Research Outputs
Comparison of self-administered versus read-aloud questionnaires for psychological measurement in students with low intellectual functioning: use of frequentist and Bayesian approaches
Background Students with low intellectual functioning (LIF) often experience barriers to participating in social research due to the literacy demands of the survey’s typical self-administered format. Although evidence for the validity of the read-aloud format for educational testing abounds, few studies have analyzed the impact of application formats on attitudes or opinion questionnaires for LIF students. Aim To analyze the effect of self-administered vs read-aloud formats on LIF and typical development (TD) students using four psychological questionnaires for school contexts (Student Engagement Instrument, Multidimensional School Engagement Scale [MSES], Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale, and School Participation Scale). Method A mixed factorial (2x2) design was used. Thirty-two students participated (14 to 19 years old; M = 15.39; SD = 1.27): 17 with LIF and 15 with TD. Results Reliability indices between formats for LIF students in most questionnaire subscales were found to be adequate and equivalent. All instrument subscales had appropriate intra-subject correlations between formats, indicating that LIF students had similar scores in both. Only the MSES showed a format effect, where LIF students reported fewer disengagement behaviors in the read-aloud format. Frequentist and Bayesian statistics were conducted looking for convergences due to the small sample size. Conclusion We discuss the case-related appropriateness of each application format and propose a new criterion to choose between them to guarantee the inclusion of LIF students in psychological research.
A systematic review of methodological aspects of student engagement research in secondary students
Student engagement research has grown significantly in the past decade and measuring it is of high interest in educational research. To gain a deeper understanding of the current body of research on student engagement, this review aims to analyze the design characteristics of empirical quantitative research on student engagement in secondary school. A systematic review was performed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases from the period 2013 to 2020. Forty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that most studies were performed in North America and none in Latin America; the designs were mainly measuring variable associations. Teacher-related variables are the least examined variables. The instruments used to measure the student engagement and the constructs employed, shows there is substantial theoretical heterogeneity among studies. Future studies need to accurately define student engagement; give further attention to variables related to teachers, peers, families, and institutional conditions.
Influence of teacher-student relationships and special educational needs on student engagement and disengagement: A correlational study
Contemporary educational research has found that student engagement and disengagement have a relevant influence on learning outcomes. However, research on the influence of teacher–student relationships in the engagement of students with special educational needs (SEN) is scarce. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of teacher–student relationships, peer support at school, family support for learning, opportunities to participate at school, and SEN on engagement and disengagement of students using a sample of secondary students with SEN and typical development (TD). Through a non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design, we evaluated 1,020 high school students (340 with SEN and 680 with TD) in the 9th grade (13–19 years old, M = 14.8; SD = 0.89). Teacher–student relationships, peer support at school, and family support for learning were assessed via subscales from the Student Engagement Inventory (SEI), opportunities to participate at school were measured with a subscale of the School Participation Questionnaire (SP), whereas engagement and disengagement were measured using the Multidimensional Scale of School Engagement (MSSE). Results show significant statistical differences between SEN and TD students in both student engagement and disengagement indicators. Engagement of SEN students is higher in the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions than that of TD students. However, they also have higher disengagement in the cognitive and behavioral dimensions. Furthermore, SEN students rate their relationships with teachers more highly and perceive more opportunities for school participation than their peers. Further analyses show that teacher–student relationships are positively associated with all dimensions of student engagement and inversely with behavioral and cognitive disengagement. Although correlational, the findings suggest teacher–student relationships and school participation opportunities could be important variables for diminishing disengagement and its negative consequences for both SEN and TD students, while improving student engagement. We discuss these results considering possible implications for educational policies, practices, and research.