Beyond the Rhetoric: Understanding Achievement and Motivation in Catholic School Students.
Article
January 1, 2008
Abstract
This study examines the achievement beliefs of urban adolescents enrolled in two Catholic high schools. Qualitative analysis of individual interviews revealed that these students endorse a strong sense of personal responsibility in their own learning, adhere to adaptive beliefs about difficulty and challenge in learning, and perceive their schools as caring environments in which teachers take a deep interest in both their academic and psychosocial well-being. Results suggest that educational reform efforts can be enhanced with a greater understanding of the motivational advantage associated with Catholic education. The authors argue that concerns over self-selection should not hinder researchers' attempts to understand the factors underlying the achievement of Catholic school students.
This study examines the achievement beliefs of urban adolescents enrolled in two Catholic high schools. Qualitative analysis of individual interviews revealed that these students endorse a strong sense of personal responsibility in their own learning, adhere to adaptive beliefs about difficulty and challenge in learning, and perceive their schools as caring environments in which teachers take a deep interest in both their academic and psychosocial well-being. Results suggest that educational reform efforts can be enhanced with a greater understanding of the motivational advantage associated with Catholic education. The authors argue that concerns over self-selection should not hinder researchers' attempts to understand the factors underlying the achievement of Catholic school students.
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North America