Search results

The present study focuses on political efficacy in terms of students' competence self-perceptions related to the domain of politics. The investigation addresses the mean level development and longitudinal relations to outcome variables including gender differences. Drawing on a sample of N = 2,504 German students, political efficacy, along with meaningful outcome variables (i.e., political information behavior, political knowledge, and interest in politics), was measured at 2 measurement points, once in Grade 7 and once in Grade 10. Students' mean levels of political efficacy increased from the first to the second measurement point, and boys consistently displayed higher levels. Political efficacy demonstrated reciprocal relations to political information behavior and political knowledge, and showed a unidirectional relation to interest in politics across time. The pattern of outcome relations was invariant across gender. This study contributes to research and theory on political socialization in adolescence as it outlines temporal relations among, and gender differences in, facets of political socialization. Therefore, this study also offers new practical insights into effectively facilitating political education in adolescent students. (DIPF/Orig.)

Two studies with German secondary school students extend the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model to multiple school subjects, by including history and politics as social studies subjects. Study 1 assessed students' self-concepts and achievements related to math, German, history, English (students' first foreign language), and physics. The cross-paths leading from history self-concept to math and verbal achievements and those leading from math and verbal achievements to history self-concept were non-significant arguing against the operation of dimensional comparison processes between math and verbal achievements in the formation of history self-concept. Study 2 included measures for students' self-concepts and achievements in math, English, physics, and politics as well as a history achievement. Politics achievement and self-concept were unrelated to math, English, and physics achievements and self-concepts. History achievement was positively related with politics self-concept. This finding indicates dimensional comparison processes leading to assimilation effects within the domain of social studies. (DIPF/Orig.)

Conscientiousness is the most important personality predictor of academic achievement. It consists of several lower order facets with differential relations to academic achievement. There is currently no short instrument assessing facets of conscientiousness in the educational context. Therefore, in the present multi-study report, we develop and validate a short-form questionnaire for the assessment of seven Conscientiousness facets, namely Industriousness, Perfectionism, Tidiness, Procrastination Refrainment, Control, Caution, and Task Planning. To this end, we examined multiple representative samples totaling N = 14,604 Grade 9 and 10 students from Luxembourg. The questionnaire was developed by adapting and shortening an existing scale using an exhaustive search algorithm. The algorithm was specified to select the best item combination based on model fit, reliability, and measurement invariance across the German and French language versions. The resulting instrument showed the expected factorial structure. The relations of the facets with personality constructs and academic achievement were in line with theoretical assumptions. Reliability was acceptable for all facets. Measurement invariance across language versions, gender, immigration status and cohort was established. We conclude that the presented questionnaire provides a short measurement of seven facets of Conscientiousness with valid and reliable scores.