Abstracts - Earli

modelled the process of concept mapping (example-group). A third group was additionallysupported by self-explanation prompts (example+prompts-group). Conforming to the workedexampleeffect, in the control-group students’ attention seems to have been absorbed by themapping task while students in the example-based conditions had free working-memory capacitiesto focus their attention on learning successful concept mapping heuristics. This assumption issupported by the results of an exercise-phase. The example+prompts-group performed best in apost-test; however, the example-group only had a slightly better result than the control-groupwhich achieved worst. Thus, the worked-example effect is also true in non-algorithmic domains –however, learners have to be encouraged to use their released working-memory capacities forlearning.M 931 August 2007 14:35 - 15:55Room: 0.100APaper SessionBeliefsChair:Marcel V, J. Veenman, Leiden University, NetherlandsConstruct consistency in the assessment of students’ mathematics-related beliefs: a four-nation,cross-sectional factor-analytic studyPaul Andrews, University of Cambridge, United KingdomPaul Conway, University of Cork, IrelandJose Diego-Mantecon, University of Cambridge, United KingdomPeter Op ’t Eynde, University of Leuven, BelgiumThis paper reports on a comparative study of the mathematics-related beliefs of students inBelgium, England, Ireland and Spain. We draw on earlier work of the fourth author and hiscolleagues at the University of Leuven and the mathematics-related beliefs questionnaire (MRBQ)developed and trialled for use in Flanders. The original instrument, which was developed as acomprehensive and warranted measure of learner beliefs, yielded four factors predicted by theliterature, although only two achieved satisfactory levels of reliability. The instrument was revisedby the third author and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge and an analysis of dataderived from students in England and Spain yielded four reliable factors each of which comprisedat least two reliable sub-factors. The conceptual structures of these factors not only matchedclosely those derived in the Belgian trials but also offered evidence to support a conjecture thatstudents’ mathematics-related beliefs have a cross-national structural equivalence. Consequently,the country sample was expanded to include students at ages 12 and 15 from Flanders and Ireland.In this paper we report on the findings derived from the four country analysis. Factor andmultivariate analytic approaches were applied to the data. The former tended to confirm the earlierfindings of the two-way national study, that the instrument was comprehensive in its identificationof the belief structures of students of mathematics and that these structures were consistent acrosscountries. The latter highlighted the extent to which variation in the strengths with which beliefsare held are influenced by age, gender and nationality. Some implications in respect of furtherresearch, teacher education and teacher mobility are discussed.– 701 –