Browsing by Author "Mata, Lourdes"
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- ‘Am I to blame because my child is not motivated to do math? Relationships between parents’ attitudes, beliefs and practices towards mathematics and students’ mathematics motivation and achievementPublication . Peixoto, Francisco; Mata, Lourdes; Campos, Mafalda; Caetano, Teresa; Radišić, Jelena; Niemivirta, Markku JuhaniResearch on parental involvement is broad and specifies diverse kinds of parental practices that have specific associations with children’s learning outcomes. However, the involvement of parents in education, the dynamics of parent–child interactions and the actions and practices they employ and their impact on student’s motivation and achievement are intricate processes characterised by numerous intervening variables that require further clarification. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between parental beliefs and involvement and their children’s motivation and mathematics achievement. Data were collected from 8071 third- and fourth-graders from six European countries and their parents. Students fulfilled the Expectancy-Value Scale, self-reporting on motivational aspects towards mathematics and performed two math tests to assess their performance. Parents also reported on their math attitudes, mindsets and involvement practices with their children. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modelling. Several theoretically meaningful associations were found in the tested model, showing the detrimental impacts of a fixed mindset on parents’ practices. Furthermore, we found significant relationships between parents’ attitudes towards mathematics, their practices and students’ perceptions of math-related values and cost. Finally, associations between parental practices, the child’s outcomes and the association between children’s mathematics motivation and achievement were also observed. Some implications are presented, particularly concerning interventions with parents.
- Assessment conceptions and practices: perspectives of primary school teachers and studentsPublication . Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Santos, Natalie NóbregaStudents’ and teachers’ conceptions of assessment are important because they guide how teachers’ assessments are implemented in the classroom and determine how students study. This multiple-case design study examined 1) how teachers and students view assessment, 2) how teachers assess their students’ learning, and 3) the similarities and disparities that occur when students’ and teachers’ conceptions and teachers’ practices of assessment are compared. Data were obtained from five third grade classes, involving a total of five teachers and 82 students. Data were gathered through individual interviews with teachers and focus group discussions with students. Classroom observations and documents produced by the students (worksheets and tests) during maths lessons were also analyzed. The results of the content analysis of the data indicate that teachers mostly conceive assessment as being for improvement, while their assessment practices and students’ conceptions focus on school and student accountability. The results obtained lead us to suggest that students’ conceptions of assessment are constructed from their classroom assessment experiences. The study also suggests that teachers adopt conceptions of assessment inconsistent with their practices, that allow them to work within social and contextual constraints.
- Contribution to the validation of the expectancy-value scale for primary school studentsPublication . Peixoto, Francisco; Radišić, Jelena; Kesegi-Krstin, Ksenija; Hansen, Brian Benjamin; Laine, Anu; Baucal, Aleksandar; Sõrmus, Maarja; Mata, LourdesGrounded in ‘expectancy-value’ theory, this paper reports on the psychometric properties of an instrument intended to measure students’ motivation in mathematics. The participants were 2045 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from Estonia, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Serbia and Sweden. The Expectancy-Value Scale (EVS) was found to be suitable for early grades of primary education in measuring competence self-perceptions and subjective task values relative to the mathematics field. The results indicate a good model fit aligned with the expectancy-value theory. The EVS dimensions showed good reliability, and scalar invariance was established. However, findings also indicated high correlations between some of the EVS dimensions, which is well documented for students at this age. The findings are discussed relative to the ‘expectancy-value’ theory framework and students’
- Emotional profiles regarding maths among primary school children – A two-year longitudinal study.Publication . Mata, Lourdes; Monteiro, Vera; Peixoto, Francisco; Santos, Natalie Nóbrega; Sanches, Cristina; Gomes, Marta. . . Learning maths is challenging for many primary school students, and teachers must understand students’ learning and emotional processes specific to learning maths. The current research, grounded in control-value theory, focused on achievement emotions regarding maths. Primary school students (N = 71) were studied with the primary objective of examining the longitudinal trajectories of achievement emotions of third graders over two years. The Portuguese Achievement Emotions Questionnaire for Elementary Students was administered biannually to assess enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom regarding maths. The results indicate that enjoyment decreased and boredom increased over time, revealing three emotional profiles: positive, negative and moderate. The positive profile showed the highest scores in maths achievement. Profile membership was moderately stable and became increasingly stable and structured. In examining the complexity of students’ emotional profiles and processes, the importance of understanding them to enhance educational support, development, and learning was highlighted. .
- Envolvimento das famílias no processo educativo: Perspetiva de futuros profissionaisPublication . Mata, Lourdes; Pacheco, Patrícia; Brito, Ana Teresa; Pereira, Mónica; Cabral, SóniaSão hoje evidentes os benefícios da participação das famílias na educação para crianças, famílias e profissionais. No entanto, trabalhos recentes têm mostrado que nem sempre existe uma abordagem intencional e estruturada na formação inicial de futuros profissionais na área do envolvimento parental. Assim, este estudo teve como objetivo caraterizar as perceções das/ dos estudantes dos Mestrados em Educação Pré-Escolar e em Educação Pré- -Escolar e 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico sobre a sua formação nesta área e sobre a problemática do envolvimento e participação das famílias na educação. Participaram 379 estudantes de 18 instituições de diferentes regiões de Portugal. As questões colocadas focavam aspetos relativos à sua formação, a ações/atividades desenvolvidas conducentes ao envolvimento parental e às dificuldades e benefícios decorrentes da participação das famílias. Os resultados revelaram que as/os estudantes identificavam várias atividades a promover, com destaque para as realizadas em contexto escolar, em detrimento da participação em casa e do processo de comunicação. Os desafios inerentes à participação das famílias direcionavam-se, maioritariamente, para os constrangimentos destas e menos para os profissionais ou para o contexto. Os benefícios identificados foram, essencialmente, para as crianças. A análise das perceções das/dos estudantes face à formação evidenciou que aqueles que avaliaram mais positivamente a formação realizada, não só tiveram tendência para identificar mais ações/atividades e benefícios associados à participação das famílias, como mostraram uma perspetiva mais abrangente sobre as dificuldades com que se poderão deparar. Estes resultados serão discutidos face à literatura existente, tanto relativamente ao envolvimento parental (práticas, barreiras, estratégias, competências), como também à necessidade de formação explícita nesta área
- Escala de Autoeficácia para Psicólogos em Contexto Escolar: processo de construçãoPublication . Solange Ester Koehler, Solange Ester; Mata, LourdesA atuação profissional dos psicólogos a trabalhar em contexto escolar é marcada por desafios diversos como também por inúmeras possibilidades de atuação e do engajamento em múltiplas atividades. As fontes de eficácia são as responsáveis pela formação das crenças de autoeficácia, e ainda são pouco exploradas no domínio das profissões. Assim, o presente estudo teve por propósito descrever o processo de construção da Escala de Autoeficácia de Psicólogos em Contexto Escolar (EAPsi), instrumento de uso quantitativo, específico para esses profissionais. Esse estudo tem como referência a Teoria Social Cognitiva de Bandura, onde a autoeficácia (AE) é a confiança na capacidade pessoal para organizar e executar certos cursos de ação de modo a estimar a probabilidade de alcançar um determinado objetivo. O processo de construção foi iniciado pela revisão teórica, construção dos itens para após passar por análise de especialistas e verificação da estrutura. A escala foi construída de raiz com 35 itens distribuídos disformemente em seis dimensões. A amostra, do estudo piloto, foi composta por 25 psicólogos sendo 88% do gênero feminino, 52% trabalham em instituições públicas, sendo que 40% atuam na educação infantil e no ensino fundamental. Observou-se que a escala apresenta problemas de distribuição das respostas para alguns itens apesar de revelar valor de alfa de .92. Constata-se a necessidade de alargamento das possibilidades de respostas como também o aprimoramento na semântica das afirmações dos itens. Conclui-se que a EAPsi demonstrou ser um instrumento promissor, necessitando ser administrada a uma amostra alargada para confir - mação das dimensões que concetualmente sustentaram a elaboração dos itens.
- Práticas de literacia familiar – conceções de papel e perceções de eficácia em famílias de crianças no início de escolaridade: westudo longitudinalPublication . Mata, Lourdes; Pacheco, Patrícia; Mackaaij, Maria JoséAs famílias podem ter um importante papel no processo de aprendizagem da linguagem escrita. Os estudos sobre Literacia Familiar têm mostrado que as práticas de literacia desenvolvidas pelas famílias com as crianças poderão facilitar o processo de aprendizagem. Para além disso, as perceções de eficácia e de papel dos pais também podem ser determinantes na forma como estes apoiam e envolvem os filhos. Neste sentido acompanhámos durante dois anos um grupo de 47 crianças (no 1º e 2º ano de escolaridade) e suas famílias com o objetivo de caraterizar as práticas de literacia familiar, as perceções de eficácia e conceções de papel dos pais. Caraterizámos, nas crianças, as emoções e motivação face à leitura. Constatámos que as práticas de literacia de Ensino, ao longo dos 2 anos, foram sempre mais frequentes que as Lúdicas. Por outro lado, verificámos, durante o 1º ano um aumento de práticas de literacia conjuntas, embora no 2º ano se tenha observado um decréscimo significativo. As conceções de papel dos pais no início do 1º ano apareceram significativamente correlacionadas com as práticas de literacia no final do 2º ano, e com as emoções dos filhos face à leitura. Assim, quanto mais os pais no início da escolaridade dos filhos acreditavam que era seu papel desenvolverem práticas de literacia partilhadas, mais prazer e menos aborrecimento face à leitura relatavam os filhos no final do 2º ano. A autoeficácia dos pais no início do 1º ano também surgiu associada às práticas desenvolvidas no final do 2º ano. Os resultados serão discutidos realçando a importância de se estar atento às crenças parentais e valorizar as práticas de literacia familiar.
- Preparing pre-service teachers for family engagement: Insights from the initial teacher education syllabusPublication . Cabral, Sónia; Mata, Lourdes; Peixoto, FranciscoFamily involvement and participation in education (FIPE) profoundly impacts the quality of students’ academic and social development. Initial teacher education contribution in fostering attitudes, skills, and strategies for effective FIPE is therefore unquestionable. We aimed to find out to what extent Portuguese pre-service teachers are prepared to engage families. A document analysis was conducted to establish explicit information regarding FIPE within initial teacher education syllabi. Out of 621 syllabi across 36 master’s courses from 25 institutions, only 98 included some information on FIPE. A mere 12 syllabi, from seven institutions, exclusively addressed family–school relationships. Our study covered over 87% of the master’s courses and syllabi, exposing inconsistencies in their educational aims, content, and recommended literature. These findings highlight discrepancies within the initial teacher education syllabi and underscore the need for the enhanced training of pre-service teachers in FIPE. It is crucial to promote more in-depth and explicit syllabi to promote effective family engagement and enrich initial teacher education programs.
- Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire for Elementary SchoolPublication . Sanches, Cristina; Monteiro, V.; Mata, Lourdes; Santos, Natalie; Gomes, MartaAbstract: The main purposes of the current research were to translate and adapt the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire – Elementary School (AEQ-ES) into Portuguese and to analyze its psychometric properties. A sample of 350 Portuguese third and fourth graders (aged 7 to 12 years) completed the Portuguese version of the AEQ-ES (AEQ-ES-P). As does the original version, the AEQ-ES-P measures students’ enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety toward mathematics in three academic settings: attending class, doing homework, and taking tests. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the hierarchical structure of the AEQ-ES-P, which was also invariant across gender and grades. The instrument also showed good reliability and temporal stability. Significant correlations were found in the expected direction between enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom, as well as between these emotions, students’ perceptions of competence, and intrinsic motivation toward mathematics, thus supporting the internal and external validity of the questionnaire. These results indicate that the AEQ-ES-P presents good psychometric properties and is suitable to measure the achievement emotions of Portuguese elementary-school children of the third and fourth grades in the domain of mathematics.
- The Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire: A study with Portuguese elementary school childrenPublication . Gomes, Marta; Monteiro, Vera; Mata, Lourdes; Peixoto, Francisco José Brito; Santos, Natalie; Sanches, CristinaBackground: Several studies have focused on the assessment of students’ motivation because this construct is very important to understand students’ learning and how to enhance it. The Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A), based on the self-determination theory is a self-report instrument developed to access the reasons why students do their school work. However, there is no Portuguese version of this questionnaire for late elementary students. The primary goal of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of SRQ-A in the domain of Mathematics with elementary school children. Methods: Participants were 341 elementary school children ranging from 8 to 11 years old from the third and fourth grades. The Portuguese version of the SRQ-A included 24 items assessing four regulatory styles (external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic) in three behavioral categories (homework, classwork, and answering questions in mathematics lessons). To examine the psychometric properties of the instrument, we conducted an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), measured gender and grade invariance, and calculated internal consistency indexes and temporal stability. Results: ESEM analyses supported the original multidimensional structure of the measure with four regulatory styles using a reduced version of the instrument with 16 items. Correlations between the four regulatory styles revealed a simplex pattern consistent with the continuum of self-determination theory. Results showed adequate internal consistency for all regulatory styles (α ≥ .73; CR ≥ .76) and temporal stability (4-month test-retest ≥ .43). The questionnaire showed measurement and structural invariance across gender and grade. Finally, some gender differences were observed; on average, boys scored higher than girls in external regulation. No differences were observed between grades. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the Portuguese version of the SRQ-A has good psychometric properties providing adequate support for its use in educational research on motivational styles, including studies concerning gender and grade differences in self-regulation.