Abstracts - Earli

The impact of personal goals on the self-regulated learning and achievement motivationÉva Molnár, University of Szeged, Department of Education, HungarySzilvia Jámbori, University of Szeged, Department of Psychology, HungaryLifelong learning and success in life are largely defined by two factors: the types of goals studentshave and the degree to which their learning is regulated and intentional. Researchers often use theterm intentional learning process to denote goal-directed learning (Linnenbrink and Pintrich,2001). The role of social support is crucial when setting up goals, which could help adolescentsduring planning and decision processes. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact ofpersonal long term goals on the self- regulated learning and achievement motivation of adolescentsfrom low income families in Hungary (N=958 mean age:14 years). Results showed thatadolescents often mentioned goals related to future education, property, future work and friends.They would like to change their future life and to make it different from their original familyenvironment. This tendency is reflected in the contents of their personal goals. Furthermore, asregards learning strategies, these adolescents mostly prefer repetition and memorization, whiletheir use regulative strategies, monitoring and checking is the least frequently occurring. Theirself-reporting shows mastery and achievement motives to be the most highly developed amongtheir learning motives, while anxiety and low self-efficacy seem to be the least developed ones. Insummary, low SES students select positive goals which contribute to their success in life andwhich could play a decisive role in lifelong learning as well. Their self regulated learning doesnotseem to be different than what was found to characterise that of their peers in large-scaleassessments, however, they rely on memorisation rather than on effective learning strategies.Personal epistemology and mathematics in pre-service teachers in online and face-to-face coursesFarrokh Saba, Department of Educational Psychology, Nevada, USALisa D. Bendixen, Department of Educational Psychology, Nevada, USAThis study examines the epistemological beliefs of pre-service elementary school teachers whowere taking mathematics courses either in face-to-face or in online formats in a department ofmathematical sciences at a southwestern state in the U.S. For online students, electronic text (etext)was used for mathematics content. E-text gave students the opportunity to watch videolectures and receive instant feedback for doing tutorials (problems with guided solutions),homework, and tests. In addition, communication between students and instructor took place byusing e-mail and an electronic discussion area, which both facilitated this community of learners.Face-to-face courses were in traditional lecture-type format. Students’ beliefs were assessed usingseveral Likert-type surveys. Comparisons were made between epistemological beliefs aboutdistance education, online learning, online learning mathematics, and beliefs about mathematicsfor online and face-to-face learners. This study will provide evidence to support that onlinemathematics courses can significantly influence the epistemological beliefs of students, theirgeneral views about distance education and online learning, and their beliefs about learningmathematics online. Educational and theoretical significance of the results will also be discussedincluding implications for learning mathematics in pre-service teachers, the role of epistemologicalbeliefs, and the importance of online learning.– 208 –