higher after COVID-19 restrictions. After COVID-19 restrictions, 22%–80% of respondents reported verbal or threatening aggression, and 2%–56% of respondents reported physical violence at least once during the year, varying by stakeholder role and aggressor. Rates of intentions to quit the profession ranged from 21% to 43% during COVID-19 restrictions (2020–2021) and from 23% to 57% after COVID-19 restrictions (2021–2022), varying by stakeholder role. Participants across roles reported substantial rates of anxiety and stress, especially during and after COVID-19 restrictions, and identified specific training needs. Implications for theory, research, training, and policy are presented. Public Significance Statement: Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel and educator shortages are public health and educational issues that require attention, particularly in the context of recent trends surrounding COVID-19. This study describes new results that highlight violence and aggression before the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2020), during COVID-19 restrictions (2020–2021), and after COVID-19 restrictions (2021–2022) for teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, counselors, school staff members, and administrators. Recommendations are provided to promote school safety and advance the field in theory, research, training, and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes two studies examining the role of present and academic selves during early adolescence. Relations between present and future selves and changes in grade point average between the sixth and seventh-grade students; Mastery and performance-approach achievement goals; Good student self-concept related to both performance and mastery goals.

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09628-9 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work has documented that internationally adopted youth can experience learning difficulties, yet research exploring academic motivation in this population is scant. Moreover, no prior international adoption studies have investigated precursors to motivation. Guided by expectancy-value theory, we attempted to address this gap in the literature by examining the role of two antecedents: ethnic identity (search and affirmation) and sense of school belonging. In doing so, we explored (1) the role of ethnic identity in predicting internationally adopted adolescents' (N = 251) expectancies for success and task values and (2) the extent to which school belonging mediated these relations. Path analysis results revealed that feelings of affirmation towards one's ethnic group positively predicted expectancies and values. Sense of school belonging also mediated many of these associations: ethnic identity affirmation predicted a stronger sense of school belonging, which in turn predicted more favorable expectancies for success and intrinsic value. Moreover, ethnic identity search was negatively related to school belonging. Implications for theory, parents, and education practice are discussed. • Ethnic identity affirmation directly predicted attainment value and intrinsic value in internationally adopted youth (IAY). • Ethnic identity affirmation positively predicted IAY's expectancies and intrinsic value through school belonging. • Stronger endorsements of ethnic identity search in IAY were associated with lower levels of perceived school belonging. • This study is the first to examine IAY motivation and antecedents and thus begins to address a central gap in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The articles in this special issue review the impressive bodies of research that have been generated from achievement motivation theories, emphasizing developments over the past 20 years. In this commentary, I first discuss some of the most noteworthy contributions that have emerged from each of the theories. I then discuss the extent to which there are commonalities across theories; I point out that whereas there is some overlap, this overlap allows for precision in research, but also at times leads to confusion for practitioners and policymakers. Finally, I discuss the degree of alignment between current motivation theory and contemporary education policy and practice. Motivation researchers are examining some important contemporary practice- and policy-related issues; nevertheless, this research has not been systematic across theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the present study was to identify different subgroups of perfectionists and how perfectionism group-membership is related to achievement goals and to five educational outcomes (i.e., school satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, school burnout and academic achievement). The sample comprised 667 undergraduate students (63.3% female, 36.6% male, and 0.1% gender unidentified). Results of a latent profile analysis indicated that a four-group model of perfectionists provided the best fitting model; the four groups represented: adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists, mixed perfectionists, and non-perfectionists. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relations between membership in the subgroups of perfectionism and achievement goals, in predicting educational outcomes. Interactions of perfectionism group-membership by achievement goals also were examined. The findings showed that the interaction of membership in the mixed perfectionist group with mastery-avoidance goals predicted compensation, and the interaction of membership in the mixed perfectionist group with performance-approach goals predicted exhaustion. This study highlights the importance of considering both students' perfectionism and achievement goals when designing programs to increase their well-being and academic success during their time at college. • Four subgroups of perfectionists are identified: adaptive, maladaptive, mixed, and non-perfectionists • Membership in perfectionism classifications and achievement goals are associated with various educational outcomes • One third of the students belonging to maladaptive and mixed perfectionist group might be at risk of low school well-being [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual health education in the United States is seeing increased attention and is often viewed as a controversial topic. To better understand young adolescents' experiences within an LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual health education program (Get Real), we utilized Situated Expectancy-Value Theory to investigate 53 responses from 30 students about what they deemed most beneficial after program completion, specifically that pertaining to LGBTQ+ topics. Four themes were identified: allyship/civility, safety, learning, and ongoing need for increased inclusion. Results suggest inclusive sexual health education is valued by middle school students and that there is a need for increased (and improved) inclusive LGBTQ+ sexual health education. Designing and implementing sexual health education curricula which fosters inclusion and LGBTQ+- friendly topics may lead to increased allyship, civility, and respect toward others. Additionally, inclusive sexual health education may promote an increased sense of safety in learning environments for all students. Policymakers and educators may wish to better understand students' experiences within sexual health education programs as they aim to improve sexual health education efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined how school policies and strategies (i.e., positive discipline, hardening strategies, and positive behavioral strategies) affect teacher relational factors and teacher reports of victimization and safety. Specifically, we examined the mediational roles of teacher support of student learning, maltreatment of students by teachers, and teachers' differential treatment of students in schools. Using a sample of 6643 pre‐K‐12th‐grade teachers, path analysis results revealed that positive behavior strategies, hardening strategies, and positive discipline were indirectly associated with teacher victimization and sense of safety. Additionally, teachers' perceptions of other teachers maltreating students had the greatest contributions to their sense of safety and victimization by students. Positive discipline was directly and indirectly associated with teacher victimization and safety. Implications and directions for future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Violence against educators is a significant understudied phenomenon that has been largely ignored by policy makers and funders. The primary goal of this paper is to advance measurement and research on educator safety and victimization. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of the extant literature (1988 to 2016). Although the number of studies has increased dramatically over the past decade, this review revealed only 37 studies in 28 journals (49,581 educators and 91,099 students). On the basis of this review, we highlight key findings, propose a conceptual framework for measurement development, outline key variables for the design of educator safety registries, and identify research priorities. Multidimensional teacher safety assessment systems and registries for educator safety and victimization are crucial to the advancement of the field and the safety of our schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examined 1,781 rural students' reading motivation and behavior across the transition from middle to high school. Using expectancy-value theory, they investigated how motivational variables predicted changes in reading behavior and achievement across the transition in terms of their expectancies, values, and out-of-school reading behaviors. A repeated measures analysis of variance indicated significant increases in vocabulary, intrinsic value, and out-of-school reading, whereas significant decreases were found in attainment value. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated students' subjective expectancy for success was a significant predictor of increases in both comprehension and vocabulary scores. Students' utility value interacted with intrinsic value in predicting reading comprehension scores. In terms of change in students' reading behavior, their perceptions of intrinsic value and utility value were significant predictors. Gender interacted significantly with expectancies in predicting behaviors. Findings have implications for instructional support, particularly as it relates to reading motivation across the transition from middle to high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the pursuit of multiple goals is an inescapable reality in everyday life, students are consistently challenged to self-regulate toward achieving an array of academic goals as well as social and well-being goals. Nevertheless, prominent self-regulated learning models are limited in explaining and guiding how students can self-regulate in the context of multiple goals. Hence, we developed the multiple goals regulation framework that reconceptualizes how students establish, pursue, and adapt an array of goals. We illustrate specific processes (e.g., goal prioritizing, goal shielding, goal switching) that students can engage in to self-regulate both within and between goals. The new framework contributes to the literature in three main ways. First, we challenge the traditional conceptualization of effective self-regulated learning that focuses on the persistent pursuit of a single academic goal without considering the interdependent nature of goals. Second, we facilitate a sustainable and adaptive cycle of self-regulatory processes by highlighting the importance of navigating and negotiating between multiple academic and nonacademic goals. Finally, our effort offers a more inclusive understanding of students' lived experiences by acknowledging a diverse set of goals that are closely attached to their social and cultural identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of achievement goal theory research reveal that a perceived mastery goal structure is consistently associated with positive student outcomes. Yet relatively little research has examined the conditional effects of mastery goal structure. Within the context of health education, we investigated whether the relations of mastery goal structure to a student's motivation to learn would be moderated by individual differences in the enjoyment and engagement of effortful cognitive activity—the need for cognition (NC). Data were collected from 660 high school students at two time points during semester-long health education courses. Consistent with our predictions, results indicate that the relation between mastery goal structure and increases in students' academic self-concept and values over time is stronger for low NC students and weaker for high NC students. The present study bridges applied research on classroom motivation with basic attitudes research—demonstrating that students' motivation to learn is a joint function of their perceptions of achievement-related messages provided by teachers and preferences for engaging in cognitively demanding activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been dedicated to supporting school communities in combating the problem of school violence. However, violence directed toward teachers is under‐investigated, and knowledge of how to support teachers is limited. This qualitative study used conventional content analysis to assess teachers' recommendations for preventing and improving the response to teacher‐directed violence. The sample included 245 prekindergarten through 12th grade teachers, all of whom experienced school violence and participated in a larger national survey study on violence against teachers. Using a social‐ecological framework and conventional content analysis, teacher recommendations for addressing teacher victimization were identified and organized at the individual, school, community, and society levels. Themes around conflict resolution strategies; improving policies, resources, and relationships with administrators; increasing parental involvement; and changing culture and laws were highlighted. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes an initiative undertaken by a coalition of psychologists (Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education) from the American Psychological Association (APA) to identify the top 20 principles from psychological science relevant to teaching and learning in the classroom. This article identifies these principles and their basis in psychological science. In addition, it articulates each principle's relevance to teaching practices. The article lists all 20 principles and describes a subset of these by providing the information described previously. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• We identified an array of academic, social, and well-being goals within a course. • We used data visualization to illustrate the interrelations of goals. • The interrelations of goals predicted course outcomes via motivational regulation. Much attention has been given to investigating specific self-regulatory processes within a single goal context, yet little is known about how students manage to pursue multiple goals. We adopted a multi-method approach to examine the content of college students' (N = 365) multiple goals, interrelations of goals in a goal network, and the role of self-regulatory processes during multiple goal pursuit. First, using thematic coding of qualitative data, we identified different types of academic, social, and well-being goals that students pursue within a particular college course. Second, using data visualization, we illustrated how these goals are dynamically connected to each other within a goal network. Finally, using mediation analysis of quantitative data, we found that students' perceptions of the interrelations of goals were associated with academic, social, and well-being outcomes, either directly or indirectly through the use of motivational regulation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weapon violence in schools is a pressing concern with serious consequences. In this study, we propose and evaluate a theoretical framework of school-based weapon violence comprised of contributors, triggers, and motivation leading to weapon behaviors, taking into account weapon type, origin, and availability. This framework provides a foundation to investigate the multifaceted nature of weapon violence in schools. Specifically, we examine the weapon violence experiences of 417 U.S. teachers based on their reports of their most upsetting experiences with violence in their schools from various aggressors (i.e., students, parents, colleagues). Qualitative open-ended survey data were coded in NVivo after achieving strong interrater reliability (Gwet's agreement coefficient with first-order chance correction, AC₁ = .97; κ = .80), and analyses were guided by the proposed theoretical framework. Results indicated that individual, school, peer, family, and community conditions contributed to situational triggers (teacher or other school-stakeholder actions), and aggressor motivation was typically instrumental or expressive. The type and origin of weapons also played a role in weapon behaviors of carrying, threats, and usage. Aggressors often used readily available objects (e.g., chair, pencil) as weapons against teachers in addition to traditional weapons (e.g., knives, guns). Findings suggest that weapon violence in schools requires a broader conceptualization beyond traditional weapons and violence between students. This study advances our understanding of pathways to weapon behaviors for prevention and intervention. Implications of findings for school-stakeholder training and policies are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Violence against teachers is a public health crisis that has devastating effects on school personnel well-being, health, and retention, as well as students' educational outcomes. In collaboration with national organizations, the American Psychological Association Task Force on Violence against Educators conducted the first national survey on educator victimization that included 4,136 pre-K through 12th-grade teachers from all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico during the pandemic. In the current study, 43.7% of teachers reported experiencing at least one verbal threat, physical assault, and/or property damage, with verbal threats being the most prevalent form of victimization during the pandemic. Using a social-ecological framework and logistic regression analyses, characteristics of teachers, school climate, and school organizational and community factors were examined as predictors of teacher victimization (i.e., verbal threats, physical, property violence) during the pandemic. Findings revealed that teacher role (i.e., special educators), negative and positive dimensions of school climate, as well as school organizational and community factors (i.e., percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch, instructional modality, school level, and urbanicity) significantly predicted greater teacher victimization. While findings revealed that in-person instruction significantly predicted teacher violence across aggressors, teacher victimization was reported across instructional modality (in-person, hybrid, remote). Results offer insights into possible contextual antecedents to teacher victimization, sense of safety, and well-being in schools. Implications for research and school practice are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Teacher well-being and experiences of violence have become issues of national concern, and teacher shortages have increased since the onset of COVID-19. In this national study, we examined verbal and physical violence against teachers from multiple aggressors and the role of anxiety and stress in predicting intentions to transfer positions or quit the profession. The majority of the sample of 9,370 pre-Kindergarten-12th grade teachers was White (79%) and female (79%). Descriptive analyses revealed that 25% of teachers reported intentions to transfer schools and 43% of teachers reported intentions to quit teaching. Structural equation model results indicated pre-COVID-19 verbal and threatening violence from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators predicted teacher anxiety and stress and intentions to transfer schools ( R ² ranged from .18 to .23) and quit the profession during COVID-19 ( R ² ranged from .34 to .36). Anxiety and stress significantly mediated the relation between verbal and threatening violence across all aggressors and teacher intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Physical violence from certain aggressors predicted anxiety and stress and intention to transfer schools ( R ² ranged from .15 to .18) and quit the profession ( R ² ranged from .32 to .34). Further, teacher and school characteristics, such as identifying as a person of color and teaching at the middle and high school levels, were associated with greater intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Implications for school-based research, practice, and policy are discussed to address violence and promote positive work and learning environments for all school stakeholders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

School personnel safety and well-being have received increased attention via national outlets; however, research is limited. The current investigation is the first to examine the reported use and perceived effectiveness of commonly used school-based intervention approaches for addressing school violence, specifically violence against teachers in U.S. schools. A sample of 4,471 prekindergarten-12th grade teachers was asked to rate the use and perceived effectiveness of common school-based approaches, namely exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions), school hardening (e.g., metal detectors, school police), prevention (e.g., school climate improvement, social-emotional learning, classroom management), and crisis intervention practices (e.g., de-escalation, physical restraint) to address verbal/threatening, physical, and property violence against teachers. Findings revealed that teachers rated prevention practices as most effective in reducing violence against teachers. The use of exclusionary discipline and crisis intervention practices at school was positively associated with all three forms of violence. Ratings of the effectiveness of specific practices were associated with lower likelihoods of verbal/threatening (i.e., hardening, prevention), physical (i.e., exclusionary discipline, hardening, prevention), and property (i.e., hardening) violence. Implications for school practice, research, and policy are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Teacher attitudes and instructional strategies impact success of human sexuality programs. Limited prior research has examined the relations of teachers' attitudes and instruction to the development of adolescents' sexual self-efficacy beliefs. This study examined how adolescents' perceptions of their health teachers (i.e., teacher value of content, teacher affinity, teacher caring for students) predict changes in efficacy beliefs related to HIV/STD and pregnancy prevention, and if perceptions of mastery goal structure predicted adaptive efficacy beliefs. Data were collected in 4 Midwestern/Appalachian high schools in health class where the delivery of a 14-lesson sexual health curriculum occurred. Participants included 561 students (50.4% 9 th graders, 43.5% female, 56.3% White, 53.7% did not have a current romantic partner, and 59.7% had previously not engaged in sexual activity). The findings indicate students' perceptions of teachers valuing the content predicted perceptions of mastery goal structure for all sexual self-efficacy beliefs: learning efficacy, condom negotiation efficacy, refusal self-efficacy, and situational self-efficacy. Students who perceive a mastery goal structure in health class, and who feel their teachers value learning about HIV/STD and pregnancy prevention, are likely to experience positive adaptive self-efficacy beliefs related to sexual health, ultimately leading to behaviors indicative of decreased STDs among teenagers and safe sexual practices, such as abstinence, the use of a condom, and saying "no" to having sex., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Social network analysis (SNA) consists of a broad set of frameworks and methods to assess how direct and indirect relationships influence individual functioning. Although interest in SNA has steadily increased in the psychological sciences, school psychology has not kept pace. This article provides a general overview of core SNA concepts, including how network data is typically collected in schools. Following this overview, we provide some caveats to considerations for school psychology researchers interested in collecting network data. Finally, we highlight the potential value of SNA to school psychologists by describing the networks of older adolescents as it pertains to aggression and the bystander effect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite prior studies documenting learning difficulties among internationally adopted youth (IAY), none has explored academic motivation within this population. The current study addressed this gap by examining expectancies for success and task values in math and science among internationally adopted, domestically adopted, and nonadopted high-school students. Differences in students' math achievement and parents' beliefs about their ability were also explored. A subsample of 7,420 11th-grade students was selected from the High School Longitudinal Study data set (Ingels et al., 2011). After controlling for prior motivation, achievement, demographics, and clustering, analyses revealed that IAY held less adaptive motivational beliefs in math. Compared with their nonadopted peers, internationally adopted students reported lower expectancies for success, attainment value, and intrinsic value in math. Few differences in science motivation emerged, and no differences in math achievement were observed. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Background: There is much interest in assessing growth in student learning. Assessments of growth have important implications and affect many policy decisions at many levels., Aims: In the present article, we review some of the different approaches to measuring growth and examine the implications of their usage., Sample: Samples used in research on growth models typically include students enrolled in public schools that primarily serve kindergarten through the 12th grade., Method: Definitions of growth and gain are reviewed, and five types of growth models are examined: (1) Student Gain Score Model, (2) The Covariate Adjustment Model, (3) The Student Percentile Gain Model - referred to as single-wave value-added models, (4) Univariate Value-Added Response Models, and (5) Multivariate Value-Added Response Models., Results: Modelling approaches are vastly different, whereas Student Gain Models are mathematically and conceptually simple, Multivariate Models are highly complex., Conclusion: Educators assessing growth must make critical decisions about measurement. The type of instrument that is selected and the type of analytic techniques selected are of great importance. Growth must be considered from technical, pedagogical, and policy perspectives., (© 2014 The British Psychological Society.)