Examining the Job Demands-Resources Model in Design Major College Students: A Structural Relation among Academic Demands, Resources, Burnout, Engagement, Outcome Expectancy, and Task Value

High prevalence of depression and physical inactivity have been consistently reported among college students, especially in females. Guided by Lubans et al.’s conceptual framework, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships of PA motivation with leisure-time PA and depressive symptoms among college students over one academic year. Employing a longitudinal repeated measure design, 1004 college students in China were recruited in this study (28.3% males and 71.7% females; M age = 18.93 ± 0.64 years; 18–22 years old). Participants completed previously validated questionnaires assessing PA motivation (perceived competence beliefs and task values toward PA), leisure-time PA participation, and depressive symptoms in Fall 2016 (Time 1) and Fall 2017 (Time 2). Both male and female college students showed a significant increase of depressive symptoms from freshmen to sophomores (p < 0.05). The regression models indicated that perceived competence beliefs and task values toward PA were significant predictors of depressive symptoms at Time 2 (p < 0.05) after controlling for Time 1 measures in males and females, respectively. Physically active college students consistently demonstrated higher PA motivation, and they displayed fewer depressive symptoms compared to inactive peers over time (p < 0.05). The findings suggest sex-specified motivational intervention strategies and PA promotion programs/opportunities are needed to reduce depression symptoms among college students over time.

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Interactive, Compensatory Reading Strategies

Journal of Literacy Research ◽

10.1080/10862969609547910 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 55-70

Author(s):

Gregory Schraw

Keyword(s):

Reading Instruction ◽

Reading Strategies ◽

Trade Off ◽

Structural Relation ◽

External Constraints ◽

Compensatory Strategy ◽

Text Information ◽

And Task

Three experiments examined the trade-off between the text-based and task-based importance. Text-based importance was defined as information in a text that is important due to its structural relation to other text segments. Task-based importance was defined as text information that is important due to external constraints such as instructions. Undergraduates in this study spontaneously adopted an interactive, compensatory strategy in which task-based importance superseded the role of text-based importance. Implications for reading instruction and practice were discussed.

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Dampening Effects of Perceived Teacher Enthusiasm on Class-Related Boredom in College Students: Longitudinal Mediation Effects of Perceived Task Value

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712441 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Guan-yu Cui ◽

Jing-yi Chen ◽

Chen Wang ◽

Chen Zhang ◽

Xia Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Task Difficulty ◽

Control Variable ◽

Value Theory ◽

Task Value ◽

Mediation Effects ◽

Control Value ◽

Longitudinal Mediation ◽

Teacher Enthusiasm ◽

Boredom Proneness

This study aims to explore the longitudinal mediation effects of college students’ perceived task value (PTV) between perceived teacher enthusiasm (PTE) and class-related boredom (CB). We conducted a longitudinal survey among college students from five colleges at the second (T1), sixth (T2), tenth (T3), and fourteenth week (T4) in a semester, and overall 1,371 students completed all the measurements. In the survey, a battery of questionnaires was used to measure the students’ PTE, perception of task difficulty, perception of task value, and CB. At T1, boredom proneness was measured as a control variable. Analysis of the longitudinal data showed that after controlling for the effects of boredom proneness and perceived task difficulty, students’ PTE was a significant predictor of CB, and students’ PTV played a significant mediating role in this causation relationship. The study supported the importance of the control-value theory in explaining the mitigating effect of students’ PTE on CB, especially highlighting the role of PTV.

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Instructor facilitation mediates students’ negative perceptions of active learning instruction

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0261706 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. e0261706

Author(s):

Elizabeth S. Park ◽

Ashley Harlow ◽

Amir AghaKouchak ◽

Brigette Baldi ◽

Nancy Burley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Active Learning ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Task Value ◽

Observation Data ◽

Learning Approaches ◽

Perceived Utility ◽

Instructor Effectiveness ◽

The Relationship ◽

And Task

Studies have demonstrated students’ resistance to active learning, despite evidence illustrating that their learning is improved relative to students in lectures. Specifically, while active learning and group work are effective at engaging students in their learning process, studies report that students’ perceptions of active learning approaches are not always positive. What remains underexplored is whether students’ perceptions of active learning improve with effective instructor facilitation and whether there exists differential perceptions between racially minoritized students and represented students. Here, we estimate students’ perceptions of effective instructor facilitation as the mediator in the relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and perceived utility for class activities (task value). Then, we examine differences by racial identification. We collected classroom observation data to empirically categorize courses as active learning or lecture-based and surveyed 4,257 college students across 25 STEM classrooms at a research-intensive university. We first examined the relationship between active learning on student perceptions and found a negative relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and task value for both racially minoritized students and represented students. Next, we assessed whether students’ perceptions of instructor effectiveness in facilitating group activities mediate these negative relationships. We found that, on average, students of all races were more likely to positively perceive instructor facilitation in active learning classes relative to lectures. In turn, the positive perceptions of instructor facilitation partially suppressed the negative relationship between active learning and perceptions of learning and task value. These results demonstrate that effective instructor facilitation can influence both students’ self-assessment of learning and perceived utility of the learning activities, and underscores the importance of developing pedagogical competence among college instructors.

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