| 1. |
- Andersson, Ewa, et al.
(författare)
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Högskoleprovet som prognosinstrument
- 1996
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Ingår i: Högskoleprovet. Genom elva forskares ögon. - : Högskoleverket, Stockholm. ; , s. 70-81
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Bokkapitel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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| 2. |
- Eklöf, Hanna, 1974-
(författare)
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Motivational beliefs in the TIMSS 2003 context : Theory, measurement and relation to test performance
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main objective of this thesis was to explore issues related to student achievement motivation in the Swedish TIMSS 2003 (Trend in International Mathematics and Science Study) context. The thesis comprises of five empirical papers and a summary. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as the general theoretical framework in all empirical papers, and all papers are concerned with construct validation in one form or another. Aspects of student achievement motivation were measured on a task-specific level (motivation to do well on the TIMSS test) and on a domain-specific level (self-concept in and valuing of mathematics and science) and regressed on test performance. The first paper reports the development and validation of scores from an instrument measuring aspects related to student test-taking motivation. It was shown that a number of items in the instrument could be interpreted as a measure of test-taking motivation, and that the test-taking motivation construct was distinct from other related constructs. The second paper related the Swedish students’ ratings of mathematics test-taking motivation to mathematics performance in TIMSS 2003. The students in the sample on average reported that they were well motivated to do their best on the TIMSS mathematics test and their ratings of test-taking motivation were positively but rather weakly related to achievement. In the third and the fourth papers, the internal structure and relation to performance of the mathematics and science self-concept and task value scales used in TIMSS internationally was investigated for the Swedish TIMSS 2003 sample. For mathematics, it was shown that the internationally derived scales were suitable also for the Swedish sample. It was further shown that ratings of self-concept were rather strongly related to mathematics achievement while ratings of mathematics value were basically unrelated to mathematics achievement. For the science subjects, the internal structure of the scales was less simple, and ratings of self-concept and valuing of science were not very strongly related to science achievement. The study presented in the fifth paper used interviews and an open-ended questionnaire item to further investigate student test-taking motivation and perceptions of the TIMSS test. The results mainly corroborated the results from study II. In the introductory part of the thesis, the empirical studies are summarized, contextualized, and discussed. The discussion relates obtained results to theoretical assumptions, applied implications, and to issues of validity in the TIMSS context.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Lyrén, Per-Erik, 1976-
(författare)
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A perfect score : Validity arguments for college admission tests
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- College admission tests are of great importance for admissions systems in general and for candidates in particular. The SweSAT (Högskoleprovet in Swedish) has been used for college admission in Sweden for more than 30 years, and today it is alongside with the upper-secondary school GPA the most widely used instrument for selection of college applicants. Because of the importance that is placed on the SweSAT, it is essential that the scores are reliable and that the interpretations and uses of the scores are valid. The main purpose of this thesis was therefore to examine some assumptions that are of importance for the validity of the interpretation and use of SweSAT scores. The argument-based approach to validation was used as the framework for the evaluation of these assumptions.The thesis consists of four papers and an extensive introduction with summaries of the papers. The first three papers examine assumptions that are relevant for the use of SweSAT scores for admission decisions, while the fourth paper examines an assumption that is relevant for the use of SweSAT scores for providing diagnostic information. The first paper is a review of predictive validity studies that have been performed on the SweSAT. The general conclusion from the review is that the predictive validity of SweSAT scores varies greatly among study programs, and that there are many problematic issues related to the methodology of the predictive validity studies. The second paper focuses on an assumption underlying the current SweSAT equating design, namely that the groups taking different forms of the test have equal abilities. The results show that this assumption is highly problematic, and consequently a more appropriate equating design should be applied when equating SweSAT scores. The third paper examines the effect of textual item revisions on item statistics and preequating outcomes, using data from the SweSAT data sufficiency subtest. The results show that most kinds of revisions have a significant effect on both p-values and point-biserial correlations, and as a consequence the preequating outcomes are affected negatively. The fourth paper examines whether there is added value in reporting subtest scores rather than just the total score to the test-takers. Using a method derived from classical test theory, the results show that all observed subscores are better predictors of the true subscores than is the observed total score, with the exception of the Swedish reading comprehension subtest. That is, the subscores contain information that the test-takers can use for remedial studies and hence there is added value in reporting the subscores. The general conclusion from the thesis as a whole is that the interpretations and use of SweSAT scores are based on several questionable assumptions, but also that the interpretations and uses are supported by a great deal of validity evidence.
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| 5. |
- Mahieu, Ron, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Do Men Learn in Order to Earn? : Motives for Lifelong Learners to Choose Web-based Courses and the Relationship with Age, Gender, Parenthood, and Rate of Studies
- 2012
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Ingår i: Open Learning Generations. - Budapest : EDEN secretariat c/o Budapest University of Technology and Economics. - 9789638791498 ; , s. 51-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our globally connected world is characterized by growing social mobility and diversification of life trajectories. In the light of recent societal and economic developments people more often change careers. Individuals even have multiple career paths and they are expected to engage in lifelong learning. Universities are also called upon to make students more employable and to enhance their flexibility in the labour market, while Web-based learning also may open access and widen potential markets for the universities, motivating a larger and diverse group of students to participate in higher education. Due to these changes there is a growing need for flexible deliverance of education. Distant learning and adult learning take an important part in this. In a lifelong career perspective the need for people to participate in education may differ, as well as the educational choices that students make. This variety makes it necessary to study what factors are important for the educational choices of students. In this paper, different factors, such as age, gender, rate of studies and parenthood was analysed in order to see how these relate to different motivational factors for choosing a web-based course. The research focuses on the questions: Which students choose web-based courses and what are their motivations to do so?The present study was based on a sample of 1 270 beginner students during the spring semester 2011 at web-based courses at the department of education, Umeå University. The data was based on a questionnaire covering the student´s background characteristics and a number of items focusing on the motives for choosing a distance learning course. The motives could be categorized into four different motives: (1) Format, (2) Content, (3) Economic, and (4) Curiosity. The results showed that Format was regarded as the most important factor for choosing an Internet-based course. The second most important motivational factor was Content, followed by Curiosity and Economic. Group differences were investigated with respect to age, gender, parenthood and rate of study. Mature students had higher ratings on the Format motivational sub-scale than younger students. However, for the Economic motivational sub-scale younger students had higher ratings than mature students. There were no age differences with respect to the Content and Curiosity motivational sub-scale. Females had higher ratings on Format motivational sub-scale than males. Similarly, females had also higher ratings on the Content motivational sub-scale than males. However, for the Economic motivational sub-scale males had higher ratings than females. There were no significant gender differences with respect to the Curiosity motivational sub-scale. Moreover, we examined whether there were differences in motivational ratings between students with and without children. Students with children had higher ratings on the Format motivational sub-scale than students without children. Similarly, students with children had also higher ratings on the Content motivational sub-scale than students without children. However, for the Economic motivational sub-scale, students without children had higher ratings than students without children. There were no differences between students with or without children on the Curiosity motivational sub-scale. Finally, we examined whether there were differences in motivational ratings between students admitted to half-time or full time studies. Students enrolled in full time studies had higher ratings on the Economic motivational sub-scale than students in half time studies. Similarly, full time students had also higher ratings on the Curiosity motivational sub-scale than half time students. There were no differences between full-time and half-time students with respect to the Format and Content motivational sub-scale.The findings show that distant education fulfils an important function for mature students, women and students with children. These groups presumably consider the flexibility that web-based courses provide advantageous. Family situations or working-life obligations may contribute to this. Changes in people´s working lives are likely to continue, which presumably increases the demand for flexible learning situations. It would be of interest to collect and analyse more data that relates to the lifelong career development of students, covering the wide range of ages as suggested in the theme for this conference. Further studies may therefore also incorporate data that extensively shows what choices students make by adding more socio-economic factors for analysis.
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| 6. |
- Mahieu, Ron, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Motives for lifelong learners to choose web-based courses
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning. - Budapest : European Distance and E-learning Network. - 1027-5207. ; 16:1, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to societal changes there is a growing need for distant and adult learning. The reason to participate in education and the choices that students make may differ. In this study the factors age, gender, rate of studies and parenthood have been analysed in order to see how these relate to different motivational factors for choosing a web-based course. The data has been based on a questionnaire, covering 1270 beginner students in the spring semester of 2011 and contains their background characteristics and items focusing on their motives. These could be categorized into four different motives: (1) Format, (2) Content, (3) Economic, and (4) Curiosity. The results showed that Format was regarded as the most important factor for choosing an Internet-based course, followed by Content, Curiosity and the Economic factor. Furthermore, group differences were investigated with respect to age, gender, parenthood and rate of study. The findings show that distant education fulfils an important function for mature students, women and students with children. These groups presumably consider the flexibility that web-based courses provide advantageous. Family situations or working-life obligations may contribute to this. Changes in people’s working lives are likely to continue, which presumably increases the demand for flexible learning situations.
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| 7. |
- Pettersson, Fanny, et al.
(författare)
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A validated questionnaire for measuring digitalization as sociocultural change in educational contexts
- 2024
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Ingår i: The international journal of information and learning technology. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 2056-4880 .- 2056-4899.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: In the so-called digital age, there is a basic assumption that digitalization entails rapid and dramatic change in schools, education and society. However, a challenge for educational research is to clarify what digitalization precisely means. This paper aims to develop, test, and validate a digital transformation scale (DTS). More specifically, the aim is to validate digitization, digitalization and digital transformation as hierarchical levels of sociocultural learning in school and education by using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) as a framework.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with principal-axis factoring as an extraction method, was used to examine the number of factors underlying the data.Findings: Results show that the three dimensions in the DTS questionnaire explain 68% of the variance and that all dimensions show high internal consistency (a >0.87). This means that the internal structure of the DTS corresponded to the internal structure of the theory.Research limitations/implications: The results show that the internal structure of the DTS corresponded to the internal structure of the theory and may be used quantitatively to analyze digital transformation in school organizations. However, further research is needed in other contexts and larger samples with the use of confirmatory factor analysis to develop knowledge in this area and the use of DTS.Practical implications: This tool and theoretical construction could be used to discuss digital transformation in school and education, both local and in general. Seeing digitalization from a sociocultural perspective makes possible to conceptualize and discuss this as a process ranging from small technology investments on an individual level to digitalization as strategic and organizational development.Originality/value: This DTS can be used quantitatively to study and analyze digital transformation in educational contexts and provides educational researchers with additional tools to articulate what they mean by digitalization.
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| 8. |
- Sundström, Anna, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish student police officers' job values and relationships with gender and educational background
- 2014
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Ingår i: Police Practice & Research. - : Routledge. - 1561-4263 .- 1477-271X. ; 15:1, s. 35-47
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examined student police officers’ job values and differences in job values with respect to gender and educational background. Three hundred fifty-two Swedish first-year police students responded to a job value questionnaire. Psychometric analyses indicated that there are three dimensions of job values: intrinsic, altruistic, and extrinsic. In general, students rated altruistic values as more important than intrinsic/ leisure and extrinsic values. Females valued intrinsic and altruistic aspects of a job as more important than males did. In conclusion, the three dimensions of job values, as well as the differences found between males and females are supported by previous research on job values. Future studies should be directed on examining whether police students’ job values change during education and in the transition to work.
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| 10. |
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