' pilot study' Search Results
Measurement Invariance and Latent Profile Analysis of the Test Anxiety Inventory
adolescent latent profile analysis measurement invariance test...
Researchers have recognized the need for updates of test anxiety scales for more measurement accuracy. However, studies that investigated the measurement invariance of the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI), and identified the latent profiles remain scare not withstanding its wide usage in Nigeria. This might have an impact on how generalizability and reliance on outcomes from such an instrument are handled. We investigated the measurement invariance of TAI and the latent profiles among Nigerian adolescents. Gender constituted our focus in the measurement invariance given its significance in test anxiety research. Adolescent students (n=539) formed the sample of our study. We employed the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the latent profile analysis (LPA) to measure the invariance and identify the class profiles. We found evidence of a measurement invariance across gender in both competing models given that we obtained strict measurement invariance. We also identified a four-class profile model for both male and female students: low (17.50%; 19.00%), moderate (17.50%; 34.40%), high (36.80 %; 32.80%), and very high (12.60%; 13.80%) test anxiety profiles respectively. We concluded that while the composed factors are equivalently scaled across gender that test anxious students were not monolithic given the identified profiles.
Reflections on Transformation, Teamwork, and Mentoring: Student Teachers’ Self-Assessed Learning, Equality, and Equity in Competence-Based Education
collaboration conscious experiences latent meanings mindset motivation...
This research concentrated on observing academic student teachers’ teamwork, especially its effectiveness and their attitudes to collaboration and transformation, as well as their reflective, written self-assessments in relation to teamwork. Teams have been studied widely, but these kinds of special contexts are rare. The target group was higher education teachers, the context was an introduction of a new pedagogical program, and the teams acted under the guidance of mentors and occasional lecturers. Besides the content analysis, the study method was a deep analysis of the essays. The most effective positive influencers proved to be social exchanges, including mentoring, peer support, input for learning and the experiences of wellbeing. Individual distrust of working methods in teams, and emotional suspicions of their self-efficacy in transformational settings emerged as latent factors, revealing mainly the difficulty of changing traditional mindsets. The analyses offered individual and community-wide opportunities to steer education in the future.
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Unveiling Community Needs and Aspirations: Card Sorting as a Research Method for Developing Digital Learning Spaces
card sorting digital learning spaces e-learning marginalized communities methodology pile sorting...
This pilot study is part of a larger “Decolonization of Digital Learning Spaces” project, which aims to develop research tools for communities that are remote and/or excluded geographically, politically, economically, socially, culturally, and linguistically. The project’s ultimate goal is to work alongside these communities to design their own digital learning tools, networks, and online educational environments by accessing and leveraging their knowledge and skills. Testing the single-criterion card sorting method is the first step toward this goal. Card sorting is an easy, enjoyable, and cost-effective method for data collection and analysis, particularly for researchers working in remote areas with limited access to electricity or the Internet. The pilot explored single-criterion card sorting as a method to elicit knowledge from two diverse cultural and linguistic groups engaged in learning activities within their communities. These groups were from a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community in Canada (engaged in a bow-making workshop) and a rural Kabyle community in Algeria (engaged in a traditional cooking lesson). Despite low participant numbers, distinct patterns emerged, indicating the method's effectiveness. The results, though anticipated, were non-random, demonstrating the potential of card sorting in producing patterns indicative of how individuals and/or communities categorize their world(s). Kabyle sortings focused on ingredients, highlighting older individuals as teachers passing along knowledge, while the DHH sortings emphasized face-to-face contact and hand movements in communication. The findings, though modest, established relationships, provided insights into the research context and offered logistical understanding, paving the way for further work with DHH and Kabyle communities towards the design of digital learning spaces.
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Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Psychological and Educational Impact on School-Aged Students
crisis and education psychological distress in youth resilience strategies student’s mental health student-teacher relationship...
Students are among the most vulnerable populations during periods of crisis, including war, economic collapse, and pandemics. These events extend beyond academic disruption, significantly affecting students' emotional and social well-being. Mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and behavioural changes are commonly reported, particularly among youth living in conflict-affected areas or economically disadvantaged households. This review examines the consequences of crises on school-aged students across both local and global contexts. A structured search strategy was employed to retrieve peer-reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2024 from databases including PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The selected studies were thematically categorized into three primary domains: pandemics, economic hardship, and war-related trauma. The review emphasizes the identification of common psychological outcomes, contributing factors, and resilience strategies implemented at the school and community levels. The findings highlight the urgent need for early interventions, trauma-informed pedagogical approaches, mental health support programs, coping strategies, and emotional regulation skills. By examining the interplay between crisis-induced stress and student support mechanisms, this review seeks to inform educators, policymakers, and practitioners in their efforts to foster resilience and promote academic recovery.
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Comparative Effects of School-Based Yoga and Physical Education on Psychological Well-Being of At-Risk Hispanic Adolescents After COVID-19
hispanic adolescents mindfulness practices psychological effects school-based yoga...
This quasi-experimental study compares the differences in psychological well-being impact factors of school-based yoga interventions and mindfulness practices for at-risk Hispanic adolescent high school students with similar students enrolled in traditional physical education classes in a face-to-face setting. Convenience sampling was applied to freshmen students enrolled in a Physical Education 1-hour course at a designated high school in South Texas. A hypothesis model was utilized: mind-body awareness, self-regulation, and physical postures. To assess psychological wellbeing constructs of mood and affect, measurement instruments employed were two commonly utilized questionnaires, the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-C). Statistical analyses included Friedman’s Test for nonparametric data, comparisons of pre-post change scores between yoga and physical education classes, and longitudinal data trends for each measurement instrument’s subscales from inception to conclusion. Overall, longitudinal trends in participant responses from Week 1 to Week 10 comparisons demonstrate a practical significance of gradual increases in improved student well-being in comparison to traditional physical education classes. Overall positive impacts continue to support overall improvement for students participating in Yoga as a form of physical fitness.
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