Maher Abu-Hilal Sultan Qaboos University With Sahar Al-Abri Internal/External Frame of Reference Model with Science and Math Self-Concepts and Achievement among Omani Eighth Graders Maher Abu-Hilal Sultan Qaboos University With Sahar Al-Abri

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Objectives The aim of the present study was to test the assumptions of internal/external frame of reference model using science scores and self-concept in place of language. Marsh, Kong and Hau (2001) suggest that internal comparisons should be a function of all school subjects; hence, this study is using science instead of language to test this claim. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Method Sample Three hundred twenty six eighth grade students in Al-Dhahra School District in Oman responded to a short version of SDQ-I. The sample was selected from those who took the TIMSS in 2011 (N=741). SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Method Analysis In this study, we tested two models, one with competence and affect were conflated and one with competence and affect were separated. Multiple samples were also employed as gender was the grouping variable. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Results The conflated model produced indicators of good fit (c2 = 296.07, df=124, CFI =.960, RMSEA = .043). The model with competence and affect are separated also produced good fit to data (c2 = 213.69, df = 115, CFI = .977, RMSEA = .034). SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Results In the conflated model, math achievement had significant positive effect on math SC (.47) and negative effect on science SC (-.21). Science achievement had significant positive effect on science SC (.67) but no effect on math SC. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Fig. 1: I/E Model (Math and Science for the Total Sample of Omani 8th Graders SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Results As for the model that separates SC into competence and affect, math achievement had significant positive effect on both competence (.56) and affect (.36) math SC and negative effect on science affect SC (-.26). Science achievement had significant effect on competence and affect science SC (.66). The study partially provides support to the I/E frame of reference model. It replicates previous findings among Arab students. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany .90 .17 .45 .22 .91 .25 Fig. 2: I/E Model (Math and Science for the Total Sample of Omani 8th Graders SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Results The data from TIMSS produced weak relations between achievement and SC. Thus, the findings of this study confirmed that academic self-concept is more associated with teacher assessment than with standardized tests. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Table 1: Regression weights, SE, CR, Probability and standardized weights b S.E. C.R. P s.b. Math Com MATHSCORE .034 .006 5.822 .000 .551 Math Aff .021 3.469 .355 Science Com -.007 .005 -1.540 NS -.155 SCIENCESCORE .009 .007 1.402 .142 6.225 .650 .004 .598 .055 Science Aff -.011 -2.415 .016 -.260 .030 .654 SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Table 2: Indices of Goodness of Fit of Different Models of I/E Frame of Reference in Oman across Gender Model c2 DF P CFI RMSEA c2/DF Unconstrained 373.494 230 .000 .966 .044 1.624 Measurement weights 398.704 242 .963 .045 1.648 Measurement intercepts 434.107 258 .958 .046 1.683 Structural weights 451.482 266 .956 1.697 Structural means 485.997 268 .948 .050 1.813 Structural covariances 497.313 271 .946 .051 1.835 Structural residuals 518.875 281 .943 1.847 Measurement residuals 594.384 304 .931 .054 1.955 Saturated model 1.000 .194 Independence model 4532.694 342 13.253 SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

Separated SC across Gender Measurement invariance, structural invariance, and structural path invariance were examined across gender. A series of invariance tests were conducted and Table 1 shows the results. Consistent with predictions and with the findings of previous research, science and math scores were highly correlated for girls (r = .88) and for boys (r = .84). The correlations between science and math self-concepts, however, were substantially lower than the correlations between science and math achievements. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Discussion As for the relationships among self-concept dimensions and academic achievement, the CFA as well as the SEM revealed that academic achievements were more strongly related to the cognitive (competence) components than to the affective components of self-concept. Similar results were reported by Arens et al. (2011) and Abu-Hilal and Abdelfattah et al. (2013). SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Discussion Marsh, Kong and Hau (2001) suggest that internal comparisons should be a function of all school subjects. However, Dickhöuser, Reuter and Hilling (2005) failed to provide complete support to the assumptions about correlations between self-concept and achievement with biology and chemistry. Also, Chanal, Sarrazin, Guay and Boiche (2009) failed to find full support for the assumptions of the I/E frame of reference model with physical education included in the model. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Discussion Contrary to our conceptualization and that of Arens et al. (2011), Dickhöuser et al. (2005) and Chanal et al. (2009) who used the global conflated self-concept and did not separate self-concept into cognitive and affective components. Conflating cognitive and affective components may be the reason that self-concept-achievement relations across domains were inconsistent with the premises of the I/E frame of reference model. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany

SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany Implications Probably the most important theoretical implication is that models and instruments developed in one culture can be justifiably employed in other different cultures. The results of the study also imply that counseling and intervention programs could be designed along domain-specific and components-specific lines, for example, to improve students' perception of competence and value in science and mathematics. SELF Eighth Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany