Citation: Bone, Celia (2016) Academic self-concept at post-16: Comparing peer-guided, dyadic and autonomous learning as transitional interventions. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University. This version was downloaded from Northumbria Research Link: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/30322/ Northumbria University has developed Northumbria Research Link (NRL) to enable users to access the University’s research output. Copyright © and moral rights for items on NRL are retained by the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. Single copies of full items can be reproduced, displayed or performed, and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided the authors, title and full bibliographic details are given, as well as a hyperlink and/or URL to the original metadata page. The content must not be changed in any way. Full items must not be sold commercially in any format or medium without formal permission of the copyright holder. The full policy is available online: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/policies.html ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT AT POST-16: COMPARING PEER- GUIDED, DYADIC AND AUTONOMOUS LEARNING AS TRANSITIONAL INTERVENTIONS C. M. BONE EdD 2016 ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT AT POST-16: COMPARING PEER- GUIDED, DYADIC AND AUTONOMOUS LEARNING AS TRANSITIONAL INTERVENTIONS CELIA BONE A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle for the degree of Professional Doctorate Research undertaken in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences May 2016 2 Abstract Transitioning from GCSE to ‘A’ level, students struggle emotionally and academically to meet the requirements of ‘A’ level study, drop out and fail (Hall, 2003; DfES, 2011a). The OECD (2003) found that post-16 learners rarely know how to learn on their own whereas effective learners have a positive academic self-concept related to higher attainment (Marsh, 2007). This study followed transitioning students working either collaboratively or alone asking what happens when a transitional intervention is used, such as a collaborative learning strategy, with students studying psychology and ethics for the first time and is there any impact on their academic self-concept and attainment? Rooted in a social constructivist paradigm, a mixed method, 9-month study followed 73 learners in their first 12 weeks of an ‘A’ level programme. Students chose one of three groups; a group guided by a more knowledgeable peer, dyadic pairs or alone. A concurrent triangulation strategy was employed to quantitatively and qualitatively assess students’ transitional experiences. Qualitative data revealed students valued a collaborative strategy. They felt a significant emotional attachment to their peers, which aided academic confidence and understanding. Dovetailed with quantitative data all three contexts showed increased academic self-concept correlated positively with increase in ALIS expected grades (r= +0.299). Emerging themes were the importance of choice of study group, the need for fun, that collaboration stabilised students’ emotional wellbeing, students developed a positive regard for others, an increased positive social identity and improved academic self-concept. 3 Findings illustrate schools can facilitate students’ transition, protect them from isolation, boost their emotional wellbeing, and support their academic confidence, not only increasing their academic attainment but preparing them for life-long learning. This research is not only of value to students but also to teachers, headteachers and governors as well as academics and leaders of further education who lobby for more resilient, competent and buoyant learners. 4 Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................. 3 List of Tables, Figures and Appendicies ......................................................... 9 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................... 11 Declaration ....................................................................................................... 12 Personal introduction to the study ................................................................. 13 Personal research focus .............................................................................. 13 The context of adolescent learners .............................................................. 16 Overview ........................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 1 .......................................................................................................... 20 Literature Review ............................................................................................. 20 Benefitting professional educational practice .............................................. 21 Transition periods ............................................................................................ 27 LEARNING: Introduction to Literature review ............................................... 30 The research area- professional context; global, national, and local ........... 31 Theoretical context for collaboration ............................................................ 42 Learning in groups ....................................................................................... 57 Learning alone ............................................................................................. 65 Self-regulation .............................................................................................. 72 Summary of Literature Review - LEARNING ............................................... 76 SELF: Introduction to Literature review ......................................................... 77 The whole learner – a bridge to the self ....................................................... 77 The history of self–concept .......................................................................... 84 Self-concept clarified ................................................................................... 92 Moving from general self-concept to academic self-concept. .................... 102 Relationship between academic self-concept and achievement ................ 105 Summary of Literature review - SELF ........................................................ 107 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................ 108 Methodology ................................................................................................... 108 Brief summary of the purpose and rationale for this study ....................... 109 Introduction to methodology chapter .......................................................... 111 Epistemological assumptions and research philosophy ........................... 112 The problem of aligning world view, research and teaching ...................... 112 Mixed method ideology ................................................................................. 114 Qualitative data in educational research .................................................... 120 Qualitative research ................................................................................... 121 Combining data in educational research .................................................... 124 Quantitative instruments ............................................................................ 125 Research Objectives ...................................................................................... 126 Aim ........................................................................................................... 126 Main research question ............................................................................. 126 Subsidiary research questions ................................................................... 126 Methodological credibility ............................................................................. 127 Design ............................................................................................................. 130 Pilot ........................................................................................................... 133 Summary of design .................................................................................... 137 Sampling .................................................................................................... 139 Further opportunities for analysis ............................................................... 143 5 Ethical considerations ................................................................................ 144 a) The participants’ right to withdraw ......................................................... 147 b) Confidentiality and anonymity ................................................................ 148 c) Interviewer effects .................................................................................. 149 d) Ethical procedures ................................................................................. 150 Methods .......................................................................................................... 152 Developing the self-assessment tool ......................................................... 152 Using video data to understand the students ............................................. 155 The emergence of the interview