The Relationship Between Sources of Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Mathematics Test and Course Achievement in High School Seniors

In school settings, sources of self-efficacy have the potential to directly and indirectly influence performance. The problem of this study is the direct relationship between sources of self-efficacy and achievement. In connection with this problem, the impact of sources of mathematics self-efficacy on high school senior students’ mathematics test and course achievement was investigated. The study consisted of 257 12th-grade high school students. The findings of the study showed that mathematics course and test performance increased, whereas the scores for mastery experience, social persuasions, vicarious experience, and physiological state increased, too. According to the results of the regression analysis on mathematics course achievement, the mastery experience significantly predicted mathematics course performance. It also explained 56% of the total variance in mathematics achievement. On the contrary, mastery experience, social persuasions, and physiological state significantly predicted mathematics test achievement, as well as explained 27% of the total variance in mathematics test achievement. In conclusion, sources of mathematics self-efficacy have effects on both mathematics test and course achievement.

Color and Categorical Claims

The effect of color on psychological functioning is the topic of a large literature. Published claims include that viewing blue causes calmness and that viewing red decreases test achievement. However, almost all these claims are made on the basis of testing just a single, or sometimes a few, hues. But colors like red are categories that comprise many perceptually distinct hues. Making a general claim about red on the basis of testing just one or two red hues may be akin to testing the reliability of one Toyota car and one Tesla car, finding that the Toyota is more reliable, and concluding that Toyotas are more reliable. This methodological issue was omitted from a recent literature review that was otherwise rather comprehensive. This article provides arguments for why this is a major issue and suggests ways to address it.

A claim about a category requires testing multiple examples of that category

The effect of color on psychological functioning is the topic of a large literature. Published claims include that viewing blue causes calmness and that viewing red decreases test achievement. However, almost all these claims are made on the basis of testing just a single, or sometimes a few, hues. But colors like red are categories that comprise many perceptually distinct hues. Making a general claim about red on the basis of testing just one or two red hues is akin to testing the reliability of one Toyota car and one Tesla car, finding that the Toyota is more reliable, and concluding that Toyotas are more reliable. This methodological problem with the literature was omitted from a recent review that was otherwise rather comprehensive. Here, strategies to address the problem are discussed.

IMPAK TAHAP KEYAKINAN PELAJAR TERHADAP PENCAPAIAN UJIAN MAKMAL DALAM PELAKSANAAN MAKMAL KENDIRI BAGI KURSUS ASAS PENGATURCARAAN

Lab test is a benchmark to test students’ proficiency in understanding the courses that have labs component in programming. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between students’ confident level and the lab test achievement in autonomous learning lab for programming course. The objectives of this research discusses on (i) relationship between students’ confident level and lab test achievement, (ii) students’ confident level in facing the lab test, (iii) student’s achievement in lab test. This research has been done to year one, semester one session 2013/2014 for basic programming course, TK1114 at the Faculty of Technology and Information Science (FTSM), Bangi. 162 year one students responded to the online questionnaire. This research is a quantitative research that used Pre-Test and Post-Test experimental research design. Students need to respond to the online questionnaire right after they completed the lab test. Data had been analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. The results show that (i) there is no significant relationship between students’ confident level and the lab test achievement for both Pre-Test and Post-Test. The Pearson correlation statistic shows the p-value for the Pre-Test is 0.543 and 0.687 for the Post-Test (p>0.05). Meanwhile, the result for (ii) students’ confident level has shown an increment for the mean score Pre-Test (4.24) to Post-Test (4.56) and (iii) lab test achievement has shown an increment from the Pre-Test (6.01) to Post-Test (7.17). T-Test has been used to analyze both students’ confident level and student lab test achievement. Further research will be undertaken to assess student interest in the content of learning and teaching modules on-line to help increase student achievement and interest in programming.

Enhancing Listening Comprehension through Testing

Listening comprehension is one of the important skills in foreign language learning, however, there has been relatively little research in this field. For that matter, testing listening skill has not had a long history either. Currently the situation is different and the listening test has been given sufficient weight in language testing and assessment. Almost all standardized and proficiency English language tests throughout the world include listening component (e.g. TEFOL, ILETS, various Cambridge Exams). Certain universities have even included a listening component in their entrance examination (e.g. in Japan); while other educational institutions have made an English proficiency certificate (which has a listening component) a graduation requirement (e.g. HCT in UAE). This study aims at investigating the effect of 'pre-test preparation' on test achievement. The subjects were a group of 3rd year university students on a B.A. degree programme in English, in Kurdistan region, Iraq. The project extended over a period of three months; during which the students were being prepared to sit for two proficiency (standardized) listening tests, namely Cambridge Preliminary (known as PET). Results of the first test, as expected, were rather unsatisfactory. The students were made aware of their mistakes through analysis of their test results. After a period of two months the students were put through another listening test of the same level of proficiency to find out if their familiarity with the test processes and procedures would affect their test achievement. The results showed remarkable improvement. It is hoped that this study and the suggestions that are made, would be of benefit for teachers and test-takers alike, in tackling some issues related to listening comprehension.

EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE STRUCTURE OUTCOMES AND TEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS ON CHEMICAL BONDING VIA FLOW MAPPING

The relationship between cognitive structure outcomes of students and their test achievement was examined in this study. A question form and two types of tests (a multiple-choice test (MCT) and a true-false test (TFT)) were used to gather the research data. According to the results of this study, extend, richness and integratedness of students’ statements significantly correlated to their scores in TFT. Also, richness of students’ statements was significantly correlated to their MCT scores. Describing and comparing were significantly correlated with MCT scores, while describing, comparing and inferring were significantly correlated with the students’ TFT scores. Therefore, it can be said that tests reflect students’ cognitive structures. Furthermore, students with higher order thinking skills can be identified by TFT rather than with MCT. Students’ misconceptions about the research topic were also examined, and they were generally on the classification and types of chemical bonds. Key words: chemical bonding, cognitive structure, flow map, pre-service science teachers, test achievement.