The role of parents' and teachers' beliefs in children's self-concept development

This study examined to what extent parents' and teachers' beliefs about children's abilities predict children's self-concept of math and reading ability development during the first grade, and whether these predictions depend on the child's gender and level of performance. One hundred fifty-two children and their parents and teachers were followed across first grade. The results showed, first, that the associations between teachers' beliefs and children's subsequent self-concept of ability depended on the level of the children's performance. Among high-performers, the higher the teachers' beliefs about their students' abilities in reading or in math, the higher the subsequent level of self-…

The role of mothers' beliefs in students' self-concept of ability development

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the child-related competence beliefs of mothers are associated with the development of Finnish adolescents' self-concept of mathematics and literacy ability during their transition from primary to lower secondary school and whether these associations depend on adolescents' level of performance. The results showed that, first, adolescents' self-concept of mathematics and literacy ability decreased over time. The impact of maternal beliefs on the linear trend of the self-concept of mathematics and literacy ability was dependent on the level of students' performance. Mothers' high beliefs buffered against the decrease in adolescents' self-concep…

Vanhempien ja opettajien lapsen taitoja koskevien uskomusten yhteydet lapsen oppijaminäkuvan kehitykseen : väitöskirja

Koulunkäynti on merkittävä osa lasten elämää. Lapset viettävät koulussa suuren osan arkipäivistään, ja näin ollen monet heidän kokemuksistaan liittyvät koulumaailmaan. Sen lisäksi, että koulussa opitaan uusia taitoja, siellä muodostetaan erilaisia vuorovaikutussuhteita, saadaan palautetta omasta toiminnasta ja koetaan paljon onnistumisia ja epäonnistumisia. Koulun aloittamista onkin kuvattu kriittiseksi vaiheeksi lapsen elämässä. Lapsi kohtaa aivan uudenlaisia sosiaalisia tilanteita ja uusia haasteita erilaisissa oppimistilanteissa. Lasta arvioidaan myös eri tavalla kuin ennen. Hän saa säännöllisesti palautetta vanhempiensa ja lähipiirinsä lisäksi nyt myös opettajilta ja koulutovereilta. Tä…

Eksistentiaalisten kokemusten yhteys toisiinsa, hyvinvointiin ja masentuneisuuteen keski-ikäisillä

Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin useiden eksistentiaalisten kokemusten yhteyttä toisiinsa sekä niiden merkityksellisyyttä hyvinvoinnin kolmen osa-alueen - sosiaalisen, subjektiivisen ja psykologisen hyvinvoinnin - sekä masentuneisuuden kannalta keski-ikäisillä. Eksistentiaalisiin kokemuksiin sisältyivät henkinen merkitys, elämänkatsomus, elämän tarkoituksellisuus, elämän pohdinta ja uskonnon tärkeys. Tutkittiin myös, onko hyvinvoinnin ja masentuneisuuden kannalta merkitystä sillä, jos ihmisen elämänkatsomus on uskonnollinen, ei-uskonnollinen tai jos elämänkatsomusta ei ole lainkaan. Sukupuolten välisten erojen selvittämiseksi analyysit tehtiin erikseen naisille ja miehille. Tutkimus perustui Lea…

Supporting struggling readers with digital game-based learning

This study investigates the effectiveness of a digital game—GraphoLearn (GL)—in supporting second-grade students who have persistent difficulties with acquiring accurate and fluent reading skills. The participants (N = 37) were randomly assigned either to a 6-week intervention including sessions with GL, in addition to school-provided support, or a control group receiving only school-provided support. The intervention took place at the students’ homes and schools under the supervision of their parents and teachers. The results showed that the children who received the GL intervention developed significantly faster in word reading than the control group. Moreover, their reading development w…

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENTS’ SELF-CONCEPT OF ABILITY THROUGH GRADES 7-9 AND THE ROLE OF PARENTAL BELIEFS

This study examined the development of adolescents’ self-concept of ability in mathematics and literacy during secondary school, and the role that mothers’ and fathers’ beliefs concerning their child’s abilities play in this development. Also examined was whether the role of mothers’ and fathers’ beliefs about their adolescent child’s ability in mathematics and literacy differs according to the adolescent’s gender and level of performance. A total of 231 adolescents and their mothers and fathers were followed up across secondary school. The results showed, first, that adolescents’ self-concept of ability declined slightly from grade 7 to grade 9 in both mathematics and literacy. Second, mot…

The role of parental expectations and students' motivational profiles for educational aspirations

Abstract The present study examined the stability and change of students' motivational profiles from Grade 7 (Time 1) to Grade 9 (Time 2), using task values and self-concepts of ability in mathematics, Finnish language, and arts as indicator variables. The study also examined the effects of students' (Grade 7: N  = 231; Grade 9: N  = 237) motivational profiles and of their parents' educational expectations at Grade 7 on their short- and long-term educational plans at Grade 9, controlling for gender and academic achievement. The latent profile analysis identified four motivational profiles: (1) low motivation group; (2) high motivation group; (3) math-motivated group; (4) practical group, wh…

The role of parents in students' motivational beliefs and values

The role of parents' and teachers' child-related competence beliefs in the development of students' self-concept of ability

Individuals’ perceptions about their abilities, that is, self-concepts of abilities, are crucial determinants of academic achievement and education-related choices. The aims of this research were to examine the role of parents’ and teachers’ beliefs about children’s abilities in students’ self-concept of ability in the domains of literacy and mathematics, and whether the role of parents and teachers is different among boys and girls, and among low- and high-performing students. These questions were examined using three different data sets: the LIGHT study, the Jyväskylä Entrance into Primary School (JEPS) study and the STAIRWAY study. In all three studies, the participants were Finnish. In …