What characterises the learners
that choose to take the National
Standard Science Test in
Iceland?
ESERA conference 2007, Malmö, Sweden
2007-08-22
C233 10:00 -12:00
Almar M. Halldórsson [email protected]
Kristján Ketill Stefánsson [email protected]
Background
• During the final three years of compulsory
school (13-15 year old) children start
making choices of whether they want to
participate in the high stakes National
Standard Science Test (NSTS) or not.
• Depending on schools children usually
have a choice of taking extra courses in
science which serves partly as a
preparation for the NSTS.
Participation rates ‘07:
93,4%
• Approx. 50% of the learners choose to Icelandic
Mathematics
91,0%
go through with the test.
English
87,5%
• This brings out individual and group
Danish
71,9%
differences in science education.
Science
51,4%
Social studies
39,1%
E-V Model(Eccles, 2005)
Social and motivational factors that influence choices and performance
Method
• Sample
– 80% of all 15 year old learners in
Iceland (N=4683)
Expectation of Success
(Can I do the task?)
• Independent variables:
– Expectations of success in science (selfconcept of science ability)
• (PISA questionnaire index)
Achievement-Related
Choices and Performance
– Subjective task value of science
(interest/enjoyment/personal value/
instrumental motivation)
• (4 PISA questionnaire indices)
• Dependent variables:
– The choice to take the National
Standard Test in Science (NSTS) in 10th
grade.
– Achievement in Science literacy
(performance in PISA 2006)
• Averages and regression
Subjective Task Value
(Do I want to do the task?)
- Interest
- Enjoyment
-Personal value
-Instrumental motivation
Findings
• The choice of taking the NSTS
(Value-driven choice)
– Subjective Task Value explains 19.1%-21.6% of the
decision
• Instrumental motivation and Interest 20.7% and 19.7%
• Personal value and Enjoyment 21.6% and 19.1%
– Expectations of success explain 19.7% of the
decision
• Achievement
– Subjective Task Value explains 5.6%-14.2% of
achievement
• Instrumental motivation and Interest 5.6% and 9.2%
• Personal value and Enjoyment 13.2% and 14.2%
– Expectations of success explain 22.6% of
achievement
Groups
Do I want to do the task?
1. Willingness to engage in Science
Yes
No
Can I do the
task?
Yes
No
32%
14%
2. Increased
academic
achievement
18%
36%
Teaching Implications
(Urdan &Turner,2005)
•
Increased Subjective Task Value (Do I want to do the
task?)
– Promote acitve participation and student control
– Select topics that are authentic and meaningful
– Visits and practical activity that aim at increasing the
instrumental value of Science Education (authors).
•
Increased Expectations of Success (Can I do the task?)
– Provide moderatly challenging tasks that help learners see
improvement
– Specific feedback on progress and strategy (formative
assessment)
– Attributing performance to effort
– Supportive and caring classroom community that makes
learners feel valued and safe to take academic risks.
Main references
Denissen, J. J. A., Zarrett, N. R., & Eccles, J. S. (2007). I Like to Do It, I'm
Able, and I Know I Am: Longitudinal Couplings Between Domain-Specific
Achievement, Self-Concept, and Interest. Child Development, 78(2), 430447.
Eccles, J. S. (2005). Subjective Task Value and the Eccles et al. Model of
Achievement-Related Choices. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.),
Handbook of Competence and Motivation (pp. 105-121). New York London:
The Guilford Press.
Eccles, J. S. (2006). A Motivational Perspective on School Achievement. In
Optimizing Student Success in School With the Other Three Rs: Reasoning,
Resilience, and Responsibility (pp. 199-224): Information Age Publishing.
Kristján Ketill Stefánsson. (2006). "I just don't think it's me": A study on the
willingness of Icelandic learners to engage in science related issues.
University of Oslo, Oslo.
OECD. (2005). Contextual Framework for PISA 2006 (draft version No.
NPM(0510)5): OECD.
Urdan, T., & Turner, J. C. (2005). Competence Motivation in the Classroom. In
A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of Competence and Motivation
(pp. 297-318). New York: The Guilford Press.
Findings
• Willingness to engage in science (one of PISA
2006 questionnaire index) is highly related to
choice of taking the NSTS
– 85% of learners who are medium to highly willing to
engage in science in the future also choose to take
the NSTS.
– 50% of learners who are less willing to engage also
choose to take the NSTS.
– 30% of learners who are not willing to engage in
science in the future also choose to take the NSTS.
Findings (couplings)
• Interest-Academic achievement
– PISA 2006: r=0,30
– Exactly the same as found by a meta analysis conducted by
Sciefele, Krapp and Schreyer (1993) (in Denissen, 2007)
• Interest and domain specific self-concept of ability
– PISA 2006: r=0.54
– The same as a meta analysis conducted by Lent et al. (1994)
r=0.53 (in Denissen, 2007)
• Self-concept of Abilty – Academic achievement
– PISA 2006: r=0.48
Findings
Took the NSST yes/no (N=4683)
Subjective Task Value
9
7
5
3
1
Expectation of success
Yes
No
Achievement
Discussion
• High levels of coupling
– Increase proficiency
– Contribute to a person’s sense of consistency and
coherence
• Low levels of coupling
– Higher flexibility
– Positive at young age and in future labor market
situations
• Should Science Education be proactive or
reactive to high couplings in late elementary
school when couplings are at their peak?
Discussion
• If it is assumed that the willingness to engage in science is a
prerequisite for increased science literacy the following can be
inferred.
– To increase the willingness to engage in science it is effective to
emphasize the STV (Do I want to do the task?) as well as the SCA (Can
I do the task?).
• One part of the STV, the Instrumental value, correlates strongly with choice
and weakly with achievement. Giving it a special relevance in answering the
question: “Do I want to do the task?”.
– To increase academic achievement among individuals already willing to
engage in science it is effective to emphasize SCA (Can I do the task?).
Proportionally less time can be devoted to the STV.
– The performance oriented nature of traditioinal positivistic Science
Education is likely to contribute to an increased coupling between
Interest, SCA and Achivement leading to an early extreme renunciation
of or engagement in Science Education.