CALL FOR PAPERS

Fifth Global SELFInternational Biennial Conference

Enabling Human Potential: The Centrality of Self and Identity Constructs

13 - 15January, 2009, Dubai, UAE

Abstracts Due: 30th August, 2008

Final Papers for Conference Proceedings Due: 30th September, 2008

Early Bird Registration: 30thSeptember, 2008

Keynote Speakers Include

Professor Rhonda Craven, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Professor Kit T. Hau, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China

Professor Martin L. Maehr, University of Michigan, USA

Professor Maher M. Abu-Hilal, Al Ain University of Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates

Professor Herb Marsh, Oxford University, England

Professor Dennis McInerney, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Professor Hazel Markus, Stanford University, USA

Professor Ralf Schwarzer,Freie University of Berlin, Germany

Features

  • Keynote addresses by leading international researchers
Showcase of cutting-Edge Research
  • Breakthroughs in research methodology
  • Stimulating poster sessions
  • Round table sessions with leading researchers
  • International networking
  • Opportunities for students to meet potential examiners and get feedback on work in progress

and lots more…

Invitation

We extend an invitation to you to participate in our fifth international conference. Papers are requested pertaining to a broad array of self-related and identity constructs and processes (e.g., self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, identity, motivation, anxiety, self-attributions, self-regulated learning, academic interest, and meta-cognition) including theories underlying these constructs, their measurement, their relation to other constructs, their enhancement, and their application in research and practice in diverse settings (e.g., child development, education, sports psychology).

The benefits of feeling positively about oneself on one’s choice, planning, persistence, and subsequent accomplishments transcend traditional disciplinary and cultural barriers. For example, maximising self-concept is recognised as both a critical goal and a means through which other important outcomes are achieved within diverse disciplines including education, child development, sport/exercise, health, social services, psychology, and management.

Papers that promote strategies to optimise self-related constructs as a valuable outcome in of itself, and as a means to facilitate the attainment of other valued outcomes that enable human potential such as learning and achievement, teaching effectiveness, physical, cognitive and social development, emotional and physical well-being, improved productivity and job satisfaction, healthy lifestyles, and a greater awareness of the worth of self in different social and cultural contexts are also welcome.

The Global SELF Research Centre

The Global SELF Research Centre is a virtual network of international research centres and leading self researchers. The Centre strives to:

  • Develop and promote strategies to optimise self-concept and other self-related constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, motivation, academic interest) as an important outcome in itself;
  • Promote a greater awareness of the worth of self and identity in various social and cultural contexts; and
  • Promote the role of self as a key facilitator in the attainment of other valued outcomes that enable human potential such as: cultural identity; learning and achievement; healthier lifestyles; teaching effectiveness; physical, psychological, educational, social, emotional, and occupational development and well-being.

The Global SELF Research Centre, with its primary focus on self theory, measurement, research, and practice, is unique internationally. At the heart of the Global SELF Research Centre is a membership which includes hundreds of self researchers from over 46 countries and a network of leading international research centres throughout the world. Its international importance is demonstrated by the breadth of its International Foundation membership, comprising some of the world’s leading self and identity researchers; the world-class standing of its international research centres; and the collaborative links sought by key research bodies. The Centre has had a substantial impact on transforming the conduct and quality of self and identity research throughout the world, driving the international research agenda.

We aim to provide a biennial international forum for leading international self researchers, emerging researchers, promising postgraduate students, and practitioners to discuss issues arising from the conference theme as well as to promote internationally the importance of self and identity research for enabling human potential in diverse settings (e.g., education, child development, sports psychology).

Conference Location

Our 5th international conference will be held in the breathtaking setting of Dubai.

Guide for Presenters

Presenters are asked to nominate the type of presentation they would like to deliver (paper, poster, symposium). Presenters are to bring copies of full paper for distribution to delegates during their session.

Paper presentations will be for a period of 25 minutes (20 minute presentation, 5 minute discussion). Presenters are asked to bring their powerpoint presentation on a memory stick that can be inserted into the laptop computers supplied at the conference venue as well as overhead transparencies of slides in case of any computer issues.

Symposiumwill be for a period of 120 minutes for 4 papers. All papers submitted for a symposium need to be submitted together with the name of the symposium on the cover page and the order of the presentations.

Poster presentation sessions will have a 45 minute timeslot and be non-concurrent. A large board approximately 1.2 metres wide by 2 metres high will be made available for each poster presentation. Poster presentations typically include a title, a summary of the purpose, research design and results of the study and incorporate pictorial images (e.g. graphs and tables) depicting key results. Presenters will need to bring their posters to the conference and hang up their poster in advance of the poster session and take their poster down at the conclusion of the session.

Submission Requirements

All presenters need to nominate whether they wish their papers to be refereed by external review. Non-refereed papers will be subject to editing by the conference convenors in collaboration with the author. Conference proceedings will list papers as refereed or as edited papers.

Potential presenters are initially required to email an abstract of their presentation in the required format to Dr. Alexander Yeung by 30th August, 2008. Authors will then be notified by email whether their abstract has been accepted for presentation at the conference. Following acceptance of your abstract, a copy of your paper needs to be emailed to by 30THSeptember, 2008.

Abstract Format

Nominate whether your paper is to be refereed or not. Nominate presentation type. Provide a short descriptive title of no more than 20 words. List authors’ names and affiliation. Include one person’s contact details for further information. Submit your abstract to in the following format as a separate word file called by your surname (e.g. Craven1, Craven2 etc.).

To be refereed (or unrefereed paper)

Paper session (or poster session, symposium: title).

Separation of Competency and Affect Components of Multiple Dimensions of Academic Self-Concept: A Developmental Perspective

Rhonda G. Craven

Centre for Educational Research, University of Western Sydney

In two large confirmatory factor analyses (Ns of 11,029 and 1,397) of Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ-I) responses, I examined how the separation of competency and affect components of Reading, Math, and School self-concept varies across ages 7-13. The SDQ-I factor structure was well-defined with factor loadings invariant over both longitudinal and cross-sectional age comparisons. Correlations among Reading, Math, and School self-concepts systematically decreased with age, but correlations between the competency and affect within each domain remained consistently large. With age and development students more clearly distinguish between different academic self-concept domains, but the relation between intrinsic liking and competency remains strong. I tentatively recommend that researchers distinguish between competency and affect components of academic self-concept, qualified by the need to evaluate further the construct validity of this separation in relation to additional external validity criteria.

Corresponding Author

Professor Rhonda Craven

Centre for Educational Research

Locked Bag 1797

Penrith South DC NSW 1797, Australia

Email:

Phone: 61 2 9772 6428

Fax: 61 2 9772 6432

Paper Format

All papers must be prepared in the required format for consideration for publication in the conference proceedings. Manuscript length is up to 15, 1.5 spaced typed pages including figures. Insert figures and tables where they need to appear in the text. Margins of 2cm on top, bottom, and sides. 12 point Times New Roman for text, 10 point font figures and tables. No page numbering, headers, or footers. APA format throughout. Use 3 level of headings only in text:

This is a Level 1 Heading (Bold, Mixed Case – Centred)

This is a Level 2 Heading (Left Justified, Bold, Italic, Mixed Case)

This is a level 3 heading. (indented, bold, italic, sentence case) Text starts one space after the period.

Further Information

Prof. Maher M. Abu-Hilal

Dean, College of Education, Al Ain University of Science & Technology

Director, Al Ain International Satellite Unit, Global SELF Research Centre

Tel: +971 3 7611185
Mobile: +971 50 6182900
email:

We would appreciate your assistance in distributing this email widely to your networks and look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Herb Marsh

Professor of Education, OxfordUniversity

Co-Director, Global SELF Research Centre
Tel: 01865 274 041(or +44 1865 274041)

Email:

Professor Rhonda Craven

Professor of Education, Centre for Educational Research, University of Western Sydney

Co-Director Global SELF Research Centre
Email:

Telephone: + 61 2 97726557

Prof. Maher M. Abu-Hilal

Dean, College of Education, Al Ain University of Science & Technology

Director, Al Ain International Satellite Unit, Global SELF Research Centre

Tel: +971 3 7611185
Mobile: +971 50 6182900
email: