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As college tuition rises nationwide, policy efforts to reduce these costs are increasingly focused at the 2-year level. However, it is not fully known whether increased access to college increases degree attainment. Compared to observationally equivalent peers who enroll in 4-year institutions, 2-year enrollees may face a decreased likelihood of BA receipt. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study, this paper examines the long-term academic outcomes for full-time, bachelor's degree intending students who initially enroll at public 2-year institutions. I examine the impact of initial community college enrollment on degree attainment, credit accumulation, and student loan debt using multiple identification strategies. I utilize a series of linear probability models (LPM) and an instrumental variable (IV) approach that exploits variation in the cost of and proximity to 2- and 4-year institutions. These strategies estimate the impact of initial community college enrollment by comparing identical students regarding demographics and academic ability, in which one student enrolls in a 2-year school and another in a 4-year institution. I find that initial 2-year enrollment reduces the likelihood of bachelor's degree attainment by 14 (LPM) to 35 (IV) percentage points but reduces student loan accrual by nearly $7500. Understanding the impact of initial 2-year enrollment is especially important as there is increased pressure on community colleges to play a role in providing pathways to BA receipt. Understanding the effect of community college enrollment can help secondary and postsecondary institutions and policymakers better provide pathways to baccalaureate attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored the link between teacher-student relationships and learning engagement, considering perceived social support as a mediator and academic self-efficacy as a moderator. A total of 930 college students completed the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Teacher-Student Relationships Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and College Student Learning Engagement Questionnaire. Mediating and moderating effects were investigated using SPSS19.0 and one of its process plugins 3.5. The findings indicated (1) teacher-student relationships positively predicted learning engagement; (2) perceived social support mediated the link between teacher-student relationships and learning engagement; and (3) academic self-efficacy moderated the initial phase of the pathway to the mediating role of perceived social support. Moreover, the mediating effect was more significant at elevated academic self-efficacy levels. Establishing harmonious relationships between teachers and students, nurturing students' confidence in their academic abilities , and expanding students' access to social support were essential to boosting the educational involvement of college students. The study findings will help educators enhance college students' engagement in learning and provide recommendations for educators to conduct educational and teaching activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research, cognitive ability was segmented into five distinct faculties: memory, representational, information processing, logical reasoning, and thinking conversion. The strength of a person's cognitive ability affects the effectiveness of his or her knowledge acquisition and the efficiency of learning. The influence of these five faculties on academic performance was meticulously examined. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the mediating role of perseverance in the relationship between cognitive ability and academic performance was explored. Additionally, the intervening influence of self-discipline on this mediation was probed, positioning self-discipline as a moderating variable. Findings revealed a pronounced positive correlation between cognitive capability and academic performance. Perseverance was discerned to act as a partial mediator in this relationship. Notably, the moderation of self-discipline was salient in the initial phase of this mediation, suggesting that as self-discipline levels augment, the influence of cognitive ability on perseverance intensifies. Consequently, in scenarios of elevated self-discipline, the mediation becomes more robust, validating the moderated mediation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the end of primary school, children are expected to acquire a range of mathematical skills that progressively develop. This study aimed to gain insight into how a large number of numerical and geometrical measures are grouped and whether the structures shift or remain invariant along child's development based on the data obtained from a sample of 1346 s to sixth grade children. On the basis of correlation analyses and exploratory factor analyses, we came up with an invariant four-factor structure for each grade. The four factors obtained were the following: (a) early and retrieval skills (subitizing, enumeration, number facts) (b) transcoding and ordinality skills, (c) numerical advanced skills and (d) visual-spatial advanced skills. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the four-factor model fits well to the data (RMSEA < 0.06, CFI > 0.95, GFI > 0.93, SRMR < 0.05) at all grades. The associations between the mathematical measures were captured in each factor and the revealed invariant structure is discussed and compared with previous classification models of mathematical skills. Given that the difficulties in learning mathematics is currently being viewed as a continuum of academic abilities instead of a distinct problem, the underlying invariant four-factor structure can facilitate experts and educators to better understand how a broad area of mathematical skills are related across the primary education, in order to carry our comprehensive assessment of both the mathematical strengths and weaknesses of their students and to apply the appropriate customized teaching strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic adjustment can be an important factor in accepting the new online education environment and succeeding in this situation. The target population for this study comprised all students enrolled at universities in Ahvaz City, (Iran) during the 2022–2023 academic year. In this descriptive-correlational study, the purposive sampling method was employed to select 300 university students and asked them to answer the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (ASEQ), Online Education Questionnaire (OEQ), and Academic Adjustment Questionnaire (AAQ). The study findings revealed that aptitude, effort, and context all had positive significant relationships with academic adjustment in college students (p <.01). Additionally, effort, context, and academic adjustment exhibited positive effects on optimal online learning (p <.05). Our findings did not show a direct relationship between aptitude with optimal online learning in students. Aptitude, effort, and context were also found to have indirect yet significant effects on optimal online learning by affecting academic adjustment (p <.01). It is suggested that academic adjustment be promoted to enhance the effects of aptitude, effort, and the context of academic self-efficacy on optimal online learning among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reading comprehension is one of the most valuable academic skills taught in school. Selecting the appropriate assessment instrument to ensure early identification and intervention is important as there is an amalgam of cognitive abilities and academic skills involved in reading comprehension. The GORT-5 is the most recent edition of a test that measures reading rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension among school-age children and young adults. The current study evaluated the concurrent validity of the GORT-5 with the WJ-IV ACH for a group of referred students. Findings indicate that Pearson correlation coefficients for all GORT-5 and WJ-IV ACH score comparisons were very large (0.70-0.89). Generally, GORT-5 scores were 2-3 points higher than WJ-IV ACH cluster scores. The diagnostic accuracy of the GORT-5 is excellent, with very few students' scores yielding a false negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of active social network usage (ASNU) and passive social network usage (PSNU) on academic performance. Using a survey sample of 621 high school students in Taiwan, the results showed that PSNU did not associate with learning results, whereas ASNU may have its function on students' learning. Specifically, ASNU interacted with PSNU to predict high school students' academic performance. Moreover, ASNU undermined the academic performance of those with high PSNU, but not of those with low or medium PSNU. Additionally, for individuals with high PSNU and high ASNU, their performance mostly suffered. The results supported the work–life conflict theory, revealing that excessive social network sites (SNS) use, especially ASNU, might distract students from studying and, therefore, negatively impact their learning performance. The findings may contribute to the clinical and educational fields regarding adolescents' SNS-using behaviors and psychological development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning engagement is malleable to environmental change. An important learning environment created by teacher-student interactions is perceived teacher autonomy support, which may trigger learning engagement directly and/or indirectly by enhancing academic self-efficacy. In this study, we apply a network approach to explore the relationships between the specific facets of perceived teacher autonomy support, academic self-efficacy and learning engagement, and a sample consisting of 215 students in the fifth and sixth grades from a primary school in Changchun of China is used. Node centrality indicators and the accuracy and stability of the network are also calculated. The results reveal that there are no edges between the three facets of perceived teacher autonomy support and the three facets of learning engagement, and the shortest path connecting the two constructs is through academic ability self-efficacy. Furthermore, learning support, academic ability self-efficacy, and dedication have the top three strengths in the network, which indicates that the three facets are more closely related to other facets of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Self-Determination Theory, teachers can enhance their students' motivation, engagement, and learning through need-supportive teaching, which involves providing autonomy support, structure, and involvement. However, within classes, there appears to be great variation in the degree to which teachers support students' psychological needs. The current studies aimed to investigate to what extent this differentiation in need support was associated with students' socioeconomic background. Additionally, we examined whether teachers differentiated their need support more strongly when they had more biased Explicitly or Implicitly measured attitudes toward students from a low socioeconomic background. We conducted two studies: Study 1 was a vignette study representing a fictional student from a high or low socioeconomic background, and Study 2 was a field study where teachers reported on the need support provided to real students from a high and low socioeconomic background from their own class. Findings of both studies indicated that teachers reported lower levels of involvement for students from a low compared to a high socioeconomic background. Moreover, in Study 2, teachers reported to provide students from a low socioeconomic background with less autonomy support and more structure compared to students from a high socioeconomic background. However, these differences in autonomy support and structure seemed to be related to other student characteristics, namely students' gender, and teachers' perceptions of students' academic ability and classroom behavior. Furthermore, we revealed that teachers differentiated their need support more strongly when they had more biased attitudes toward low socioeconomic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an abrupt adoption of online learning worldwide challenging students' scholastic engagement and their ability to self-regulate their learning. Under these unexpected conditions, adaptability (one's capacity to adjust thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in new and uncertain situations) might have sustained students to maintain high engagement and find new learning solutions. Students with high adaptability might also interpret COVID-19-related novelty as an opportunity and show higher posttraumatic growth levels. A longitudinal path analysis showed that in a sample of 435 Italian students (11–18 years old), adaptability at Time 1 positively related to engagement, self-regulated learning, and posttraumatic growth at the end of the school year, indirectly favoring academic achievement, through the mediation of engagement and self-regulated learning. These findings highlight the unique role that adaptability could play in supporting students in unexpected and stressful situations. Fostering students' adaptability could therefore have beneficial effects on their personal growth and academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although teacher's personality is an essential component of successful classroom learning, most teacher education programs accept students solely on the basis of scholastic ability scores such as school grades, national test scores (SAT, GRE) or undergraduate college transcripts. To ensure suitability to teaching, a personality-evaluation system was developed in Israel for teacher education candidates. This evaluation system includes non-cognitive measures, such as group dynamic exercises, simulations, a teaching exercise, situational judgement tests, personality tests and an inter-personal interview, all performed face-to-face (FTF) at a testing center. The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 brought about lockdowns and social distancing, precluding the administration of this FTF evaluation system. Therefore, the development team adapted the system to online remote testing, using Zoom technology. The present study examined the effect of this transition to remote evaluation on the quality of selection for teaching, looking at suitability-to-teaching scores and the subjective views of applicants and evaluators. A comparison of the 2020 remote scores with the 2019 FTF scores revealed that scores on remote evaluation were slightly lower than FTF scores, and were more centralized. While the candidates found that remote evaluation provided fewer opportunities to express themselves, both candidates and evaluators were satisfied with the administration and convenience of the evaluation day. The Discussion chapter summarizes the unique affordances and constraints of remote evaluations and presents suggestions for changes which might be made when moving an assessment online that could take advantage of this new environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher-achieving peers have repeatedly been found to negatively impact students' evaluations of their own academic abilities (i.e., Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect). Building on social comparison theory, this pattern is assumed to result from students comparing themselves to their classmates; however, based on existing research designs, it remains unclear how exactly students make use of social comparison information in the classroom. To determine the extent to which students (N = 353 sixth graders) actively attend and respond to social comparison information in the form of peers' achievement-related behaviour, we used eye-tracking data from an immersive virtual reality (IVR) classroom. IVR classrooms offer unprecedented opportunities for psychological classroom research as they allow to integrate authentic classroom scenarios with maximum experimental control. In the present study, we experimentally varied virtual classmates' achievement-related behaviour (i.e., their hand-raising in response to the teacher's questions) during instruction, and students' eye and gaze data showed that they actively processed this social comparison information. Students who attended more to social comparison information (as indicated by more frequent and longer gaze durations at peer learners) had less favourable self-evaluations. We discuss implications for the future use of IVR environments to study behaviours in the classroom and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students enter school with a vast range of individual differences, resulting from the complex interplay between genetic dispositions and unequal environmental conditions. Schools thus face the challenge of organizing instruction and providing equal opportunities for students with diverse needs. Schools have traditionally managed student heterogeneity by sorting students both within and between schools according to their academic ability. However, empirical evidence suggests that such tracking approaches increase inequalities. In more recent years, driven largely by technological advances, there have been calls to embrace students' individual differences in the classroom and to personalize students' learning experiences. A central justification for personalized learning is its potential to improve educational equity. In this paper, we discuss whether and under which conditions personalized learning can indeed increase equity in K-12 education by bringing together empirical and theoretical insights from different fields, including the learning sciences, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. We distinguish between different conceptions of equity and argue that personalized learning is unlikely to result in "equality of outcomes" and, by definition, does not provide "equality of inputs". However, if implemented in a high-quality way, personalized learning is in line with "adequacy" notions of equity, which aim to equip all students with the basic competencies to participate in society as active members and to live meaningful lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveys with rating scales are often used in higher education research to measure student learning and development, yet testing and reporting on the longitudinal psychometric properties of these instruments is rare. Rasch techniques allow scholars to map item difficulty and individual aptitude on the same linear, continuous scale to compare respondents' development against scale challenge. This paper uses an example from the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) to demonstrate how Rasch modeling can help researchers improve their instruments over time. Results indicate that adding more difficult items, particularly related to behavior, improved scale performance from one time point to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance on standardized academic aptitude tests (AAT) can determine important life outcomes. However, it is not clear whether and which aspects of the content of test questions affect performance. We examined the effect of psychological distance embedded in test questions. In Study 1 (N = 41,209), we classified the content of existing AAT questions as invoking proximal versus distal details. We found better performance with proximal compared to distal questions, especially for low-achieving examinees. Studies 2 and 3 manipulated the distance of questions adapted from AATs and examined three moderators: overall AAT score, working-memory capacity, and presence of irrelevant information. In Study 2 (N = 129), proximity (versus distance) improved the performance of low-achieving participants. In Study 3 (N = 1744), a field study, among low-achieving examinees, proximity improved performance on questions that included irrelevant information. Together, these results suggest that the psychological distance that is invoked by the content of test questions has important consequences for performance in real-life high-stakes tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explores how English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners (i.e., English majors in China) develop their self-regulated learning (SRL) abilities during their academic transition to university. The reflections and interview responses of four Chinese university EFL majors collected over one year were qualitatively analyzed. The results show that the English major students' use of SRL was externally driven by their negative experiences with learning during their academic transition. Over the year, the students also continued to harness their self-agency to refine their transition strategies constantly and dynamically by developing clear goals and effective tactics. The study concludes that during their academic transition, the EFL students' self-regulation processes were complicated rather than linear. The results of this study can aid academically transitioning students in overcoming potential obstacles during their transition to university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained attention is a critical cognitive ability that improves over the course of development and predicts important real-world outcomes, such as academic achievement. However, the majority of work demonstrating links between sustained attention and academic skills has been conducted in lab-based settings that lack the ecological validity of a more naturalistic environment, like school. Further, most studies focus on targeted academic measures of specific sub-skills and have not fully examined whether this relationship generalizes to broad measures of academic achievement that are used for important, real-world, academic advancement decisions, such as standardized test scores. To address this gap, we examined the role of sustained attention in predicting targeted and broad assessments of academic abilities, where all skills were assessed in group-based environments in schools. In a sample of over 700 students aged 9–14, we showed that attention was positively related to performance on targeted assessments (math fluency and reading comprehension), as well as broad academic measures (statewide standardized test scores). Moreover, we found that attention was more predictive of targeted math sub-skills compared to assessments of broad math abilities, but was equally predictive of reading for both types of measures. Our findings add to our understanding of how sustained attention is linked to academic skills assessed in more 'real-world', naturalistic school environments and have important implications for designing tools to support student's academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process-based working memory (WM) training in typically developing children usually leads to short- and long-term improvements on untrained WM tasks. However, results are mixed regarding far transfer to academic and cognitive abilities. Moreover, there is a lack of studies jointly evaluating the different types of transfer, using an adequate design and considering motivational factors. In addition, evidence is needed about how pre-training performance is related to individual differences in training-induced transfer. Therefore, this study aimed to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a computerized process-based WM training in typically developing school-age children. Near and far transfer effects were evaluated both immediately after training and after 6 months, as well as individual differences in training-induced transfer. The sample was composed of 89 typically developing children aged 9–10 years (M = 9.52, SD = 0.30), who were randomized to a WM training group or an active control group. They were evaluated at pre-training, post-training, and follow-up phases with measures of visuospatial and verbal WM, reading comprehension, math computation, and fluid intelligence. Results showed that the training group significantly improved performance in verbal WM and fluid intelligence compared to the active control group, immediately after training and after 6 months. Trained children with lower initial performance in verbal WM or fluid intelligence showed greater transfer gains. No group differences were found in motivational factors. Findings of this study suggest that process-based WM training may promote transfer to cognitive abilities and lead to compensation effects of individual differences in typically developing school-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the emerging unfair inequality in Kenyan secondary schools through comparative case studies of three secondary schools in western Kenya. Qualitative data were collected through fieldwork over a four-year period, with participant observation and semi- or non-structured interviews, to understand how interactions among schools, households, and communities impact the improvement of educational quality. This study demonstrates that educational inequality stems from economic background and academic performance. While establishing new schools allowed students to choose better schools in their vicinity, increasing school competition resulted in a school hierarchy restricting uniform access due to factors of affordability and academic achievement. This suggests that the unplanned establishment of new schools constrains vulnerable students from continuing their education. Expanding educational opportunities and improving quality are important facets of education; however, it is necessary to pay attention to the beneficiaries of this process, as economic inequality may translate into educational inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies show that sustainability and education are closely interdependent. Design and implementation of the right performance assessment for students' skills acquisition and achievements is, therefore, critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article presents an in-depth analysis of the Qatar education system (K-12 level), focusing on the current assessment approaches and remaining challenges that hinder the development and implementation of proper performance-assessment methods aligned with SDGs. Based on a proposed theoretical framework influenced by the constructive alignment theory, this article examines the current performance assessment practices in Qatar and recommends potential improvement avenues with respect to SDGs and education goals (EGs). Using this framework as an analytical tool, results reveal a lack of alignment between the assessment practices, educational goals, and the SDGs. This work shows that tailored, contextually proper, and progressive assessment strategies need to be developed to accurately evaluate and guide the twenty-first-century skills of the students toward the achievement of SDGs. Further findings of this article concern presentation and discussion of the locally relevant and consistent recommendations for performance assessment methodologies that must be redesigned to be compatible, aligned, and supporting the SDGs and EGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One feature of deprived communities is a lack of social capital. Yet, research reports that social capital contributes to poverty reduction and positively impacts schools and student educational outcomes. In South Africa, there is a deficit in social capital in under-resourced and underperforming schools that limits students' educational opportunities and achievement. Partners for Possibility (PfP) responds to the lack of social capital in South African schools by partnering school principals and business leaders to develop support structures such as collaboration, networking, and professional learning communities. Findings from a site visit, conversational interviews, and examining participants' portfolios indicate that PfP provides opportunities for developing three types of social capital: structural, cognitive, and relational. These produce options that would otherwise be unavailable to these students. The discussion raises issues about social capital as a resource for development and offers suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We expand the scope of the literature on willingness to compete by asking how it varies with academic ability and whether and how it predicts career choices at different ability levels. The literature so far has mainly focused on career choices made by students at the top of the ability distribution, particularly in academic institutions. We experimentally elicit the willingness to compete of 1500 Swiss lower-secondary school students at all ability levels and link it to the study choice that students make upon finishing compulsory school. Our analysis of the relationship between willingness to compete and the study choice considers the full set of study options, including the options in vocational education. We find that willingness to compete predicts which study option high-ability students choose, not only among academic specializations but also among vocational careers, and, importantly, it also predicts whether low-ability boys pursue upper-secondary education upon finishing compulsory schooling. Our second main contribution is to systematically explore how willingness to compete varies with academic ability. We find that high-ability boys, but not girls, are substantially more willing to compete compared to all other children. As a consequence, the gender gap in willingness to compete is significantly lower among low-ability students than among high-ability students. Overall, our study highlights that insights from the literature on willingness to compete are relevant for a broader set of policy questions, populations and choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews the French examination of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the most influential and highest-stakes test in Korea. The CSAT score has considerable influence on university admissions, and admission to a highly ranked university is generally a prerequisite for socioeconomic success. From this perspective, the significance of the CSAT is enormous. In general, the assessment is influenced by the goals and content of the curriculum, and it also plays an important role in curriculum implementation. In Korea, the national curriculum has been recently reformed. The main goal of the reformed French curriculum is to promote communicative skills and cultural literacy. However, the examination has been criticized for not uniformly or adequately evaluating overall communicative skills. Considering the importance of the CSAT and the interdependence of assessment and curriculum, the CSAT French examination has to be reviewed from the perspective of test quality. Due to its limited assessment of communicative skills, the validity of the French examination is debatable. The problem of low reliability also arises due to the uncertainty of assessment criteria and guidelines. Authenticity and interactiveness could be improved by avoiding fragmentary knowledge and memorization-oriented assessment. The negative washback effect needs to be addressed to resolve the low relevance of the curriculum to the test and the relatively low applicability of the CSAT French score in university admission policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the outcomes from a number of reports, there are cognitive and academic improvements derived from chess learning and chess playing. This evidence, however, endures three key limitations: (a) ignoring theoretical premises about the concept of transfer, (b) several shortcomings regarding ideal experiment guidelines, and (c) an uncritical faith in null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) statistical analyses. The present review scrutinized the NHST outcomes from 45 studies describing chess instruction interventions (n = 12,705) in nineteen countries that targeted cognitive ability (100 tests) and academic performance (108 tests), with a mean Hedge's effect size g = 572 (95% CI = [0.127, 1.062]). There was a lower average statistical power, a higher proportion of false positive outcomes, larger publication biases, and lower replication rates for the studies in the academic performance domain than in the cognitive ability domain. These findings raised reasonable concerns over the evidence about the benefits of chess instruction, which was particularly problematic regarding academic achievement outcomes. Chess should perhaps be regularly taught, however, regardless of whether it has a direct impact or not in cognitive abilities and academic performance, because these are far transfer targets. The more likely impact of chess on near transfer outcomes from higher quality studies remains at present unexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the effect of an online relational skills training program, strengthening mental abilities with relational training (SMART), on scores on standardized classroom diagnostic assessments. Several previous studies suggested that this novel intervention has a reliable impact on intelligence scores and some domains of cognitive ability relevant in the educational setting. The current study employed a single-blind design and a matched control group in the delivery of the SMART intervention in 45-min sessions 1–3 times per week over approximately 10 weeks, with students completing the intervention within two weeks of each other. Standardized classroom diagnostic assessments were delivered pre- and post-intervention. The results showed that, controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group performed significantly better than the controls in the mathematics and reading domains post-intervention. Gains in both reading and mathematics were large and significant from pre- to post-intervention for the treatment group, but modest significant gains were also found for the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the study: Previous literature has examined the relationship between high school students' postsecondary STEM major choices and their prior interest and perceived ability in mathematics. Yet, we have limited understanding of whether and how perceived ability and interest in science and mathematics jointly affect students' STEM major choices. Results: Using the most recent nationally representative longitudinal cohort of U.S. secondary school students, we examine the degree to which students' perceived mathematical and scientific abilities and interests predict their STEM major choices, employing logistic regression and a series of interaction analyses. We find that while both mathematics and science perceived ability positively influence STEM major selection, academic interest in these subjects is a weaker predictor. Moreover, across a series of analyses, we observe a significant gender gap—whereby women are less than half as likely to select STEM majors—as well as nuanced distinctions by self-identified race. The relationships among perceived ability, interest, and STEM major choice are not found to meaningfully vary by race nor consistently by gender. However, perceived ability has a more positive effect for men than women who are pursuing Computing/Engineering majors and a more positive effect for women than men who are pursuing other STEM majors, including less applied Social/Behavioral, Natural, and Other Sciences. Implications: These findings suggest potential opportunities to enhance their perceived mathematical and scientific abilities in high school, positioning them to potentially enter STEM fields. School sites with more resources to support the ambitions of STEM students of all backgrounds may be better positioned to reduce postsecondary disparities in STEM fields. Given existing opportunity gaps and resource differentials among schools, corresponding recommendations are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) has the capacity to afford a virtual experience that obviates the reliance on using two-dimensional representations of 3D molecules for teaching stereochemistry to undergraduate students. Using a combination of quantitative instruments and qualitative surveys/interviews, this study explored the relationships between students' attitudes, perceived cognitive load, spatial ability, and academic performance when engaging in an asynchronous online stereochemistry activity. Our activity was designed using elements of game-based learning, and integrated AR technologies. The control group was provided with a copy of our activity that used two-dimensional drawings, whereas the AR group completed an activity using the AR technologies. For this cohort of students, results indicated significant improvement in academic performance in both the control and AR groups. The introduction of AR technologies did not result in the AR group outperforming the control group. Participants from both groups displayed significant improvements in spatial ability throughout the research period. Further, a moderate correlation (rs = 0.416) between students' spatial ability and academic performance was found. No significant intergroup differences in the perceived cognitive loads of students were observed. A significant difference was observed on one item of the Intellectual Accessibility subscale of the ASCI (V2), Complicated–Simple. We found no correlation for student attitude or cognitive load with academic performance. The findings of this study provide insights for future AR-related studies to explore the role of spatial ability, student attitude, and cognitive load in learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HBCU, PWI, medical education, medical school, belonging, physician workforce diversity Keywords: HBCU; PWI; medical education; medical school; belonging; physician workforce diversity EN HBCU PWI medical education medical school belonging physician workforce diversity 122 124 3 01/20/23 20230101 NES 230101 BACKGROUND Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are instrumental to the formation of Black physicians at the pre-medical and medical school levels. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort[3] of second-year medical students at HBCUs and PWIs surveyed three times over one academic year (55% of students contacted participated in the study). [Extracted from the article]

Evidence suggests that acting mindfully, that is, by stressing the purpose of the action and monitoring its current state, may benefit health, wellbeing, and academic achievements. We sought to investigate the underlying motor abilities affected by mindful-movement (MM) intervention, and which mediate its effect on academic achievement among kindergarteners. To this end, 160 children aged 3–6 years participated for 145 days, which included pre- and post-intervention tests of verbal and non-verbal intelligence, namely language, mathematics, and Raven matrices. The three conditions consisted of MM (integrating movement in academic learning), MS (movement-for-its-own-sake; promoting movement without promoting awareness), and control (regular academic environment activities). Results indicated that, compared to MS and controls, MM improved verbal and non-verbal intelligence. The effect on verbal intelligence was mediated through static balance performance, whereas the effect on non-verbal intelligence was mediated by dynamic balance performance. Possible mechanisms accounting for these mediation effects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-handicapping is a defensive response to self-doubt about one's abilities to perform well on an upcoming task. It involves the creation via behavior, or claiming, of obstacles prior to the performance in order to excuse potential failure. Although past research has focused on individual-level threats to identity, self-doubt could also result from being a member of a stigmatized group. As a result, groups that experience stigmatization may report a heightened tendency to self-handicap. We specifically examined whether subjectively lower socioeconomic status (SES) associates with reports of engaging in self-handicapping behavior. Across four samples of college students, we observed consistent associations between subjective SES (but not objective SES) and self-reported tendency to behaviorally self-handicap. Controlling for aspects of susceptibility to stereotype threat (namely, disidentification with college and doubts about academic ability) statistically eliminated this association. The findings are consistent with a process whereby low subjective SES fosters self-doubt and domain disidentification, increasing the appeal of defensive behaviors like self-handicapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, intellectuals are prone to substitute a scholastic relation to the social world for the practical relation people have to it: they replace the practical relation to objects by the relation an observer has to them and by their way of looking at them. When he/she replaces the active agent by the reflecting subject, and the logic of practice by a scholastic reason, the researcher doesn't realize that he/she performs an essential alteration of experience. The logic of practice can't be grasped from such a point of view. In order to seize it, Bourdieu said, we have to return to the world of everyday experience. But there are many ways for doing that. In this paper I examine two of them, through a comparison of two philosophers (Gadamer and Dewey) belonging to two different traditions (philosophical hermeneutics and pragmatism). Only Dewey seems to avoid what Bourdieu calls the "scholastic epistemocentrism". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial reasoning is a valuable cognitive tool which enables navigation of the body in relation to other objects in space, permits deconstruction of dimensional forms, allows reconstruction of two-dimensional representations into three-dimensional objects, and facilitates diagramming of processes or concepts. A considerable body of work has suggested that these skills are particularly important for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (reviewed in Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, Journal of Educational Psychology 101: 817-835, 2009); however, much of this data has been derived from studies with relatively narrow populations in terms of participant sex, race, academic ability, or socioeconomic condition and very few of these studies have attempted spatial reasoning training from a diversity of academic disciplines. The current study was designed to assess the influence of a week-long, academically interdisciplinary spatial reasoning Bootcamp on a small, diverse group of female participants' spatial reasoning abilities and to determine if Participants' subsequent performance in organic chemistry and physics coursework differed from that of a Match (non-Bootcamp participant) Control group. The data indicate that Bootcamp participants significantly improved their scores in some commonly accepted measures of spatial reasoning abilities and that Bootcamp participants' final grades in organic chemistry, but not physics, were significantly higher than the Match Control group. The data suggest that intentional programming to improve student spatial reasoning abilities can influence short-term spatial skill performance that may translate into improved success in certain types of subsequent coursework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The examination of academic achievements is common in educational research literature, with most studies referring to grades (marks) as measures of success. In addition, outside the realm of research, a student's grades are usually the main criteria for admission to education programmes, nomination for honours (passing above ordinary level), award of scholarships and so forth. However, scholars have put forward several arguments against the use of grades as the sole or most important measure of academic success. This research note focuses on a specific aspect of this problem, namely the failure to consider learners' personal perspective regarding their own achievements. Many approaches to evaluating achievements call for their examination in light of previously defined goals. However, each learner defines her or his aspirations and goals differently, while achievements are usually measured on a uniform scale. This research note reviews this problem and considers alternative models (including both their advantages and their shortcomings) for defining academic success in terms of expectations and motivation. In addition, the author proposes a measure to enable the evaluation of academic achievements in terms of an individual student's goals and aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using large-scale longitudinal data, this study sought to examine factors influencing two important student development outcomes in students with disabilities attending 4-year colleges and universities. Informed by Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome model and the interactional model of disability, this study investigated the effect of student characteristics (i.e., disability type, gender, mother's education level) and environmental factors (i.e., faculty encouragement and engagement in political discussion) on the development of academic ability and intellectual confidence in students' senior year of college. The comparison between two outcome models for students with learning disabilities and those with physical or sensory disabilities provided important educational implications. Results from the multiple regression analyses revealed that both student characteristics and environmental factors significantly affect student development, accounting for students' academic ability and intellectual confidence upon entering college. Institutional policy implications and educational interventions for college students with disabilities were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Children diagnosed with a brain tumor (BT) in the first years of their life are at high risk of cognitive and neuropsychological problems, more school difficulties, and an increased need for educational support. To improve this condition, it will be beneficial to be able to identify the neuropsychological variables that are early predictors of school competences at later ages. Methods: We longitudinally assessed 30 school-age BT children with a diagnosis before the age of 5 who were administered cognitive and neuropsychological evaluations before entering school or in the first 2 school years and who were followed up for academic performance at least one year after the first evaluation. A discriminant function analysis was conducted to detect the early neuropsychological profile that best predicted those children who turned out to need school support or not; we tested 5 block multiple regression models, one for each academic variable entering as predictors the neuropsychological variables that significantly discriminated the two groups. Results: A total of 93.3% of the cases were correctly classified according to the discriminant function in "with vs. without" educational support. Visual attention abilities were highly correlated with resulting school problems, both for reading (accuracy and speed) and math (operations) at school age. Conclusions: Analysis provided evidence that the early neuropsychological profile may predict academic difficulties for both reading and math at school age and that visual attention seems to play an important role in both these academic abilities, allowing clinicians to identify children with major difficulties in/from early years and to intervene beforehand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile applications are suitable as a structural possibility for students beginning their studies. Using the app Reflect.UP, students are encouraged to reflect on the organization, contents, and objectives of their studies. This article focuses on how students can acquire the academic ability to consider their own actions, which is an intrinsic component of academic professionalization. The work examines how a competency framework is derived through study regulations and module descriptions, and how subsequent questions for students' reflection are systematically created using this framework. Next, the hybrid mobile application Reflect.UP and its underlying software components are introduced, stimulating students' reflections on study content and objectives. The data gathered through the practical use of Reflect.UP is evaluated, and then the ensuing conclusions drawn from students' problems and learning processes for organizing the course of studies are explored. In addition, this paper reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of a mobile application as a sociological and technological compound for structural support of the introductory phase of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracurricular activities play an important role in the school lives of students. To understand this effect, the authors of this article consider public schools in Azerbaijan and analyse the effect of extracurricular activities on students' academic performance. They conducted a study investigating three groups of extracurricular activities: sports, fine arts and student clubs. For data on academic performance, they used results of a centralised state school examination which assesses students in two subjects: language of instruction (either Azerbaijani or Russian) and mathematics. The results of this study show that some extracurricular activities have a positive effect on students' academic performance, while others show no effect. Moreover, the authors consider the number of different extracurricular activities a student takes part in and analyse the significance of this number in predicting student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the factor structure, reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (C-CLES), an instrument for assessing students' perceptions of the extent of constructivist approaches prevalent in classrooms. A convenience sample of 967 students in Secondary Three (Grade 9) in Hong Kong participated in this study by completing a self-administered questionnaire in their class time. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesised factor structure, indicating five theoretical constructivist environment dimensions that showed goodness-of-fit to 25 items: Personal Relevance, Uncertainty, Critical Voice, Shared Control, and Student Negotiation. Criterion-related validity, involving evidence based on relations to other variables, was assessed by correlations between the constructivist environment dimensions and cognitive strategies and academic ability. Most correlations were statistically significant and in the positive direction. The C-CLES with 25 items provides a useful measure for educational practice and research among school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an expectation that students graduate from university with a collection of attributes they have acquired and/or developed during their university journey. It is possible that more academically able students have these attributes prior to enrolment. A repeated-measure analysis of 70 foreign, 89% from People's Republic of China, students at Taylors College enrolled in a pre-degree University of Auckland (UoA) Foundation Certificate was conducted. Students self-rated themselves, early and late in the academic year, for six graduate attributes. Confirmatory factor analysis established adequate fit for all six attributes. Mean scores were consistently higher for the highest-performing group, but all students decreased in self-reported attributes by the end of the year. Attribute scores were weakly related to academic achievement; mid-year exam scores were correlated with intellectual factors, while final exam scores were correlated with openness factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a growing consensus about the positive relationship between prevention of overweight/obesity and academic performance in children, relevant studies targeting the relationship between underweight and academic performance are scarce. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship of favorable weight change to academic performance in schoolchildren. We analyzed 2-year longitudinal data derived from 197 seventh-grade children aged 12–13 years. Academic performance was assessed using the total grade points of five academic subjects. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as body weight (kg)/height (m2). A significant interaction effect of baseline BMI and BMI changes over 2 years (B = −0.10, SE B = 0.03, β = −0.40, t = –3.37, p < 0.001) was noted after controlling for confounders such as socioeconomic status, afterschool learning duration, screen time, exercise habits, and cardiorespiratory fitness. When the centered baseline BMI was outside the interval [−2.49, 3.21], the slope of the change in BMI was significant (p < 0.05). Simple slope analyses revealed a positive relationship of weight gain when baseline BMI = mean − 1 SD (B = 0.40, SE B = 0.18, β = 0.31, t = 2.20, p = 0.03) and weight loss when baseline BMI = mean + 1 SD (B = −0.26, SE B = 0.13, β = −0.20, t = −1.97, p = 0.05) to total grade points of five school subjects. A split-group validation was performed and robust results of original analyses were detected (i.e., significant interaction effect of baseline BMI and BMI changes over 2 years (group A: B = −0.11, SE B = 0.05, β = −0.47, t = −2.39, p = 0.02; group B: B = −0.14, SE B = 0.05, β = −0.47, t = −2.78, p = 0.007). Favorable changes in weight status, i.e., weight loss in children with overweight/obesity and weight gain in children with mild underweight/underweight, have a positive influence on academic performance in children independent of socioeconomic factors, learning habits, screen time, exercise habits, and cardiorespiratory fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When analyzing knowledge production, the evidence suggests that within the USA, foreign-born researchers exhibit more productivity than their domestic counterparts. Previous literature indicates that productivity differences can be explained by higher academic ability and the selection of more research-oriented fields among foreign-born. In this study, we use individual data from the restricted-access version of the Survey of Doctoral Recipients between 1995 and 2003 to extend this notion and compare knowledge production, in terms of papers presented, articles published, patent applications, and patents granted, of foreign-born and domestic PhD recipients. Our results strongly support the notion that foreign-born researchers, and especially naturalized US citizens, outperform their domestic counterparts in all four of our measures of knowledge production. We show that while aspects associated with academic training, quality of the school, occupation mismatch, and fields of study, among others, play a role in productivity differentials, they only account for a small proportion of the variability. We develop a theoretical a model to show that non-directly observable aspects associated with non-academic ability of foreign-born and a better match between the student and the PhD program, associated with differing opportunity costs of attending the program, may explain the results. Different specifications and robustness checks are conducted to provide support to our theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the causal effect of high school curriculum on various student outcomes including academic performance at university, happiness, physical and mental health, self-confidence, confidence in academic ability, and attitudes towards studying and learning. We exploit a curriculum reform in China, the implementation of which started in 2004, but rolled out in different years in different provinces. The new curriculum pivoted away from the old lock-step course structure where all students had to take the same courses and only those subjects that were covered in the national university entrance exam were considered important. In contrast, the new curriculum introduced a course credit system, changed textbooks, and provided flexibility in course selection. It also introduced elective courses and made such courses as arts and physical education mandatory, and a graduation requirement. Using survey data on university students and employing a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the students who were exposed to the new curriculum in high school have better academic performance in university. They are happier, and their physical and mental well-being is better. These students are more likely to have positive attitudes towards themselves and they are more involved in student clubs. They have more confidence in their academic ability, they have more positive attitudes towards studying, and they have more general self-confidence. These results indicate that the reform had a significant impact on students' academic success and well-being, arguably by allowing them to focus on subject matters in which they are interested, and by reducing undue stress of a regimented curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of gender differences in Computer Science (CS) has captured the attention of many researchers around the world. Over time, research has revealed that negative stereotypes and 'myths' about the cognitive skills, academic abilities and interests of females in CS do exist, deterring females from entering the field. Thus, this study aims to shed light on the aforementioned stereotypes and 'myths' by investigating gender differences in terms of student preferences and performance in the undergraduate courses included in the entire curriculum of a CS department. For this purpose, a case study was designed, exploiting data from a CS department in Greece; more specifically, 89 graduate degrees were quantitatively analysed. Regarding performance, the analysis of the data revealed that -apart from in a few courses- there are no statistically significant differences between the mean grades of male and female students in most of the curriculum courses of the CS department in question. Concerning student preferences in CS courses, few gender differences appear to exist. At a statistically significant level, males preferred courses related to hardware and software engineering, whereas females selected courses related to theoretical CS, humanities and social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning and teaching of English language in foreign contexts is usually associated with possible economic gains that it may bring. However, there are other and possibly more immediate implications of such instruction, especially on the way young people interact in schools where English is the medium of instruction. Using Bourdieu's framework of capitals, the current study aims to explore how English language is perceived and used among young people from Turkish language backgrounds in a private school in the northern part of Cyprus where English is the medium of both instruction and communication. It also investigates whether students' attitudes towards this language have any impact on the building of communities and tolerance when it comes to cultural diversity in and outside the classroom. Analysis of the data, which was collected through in-class ethnographic observations and informal chats with young people, showed that students who possessed a higher amount of linguistic capital in English were also perceived as popular and academically superior by all of the participants in this particular school. While linguistic abilities in English played a significant part in determining the access rights to certain peer groups, students whose first language was Turkish tended to capitalize on this skill to support each other to achieve academic success. Thus, language appeared to be a dividing factor rather than a bridge, which affected the school's culture of tolerance negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study investigates and reveals the difficulties experienced by a dyslexic 7 year-old child learning English as a foreign language in a state elementary school. Aiming to advance the understanding of challenges dyslexics experience in English as a foreign language classes, a qualitative case study was designed. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that a dyslexic child struggles with linguistic difficulties, such as pronunciation, spelling, reading and writing. In addition, short and long term memory are impaired, which causes problems concerning word finding, memorization and naming objects. Contrary to the findings of most research, the participant of this study was found to be highly motivated towards learning English and that she had positive affectivity due to her personality. This study is expected to contribute to the teaching of English language to elementary school children with dyslexia and serve as a means to increase service quality of foreign language classes offered for dyslexic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides their academic success, teachers are bound to equip learners with values and prepare them as good citizens for the society. In this respect, the aim of this study is to evaluate primary school class-teachers' roles in transferring values to their learners. This qualitative study comprises views by inspectors, directors, subject-teachers working in ten primary schools and parents in the city of Nicosia, Cyprus. The data was collected through interviews. This research indicated that class-teachers are effective role-models with responsibilities and effect of values transferring differed according to academic priorities and personalities. While parents feel satisfied with values transfer, most inspectors, directors and subject-teachers point to deficiencies in the approach. At this point, it is suggested that teachers are trained and a target-based curriculum is designed. This study was particularly aimed at evaluating class-teachers' roles in transferring values in primary school years, which are assumed to be the most critical period of time. In the literature, the opinions of inspectors, directors, subject-teachers and parents about value transferring are not well known. One of the aims of tolerance education is that all stakeholders in educational organizations are satisfied with the transferring values and they feel peaceful. In this study, these new perspectives will show the state of harmony in educational institutions and the different opinions about transferring values. This research is hoped to add to this issue, which was rarely dealt with in literature, for the development of applications and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multilevel models, this study examined whether students with varying academic ability benefit equally from perseverance and intellectual curiosity in terms of academic achievement. In addressing this question two perspectives were applied: a trait perspective, focusing on differences between students, and a state perspective, focusing on differences within students across semesters. By means of an online questionnaire, undergraduate students (N = 2272) were asked to rate themselves on perseverance and intellectual curiosity at the beginning of five consecutive semesters. Results indicate that academic ability but also personal qualities have to be taken into account to explain the differences between students in academic achievement. In particular perseverance was found to be important in explaining differences both between students and within students across semesters. Also, individual students fluctuate quite substantially in their reported perseverance and intellectual curiosity from semester to semester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important use of statistical models and modeling in education stems from the potential to involve students more deeply with conceptions of distribution, variation and center. As models are key to statistical thinking, introducing students to modeling early in their schooling will likely support the statistical thinking that underpins later, more advanced work with increasingly sophisticated statistical models. In this case study, a class of 10-11 year-old students are engaged in an authentic task designed to elicit modeling. Multiple data sources were used to develop insights into student learning: lesson videotape, work samples and field notes. Through the use of dot plots and hat plots as data models, students made comparisons of the data sets, articulated the sources of variability in the data, sought to minimize the variability, and then used their models to both address the initial problem and to justify the effectiveness of their attempts to reduce induced variation. This research has implications for statistics curriculum in the early formal years of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jewish ultra-orthodox (Haredi) Talmud Torah schools have been consistently resistant to the process of standardization in content, measurement, and evaluation, in contrast to the Israeli state education system which has progressed steadily in these areas. Talmud Torah schools are private elementary schools for ultra-orthodox boys. Studies are religious and the main subject of study is the Gemara (Talmud). For religious and ideological reasons these schools insist on total independence at all levels and resist assessment or regulation of any kind and as a result have rarely been studied by Israeli or international researchers. The present study examined the contribution of a unique Gemara study program to a sample of 159 sixth grade boys in Talmud Torah schools. Students completed questionnaires to evaluate general ability and language skills, Aramaic vocabulary skills, and knowledge of Gemara. After the intervention, the test results of the experimental group were found to be superior to those of the control group. The findings also provide first insights into the performance of ultra-orthodox students on verbal and general ability measures compared to the general Israeli school population. Thus, this study provides the first standardized measurement and evaluation of learning and literacy in the previously inaccessible Haredi student population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]