J.J. Navarro1, T. Mardones2, A. Ivanova2 & L. Zamorano2

1Universidad Autónoma de Chile (CHILE) y Universidad de Se-villa (ESPAÑA)

2Universidad Autónoma de Chile (CHILE)

ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL-SOCIAL AD-JUSTMENT

IN READING: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APSL

SCALE IN A SAMPLE OF STUDENTS IN SOCIOCULTURAL SITUATION OF DISAD-

VANTAGE

EDULEARN 6th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technolo-

gies Barcelona - 7th - 9th of July 2014

Presentation outline

1. Introduction: the assessment of personal-social ad-justment in reading

2. Some research objectives and hypothesis3. Method

i. Participants and procedureii. Instruments

4. Results5. Some conclusions of the research

Research onwritten language

has graduallyintegrated new

models andconceptualizations

of the processof reading

comprehension.

Research onwritten language

has graduallyintegrated new

models andconceptualizations

of the processof reading

comprehension.

These models emphasize the dynamicinteraction of processes and elementsinvolved in reading, emphasizing theconstructive and metacognitive reader activity.

In recent decades there have beenmany studies addressing the influenceof these processes when learning toread, trying to determine what factorsare involved and what role each plays.

Effect of mutual reinforcementbetween low expectationsand negative perceptionof teachers about theacademic performanceof students with learningdifficulties and negative self-perception of the students.

The new conceptualizations of readinghighlight the relevance of certain non-linguisticprocesses, such as processes related topersonal-social adjustment, learning contextand aspects of motivation, self-efficacy, expectations or causal attributions.

P-S Adjustmentand Reading

1. The assessment of Personal-Social adjustment in reading

The present study is part of a larger research project, which aims to identify and analyze patterns of mediation relatedwith improvements observed in reading achievement andpersonal-social adjustment of students in the situation ofsocio-cultural disadvantages.

As part of that study, the use of a test to assess aspects ofmotivation, attitudes, own expectations, self-concept orself-efficacy, is considered crucial.

1. The assessment of Personal-Social adjustment in reading

2. Research objectives

Analyze the psychometric properties of APSL scale(personal-social adjustment in reading)

Explore the relationships between the different dimensions of personal-social adjustment, and the strategic meta-knowledge aboutreading.

For both elementary and secondary educational stage, studentswho obtain significantly lower scores on personal-social adjustment, also obtained significantly lower scores in strategic meta-knowledge about reading.

Hypothesis

3. Methodology

Participants and procedure

The sample is composed by 412 students from a subsidized school in the Metropolitan Region (Santiago de Chile, Chile).

152 students enrolled in 3rd and 4th Grade (95 boys and 57girls), aged between 8-9 years

260 enrolled in 1st and 2nd Secondary Education (120 boys and 140 girls) aged between 15-16 years.

The implementation of the APSL scale was realized in group, using a 45-minute session per course. For the study, informed

consent was requested from the families.

3. MethodologyInstruments

The APSL scale it intends operationalize socio-emotional variable in relation to reading process and the learning difficulties.

80 items presented to students in a structure of short sen-tences

Maximum score is 80 points 4 options: Strongly Disagree (TD); Disagree (D); Agree (A);

Strongly Agree (TA). 9 dimensions related with personal-social adjustment and

metacognition

Example TD D A TA

I need a lot of help to understand the wording of math problems.

D1 Knowledge of one’s own current cognitive limitations, potential, and possibility of learning, difficulties, and ways to solve them.

D2 Knowledge of one’s expectations, academic self-concept, and attributional style.

D3 Knowledge of one’s attitude toward reading: emotions, feelings of rejection versus satisfaction and enjoyment of reading, frustration tolerance, persistence in the face of difficulty, autonomy versus dependence.

D4 Knowledge of one’s own interests and motivations.

D5 Perception of support provided by the school and family settings, and of the conditions in which this occurs.

D6 Perception of the relevance of the topic: reading, what it is good for, its importance.

D7 Knowledge of one’s own relational strategies with others in reading tasks.

D8 Knowledge of one’s own strategies of control and conscious regulation of the reading process (planning, supervision, self-assessment).

D9 Awareness of the capacity to generalize this knowledge or strategies.

Dimensions contemplated in the APSL scale

3. Methodology

For the analysis of psychometric properties of the APSL scale: * Descriptive statistics* 'Kolmogorov-Smirnov ' Normality test * Difficulty index and Homogeneity index for each one of the items of the scale * Cronbach's alpha to assess the reliability of the scale

To analyze the relationship between P-S adjustment and strategic meta-knowledge* Correlations matrix between the different dimensions contemplated in the APSL scale* Contrast with the t test for independent samples for the dimensions ofpersonal-social adjustment (Dim 1-7) and strategic metaknowledge (Dim 8-9)depending on the educational stage.* Finally, a K-means cluster analysis is performed for analyzing response patterns .

4. ResultsData analysis

Statistical indicators Elementary

SchoolSecondary

SchoolTOTAL

Sample (class groups, students in SSD)

152 260 412

Implementation (courses) 3nd/4th 1st/2nd Elementary/Secondary

Ítems 80 80 80

Average rating of the items .76 .74 .75

Mean Homogeneity Index .36 .41 .38

Mean 60.82 58.87 59.59

Standard Deviation 7.88 7.26 7.54

«Kolmogorov-Smirnov» normality test

.087 (p < .007) .046 (p <.200*) .041 (p< .101*)

Reliability test coefficient (Cronbach´s Alpha)

.91 .93 .92

Descriptive statistics and analysis of the psychometric properties

* The distribution is adjusted to normal; SDD = Socio-cultural Situation of Disadvantage.

4. Results

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D8y 9

D1                    

D2 .57**                  

D3 .54** .61**                

D4 .50** .36** .52**              

D5 .45** .59** .52** .49**            

D6 .34** .65** .57** .38** .56**          

D7 .19** .18** .32** .39** .31** .29**        

D8 .48** .48** .57** .50** .44** .44** .31**      

D9 .27** .33** .48** .37** .38** .47** .39** .40**    

D8& 9 .49** .50** .62** .54** .49** .51** .38** .96** .65**  

APSL .72** .75** .83** .76** .77** .70** .45** .72** .55** .77**

Correlations matrix between the differ-ent dimensions contemplated in the APSL scale

** p < .01; * p < .05 (bilateral)

4. Results

N Average value P-S adjustment

Average valueStrategic

Metaknowledge

Cluster 1 243 56.11 8.63

Cluster 2 169 44.92 7.25

4. Results

K-means clusters analysis

The contrast of means for the dimensions of personal-social adjustment between these clusters, made with the t test for indepen-dent samples issignificant (t = 30.14, p <.000) and also for the scores on strategicmetaknowledge (t = 13.42, p <.000) and total score in the APSL scale (t = 29.06, p <.000).

5. Some conclusions of the research

Our results show an acceptable behavior of the APSL scale re-garding itspsychometric properties. The results contribute to increase in-formation about the psychometric properties of the scale, while allowing us to consider its use in future studies with Chilean population.

Indicators obtained about homogeneity and correlation be-tween theelements of the scale, show values that are among the com-monly acceptedas valid by the scientific community. Similarly, the reliability in-dex shows a more than acceptable value.

The data confirm our hypothesis, showing that the students who obtained low scores on the dimensions of personal-social adjustment, ob-tained alsosignificantly lower scores in strategic metaknowledge. These re-sults have been produced in the whole sample and also in each of the stages considered.

Thanks for your attentionJuan José Navarro, PhDDra.© Tricia Mardones

Anna Ivanova, PhDDr.© Leandro Zamorano

Faculty of Education Autonomous University of Chile

Laboratorio de Diversidad, Cognición y LenguajeUniversity of Seville

http://institucional.us.es/dcptea/jjnavarro@us.es