THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATEDNESS SUPPORT IN EDUCATION

Self Determination Theory, developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan, is a motivation theory suggesting that if the innate psychological needs of people are met, their motivation will be achieved without external influence and intervention. According to this theory, autonomy (the ability to make decisions about one's own life on its own), competence (having control over outcomes and believing that one has the ability and ability to do any job) and relatedness support (to interact, connect, and value others) are psychological needs and are the optimal conditions for intrinsic motivation. In this study, the relationship between relatedness support provided by teachers in their instructional behavior and its relationship to student engagement was investigated. Students' engagement in the lesson is considered as part of their learning motivation. Designed as a cross-sectional observation study, 191 students from private and public high schools in Ankara were observed at three different times in the same class by two independent observers who received training in Self Determination Theory from the Department of Psychology. With the questions directed to the students, a positive correlation was found between students’ behavioral engagement (raising finger, asking questions, obeying the class rules, completing the given tasks), emotional engagement (enthusiasm, curiosity, interest, optimism), cognitive engagement (advanced deep information processing level and self-regulation skills) and agentic engagement (students' constructive contribution to their own learning, initiating new tasks) and the relatedness support provided by their teachers. When teachers spend time with their students, when they are physically nearby them, when they answer students’ questions, when they are clear and organized in the instructions given about the lesson, students' participation in the lesson has increased. The study also showed that teachers 'awareness of their own instructional behavior was positively correlated with students' intrinsic motivation. Feeling related to the classroom environment, the lesson, peers and the teacher enhances classroom motivation.

Mixed Method Research on Football Coaches’ Competitive Behavior

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to present the reliability of three validated measures, namely the System of Analysis of Instruction in Competition, the Questionnaire on Coach Instructional Behavior Expectations, and the Questionnaire on Coach Instructional Behavior Perception that could be used in a mix-method approach.MethodsThree instruments underwent a robust process of construct and reliability analysis. Inter− and intra-observer reliability was tested for the observational instrument using Cohen’s k-agreement measure. Reliability values above 0.85 were considered as a good agreement between and within observers. To verify the internal consistency of the questionnaires, the correlation coefficients were considered.ResultsThe results related to intra-observer and inter-observer reliability showed that intra-observer reliability k-agreement values ranged between 0.912 and 1 for observer 1, and 0.82 and 1 for observer 2. For inter-observer reliability, k-agreement values ranged between 0.885 and 1 between observers. Thus, values for reliability are above acceptable. The correlation coefficient values recorded for the questionnaires on instruction expectations in the competitive moment were above 0.82 and significant (p < 0.05), and for the questionnaire on instruction perception in competition above 0.88 and significant (p < 0.05). The pilot study showed some divergent results across expectations, behavior during competition, and perception about the instruction behavior.ConclusionThe observational system and the expectations and perceptions questionnaires, used in a complementary way, can be considered as a mix-method approach for studies aiming to examine coaches’ competitive behavior.

Efficacy Sources that Predict Leadership Behaviors in Coaches of Athletes with Disabilities

Researchers suggest that sport participation among athletes with disabilities promotes healthier lifestyles, increases self-esteem, and enhances peer acceptance. Ideally, coaches should be confident in teaching skills, tactics, and sportsmanship, while exhibiting appropriate leadership behaviors in order to positively impact the psychosocial development of any athlete. Thus, the present research examined sources of coaching efficacy that predict leadership behaviors in coaches who work with athletes who have physical disabilities. Seventy international Paralympic coaches of female and male sport teams completed a modified version of the Coaching Success Questionnaire-2, the Coaching Efficacy Scale and the Leadership Scale for Sports. Regression models indicated that total coaching efficacy was a significant predictor of instructional and positive feedback leadership behaviors, with prior success also being a significant predictor of instructional behavior.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Academic Achievement and Its Correlates in Higher Education

Achievement in higher education is gaining importance and attracting attention among educational psychologists who seek for determining its correlates. This study examined longitudinal associations between academic achievement in higher education, university entrance exam performance, the psychosocial climate of the campus, and instructional behavior and socioeconomic status. Data concerning 2,361 students from three universities were collected via surveys and university records at Year 1, Year 2, and Year 4. Socioeconomic status (SES), university exam performance, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 1 were associated positively with academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 2 and Grade 4. Indirect effects from SES, university exam performance, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 1 to Grade 4 outcomes were significant, through academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and perceived psychosocial climate at Grade 2. These results support that students’ SES, earlier entrance exam performance, and perceptions of their academics’ instructional behaviors and the campus’ psychosocial atmosphere at the first year of university life are associated with their academic achievement at the final year through their relations with the developing levels of academic achievement, perceived instructional behavior, and psychosocial climate of the campus toward the middle of university life.

What Types of Educational Practices Impact School Burnout Levels in Adolescents?

This study explores the relationship between educational practices perceived by high school students and their level of burnout, as defined by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and inadequacy. A total of 287 adolescents (146 girls) aged between 14 and 19 years old (M = 16.08, SD = 1.01) and recruited from a public high school in French-speaking Switzerland completed a questionnaire regarding perceived educational practices and school burnout. Results from path analysis showed that the three dimensions of burnout were negatively associated with certain teacher- and school-related educational practices. More precisely, support for struggling students (ß = −0.24, p < 0.001) as well as teaching time (ß = −0.16, p < 0.05) were predictors of exhaustion (R2 = 0.27). Teachers’ instructional behavior (ß = −0.22, p < 0.01) and teacher motivation (ß = −0.31, p < 0.001) were predictors of cynicism (R2 = 0.20) and application of rules (ß = −0.21, p < 0.01) predicted inadequacy (R2 = 0.09). These educational practices should be of particular interest when it comes to strengthening the protective role of schools and teachers against school burnout in adolescents.

How youth athletes satisfy their team? Identifying significant predictors of perceived coach leadership and team cohesion, team commitment: A hierarchical regression analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify how youth athletes’ perceptions of coach leadership behavior, team cohesion, and team commitment influenced team satisfaction. Purposive sampling was used to select athletes from 77 athletic teams at 27 middle schools in Hualien County, Taiwan. Five-hundred questionnaires were distributed to students and 403 questionnaires were collected, representing an effective response rate of 80.6%. Descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Results indicated that emotional commitment, coach training, and instructional behavior increased the team satisfaction for both elite and non-elite youth athletes. Moreover, the team satisfaction of elite youth athletes increased with camaraderie whereas that of non-elite youth athletes increased with positive feedback from coaches. We recommend that governments and school administrators conduct coaching workshops to improve instructional behavior.

Teacher’s Instructional Behaviour in Instructional Management at Elementary School Reviewed from Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

This writing aimed at (1) describing the importance of teacher to review instructional management at elementary school based on Piaget’s cognitive development theory; and (2) describing teacher’s instructional behavior in managing instructional at elementary school reviewed from Piaget’s cognitive development theory. In general, Piaget’ cognitive development theory divides children’ cognitive development into four stages. In the elementary school ages of 7 to 11 or 12 years old, Piaget classified the cognitive development into concrete operational marked by the use of clear and logic rules. The children implement logic thinking on concrete object, yet abstract or hypothetical. Although the intelligence of this step has been advanced, the way of thinking of the children is still limited because still based on concrete object. Therefore, teacher should comprehend the importance of concrete operational instructional at elementary school so the children could maximally achieve the learning goal in accordance to their thinking level that they acquire. The suggestion that can be proposed is that the teacher should synergize the characteristics of elementary school students in concrete operational stage with the instructional readiness in the steps of planning, implementation and evaluation.