Options
Character strengths, motivation and engagement, and academic performance : gender differences
Author
Yang, Sheena Qingling
Supervisor
Liem, Gregory Arief D.
Abstract
In an effort to move together with the changing needs of Singapore’s education system to a more holistic and comprehensive one, this study examined the relationships between character strengths, motivation and engagement, and academic performance in 496 secondary school students. It also looked at how motivation (adaptive and impeding cognition) as a mediator, influenced the (a) character strength and (b) academic performance and engagement (adaptive and maladaptive behaviours) associated differences and if males and females had any disparities in their profiles. Two self-rating measures, the Character Strength Scale (which included creativity, curiosity, good judgment, love, perseverance and spirituality) and the Motivation and Engagement Scale were administered to evaluate their character and motivation and engagement levels. Character strengths positively related to adaptive cognition and behaviour, negatively related to maladaptive behaviours. Love was the only significant strength related to performance. Males and females were largely similar in their profiles of character strengths and engagement. Independent t-tests showed that males were more creative and females were more anxious about school. Adaptive cognition found to mediate the relationships between character strengths and academic performance, adaptive, and maladaptive behaviours. A look at the aims of the study revealed that the role of character strengths in character education, and when taken together with the significance of motivation and engagement on learning, complements the student-centric and value-driven holistic education in Singapore.
Date Issued
2014
Call Number
BJ1521 Yan
Date Submitted
2014