@article{WestphalVockKretschmann2021,
  author    = {Westphal, Andrea and Vock, Miriam and Kretschmann, Julia},
  title     = {Unravelling the relationship between teacher-assigned grades, student personality, and standardized test scores},
  series = {Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation},
  journal   = {Frontiers in psychology / Frontiers Research Foundation},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {1664-1078},
  doi       = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627440},
  pages     = {11},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The Big Five personality traits play a major role in student achievement. As such, there is consistent evidence that students that are more conscientious receive better teacher-assigned grades in secondary school. However, research often does not support the claim that students that are more conscientious similarly achieve higher scores in domain-specific standardized achievement tests. Based on the Invest-and-Accrue Model, we argue that conscientiousness explains to some extent why certain students receive better grades despite similar academic accomplishments (i.e., achieving similar scores in domain-specific standardized achievement tests). Therefore, the present study examines to what extent the relationship between student personality and teacher-assigned grades consists of direct as opposed to indirect associations (via subject-specific standardized test scores). We used a representative sample of 14,710 ninth-grade students to estimate these direct and indirect pathways in mathematics and German. Structural equation models showed that test scores explained between 8 and 11\% of the variance in teacher-assigned grades in mathematics and German. The Big Five personality traits in students additionally explained between 8 and 10\% of the variance in grades. Finally, the personality-grade relationship consisted of direct (0.02 | β| ≤ 0.27) and indirect associations via test scores (0.01 | β| ≤ 0.07). Conscientiousness explained discrepancies between teacher-assigned grades and students' scores in domain-specific standardized tests to a greater extent than any of the other Big Five personality traits. Our findings suggest that students that are more conscientious may invest more effort to accomplish classroom goals, but fall short of mastery.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{WestphalVockKretschmann2021,
  author    = {Westphal, Andrea and Vock, Miriam and Kretschmann, Julia},
  title     = {Unravelling the relationship between teacher-assigned grades, student personality, and standardized test scores},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {12},
  issn      = {1866-8364},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-52302},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-523024},
  pages     = {13},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The Big Five personality traits play a major role in student achievement. As such, there is consistent evidence that students that are more conscientious receive better teacher-assigned grades in secondary school. However, research often does not support the claim that students that are more conscientious similarly achieve higher scores in domain-specific standardized achievement tests. Based on the Invest-and-Accrue Model, we argue that conscientiousness explains to some extent why certain students receive better grades despite similar academic accomplishments (i.e., achieving similar scores in domain-specific standardized achievement tests). Therefore, the present study examines to what extent the relationship between student personality and teacher-assigned grades consists of direct as opposed to indirect associations (via subject-specific standardized test scores). We used a representative sample of 14,710 ninth-grade students to estimate these direct and indirect pathways in mathematics and German. Structural equation models showed that test scores explained between 8 and 11\% of the variance in teacher-assigned grades in mathematics and German. The Big Five personality traits in students additionally explained between 8 and 10\% of the variance in grades. Finally, the personality-grade relationship consisted of direct (0.02 | β| ≤ 0.27) and indirect associations via test scores (0.01 | β| ≤ 0.07). Conscientiousness explained discrepancies between teacher-assigned grades and students' scores in domain-specific standardized tests to a greater extent than any of the other Big Five personality traits. Our findings suggest that students that are more conscientious may invest more effort to accomplish classroom goals, but fall short of mastery.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KwarikundaSchiefeleSsenyongaetal.2020,
  author    = {Kwarikunda, Diana and Schiefele, Ulrich and Ssenyonga, Joseph and Muwonge, Charles Magoba},
  title     = {The Relationship between Motivation for, and Interest in, Learning Physics among Lower Secondary School Students in Uganda},
  series = {African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education},
  volume    = {24},
  journal   = {African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group},
  address   = {Abingdon},
  issn      = {1811-7295},
  doi       = {10.1080/18117295.2020.1841961},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-605353},
  pages     = {435 -- 446},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Motivation and interest affect students' learning especially in Physics, a subject learners perceive as abstract. The present study was guided by three objectives: (a) to adapt and validate the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ-II) for the Ugandan context; (b) to examine whether there are significant differences in motivation for learning Physics with respect to students' gender; and (c) to establish the extent to which students' interest predicts their motivation to learn Physics. The sample comprised 374 randomly selected students from five schools in central Uganda who responded to anonymous questionnaires that included scales from the SMQ-II and the Individual Interest Questionnaire. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analyses, t-tests and structural equation modelling in SPSS-25 and Mplus-8. The five-factor model solution of the SMQ-II fitted adequately with the present data, with deletion of one item. The modified SMQ-II exhibited invariant factor loadings and intercepts (i.e. strong measurement invariance) when administered to boys and girls. Furthermore, motivation for learning Physics did not vary with gender. Students' interest was related to motivation for learning Physics. Lastly, although students' interest significantly predicted all motivational constructs, we noted considerable predictive strength of interest on students' self-efficacy and self-determination in learning Physics. Implications of these findings for the teaching and learning of Physics at lower secondary school are discussed in the paper.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KretschmannVockLuedtkeetal.2019,
  author    = {Kretschmann, Julia and Vock, Miriam and L{\"u}dtke, Oliver and Jansen, Malte and Gronostaj, Anna},
  title     = {Effects of grade retention on students' motivation: A longitudinal study over 3 years of secondary school},
  series = {The journal of educational psychology},
  volume    = {111},
  journal   = {The journal of educational psychology},
  number    = {8},
  publisher = {American Psychological Association},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {0022-0663},
  doi       = {10.1037/edu0000353},
  pages     = {1432 -- 1446},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Despite the fact that grade retention is now seen as controversial in many quarters, it remains common practice in numerous countries. Previous research on the effects of grade retention on student development has, however, generated ambiguous results, particularly in terms of motivational outcomes. This ambiguity has been attributed in part to a lack of high-quality studies including a longitudinal design, a suitable comparison group, and adequate statistical control of preretention differences. Based on longitudinal data of N = 3,288 German students over 3 years of secondary school, we examined differences in their academic self-concept, scholarly interests, learning motivation, and achievement motivation between those being retained in the 6th grade (n = 61) and those of the same age being promoted annually. To account for confounding variables, we applied full propensity score matching on baseline measures of the dependent variables, as well as various other covariates that have been found to be associated with the risk of retention (e.g., cognitive ability, academic performance, and family background variables). Results reveal a steep decline in students' academic self-concept, interests, and learning motivation during the last months spent in the original class, just before retention. For those measures that were available, negative effects were still partly significant after 1 year, but had diminished 2 years after grade retention. Contrary to predictions suggested by the big-fish-little-pond effect, we found no positive effects of retention on students' academic self-concept.},
  language  = {en}
}