What matters to the achievement of academically disadvantaged students? An investigation of academic self-concept, perceived control and approaches of learning as predictors

To find ways to enhance the learning of academically disadvantaged students across mainstream and vocational education settings is of increasing concern to researchers and practitioners. Based on Biggs’ 3P learning model, the present study tested the predictive roles of three important psychological variables, namely academic self-concept, perceived control and approaches to learning in affecting academic achievement of low-achieving Chinese secondary students in vocational education. Results showed that compared to approaches to learning and perceived control, academic self-concept was the most significant variable predicting academic achievement of vocational students. In addition, the predictive relation between academic self-concept and academic achievement appeared to be subject-specific (e.g., English self-concept is a better predictor of English achievement compared with math self-concept). Taking consideration of both the low-achievement background and low subject-specific self-concept of vocational students, academic self-concept enhancement interventions are highlighted and discussed in relation to the pivotal role of positive academic self-concept in learning achievement and other desirable educational outcomes.
本研究針對中國大陸在職業教育中就讀的低學業成就學生，主要探索與這些學生學業成績相關的重要心理變量，旨在為通過設計與實施相關教學研究干預去提升該學生群體的學習品質提供理據。本研究基於Biggs 的 3P 學習模型檢視三個重要心理變量，即學生的學業自我概念、感知到的控制和學習方法與學業成績之間的關係，並且初步調研這三個與學業成績極爲相關的心理變量對該學生群體學業成績的預測作用。該研究結果表明，與學習方法和控制感相比較，學業自我概念是預測職校生學業成績最顯著的變量。此外，學業自我概念與學習成績之間的預測關係似乎是與具體學科領域對應的（例如，英語學業自我概念，較數學自我概念對英語學習成績有顯著預測作用）。本文基於研究中發現的該學生群體的低學科學業自我概念，以及低學業成就背景，討論了針對增強該學生群體學業自我概念而設計的教學干預措施的重要應用意義。同時也討論了積極學業自我概念在促進學生學業成效和其它教育成果中起到的積極重要作用。 Copyright © 2014 The Hong Kong Institute of Education : Special Education Society of Hong Kong.