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This paper, using multi‐level modelling, sought to highlight student‐level and school‐level characteristics that differentiate the academic performance in mathematics from a sample of 6080 Moroccan secondary students who participated in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test. The results indicated little evidence to support the Heyneman–Loxley effect, as they showed that individual and family characteristics were the strongest determinants of achievement compared to the schools' factors. Students scored higher when they were boys, were younger, were more self‐confident, were more ambitious, and felt secure in school. They also scored higher when they came from families with a higher socioeconomic status, particularly when their parents were able to ensure the availability of learning resources, and were of a higher level of education. Finally, schools were matter for their pupil achievement mainly through the location channel, as urban pupils outperformed rural ones. However, the other school characteristics, including those related to teachers, played a negative, or at best neutral, role in pupil outcomes. These findings have important public policy implications. Redesigning education policy towards improving the school's environment and fostering inclusivity would be needed to enhance learning performance of Moroccan students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐regulatory interventions have demonstrated numerous benefits for helping improve the academic performance of students. The purpose of this review was to report on the effectiveness and focus of academic self‐regulation interventions for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural disorders. Thirty‐six studies published in 35 papers and involving 189 participants met inclusionary criteria. Overall, self‐regulation interventions showed moderate/medium effect size gains [percentage of nonoverlapping data (PND) 75%; standard mean difference (SMD) 2.27; Tau‐U 0.81] across academic subject areas. When assessing the effectiveness of self‐regulation interventions for addressing specific academic content areas, the largest ES gains were observed in reading (PND 93%; SMD 2.13; Tau‐U 0.94), although medium/moderate ES gains were observed in math (PND 71%; SMD 2.08; Tau‐U 0.70) and writing (PND 83%; SMD 2.57; Tau‐U 0.91). Self‐regulated strategy development, self‐monitoring interventions and strategy instruction were the predominant types of self‐regulation techniques implemented by researchers. There was evidence to support a claim of the generalisation and maintenance of findings. Implications, limitations and areas for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications that support student learning have gained increasing interest. However, empirical studies exploring the educational potential of using IVR in primary school science classrooms are lacking. Objectives: This study developed a series of IVR science lessons for primary school students and examined the effects of these lessons on learning outcomes. Methods: Our mixed‐method approach employed pre‐ and post‐tests to measure academic achievement, questionnaires to measure motivation and cognitive load, and semi‐structured interviews to further explore students' feelings and attitudes about IVR science lessons. Participants included 362 Grade 4 students assigned to either the experimental (IVR‐based classroom) or control (traditional classroom) groups. The experimental group engaged in IVR science lessons using Head‐Mounted Displays; the control group learned the same material through traditional methods. Results and conclusions: The results showed that the IVR‐based classroom significantly improved primary students' academic achievement and science motivation and decreased their cognitive load. Moreover, the experimental group reported positive experiences with the IVR science lessons. Takeaways: These findings help unpack the relationships between IVR and academic achievement, science motivation, and cognitive load in primary school science lessons, thus providing insight on integrating IVR into existing classrooms. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Non‐immersive virtual reality (IVR) has been used effectively in science learning.The 2D nature of non‐IVR can limit VR technology's educational effectiveness. What this paper adds: Evidence that IVR allows students to more fully engage in science educational subjects.Evidence that IVR can increase primary students' academic achievement.Evidence that IVR can increase primary students' science motivation.Evidence that IVR can decrease primary students' cognitive load. Implications for practice and/or policy: Adding IVR in primary classrooms can enhance science learning.Implementing IVR with head‐mounted displays can enrich primary school education.IVR‐based lessons can support primary students' successful learning in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the popularity and particularity of basketball, the athletes face a potential "Sport Commitment Crisis" due to immense pressures from academics, training, employment, and college. To date, research in sports has demonstrated the relationship between coach trust and sport commitment; however, the relationship among teammates is yet to be explored. We examined whether teammate trust is related to commitment and if prosocial and antisocial behaviors mediate these relationships. Right before a game, the college basketball players (N = 570) were asked to complete a multi-section questionnaire measuring the aforementioned variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that athletes' perceptions of their teammates' trust were positively related to their sport commitment, and these relationships were mediated by teammate prosocial behavior. In contrast, antisocial behavior did not affect their relationship. The findings suggest that teammate trust could facilitate sport commitment in athletes, which could occur via prosocial behavior. Current college athletes face multiple pressures such as academics, sports training, and future employment, which cause their continuous participation in sports training and competitions to be shaken, resulting in a decline in sport commitment. This study starts from the perspective of team atmosphere and peer behavior, and selects college basketball players on a large scale in China, because basketball is popular among Chinese college students and has brought greater social attention. In the process of playing basketball, the interaction between members is high, and the emotional factor with teammates is even more important. Therefore, the choice of research participants is also one of the advantages of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Researchers debate whether game‐based learning (GBL) affects students' achievement emotions, as past studies yielded mixed results. Objectives: This study determines the overall effect of GBL on students' positive achievement emotion and their negative achievement emotions (PAEs, NAEs), along with their moderators. Methods: This meta‐analysis examined true or quasi‐experimental studies, reported in English or Chinese, and with students (ranging from primary schools to universities) who did not report physiological and/or psychological illnesses. Results: Compared to traditional instruction, GBL had a positive effect on students' PAEs (g =0.526, k = 39, 95% CI = [0.319, 0.733]) and a negative effect on NAEs (g = −0.517, k = 22, 95% CI = [−0.709, −0.324]). GBL's positive effects on students' PAEs were (a) largest in middle school and otherwise generally larger in higher grades, and (b) largest for competition GBLs (compared to cooperative or individual GBLs). GBL's negative effects on students' NAEs were (a) larger in collectivist cultures than individualistic ones, (b) progressively larger in primary school, middle school, and university, (c) larger for non‐digital games than digital games, (d) smallest for individual games, (e) progressively larger in mathematics, social sciences, language, science, and highest in engineering and technology, and (f) smallest for extremely short or extremely long intervention durations (very short: up to 45 min; very long: over 2 months). Take Away: GBL often increases students' PAEs and decreases their NAEs, though their effect sizes differ across cultural values, grade level, game type, academic subject, or intervention duration. Hence, educators should consider these aspects when designing / selecting education games for their students and instructional contexts. Lay Description: What is already known: There are many definitions concerning educational games, resulting in a lack of consensus in conceptualisation.The impact of educational games on students' learning and development has aroused significant interest among scholars.As previous studies have shown mixed results, whether GBL supports or hinders students' achievement emotions remains ambiguous. What this paper adds: Contribution to a clarification of the overall effect sizes of educational games on students' positive and negative achievement emotions (PAEs and NAEs).Insights into the impacts of educational games on students' PAEs and NAEs taking into account some moderator variables (e.g., cultural values, grade level, game type, academic subject, intervention duration). Implications for practice: Planners, implementers and evaluators of GBL should carefully consider the appropriateness of digital games in learning.GBL can be appropriately applied in teaching to control the fluctuations of middle school students' NAEs.Concrete suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of service quality dimensions (tangibility, responsiveness, assurance, reliability, empathy, and e‐learning) on student's academic performance through student motivation, and student satisfaction. Primary data were collected from 384 participants studying in higher education institutes (HEI's) in the Punjab province of Pakistan and the research model was empirically tested. The findings reveal that all service quality dimensions (tangibility, responsiveness, assurance, reliability, empathy, and e‐learning) are positively associated with student's academic performance through student's motivation and student satisfaction. This study makes a substantial contribution to the literature of service quality, by adding a novel dimension "e‐learning" into the most renowned and frequently used SERVQUAL (tangibility, reliability, empathy, assurance, and responsiveness) model. By doing so we not only establish the link between e‐learning and student's academic performance through student satisfaction and student motivation but also extended the SERVQUAL model by incorporating an important neglected area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numbers of UK students choosing to study abroad for a period has increased steadily over the years, with many students citing academic, professional, linguistic and cultural reasons as their key motivations. However, while there is an abundance of literature on the advantage of study abroad (SA) for linguistic learning, there is less known about the academic impact of studying abroad. In addition, because SA is largely a process of self‐selection, this makes it difficult to derive unbiased estimates of its impact on academic achievement. Using data on students from a London‐based Russell Group university, and categorising SA students as those who participated in credit‐seeking SA programmes through Erasmus or bilateral/multilateral agreements with partner universities, this paper uses individual fixed effects to compare the post‐SA grades for students who sojourned with their expected grades had they not sojourned, as well as with their non‐SA counterparts. The results are quite robust across subgroups and indicate that grades in year 3 are less than expected for the SA group, given their pre‐sojourn grades. To tackle the problem of self‐selection, outcomes for SA students were compared to the group who applied but did not eventually study abroad, and to the outcomes for students who did not apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the perceptions and experiences of a teacher and students in a Shanghai public primary school when digital games were used in a second‐grade math class. The participants included one teacher and 45 students. Data collection methods included classroom observation, focus‐group and individual interviews, and document analysis. Digital gameplay, when used once daily over a 6‐day period, was found to enhance student engagement and interest in learning; many students, however, were concerned about its effect on academic achievement and eyesight. The teacher employed a "making thinking visible" approach using pencil and paper and problem‐solving strategies to help students understand the game's mathematical principles and master mathematical knowledge. Obstacles included large class size, difficulty evaluating learning outcomes, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. This study found that exam‐oriented education and traditional teacher‐centred teaching in China influenced participants' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Digital game‐based learning is effective and leads to a more relaxed learning environment that promotes students' engagement, interest, motivation, and confidence.Learning with digital games helps students acquire mathematics knowledge more effectively than traditional classroom lectures.Digital game‐based learning is helpful in math class as it makes students feel challenged and more capable, thereby improving self‐efficacy and task persistence. What this paper adds: Mathematics teachers and students have a contradictory attitude that shows both approval and concern towards game‐based learning.In the Chinese context, exam‐oriented culture is an important factor that influences the teacher's and students' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning.While digital game‐based learning helps students' engagement and interest in math, it also faces numerous challenges such as large class size, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. Implications for practice and/or policy: Digital game‐based learning may be more effective when combined with pencil and paper to write down the process and make thinking visible.Fun and learning should be balanced in digital game‐based learning.Teachers need training and support for digital game‐centred programmes to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) impose a significant burden on individuals, families and society. There are explicit costs related to increased health utilization and expenditure. Additionally, there may be indirect costs associated with a child's employment prospects in the long term because of the child's low literacy and numeracy, which in turn affects adult labour force participation (LFP). Several reviews have identified that there is paucity of published evidence on the costs of SLCN. Motivated by broad policy implications, and the lack of prior research in this area, this paper calculates the indirect costs and workplace productivity losses of children with SLCN. Aims: To estimate the indirect costs of SLCN associated with a child's reduced long‐term productivity. Methods & Procedures: Using 12 years of data from a longitudinal study of Australian children, we employed a panel fixed‐effects model to estimate academic achievement at 14–15 years of age. Using these estimates, we employed a human capital approach (HCA) to estimate the projected LFP for children with SLCN, measured by workforce participation and foregone wages. LFP is estimated by extrapolating a child's academic achievement at 14–15 years of age to adulthood outcomes. Outcomes & Results: The results showed that a 1 SD (standard deviation) decrease in SLCN is equivalent to 0.19 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.09, 0.30) SD decrease in academic achievement at 14–15 years, 0.79% (95% CI = 0.37, 1.21) decrease in work participation and A$453 (95% CI = A$207, A$674) per annum in lost wages. The average work participation penalty across all level of SLCN (–3, –2, –1) is A$628 (95% CI = A$236, A$894) per person per year. Based on the prevalence of 8.3% from our sample, this equates to lifetime costs of A$21.677 billion (US$14.28 billion, €13.08 billion, £11.66 billion) for children with SLCN in Australia. Speech pathology treatment appears to have a positive impact on work participation and wages. On average A$355 (95% CI = A$346, A$355) per person per year could be saved through treatment or identification (the difference in lost wages for children with and without speech pathology treatment at each SLCN level (–1, –2 ,–3) calculated as a weighted average). This equates to lifetime savings of A$5.22 billion (US$3.44 billion, €3.15 billion, £2.81 billion) for children with SLCN in Australia. Conclusions & Implications: Overall, the findings showed that SLCN are associated with increased indirect costs through reduced workforce participation. The evidence from this study can be used to inform policies on the societal costs of SLCN. What this paper addsWhat is already known on this subjectChildhood SLCN impose significant burden on individuals, families and society. There are explicit costs related to increased health utilization and expenditure. Additionally, there may be indirect costs associated with a child's employment prospects in the long term because of the child's low literacy and numeracy, which in turn affects adult LFP. Several reviews have identified that there is paucity of published evidence on the costs of SLCN. Motivated by broad policy implications, and the lack of prior research in this area, this paper calculates the indirect costs and workplace productivity losses of children with SLCN.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThis study estimates the academic achievement and indirect costs of SLCN associated with a child's reduced long‐term productivity. Using 12 years of data from a longitudinal study of Australian children, we employed a panel fixed‐effects model to estimate academic achievement at 14–15 years of age. Using these estimates, we used a human capital approach to estimate the projected LFP for children with SLCN, measured by workforce participation and foregone wages. LFP is estimated by extrapolating a child's academic achievement at 14–15 years of age to adulthood outcomes.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?SLCN are associated with increased indirect costs through reduced workforce participation. The evidence from this study provides one of the first indirect cost estimates of how SLCN impacts LFP through educational achievement. Early identification, intervention and screening for SLCN may be useful offsets to reduce the economic effects identified here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many children grow up with parents working abroad. Social scientists are interested in the scholastic achievement and health of these left‐behind children, in order to better understand the positive and negative aspects of migration for the families in the sending countries. This paper examines the causal effects of parents' migration on the education, physical, and mental health of left‐behind children aged 11 to 15 years in Romania, a country where increasingly more children have parents working abroad. Using data from a unique representative survey carried out in 2007, instrumental variable and bivariate probit estimates have been performed. The paper finds evidence for a significant positive effect of parental migration on children's school performance (reflected in higher grades) and a higher probability of suffering from depression and having health problems more frequently. The study furthermore demonstrates that living in transnational families is more harmful for girls and for those from rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore time management strategies followed by students in a flipped classroom through the analysis of trace data. Specifically, an exploratory study was conducted on the dataset collected in three consecutive offerings of an undergraduate computer engineering course (N = 1,134). Trace data about activities were initially coded for the timeliness of activity completion. Such data were then analysed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering based on Ward's algorithm, first order Markov chains, and inferential statistics to (a) detect time management tactics and strategies from students' learning activities and (b) analyse the effects of personalized analytics‐based feedback on time management. The results indicate that meaningful and theoretically relevant time management patterns can be detected from trace data as manifestations of students' tactics and strategies. The study also showed that time management tactics had significant associations with academic performance and were associated with different interventions in personalized analytics‐based feedback. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Effective time management behaviour is a vital element for self‐regulation as well as a strong predictor of academic success.The state of the art in time management research is mainly based on self‐reports.External feedback in educational research is one of the most powerful intervention strategies to optimize student learning progress and performance.The advantage of analytics approaches is in their reliance on trace data that can be captured without significant interference with the actual learning process and with low risk of bias that traditional data collection methods are often susceptible to. What our paper adds to this: We detected time management tactics and strategies adopted by students in online component of a flipped classroom through a combined use of trace data and analytics techniques.We identified the association between time management strategy groups (made up from a set of enacted tactics) identified in an online component of a flipped classroom course and their course performance.We analysed the effects of personalized analytics‐based feedback on time management. The implications of study findings for practitioners: From a research perspective, this study proposed methodology that could help both researchers and practitioners improve the interpretation of their results related to time management behaviour.From an instructor perspective, this study makes a step forward to translate time management into actionable feedback to promote better learning engagement.The study also suggests that for instructors to promote effective time management strategies, they can provide personalized analytics‐based feedback to the students in the first half of a semester on a weekly basis rather than providing the feedback throughout the entire duration of a course.From a learner perspective, this study could offer practical guidelines for making necessary adaption and adjustment of their timing of engagement based on a different set of time management tactics, to effectively regulate their learning time, especially during the preparation for face‐to‐face sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While an abundance of evidence‐based mathematics interventions are available to support students' mathematics fluency, research suggests that they are not often implemented within schools. Moreover, national data suggests that most students in the United States are not meeting grade level expectations in mathematics. This underperformance coupled with limited implementation of evidence‐based practices emphasizes the need to provide schools with effective, efficient, and resource friendly interventions to support students' mathematics achievement. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of reciprocal peer tutoring, iPad delivered flashcards, and a combined intervention condition on the multiplication fluency of 72 third grade students enrolled in two public schools in the midwestern region of the United States using a randomized pretest–posttest design. Students received 10 min of intervention after their core instruction 4 days per week for 5 weeks. Results suggest that there were few differences between treatment groups on both proximal and distal measures. Moreover, all groups demonstrated significant growth from pre‐ to posttest on proximal measures. Assessment response rates across modalities and student engagement are discussed along with implications for research and practice. Practitioner points: Students across all treatment groups (peer tutoring, iPad flashcards, and a combined intervention) improved their multiplication fact fluency.There were few differences between groups at posttest on proximal measures of multiplication fluency and distal measures of math achievement between groups.Students across treatment groups scored consistently higher in digits correct per minute when completing the paper‐pencil curriculum‐based measure (CBM) compared with the iPad CBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have demonstrated that dialogue‐based intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) can be effective in assisting students in learning. However, little research has attempted to explore the necessity of equipping dialogue‐based ITS with one of the most important capabilities of human tutors, that is, maintaining polite interactions with students, which is essential to provide students with a pleasant learning experience. In this study, we examined the role of politeness by analysing a large‐scale real‐world dataset consisting of over 14K online human–human tutorial dialogues. Specifically, we employed linguistic theories of politeness to characterise the politeness levels of tutor–student‐generated utterances, investigated the correlation between the politeness levels of tutors' utterances and students' problem‐solving performance and quantified the power of politeness in predicting students' problem‐solving performance by applying Gradient Tree Boosting. The study results showed that: (i) in the effective tutorial sessions (ie, sessions in which students successfully solved problems), tutors tended to be very polite at the start of a tutorial session and become more direct to guide students as the session progressed; (ii) students with better performance in solving problems tended to be more polite at the beginning and the end of a tutorial session than their counterparts who failed to solve problems; (iii) the correlation between tutors' polite expressions and students' performance was not evident in non‐instructional communication; and (iv) politeness alone cannot adequately reveal students' problem‐solving performance, and thus other factors (eg, sentiment contained in utterances) should also be taken into account. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Human–human tutoring is acknowledged as an effective instructional method.Polite expression can help strengthen the relationship between tutors and students.Polite expression can promote students' learning achievements in many educational contexts.What this paper adds By considering the students' prior progress on a problem‐based learning task, we demonstrated the extent to which tutors and students display politeness in tutoring dialogues.Tutors' polite expressions might not correlate with students' problem‐solving performance in online human–human tutoring dialogues.Politeness alone was insufficient to predict the students' performance.Implications for practice Tutors might consider using words with positive sentiment values to express politeness to students with prior progress, which might encourage those students to make a further effort.The polite strategy of expressing indirect requests could help tutors mitigate the sense of directness, but this strategy should be carefully used in delivering instructional hints, especially for students without prior progress.To better assist students without prior progress, tutors might consider using more direct expression to explicitly guide students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The degree to which Computer Science (CS) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) students are motivated to learn greatly impacts their study habits, academic achievement in school and ultimately their job prospects. In recent times, skills in programming languages have become vital in searching for employment. Objective: This study sought to examine the academic motivation of students to study programming languages and their pursuit of job prospects in the software development field. Methods: The study adopted the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) to measure students' motivation. Data was collected from 244 CS and ICT students at different levels of study at Ho Technical University (HTU) who responded to an online questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability analysis, independent samples t‐test and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted using IBM statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and IBM analysis of moment structure (AMOS), respectively. Results and Conclusions: The results showed no significant difference in students' motivation to study programming languages in the university between those who had prior programming languages and those who had none. Also, the results showed no significant difference in the motivation of students to study programming languages between those with and without working experience. The results showed a significant difference between those who want to and do not want to pursue a career in software development and their study motivation of programming languages. Takeaway: Course instructors should emphasize connections between course goals and future employment opportunities. Lay Description: What is already known about the topic: The degree to which students are motivated to learn greatly impacts their study habits and academic achievement.The Academic Motivation Scale is a key measurement instrument for assessing students' level of motivation. What this paper adds: Students who desire to pursue a career in software development are motivated to study programming languages.Students do not require prior programming language experience to be motivated to study programming languages.Students do not require working experience in the ICT field to be motivated to study programming languages. Implications of study findings for practitioners: The study's findings provide instructors and the management of HEIs insights to develop practical and interactive courses in curricula.Course instructors should emphasize connections between course goals and future employment opportunities.Management should provide incentives to the best students who design innovative software to solve problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For peer assessment, reliability (i.e., consistency in ratings across peers) and validity (i.e., consistency of peer ratings with instructors or experts) are frequently examined in the research literature to address a central concern of instructors and students. Although the average levels are generally promising, both reliability and validity can vary substantially from context to context. Meta‐analyses have identified a few moderators that are related to peer assessment reliability/validity, but they have lacked statistical power to systematically investigate many moderators or disentangle correlated moderators. Objectives: The current study fills this gap by addressing what variables influence peer assessment reliability/validity using a large‐scale, cross‐context dataset from a shared online peer assessment platform. Methods: Using multi‐level structural equation models, we examined three categories of variables: (1) variables related to the context of peer assessment; (2) variables related to the peer assessment task itself; and (3) variables related to rating rubrics of peer assessment. Results and Conclusions: We found that the extent to which assessment documents varied in quality on the given rubric played a central role in mediating the effect from different predictors to peer assessment reliability/validity. Other variables that are significantly associated with reliability and validity included: Education Level, Language, Discipline, Average Ability of Peer Raters, Draft Number, Assignment Number, Class Size, Average Number of Raters, and Length of Rubric Description. The results provide information to guide practitioners on how to improve reliability and validity of peer assessments. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The reliability and validity of peer assessment have been found to be, on average, at or above acceptable levels.Inter‐rater reliabilities, in particular, were reported to be medium to high in different online peer assessment studies in both K‐12 and higher education settings.Correlations between peer ratings and expert ratings were reported to be medium to high in different studies. What this paper adds: Document Quality Variability (DQV) is the degree to which submitted documents varied in quality on the given rubric dimension versus being all of roughly similar quality.DQV strongly predicts peer assessment reliability and validity.Class Size, Average Number of Raters, and Length of Rubric Descriptions are associated with reliability directly.Average Number of Raters and Assignment Number predict validity directly.Average Ability of Peer Raters, Draft Number, and Assignment Number predict validity indirectly through DQV. Implications for practice and/or policy: To increase IRR and validity of ratings, instructors can include more students with different proficiency levels in the subject area in peer assessment.Instructors should avoid using rubric scales that will mainly have students cluster at the top (or bottom) of the scale.The appropriate number of peer raters usually lies within 3‐to‐5 raters per document.Instructors should use peer assessment activities primarily for first drafts rather than for second or later drafts of an assignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Collaborative learning has become a crucial approach to promoting online in‐service teacher training. Appropriate peer recommendation for group composition is the basis to ensure productive learning outcomes of collaborative learning. However, there is a lack of understanding of the impact of peer recommendation on in‐service teachers' online training. Objectives: Therefore, based on the collaborative filtering approach, a peer recommendation mechanism for in‐service teachers was constructed in this study. We investigated the effects of the constructed mechanism on in‐service teachers' online learning performance, interactive knowledge construction behavioural patterns and social networks. Methods: In this study, 82 in‐service teachers were recruited to participate in the study. Participants under the experimental condition (n = 41) were invited to apply collaborative filtering‐based peer recommendation mechanism for grouping, while participants under the control condition (n = 41) were invited to use random grouping method. Participants' interaction data were collected from online collaborative discussion activities in a 5‐week asynchronous online course. The pre‐post knowledge test, content analysis, lag sequential analysis and social network analysis were used to analyse the differences between groups. Results and Conclusions: The following findings were revealed: (1) the experimental group performed better than the control group in terms of online learning performance; (2) interactive knowledge construction behavioural patterns generated in collaborative activities showed that the experimental group achieved deeper level of knowledge construction in collaboration than the control group; (3) social networks generated in collaborative activities showed that the experimental group had tighter interaction relationships than the control group. Therefore, the peer recommendation mechanism could be useful to improve peer recommendation for group composition and had positive effects on in‐service teachers' online training. Implications: This study can shed light on the construction of peer recommendation mechanism in recommending appropriate peers for in‐service teachers and different learners in online collaborative learning. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Appropriate learning peers are conducive to promoting effective online collaborative learning. What this paper adds: This study constructed a collaborative filtering‐based peer recommendation mechanism for recommending appropriate learning peers to improve online collaborative learning of in‐service teachers. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The study findings provide insights into the construction of mechanisms for recommending learning peers in online teacher training and computer‐supported collaborative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale standardized tests are regularly used to measure student achievement overall and for student subgroups. These uses assume tests provide comparable measures of outcomes across student subgroups, but prior research suggests score comparisons across gender groups may be complicated by the type of test items used. This paper presents evidence that among nationally representative samples of 15‐year‐olds in the United States participating in the 2009, 2012, and 2015 PISA math and reading tests, there are consistent item format by gender differences. On average, male students answer multiple‐choice items correctly relatively more often and female students answer constructed‐response items correctly relatively more often. These patterns were consistent across 34 additional participating PISA jurisdictions, although the size of the format differences varied and were larger on average in reading than math. The average magnitude of the format differences is not large enough to be flagged in routine differential item functioning analyses intended to detect test bias but is large enough to raise questions about the validity of inferences based on comparisons of scores across gender groups. Researchers and other test users should account for test item format, particularly when comparing scores across gender groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect on academic performance of an exogenous educational reform that reduced the school calendar of non-fee-paying schools in the Madrid region (Spain) by approximately two weeks, leaving the basic curriculum unchanged. To identify the consequences of such a measure, we exploit the fact that it did not affect private schools (control group) and the existence of an external cognitive test that measures academic performance before and after its application in the region. We find that the reform worsened students' educational outcomes by around 0.13 of a standard deviation. This effect was especially strong in the subjects of Spanish and Mathematics. We further explored quantile effects across the distribution of exam scores, finding that the disruption had a more negative effect on students in the upper quartile than those in the lower quartile. Overall, the analysis shows a reduction in the gap across non-fee-paying schools and an increase in the gap between non-fee- and fee-paying schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: Research shows that active pedagogies could play an important role in achieving more equitable outcomes for diverse groups of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Although flipped classes are a popular active methodology, there is a lack of high‐quality studies assessing their impact in ecologically valid settings and exploring how outcomes are related to gender and to prior education. Purpose: This paper presents two modified replications of an experimental study investigating the impact of the flipped class approach on students' achievement in a large, first‐year class in an engineering bachelor's degree. Methodology: We added a new strand, progressively flipped over 3 years, to eight parallel strands of a high‐stakes mandatory linear algebra course for engineers. The study followed a replicated‐between‐subjects design, with students in the flipped strand learning the same material as those in the other strands and taking the same final exam. Results: Our results demonstrate that the flipped format did not have any significant impact on students' achievement compared to traditional lecturing. However, both replications in the flipped condition show a reduced attainment gap for women and students with less prior knowledge in mathematics. Conclusion: While the flipped class seems to have weaker effects on learning than other active methodologies, the evidence in this study indicates that it may have an impact on reducing the attainment gap between different groups of students. It may therefore be particularly interesting to consider in efforts to achieve more equitable outcomes for women and where students have heterogeneous educational backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID‐19, online courses have been extensively used from K‐12 to higher education. Online learning engagement, an important factor in online learning success, is currently at a low level in high school. Meanwhile, the research on the factors that influence high school students' online learning engagement is still limited. Objectives: Based on the theories of regulatory focus and value control, this study developed a multi‐mediation model to investigate whether self‐efficacy and academic emotions can mediate the relationship between regulatory focus and online learning engagement. Methods: A total of 926 high school student (52.16% female, mean age = 16.47 years) were recruited to participate in this study and completed self‐report measures of regulatory focus, online learning engagement, online learning self‐efficacy and academic emotions. And we used SPSS macro PROCESS developed by Hayes to examine the mediating role of online learning self‐efficacy and academic emotions. Results and Conclusions: The results indicated that promotion focus had a stable positive effect on online learning engagement of high school students, whereas prevention focus had a significant negative effect on the same. Self‐efficacy and positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between promotion focus and online learning engagement. Moreover, positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between the prevention focus and online learning engagement, while negative emotions had a significant negative mediating effect between them. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Regulatory focus is a self‐regulatory motivational orientation that has a significant impact on online learning for university students.Self‐efficacy and academic emotions are among the main factors that influence online learning engagement.Online learning has spread due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Lack of understanding of online learning engagement for high school students. Lack of experience of teachers in teaching online. What this paper adds: Promotion focus had a steady significant positive effect on high school students' online learning engagement, while prevention focus had a significant negative effect on high school students' online learning engagement.Self‐efficacy and positive emotion had a significant positive mediating effect between promotion focus and online learning engagement.Positive emotion had a significant positive mediating effect between prevention focus and online learning engagement, while negative emotions had a significant negative mediating effect between them. Implications for practice and/or policy: These findings provide suggestions for instructional strategies for the online classroom. (1) It is important for online teachers to design appropriate learning contexts to initiate a promotion focus for learners in order to increase online learning engagement. For example, by designing online learning contextual elements such as learning activities, learning atmosphere, social interactions, media resources, and contexts, online learners' tendency to promotion focus is activated and learners' level of engagement in online learning is increased. (2) Online teachers can promote learning engagement by initiating a promotion focus, or they can improve students' accountability by initiating their prevention focus, as appropriate. (3) To ensure a certain level of engagement in online learning, teachers should use teaching and learning assessment methods that are predominantly promotion‐focused and supplemented by prevention‐focused methods to accommodate students' different motivational orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the link between the language in which pupils take the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test and the scores they achieve in this assessment, focusing upon the case of Wales. Using five rounds of PISA data and an instrumental variable approach, we show how pupils who took the test in Welsh score around 0.3 standard deviations (30 PISA test points) lower in reading, mathematics and science than their peers who took the test in English. This finding is robust to different model specifications and statistical approaches. We argue that this may indicate that the academic performance of teenagers in Wales may be underestimated in PISA – particularly amongst those who take this test in Welsh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Drawing on a secondary analysis of official statistics, this paper examines the changing scale of the inequality of achievement between White students and their Black British peers who identify their family heritage as Black Caribbean. We examine a 25-year period from the introduction of the General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE), in 1988, to the 20th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 2013. It is the first time that the Black/White gap has been analysed over such a long period. The paper reviews the changing place of the Black/White gap in education debates and notes that, despite periods when race equality has appeared to be high on the political agenda, it has never held a consistent place at the heart of policy. Our findings shed light on how the Black/White gap is directly affected, often in negative ways, by changes in education policy. Specifically, whenever the key benchmark for achievement has been redefined, it has had the effect of restoring historic levels of race inequity; in essence, policy interventions to 'raise the bar' by toughening the benchmark have actively widened gaps and served to maintain Black disadvantage. Throughout the entire 25-year period, White students were always at least one and a half times more likely to attain the dominant benchmark than their Black peers. Our findings highlight the need for a sustained and explicit focus on race inequity in education policy. To date, the negative impacts of policy changes have been much more certain and predictable than occasional attempts to reduce race inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ways in which experiences with return migration are intertwined with considerations about education. How is education a part of returnees' stories about return to Pakistan, and what are the implications that can be drawn to better understand return mobilities and transnational living? While the academic discussion of education in relation to migration has been pre-occupied with integration concerns, bringing together literatures on transnational parenting, return migration, and integration, with the intersecting theme of education, provides valuable synergies. The paper draws on 21 semi-structured interviews with returnees from Norway in Pakistani Punjab and focus groups with returnees from Europe and with non-migrants in returnee-areas in Pakistan. We argue that education is one of a few reoccurring issues that return migrants mention as a motivation for returning, alongside various family considerations. For many returnees, education is as much about the cultural Pakistani, or religious Islamic dimensions, as it is about purely academic objectives. Seven different ways in which education and return migration are intertwined are identified and discussed. The paper shows the ways in which education and mobility choices are closely connected, for a particular sub-group of Pakistani migrants' who over their lifespan lead transnational lives. © 2015 The Authors. Population, Space and Place published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As educational digital technologies are increasingly being used in schools, past research left unanswered the question of these technologies' impact on the socioeconomic achievement gap even when equal access is guaranteed. Objectives: The objectives of the present study are to examine whether and how the socioeconomic achievement gap can be reduced through the use of computer‐assisted instruction (CAI). Methods: We addressed this issue experimentally by comparing CAI to conventional teacher‐led classroom instruction with more than 800 middle and high school students from disadvantaged and highly privileged socioeconomic backgrounds in a range of topics. Results and Conclusions: Both disadvantaged and highly privileged students taught with CAI outperformed those taught with conventional instruction, thus maintaining the socioeconomic achievement gap constant. However, we also found that disadvantaged students receiving CAI performed as well as highly privileged students receiving conventional teacher‐led instruction. Takeaways: The positive effects associated with CAI may therefore help compensate the difficulties of students with a disadvantaged background, a still neglected possibility. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Socioeconomic status affects academic achievement especially in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.Inequal access to digital learning is a by‐product of socioeconomic status.Computer‐assisted instruction is known to yield positive effects on learning. What this paper adds?: It examines the effectiveness of computer‐assisted instruction on reducing the socioeconomic achievement gap when equal access to digital education is guaranteed at the school level.It shows that computer‐assisted instruction (relative to teacher‐led conventional instruction) benefited disadvantaged students and their highly privileged counterparts equally, shifting the socioeconomic achievement gap upward.However, disadvantaged students receiving CAI may reach similar performance level as their highly privileged counterparts receiving conventional instruction, thus compensating the socioeconomic achievement gap. Implications for practice and/or policy: This finding strengthens the importance of targeting teaching methods depending on students' socioeconomic characteristics to allow disadvantaged students to maximize their learning potential and chances to access to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a scarcity of studies on online flipped learning in teacher education classes. Many studies have found that student learning is improved in flipped learning environments; however, this is still an open question. Much of the literature employs quantitative methods to reveal the effect of flipped learning on certain variables such as engagement, performance, and so on, but there have been few studies that investigate the Community of Inquiry variables perceived by learners in flipped learning environments. Objectives: This study investigated the levels of teaching, social, and cognitive presence of teacher candidates in an online flipped learning community, whether these variables were related to academic achievement, and teacher candidates' experiences with the online flipped learning approach. Methods: A case study research design was used in this study. Without any face‐to‐face meetings, the course was delivered using an online flipped learning approach. While quantitative data were collected from 34 teacher candidates, 16 teacher candidates participated in the qualitative part of the study. Focus group interviews, an open‐ended questionnaire, a Community of Inquiry Scale, and teacher candidates' course grades were used to collect data. Both descriptive and content analysis were used to analyze the data. Results and Conclusions: In the current study, effective online flipped learning design fostered teaching presence, with perceived teaching presence having the highest mean and perceived social presence having the lowest. Course videos prepared by the instructor, as well as synchronous activities such as peer presentations, questions, and video discussion, all contributed to cognitive presence through the practice of theoretical knowledge. Although none of the variables in the community of inquiry were related to academic achievement, computer‐based games like Kahoot contribute to a positive online flipped learning community. Many benefits of online flipped learning have been stated, including providing active, flexible, autonomous, and interactive instruction through the use of technology, creating a fun learning environment, and increasing perceived learning and interaction with the instructor. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The contribution of flipped learning to achievement is still an issue open to discussion.There are limited studies investigating the Community of Inquiry variables perceived by learners in flipped learning environments.Instructors need effective flipped learning designs, especially for teacher candidates as teachers teach the way they have been taught.Face‐to‐face learning activities are the driving force behind effective flipped learning which is replaced by synchronous meetings in online flipped learning. What this paper adds: This study adds to limited research related to the online flipped learning model in teacher training learning environments.This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate how teacher candidates perceive Community of Inquiry variables (teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence) in the online flipped learning environment.This study designs an effective online flipped learning course with online plays and synchronous activities.This study reveals the experiences of teacher candidates in terms of activities, their contribution to learning, communication, and community of inquiry perceptions. Implications for practice and/or policy: Effective online flipped learning designs foster teacher presence.Synchronous activities should include peer presentations, questions, or jigsaw activities to increase social and cognitive presence.Course videos prepared by the instructor contribute to cognitive presence through the practice of theoretical knowledge in synchronous meetings.Computer‐based plays such as Kahoot contribute to a positive online flipped learning community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math fluency (MF) is the ability to quickly and accurately solve simple math exercises. Proficiency in MF is one of the buildings of arithmetic achievement during school. However, so far only paper and pencil tests have been used to assess MF. In the current study, we present the BGU‐MF (Ben‐Gurion University Math Fluency) test, a new computerized tool for MF. MF was assessed by accuracy rates, response times, and the number of performed exercises. In order to examine its reliability, participants performed the test twice. In order to examine its validity, participants performed manual format of MF from the Woodcock–Johnson battery. Results indicated high reliability and validity of the BGU‐MF test. Performance in the BGU‐MF also predicted abilities in the math matriculation exam and psychometric exam. The advantages of the BGU‐MF computerized tool over the manual tool and further implications of the BGU‐MF are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant body of the literature has documented the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in education, but little is known about the effects of AR‐supported instruction in tertiary‐level Medical Education (ME). This quasi‐experimental study compares a traditional instructional approach with supplementary online lecture materials using digital handout notes with a control group (n = 30) and an educational AR application with an experimental group (n = 30) to investigate any possible added‐value and gauge the impact of each approach on students' academic performance and training satisfaction. This study's findings indicate considerable differences in both academic performance and training satisfaction between the two groups. The participants in the experimental group performed significantly better than their counterparts, an outcome which is also reflected in their level of training satisfaction through interacting and viewing 3D multimedia content. This study contributes by providing guidelines on how an AR‐supported intervention can be integrated into ME and provides empirical evidence on the benefits that such an approach can have on students' academic performance and knowledge acquisition. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Several studies have applied various Augmented Reality (AR) applications across different learning disciplines.The effects of AR on students' perceptions and achievements in higher education contexts is well‐documented.Despite the increasing use of AR‐instruction in Medical Education (ME), there has been no explicit focus on AR's effects on students' academic performance and satisfaction.What this paper adds This quasi‐experimental study compares the academic performance and training satisfaction of students in an experimental group (AR) and a control group (handout notes).This study provides instructional insights into, and recommendations that may help students achieve better academic performance in AR‐supported ME courses.The experimental group reported greater training satisfaction than their counterparts.Implications for practice and policy Students who followed the AR‐supported instruction achieved better academic performance that those in the control group.AR‐supported interventions encourage active learning and lead to significant performance improvement.The experimental group outperformed the control group in academic performance and training satisfaction measurements, despite the lower experimental group's lower pre‐test performance scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Failure to effectively organize and manage learning time is an important factor influencing online learners' performance. Investigation of time‐investment patterns for online learning will provide educators with useful knowledge of how learners engage in and regulate their online learning and support them in tailoring online course design and teaching. However, understanding of how learners invest and manage their time during online learning remains limited. Objectives: This study aims to discover the typical time‐investment patterns of MOOC learners and their temporal‐learning characteristics based on a systematic time‐investment analysis framework and their relationship with learning performance. Methods: Based on a proposed time‐investment‐analysis framework, this study applied statistical, cluster and lag sequential analyses to investigate learners' time‐investment patterns and their relationships with learning performance, session time allocation, and learning sequences by analysing the learning data from 12,463 participants of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in China. Results and Conclusions: Seven time‐investment patterns of MOOC learners were defined, and learning performance was found to differ among them. Further analysis shows that high performers invested time throughout the whole course and allocated time to multiple activities, exam‐takers performed better in time management and produced more behavioural sequences related to cognitive strategy and recourse use, and learners' motivation and prior knowledge affected the management and effectiveness of their time investment. Implications: The results support the recognition and evaluation of online learning time‐investment patterns and suggest relevant cues for improving MOOC design and teaching. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Insufficient learning time affects learning persistence and effectiveness in open and online education programs.Learning time investment and management regarded as an element of self‐regulated learning is a predictor of learning performance.Some proxy behavioural variables or characteristics of online learning time management have been found in previous studies.Learning analysis can be used to dig the knowledge implicit in learning data for online teaching evaluation and improvement. What is paper adds to the subject: Based on a comprehensive analytic framework, seven time‐investment patterns of MOOC learners and their relationship with achievement are identified.Under different time frames, learners' time allocation and learning behaviour pattern are different.Learners performing better in time management across course learning allocate more time to multiple activities in session learning.Exam‐takers perform better in time management across MOOC learning, and produce more behaviour sequences related to cognitive strategy and course recourse use. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The recognition of time investment pattern can support online course design and teaching improvement.MOOC design and teaching need to consider the differences in learners' time resources and their ability of time management.MOOC design and teaching need to encourage learners lacking of performance motivation to engage in various learning activities instead of just watching videos.MOOC design need consider the differences in learners' prior knowledge, and offer personalized learning path based on assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the recent pivot to online instruction and/or to mixed online/face‐to‐face (i.e., hybrid) models of teaching necessitated by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the uses of technology to support instruction would seem to have great importance. Whereas effective integration of technology in mathematics classrooms requires recognition of students' needs and instructional goals that technology could fulfill, very few comprehensive meta‐analytical studies have focused on the roles of instructional technology in support of specific learning goals. Objectives: In this meta‐analysis, we investigated and reviewed the roles and affordances of technology in mathematics instruction and its effects on students' mathematics achievement. Methods: Cross‐searching multiple bibliographic databases generated a total of 3276 potentially relevant full‐text studies. After applying a series of inclusion/exclusion criteria, we kept 77 studies with 151 effect sizes. Two researchers then coded for seven sets of study features and student characteristics: technology roles, publication‐related features (years and resources), research design, sample size, grade levels, duration of interventions, and types of the testing instruments. The coding achieved acceptable levels of inter‐rater reliabilities. Since effect sizes varied across studies and student populations, random‐effects models were used for overall effect estimates and moderator analyses. Results and conclusions: Overall, this meta‐analysis revealed a small, positive, and statistically significant effect of technology on students' mathematics achievement with an average Hedges' s g (ḡ) of 0.23. The largest significant moderator effects were found when technology was used to design and support collaborative and communicative environments (ḡ = 0.49); the next‐largest moderator effects were found when using technology as supports for problem‐solving (ḡ = 0.39), followed by the roles of as supports for conceptual development (ḡ = 0.31) and as adaptive mathematics practices (ḡ = 0.28). This study also found that the effects of technology were differentiated as a function of publication resources, research design, duration of intervention, and the testing instrument. Major takeaways: Focusing on the roles and functions of technology, this study can contribute to guide potential synthetical studies as well as the future design of educational technology. In particular, technology is used effectively when it is used (a) to create and design a collaborative and communicative learning environment where students have chances to collaborate and interact with each other and (b) as supports for mathematics problem‐solving and for mathematics conceptual development. On the other hand, technology is less effective when it is used for monitoring and assessing students' learning processes without follow‐up instructions. The findings suggested that technology intervention lasting for a shorter time is the better choice. When technology is used for longer periods of instruction, maintaining its novelty and students' curiosity should be considered. This study also suggested that incorporating computer‐adaptive testing in technology‐based intervention programs is more likely to detect technology effects as adaptive testing could continuously adjust to the abilities of individual students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Technology is now widely used in mathematics classrooms for aiding teachers' instruction.The affordances and functions of technology and its alignment with instructional goals are the key to effectively integrate technology in mathematics classrooms. What this paper adds?: Our study contributes to a comprehensive and systematic taxonomical framework of technology roles, which integrated previous multiple theoretical perspectives, thus, this framework can reflect the complexity and the dynamic nature of technology integration in present‐day mathematics classroomsOur framework based on the roles and functions of technology has been shown to be useful to guide synthetical studies. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers might consider using technology to support collaborative learning in their mathematics classrooms in order to enhance their students' mathematics learning.Software developers and researchers also should place more efforts in designing interactive technology learning environments or systems where students can work together and learn from each other.Program implementors should consider incorporating adaptive testing in technology when testing students' learning outcomes from technology‐based intervention programs so that students' authentic learning performance and levels are measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although some researchers have applied both cooperation and competition in the practice of robotics education, most of these practices were not systematic, and there was no integration design for intra‐group cooperation and inter‐group competition. Objectives: The study aims to examine the effects of different coopetition designs on students' intragroup cooperation and intergroup competition. Methods: A two‐stage study was conducted in two elementary schools. In the pilot study, two coopetition designs were developed by combining rewarded and unrewarded competition. In the follow‐up study, three coopetition designs (i.e., zero‐sum with real‐time reward, zero‐sum with delayed reward, and social‐comparison) were examined. Results and Conclusions: The study showed that both social‐comparison coopetition and zero‐sum real‐time reward coopetition can be more effective than zero‐sum delayed reward coopetition in teaching knowledge and skills in robotics education. Social comparison coopetition turned out to have a larger effect on affective outcome than the zero‐sum delayed reward coopetition. Implications: Social comparison coopetition seems to be a more advantages method for both cognitive and affective learning. However, more research is needed to confirm the difference in effectiveness between the three models of coopetition. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Pair learning as a form of cooperation learning is helpful to improve students' confidence, productivity, achievement and the quality of cooperation.How to combine cooperation and competition is a key issue. What this paper adds: New coopetition models were designed by combining rewarded and unrewarded competition with pair learning.Social‐comparison coopetition based on pair learning shows great potential to promote intragroup cooperation and intergroup competition.Zero‐sum coopetition with real‐time reward was superior but not overwhelming to the zero‐sum coopetition with delayed reward. Implications for practice and/or policy: Social‐comparison coopetition and zero‐sum with real‐time reward coopetition can be effective teaching methods for robotics learning.Both social‐comparison coopetition and zero‐sum real‐time reward coopetition may be effective methods for teaching knowledge and skills in robotics education.For affective outcome, social comparison coopetition seems to be slightly more effective than zero‐sum delayed reward coopetition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, the call to foster computational thinking (CT) in every child has received considerable attention. However, there is little understanding of whether children are developmentally ready to think computationally and what specific CT concepts and skills can be developed at various ages. This study explored the developmental and gender differences in CT skills of 197 Grade 4–6 students (aged 9–13) before being exposed to instruction and investigated the age–gender interaction effects on their CT acquisition in an intervention combining both programming and non‐programming (unplugged) activities. Results show that students' CT skills followed a developmental progression before instruction. Gender difference across ages was insignificant in conditionals, logical operators, pattern recognition and generalization skills. Additionally, students of different ages developed CT differently during the intervention, and their CT acquisition was unaffected by gender. Implications for practice and research in CT education were discussed. Lay Description: What is currently known about the topic: Learning progressions for computational thinking have been defined in K‐12 curricula globally.Engaging in programming and non‐programming (unplugged) activities can increase students' CT skills.Controversial results have been reported on the age–gender interaction effects on CT development.Lack of understanding on children's actual progressive development of CT. What this paper adds: A developmental progression was found in CT skills of students aged 9–13. Students aged 12 and above had some a priori understanding of CT.No gender difference across ages existed in conditionals, logical operators, pattern recognition and generalization skills before instruction.Students aged 9–11 benefitted the most from an intervention combining both programming and unplugged activities compared to older students. Students' CT acquisition in the intervention was unaffected by gender.Given the intervention, students aged 9 and above developed conditionals, logical operators and pattern recognition skills. However, generalization skill was developed only for students aged 12 and above. Implications for practice and policy: The findings lay the foundation for designing evidence‐based age‐appropriate CT learning progression and pedagogies.Age‐appropriate learning content: Given appropriate learning experiences, students aged 9 and above may be ready to learn certain CT concepts and skills, including conditionals, logical operators and pattern recognition.CT pedagogies: Using programming and unplugged activities to develop CT requires careful consideration of students' cognitive development and gender needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tingir et al. (2017) concluded from their meta‐analysis that the subject areas taught through mobile devices had significantly higher achievement scores (d = 0.48) than the ones taught with traditional teaching methods. Given the relatively high positive effect of mobile devices on student achievement, we carefully analysed the selected research in this meta‐analysis. We reviewed Tingir et al.'s (2017) meta‐analysis based on analysis of the methodology of the selected research, while drawing on the work of Slavin (2003), Cheung and Slavin (2016), and Sung et al. (2019). Twelve of the 14 (86%) studies included in the meta‐analysis done by Tingir and his team (2017) present such major methodological flaws that they should not have been included. Our analysis leads us to believe that the conclusion of Tingir et al. (2017) is not justified. It is recognized that duration of experiment is negatively correlated with effect size: the shorter the duration, the higher the effect (Burston, 2015; Slavin & Lake, 2009). Although demanding more effort, the field of education must raise the bar if it is to have knowledge of acceptable value. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Tingir et al. (2017) concluded from their meta‐analysis that: "the subject areas taught through mobile devices had significantly higher achievement scores than the ones taught with traditional teaching methods" (p. 366). What this paper adds?: We therefore reviewed the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) and the underlying research. Our analysis leads us to believe that the conclusion of Tingir et al. (2017) is not justified.The data on reading used in the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) do not make it possible to calculate a legitimate effect size for reading or to make a judgment about the effectiveness of mobile devices in the classroom.With respect to mathematics, the weakness and biases of the studies selected in the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) should not have allowed them to calculate an effect size and do not provide a clear answer on the effectiveness of mobiles devices in the classroom.The studies in science selected by Tingir et al. (2017) demonstrate a set of methodological flaws that cannot provide a sound basis for determining a convincing effect of mobile device in the classroom on student achievement. Implications for practice and/or policy: Tingir and associates (2017) calculated an overall mean effect of 0.48 for mobiles devices on student achievement by combining research in reading (effect = 0.666; N = 3), mathematics (effect = 0.16; N = 3) and science (effect = 0.528; N = 8). The authors did not do a school‐level analysis (elementary, high school) in their school subject groupings due to the small number of studies, particularly in reading and mathematics.Twelve of the 14 (86%) studies included in the meta‐analysis done by Tingir and his team (2017) present such major methodological flaws that they should not have been included. As mentioned in the introduction, Slavin and his colleagues found different results in a related field. Slavin et al. (2009) found an effect size of 0.11 for the use of technology in the classroom, in computer‐assisted and computer‐based instruction, and an effect size of 0.05 for the use of digital tools 10 years later (Slavin, 2019). Given all the above, it is our opinion that the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) cannot be used to justify the use of mobile devices in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research has shown that achievement goals and reading instruction play important roles in students' reading performance. However, little is known about the specific effects of different types of achievement goals and reading instructional practices on reading performance in mainland China. Methods: This study used Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 data to examine the effects of Chinese students' achievement goals and perceived reading instruction on reading performance. Four districts in mainland China, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang (B–S–J–Z), participated in PISA 2018. A profile of B–S–J–Z students' achievement goals and perceived reading instruction compared with those in other East Asian societies is presented. The relative contributions of different achievement goals, instructional practices at the student and school levels, and their interactive effects on reading performance are then examined by using hierarchical linear modelling. Results: The results show that performance and avoidance goals are important for B–S–J–Z students' reading performance when classroom and school teaching environments are considered. The disciplinary climate, adaptative instruction and teachers' stimulation are positively related to reading performance at both the student and school levels. Some cross‐level interactions between personal achievement goals and school reading instruction are found. Conclusions: The findings suggest that achievement goals and reading instructional practices at both the student and school levels contribute to Chinese students' reading performance. The relationships between school reading instruction practices and students' reading performance vary for different achievement goals. Highlights: What is already known about this TopicAchievement goals affect student reading performance.Mastery‐oriented reading instructional practices impact students' goal adoption and reading performance.Few studies have investigated the interactions between achievement goals and instructional practices in the reading domain on a large and systematic scale.Achievement goals and reading instruction in East Asian societies are influenced by Confucian culture. What this paper addsCompared with students from other East Asian societies, B–S–J–Z students had a higher degree of mastery and performance goals and held positive perceptions about reading instruction.Performance and avoidance goals showed positive effects on students' reading performance.The disciplinary climate, adaptive instruction and teachers' stimulation had significant positive effects on reading performance at both the student and school levels; teacher support only showed a positive effect at the student level.There are cross‐interaction effects between achievement goals at the student level and reading instructional practices at the school level. Implications for theory, policy or practiceThe similarities and differences between the findings in this study and previous studies conducted in Western countries suggest the importance of examining the complexity of achievement goals in different cultural settings.Effective reading instructional practices and adaptive achievement goals can increase students' reading performance.Having positive achievement goals seems especially important for facilitating students' reading performance in schools that demonstrate a low degree of effective instructional practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading amount is decisive for individual students' academic success as well as for the general strength of democratic societies. Still, the amount of both leisure‐time and school‐related reading is decreasing. To reverse this trend, more knowledge of what drives students' school reading is needed. Drawing on Self‐Determination Theory (SDT), the study is based on structured interviews with 259 students in Grades 6 and 9 from 14 different schools. Descriptive statistical analyses were made to map students' perceptions of themselves as readers and their school‐related reading practices and to find out what regulates students' motivation for in‐class reading. Although students express a strong will to become good readers, our data indicate that students are mainly driven by controlled motivation for their school‐related reading; autonomous motivation was only expressed by a minority of students in Grade 6. What would make students read more are mainly text and instruction related factors such as more interesting texts and more time allocated to reading. Our results point to a great potential for more in‐class reading across the curriculum, reading sessions that need to be regularly scheduled using carefully selected texts. In line with SDT, our findings highlight the importance of fulfilling students' need for competence, relatedness, and autonomy in order for them to develop more self‐determined behaviour, such as leisure‐time reading – which in turn will boost their reading self‐concept. Highlights: What is already known about this topicStudents who practice reading more tend to become more competent readers and therefore develop a more positive relationship with reading and themselves as readers (reading self‐concept).Autonomous motivation strongly predicts reading achievement, whereas controlled motivation negatively predicts reading outcomes.The amount of both leisure‐time and school‐related reading is decreasing in many parts of the western world, highlighting the need for schools to find new ways of engaging students in reading practices. What this paper addsStudents want to be good readers and know that they need to read more to become good readers.In contrast to leisure‐time reading, students' school‐related reading practices are driven far more by controlled than autonomous motivation, especially by the time they reach secondary school.Students would read more if they were provided with more interesting texts, the possibility to choose, and if more class time were allocated to reading. Implications for theory, policy or practiceAutonomy‐supporting reading sessions need to be regularly and amply scheduled across the curriculum to ensure reading practices that can develop reader competence.Schools need to ensure that students have access to a variety of texts to choose from according to both personal interest and level of difficulty.Educators need to design reading practices that fulfil students' need for competence, relatedness, and autonomy in order for them to develop more self‐determined behaviour and a more positive perception of themselves as readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous work suggests that children can teach themselves new written words via reading aloud texts independently (i.e., orthographic learning via self‐teaching). In self‐teaching in Chinese, regular phonetic radicals and transparent semantic radicals facilitate orthographic learning. The present study examined the roles of phonetic and semantic radicals in both orthographic learning and oral vocabulary learning via self‐teaching among Chinese children. Methods: Thirty‐four Mandarin‐speaking second graders read aloud and comprehended 12 stories annotated with Pinyin, a phonetic script in Chinese. Each story included a semantic–phonetic compound pseudocharacter appearing five times. The phonetic radicals were classified as one‐third regular, one‐third semiregular and one‐third irregular. These phonetic radicals carried full, partial or no phonetic information, depending on their regularity. Moreover, half of the semantic radicals were either transparent or opaque, meaning that they were semantically related or unrelated to the meaning of the pseudocharacters, respectively. Learning outcomes included participants' oral vocabulary learning and orthographic learning regarding word recognition and spelling. Results: In addition to the well‐studied orthographic learning, children can also achieve vocabulary learning via self‐teaching. Results indicate that transparent semantic radicals facilitated orthographic and vocabulary learning. Moreover, vocabulary learning was facilitated by regular phonetic radicals but hindered by semiregular phonetic radicals. Conclusions: These findings, together, point to the roles of phonetic and semantic radicals in Chinese children's orthographic and vocabulary learning. Findings advance our understanding of self‐teaching across writing systems and add to the educational value of self‐teaching. Highlights: What is already known about this topic Chinese children can achieve orthographic learning via self‐teaching.Regular phonetic radicals facilitate orthographic learning.Transparent semantic radicals support orthographic learning. What this paper adds Chinese children can also accomplish oral vocabulary learning through self‐teaching.Regular phonetic radicals and transparent semantic radicals facilitated vocabulary learning.Semiregular phonetic radicals hindered vocabulary learning. Implications for theory, policy or practice Self‐teaching is also an effective tool for oral vocabulary learning.Children seem to utilise phonetic and semantic cues separately in their orthographic and vocabulary learning via self‐teaching.Partial phonetic cues pose challenges to children's vocabulary learning, in which cases children may need explicit, external support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on academic development has mainly focused on early time periods with less attention on individual differences in development in the later school years. Methods: To improve our knowledge of how students develop academically during later school years, this study used a multivariate growth model to investigate the developmental trajectories of literacy and math skills in a sample of Australian students in fifth through ninth grades (n = 114). Results: Students progressed at greater average rates in math from primary to secondary school than in literacy. Both literacy and math skills showed significant individual differences in growth rate at Grade 9. There was no evidence of an association between change in math and change in literacy. Primary school socioeconomic status was not a statistically significant predictor of inter‐individual differences in the development of either literacy or math. Conclusions: These results, taken together, suggest that both domain‐general and domain‐specific influences act on the development of these academic skills. Highlights: What is already known about this topicWe know that developmental trajectories for literacy and math skills demonstrate considerable inter‐individual variation in the early school years. The Integrated Intelligent Architecture model, a cognitive model that incorporates procedural knowledge and planning behaviour with the construction–integration process, suggests that these inter‐individual differences will persist into later school years.The developmental trajectories of literacy and math skills are inter‐related and are likely influenced by both domain‐general and, to a lesser degree, domain‐specific factors.There is substantial evidence that socioeconomic status acts as a domain‐general predictor of individual differences in school achievement over time. What this paper addsMuch of the research to date has focused on early developmental time periods with less attention devoted to individual differences in development in the later school years. Less is known about developmental trajectories of writing. This study helps to fill these gaps by using a multivariate framework focused on the core academic outcomes of literacy and math to examine individual differences in development during the later school grades.By examining whether development in literacy is associated with development in math, or whether developmental trajectories unfold independently of each other, we can provide evidence for domain‐specific or domain‐general influences on academic development. SES was included as a potential domain‐general predictor in the model. Implications for theory, policy or practiceOur results suggested that continued knowledge‐integration processes may underlie literacy and math ability in ninth grade.Additionally, this study provided evidence for domain‐general and domain‐specific influences on the development of academic skills from primary to secondary school. SES was not a significant domain‐general predictor, suggesting that other domain‐general predictors should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering (1) that reading proficiency is fundamental for educational success, (2) the reciprocal relationship between affective aspects of reading (e.g., reading attitude and motivation) and reading behaviour and ability, (3) the alarming decline in students' reading attitude throughout primary and secondary education and (4) the rather large group of pre‐service teachers starting teacher education with a negative reading attitude, this study used a person‐centred approach to examine the development of pre‐service teachers' reading attitude throughout teacher education and how it relates to their perceived reading ability and reading behaviour. Methods: In a sample of 128 pre‐service teachers, cluster (movement) analysis was executed at the start of teacher education and near graduation to identify different reading attitude clusters and possible changes throughout teacher education. A distinction between purpose (recreational vs academic) and context (personally vs socially oriented) was made when assessing reading attitude components. Results: Three reading attitude profiles (i.e., personally oriented, socially oriented and low attitude) were corroborated at both measurement occasions. Cluster movement analysis identified that the majority remained in the same profile over time (53–62%). When pre‐service teachers did switch profile, they most likely evolved towards the personally‐ or socially‐oriented profile (reading as a mere personal activity vs willing to interact about reading, respectively). Convergent validity evidence was found in that pre‐service teachers in the low‐attitude profile (24%) were least likely to read and perceived themselves as least competent in reading. They further appeared to be least willing to invest in reading promotion in their future school(s) of all profiles. Conclusions: It may be worrisome that about one fourth of the pre‐service teachers in this sample enters the profession with a rather negative reading attitude. Encouragingly, the majority of pre‐service teachers either retained or increased their positive reading attitude throughout teacher education. Highlights: What is already known about this topicDifferences in reading attitude are related to differences in reading behaviour and perceived reading ability.There is a declining trend in primary and secondary school students' reading attitude, starting at the end of primary school.Nearly half of all pre‐service teachers start teacher education with a negative reading attitude. What this paper adds Person‐centred movement analysis provided a basis to map the stability and change of pre‐service teachers' reading attitude profiles' throughout teacher education.Pre‐service teachers' reading attitude remains rather stable throughout teacher education and is related to reading behaviour and perceived reading ability.Almost one fourth of the pre‐service teachers graduate with a quite negative reading attitude. Implications for theory, policy or practice The urgency to address reading attitude more adequately in teacher education and to attend more closely to pre‐service teachers' individual differences in reading attitude.The importance of using a longitudinal approach to gain insight into reading attitude development throughout teacher education and preferably also during the first crucial years in the profession.This longitudinal study could be a possible step in the process of (re)designing teacher education programs and continuing professional development trajectories in relation to reading attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores practice examples relating to young people's transitions from care to adulthood. It discusses examples drawn from young people's pathways to adulthood, leaving care law and policy and participation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the research evidence on promoting the resilience of young people from care to adulthood, by proposing a framework for evaluating the impact of practice. It is suggested that practice should be interrogated in respect of the contribution made to stability and continuity, educational achievement, involving young people, preparation and support into adulthood, and health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines academic peer effects in college. Unique new data from the Berea Panel Study allow us to focus on a mechanism wherein a student's peers affect her achievement by changing her study effort. Although the potential relevance of this mechanism has been recognized, data limitations have made it difficult to provide direct evidence about its importance. We find that a student's freshman grade point average is affected by the amount her peers studied in high school, suggesting the importance of this mechanism. Using time diary information, we confirm that college study time is actually being affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the increasing pervasiveness of today's digital society, mobile devices are changing the face of education. Students can interact with mobile devices in context‐aware environment. This paper presents a mobile application based on expert system (Plant‐E) for students to acquire knowledge about plant classification by answering decision‐making questions. In order to study effectiveness of Plant‐E and cognitive load of students who experience different kinds of interaction in learning process, another mobile application (Plant‐G) only providing information pages of plants was developed. A quasi‐experiment was conducted with three classes of 137 seventh graders. The three classes, Class A with 46 students using Plant‐E in campus, Class B with 44 students using Plant‐G in campus, and Class C with 47 students using Plant‐G in a traditional classroom, constitute three groups with different interaction complexity. The research conducted pretest, posttest, and delayed test to evaluate learning performance of students in three classes and used a questionnaire to investigate their perceptions and attitudes towards proposed system. Results show that interaction complexity has an impact on students' learning performance and mental effort in mobile learning; the higher the interaction complexity is, the higher mental effort and the better learning performance in mobile learning will be. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Mobile devices can be used to meet the urgency of learning need and can provide guidance and clues for learners in context‐aware environment.During mobile learning in context‐aware environment, students need to interact with mobile devices and environment.Mental effort reflects cognitive load related to interaction complexity, and it can affect learning performance.Self‐efficacy affects the degree of mental effort by affecting the firmness of performance goal.Cognitive load and learning performance are the main concerns that need to be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of mobile learning. What this paper adds: Interaction complexity has an impact on students' learning performance and mental effort in mobile learning.In terms of the three levels of interaction complexity in this study, the higher the interaction complexity is, the better the results that students will get in mobile learning.The higher the interaction complexity is, the higher the mental effort that students invested into in mobile learning would be.The medium self‐efficacy group invested the most mental effort and got the best grades, rather than the high or low group.Rule‐based mobile learning expert system is feasible and effective for students to learn by interacting with learning objects in context‐aware environment. Implications for practice and/or policy: Efforts should be made to make mobile learning systems more interactive; for example, learners can learn more effectively by interacting with mobile system, which can improve the frequency of observing learning objects.Rule‐based mobile learning expert system can give learners more opportunities to know how experts do when solving problems and can provide a potential method for students to learn in context‐aware environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orrin E. Klapp was a member of the Second Chicago School. He was a prolific scholar who remained active for decades. He is best known for his early analyses of social types; his later work offers broad social criticism about the search for meaning in contemporary society. Although he was an original thinker, he has had a limited influence on interactionist thought. This paper reviews his key ideas. It then uses the concept of collective selection—which itself central to Klapp's writings—to explain how the social organization of scholarship has kept Klapp on the periphery of interactionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent expansion of research on children's understanding of others' minds (or 'theory of mind', ToM) into middle childhood provides fresh opportunities to consider its origins and consequences. In this paper, we propose that, in addition to supporting children's social interactions, individual differences in ToM benefit academic achievement, in particular, reading comprehension and scientific reasoning. Furthermore, we argue that the school and classroom context can influence individual differences in ToM and its ongoing development in middle childhood. We suggest future directions for research to test these claims, which will provide a new perspective on the consequences of ToM and test the developmental continuity of socio‐cultural accounts of mindreading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) at the beginning of 2020 forced most higher education institutions to shift immediately from traditional learning to distance learning and emergency remote teaching (ERT). Objectives: This research aimed to capture the authentic sounds of this unusual learning experience from the field while it was still fresh and to explore congruence with existing models of online learning success factors. We also aimed to examine the differences between freshman students and more advanced students (second year onwards) with regard to the emerging data and its respective model. Methods: During the second semester of 2020, 170 Tel Aviv university students majoring in various fields responded to an online questionnaire consisting of open‐ended questions. Results and conclusions: The researchers classified the themes retrieved from 1559 statements into a framework of critical success factors for distance learning. The framework included five dimensions: course, student, instructor, learning environment and institution. Well‐known benefits of distance learning emerged, among them flexibility and personalized learning pace. Nevertheless, the findings revealed that the rapid transition to distance learning posed challenges and difficulties, mainly concerning the readiness of students and instructors for this form of teaching and learning. The number of statements in instructor dimension indicated the importance of providing support and training to instructors and staff. Significant differences were found in students' perceptions according to the year standing. More advanced students made more 'internal' references, attributing more statements to student and learning environment dimensions. In contrast, freshman made more 'external' references, attributing more statements to instructor and course dimensions than students in their second year and onwards. Major takeaways: The results may help in planning and preparing for times of crisis. From a broader perspective, the findings may help in designing ways to incorporate distance learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?There are several critical success factor models for implementing distance learning.Academic experience influences students' perceptions of distance learning.Year of studies is known to exert an influence on students' attitudes and degree of satisfaction from distance learning.At the onset of COVID‐19, higher education shifted immediately to ERT. What this paper adds?Authentic view of students' ERT experience in the first weeks of the COVID‐19 outbreak.Adaptive framework for Distance Learning Success Dimensions (DLSD).Advantages and disadvantages for students forced into ERT.Freshmen and advanced students have different perceptions of instructor and course DLSD.Advanced students focus on student dimension, while freshmen focus on Instructor dimension. Implications for practice and/or policyUsing developed DLSD framework for planning, designing and evaluating in crises and routine times.Providing empirical evidence for perceptual differences between freshmen and experienced students.Students' differing perceptions of helpful and unhelpful factors point to diverse needs.Flexible learning times and assignment due dates are crucial for students in ERT.Technical training for instructors may contribute to remote teaching effectiveness.Scaffolds for freshmen may enhance their ERT experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author recalls the article "Assessing Professional Competence: From Methods to Programmes" he co-wrote and published in a 2005 issue of "Medical Education" and the progress made since then. He stresses that most of the assessment methods have their limitations. He warns that attempt to combine such methods in in-training assessments could compromise their reliability. He cites his initiatives to develop the evaluation of assessment programmes in partnership with his colleagues.

This paper shows how inclusive and participative research is developed into two case studies of students facing educational transitions. The studies were developed in two different places in Spain describing different approaches to support transitions by students. The first case focuses on activities organised and developed together by students from 8 schools in the same local area to enhance a shared understanding of the experience of transitions and to explore how to facilitate and sensitize to the community about them. The second case involved a student Mutual Support Group consisting of a trained group of three students in the same school who meet regularly with self-referred mates to design personal pathways to face transitions. The paper concludes by reflecting on how student voice and participation provide a genuine and innovative means through which educational transitions can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the evidence on trends in gender and socio-economic gaps in educational attainment in different parts of the world, and in the discourse on these trends. There remains a significant emphasis given to gender gaps in spite of much evidence pointing towards the rapidly narrowing, and in many cases, reversal in gender gaps in educational attainment, versus evidence of widening socioeconomic gaps. The paper moves on to consider factors influencing these trends and some policy implications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the influence that school sport and non-sport extracurricular activities (ss EC and ns EC) can have on academic achievement. A central thesis of this paper is that, despite the literature on the perceived and presumed benefits of school sport and of non-sport activities, theorising a model of the process by which the benefit is attained, which we conceptualise as a case of transfer, has been neglected. Cognisant of the long-standing literature on transfer and the recent resurgence in transfer research, we present a dual step transfer hypothesis by which ss EC and ns EC activities confer academic achievement benefits. Key to this dual step transfer hypothesis is the influence these activities have on non-cognitive skills, whereby the activity promotes non-cognitive skills (i.e., motivational-social skills), which in turn promote learning and academic achievement. We present an overview of transfer from the early discussions framing transfer to either mental muscle or identical elements mechanisms, to more recent discussions and new perspectives on what counts as transfer. To this discussion we compare research linking academic achievement to school physical education, school sport and school non-sport activities. We place particular emphasis on extracurricular activities and the potential influence they can have on non-cognitive characteristics. In making our argument we weigh up the relative support for dual step transfer within extant literature on both areas, and in doing so return to take a position on the long-standing and divergent framing of transfer in terms of either mental muscle or identical elements mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]