Chan, Melvin Chee Yeen

The 4Cs of positive youth development have been proposed as an appropriate framework for assessing athlete outcomes across various sport domains. However, the psychometric multidimensionality of the full 4C model has not been rigorously investigated. This study examined the psychometric multidimensionality of the 4C model, comprising 10 subfactors, among youth team sport athletes (N = 510). We systematically compared confirmatory factor analyses and exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM), along with their bifactor and hierarchical extensions, and discussed the empirical and practical appropriateness of these models. We further examined construct validity by testing measurement invariance over gender and sport type (contact, non-contact), and criterion-related validity on different aspects of peer motivational climate. ESEM was the optimal model, exhibiting construct and practical utility. Measurement invariance was broadly observed with four variant items; implications are discussed. Peer mastery climate was associated with positive outcome factors (e.g., competence, connection), while peer ego climate was associated with less desirable sport character (i.e., antisocial behaviours).

A principal claim advanced by many contemporary scholars is that the rising individualisation of life choices has led to the emergence of a new postmodern reflexive subjectivity—the “reflexive self”—that is compelled by necessity to make choices in increasingly de-institutionalised contexts. As a result, young people are experiencing more prolonged identity crises that may have constrained their ability to construct coherent identities. In addition, a number of postmodern scholars have claimed that identity formation is now dominated by a process of social saturation such that forming a coherent identity will become both less coherent and relevant. Other scholars are more optimistic that individualisation permits a greater scope for self-reflexivity, which can function as a ballast to manage the increased variation and multiplication of non-linear life courses.

This study investigates these contemporary issues of the self by drawing on an expanded taxonomy of identity concepts in a highly globalised East Asian context, Singapore. The theoretical review focuses on three theoretical perspectives on identity formation in the social sciences: social psychological accounts, sociological accounts (including the postmodern and individualisation thesis that have emerged as an influential characterisation of the contemporary self), and finally, an agentic identity capital model that focusses on the types of resources that individuals need to cope with and manage contemporary identity crises. I argue that the identity capital framework remains empirically underexplored in terms of understanding the unique processes and contents of identity and in its theorization of the agentic nature of identity formation. The thesis proposes an expanded identity capital framework that addresses the causal structure of sociocultural norms, values and practices (traditional identity formation), the ego and reflexive aspect of modern identity (reflexive identity formation) and mediated forms of self-representations (postmodern identity formation).

Findings indicate that Singaporean adolescents possess a coherent sense of identity that is multiply constructed across traditional, reflexive and postmodern identity domains. However, certain forms of traditional identities produced negative influences on reflexive self-understanding and certain forms of postmodern identities had moderately negative effects on both traditional and reflexive identities.

Overall, this study reveals that the agentic nature of identity formation helps to counteract a range of existential challenges associated with postmodern consumer culture. Construct validation with a number of 21st century outcomes indicated that the strongest relationships were found among individuals with an agentic personality, followed by reflexive, traditional and postmodern identities.

Although exploratory talk between teachers and students and amongst students can promote positive learning experiences and cognitive development, it is the former that has dominated much of contemporary classroom discourse. Research over the past four decades has not provided a convincing response to whether some modes of talk may be more beneficial, and in what order. Using a quantitative approach, students were surveyed on five facets of classroom talk and teacher scaffolding of cooperative learning. Academic performance and background (individual and classroom compositional) characteristics were also examined. Findings are broadly consistent with literature in regard to the dominance of presentational teacher questions. However, conventional recitation instruction appears to be educationally valuable when used skillfully with exploratory talk and cooperative teacher scaffolds.

As twenty-first century careers become more flexible, interest-oriented, and self-directed, the clarity of career goals alone is no longer sufficient. To better prepare students for the future world of work, engagement in proactive career behaviours is essential. The present study investigated the predictive relationships of career goal clarity, proactive career engagement, and positive student outcomes across two large-scale samples of Secondary students in Singapore. Among 16-year-old students, 10% (n = 1,166) have not decided on their career goals while the proportion was 22% (n = 867) among 15-year-olds in Study Two. Structural equation modelling indicated positive effects of career clarity on proactive engagement and students’ confidence in future outcomes (Study One). Study Two extended the findings by examining a different outcome variable – inventive thinking. Consistent results from both studies extend the external validity of the measures used. Across both studies, engagement in proactive career behaviours acts as a psychosocial buffer against low career clarity in the attainment of positive student outcomes. As proactive behaviours involve intentional self-regulatory processes that lie at the cornerstone of motivational and self-cognitive social theories, the findings of this research may well generalize to other research domains in terms of how the regulation of goals influence positive outcomes.

This is a study of life goals and aspirations of Singaporean post secondary students. In the Singaporean educational context, human capital is considered a significant national resource, key to the globalisation and maintenance of social cohesion and rootedness. At the same time, the collective educational and life course experiences of adolescent youth are in historical transition. This is a study on the relevance of traditional makers (e.g., social class) of adolescent goals in new social conditions. In periods of high modernity, individual agency is instrumental in levelling the playing field of high adolescent goals and aspirations. "Agentic" adolescents rise up to meet transitional challenges through the active negotiation of opportunities and resources; irrespective of institutional and social disadvantages.

Metacognition has been a subject of considerable interest in school settings, particularly its implications on learning and performance in mathematics. While metacognition has been widely studied as a multi-faceted construct comprising of metacognitive knowledge, regulation and experiences in various combinations, few have examined these three facets within a single study. Based on a mixed-method design, the validity and empirical relationships among the three dominant components of metacognition were investigated using a person- and variable-centred approach. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported in which robust relationships were found among the three components, but some aspects of metacognition differed in their associations with mathematics achievement. Expanding on the quantitative results, student interviews and classroom data were collected to deepen the understanding of metacognitive experiences, and students’ learning of mathematics. Collectively, the triangulated results showed that low achieving students in mathematics tended to rely more on affective learning approaches when engaging with mathematics tasks. By contrast, students who were high achieving tended to employ cognitive information processing strategies. Nonetheless, metacognitive experiences, with respect to feelings and emotions, are important and should not be overlooked regardless of whether students are high or low achieving in mathematics. The results suggest that the path towards more inclusive, active participation of low achieving students in the learning of mathematics could be better mitigated through the heart (i.e., the affect) rather than wholly via the brain (i.e., cognition).

Background Parent involvement in school is a consistent predictor of educational success. However, research has been inconsistent in addressing how parent involvement ought to be defined and measured, which has led to varied findings across schools and educational systems. Aims Attending to the multidimensionality of the construct, this study adopted a person-centred approach to identify subpopulations of school-based parent involvement. Subsequently, profile differences were investigated in relation to student engagement and three antecedent variables (gender, socio-economic status, and authoritative parenting). Sample Data were obtained from primary (10-year old; N = 4,284) and secondary (14-year old; N = 3,346) school students in Singapore. Methods Latent profile analysis was conducted on student-rated surveys of multiple parent involvement behaviours in school and their perceptions. Subsequently, the manual BCH method was employed to concurrently model covariates and outcomes on the latent profile model. Pairwise comparisons between profiles were examined for statistical significance. Results Consistent across both cohorts, four distinct profiles emerged that revealed high, moderate, selective, and low parent involvement patterns. High parent involvement reflected high ratings across multiple activities, combined with positive perceptions of parental involvement. These profiles differed significantly in terms of their antecedent characteristics, particularly, authoritative parenting, and in relation to their impact on student engagement. Conclusion Results from this study clarify relations between multi-faceted dimensions of parent involvement in school. Additionally, there is a case for continued school-family partnerships among secondary students as students remain academically engaged when parents are involved in school and students relate positively to their involvement.