Abstracts - Earli

"Who else wants to get motivated by email?" – Exploring effects of personalised instructionalmessages in undergraduate general education courses on study habits, motivation, and learningoutcomesDeimann Markus, FernUniversität Hagen, GermanyA semester-long field study was conducted to test for an innovative instructional form,"motivational messages" to deliver motivational and volitional strategies in an undergraduatecollege course. To provide a means for the rational selection, creation, and implementation of suchsets of strategies, an integrative model of motivational design (Keller, 1987) was expanded toincorporate volitional theories. The effectiveness of this approach was tested by distributing thestrategies as "motivational messages" (Visser & Keller, 1990) in the form of "Study Tips" viaemail to the participants in this study. Thus, the purpose of the study was to determine whether acombined set of motivational and volitional strategies emailed as motivational messages wouldimprove motivation, persistence, and achievement during several weeks of a semester-lengthcourse. Results indicate that the intervention does contribute to improving students’ study habits,attitudes toward the course, and learning performance. Moreover, substantial educational andtheoretical significances could be derived.Children academic achievement and some parental dimensions: the mediating effect of childrenself-esteemIrena Nekic, University of Zadar, Department of Psychology, CroatiaIvana Macuka, University of Zadar, Departmenst of Psychology, CroatiaIzabela Soric, University of Zadar, Departmenst of Psychology, CroatiaAnita Vulic-Prtoric, University of Zadar, Departmenst of Psychology, CroatiaObjective: The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of self-esteem and someparental dimensions (behavioral control, psychological control and emotionality of mothers andfathers) to children’s academic achievement. Also, we wanted to examine the mediating effect ofchildren’s self-esteem on the relationship between these parental dimensions and academicachievement. Method: The research was conducted on the sample of 102 schoolchildren aged 12to 15 years (66 girls and 36 boys). Children self-esteem was measured with Coopersmith’s SelfesteemInventory - SEI (adapted by Lackovic-Grgin and Bezinovic, 2002). Parental dimensions ofbehavioral and psychological control and emotionality were assessed with Children Report ofParental Behavior Inventory – CRPBI – 57 (Keresteš, 1999). Children’s average finalgrade at the end of past midterm was used as a measure of their academic achievement. Results:The regression analysis shows that mother’s psychological control and children’s self – esteemsignificantly contribute to academic achievement. Baron and Kenny (1976) procedure was used toexamine the mediating impact of children’s self-esteem on the relationship between parentaldimensions and academic achievement. The results revealed that children self-esteem indeedmediate this relationship. Conclusions: Higher academic achievement was positively associatedwith self – esteem and negatively with mother’s psychological control. Children’s self – esteemmediated the relationship between dimensions of parenthood and children school success.Architecture in the Elementary School: The ARCHIMATH ProgramEmine Erktin, Bogazici University, TurkeySema Soygenis, Bahcesehir University, TurkeyThe built environment in Turkey has been in a state of constant transformation due to internalmigration and population increase. Both planned and unplanned developments in line with modern– 214 –