Attributions for Achievement Outcomes Among Behavioral Subgroups of Children with Learning Disabilities

Durrant, Joan E.

doi:10.1177/002246699302700303

Cited by 18 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our study shows that insights into the coping strategies of students can clarify the relationships between recurrent academic failure, self-esteem, and persistence that have been described in earlier studies (Durrant, 1993;Heyman, 1990;Klassen, 2002;La Greca & Stone, 1990;Linnenberg & Pintrich, 2002;Martin, Marsh, Williamson, & Debus, 2003;Renick & Harter, 1989;Settle & Milich, 1999). Enhancing students' self-esteem can provide a strong stimulus to persist and to overcome their academic problems.…”

Section: Educational Consequencessupporting

confidence: 67%

Coping with academic failure, a study of Dutch children with dyslexia

Singer

2007

Dyslexia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reports the results of a study of strategies that Dutch children with dyslexia employ to cope with recurrent academic failure. All of the students in the study had developed strategies for protecting their self-esteem. Using Harter's theory of coping with discrepancies between performance and standards, we distinguish four strategies: (1) working hard and committing to standards, (2) lowering standards, (3) seeking support from significant others (i.e. parents and teachers), and (4) avoiding comparisons with significant others (i.e. peers). Although self-talk emerged as an important component of all four strategies, it was employed both adaptively (e.g. to preserve the students' belief in their own academic capacities) and maladaptively (e.g. to devalue the importance of learning). The students relied most strongly on support from their parents; teachers and peers were more likely to be seen as threats to self-esteem. Strategies of teachers and parents to encourage adaptive coping with recurrent academic failure are confirming the student's self-worth, explaining dyslexia, showing faith in the student's capacities, fostering adaptive self-talk, providing educational treatment, and preventing teasing and bullying. Besides that, teachers and parents should cooperate.

show abstract

Section: Educational Consequencessupporting

confidence: 67%

Coping with academic failure, a study of Dutch children with dyslexia

Singer

2007

Dyslexia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, despite the fact that many authors report data supporting the existence of an inadequate motivational-affective profile, both in children and in adolescents with LD, the results of some studies indicate that not all children with LD present maladaptive attributional profiles (i.e., Durrant, 1993;González-Pienda et al, 2000; Jackobsen et al, 1986).…”

Section: Causal Attributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This state of helplessness may ultimately lead to a situation of depression or hopelessness in these students, characterized by the belief that, no matter how much effort they make, they are doomed to fail (Smiley & Dweck, 1994). Because of its negative motivational consequences, this kind of attributional profile has been called a "maladaptive attributional profile" by some authors, or also a "pessimistic explanatory style" (Seligman, 1990).However, despite the fact that many authors report data supporting the existence of an inadequate motivational-affective profile, both in children and in adolescents with LD, the results of some studies indicate that not all children with LD present maladaptive attributional profiles (i.e., Durrant, 1993;González-Pienda et al, 2000; Jackobsen et al, 1986). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Subgroups of Attributional Profiles in Students with Learning Difficulties and Their Relation to Self-Concept and Academic Goals

Núñez

González-Pienda

González-Pumariega

et al. 2005

Learning Disabil Res Pract

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this article was fourfold: first, to determine whether there are significant differences between students with (N= 173) and without learning disabilities (LD; N= 172) in the dimensions of self-concept, causal attributions, and academic goals. Second, to determine whether students with LD present a uniform attributional profile or whether there are subgroups of attributional profiles among students with LD. Third, to explore differences between these profiles on the dimensions of self-concept, academic goals, perception of competence-incompetence, persistence when faced with failure, peer relationships, and academic achievement. Fourth, to determine whether there are significant differences in the dimensions of self-concept and academic goals between NLD students and the different LD subgroups. The results indicate the existence of two very distinct attributional profiles in students with LD (Helplessness Profile and Adaptive Profile). The implications of these data with regard to theory and research, as well as educational practice, are discussed.Current theory and research indicate that self-concept, adaptive causal attributions, and motivation (along with strategic knowledge) are crucial for effective metacognitive processing Pintrich, 2000). However, after more than 30 years of research on the motivational and affective sphere of students with learning disabilities (LD), and its relation to school learning, instead of a unified panorama, we find an enormous quantity of contradictory results (Gresham & MacMillan, 1997). Although one could infer from most of the studies that students with LD, compared to their peers without LD (NLD), have a more negative self-concept, less motivation to learn, and a maladaptive attributional profile, the data provided by more recent investigations suggest that not all students with LD have the same profile. In the following paragraphs, we describe the scope of the discrepancy in the results of past research and provide a rationale for the present study. Causal AttributionsThe attributional theory proposed by Bernard Weiner ex-plains motivation as a function of an individual's perceptions of the causes of previous successes and failures (Weiner, 2000). A large part of the research performed within this paradigm in the field of special education indicates that students with LD feel threatened by failure and usually attribute their successes to external variables such as luck, others' help, etc., and their failures to the lack of ability (more than to insufficient effort). Thus, an important portion of the research carried out to date has concluded that children or adolescents with LD tend to manifest a maladaptive attributional style, low achievement expectations, low persistence at school tasks, and low academic self-concept (Kirk & Gallagher, 1986;Montgomery, 1994;Núñez, González-Pumariega, & González-Pienda, 1995). In turn, these attitudes reduce student motivation and generate negative feelings about their academic work and about themselves. With time, this...

show abstract

“…Some studies, however, show that the onset of a disadaptive attributive system does not involve all pupils that present SLD (Durrant, 1993;Gonzàlez-Pienda et al, 2000;Jacobsen, Lowery, & Ducette, 1986;Nunez et al, 2005Nunez et al, , 2011Pintrich, Anderman, & Klobucar, 1994;Roia, Lonciari, & Carrozzi, 2008). It is important in any case to think about the possibility that the presence of an SLD constitutes a risk factor for the development of a weak and insecure sense of self-efficacy (identified with the recording of a disadaptive attributional style) since it can influence different aspects of the pupil's life, scholastic or otherwise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%