RESUMEN
Treating social problem-solving as a construct comprised of a number of components enables us to examine patterns formed by the components. However, variable-centered research has paid little attention to exploring these patterns to date. A person-centered approach may enable us to identify distinct profiles for groups. Our study aimed to investigate whether it is possible to establish homogeneous profiles for groups based on social problem-solving factors (positive and negative orientation, rationality, impulsivity, and avoidance). Furthermore, the study sought to explore whether there is any difference among these groups regarding self-efficacy, a fundamental component of social problem-solving. We used cluster analysis to examine social problem-solving and self-efficacy among 543 Hungarian secondary school students and 277 Hungarian university students. We identified three homogeneous groups that had shared characteristics in the two age samples (optimistic-hasty; optimistic-reflective; resigned-procrastinator). Four further groups were identified among adolescents (resigned-distancer; insecure-reflective; insecure-hasty; resigned-brooder); and an additional three among young adults (optimistic-modest; tense-hasty; tense-reflective). The relationships among the social problem-solving factors and self-efficacy differed among the profiles. Taking into account the profiles explored in this study may help identify groups that need improvement, and contribute to interventions being better suited to the needs of a particular group.
RESUMEN
In previous research, the majority of university students seemed to lack proficiency in many areas of writing (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, organization, and sentence construction). This illustrates the challenging nature of writing (as a skill) and the frequent focus on the product rather than the process of writing instruction. Previous research focused on primary and secondary education; only a few studies investigated and compared the perceptions and self-reported practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university instructors in relation to the product- and process-based writing approaches. Therefore, this study aims to examine this issue by surveying Moroccan EFL writing instructors' responses and comparing the findings with those of previous empirical studies from diverse educational levels. The following research questions guided our study: 1) What are the instructors' perceptions of product- and process-based writing? 2) What are their self-reported practices regarding these writing approaches? 3) Is there any alignment between their perceptions and their self-reported practices of product- and process-based writing instruction? For this purpose, a questionnaire was developed to collect data from 51 instructors. Since the questionnaire items regarding perceptions and practices were identical and covered five subscales under the two overall approaches, comparisons could be performed. The findings showed that the instructors agreed on the value of the subscale of Engagement in the writing revision process more than the other subscales. They also indicated that the two subscales of Engagement in the writing revision process and Writing as a final product were their most frequently reported writing practices. Based on the comparison between their perceptions and self-reported practices, consistencies were found in all five subscales. This study not only validated the questionnaire on the two approaches to teaching EFL writing in Moroccan universities but also showed the extent to which instructors' perceptions and self-reported practices matched one another.
