No abstract

Early identification of risk can support interventions to prevent academic failure. This study investigated patterns of evolution in achievement trajectories for 1,522 high school students in relation to initial achievement, student motivation, and key demographic characteristics. Growth mixture modeling identified 2 classes of longitudinal achievement patterns representing different trajectories toward leaving school either with or without qualifications. Negative motivation patterns on the factors Doing My Best and Doing Just Enough combined with initial student achievement were predictive of underachievement across the final 3 years of senior secondary school. These findings provide empirical support for the use of a simple motivation measure that can enhance identification of risk for school failure and inform interventions for different risk patterns. Boys who were not from the majority culture and who attended large schools in middle socioeconomic status communities were more likely to be on a trajectory for school failure than were girls, majority culture students, and boys in either low- or high-income school communities. Future research is needed to investigate the possibility of increased student risk in large, middle-income schools that may lack the kinds of resources and student supports available in high- and low-income schools.

No abstract

A scale assessing generalized false self-perceptions (Perceptions of False Self, POFS) was developed and tested across three studies involving a total of 331 adolescents (11-16 years). In Study 1, interviews were conducted to develop items for the scale. In Study 2, psychometric techniques were used to derive a scale composed of 16 items. Study 2 also assessed the validity of the scale: depressive symptoms were found to increase POFS across 10 weeks, whereas false self-perceptions had a reciprocal effect on anxiety. In Study 3, the convergent validity of the POFS scale was established. Overall, the evidence suggests that the POFS scale is a reliable and valid measure of generalized false self-perceptions.

These findings illustrate how particular design features of a standards-based assessment system relate to student attitudes and achievement. They also highlight the need for longitudinal research to investigate patterns over time as well as the possible impact of interventions to alter motivation and/or academic task performance.