Imaginary latent variables are variables with negative variances and have been used to implement constraints in measurement models. This article aimed to advance this practice and rationalize the imaginary latent variables as a method to detect possible latent deficiencies in measurement models. This rationale is based on the theory of complex…

The current meta-analysis investigates the longitudinal association between prior and subsequent mathematics performance, involving mathematics measured at three time points, and to identify potential factors that could moderate this association, including age, time lag, and types of mathematics. Our analysis included 105 studies, comprising 111…

Development and refinement of self-report measures generally involves selecting a subset of indicators from a larger set. Despite the importance of this task, methods applied to accomplish this are often idiosyncratic and ad hoc, or based on incomplete statistical criteria. We describe a structural equation modeling (SEM)-based technique, based on…

This study reported the results of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analyses on 13 competing structural models on the inter-relationships among academic achievement and student- and course-related attributes. The samples were Malaysian pre-university students enrolled in two STEM courses (biology, n = 326; mathematics, n = 339; biology only, n…

The aim of this study was to propose and validate a structural model in fraction and decimal number addition, which is founded primarily on a synthesis of major theoretical approaches in the field of representations in Mathematics and also on previous research on the learning of fractions and decimals. The study was conducted among 1,701 primary…

Most mathematics students show a definite tendency toward an attitudinal deficiency, which can be primarily understood as intolerance to the matter, affecting their scholar performance adversely. In addition, information and communication technologies have been gradually included within the process of teaching mathematics. Such adoption of…

The study explores the influences of critical thinking and interests on students' performance at school. The tested students attended German grammar schools ("Gymnasien"). Separate regression analyses showed the expected moderate positive influences of critical thinking and interests on school performance. But analyzed simultaneously,…

Background: Teaching is comprised of interconnected practices. Some practices are domain neutral (DN), or independent of a content area. Examples of DN practices include emotional and instructional support and classroom organization. Others are domain specific (DS), or content dependent. Within a mathematics context, examples of DS practices…

Research based on the Eccles model of parent socialization demonstrated that parents are an important source of value and ability information for their children. Little is known, however, about the bidirectional effects between students' perceptions of their parents' beliefs and behaviors and the students' own domain-specific values. This study…

One goal among many in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is that children develop positive attitudes towards mathematics. In order to support this development, teachers need professional competence in both cognitive and affective-motivational facets. Teacher students need to develop this professional competence during their initial teacher…

Past studies have suggested that in light of recent curriculum standards, many US teachers make limited use of drawn models in their mathematics instruction. To gain insight into this phenomenon, we investigated relationships between US teachers' opportunities to learn about, knowledge of, motivation for, and instructional use of drawn models for…

Early experiences with theoretical thinking and generalization in measurement are hypothesized to develop constructs we name here as logical reasoning and preparedness for algebra. Based on work of V. V. Davydov (1975), the Measure Up (MU) elementary grades experimental mathematics curriculum uses quantities of area, length, volume, and mass to…

Background: Prior to college, many students have no experience with engineering, but some ultimately choose an engineering career. Women choose engineering at lower rates than men. This article uses critical engineering agency (CEA) to understand first-year students' attitudes and self-beliefs to predict the choice of an engineering career.…

Students evaluate their achievement in a specific domain in relation to their achievement in other domains and form their self-concepts accordingly. These comparison processes have been termed "dimensional comparisons" and shown to be an important source of academic self-concepts in addition to social and temporal comparisons. Research…

Teacher competence is a multi-dimensional construct that includes beliefs as well as knowledge. The present study investigated the structure of prospective preschool teachers' mathematics-related beliefs and their relation to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, prospective preschool teachers' perception and planning…