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- Bengtsson, Anders K. H., et al.
(författare)
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Applications of eigenvector centrality to small social networks
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This article investigates conceptual and methodological questions that may arise in applying eigenvector centrality to small social networks such as school classes. The focus on small networks brings out surprising and subtle properties related to the interpretation of the measure. We investigate examples where the weighted adjacency matrix of the underlying social network quantifies inter-individual preferences of whom to work with or play with. We show that mathematical operations such as transposition and symmetrization of the weighted adjacency matrix enhances the power of the measure. It is demonstrated that it is not sufficient to work with the original weight matrix. By working with a symmetrized or a semi-symmetrized or a transposed weight matrix different characteristics of the social interaction are revealed. The method chosen depends on the purpose of the investigation. Identifying isolated or popular individuals in the network are also facilitated using these operations.
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| 3. |
- Holfve-Sabel, Mary-Anne
(författare)
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A comparison of student attitudes towards school, teachers and peers in Swedish comprehensive schools now and 35 years ago
- 2006
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Ingår i: Educational research (Windsor. Print). - : Routledge. - 0013-1881 .- 1469-5847. ; 48:1, s. 55-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background This investigation focuses on student attitudes and looks at school quality from the perspective of affective variables rather than students' knowledge or abilities. The concept of attitude includes ways of feeling, thinking and behaving and maintaining an expression of one's identity within the environment. The analysis focuses on student attitudes 35 years apart between the late 1960s and 2003. During this period, major changes in the Swedish national curricula occurred, although the goal orientation has remained that of equity and democracy. Purpose The purpose of the paper was to investigate whether major changes in Swedish student attitudes towards school, teachers and classmates had occurred between the late 1960s and 2003, and to discuss possible changes in relation to educational policies. In addition, a recently described CFA model was examined in relation to the investigation in order to see if development of the method using factor scores could be applied in further analysis of the possible differences between the two time periods. Sample In 1967/68, 1488 pupils from 60 classes in the Gothenburg area in the compulsory 6th grade responded to a questionnaire. In 2003, 1540 pupils from 78 grade 6 classes in Gothenburg City responded to the same questionnaire. Design and methods The questionnaire consisted of 40 items with five alternatives and was originally constructed in 1960. Confirmatory factor analysis was used with previously described latent variables at two levels, within and between classes. Factor scores were computed for the factors at both levels. At the within level, seven factors were found and four of these were relational factors; at the between level, three factors were identified. Results In general, the attitudes on item level were more positive today. The differences between classes had increased. Factor scores at the individual level showed no significant changes in the factors 'interest in school', 'view of teacher' and 'working atmosphere in the classroom'. Significant positive changes had occurred in all four peer relational factors: 'relation with classmates', 'view of peers', 'lack of anxiety' and 'view of fuss' (disturbances). At the class level the means of the three factors: 'teacher and teaching', 'working atmosphere' and 'social relations with classmates', had all increased. The investigation 35 years ago showed a rather negative Swedish student attitude also on an international perspective. By comparison, the present investigation shows a general improvement in attitudes on class level. Within classes the pattern is differentiated. Significant changes in the within-class level were seen in peer relational factors. Conclusions The student attitudes towards school, teachers and classmates are found to be more positive now than 35 years ago. Most striking are the changes in peer relational aspects. The earlier compulsory school with its focus on theoretical knowledge did not achieve all the goals of the curriculum. The present curriculum with its focus on interactional aspects of learning may have implemented changes in relational patterns and created a more positive student attitude at class level, but the variation among classes is wide. An even more differentiated picture is seen within classes. Current national and international investigations are unable to relate a positive school attitude to greater achievement.
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| 5. |
- Holfve-Sabel, Mary-Anne
(författare)
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Are there signs of student segregation related to foreign background during classroom work in the city of Gothenburg?
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden, has a rather high proportion of school segregation (index 0.26), which is above national level. Differences in school quality have been shown due to school segregation. One factor is related to effects from peer relationships (Gustafsson, 2006). Previous obstacles in measuring peer effects have now decreased (see for example Hoxby, 2000; Boozer & Cacciola, 2001; Gustafsson, 2003; Zimmerman, 2003).
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| 7. |
- Holfve-Sabel, Mary-Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes towards school, teacher and classmates at classroom and individual levels : an application of two-level confirmatory factor analysis.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. - : Routledge. - 0031-3831 .- 1470-1170. ; 49:2, s. 187-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pupils' responses in Grade 6 to a 40-item questionnaire originally constructed to reveal different school attitudes were re-analysed using recently developed techniques for latent variable analysis of two-level data. One aim was to test a model for investigation of classroom environment and another aim was to compare exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis when applied at individual and class levels. When using confirmatory factor modelling a separation of the individual and class-level influences on the between-group matrix was obtained. At class level three factors could be justified: Teachers and Teaching, Social Relations in Classrooms and Work Atmosphere in Classrooms. We conclude that the present analysis encourages further use of this type of questionnaire when investigating pupils' attitudes in a large number of classes. Two-level latent variable analysis is useful for comparing pupils' attitudes within and between classes
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| 10. |
- Holfve-Sabel, Mary-Anne
(författare)
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Attitudes towards Swedish comprehensive school : comparisons over time and between classrooms in grade 6
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main aim of the study is to understand student attitudes towards different aspects of school using data from the late 1960s and 35 years later, and to analyze the impact both from teachers and students on classroom climate. Another important aim in order to accomplish this is to develop suitable instruments and methods. The starting point of the empirical work was a 40-item attitude questionnaire that was used in the Didactical Process Analysis (DPA) project conducted in Göteborg in the late... mer 1960s, which comprised 60 classrooms and 1600 grade 6 students. This attitude questionnaire was reanalyzed using two-level confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the reanalysis resulting in seven factors describing differences in student attitudes within classrooms, three factors describing attitude differences between classrooms. The original 40-item questionnaire was expanded with 31 new items concerning school environment, teaching and interaction between the students, and between the teacher and the students. This instrument was administered to 78 classes, with the participation of 1696 students and 78 teachers in Göteborg. The first objective was to compare the attitudes of students now with the DPA investigation 35 years ago using identical items. The analysis focused both on item-level data and on factor scores computed from the two-level CFA model. The results showed a general improvement in attitudes. A differentiated picture was seen on the within-class level with significant changes in peer relational factors but not in school factors. The present curriculum with its focus on interaction aspects of learning may have implemented changes in relational patterns and created a more positive student attitude. On between-class level all three factors had increased their levels of attitudes, but the variation among classes was wide. The second objective was to analyze differences between the points of view of students and their teachers, and to analyze which factors explained classroom differences in attitudes. Differences in teacher-student perspectives were seen on item level. The students’ attitudes emphasized the importance of positive interaction with both teacher and peers. Teachers noted the level of work ambitions, stress and disturbance among students. The factors of most importance for classroom differences in attitudes concerning work atmosphere and social relations were a sensible management of deviancy, and creation of a safe and orderly environment.
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