No abstract

No abstract

We explored whether students' perceptions of emotional and instrumental support provided by their mathematics teacher constitute separate dimensions of teacher support and how they are related. We also analyzed how students' perceptions of emotional and instrumental support in math lessons relate to math anxiety, intrinsic motivation, help-seeking behavior, and effort. The participants were 309 Norwegian students in 9th and 10th grade. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that emotional and instrumental support constitute separate but strongly correlated constructs. Directly or indirectly, both emotional and instrumental support was related to all motivational constructs. The strongest relations were found for instrumental support. Additionally, instrumental support predicted lower levels of anxiety. One implication of this study is that teachers should aim at providing both emotional and instrumental support.

One purpose of the present study was to develop and test the factor structure of a multidimensional and hierarchical Norwegian Principal Self-Efficacy Scale (NPSES). Another purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between principal self-efficacy and work engagement. Principal self-efficacy was measured by the 22-item NPSES. Work engagement was measured by a modified version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The participants in the study were 300 principals randomly drawn from the population of Norwegian principals. Data were collected by means of an electronic questionnaire. Both the NPSES and the UWES were investigated through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) before two structural equation models were tested. Both models specified principal self-efficacy as an exogenous variable and work engagement as an endogenous variable. The data were analyzed by means of a SEM analysis for latent variables using the AMOS 18 program. Three different models of NPSES were tested. Both a first-and second-order CFA confirmed that principal self-efficacy constitutes eight dimensions. Furthermore, both structural models had an acceptable fit to data and revealed that principal self-efficacy was positively related to work engagement. The results of the study are discussed together with limitations and suggestions for further research.

No abstract

This study explores relations between students' perceptions of the classroom goal structures, their personal goal orientations, mathematics anxiety, and help-seeking behavior in mathematics classes. The respondents were 309 Norwegian middle school students. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling (SEM). The analyses revealed that a mastery goal orientation was associated with lower levels of anxiety and more use of help-seeking behavior whereas performance-avoidance orientation predicted higher levels of anxiety and less use of help-seeking behavior. We found no direct relation between goal structure and mathematics anxiety or help-seeking behavior. However, the perceived goal structure was indirectly related to these variables, mediated through personal goal orientation.

Recent research shows that teacher support is predictive of student outcomes, such as engagement and effort. In this study, we explored the relation between students' perceptions of teacher instrumental support in mathematics lessons and their effort in mathematics. We also tested whether this relation was mediated through students' perception of the utility value, cost, and intrinsic value of mathematics. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. The participants included 309 9th and 10th grade Norwegian high school students. Three dimensions of mathematics task values were measured: utility value, intrinsic value, and the cost of working with mathematics. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Instrumental support was directly and positively related to both the utility value and the intrinsic value of mathematics. However, it was only indirectly related to the perceived cost of working with mathematics, mediated by the utility value and the intrinsic value. Instrumental support was also both directly and indirectly related to effort. The indirect relation was mediated by the students' perception of mathematics task values.

No abstract