The aim of this study was to examine the effects of self-esteem, intrinsic motivation, academic procrastination, delays in exam preparation, and grades on academic cheating of college students. Previous studies have not explored the relationship between academic procrastination, self-esteem, and academic cheating. A questionnaire survey was administered to 307 female Japanese undergraduate students (mean age 20.3 years; standard deviation 1.06 years). A path analysis was conducted, resulting in the following findings. First, academic cheating among students decreased with increase in grades received. Second, reduced intrinsic motivation both directly and indirectly encouraged academic procrastination, leading to subsequent delays in exam preparation. Lastly, self-esteem did not have a direct impact, but may have promoted academic misconduct by encouraging students to indulge in academic procrastination and subsequently delayed exam preparation. The results of this study were interpreted in comparison with existing literature, and the way forward has been discussed.

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This study analyzed students’ in the “Environment” class awareness of the childcare content, which is characterized by the linkage of lectures and exercises. In May 2018, the class was conducted using “Mud Balls,” which are familiar to the students, and an awareness survey was conducted immediately after the class. The data of 40 students were examined through qualitative analysis. From the results of the analysis and discussion, the students were found to be engaged in making mud balls while remembering via childhood, and that they were able to share their experiences with other students. The results indicated that the students enjoyed the experience. Furthermore, it became clear that the knowledge and experiences gained through the class will lead their motivation for performance in the field as a childcare teacher in the future.

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We developed a practical and interactive learning and training program for psychology graduate students to use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Students could practically learn to conduct and give feedback on test results before entering the psychological testing field. In Stage 1 of the study, we designed the training program and reviewed it by analyzing the participants’ responses to a questionnaire on the program. The results indicated (1) graduate students could practically learn to efficiently use the WISC-IV through the program’s innovations; (2) active learning increased the ease of concentration despite the long and complicated study period; (3) group activities created a relaxed environment that facilitated learning goal achievement; and (4) the program’s unique role-playing of the examination helped avoid damaging students' self-esteem and gave them opportunities to consider the test from the examinees’ perspective. We suggest devising methods of increasing understanding of WISC-IV’s theoretical framework, focusing on fatigue, providing clear and specific instructions, designing surveys to examine the program's goals of practicality and ease of collaborative learning, and developing efficacy studies to improve the program．

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Social and emotional skills are regarded as important for children to acquire in early childhood. This study statistically analyzed the selective and descriptive responses to a questionnaire survey of 158 parents of kindergarten children. Factors influencing the acquisition of persistence, motivation, emotional stability, and communication ability were examined. For children, age, gender, number of siblings, and contents they were working on with strong interest at home were examined. For parents, wait-and-see attitude, respect for children, interests in education, and the ratio of childcare involvement were examined. The results of ordered logistic regression analysis revealed that parents' wait-and-see attitude, especially “waiting for children to get ready for the day” was positively correlated with persistence, challenge, and emotional stability, and significantly improved persistence and emotional stability. In addition, the attitudes of “waiting for children to put away the toys” and “waiting for children when they fail” had positive effects on the ability to communicate with the family. On the other hand, the descriptive answers revealed the specific and various situations in which waiting was difficult for parents. These results suggest the need for parental education and support based on the importance of parents' wait-and-see attitude.

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The purpose of this study is to develop a new scale for measuring the pre-school teacher’s efficacy related to acceptance and to clarify its structure. Specifically, based on the preliminary survey, 52 items related to acceptance by pre-school teachers were carefully selected. Next, we conducted a large-scale questionnaire survey of 334 in-service pre-school teachers and 227 students aspiring pre-school teachers. As a result of the analysis, “respect the ego of the child”, “exist as an understanding of the child”, “exist as an understanding of the parents”, “recognize the diversity of individuals” 20 items of 4 factors were extracted, and a clear multidimensional structure was confirmed. It was also confirmed that it has sufficient reliability and validity. Finally, we briefly discussed the practical applicability of this scale and the development of study.

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