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Academic self-concept, the belief in one's ability, is a key motivational construct in educational psychology and large-scale assessments. The construct is typically measured by instruments with positively ("I usually do well in science") and negatively worded items ("I am just not good in science"). A single latent factor is often assumed. Here, we investigated this assumption using international large-scale assessment data across two age groups of children in fourth grade and adolescents in eighth grade (N = 296,320 students, 23 educational systems). We, instead, found strong evidence of the substantiveness of a negative self-concept factor derived from negatively worded items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses uncovered negative self-concept as being distinct from positive self-concept. Furthermore, theory-driven modeling supported the internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model effect on negative self-concept: achievement has a stronger effect on eighth graders' negative self-concept relative to fourth-grade children across many countries, especially for mathematics. Overall, understanding students' negative appraisals and negative beliefs of their ability is an important theoretical and policy imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic self-concept, the belief in one’s ability, is a key motivational construct in educational psychology and large-scale assessments. The construct is typically measured by instruments with positively (“I usually do well in science”) and negatively worded items (“I am just not good in science”). A single latent factor is often assumed. Here, we investigated this assumption using international large-scale assessment data across two age groups of children in fourth grade and adolescents in eighth grade (N = 296,320 students, 23 educational systems). We, instead, found strong evidence of the substantiveness of a negative self-concept factor derived from negatively worded items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses uncovered negative self-concept as being distinct from positive self-concept. Furthermore, theory-driven modeling supported the internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model effect on negative self-concept: achievement has a stronger effect on eighth graders’ negative self-concept relative to fourth-grade children across many countries, especially for mathematics. Overall, understanding students’ negative appraisals and negative beliefs of their ability is an important theoretical and policy imperative.

Introduction: The present investigation examined the stability of the twofold multidimensional structure of academic self-concepts (ASCs) in three domains, namely Chinese, math, and general school using four-wave data collected over 2 years among 552 Chinese secondary school students. Method: Adopting both a within-network and a between-network approach, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and factor correlations were performed in Mplus 8.2. Results: The within-network results showed that CFA models wherein competence and affect dimensions were conflated generated unacceptable fit. In contrast, the CFAs in which competence and affect were modeled as separate latent factors consistently produced superior fit to the data. The between-network results demonstrated that in the Chinese and math domains and across the four-time waves, the competence components were more strongly related to the achievements in matching domains than the affect components were. Furthermore, both the competence and affect components of ASCs and achievements were positively correlated in the non-matching domains, which were somewhat contradictory to the internal/external frame of reference model predicting zero or negative relations. Discussion: Such results seem to suggest more involvement in social comparison than in dimensional comparison of Chinese students, which might be attributed to the collectivistic Chinese culture and the common phenomenon of academic social comparisons among Chinese adolescents in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe present investigation examined the stability of the twofold multidimensional structure of academic self-concepts (ASCs) in three domains, namely Chinese, math, and general school using four-wave data collected over 2 years among 552 Chinese secondary school students.MethodAdopting both a within-network and a between-network approach, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and factor correlations were performed in Mplus 8.2.ResultsThe within-network results showed that CFA models wherein competence and affect dimensions were conflated generated unacceptable fit. In contrast, the CFAs in which competence and affect were modeled as separate latent factors consistently produced superior fit to the data. The between-network results demonstrated that in the Chinese and math domains and across the four-time waves, the competence components were more strongly related to the achievements in matching domains than the affect components were. Furthermore, both the competence and affect components of ASCs and achievements were positively correlated in the non-matching domains, which were somewhat contradictory to the internal/external frame of reference model predicting zero or negative relations.DiscussionSuch results seem to suggest more involvement in social comparison than in dimensional comparison of Chinese students, which might be attributed to the collectivistic Chinese culture and the common phenomenon of academic social comparisons among Chinese adolescents in schools.

The present two-wave longitudinal study examined 836 Chinese secondary school students over the course of an academic year to investigate the individual antecedents of academic anxiety in multiple subjects. Hypotheses were based on Pekrun's control-value theory of achievement emotions and Marsh's internal/external frame of reference model and tested utilising longitudinal data. Students' academic self-concept, interest, and anxiety were assessed in Chinese, Mathematics, and English. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that in line with the control-value theory and internal/external frame of reference model, academic self-concept and interest had a negative within-domain effect on anxiety but a positive cross-domain effect on anxiety. Despite stereotypic differences in mean levels, the relations between constructs were gender-invariant. We discuss the theoretical and empirical contributions of the study and make suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at exploring the formation mechanism of mathematics self-concept of left-behind children and the influence mechanism of mathematics self-concept on their mathematics achievement. In study 1, the formation mechanism of mathematics self-concept was examined using multilevel analyses of 874 left-behind children. The results showed that (1) the individual mathematics achievement of left-behind children had a significant positive predictive effect on mathematics self-concept, Chinese achievement had a significant negative predictive effect on mathematics self-concept, and the class-average mathematics achievement had no significant effect on mathematics self-concept; and (2) when left-behind children were the majority group, there was an assimilation effect on downward interpersonal social comparison. When left-behind children were the minority group, there was a contrast effect on upward intergroup social comparison. In study 2, the influence mechanism of mathematics self-concept of 585 left-behind children was investigated with a tracking research. The results suggested that (1) Time 1 mathematics self-concept had significant effects on Time 2 mathematics school engagement at between-group and within-group levels; and (2) Time 2 mathematics school engagement played a partial mediating role between Time 1 mathematics self-concept and Time 2 mathematics achievement at the within-group level. These results indicate that the formation and influence mechanism of mathematics self-concept of left-behind children is influenced by contextualized characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the significant role that academic self-concept plays in students' learning, understanding the psychological processes involved in its formation continues to be an important focus of enquiry. There is strong empirical support for two major models of academic self-concept (ASC) formation: the big-fish-little-pond (BFLP) model and the internal/external frame of reference model (I/E model), models which emphasise the roles of social and dimensional comparisons in ASC development. The present study aimed to contribute to an emerging body of evidence on the validity of a model that integrates the predictions of the BFLP and I/E models into a unified framework. Models were tested in the domains of reading and mathematics using data from a nationally representative sample of 4166 grade 6 students in 220 classes in Ireland. Central predictions of the BFLP and I/E models held when tested in combination. Specifically, individual achievement in one domain had a significant positive effect on self-concept in that domain and a negative effect on self-concept in the other domain. Additionally, class-level achievement in a given domain was negatively related to self-concept in that domain, after accounting for the effect of individual achievement. Findings support the hypothesis that social and dimensional comparisons have effects on the academic self-concepts of primary school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic self-concepts are important correlates and predictors of successful scholastic learning. According to the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) framework, self-concepts are based on two comparison processes: social (external) comparison processes that seem to increase during elementary school and cognitively more demanding dimensional (internal) comparison processes that seem to occur from third grade on. This cross-sectional study with elementary school students (N = 858; grades 2–4; supplementary analyses with n = 349 first graders) extended the classic I/E model with competence self-concepts (Marsh in Am Educ Res J 23:129–149, 1986. 10.3102/00028312023001129) to affect self-concepts as outcomes. The magnitude of both comparison processes on the two self-concept components was examined separately for each elementary school grade and subsequently compared between grades. Evidence for social comparison processes of moderate/high magnitude was found in all grades. Relationships between achievements (reported grades) and corresponding competence self-concepts were more pronounced compared with achievement–affect self-concept relations. Only some path coefficients indicating dimensional comparison processes were substantial. The coefficients did not differ between grades. Results regarding the formation of academic self-concepts by comparison processes in different elementary school grades are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Previous cross-cultural studies of social and dimensional comparison processes forming academic self-concepts (the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) and Internal-external frame-of-reference (I/E) models) have mostly been based on high-school students and two subject domains. Our study is the first to test the cross-cultural generalizability of both comparison processes across reading, mathematics, and science by combining of the TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 databases (15 OECD countries, 67,386 fourth-graders). Consistent with the I/E model, high achievement in mathematics/reading had positive effects on self-concept in the matching domain but negative effects in the non-matching domain. Extending the I/E model, students engaged in assimilating comparisons between science and reading (i.e., achievement in one subject had positive effects on self-concept in the other) but contrasting comparisons between mathematics and science. Strong BFLPEs (negative effects of class-average achievement on self-concept) were found for mathematics but were smaller for reading and science. The results generalized well across all countries. Highlights • The combined TIMSS and PIRLS databases were used to test formation of self-concept. • We tested BFLPE and DCT across reading, math, and science for primary students. • Students engaged in contrasting and assimilating comparisons across three domains. • Strong BFLPEs were found for math but were smaller for reading and science. • The results generalized well across 15 OECD countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Relations between grades, self-concepts, and values in six subjects were examined. • Self-concepts fully mediate the relation between grades and values. • Grades impact self-concept through assimilation and contrast effects. • Subsequently, self-concepts affect values in the same subject. Within the framework of a generalized internal/external frame of reference model, influences of social and dimensional comparisons of academic achievement on the formation of subject-specific values (or related constructs) are empirically well documented for secondary school students. Furthermore, a wide range of theories also hypothesize an effect of subject-specific self-concepts on values. Accordingly, prior studies suggested a mediating effect of self-concepts on the achievement–value relationship. However, these studies have been limited to two school subjects or exclusively math and science subjects. Based on data from N = 1,339 ninth- through twelfth-grade students, we extended prior research by relating students' grades in mathematics, physics, social studies, German, English, and the second foreign language to value scores in these subjects; subject-specific self-concepts were included as mediators. Our results support the hypothesis of a full mediation of the relationship between grades and values through self-concepts. Additional analyses showed a comparable fit between a mediation model with direct paths from grades to values and a mediation model without these direct paths. We discuss which subject-specific self-concepts are the most important mediators for the achievement–value relationship and the importance of self-concepts for forming values above grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated how students’ expectancies and values can be predicted by their achievements in multiple domains. Our major aim was to extend previous findings on dimensional comparison processes for expectancies to task values while systematically comparing multiple value facets defined in expectancy-value theory. We assessed the expectancies, values, and achievements of N  = 857 students in Grades 5–12 from two German academic track schools in five academic domains. The results for students’ expectancies largely supported the predictions that were derived from dimensional comparison theory: We found strong evidence for negative cross-domain paths between achievements and expectancies in “far” domains such as math and languages, indicating contrast effects. There were also some positive cross-domain paths between achievements and expectancies in “near” domains such as math and physics, indicating assimilation effects. We also found similar patterns of cross-domain paths for students’ values. However, the results varied substantially across the nine value facets under investigation. We found the strongest evidence for dimensional comparison processes for the value facets most closely related to expectancy (e.g., intrinsic value and cost facets), whereas we found only a little evidence for dimensional comparison processes for the facets of utility value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have analyzed social and dimensional comparisons simultaneously in order to consider their impact on students' academic self-concept (e.g., Chiu, 2012 ). Thereby, social comparisons refer to comparisons with the achievement level of students' classmates, whereas dimensional comparisons comprise comparisons between students' individual achievements across different domains. This paper analyzes whether both achievement comparisons influence students' subject-interest in mathematics and English (as a first foreign language). The analyses are based on N = 1390 German fifth and sixth grade students who participated in the BiKS-8-14 longitudinal study. Using multi-level analyses, results indicate that students' competences influence their mathematical and English subject-interests, demonstrating the typical pattern of social and dimensional comparisons. Further, analyses reveal mediation effects by subject-specific grades and self-concepts. These findings also apply for the development of students' subject-interest from grade 5 to grade 6. Results are discussed with respect to their implications concerning theories of achievement comparisons and interest development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Objectives: The Internal/External Frame of Reference Model (I/E model; e.g., Marsh, 1986) posits that verbal achievement (Ach) produces a lower mathematics self-concept (SC) and that, conversely, mathematics Ach fosters a lower verbal SC after controlling for prior Ach in each domain. The present study extended this model by adding another school subject that has not been previously investigated, namely physical education (PE). The central goal was to verify whether Ach in PE positively or negatively predicts academic SC in the mathematics and verbal domains. Design: Prospective study over one school year. Methods: Participants were 451 French high school students (mean age = 13.5). Ach scores in mathematics, French and PE were gathered at the beginning of the school year. At the end of this one, students completed a questionnaire to assess their SC in the three school subjects. Results: Structural Equation Modelling results revealed, according to the I/E model, negative paths between mathematics Ach and verbal SC, and between verbal Ach and mathematics SC. Results also revealed singular relationship patterns between the two traditional school subjects and PE. A positive path between PE Ach and mathematics SC was observed whereas the path with the verbal SC was non-significant. Conclusion: PE could have benefits to increase SC in other school subject such as mathematics. Broader implications of results for the I/E model are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study focused on students’ academic enjoyment as predicted by achievement in multiple academic domains. Assumptions were based on Marsh’s internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model and Pekrun’s control-value theory of achievement emotions, and were tested in a sample of 1380 German students from grades 5 to 10. Students’ academic enjoyment, self-concept, and achievement were assessed in relation to mathematics and verbal language classes. In line with assumptions of the I/E model, mathematics performance assessed in the previous academic year positively predicted enjoyment in mathematics classes, and negatively predicted enjoyment in language classes. Language class performance positively predicted enjoyment in language classes, and negatively predicted enjoyment in mathematics classes. Corroborating assumptions derived from Pekrun’s control-value theory, achievement/enjoyment relations were mediated by academic self-concepts. Despite stereotypic gender differences in mean values, linkages between constructs were invariant across genders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]