Previous studies differed largely in their findings concerning the relationship between principal leadership and students' mathematics achievement because of the complexity of principal leadership. As Hallinger and Heck's theoretical framework showed, principal leadership was comprised setting vision/goal, school management, and school climate…

In this study, we examine the relationships between principals' evidence-oriented attitudes and their data use in school leadership practices. Based on theoretical assumptions and existing empirical research, we develop hypotheses on the correlation of evidence-oriented attitudes, epistemological beliefs and principals' data use. We test these…

The present study with 2,273 students aimed to examine the factorial validity of the "Anxiety Questionnaire for Students" (AFS) by using the bifactor modeling framework, that is, contrasting a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model to an exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) and two bifactor models (B-CFA and B-ESEM). In…

The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay between test anxiety (i.e. worry and emotionality) and learned helplessness in a sample of adolescents (N = 845, aged 13-17 years) in secondary schools in Germany. In accordance with the buffering hypothesis, it was hypothesised that the detrimental association between both components of…

Based upon self-concept and self-determination theory, the present study aimed to examine the measurement separability of young children's math self-concept (MSC) and six specific types of motivation, namely, intrinsic motivation (INTR), integrated motivation (INTEG), identified motivation (IDENT), introjected motivation, extrinsic motivation…

Theoretical analysis of whole number-based calculation strategies and digit-based algorithms for multi-digit multiplication and division reveals that strategy use includes two kinds of reasoning: reasoning about the relations between numbers and reasoning about the relations between operations. In contrast, algorithms aim to reduce the necessary…

Self-concepts of ability (SCA) and intrinsic task values (ITV) are key determinants of students' choice of study program and dropout. Both constructs are multidimensional (i.e., specific to curricular learning content) and hierarchically structured (i.e., aggregate into one or more higher-order factors). The present study investigated German…

Introduction: Multiple imputation (MI) is one of the most highly recommended methods for replacing missing values in research data. The scope of this paper is to demonstrate missing data handling in SEM by analyzing two modified data examples from educational psychology, and to give practical recommendations for applied researchers. Method: We…

Quality assurance and quality development represent central challenges of higher education institutions (HEIs). In this context, the term quality culture has gained increasing attention. Quality culture refers to an organizational culture, which emphasizes the importance of continuous quality improvement, shared attitudes, and commitment towards…

The foundation of school success is laid early in children's lives. Consequently, assessments of academic precursors may help to identify children in need of additional support. Such early assessments could also be interesting from an international perspective when educational systems are compared. This analysis is used to inform on the…

This study illustrates an integrative psychometric framework to investigate two sources of construct-relevant multidimensionality in answers to the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). Using a sample of 2,353 German students attending Grades 3 to 6, we contrasted: (a) first-order versus hierarchical and bifactor models to investigate…

This study addressed the role of reading motivation as a potential determinant of losses or gains in reading competence over six weeks of summer vacation (SV). Based on a sample of 223 third-grade elementary students, structural equation analyses showed that intrinsic reading motivation before SV contributed positively to both word and sentence…

Navigating between cultures in addition to developmental changes and challenges in early adolescence can be difficult. We investigated school, family, and ethnic group as conditions for acculturation and school adjustment among early-adolescent boys and girls. Analyses were based on 860 mostly second- and third-generation immigrant students from…

In several studies unit-weighted sum scales based on the unweighted sum of items are derived from the pattern of salient loadings in confirmatory factor analysis. The problem of this procedure is that the unit-weighted sum scales imply a model other than the initially tested confirmatory factor model. In consequence, it remains generally unknown…

According to Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological model, school is an essential microsystem of the developing child. Schools provide important developmental contexts for children and adolescents, as they constitute environments that might either foster or evoke students' emotional instability. In particular, less is known about the precise and…