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This quasi-experimental study investigates the effectiveness of museum visit on 6th-grade students’ attitude towards and learning of history. The study engaged 120 students in the museum visit intervention. That includes, 60 students in the experimental group and 60 students in the control group. The study design included pre-test and post-test measures. The study administered an achievement test and an attitude scale toward history. The study analyzed the data using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test. The study’s result revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in achievement test scores of histories. The museum-visit group expressed a more positive attitude towards history learning and engagement. These findings underscore museums’ potential as experiential learning environment, offering knowledge and fostering a positive attitude towards history. The study recommends the future researchers to conduct similar empirical studies in science subjects as a venue for place-based pedagogy in the Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the alarming performance of the learners in the core subjects, this study aimed to improve the learning outcomes using the Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) in Grade 6 Science subject. Two intact classes with a total of forty-six (46) Grade VI learners were used as participants of the quasi-experimental study. By random approach, the control group had 20 learners, and 26 learners in the experimental group. The effect of SIM to the performance of the struggling learners in science subject was determined using the pre-test and post-test scores of the two groups of participants. Appropriate statistical tools were used to analyse the test scores of the participants by observing the assumptions of parametric test. Results showed that the pre-test scores between the two groups of participants at the start were very comparable. However, the post test scores of the participants from the experimental and control groups were statistically different with a medium effect size. Moreover, the performance of the female participants significantly exceeded the performance of their male counterparts. This was due to the diligence of the female participants in keeping and handling of the SIM for their advantage. The researcher concluded that SIM significantly helped improve the test scores of the learners. For this, it is recommended that SIM be also applied to other learning areas in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop a test to measure sixth grade students’ success in ‘Circulatory System’. For this purpose, a draft test containing 22 questions was prepared by the researchers. And then, the draft test was submitted to expert opinion and examined in terms of language and content. Following expert opinions, the 22 multiple-choice questions were administered to 128 seventh graders attended to two different secondary schools. Item analysis was performed in the data and thus, two questions were removed from the draft test. According to the findings, the overall item difficulty value of the 20-question final test was calculated as 0.654, and the item discrimination value was calculated as 0.54. KR-20 reliability coefficient of the test was 0.71. Seven of the questions are at the remembering level. Additionally, there were eight questions at the understanding level and five questions at the analysis level according to Bloom’ revised taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jordanian Educational Journal is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) supported by PBL on sixth grade students' academic achievement, retention of knowledge, and individual innovation competence. A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group was used in the study. While the PBL method was applied to the first experimental group, FCM-supported PBL was applied to the second experimental group. In the control group, teaching was carried out according to the science curriculum. The study was conducted with 80 sixth grade students from three classes during the 2021-2022 school year at a public middle school in Muğla, a province in Turkey. The Matter and Heat Achievement Test (MHAT) and the Individual Innovation Competence Scale (IICS) were used as pre- and post-test measurements. The results revealed that the students who participated in the PBL group and FCM-supported PBL achieved significantly higher post-test scores than those in the control group, indicating increased academic achievement. However, no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of individual innovation competence. It was also observed that the PBL group had significantly higher retention scores than the control group. Investigating the long-term effects of these instructional approaches across different subjects and grade levels would be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archivos de Ciencias de la Educacion is the property of Universidad Nacional de La Plata and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to investigate the impact of incorporating educational games in the instruction of algebraic expressions on the academic achievement and long-term retention of sixth-grade students. The sample of the study consists of 31 sixth-grade students. These students are enrolled in schools located in the central district of Niğde. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest - post-test unequalized control group, which is a quantitative research method. The data for the study were collected using the Algebraic Expressions Achievement Test, developed specifically by the researcher. The data analysis was conducted using the SPSS program, and it was found that the collected data followed a normal distribution. Therefore, the t-test was employed to compare the groups based on the sub-problems of the research, while the ANOVA test was utilized to compare the groups. The results of the analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups, with the experimental group exhibiting higher achievement scores compared to the control group after the implementation of the educational games. Furthermore, during the follow-up test conducted six weeks later, it was observed that the students in the experimental group maintained their level of achievement, whereas the control group experienced a decline in their scores. There was no significant difference between the post-test and the retention test, indicating that the impact of the teaching intervention remained stable over time. In other words, implementing mathematics instruction through educational games was found to enhance students' academic achievement and ensure long-term retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of unplugged and plugged-in activities on academic achievement and computational thinking (CT) skills of sixth-grade students. Mixed-method research was carried out to explore whether there were differences between the groups, and to learn the students' opinions and experiences regarding the practices. For the quantitative phase, a quasi-experimental design was used with two groups. For qualitative phase, 12 students were interviewed. The participants were 84 sixth-grade students (between the ages of 10 and 11). The intervention was designed on a selection/construction of activities from seven different basic programming web platforms for the plugged-in group and the proposed national curriculum unplugged activities for the unplugged group. The results showed that significant differences between groups in academic achievement favoring the unplugged activities, but not in CT skills. Development in CT skills contributed to the unplugged group's academic achievement. In addition, qualitative results showed that the plugged-in group perceived their activities as fun and entertaining, but not exactly like a lesson; in contrast, the unplugged group did not experience anxiety or boredom since they perceived the activities as educational. CT explained 27 percent of the variance in academic achievement, suggesting that this skill is important for academic achievement in basic programming. These results suggest that students can improve their academic achievement and maintain the level of CT acquisition across unplugged and plugged-in activities. This article contributes to the body of knowledge about the positive impact of unplugged activities on teaching CT and programming fundamentals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School underachievement is a persistent problem in the United States. Direct-to-student, computer-delivered growth-mindset interventions have shown promise as a way to improve achievement for students at risk of failing in school; however, these interventions benefit only students who happen to be in classrooms that support growth-mindset beliefs. Here, we tested a teacher-delivered growth-mindset intervention for U.S. adolescents in Grades 6 and 7 that was designed to both impart growth-mindset beliefs and create a supportive classroom environment where those beliefs could flourish (N = 1,996 students, N = 50 teachers). The intervention improved the grades of struggling students in the target class by 0.27 standard deviations, or 2.81 grade percentage points. The effects were largest for students whose teachers endorsed fixed mindsets before the intervention. This large-scale, randomized controlled trial demonstrates that growth-mindset interventions can produce gains when delivered by teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Sport & Health Research is the property of Journal of Sport & Health Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The adverse influence of the presence of an irrelevant number and language inconsistency in a word problem is well known. Our study focused on the combination of these two variables and on the position of the irrelevant number in the word problem for Grade 6 pupils. The study has a mixed design. Item Response Theory was used to make equally able groups and to find two-parameter models for the assigned word problem. An independent two-sample t-test was used to determine differences in the difficulty of word problems. Further insight was gained by analyzing pupils' written solutions and complementary task-based interviews. We confirmed the influence of the variables in question on the word problem difficulty and showed that their combined influence manifests itself in further achievement drop and in the change of strategies and errors. We documented multiple ways in which an irrelevant number influences pupils' reasoning. We showed that pupils' insufficient familiarity with decimals may prevail over their apparent ability to mathematize a relational term with natural numbers. This shows the importance of adjusting the word problem difficulty to pupils' knowledge and experience as the effect of a variable does not have to show itself under some circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to examine the measurement-based estimation skill levels of middle school 6th grade students and the processes of comparing their estimations with measurements. In this research, the case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Six students one female and one male student, at low, medium and high mathematics achievement levels from a public middle school in the central districts of Ankara formed the study group. Activities were prepared, which included questions in different categories, both for estimating the length, area and liquid volume of the measurement, and for the proximity of objects to the student. In order to determine the study group, activities were applied to 35 students, and their measurement-based estimation skill levels were examined. While determining the levels, a method called "Evaluation of estimates by percentage of measurements" was used. Before conducting clinical interviews with the study group, the activities were applied to the students, the students were first allowed to make predictions, they were expected to compare their estimations with the possible real measurement without measuring, and then, in some questions, the students were asked to make measurements using tools and compare their estimations with the measurements. As a result, it was observed that the students' estimation skills based on measurement were at a low level. When they were asked to evaluate their estimations without measuring, it was concluded that the students were not successful and they had problems both in the use of measurement tools and in the measurement process while measuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine whether educational games improve mathematics performance in elementary school students. Volunteers were 47 Costa Rican students from a public school, who were assigned to an experimental (EXP: educational games) or a control (CTRL: traditional class) group. Twenty games were created and nine experienced teachers provided expert judge validity assessed by Kendall's concordance coefficient (W). The EXP group completed 20 sessions (8 weeks) of 10-min games and following every game, students provided feedback. Before and after the treatment, students completed an official sixth-grade mathematics test. Two-way mixed ANOVA (assessments: pre-test, post-test by groups: EXP, CTRL) showed a significant main assessment effect. The W for teachers' feedback allowed to use the games indoors, and student's opinion following the games was considered 'very good'. In conclusion, 20 educational games failed to improve mathematics academic performance in sixth-grade students; however, students enjoyed the games and there was a trend to improve performance compared to a CTRL group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental study aims to find out the effectiveness of using Kagan structures on students' perception. Two grade six English language classes (experimental/control) with a total of fifty students (n = 50) were included. Both sections were exposed to the same teaching techniques covering the same reading comprehension material. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared to detect significant difference before the intervention (pre-test) and after the intervention (post-test). A questionnaire to reflect the participants' opinions about the effectiveness of Kagan structure on reading skills was also conducted to see if participants had enjoyed the experience. The results of the study indicated that students in both groups showed learning improvement over the class period of two months. Moreover, Kagan structures had an obvious impact on student performance and perception in reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify and relate the students' social skills, behavioral problems and academic performance in their transition to the 6th grade and compare them with 7th grade students of Elementary School. The data were collected through the Social Skills Rating System. The main results showed the 7th graders had better social skills than the 6th graders. Parents and teachers showed similar correlations: the more commitment to tasks and emotional control they had, the lower incidence of behavioral problems was shown. A negative correlation showed that the more behavioral problems the 6th graders had, the lower their academic performance was. The outcomes showed difficult situations implying a more vulnerable adaptation and thereby, involving failures and fewer relations. It was concluded that as students grow they perceive themselves better supported by their family and teachers and so they develop their social skills and create chances to improve their relations and so advance in their academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined cross-task consistency and longitudinal stability in elementary school students' task interest, success expectancy, and performance from fourth to sixth grade, and their predictive effects on sixth-grade intrinsic value, self-concept, and achievement in mathematics. The results demonstrated consistency in interest, success expectancy, and performance across tasks and stability over time, and these to predict domain-specific motivation and achievement. Virtually no evidence for reciprocal effects was found for task-specific measures, as only previous task performance predicted change in later success expectancy. Cross-lagged effects were observed, however, for predictions of task motivation and performance on domain-specific motivation and achievement, so that success expectancy predicted intrinsic value, interest predicted self-concept, and task performance predicted both self-concept and achievement. Based on the findings, it would seem that students' task-related motivational experiences are associated with their domain-specific beliefs, and that those, in turn, are to some extent manifested in students' task motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of employing the 'Six Thinking Hats' Strategy on the development of creative thinking skills and trends towards mathematics among sixth grade students, who are high-achievers in mathematics. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used the quasi-experimental design, with a study sample consisting of an experimental group made up of 33 students, who were required to sit for a pre-and-a post test. The study tools consisted of a test for creative thinking skills and a scale of trends towards mathematics. The study results showed that there were significant statistical differences between the pre and post scales in creative thinking skills and the scale of trends towards mathematics; this difference is in favor of the post application of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used a person-centered approach to identify teacher-student relationship trajectories from kindergarten to sixth grade in a Dutch sample ( N  = 1300). Teachers reported about relationships with individual students (closeness, conflict, and dependency) in kindergarten, grade 3, and grade 6, and about externalizing behaviors in kindergarten. Students were tested for verbal ability in kindergarten, and completed math and reading tests and questionnaires about task motivation and self-efficacy in sixth grade. Latent class growth analyses revealed three trajectories for closeness: high-stable (normative), very high-decreasing, and moderate-increasing. For conflict, low-stable (normative), low-increasing, and high-decreasing trajectories were found. For dependency, a low-decreasing (normative) and a low-increasing trajectory were found. Boys, students with lower levels of verbal ability, and students with more externalizing behavior were overrepresented in non-normative trajectories. Furthermore, students with low-increasing levels of teacher-student dependency scored lower on achievement tests and reported lower motivation in sixth grade compared to students with a normative trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student engagement is important for teachers and researchers because it is associated with student achievement. Guided by self-determination theory, this year-long case study used observations and interviews to examine six students’ behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement in integrated literacy and social studies tasks. Task differences were rated according to the degree to which tasks were authentic, collaborative, challenging, student directed, and sustained. Results demonstrated that, overall, students were more engaged in tasks that include a higher degree of these elements. In particular, students reported that they were engaged in tasks that included collaboration, new learning, and teacher support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As writing is a complex and resource demanding task, high-quality writing instruction is indispensable from primary grades on to support beginning writers in developing effective writing skills. Writing research should therefore provide teachers and schools with evidence-based guidelines for teaching writing in daily practice. In this respect, the present study first investigates the distinct and combined effectiveness of two instructional writing practices (i.e., explicit instruction and writing with peer assistance). Second, the present study aims to examine differential effects for students with different background characteristics (i.e., gender and general achievement level). Eleven teachers and their 206 fifth and sixth-grade students participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either one of the four experimental conditions (i.e., EI + IND: explicit instruction + individual writing, EI + PA: explicit instruction + writing with peer assistance, IND: matched individual practice comparison condition, and PA: matched peer-assisted practice comparison condition) or the business as usual condition. Multilevel analyses showed that EI + IND, EI + PA, and PA students outperformed the business as usual students. As to the distinct impact of explicit instruction, EI + IND students outperformed IND students at posttest, revealing the effectiveness of explicit instruction. As to the effect of peer-assisted writing, there were no significant differences between the individual writing conditions (EI + IND and IND) and the peer-assisted conditions (EI + PA and PA respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to design and iteratively improve the quality of survey-based measures of three non-cognitive constructs for Grade 5-6 students, keeping in mind information needs of users in education reform contexts. The constructs are: Mathematics-related Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, and Anxiety (M-SE, M-SC, and M-ANX).Design/methodology/approach The authors applied a multi-stage, iterative and user-centered approach to design and validate the measures, using several psychometric techniques and three data samples. They evaluated the utility of student-level scores and aggregated, classroom-level means.Findings At both student and classroom levels, replicated evidence supported theoretically-grounded validity arguments on information produced by four of five scales tapping M-SC, M-ANX and M-SE. The evidence confirmed a second order, two-factor structure for M-SC, representing positive math affect and perceived competence, and a one factor structure for M-ANX representing negative math affect. Consistent with the literature, these served as precursors to a perceived confidence factor of M-SE which, in turn, positively influenced mathematics achievement scores, off-setting negative effects of M-ANX. Research is continuing on a self-regulatory efficacy factor of M-SE, which yielded mixed results.Practical implications The survey scales are in line with current reform policies in the United States calling for schools to monitor changes in cognitive and non-cognitive domains of student development. Validated scales could be useful in serving information needs of teachers, decision-makers and researchers in similar school-based contexts.Originality/value This study demonstrates a comprehensive, user-centered methodology for designing and validating construct measures, departing from purely psychometric traditions of scale development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for oral passage reading (OPR) is among the most commonly used tools for making screening decisions regarding academic proficiency status for students in first through sixth grades. Multiple publishers make available OPR tools, and while they are designed to measure the same broad construct of reading, research suggests that student performance varies within grades and across publishers. Despite the existence of multiple publishers of CBM tools for OPR, many of which include publisher-specific recommendations comparing student performance to a proficiency standard, the use of normative-based cut scores to interpret student performance remains prevalent. In the current study, three commercially available CBM tools for OPR were administered to 1,482 students in first through sixth grade. Results suggest differences between normativeand criterion-based approaches to determining cut scores for screening decisions. Implications regarding resource allocation for students in need of additional intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fraction magnitude understanding is linked to student achievement in mathematics, but the direction of the relation is not clear. To assess whether fraction magnitude knowledge and mathematics achievement develop in a bidirectional fashion, participants ( N = 536) completed a standardized mathematics achievement test and two measures of fraction magnitude understanding—fraction comparisons and fraction number line estimation (FNLE)—twice yearly in 4th–6th grades. Cross-lagged panel models revealed significant autoregressive paths for both achievement and magnitude knowledge, indicating longitudinal stability after accounting for correlational and cross-lagged associations. Mathematics achievement consistently predicted later FNLE and fraction comparison performance. FNLE and fraction comparisons predicted mathematics achievement at all time points, although this relation diminished over time. Findings suggest that fraction magnitude knowledge and broader mathematics achievement mutually support one another. FNLE predicted subsequent mathematics achievement more strongly than did fraction comparisons, possibly because the FNLE task is a more specific measure of fraction magnitude understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of the Check and Connect dropout prevention program was examined, over the course of 2 ½ years, with 54 middle school students from diverse backgrounds experiencing one or more conditions of risk for dropout. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the Check and Connect intervention or business as usual (i.e., control) in sixth grade. Students in the treatment group had significantly better eighth grade attendance than the control. There were no significant differences between the two groups in eighth grade cumulative grade point average or office disciplinary referrals. An in-depth analysis of the quality and quantity of the intervention delivered to the students in the treatment group identified conditions that were associated with higher treatment integrity and better student outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect on the learning and motivation of students of a flipped classroom environment enriched with technology. A mixed research design using a pretest or posttest experimental model, combined with qualitative data, was conducted in a public middle school in Turkey for 2 weeks (three class hours) within a science course. Participants consisted of two groups of sixth-grade students. A variety of electronic materials to support a flipped classroom environment was distributed to students in the experimental group 3 days before the class. Before the normal class hour, the basic outline of the subject was discussed with the students, problem situations were created and solutions suggested, issues that were not understood were focused on, and, most importantly, student-teacher interaction was carried out at the highest level. It was determined that the flipped classroom yielded both greater academic achievement and greater motivation compared with the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of 4MAT Teaching Model and Whole Brain Model on academic achievement in science and to compare those effects with the effectof inquiry based instruction, which suggested by the science course teaching program. This research is designed in static group pre test-post test design. The study group constituted a total of 68 sixth grade students, 29 in Experimental Group I, 21 in Experimental Group II and 18 in the control group. Experimental processes were carried out simultaneously in 3 groups during 32 class hours by one of the researchers. While 4MAT Teaching Model was used In Experimental Group I, Whole Brain Model was applied in Experimental Group II. The control group was engaged in inquiry based instruction. Kolb Learning Style Inventory III was applied to determine the learning styles of the participant students. Academic achievement test was applied as the pre test and the post test. While analyzing the data, the standard deviations and means were calculated and Paired Samples t-Test, One Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, Kruskal Wallis Test, and Mann Whitney U Test were conducted. As a resultof the research, it was determined that all of the three instructions applied increased the academic achievement in science. Moreover, it was found that 4MAT Teaching Model was more effective than Whole Brain Model in terms of increasing academic achievement. However, it was determined that the effects of 4MAT Teaching Model and Whole Brain Model on the academic achievement in science did not differentiate from the effectof inquiry based instruction. In addition, it was detected that the effects of 4MAT Teaching Model and of Whole Brain Model on academic achievement in science did not differentiate regarding learning styles of the student. On the other hand, it was proved that inquiry based instruction did not support the academic achievementof the students with diverging learning style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to investigate high achievers’ erroneous answers and misconceptions on the angle concept. The participants consisted of 233 grade 6 students drawn from eight classes in two well-established elementary schools of Trabzon, Turkey. All the participants were considered to be current achievers in mathematics, graded 4 or 5 out of 5, and selected via a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through six questions reflecting the learning competencies set out in the grade 6 curriculum in Turkey and the findings of previous studies that aimed to identify students’ misconceptions of the angle concept. This questionnaire was then applied over a 40-minute period in each class. The findings were analysed by two researchers whose inter-rater agreement was computed as 0.97, or almost perfect. Thereafter, coding discrepancies were resolved, and consensus was established. We found that although the participants in this study were high achievers, they still held several misconceptions on the angle concept such as recognizing a straight angle or a right angle in different orientations. We also show how some of these misconceptions could have arisen due to the definitions or representations used in the textbook, and offer suggestions concerning their content in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the present study was to model student trajectories of behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement from Grade 3 to Grade 6. The authors also examined whether teachers perceptions could predict student trajectory membership. The authors collected data from a sample of 831 students and 152 teachers. Using multiple-process growth mixture modeling, they identified 5 distinct trajectories of student engagement. Although a large majority of children presented a stable and high level of engagement on the three dimensions over time, more than one third of them showed a lower or changing level of engagement as the years progressed. These students were more likely to be boys and to be perceived by teachers as being less engaged. They also present more learning or behavioral problems and share less positive relationships with teachers. The results support the need to consider group-based differences when designing and adapting prevention and intervention strategies to favor student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educating students for higher-order thinking provides them with tools that turn them into more critical thinkers. This supports them in overcoming life problems that they encounter, as well as becoming an integral part of the society. This students' education is attended to by educational organisations that emphasise the positive consequences of educating students for higher-order thinking, including creative thinking. One way to do that is through educational programmes that educate for higher-order thinking. One such programme is the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) thinking programme. The present research intended to examine the effect of the participation of Grade 6 students in a CoRT programme on their creative thinking. Fifty-three students participated in the research; 27 participated in a CoRT programme, while 26 did not participate in such programme. The ANCOVA test showed that the students who participated in the CoRT programme outperformed significantly, in creative thinking, the students who did not. Moreover, the students in the CoRT programme whose achievement scores were between 86 and 100 outperformed significantly the other achievement groups of students. Furthermore, students with reported high ability outperformed significantly the other ability groups of students. The results did not show statistically significant differences in students' creativity attributed to gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foster children who have experienced abuse or neglect often struggle academically, particularly in the area of literacy development. This research study explored current teachers' best practices for improving literacy development in foster children in the K-6 classroom. Themes emerged indicating the teachers' perceptions of meeting the needs offoster children, especially as related to improving literacy skills and encouraging literacy development. These best practices can be implemented by K-6 teachers to assist inpreventing schoolfailureforfoster children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this case study was to explore a previously theorized construct, Collective Classroom Efficacy, through student voices. We interviewed nine former sixth-graders a decade after their classroom experience as they articulated at a reunion the importance of their former cohesive classroom community. To provide data triangulation we interviewed a former guest teacher and we examined artifacts including student end-ofyear reflections, student generated poetry. After conducting content and discourse analysis, results confirmed and extended our prior findings. The initial cornerstone elements of positive classroom environment, persistence and effort, and risk-taking towards interpersonal and academic goals were re-presented in the second case. A fourth element of academic content enacted as disciplinary knowledge provided additional means for students to interact with each other and with content. We demonstrated that a collectively efficacious classroom environment has positive consequences for student efficacy as they developed academic, social, and personal achievement and responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning on the science lessons achievement of primary school students and to designate their views on cooperative learning process. 135 sixth-grade students attending the same school took part in the study. The model of this study was the Solomon four-group model. In the study, the Cooperative Learning Process Scale and the Science Achievement Test were used to collect data. In the light of the findings, the cooperative learning activities done in the experimental group have meaningfully increased the student achievement in comparison to the control group. According to the findings, it was determined that the activities were prepared appropriately to the cooperative learning and that they were organised considering the basic principles of cooperative learning. 85.07 per cent of the students have stated that the activities done were appropriate for high level cooperative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to re-examine the mother–child education achievement hypothesis, by re-examining the effect of mother's education, on math and literacy test scores of children in Kenya. Data come from the classroom Education Research Programme at the African Population and Health Research Centre which was collected between January and March 2012. Since pupils are nested within schools, we fitted a two-level random intercept model. Our findings show that mothers' and fathers' education has a positive and significant independent association with literacy and numeracy achievement. After interacting mothers' and fathers' education and controlling for school and pupil characteristics, we observed two significant findings: (1) mother's education remains statistically significant but is negatively associated with the pupil's score in both literacy and numeracy; and (2) the interaction of both parents' education is significant and positively associated with pupil scores in literacy and numeracy. This study underscores the importance of the complementarity between mothers' and fathers' education in order for children to acquire and learn literacy and numeracy in schools. In as much as mothers' education is important in the children's literacy and numeracy, the importance of fathers in children's literacy and numeracy cannot be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study focused on the development of a new classroom environment instrument for late-elementary students. The development of the survey of contemporary learning environments (SoCLE) followed a content analysis of three similar instruments on constructivist learning environments and the literature on characteristics of contemporary learning environments. Through a bottom-up development process, grounded in the epistemological foundations of constructivism, we note the difficulty in operationalizing student perceptions of contemporary learning environments and point to challenges in developing well-grounded construct validity. In a field study of 453 fifth–sixth grade students, the SoCLE was defined with three subscales: Reflective Processes (α = 0.68), Ownership (α = 0.65), and Multiple Perspectives (α = 0.53). The Ownership and Multiple Perspectives subscales indicated relationships with overall academic achievement assessed by a nation-wide testing program, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. In a multiple linear regression model, ownership predicted the overall composite achievement score, as well as reading comprehension, social studies, and science subscores. Multiple perspectives predicted the language subscore. These findings highlight that characteristics of contemporary learning environments that are epistemologically based may support achievement in late-elementary students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parental involvement research has greatly expanded over the past decade, but findings are mixed, reflecting in part the conceptual and methodological limitations of many studies. On the basis of longitudinal questionnaire data from 1,685 sixth-grade students, the authors studied parental help with homework because it is the most common and most controversial type of parental involvement. Distinguishing between the quantity and quality of parental homework involvement, the research shows that completely different conclusions about the effectiveness of parental homework involvement will be reached if its quantity is assessed instead of its quality: How often parents helped with homework was negatively associated with the development of achievement, whereas homework help that was perceived as supportive had positive predictive effects, and homework help perceived as intrusive had negative effects. Moreover, the results show that effect sizes would be overestimated if students' prior achievement and family background were not controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this study is to determine the level of fulfilment of five acquisitions aimed to gain the students in the "Adventure of Democracy" unit of "Power, Management and Society" learning area of sixth grade social studies lesson taught in Turkey, in terms of different variables. The number of researches investing the level of fulfilment of Social Studies lesson's acquisitions in Turkey is quite limited, and one of the quantitative research methods, the survey method was used in this study carried out for filling this gap in the literature. The academic success test was used in order to collect the research data, the data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS program. At the end of the research, it was observed that the level of fulfilment of the unit's acquisitions is at intermediate level among students; the level of learning increases with the increase in the level of education of the parents, but this difference is not statistically significant; the academic success of the students living in the city is significantly higher than the students living in the village; and the academic success of the students whose family income level is below 750 TL is significantly lower than the students whose family income is above 750 TL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare layered curriculum and creative drama methods on 'Force and Motion' unit of Science and Technology at 6th grade course, for the academic achievement, attitude towards Science and Technology courses and the effects of retention of knowledge; and to determine which method is more effective experimentally. The other aim of this study was to reveal students' opinions related to both methods. In this sense, mixed method strategy with combination of quantitative and qualitative data was used in this study. The research was conducted on 44 students who were attending on 6th classrooms in a primary school placed in south Antalya, in 2011-2012 academic year. In this study, one experimental and one comparison group was constructed. The subjects were taught with creative drama method in I. and with layered curriculum method in II. comparison group. In this research, the quantitative data was collected by using achievement test, the attitude scale and learning scale inventory; qualitative data was collected by using observation forms, process evaluation and semi-structured interviews. Data were collected on both quantitative and qualitative methods, and analyzed by using SPSS program (frequency and percentage calculations, ANCOVA) and qualitative analysis method (coding, thematization) respectively. According to results of the study, both of creative drama and layered curriculum methods have positive effects on academic achievement and retention of knowledge. It was determined that the academic achievement of experimental group of creative drama was higher than the comparison group of layered curriculum. However, it was concluded that both of these methods hadn't any statistically significant effect on the students attitude towards Science and Technology course, it had seen an significant increase in interest of students, according to information obtained from qualitative data collection tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teachers' implementation of evidence-based prevention programs in schools is inconsistent. Using data gathered from the national implementation among grade six students in The Bahamas of an evidence-based HIV intervention [Focus on Youth in the Caribbean (FOYC)], this study examines differences in the degree of implementation ("dose") and adherence to the core activities ("fidelity of implementation") by teachers according to theoretically and historically relevant teachers' characteristics, attitudes, and experiences pre-intervention and post-intervention. The relationship of implementation dose and implementation fidelity is assessed according to student outcomes.Methods: Beginning in 2008, the Bahamian Ministry of Education (MOE) included FOYC in the grade six curriculum nationwide. Consistent with standard practice, teachers were offered MOE training workshops in FOYC prior to delivery. The MOE conducted an anonymous curricular assessment among the grade six students at the beginning and end of the school year. Teachers agreeing to participate in the research component were asked to complete a pre-implementation and post-implementation assessment of attitudes and prior experiences.Results: Teachers taught 15.6 out of 30 core activities, 24 out of the 46 total activities, and 4.6 out of 8 sessions on average. Three teachers' implementation groups were identified: 1) High Implementation Group (31.7% of the teachers), characterized by high levels of implementation dose and fidelity of implementation; 2) Moderate Implementation Group (52.8%), showing moderate levels of implementation dose but high levels of fidelity of implementation; and 3) Low Implementation Group (15.6%), with low levels of implementation dose and fidelity of implementation. Low Implementation Group teachers compared to teachers in the two higher performing groups had less training in interactive teaching, limited prior exposure to the FOYC curriculum, incomplete attendance at FOYC training workshops, and low levels of comfort in teaching FOYC lessons. Students taught by teachers in the Low Implementation Group demonstrated poorer outcomes relevant to the four student outcomes (HIV/AIDS knowledge, preventive reproductive health skills, self-efficacy, and intention to use protection if they were to have sex).Conclusions: Both implementation dose and implementation fidelity are related to student outcomes. Teachers at risk for limited implementation can be identified pre-intervention, thus opening the possibility for focused pre-intervention training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies of students' understanding of decimals have been conducted within Western cultural settings. The broad aim of the present research was to gain insight into Chinese Hong Kong grade 6 students' general performance on a variety of decimals tasks. More specifically, the study aimed to explore students' mathematical reasoning for their use of 'rules' and algorithms and to determine whether connections exist between students' conceptual and procedural knowledge when completing decimals tasks. Results indicated that conceptual understanding for rules and procedures were built into the students' knowledge system for most of the items concerned with place value in decimals-ordering decimals, translating fractions into decimals, the representation of place value in decimals, the concept of place value in decimals on number line and the concept of continuous quantity in decimals. However, the students were not able to provide such clear explanations for the use of algorithms for the multiplication and division items. The findings are discussed in the light of Chinese perspectives on procedural and conceptual understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the materialization of knowledge integration processes in class discussions that followed troubleshooting (TS) and problem-solving (PS) tasks and examined the impact of these tasks on students' conceptual understanding. The study was conducted in two sixth-grade classes taught by the same teacher, in six lessons that constituted a third of a unit on simple electric circuits. In these lessons, one class was assigned PS tasks where students were asked to solve conceptual problems. Later they were asked to share their work in a class discussion. The other class was assigned TS tasks where students were asked to identify, explain, and correct the mistakes in 'teacher-made' erroneous solutions to these same problems. They were also engaged later in a class discussion. We found that students' performance on subsequent transfer problems was significantly higher for the TS class, in particular for students with low prior knowledge. We account for the difference in learning outcomes by the differences in the learning process: the TS tasks elicited more naïve ideas both in students' worksheets as well as in class discussions, and the TS discussions involved more episodes where students developed criteria to discern scientifically acceptable and naive ideas. We also found differences in the format of students' participation, where lower-achieving students participated in the TS discussions. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates a school reform in Bavaria that moved the timing of tracking in low- and middle-track schools from grade 6 to grade 4; students in high-track schools were not affected. To eliminate state-specific and school-type-specific shocks, I estimate a triple-differences model using three PISA waves. The results indicate that the reform reduced the performance of 15-year-old students both in low- and middle-track schools. Further evidence suggests that the share of very low-performing students increased in low-track schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated to what extent teachers' beliefs about children's achievement contribute to the development of children's math interest. In addition, the extent to which other possible predictors, such as performance in math, gender, and race/ethnicity would contribute to the development of children's math interest was examined. Three cohorts of children (N = 849) and their teachers participated in the study starting from kindergarten through their sixth grade. The results showed that especially teachers' beliefs about children's effort and potential performance positively predicted children's interest in math across the primary school years, whereas teachers' beliefs about children's math ability predicted children's math interest only at the beginning of primary school. Further, all the models were similar for boys and girls and for children in different cohort groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adescriptive, holistic, multiple-case methodology was applied to examine the nature of participation in discourse of two low- and two high-achieving grade 6 students while solving mathematical tasks in a standards-based classroom. Data collected via classroom observations and student interviews were analyzed through a multiple-cycle coding process that yielded the within-case themes of use of space, meaning-making, and peer and teacher interactions. This student-focused inquiry addressed a methodological gap in the extant empirical literature by employing videorecording as a means of eliciting student awareness and reflection, which notably revealed differences in participation between the two low-achieving students. When considering implications, the results illuminate needed additional classroom norms, issues related to relative differences in students' abilities in heterogeneous groups, benefits of using video-recording as a means of promoting student reflection, and the important role of the teacher in maintaining equitable participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of family structure on sixth-grade achievement in mathematics and reading in some Latin American countries. An analysis is made of information from tests and family and student questionnaires completed by 90,000 children in 2,450 schools during the Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study. Multilevel models with three levels (student, school, nation) are used. Three family structures are defined: two parents, single parent, and other combinations. This classification covers the most common basic categories in studies of the topic. Students living in two-parent families obtain higher achievement levels in mathematics and reading than other students, even after controlling the student's socioeconomic level and academic background. The school context and family structure have an effect according to the family's socioeconomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of guided-inquiry approach in science classes over existing science and technology curriculum in developing content-based science achievement, science process skills, and attitude toward science of grade level 6 students in Turkey. Non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the treatment effect. There were 162 students in the experimental group and 142 students in the control group. Both the experimental and control group students took the Achievement Test in Reproduction, Development, and Growth in Living Things (RDGLT), Science Process Skills Test, and Attitudes Toward Science Questionnaire, as pre-test and post-test. Repeated analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Both the experimental and control group students were taught in RDGLT units for 22 class hours. The results indicated the positive effect of guided-inquiry approach on the Turkish students' cognitive as well as affective characteristics. The guided inquiry enhanced the experimental group students' understandings of the science concepts as well as the inquiry skills more than the control group students. Similarly, the experimental group students improved their attitudes toward science more than the control group students as a result of treatment. The guided inquiry seems a transition between traditional teaching method and student-centred activities in the Turkish schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How can we supplement the limited time available for vocabulary instruction while motivating students to attend to the words they are learning? As a part of an academic word vocabulary intervention, we challenged sixth-grade students to find their words in the world around them. This activity, In the Media, garnered responses from 51 of the 61 students involved in the intervention. Analysis of students' reading comprehension achievement showed that it was not just high-achieving students who responded; rather the full range of achievement was represented. Analysis of pretest and posttest data revealed that students who found more words had the highest gains in the final assessment. Examples of students' encounters and where they found them are discussed. These examples suggest that students developed flexible knowledge of their words, as they were able to find them in uses beyond those taught and in related forms that had not been introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) system as a method of strategic intervention in after-school program to improve the mathematical skills of struggling 6th grade students. Students were randomly assigned to after-school classrooms in which they either worked with ALEKS to improve their math skills or to classrooms where instruction was provided by certified teachers. Students' performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), administered annually to all Tennessee students, indicated that students assigned to the ALEKS condition performed at the same level as those taught by expert teachers (d =09). Also, students participating in our after-school program outperformed non-participating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metacognition is an integral component of a self-regulated approach to learning. The present study examined the relationships between academic self-efficacy and perceptions of one''s own competence in memory and reasoning abilities, and their role in predicting the Self-confidence trait. The study also aimed to determine the role of key classroom factors (goal orientation and self-efficacy with the teacher) in predicting self-beliefs, the Self-confidence trait and academic achievement in Year 6 students (N =177). EFA and Path analysis were used to determine these relationships. The hypothesised path model was tested in a simultaneous fashion of the entire system of variables to determine whether or not hypothesised relationships were consistent with data. The results suggest that academic self-efficacy and metacognitive competency beliefs define a broad factor—Metacognitive Beliefs—which serves as a key predictor of Self-confidence. Mastery goal-orientation and self-efficacy with teacher predicted Metacognitive Beliefs and, indirectly, Self-confidence. Students with stronger Metacognitive Beliefs were less engaged in self-handicapping behaviours. Known common factors—intelligence, gender and a proxy for SES, school fees—were controlled for. The present study has important implications for both metacognitive theory and educational practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]