Many studies have examined the psychology of interest and interest development, with these studies spanning various fields such as educational psychology, personality development, and vocational guidance. However, the pragmatic benefit of being able to accurately measure interests has often overshadowed the broader potential benefits of research…

Multidimensional measurement is a common theme in motivation research because many constructs are conceptualized as having an overarching general factor (e.g., situational interest) and specific dimensions (e.g., attention demand, challenge, exploration intention, instant enjoyment, novelty). This review addresses current issues associated with…

Medical specialties require decidedly different abilities, skills, and talents; which results in divergent experiences, lifestyles, skill sets, and income levels. To help medical students select their preferred medical specialty and alleviate shortages in medical specialty staffing, US medical schools and associations invest time and money in…

Two prominent models of values, one in work and the other in life, were examined as they each related to the dimensions underlying the Spherical Model of Interests (Tracey & Rounds, 1996) as measured by the Personal Globe Inventory (PGI; Tracey, 2002). The technique of external property vector fitting was utilized to plot the value constructs onto…

A diverse Chinese sample of 2567 high school and college students was utilized to examine the structural validity of the PGI-S (Tracey, 2010) with respect to the fit to the circumplex structure, the theoretical model underlying the RIASEC types and the eight PGI (Tracey, 2002) interest types. The randomization test of hypothesized order relations…

The paper represents a synthesis of results obtained in empirical studies of variables related to learning process. A number of studies were carried out within the Students Approaches to Learning perspective. According to the 3P model of learning, the complex of learning process comprises three learning approaches--Deep, Surface and Achievement…

One strategy commonly used to simplify the joint interpretation of interest and confidence inventories is the use of cutoff scores to classify individuals dichotomously as having high or low levels of confidence and interest, respectively. The present study examined the adequacy of cutoff scores currently recommended for the joint interpretation…

This paper explores ways that a small group of young adolescents talk about their futures within the context of their schooling at a performing arts secondary school. The data gathered for this project stem from pictures participants drew when asked to "draw themselves in the future" and was enhanced by interviews in which participants spoke about…

The author aimed to explore primary pupils' perceptions of learning and to what extent they perceive learning is important to them. Fifty-five primary school pupils in Istanbul and Canakkale (Turkey) were interviewed. To analyze the data, A. Strauss and J. Corbin's (1998) grounded theory methodology was followed. NVivo 7 (QSR, Australia) a…

An empirical measurement model for interest inventory construction uses internal criteria whereas an inductive measurement model uses external criteria. The empirical and inductive measurement models are compared and contrasted and then two models are assessed through tests of the effectiveness and economy of scales for the Medical Specialty…

Nearly 30% of higher education students now take at least one online course in which the instructor and students are physically separated and electronic means are used to facilitate the learning experience. "Anytime, anywhere" is a powerful draw that prompts students to seek online learning experiences. Yet with an attrition rate between 10 and…

Three test construction strategies are described and illustrated in the development of the Verb Interest Test (VIT), an inventory that assesses vocational interests using verbs. Verbs might be a promising alternative to the descriptions of occupational activities used in most vocational interest inventories because they are context-independent,…

Given the rapid development and large expatriate majority within the United Arab Emirates, the country is extremely reliant upon expatriate faculty to educate its people. Through the lens provided by Social Exchange Theory, this study examined the motivations of expatriate faculty to remain or leave their positions at institutions within the UAE.…

Purpose: This study proposes to use the Theory of Planned Behaviour to predict entrepreneurial intentions among students in five developing and nine developed countries. The purpose is to investigate whether entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents differ between developing and developed countries, and to test the theory in the two groups of…

Teacher observation is regarded as an essential procedure in the teacher training process. However, the vast majority of observation experiences have a top-down approach, as they are usually established by experts such as university teaching staff or school inspectors working for the administration. With a bottom-up approach in mind, this paper…