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Background: A solid foundation in science is critical to students' success in the 21st century workforce, especially in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Therefore, high-quality science education is critical to prepare students for the challenges of the future. However, Emirati students have consistently performed poorly on international standardized science assessments, suggesting that the underlying factors contributing to this trend need to be understood. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between motivational beliefs in science (i.e., science self-concept and intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science) and science achievement in Emirati early adolescents using a self-determination theory framework. Methods: A total of 7,915 Emirati eighth-grade students (Mean[subscript age] = 13.61 years, SD = 0.53) participated in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The TIMSS 2019 assessment measured students' motivational beliefs in science and their achievement in science. Path analysis and bootstrapping were used to examine the relationship between these variables and to test the mediating role of intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science in the relationship between science self-concept and science achievement. Results: The results of the study indicate that science self-concept is positively related to both intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn science and science achievement. Intrinsic motivation to learn science was significantly related to science achievement, whereas instrumental motivation was not. Moreover, intrinsic motivation to learn science alone significantly mediated the relationship between science self-concept and science achievement. Conclusions: The study offers insights into the specific motivational beliefs associated with science achievement and highlights the importance of fostering positive science self-concept and intrinsic motivation in Emirati early adolescents. The study also suggests that interventions to promote positive science self-concept and intrinsic motivation to learn science may be particularly effective in improving science achievement in this population. These findings have important implications for educators and policymakers seeking to promote academic success and career opportunities for Emirati students in science.

Emirati children's reading skills have consistently lagged behind global standards on international standardized tests. Given the United Arab Emirates's Vision 2031, which aims for a world-class education system, and given the importance of Arabic literacy in preserving national identity and cultural heritage, there is an urgent need to investigate the factors that influence Arabic literacy among Emirati children. Therefore, this study, using data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 database, aimed to examine the relationships between parents' attitudes toward reading, early literacy activities, early literacy tasks, and Arabic literacy. Specifically, the study aimed to (1) determine the predictive value of parental attitudes toward reading for Arabic reading literacy among Emirati children; (2) examine how early literacy activities and tasks contribute to Arabic reading literacy; and (3) examine the mediating role of early literacy activities and tasks in the relationship between parental attitudes and Arabic reading literacy. The results of the study suggest that parental attitudes toward reading are an important predictor of their children's Arabic reading literacy. Participation in early literacy activities before primary school and mastery of early literacy tasks at the beginning of primary school were both associated with reading proficiency in Arabic. Furthermore, both early literacy activities and early literacy tasks significantly mediated the relationship between parental attitudes toward reading and children's reading proficiency in Arabic. The findings are critical for educators to adapt teaching methods, curricula, and parental involvement programs to more effectively support Arabic literacy development. The study highlights the need for an inclusive approach involving parents, educators, and policymakers to create an enabling environment for the development of Arabic literacy, which is essential for academic success and cultural preservation.

This study investigated the relationships of teacher-directed approaches with science achievement in Australian schools. The data for this study were drawn from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 database and analysed using multilevel modelling (MLM). MLMs were estimated to test the contribution of each item to students' science achievement scores and to estimate the mediation effect of teacher explanations on these relationships. Only explicit, teacher-directed practices demonstrated a significant, positive association with science achievement. The positive, significant nature of the item 'the teacher explains scientific ideas' (B = 29.61, p < 0.001) suggested that this practice should take place in all science lessons. In the mediation model, the explicit, teacher-directed approaches in the inquiry scale revealed a significant "indirect" effect on science achievement, through the process of the teacher explaining scientific ideas. This indicated that effective explanations also underpin other instructional approaches such as contextualised science learning. These findings, accompanied by an analysis of the teacher-directed items and their relationships to science outcomes, give teachers and policymakers clear guidance regarding the effective use of instructional explanations in the science classroom.

Higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a relatively modern phenomenon, but it is a sector which has experienced immense growth since the first national university opened in 1976. A wide diversity of faculty, in terms of experience, nationalities, and qualifications, is employed to teach in the country's higher education institutions. In this article, the faculty's reported pedagogical practices taking place in universities across the country are reported. A well-established, pre-developed survey tool was used to gather quantitative data which ultimately classifies responses as employing more student-centric or teacher-centric approaches. A total of 130 participants, drawn from multiple institutions, were surveyed. The findings indicated that overall, faculty tended to adopt a student-centric approach to teaching significantly more frequently than a teacher-centric approach. However, there were significant variations in the adoption of student- or teacher-centric approaches by faculty gender, subject specialism, and presence of a vocational teaching qualification. Female faculty adopted a student-centric approach to teaching significantly more frequently than did their male counterparts. However, STEM faculty adopted a teacher-centric approach to teaching significantly more frequently than did their non-STEM peers. Further, faculty who did not hold vocational teaching qualifications also adopted a teacher-centric approach to teaching significantly more frequently than did their peers who held vocational teaching qualifications.

Quick Response (QR) codes have been discussed in the literature as adding value to teaching and learning. Despite their potential in education, more research is needed to inform practice and advance knowledge in this field. This paper investigated the integration of the QR code in classroom activities and the perceptions of the integration by pre-service teachers. Forty-four pre-service teachers enrolled in an undergraduate degree at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates took part in the study. Data were collected from a questionnaire, student journals and focus group interviews to enable triangulation. The main results suggested that the pre-service teachers perceived the use of QR codes to be easy and useful in learning activities. They also demonstrated positive attitudes towards the QR codes and stated the intention to use this application in their future career. The study provided practical examples of how QR codes can be integrated in teaching. It also revealed certain challenges that could hinder effective integration of QR code applications in the classroom. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.

This study investigated whether students' motivational beliefs about learning science (i.e., self-concept in science and intrinsic value of science) varied significantly across grade levels and genders. The study also examined the relations between students' motivational beliefs about learning science and their science achievement by grade level and gender. The data for the study included the Taiwanese samples of students at grades 4 and 8 who took part in the 2011 and 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The results of the independent samples t-tests indicated that mean scores on the science motivational beliefs scales decreased significantly from grade 4 to 8. Boys' science motivational beliefs were significantly stronger than girls' science motivational beliefs in both grades, and the differences in mean scores between boys and girls increased from grade 4 to 8. Moreover, the results of the hierarchical regression analyses suggested that the strengths of the associations between science motivational beliefs and science achievement increased from grade 4 to 8. The relationships between science motivational beliefs and science achievement were significantly weaker for girls than for boys in grade 4. The findings of the study highlight both gender and grade level differences in motivational beliefs about learning science and their relations with science achievement.

The present study aimed to examine the relations of early numeracy activities and skills to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement among 26,859 fourth graders in the United Arab Emirates who took part in the sixth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2015. The study also explored the mediating effects of mathematics dispositions and engagement on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement among these fourth graders. Results of path analyses, after controlling for participants' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, indicated that early numeracy activities and skills were significantly and positively related to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement. Further, results of mediational analyses suggested that confidence in mathematics had a significant mediating effect on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement. The findings of the study highlight the crucial role that early numeracy activities and skills play in enhancing fourth graders' mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement in the United Arab Emirates.

Teacher-directed and inquiry-based science instructional practices have been shown to influence students' performance on science assessments. However, only a small body of research has examined the associations of teacher-directed and inquiry-based science instructional practices with science-related dispositions among adolescent students using nationally representative samples drawn from countries across the globe. Hence, the present study, employing multilevel path analyses as an analytic strategy, investigated the relations of teacher-directed and inquiry-based science instruction to students' science-related dispositions, such as enjoyment of science, interest in broad science topics, instrumental motivation to learn science, science self-efficacy, and epistemological beliefs about science, among 428,197 adolescent students from 15,644 schools in 66 countries. Results of multilevel path analyses, after controlling for student-, school-, and country-level demographic and socio-economic factors, revealed that teacher-directed science instruction was significantly positively related to adolescent students' enjoyment of science, interest in broad science topics, instrumental motivation to learn science, science self-efficacy, and epistemological beliefs about science. Similarly, inquiry-based science instruction was also significantly positively linked to enjoyment of science, interest in broad science topics, instrumental motivation to learn science, and science self-efficacy. However, inquiry-based science instruction was not significantly associated with students' epistemological beliefs about science. The findings of the current study suggest that a blend of teacher-directed and inquiry-based science instruction may be more appropriate for developing and nurturing students' positive dispositions toward science. However, science teachers may require sufficient training and support to successfully implement the blended instruction model in their classrooms.

Drawing on data from the fifth cycle of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the authors examined the relations of reported acculturation orientations--heritage as well as host culture-orientations--and perceived cultural distance between host and heritage culture with academic performance among 399 first- and second-generation immigrant adolescent students in Portugal. Results of hierarchical regression analyses, after accounting for student demographic characteristics, revealed a positive relationship between host culture-orientations and the first-generation immigrant adolescents' performance on the PISA reading, mathematics and science assessments, and also the second-generation immigrant adolescents' performance on reading assessment. Additionally, both the first- and second- generation immigrant adolescents' heritage culture-orientations were significantly negatively linked to performance on the PISA reading, mathematics, and science assessments. Furthermore, findings revealed that first-generation immigrant adolescents' perceived cultural distance was significantly negatively associated with their performance on the PISA reading and mathematics assessments. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

This study examined the relations of early literacy activities and skills to reading dispositions, reading engagement, and reading achievement among 17,469 fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates who took part in the English and Arabic versions of the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The study also investigated the mediational roles of reading dispositions and reading engagement in the association between early literacy activities and skills and reading achievement among these fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates. Results of multigroup path analyses, after accounting for student and family demographic characteristics, suggested that early literacy activities and skills were significantly positively associated with reading dispositions, reading engagement, and reading achievement in English and Arabic among fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates who took the PIRLS 2016 reading assessments in English and Arabic. Moreover, one of the reading dispositions, confidence in reading, mediated the associations between early literacy activities and skills and reading achievement in English and Arabic among fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

This study, drawing on data from the third cycle of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and employing three-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) as an analytic strategy, examined the relations of inquiry-based science teaching to science achievement and dispositions toward science among 170,474 15-year-old students from 4780 schools in 54 countries across the globe. The results of the HLM analyses, after accounting for student-, school-, and country-level demographic characteristics and students' dispositions toward science, revealed that inquiry-based science teaching was significantly negatively related to science achievement. In contrast, inquiry-based science teaching was significantly positively associated with dispositions toward science, such as interest in and enjoyment of science learning, instrumental and future-oriented science motivation, and science self-concept and self-efficacy. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Original Grit Scale using Rasch analysis in a sample of 777 adolescents hailing from a collectivistic society, one of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Results of the Rasch analysis provided support for the appropriateness of the Original Grit Scale as a measure of one of the noncognitive skills, grit, among adolescents in the Arab Gulf State. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

Although a growing body of quantitative research has examined the non-cognitive factors affecting the school engagement and performance of adolescents across cultures, there is relatively sparse qualitative research investigating the perceptions of adolescents regarding the factors influencing their engagement and performance in school. This focus group study comprising 32 Indian adolescents from India (mean age = 16.78 years) and 20 Indian immigrant adolescents from Canada (mean age = 17.05 years), therefore, using a self-determination theory perspective, explored the perceptions of Indian and Indian immigrant adolescents about the factors affecting their school engagement and performance in India and Canada, respectively. Thematic analysis of eight focus group discussions suggested that Indian and Indian immigrant adolescents were primarily extrinsically motivated toward school and academics. Further, both the Indian and Indian immigrant adolescents perceived their classroom teachers as controlling rather than autonomy-supportive. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

The study examined the impact of students' absolute age-position at the time of testing by grade level and gender on their achieved level of mathematics, reading and science performance. An analysis was conducted based on a sample of 11,500 15-year-old pupils in the United Arab Emirates who participated in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 study. In support of an absolute age-position effect it was found that the youngest age-at-test student grouping demonstrated significantly lower levels of mathematics, reading and science performance than their older peers. It was also shown that grade level had a significant influence on the demonstration of functional knowledge by same-aged students. Lastly, the female students attained significantly higher levels of mathematics, reading and science performance than their male counterparts.

The study examined the self-reported academic achievement, academic self-concept, and academic motivation of 573 immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) secondary schools. Descriptive Discriminant Analyses indicated that the immigrant adolescents had higher performance in mathematics, higher math and school self-concepts, and higher intrinsic and extrinsic motivation than their nonimmigrant counterparts. Multiple regression analyses showed that verbal self-concept and school self-concept were the best predictors of English GPAs for both immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents. Although math self-concept was the sole predictor of math GPAs for immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents, school self-concept was the sole predictor of overall GPAs for nonimmigrant adolescents. The best predictors of overall GPAs for immigrant adolescents were math and school self-concepts and extrinsic motivation-external regulation. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study, employing hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), sought to investigate the student-level and school-level factors associated with the science achievement of immigrant and non-immigrant students among a national sample of 22,646 students from 896 schools in Canada. While student background characteristics such as home language, family wealth, and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of science achievement for non-immigrant students, these factors were not significantly associated with immigrant student science achievement. Student attitudes, engagement, and motivation in science and information and communication technology familiarity were significant predictors of science achievement for both immigrant and non-immigrant students. Whereas teacher shortage was associated with science achievement for immigrant students, school size was associated with science achievement for non-immigrant students. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The authors examined the relationships of cognitive (i.e., memorization and elaboration) and metacognitive learning strategies (i.e., control strategies) to mathematics achievement among 15-year-old students in 4 high-performing East Asian education systems: Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Korea, and Singapore. In all 4 East Asian education systems, memorization strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement, whereas control strategies were positively associated with mathematics achievement. However, the association between elaboration strategies and mathematics achievement was a mixed bag. In Shanghai-China and Korea, elaboration strategies were not associated with mathematics achievement. In Hong Kong-China and Singapore, on the other hand, elaboration strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.

The present study examined the mediational role of academic motivation in the association between school self-concept and school achievement among 355 Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada and 363 Indian adolescents in India. Surveys were administered among Grades 9-12 students in Canada and India to assess their academic self-concepts, academic motivation, and academic achievement. Bootstrapped tests of simultaneous multiple indirect effects were conducted to determine the unique ability of each putative mediator--intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation--to account for the effect of school self-concept on overall school GPA for Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada and Indian adolescents in India. Mediational analyses revealed the mediational roles of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the association between school self-concept and school achievement for Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada, while intrinsic motivation solely mediated the relations between school self-concept and school achievement for Indian adolescents in India. Amotivation was not a significant mediator for both the Indian immigrant and Indian adolescents. Implications of the findings are discussed.

This study, drawing on data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007, examined the predictive effects of multiple dimensions of mathematics and science self-concept--positive affect toward mathematics and science and self-perceived competence in mathematics and science--on mathematics and science achievement among 1,752 first- and second-generation immigrant adolescent students in Canada. First- and second-generation immigrant adolescent students' self-perceived competence in mathematics had positive predictive effects on their mathematics and science achievement. In contrast, first- and second-generation immigrant adolescent students' positive affect toward mathematics had negative predictive effects on their mathematics and science achievement. While first- and second-generation immigrant adolescent students' self-perceived competence in science had no significant predictive effect on their mathematics achievement, it had a positive predictive effect on their science achievement. Positive affect toward science had positive predictive effects on second-generation immigrant adolescent students' mathematics and science achievement, whereas it had no significant predictive effects on first-generation immigrant adolescent students' mathematics and science achievement. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Background: The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assesses the quality of the teaching and learning of science and mathematics among Grades 4 and 8 students across participating countries. Purpose: This study explored the relationship between positive affect towards science and mathematics and achievement in science and mathematics among Malaysian and Singaporean Grade 8 students. Sample: In total, 4466 Malaysia students and 4599 Singaporean students from Grade 8 who participated in TIMSS 2007 were involved in this study. Design and method: Students' achievement scores on eight items in the survey instrument that were reported in TIMSS 2007 were used as the dependent variable in the analysis. Students' scores on four items in the TIMSS 2007 survey instrument pertaining to students' affect towards science and mathematics together with students' gender, language spoken at home and parental education were used as the independent variables. Results: Positive affect towards science and mathematics indicated statistically significant predictive effects on achievement in the two subjects for both Malaysian and Singaporean Grade 8 students. There were statistically significant predictive effects on mathematics achievement for the students' gender, language spoken at home and parental education for both Malaysian and Singaporean students, with R[squared] = 0.18 and 0.21, respectively. However, only parental education showed statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement for both countries. For Singapore, language spoken at home also demonstrated statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement, whereas gender did not. For Malaysia, neither gender nor language spoken at home had statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement. Conclusions: It is important for educators to consider implementing self-concept enhancement intervention programmes by incorporating "affect" components of academic self-concept in order to develop students' talents and promote academic excellence in science and mathematics. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This study examined the effects of participation in the Learning Opportunities Task Force (LOTF) programs on postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LDs). Data regarding 969 students from 6 colleges and 4 universities in Ontario were evaluated to investigate rates of academic success and increased self-awareness. Participants had a significantly lower rate of failure or drop out compared with the national average. Comparison of pre- and post-participation data from 450 of these students demonstrated improved understanding of their own LD, ability to explain their disability to others, and ability to self-advocate following participation in the LOTF programs. Overall, the majority of participants reported that participation in the LOTF program contributed significantly to their academic success and would participate again in such a program. Intensive learning supports during the first year of postsecondary studies like those provided by LOTF may increase retention rates and improve key skills for those with LD. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

This study explored the predictive effects of science self-beliefs on science achievement for 24,680 13-year-old students from Gulf Cooperation Council member countries--Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates--who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. The performance of adolescent students in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on the TIMSS 2007 science assessment was significantly below the TIMSS scale average. Adolescent students' science beliefs had both positive and negative predictive effects on science achievement across the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries. (Contains 2 tables.)

The author sought to investigate the effects of inquiry-based science instruction on science achievement and interest in science of 5,120 adolescents from 85 schools in Qatar. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed the substantial positive effects of science teaching and learning with a focus on model or applications and interactive science teaching and learning on science achievement and interest in science. In contrast, science teaching and learning using student investigations and hands-on activities had substantial negative effects on science achievement in the context of other variables. Implications of the findings for educational policy and classroom practice are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and academic achievement for the Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada in comparison to their counterparts in India. Descriptive discriminant analysis indicated that the Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada had higher intrinsic motivation and academic achievement than their peers in India. By contrast, the Indian adolescents in India had higher extrinsic motivation than their counterparts in Canada. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed the positive predictive effects of intrinsic motivation on academic achievement for both the Indian immigrant and Indian adolescents. While extrinsic motivation had a negative predictive effect on academic achievement for the Indian immigrant adolescents in Canada, it was not a significant predictor of academic achievement for the Indian adolescents in India. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

This study examined the effects of motivation to learn science, science self-beliefs, and science instructional practices on science achievement of 13,985 15-year-old students from 431 schools across Canada. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses, while controlling for student- and school-level demographic characteristics, revealed the substantial predictive effects of motivation to learn science, science self-beliefs, and science instructional practices on science achievement of adolescents. Motivational beliefs--self-efficacy and self-concept--and enjoyment of science had substantial positive predictive effects on science achievement. In contrast, general interest in science had a negative predictive effect on science achievement in the context of other variables. Whereas science teaching using hands-on activities had a substantial positive predictive effect on science achievement, science teaching using student investigations had a substantial negative predictive effect in the context of other variables. The final HLM model indicated that only 8% of the variance in science achievement was between schools and 92% of the variance involved students within schools.

This study investigated whether students' motivational beliefs about learning science (i.e., self-concept in science and intrinsic value of science) varied significantly across grade levels and genders. The study also examined the relations between students' motivational beliefs about learning science and their science achievement by grade level and gender. The data for the study included the Taiwanese samples of students at grades 4 and 8 who took part in the 2011 and 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The results of the independent samples t-tests indicated that mean scores on the science motivational beliefs scales decreased significantly from grade 4 to 8. Boys' science motivational beliefs were significantly stronger than girls' science motivational beliefs in both grades, and the differences in mean scores between boys and girls increased from grade 4 to 8. Moreover, the results of the hierarchical regression analyses suggested that the strengths of the associations between science motivational beliefs and science achievement increased from grade 4 to 8. The relationships between science motivational beliefs and science achievement were significantly weaker for girls than for boys in grade 4. The findings of the study highlight both gender and grade level differences in motivational beliefs about learning science and their relations with science achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]