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Introduction: The cohort of students enrolled in the discipline-specific bioscience paper reflects a structural diversity in that it includes students of multiple ethnicities, varied age groups, differing scholastic and life experiences. These divergent identities of students are known to influence academic performance. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to determine the ability of a set of variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, level of prior education, the place from which prior education was obtained, work experience and prior academic achievement to predict academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., Method: The sample for this study was a purposive sample of all oral health students who had enrolled in the paper at the Auckland University of Technology from 2011 to 2014. The desensitised empirical data of 116 students from the University's database were subject to multivariable regression analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated., Results: Prior academic achievement was a statistically significant predictor variable (P < 0.001) for the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper and was also positively correlated (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) to the grades in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., Conclusion: Prior academic achievement was the only variable that was demonstrated to be correlated to and predictive of the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Young people increasingly turn to the Internet for information about social and political issues. However, they struggle to evaluate the trustworthiness of the information they encounter online., Aims: This pilot study investigated whether a focused curricular intervention could improve university students' ability to make sound judgements of credibility., Sample: Participants (n = 67) were students in four sections of a 'critical thinking and writing' course at a university on the West Coast of the United States. Course sections were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 29) and control conditions (n = 38)., Methods: We conducted a pre-and-posttest, treatment/control experiment using a 2 × 2 × 2 design (treatment condition × order × time) with repeated measures on the last factor. Students in the treatment group received two 75-min lessons on evaluating the credibility of online content. An assessment of online reasoning was administered to students 6 weeks prior to the intervention and again 5 weeks after., Results: Students in the treatment group were significantly more likely than students in the control group to have shown gains from pretest to posttest., Conclusions: Results suggest that teaching students a small number of flexible heuristics that can be applied across digital contexts can improve their evaluation of online sources., (© 2019 The British Psychological Society.)

Aim: To review evidence of the effects of stunting, or height-for-age, on schooling level and schooling trajectories, defined as the combination of school entry age, grade repetition and dropouts., Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies (last update 20 March 2021) that assessed the association between stunting, or height-for-age, and at least one component of school trajectory using five databases (PubMed, Embase, Education Resources Information Center [ERIC], Web of Science and PsycINFO). Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Pooled effects were calculated using the generic inverse variance weighting random-effect model. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020198346)., Results: We screened 3944 articles, and 16 were eligible for the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Meta-analysis showed that an increase in height-for-age leads to an increase in early enrolment [OR = 1.34 (95% CI, 1.07-1.67)], a reduction in late enrolment [OR = 0.63 (95% CI, 0.51-0.78)], an increase in schooling level [MD = 0.24 (95% CI, 0.14-0.34)] and a reduction in school overage [OR = 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70-0.90)]. Stunted children were more likely to repeat a grade than non-stunted [OR = 1.59 (95% CI, 1.18-2.14)]., Conclusion: This review suggests that stunting in childhood might negatively affect school trajectories. Future research should evaluate the effect of stunting on school trajectories and the modification effect of socioeconomic status., (© 2022 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Spatially talented students have a capacity for success that is too often overlooked by educational services. Because these students may lack appropriate challenge, theorists suggest these students experience greater academic struggles than other gifted students, including behavioural problems and lack of academic engagement., Aims: The goal of this research was to explore empirical evidence for the claim that spatially talented students would experience more academic struggles than other gifted students. We sought to understand the size of the 'spatially talented' population and their patterns of behavioural and academic struggles in high school. We also looked at long-term outcomes, including degree completion., Samples: This article explores characteristics of spatial talent in three US nationally representative data sets: Project Talent (1960), High School and Beyond (1980), and the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (1997). Combined, these data provide a 60-year longitudinal study of student outcomes., Methods: This study utilized factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression methods to explore the research questions for each data set., Results and Conclusions: From our analyses, we estimate that 4-6% (at least 2 million) of the 56.6 million students in the US K-12 system are spatially talented students that are not identified by common gifted and talented screening processes. These students had greater academic challenges, including reading difficulties, poor study habits, and behavioural troubles. We also found that spatially talented students were less likely to complete college degrees compared to other talented students. Our findings support the need for greater services to these talented students., (© 2020 The British Psychological Society.)

Background: Committing errors is a common part of the learning process, and adults are more likely to correct errors that they can recall. However, preadolescent children's recall of previous errors (i.e., memory for errors) may be limited., Aims: We examined children's ability to recall their past errors and tested whether recalling an error aids error correction., Samples: We worked with 102 (Study 1) and 173 (Study 2) middle-school children in the United States., Methods: In Study 1, children studied and were tested on their memory for math definitions. After reviewing the correct answers, children recalled their initial test answers and then took a final test. Reminders of past errors were provided for some children in Study 2. In two other conditions, children either recalled their past errors or studied the correct answers only., Results: Children's recall of their past errors was poor, and errors that were recalled were no more likely to be corrected than errors that were not recalled. Across children, there was a positive association between memory for errors and error correction even after controlling for covariates. Being reminded of past errors and recalling past errors reduced error correction relative to studying the correct answers only., Conclusions: Preadolescents' memory for errors is very limited, their ability to recall past errors predicts error correction overall, and recalling an error or being reminded of an error does not facilitate error correction., (© 2020 The British Psychological Society.)

Background: Studies in the United States show that school students from some ethnic backgrounds are susceptible to stereotype threat, that this undermines their academic performance, and that a series of virtually zero-cost self-affirmation writing exercises can reduce these adverse effects. In England, however, socioeconomic status (SES) is a much stronger predictor of academic success than is ethnic background., Aims: This study investigates whether self-affirmation writing exercises can help close the SES attainment gap in England by increasing the academic performance of low-SES (but not higher-SES) school students., Sample: Our sample consisted of students aged 11-14 in a secondary school in southern England (N = 562); of these, 128 were eligible for free school meals, a proxy for low SES., Methods: Students completed three short writing exercises throughout one academic year: those randomly assigned to an affirmed condition wrote about values that were important to them, and those assigned to a control condition wrote about a neutral topic., Results: On average, the low-SES students had lower academic performance and reported experiencing more stereotype threat than their higher-SES peers. The self-affirmation raised the academic performance of the low-SES students by 0.38 standard deviations but did not significantly affect the performance of the higher-SES students, thus reducing the SES performance gap by 62%. The self-affirmation also reduced the level of stress reported by the low-SES students., Conclusions: The benefits of this virtually zero-cost intervention compare favourably with those of other interventions targeting the SES academic attainment gap., (© 2019 The British Psychological Society.)

Background: It is found that assigning students to a lower track during secondary education negatively affects their academic performance. As an explanation, it is often mentioned that an anti-school culture in lower tracks undermines students' effort and involvement., Aims: This study assessed whether going to a lower track affects student engagement. For if an anti-school culture is to blame for limiting lower track students' performance, lower track assignment should reduce engagement., Sample: A sample of a longitudinal cohort study during secondary education in Flanders (northern Belgium) was used to describe development in engagement with n = 5,417 students in 46 schools. Four tracks were investigated across four school years., Method: Two main methodological challenges were present in this study, different student intake in each track and many students changing from a higher to lower track over time. Accordingly, we used inverse probability treatment weights with marginal structural mean models to account for different student intake and track changes. A comparison was made per pair of tracks that are hierarchically consecutive by matching students who were comparable across these tracks. Accordingly, there were three pairwise comparisons., Results: It was never found that being continuously in lower track negatively affects engagement. Only for one pairwise comparison, there was evidence that students who changed from the higher to lower track had lower engagement., Conclusions: We rejected the hypothesis that lower tracks negatively affect student engagement. This makes the anti-school culture as an explanation for lower track assignment negatively affecting academic performance implausible., (© 2019 The British Psychological Society.)

Gamification, characterized by the integration of game design elements into non‐game environments, has gained popularity in classrooms due to its potential for increased engagement and enjoyment compared to traditional lecture‐based teaching methods. While students generally exhibit positive attitudes towards gamification, its impact on academic achievement remains a subject of debate. This study employed a meta‐analysis approach to examine the overall influence of gamification on students' academic performance. The sample comprised 22 experimental studies conducted between 2008 and 2023, comparing the effects of gamified and non‐gamified classes. Utilizing a random effects model, the results revealed a moderately positive effect of gamification on student academic performance (Hedges's g = 0.782, p < 0.05). The paper further discussed the outcomes of various moderator analyses, providing valuable insights into the selection and utilization of game design elements, as well as considerations specific to different educational stages.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Most research has consistently demonstrated that gamification has a positive impact on students' achievement. The current state of review research is not sufficiently comprehensive. There is a lack of meta‐analyses exploring the diverse impacts of gamification. What this paper adds The effect of factors such as geographical regions, education levels, learning environments, subjects and game elements on gamification was examined. The study revealed a significant and positive impact of gamification on students' achievement across various factors, including geographical regions, education levels, learning environments, subjects and game elements. Implications for practice and/or policy Gamification represents a prudent choice for teachers seeking to enhance students' achievement. Teachers are suggested to adopt and employ appropriate game elements in their instructional approaches. Future research could focus on investigating the impact of feedback as a game element in teaching and learning. Most research has consistently demonstrated that gamification has a positive impact on students' achievement. The current state of review research is not sufficiently comprehensive. There is a lack of meta‐analyses exploring the diverse impacts of gamification. The effect of factors such as geographical regions, education levels, learning environments, subjects and game elements on gamification was examined. The study revealed a significant and positive impact of gamification on students' achievement across various factors, including geographical regions, education levels, learning environments, subjects and game elements. Gamification represents a prudent choice for teachers seeking to enhance students' achievement. Teachers are suggested to adopt and employ appropriate game elements in their instructional approaches. Future research could focus on investigating the impact of feedback as a game element in teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile learning (M‐learning), ChatGPT and social media are integral to university education, improving accessibility, personalization and interactive engagement in the learning process. This paper aimed to investigate the role of M‐learning, ChatGPT and social media in university students' academic performance. It was a cross‐sectional quantitative investigation, and data were collected from 600 university students through a self‐developed questionnaire having four subscales (M‐learning, ChatGPT, social media and academic performance). Simple linear regression and process macro were deployed to test study hypotheses. The analysis revealed that M‐learning is a significant contributor to students' academic performance at the university level (β =.460, t(598) = 12.663, p <.001). Social media were found to be significantly mediating the relationship between M‐learning and academic performance with coefficient B =.267, SE =.038, t(597) = 7.08, p <.001, 95% CI [0.193, 0.341]. ChatGPT was significantly contributing to academic performance (B =.288, t(596) = 2.50, p =.013), but the interaction term had an insignificant effect on the relationship between M‐learning and academic performance (β =.292, t(596) = −0.43, p =.668). The study suggests that M‐learning can improve students' performance. The influence of social media and the non‐moderating role of ChatGPT indicate the need for strategic integration of these tools to enhance university students' outcomes. It is recommended that university students should judiciously use social media to enhance M‐learning. In contrast, universities should foster this integration to achieve educational aims and explore how AI tools like ChatGPT can be optimally deployed to improve learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People in modern society are media multitaskers due to portable devices and omnipresent wireless networks, and college students are no exception. Previous studies have indicated that students' media multitasking behaviours in class harm their academic performances, and understanding the reasons for college students' engagement in such behaviour is meaningful. However, the literature takes media multitasking behaviour as an audience behaviour, which ignores the interaction between students and their surroundings. This study fills this gap by emphasizing the role of the social learning process. A survey was conducted in a public and comprehensive university in western China, and a total of 457 valid respondents were obtained. The results from PLS‐SEM revealed that college students' in‐class media multitasking behaviours were influenced by both observational learning (ie, imitating others) and reinforcement learning (ie, in‐class interventions), and this learning process was shaped by students' media multitasking self‐efficacy and self‐management of learning. These findings contribute to the current literature by providing a relatively new perspective for understanding college students' in‐class media multitasking behaviours, and suggestions about how to deal with such behaviours are also provided. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic In‐class media multitasking behaviours (ICMMBs) damage college students' academic performance.College students' ICMMBs are affected by individual factors, such as internet addiction and sensation seeking.Social learning theory is widely adopted as a general theoretical background to explain those behaviours of which possible consequences are easily observed no matter from others or from individuals themselves.What this paper adds This work enriches the media multitasking literature by investigating the predictors of ICMMBs from a relatively new perspective, that is, the social learning perspective.This work also contributes to the literature on media multitasking by examining how the social learning process of college students' ICMMBs differs across students.This work extends the application scope of social learning theory to the context of college students' ICMMBs.Implications for practice and/or policy. The role of imitating others proves the importance of the learning atmosphere in classrooms, so teachers or lecturers should pay special attention to build a learning atmosphere away from ICMMBs.Some in‐class interventions should be established, especially the formal policy of schools to require students to hand in their smartphones or other media before class and students' own mindfulness of such behaviour.Teachers or lecturers should take actions to lower the academic performance expectations of students with higher media multitasking self‐efficacy (MMSE) because students with higher MMSE often overestimate their capabilities to have good performance when conducting other tasks simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Study: The effects of the flipped classroom (FC) on students' academic performance remain ambiguous, and the use of pre‐class videos may be one of the main factors hindering students' progress. A software package called GeoGebra has been proposed as a substitute for pre‐class videos to aid students' learning. Objective: This study investigates the effect of the FC using GeoGebra (FCG) on mathematical performance and memory among senior secondary students. Methods: One hundred and sixty students of a senior high school in China were selected. A quasi‐experimental design was implemented in which the classes were split into the intervention group (FCG), control group A (FCV) and control group B (TL) by random assignment. Pretest, Post‐test 1 and Post‐test 2 were introduced. Results and Conclusion: The results indicate that both the FCG and the FC with pre‐class videos (FCV) were more effective than traditional lectures in enhancing students' academic test scores, and that the effect of the FCG was comparable to its video counterpart, F(2, 136) = 3.752, ρ = 0.026, η2 = 0.052. Although their effects were similar, the qualitative results revealed some hidden benefits associated with the replacement of pre‐class video with GeoGebra. Furthermore, although they were equally effective in promoting students' performance in the short‐term, the long‐term effects on academic performance of both forms of FC were non‐significant when compared with traditional lectures. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Flipped classroom is an effective strategy in teaching mathematics.Among those challenges, video may be one of the main factors hindering the effect of flipped classroom. What this paper adds: GeoGebra could be an effective alternative to video.Effect between the flipped classroom using GeoGebra and the flipped classroom using video were similar.Both the flipped classroom with GeoGebra and the flipped classroom with videos were more effective than traditional lectures. Implications for practice and/or policy: Students' short‐term performance could be enhanced by visualisation provided by flipped classroom.To enhance students' long‐term performance, an appropriate amount of homework is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaboration is a crucial concept in learning and has the potential to foster learning. However, the fact that collaborative groups act with a common understanding in a common task brings many difficulties. Therefore, there is a need for group regulation and guidance to support effective group regulation in collaborative learning. On the other hand, the focus should be on the effect of group regulation guidance intervention on the improvement of both individual and group performance, modes of motivational regulation strategies, and the progression of group metacognition. Objectives: In this study, group regulation guidance approaches were developed to support the collaborative learning of Computer Science university students. The developed group regulation guidance approach consists of feedback and a feedforward mechanism. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of these approaches on academic performance, group regulation performance perception, self‐, co‐, and socially shared regulation of intrinsic motivation, and group metacognition levels. Methods: The study was patterned with a quasi‐experimental design. 65 students participated in the study, and various scales were used to collect data. Data were analysed using paired sample t‐tests, analysis of covariance, and multivariate analysis of covariance. Results and Conclusion: According to the research results, academic achievement showed an increase in the experimental groups after the intervention compared with the pre‐intervention. The group in which the feedforward‐supported regulation guidance approach was used showed better learning success. In the group using the feedback‐supported regulation guidance approach, better group regulation, motivational regulation strategies, and group metacognition scores were obtained. Modes of motivational regulation strategies and group metacognition scores differed according to the experimental groups. Implications: While the results provide important clues for teachers and instructional designers, the developed approaches can be used as a framework for different fields. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Collaboration has the potential to foster learning.There are many obstacles for collaborative groups to act with a common understanding in a common task.Collaborative learning requires group regulation and guidance to support effective group regulation. What this paper adds: Academic achievement increased in the experimental groups after the intervention.Feedforward‐based group regulation guidance approach provides better learning success.Feedback‐based group regulation guidance approach provides better group regulation and metacognition.Modes of motivational regulation and group metacognition differ according to the groups. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers and instructional designers should not only focus on feedback‐based regulation processes, but also consider feedforward processes to ensure academic performance.Feedback and feedforward‐based regulation guidance approach can help computer science students, who gain first‐hand experiences through active participation, to establish more effective social interaction in their professional projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The principle of inseparability of teaching, academic research and assistance to patients, to which university physicians are subject in carrying out their work, invites reflection, aimed at identifying a combination of the three activities characterised, at the same time, by efficiency and effectiveness. Aims and Objectives: The present paper illustrates a paradigm based on the balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations with the purpose of identifying an efficient solution in the performance of the duties of university doctors. Methods: The analysis refers to Italy in terms of the main scenario, or, conversely, the achievement of more profit‐related goals. Results and Conclusion: Depending on the prevailing goal, it is possible to recognise the superiority of the constitutional principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since little is known about the effects of free textbooks on compulsory school students in China, this paper examines the effects of free textbooks on the academic performance of Chinese middle school students. It combines propensity score matching and difference‐in‐difference estimation to control for both observable and unobservable factors that affect the probability of obtaining free textbooks as well as students' academic performance. Results indicate that free textbooks significantly improve the midterm scores of girls and rural students, and the effects vary across different subjects. Moreover, the impact mechanisms of free textbooks are different for different groups and different subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the factors affecting quality of school educational process. It describes the application of artificial intelligence approaches (neural networks) into the educational process. The analysis of methods for tracking changes in the position of the head while studying at school or at home is presented. The results obtained make it possible to evaluate the psycho‐physiological, psycho‐emotional state of primary school students in the process of interacting with a computer when performing educational tasks. The goal is to create computer tools that monitors changes in head position using images from a laptop or tablet digital camera. This article presents the stages of developing a neural network for assessing head turns when performing a school assignment and the results of applying the program. A new tool is proposed for assessing the state of a student in the learning process, to determine the ability to perceive different types of educational information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project‐based learning (PjBL) engages students in knowledge acquisition, application, and construction through artefact development. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, this study characterized college students' social and cognitive presences in online PjBL and examined how presence was related to their academic performance. Twenty‐four groups of students participated in a 3‐week project via WeChat discussion groups and created a final product. Transcripts of students' online discourse were collected and analysed by a coding scheme. The quality of students' artefacts was evaluated by a grading rubric. Descriptive results showed that the component of affectiveness and the level of exploration accounted for the majority of students' social and cognitive presences, respectively. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that certain components and sub‐components of students' social presence, and levels and sub‐levels of their cognitive presence were positively associated with their academic performance. Practical implications for teachers and suggestions for further research are provided. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Social and cognitive presences predict academic performance in non‐project‐based online learning. What this paper adds: Various components of social presence predict group artefact performance in online project‐based learning.Different levels of cognitive presence predict group artefact performance in online project‐based learning. Implications for practice and/or policy: Students should acquire basic content knowledge before participating in online project‐based discussions.Teachers might consider assisting students with the direction of online project‐based discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A collection of laws, regulations, and court rulings have provided the structure and mandated reasonable modifications and accommodations for learners with disabilities. Preceptors are on the frontlines of experiential education where the convergence of factors create challenges in providing accommodations. However, a few guiding principles and established resources can help preceptors provide accommodations to learners with disabilities to allow learners the opportunity to achieve learning outcomes without lowering educational standards and outcomes. This stepwise approach includes establishing essential learning activities and outcomes, documentation and dialogue with the student, and providing reasonable accommodations and inclusive learning environments. This paper will review the legal landscape of accommodations for disabilities, discuss the scope of disabilities in health science education, and provide recommendations and examples of instructional strategies for accommodating learners in practice‐based, experiential education by modifying policies, procedures, and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The increasing prevalence of asthma among adolescents and the limited studies exploring the educational outcomes for youth coping with asthma makes the inquiry in this field of special interest. This paper reviews the literature on empirical studies exploring the relationship between asthma and academic performance among adolescents. METHODS: Five databases (CINAHL, PubMed, ERIC EBSCO, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were searched for peer‐reviewed empirical studies exploring the link between asthma and academic performance utilized. Studies were reviewed, logged, and assessed studies for their research design, methods, and findings. Data synthesis incorporated strengths, limitations, and recommendations for future research and practice. RESULTS: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 13 employed a survey design and 7 evaluated school‐based interventions implementing an experimental design. Whereas researchers applied quantitative methods in all the studies, qualitative and mixed‐method designs were infrequently used. Studies showed a link between school absenteeism and asthma; other academic indicators (eg, graduation and test‐scores) showed inconsistent correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should deploy more variable research designs and methods to improve understanding of the factors contributing to the relationship between adolescent asthma and academic performance. Additional topic‐specific inquiry is needed to inform school practices and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of extending free school lunch to all students, regardless of income, on academic performance in New York City middle schools. Using a difference‐in‐differences design and unique longitudinal, student‐level data, we derive credibly causal estimates of the impacts of "Universal Free Meals" (UFM) on test scores in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, and participation in school lunch. We find UFM increases academic performance by as much as 0.083 standard deviations in math and 0.059 in ELA for non‐poor students, with smaller, statistically significant effects of 0.032 and 0.027 standard deviations in math and ELA for poor students. Further, UFM increases participation in school lunch by roughly 11.0 percentage points for non‐poor students and 5.4 percentage points for poor students. We then investigate the academic effects of school lunch participation per se, using UFM as an instrumental variable. Results indicate that increases in school lunch participation improve academic performance for both poor and non‐poor students; an additional lunch every two weeks increases test scores by roughly 0.08 standard deviations in math and 0.07 standard deviations in ELA. Finally, we explore potential unintended consequences for student weight outcomes, finding no evidence that UFM increases the probability that students are obese or overweight. We also find no evidence of increases in average body mass index (BMI). Instead, we find some evidence that participation in school lunch improves weight outcomes for non‐poor students. Results are robust to an array of alternative specifications and assumptions about the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the effects of smartphone use by college students on their perceived academic performance. Using five hypotheses derived from the literature related to smartphone use, the initial model was set up for path analysis to reveal the relationships among variables regarding college students' smartphone use in the academic setting. Moreover, multiple group analyses were additionally conducted to verify whether students exhibited different relationships in the hypothesized model depending on their majors. The results from path analyses showed that all path coefficients were positive and statistically significant, which indicated that all five hypothesized paths were supported. Above all, the results from multiple group analysis showed that one path (from Behavioural Intention to Use Smartphone to Academic Performance) differed significantly across groups. The findings from the current study provide educational policymakers and educators with information on how smartphone utilization in learning activities influences students' academic performance. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Smartphones foster interaction with people and multitasking.College students use smartphones as learning aids in e‐learning and web‐based learning.College students have high smartphone self‐efficacy.Smartphones have both positive and negative effects on academic performance.What this paper adds: College students' interaction competency influences behavioural intention for using smartphones for academic activities.College students' smartphone self‐efficacy has positive impacts on their behavioural intention for using smartphones for academic purposes.College students' behavioural intention to use smartphones positively influences perceived academic performances.Students' behavioural intention to use smartphones presents distinct impacts on academic performances depending on their major fields: natural science and humanities.Implications for practice and/or policy: Educational policymakers and educators may benefit information on how smartphone utilization in learning activities influences students' academic performances.The instrument developed in the present study could be used for future studies on smartphone use and students' psychological factors such as self‐efficacy and behavioural intention to use smartphones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondary education has lifelong implications for wellbeing. We evaluated associations between the duration and timing of special health care needs (SHCN) across childhood and academic achievement in secondary school. Methods: Cohort design. The structured modelling approach was used to evaluate life‐course models for associations between the duration and timing of SHCN (measured using a two‐item SHCN screener across ages 4–5, 6–7, 8–9 and 10–11 years) and Grade 7 (median age 12.5 years) reading and numeracy achievement. Linear regressions were fitted for each life‐course model: four critical period models (each including SHCN exposure in one period), one sensitive period model (including SHCN exposure in all periods) and two strict accumulation models (including the duration of SHCN exposure in linear form then categorical form). Interactions of SHCN with child sex and family socio‐economic status (SES) were examined. Results: Of 3734 children, 1845 were female. The number of children with SHCN was 434 (11.7%), 458 (12.9%), 534 (14.7%), 551 (15.4%) at 4–5, 6–7, 8–9 and 10–11 years respectively. For both outcomes, the linear strict accumulation model fitted best, and interactions of SHCN with sex and SES were non‐significant. The average decrease in school achievement z score (95% confidence interval) per period of having SHCN was 0.04 (−0.07 to −0.02) for reading and 0.08 (−0.11 to −0.05) for numeracy. Conclusions: A longer duration of SHCN from age 4–11 years has small‐sized cumulative associations with poorer Grade 7 reading and numeracy achievement. Each period of SHCN between 4 and 5 and 10–11 years was associated with nearly 0.05 and 0.1 of a standard deviation reduction in Grade 7 reading and numeracy scores respectively, and these associations did not appear to differ across sex or SES. These findings suggest that children with persistent SHCN are at risk of academic deficits and should receive focused interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many states have scaled up School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW‐PBIS) with the goal of improving student behavior and academic outcomes. Although the effects of SW‐PBIS on behavioral and discipline outcomes have been promising, the findings for academic achievement have been inconclusive and are often limited to cross‐sectional data. This paper examined the longitudinal effect of SW‐PBIS on student behavioral problems and academic achievement growth in elementary and middle schools using propensity score matching. We found no statistically significant longitudinal effects of SW‐PBIS on either student behavior problems or academic achievement among elementary and middle schools in this quasi‐experimental design, even though the positive direction of longitudinal changes would be identified. The result raised questions about the efficacy of SW‐PBIS using a statewide achievement test when scaled up to a state level. Additional research is needed to better understand the impact of SW‐PBIS using rigorous scale‐up designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the influence of students' social and behavioral features on lecture capture use in the learning of engineering courses, as well as teachers' perceptions of pedagogical changes and students' performance. Results show that the students' perceptions about lecture capture are highly positive in terms of improving learning and academic performance. With respect to behavioral factors like attention deficit, the study suggests that a significant number of students having difficulties in maintaining attention during lectures and rely on lecture capture for further understanding. With respect to social factors, variation in the use of lecture capture has also been observed between native and non-native English speaking students, and in students with different levels of past experience in using lecture capture. Lecturers of these engineering courses have expressed optimism about using lecture capture, and have raised concerns about restrictive teaching styles, and the requirement for technological improvements and adequate training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deteriorating performance of first-year economics students has become a concern at many South African universities. Addressing the issue requires an understanding of the factors influencing students' success. Studies analysing academic performance use the education production function approach. This approach identifies inputs that are crucial to learning and to achieving certain outputs. Factors that have been investigated in other studies include the impact of lecture attendance on performance, school-leaving exam (matriculation) results, particularly performance in mathematics, and the gender and age of students. This study adds to existing local empirical research by analysing the impact of the tutorial programme as an input. The case study investigates the tutorial programme for first-year economics students at Stellenbosch University using quantitative analysis. Results confirm what previous studies have found, namely that lecture attendance, gender, and matriculation results contribute positively to the performance of first-year economics students. The main finding of the paper is that tutorial attendance also contributes positively to academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the psychological influences on academic performance using a goal-efficacy framework. Data were gathered using a survey questionnaire ( N = 375). The paper is motivated by a repeated high failure rate for a second-year core accounting unit and anecdotal evidence that international students perform poorly in comparison with domestic students. The results demonstrate the role of self-regulated learning strategy as a mediating variable for goal orientation and academic performance. While the analyses suggest no significant differences between domestic and international students with respect to the main psychological variables and academic performance, further analyses reveal that four specific factors of the main psychological variables are significantly different between domestic and international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate field courses provide students with valuable opportunities to learn in and from the natural environment. Prior research shows that field courses can improve students' cognitive and affective outcomes and encourage them to engage in social interaction with their classmates and professors. Despite frequent documentation of the ability for field courses to promote social relationships, no prior studies have characterized student interaction in this context or its influence on student outcomes. To better understand student interactions, we used social network analysis to characterize how and with whom students formed communities in a semester‐long field course with an integrated research project. We found that students form small, tightly connected communities composed of professional and personal contacts with whom they maintain contact throughout the semester. We asked students what they discussed when talking about their research project with their professional and personal contacts. We found that students explained their research to members of their professional and personal communities. Discussions with professional communities largely focused on guidance related to the technical aspects of their research projects and personal communities focused on personal support. We also examined student research project performance and science identity. Bootstrapped multivariate linear modeling indicated that neither student demographic factors nor the degree to which a student discussed their research with their personal or professional communities influenced their research project grades. However, the strength of the professional but not personal connections was associated with science identity. Based on these findings, we offer evidence‐based recommendations to field course instructors on how best to structure student interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper argues for giving explicit attention to the quality of implementation of school-wide mental health promotions and examines the impact of implementation quality on academic performance in a major Australian mental health initiative. Method: Hierarchical linear modelling was used to investigate change in standardised academic performance across the 2-year implementation of a mental health initiative in 96 Australian primary (or elementary) schools that was focused on improving student social-emotional competencies. Results: After controlling for differences in socioeconomic background, a significant positive relationship existed between quality of implementation and academic performance. The difference between students in high- and low-implementing schools was equivalent to a difference in academic performance of up to 6 months of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The purpose of this paper is to highlight the link between children's nutritional status and their educational achievement. It is argued that education policy makers must consider nutrition as a key factor in the design of educational interventions to improve the participation and academic performance of school-age children. Historically, analyses aimed at improving accessibility and quality of schooling in countries struggling with educational issues have focused on school-related factors such as location, the availability of teaching materials, teacher quality, and institutional management. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of households are also frequently cited as important determinants of school participation and school achievement. Surprisingly, except for age and gender, individual characteristics such as health and nutritional status are rarely considered as underlying factors. However, studies have shown that undernourished children have lower attendance, shorter attention span, lower performance scores, and more health-related problems than their well-nourished counterparts. Eight hundred million primary school-age children form a substantial fraction of the world's 2000 population; a number that is growing by about 10 million each year. The resulting pressure on schools implies the need for cost-effective approaches that support both education and health. The key is the nutrition/learning nexus. Current problems found in both the developing and developed world relevant to the role of nutrition for tangible educational impact, efficient use of resources, and development of health promoting policies, are illustrated using data from the United Arab Emirates as an example. The problems and possible solutions are applicable to many other regions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence for the impact of oral health on academic performance is still unclear. Aim: To assess the impact of oral health conditions on poor academic performance in schoolchildren by including a range of clinical and self‐reported OH measures in a modified cross‐sectional study. Design: This study was carried out on schoolchildren aged 12–14 years in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, using a stratified and randomised cluster sampling method. Clinical indices from oral screening and self‐reported OH conditions and behaviours and school absence from the self‐administered questionnaire were recorded a month before the school examination. Results of passing or failing the examination were obtained after the examination. Statistical associations were examined using bivariate and multiple logistic regressions. The oral health measures were categorised based on the types of conditions and briefly appraised. Results: Measures of dental caries, dental pain, soft tissue problems, oral hygiene, tooth discolouration, tooth mobility and school absence due to dental pain were associated with greater odds of failing the examination (p <.05). Measures of dental treatment and absence due to dental visits were associated with lower odds of failing (p <.05). Conclusions: Dental caries with pain likely explains the poor academic performance of schoolchildren, whereas treatment has a protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Examine concussion effects on academic outcomes, including student perspectives. Methods: This study included a systematic review and meta‐analysis examining post‐concussion school attendance, academic performance, perceptions of academic difficulty, and accommodations for students in elementary through college settings. The analysis considered pre‐ and post‐injury factors, along with injury factors that contribute to post‐concussion academic outcomes. Results: The systematic review showed that students with concussion miss more school days and perceive higher levels of academic difficulty, but results about academic performance varied. Meta‐analysis yielded small concussion effects on school absence and academic performance and moderate effects on perceptions of academic difficulty. Female sex, older age, history of migraine, prior concussions, severe or persistent symptoms, vestibular‐ocular motor, and cognitive disruptions are risk factors, but these moderators were not identified in the meta‐analysis due to lack of effect sizes. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: This study confirmed negative concussion effects on academic absences, performance, and perceptions of academic difficulty. Identified contributing factors will guide future practices to support students returning to learn after concussion. Conclusions: Negative impacts to academics from concussion may be amplified by complicating factors. Future investigations are needed to confirm risk factors and mitigating effects of early identification and post‐injury supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research identifies the critical factors of student engagement and distance learning that will improve academic performance during a pandemic. The fuzzy Delphi method and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process method are applied to this research, which is a multicriteria decision‐making technique. A survey is conducted and evaluated based on experts' opinions. The social constructivism theory was selected to be applied here; it supports student engagement and distance‐learning factors' relationships with academic performance. After the analysis, the six most significant factors are evaluated. It is observed that Social isolation (C1), Technology effectiveness (C2), Social status enhancement (C3), Student Competency (C4), Motivation (C5), and Satisfaction (C6) are the highest‐ranking factors that increase academic performance. On the basis of the results, it is suggested that management's primary responsibility is to provide training and guidance to instructors/teachers to enhance, motivate the students, and create opportunities for every student to improve their academic performance in a pandemic situation through distance learning. Practitioner points: •Academic institutions should use dependable and user‐friendly technology to promote distance learning.•Academia should use online and virtual channels to engage students during emergencies to maintain learning continuity.•Students balancing employment, family, and other responsibilities may require flexible distance learning programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing student learning styles represents an effective way to design the most suitable methodology for our students so that performance can improve with less effort for both students and teachers. However, a methodology is usually set in teaching guides according to the previous academic year's information without any knowledge of our current audience. In this work, a new software for learning styles and grade analysis based on the Honey‐Alonso Learning Styles Questionnaire has been proposed. This tool proposes the average learning style profiles of a given course by clustering student learning styles and analyzes the possible relation between grades and learning style profiles. By using that program, three different courses from Computer Sciences Engineering degrees during an academic year have been analyzed. The obtained results in our specific context exhibit that possible relation. This information could be useful to understand how students approach learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duration schedules of reinforcement for continuous behavior abide by several preexisting operant behavioral economic equations for reinforcer cost, otherwise known as price, and consumption. Duration schedules require behaviors to occur for a set duration of time prior to accessing reinforcement, unlike interval schedules that produce reinforcement after the first instance of a behavior after a given period. Despite extensive examples of naturally occurring duration schedules, translational research regarding duration schedules is quite limited. Further, a lack of research investigating the implementation of such reinforcement schedules, combined with concepts such as preference, represents a gap in the applied behavior analysis literature. The current study measured three elementary students' preferences for fixed‐ and mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement during academic work completion. Results suggest students prefer mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement that provide the opportunity to access reinforcement at a reduced price and that such arrangements could be employed to increase work completion and academic‐engaged time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of induction of labor, for both medical reasons and as an elective procedure, has been rising and a further increase in induction of labor following the ARRIVE trial may be expected. The effects of induction of labor at term on childhood neurodevelopment, however, are not well studied. We aimed to study the influence of elective induction of labor for each week of gestation separately from 37 to 42 weeks on offspring school performance at 12 years of age after uncomplicated pregnancies. Material and methods: We performed a population‐based study among 226 684 liveborn children from uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, born from 37+0 to 42+0 weeks of gestation in cephalic presentation in 2003–2008 (no hypertensive disorders, diabetes or birthweight ≤p5) in the Netherlands. Children with congenital anomalies, of non‐white mothers and born after planned cesarean section were excluded. Birth records were linked with national data on school achievement. We compared, using a fetus‐at‐risk approach and per week of gestation, school performance score and secondary school level at age 12 in those born after induction of labor to those born after non‐intervention, ie spontaneous onset of labor in the same week plus all those born at later gestations. Education scores were standardized to a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1 and adjusted in the regression analyses. Results: For each gestational age up to 41 weeks, induction of labor was associated with decreased school performance scores compared with non‐intervention (at 37 weeks −0.05 SD, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.10 to −0.01 SD; adjusted for confounding factors). After induction of labor, fewer children reached higher secondary school level (at 38 weeks 48% vs 54%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.82–0.94). Conclusions: In women with uncomplicated pregnancies at term, consistently, at every week of gestation from 37 to 41 weeks, induction of labor is associated with lower offspring school performance at age 12 and lower secondary school level compared with non‐intervention, although residual confounding may remain. These long‐term effects of induction of labor should be incorporated in counseling and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotrophic factors and cardiorespiratory fitness are both considered important in developmental trajectories but their link to brain health remains poorly understood. The aims of the study were to examine whether levels of plasma-derived neurotrophic factors were associated with brain health indicators in children with overweight or obesity; and to test whether these associations were moderated by cardiorespiratory fitness. 100 children (41% girls) were included in this analysis. Plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, and epidermal growth factor were determined by XMap technology. Academic performance and executive function were assessed using validated neuropsychological tests. Hippocampal volume was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 20-m Shuttle Run Test. Insulin-like growth factor-1 was positively associated with cognitive flexibility. Stratified analyses by fitness categories (i.e. unfit vs. fit) showed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor was positively associated with right posterior hippocampal volume in fit children, and epidermal growth factor was negatively associated with right hippocampal, and right anterior hippocampal volumes in their unfit peers, with a moderating role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations. However, all these significant associations disappeared after correction for multiple comparisons. The association between neurotrophic factors and brain health indicators in children with overweight/obesity was neither strong nor consistent. These results could help enhance our understanding of determinants of brain health in children with overweight/obesity. Highlights This study provides novel findings on the associations between neurotrophic factors and a wide range of brain health indicators in children. This study additionally explored the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations. The association between neurotrophic factors and brain health in children with overweight/obesity was neither strong nor consistent. Cardiorespiratory fitness moderated the associations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and epidermal growth factor with right hippocampal volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Situational judgment tests (SJT) have been previously used in the admission process of medical and dental undergraduate programs, but their utilization as an assessment tool is fairly new. The objective of this study was to explore essential non‐cognitive attributes of dental graduates. We also aimed to assess the attributes of final year dental students utilizing SJT and later collected participants' reactions on the test. Methods: A mixed‐method exploratory sequential study was conducted. One‐on‐one and group discussions were done with subject matter experts (SMEs) to explore the essential attributes of fresh dental graduates. Based on the thematic analysis, 10 SJT items per domain were constructed by one group of SMEs and expert validated by a different group of SMEs and vice versa. The final dental‐SJT was piloted online on final year dental students and their perceptions were collected using a five‐point Likert scale questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Cronbach's alpha were calculated for the test. Results: The consultation with SMEs generated three main themes, namely, Conventional skills, Tribal skills, and Occupational skills. The 70‐item dental‐SJT piloted on 150 final year dental students revealed data were normally distributed. The internal reliability of test was good (0.738). Students scored highest in "management skills" (>70%) and lowest in "professional ethics" (56%) and "diverse experiences" (58%). The overall student perception about the test was good. Conclusion: SJT is an effective tool to assess non‐cognitive attributes of dental students. It has an overall positive perception about perceived predictive validity, perceived fairness, face and content validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) plays a significant role in health and academic performance in youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between CRF and academic performance from fifth to eighth grade among a large, diverse, and state‐wide cohort of students, and to determine the extent to which the relationship between change in CRF and academic performance is moderated by poverty status. Methods: CRF and academic performance data were obtained for a retrospective state‐wide cohort of 11,013 students with baseline (fifth grade, school year 2015‐2016) and follow‐up (eighth grade, school year 2018‐2019) data. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the association between changes in CRF over a 3‐year follow‐up period and eighth grade academic performance. Results: After adjusting for covariates, change in CRF and poverty status were positively and significantly associated with eighth grade academic performance. Poverty status did not significantly moderate the association between changes in CRF and academic performance. Conclusions: Schools should prioritize evidence‐based policies and programs that optimize students' access to high quantity and quality physical activity throughout the school day. Such efforts can improve and maintain student CRF and thus academic performance outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer‐aided design (CAD) tools are essential for any engineer and, thus, many researchers have focused on developing the most suitable method for acquiring CAD competences. In recent years, efforts have been devoted to designing new, innovative and helpful methodologies to improve the CAD pedagogy. The presented research aims at showing the advantages of integrating interactive self‐assessment tools into CAD learning methodologies, such as problem‐based learning (PBL). One hundred and ninety‐one first‐year Mechanical Engineering students participated in the research. They were evenly and randomly divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. Students belonging to the control group made use of PBL. The experimental group made use of PBL and a new interactive tool, called TrainCAD, that allows the self‐assessment of 2D‐CAD models designed in AutoCAD. The presented results show that experimental group students have considerably improved their academic performance and increased their motivation on the subject. Therefore, the combination of the two proposed approaches seems to be useful for helping students during the CAD learning process. On the other hand, gender was also a factor that has been analysed, to discern whether it influences the proposed academic learning process (based on the applied CAD pedagogy), concluding that there is no significant influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the psychosocial factors that positively and negatively impact academic performance is important to help students succeed and persist in higher education. In this article, we conducted a scoping review to clarify and identify the psychosocial factors affecting university students' academic performance. The initial search returned 1657 articles and 36 articles met the inclusion criteria. Inspection of the articles was conducted to identify the relationship between psychological and social variables on academic performance. We found that psychosocial factors were significantly related to university students' academic performance. Specifically, academic performance was often correlated with social support, motivation, stress, satisfaction, self‐efficacy, anxiety and depression, prior academic achievement, study effort, adjustment, family, and emotions. This scoping review defines what constitutes a psychosocial factor within the context of university students' academic performance. We encourage future research to explore the understudied psychosocial variables and not overlook the role of social factors on academic performance. Context and implicationsRationale for this studyThis article aims to clarify and identify the psychosocial factors affecting university students' academic performance.Why the new findings matterThe findings contribute to the existing literature by showing that psychosocial factors are related to university students' academic performance. Further, this review defines what constitutes a psychosocial factor within the context of university students' academic performance.ImplicationsThis scoping review provides initial results to define what constitutes a psychosocial factor within the context of university students' academic performance. The implications of this review include directing future research to explore the impact of psychosocial variables identified on academic performance. Further, this review provides higher education providers and educators with insight into what psychological and social factors are impacting their students' academic performance. By utilising the information presented, institutions can begin to identify the types of psychosocial support they can offer to help sustain and improve the academic outcomes of their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant amount of research into gender differences in academic performance in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields. This has identified important differences between the academic achievement of men and women as measured through grade point averages and time to completion. However, the specific STEM fields of design have not been thoroughly explored. This research investigates the long‐term academic performance of a large group of architecture, industrial design, interior design and landscape architecture students at a major Australian university. The study followed the progress of 472 students over an 11‐year period. In most fields the academic achievement of students follows expected patterns; the difference in academic grades for male and female students reduces over time. However, in interior design, there are significant differences that increase with time, to the favour of women. A range of social, cultural and contextual influences are discussed including the signature pedagogy of the design studio and the hidden curriculum of design education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: Admission to dental school is based on various factors including academic achievements in undergraduate coursework and the Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores. Students' success in an operative course requires fundamental knowledge, hand skills, spatial awareness, and self‐assessment ability. The goal of this study is to evaluate how admissions factors, such as Grade Point Average (GPA) and DAT, including the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), relate to students' academic and preclinical performance and self‐assessment skills in preclinical operative dentistry. Methods: A total of 239 students were included from seven class years (2016–2022). Third‐year dental students participated in a preclinical operative dentistry course. At the end of the course, they took the final multiple‐choice exam and performed four competency examination procedures: Class II amalgam preparation and restoration and Class III resin‐composite preparation and restoration. Calibrated faculty graded students' work independently and students also self‐assessed their performance using the same rubrics as faculty. Linear regressions were performed to estimate the association between the admission factors with the mean faculty scores (measuring preclinical performance), student‐faculty (S‐F) gap scores (evaluating self‐assessment skills), and their final didactic exam scores. Results: Overall, students' self‐assessment was higher compared to faculty score. Linear regression analysis demonstrated positive correlations between the PAT and students' preclinical performance as well as between the DAT and their didactic exam scores. In general, S‐F gap score decreased as PAT score increased, and it was statistically significant lower for the Class III preparation, indicating a better self‐assessment skill. No correlations were observed between student performance and GPA scores. Conclusion: The findings from the association between student performance and admission factors may play an important role in the dental school admissions process and assist students who may benefit from early faculty intervention and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) evolved from the surgical and the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from the medical (DMD) roots of the dental profession, dental schools in the US currently award both degrees, verified as equivalent by finding no differences between them in standards of admissions, accreditation, or state licensure requirements while continuing to be subjectively perceived as different enough to create professional and public confusion. In contrast, Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs) and Doctors of Medicine (MDs) are both objectively and subjectively perceived as different in philosophy and healthcare training while objectively passing similar examinations to be licensed as physicians. Following from the history of both dental degrees and their implications for training and dental practice, the objective of this manuscript is to update the scientific, socio‐political, and professional reasons for awarding only the DMD for future graduates while continuing to recognize the contributions of DDS graduates to oral healthcare. Working with the American Dental Association (ADA), American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and dental school librarians, a historical review was undertaken of the establishment of two doctoral degrees for dentists in the United States, including beliefs and attitudes of faculty and local dentists at the times of initiation or change in degrees awarded. Among the current 68 dental schools in the United States, there are approximately equal numbers of DDS‐ and DMD‐granting schools. Except for some Harvard physicians, some of whom practiced dentistry, who wanted dentistry to be a specialty of medicine and the unexpected, serendipitous substitution of "medicine" for "surgery" which could not be translated into required Latin in 1867, all dental schools would have awarded only the DDS degree. Now, with the ongoing reorganization of the healthcare workforce in the United States, a single degree with broader healthcare connotations of the DMD will facilitate the integration of dentistry with overall healthcare, without changing the fundamental oral healthcare responsibilities of both DDS and DMD graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is universally recognized that cadaveric dissection is an essential part of anatomy training. However, it has been reported to induce mental distress in some students and impair their intrinsic motivation (IM) to study. One of the postulated reasons for this behavior is the lack of adequate information and preparation of students for cadaveric dissection. Therefore, it is hypothesized that providing relevant information prior to cadaveric dissection will ameliorate the mental distress, enhance the IM of students, and improve their academic performance. A cohort of occupational therapy students enrolled in an anatomy course were psychologically prepared for cadaveric dissection. Students were provided with a curated list of YouTube videos and peer‐reviewed journal articles related to cadaveric dissection prior to the commencement of the anatomy course. All students were also required to attend an oral presentation immediately before commencing dissection. The control group included students who had not been provided with any resources in preparation for cadaveric dissection. Compared to the control group, students who had been prepared demonstrated better quality of cadaveric dissection, improved academic performance, reported less mental distress and greater IM. Moreover, students reported the oral presentation to be most relevant and journal articles to be least useful in their preparation. Therefore, this is an effective approach in the amelioration of mental distress and improvement of performance in anatomy students. Consequently, this study represents a paradigm shift in the pedagogy of anatomy, and could represent a vital element in the evolution of a revitalized anatomy curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate entry healthcare students experience many challenges during their academic journey. The impact of these challenges needs to be considered to support students through their training and education. In this study, we examined the impact of experiencing these role conflicts (at the outset of the academic year), for example, family and caring responsibilities, activities with family/friends, and daily tasks/chores, on the academic performance (at the end of the academic year) of graduate‐entry healthcare students. We also investigated the potential of students' self‐efficacy for learning to mitigate the extent to which such role conflicts impact academic performance. Findings demonstrate that the more graduate entry healthcare students experienced conflicts between their life responsibilities and their academic responsibilities, the worse their academic performance was across the year. This negative relationship was somewhat mitigated by high self‐efficacy for learning. The practical implications of our research suggest the need to provide specific mitigation strategies to support healthcare students regarding conflicts between their life/family responsibilities and their academic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of neuroanatomy imposes a significant cognitive load on students since it includes huge factual information and therefore demands diverse learning strategies. In addition, a significant amount of teaching is carried out through human brain demonstrations, due to limited opportunities for cadaveric dissection. However, reports suggest that students often attend these demonstrations with limited preparation, which detrimentally impacts their learning. In the context of student learning, greater levels of engagement and intrinsic motivation (IM) are associated with better academic performance. However, the maintenance of engagement and the IM of students in neuroanatomy is often challenging for educators. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the role of prelaboratory assignments (PLAs) in the improvement of academic performance, augmentation of engagement, and enhancement of IM in occupational therapy students enrolled in a human neuroanatomy course. One cohort of students in the course was expected to complete PLAs prior to each brain demonstration session. The PLAs contained a list of structures, and students were expected to write a brief anatomical description of each structure. Another cohort of students who were not provided with similar PLAs constituted the control group. Students who completed PLAs had a higher score on the final examinations as compared to students who were not required to complete PLAs. These students also demonstrated greater engagement and IM, and indicated that they perceived PLAs to be valuable in the learning of neuroanatomy. Therefore, PLAs represent a useful teaching tool in the neuroanatomy curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical students' motivation and study strategies are crucial in determining academic performance. This study aimed to assess the motivation and learning strategies of medical students as well as their association with performance in anatomy examinations. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, two focus group discussions, and students' current anatomy cumulative grade point average (cGPA) were used. Generally, the medical students strongly felt that anatomy is fundamental to the practice of medicine and surgery. This result was consistent with high task value scores of 5.99 ± 1.25. They were also driven by extrinsic goal orientation (5.59 ± 1.42) and intrinsic goal orientation (5.08 ± 1.26). Most medical students typically relied on elaboration (5.35 ± 1.25) ahead of other cognitive strategies namely rehearsal (5.30 ± 1.11), organization (5.15 ± 1.34), and lowest‐rated critical thinking (4.77 ± 1.19). The students also relied on resource management strategies, effort regulation (5.15 ± 1.20) and time and study environment regulation (5.03 ± 1.03) more than the moderately scored peer learning (4.95 ± 1.50) and help‐seeking (4.95 ± 1.09). In the focus group discussions, students reported that they often narrate or explain to each other what they would have read and understood from anatomy lectures, tutorials, and textbooks. They also bemoaned the lack of institutional support for stress burdens. The motivation and learning strategies subscales were not correlated with anatomy cGPA. Males were driven by extrinsic goals and experienced significantly higher levels of test anxiety than females (P < 0.05). Knowing the motivation and learning strategies students employ early in the medical curriculum can be leveraged to promote self‐directed learning and academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and Method: This meta‐analysis reports the most comprehensive assessment to date of the strength of the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and academic performance by synthesizing 267 independent samples (N = 413,074) in 228 unique studies. It also examined the incremental validity of personality traits above and beyond cognitive ability in predicting academic performance. Results: The combined effect of cognitive ability and personality traits explained 27.8% of the variance in academic performance. Cognitive ability was the most important predictor with a relative importance of 64%. Conscientiousness emerged as a strong and robust predictor of performance, even when controlling for cognitive ability, and accounted for 28% of the explained variance in academic performance. A significant moderating effect of education level was observed. The relationship of academic performance with openness, extraversion, and agreeableness demonstrated significantly larger effect sizes at the elementary/middle school level compared to the subsequent levels. Openness, despite its weak overall relative importance, was found to be an important determinant of student performance in the early years of school. Conclusion: These findings reaffirm the critical role of personality traits in explaining academic performance through the most comprehensive assessment yet of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sleep has been shown to affect cognitive function in laboratory studies; however, its association to the academic performance of adolescents has largely been demonstrated using self‐reported measures. Studies with objective measures of both sleep and academic performance are limited. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the free‐living sleep quantity, quality, and timing of 15‐year‐old adolescents measured with wrist actiography are associated with their scores on national standardised examinations as an objective measure of academic achievement. We measured sleep with wrist actiography for 1 week in 253 (150 girls) Icelandic adolescents with a mean (SD) age of 15.9 (0.3) years. Multiple linear regression was used to assess associations between sleep parameters and combined standardised examination scores in mathematics, English, and Icelandic obtained from the Icelandic Directorate of Education. We found that students went to bed at 00:49 hours (± 51.8 min) and slept for a mean (SD) of 6.6 (0.7) hr/night, with a median (interquartile range) night‐to‐night variation in sleep duration of 1.2 (0.7) hr and an efficiency of 88.1 (5.3)%. Combined analyses adjusted for sex, demonstrated that both bedtime and night‐to‐night variability in total sleep time were negatively associated with the average score across all topics. Sex‐specific associations did not indicate clear differences between boys and girls. These findings suggest that, in addition to appropriate sleep duration, public health guidance should also highlight the importance of early and consistent sleep schedules to academic achievement for both boys and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I estimate whether bullying leads to worse academic outcomes for bullied students, exploiting state‐year differences in anti‐bullying laws, and within‐law heterogeneity that provide variation in the probability of bullying victimization. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, I show that bullying increases the probability of skipping classes and dropping out of high school, and it decreases grade point average by up to 5%. Heterogeneity analysis shows that physical bullying imposes a greater burden on males, though females are relatively more sensitive to nonphysical bullying. These negative effects persist into adulthood as high school bullying decreases college performance and college graduation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]