Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Academic Capabilities And Disadvantaged Students: The Role Of Institutions, William Elliott Iii, Margaret Sherrard Sherraden Jul 2006

Academic Capabilities And Disadvantaged Students: The Role Of Institutions, William Elliott Iii, Margaret Sherrard Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

Notwithstanding the far reaching intellectual and practical contributions of Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, researchers have suggested that it may not adequately address the role of institutions. This paper suggests that traditional measures of self-efficacy underemphasize institutional factors. This may have important implications, especially for considering the circumstances of disadvantaged groups. It may be productive to think of self-efficacy as a multidimensional construct that includes personal and institutional dimensions. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we examine how self-efficacy theory can be expanded to account for the social and economic realities of disadvantaged groups and lead to empirical work that can inform policy …


Superintendents Speak Out: A Survey Of Superintendents’ Opinions Regarding Recent School Reforms In Arkansas, Virginia H. Blankenship, Joshua H. Barnett Apr 2006

Superintendents Speak Out: A Survey Of Superintendents’ Opinions Regarding Recent School Reforms In Arkansas, Virginia H. Blankenship, Joshua H. Barnett

Arkansas Education Reports

In an effort to improve educational opportunities for all students, Arkansas policymakers have made education reforms in many areas since 2003, such as increasing school funding by nearly 30 percent, consolidating both districts with enrollments below 350 students and inefficient schools, and strengthening accountability measures designed to raise academic achievement. However, there is little empirical evidence about how any of these reforms have impacted districts, schools, and students across the state, so policymakers have no way of knowing whether such reforms have the potential to improve student achievement and help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their more …


An Examination Of The Direct Versus Indirect Effects Of Parenting Behavior On Academic Achievement: The Potential Role Of Perceived Competence And Motivational Orientation, Ana Veronica Garcia Jan 2006

An Examination Of The Direct Versus Indirect Effects Of Parenting Behavior On Academic Achievement: The Potential Role Of Perceived Competence And Motivational Orientation, Ana Veronica Garcia

Theses Digitization Project

Examines the interrelationships among parenting styles, children's perceived competence, and children's academic motivation. A correlational-regressional approach was used to test the hypothesis that perceived parent responsiveness and expectations would be positively correlated with children's perceived competence, motivation, and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 50 fourth, fifth and sixth grade students from an ethnically diverse Southern California private school. The correlations among perceptions of competence, preference for challenge (i.e., motivational orientation), and achievement were supported. However, the correlations among the parenting behavior were only partially supported.


The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Conflict And Academic Achievement, Marie S. Nebel-Schwalm Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Conflict And Academic Achievement, Marie S. Nebel-Schwalm

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research has shown family conflict to have a detrimental effect on the academic functioning of children and adolescents. Most research conceptualizes family conflict as marital distress or divorce. Additional factors that have been shown to effect academic functioning include cognitive ability (i.e., intelligence), academic skills (e.g., homework behaviors), and amount of resources (i.e., socioeconomic status, SES). The present study investigated whether parent-adolescent conflict is related to adolescent academic achievement after accounting for cognitive ability and homework behaviors. Participants include 74 middle school students attending public school in a low-SES urban environment. Prior to conducting analyses, parent and adolescent reports …