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Social integration is known to be positively related to academic performance. It is also well-known to play a different role for (self-identified) men and women. In this paper, we examine the differences seen in the correlations between academic performance and social integration for men and women. Gender was determined on the basis of self-identification. Utilizing the data from the Russian representative panel of late adolescents (N = 4,400), we demonstrate a positive relationship between the core discussion network size as a measure of social integration. Using moderation analysis, we demonstrate that the role of social integration for women is more pronounced than for men. Our findings show the importance of social integration and support for girls and women and suggest possible policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preschool education is regarded by many researchers and policymakers as a potential equalizer of educational opportunities. Yet, cross-national research shows that there exist large variations in the equalizing effects of preschool education across countries. In this paper, we study to what extent the national level of privatization of the preschool sector can explain these cross-national differences by examining its impact on the equalizing effects of preschool education. For this purpose, we use data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 for 24 countries. The results show that having spent more time in preschool is more strongly associated with primary school achievements for children of disadvantaged families. We find some modest support that this compensatory pattern—in which preschool compensates for a reduced set of resources in the home environment—is somewhat weaker in societies with higher levels of privatization, though not reaching conventional standards of statistical significance. The study highlights the relevance of considering the impact of national preschool settings on the distribution of preschool benefits across children with varying socioeconomic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National research management organizations need to ensure that research proposals are reviewed fairly and efficiently, which requires the selection of suitable reviewers. In particular, reviewing research proposals in a particular area necessitates the selection of a group with the most reasonable standard for recommending an expert in that area. In this study, we develop an automatic matching system that matches a research proposal with a reviewer who can evaluate it most effectively, using keywords with fuzzy weights based on databases in the corresponding field of research. All functions that we developed were based on the MapReduce framework created by Hadoop, which was verified to enhance matching performance and ensure expandability. This enabled us to select suitable researchers from existing research projects, papers and research reviewer databases. Our system can influence the operation of the national research management system and contribute to academic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable interest lies in the growth in educational achievement that occurs over the course of a child's schooling. This paper demonstrates a simple but effective approach for the comparison of growth rates, drawing on a method first proposed some 80 years ago and applying it to data from the Australian National Assessment Program. The methodology involves the derivation of a 'meta-metre' – a quantitative mode of variation in growth – which permits comparison between groups defined by time-invariant characteristics. Emphasis is placed upon the novel characteristics of the method and the valuable information it can provide. Unlike complex modelling procedures, the approach provides a parsimonious model of growth suited to comparisons between groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK government’s White Paper on Education, The Importance of Teaching (2010), includes a proposal (Troops to Teachers) to encourage ex-service personnel to train as teachers: this paper presents a critical analysis of the discussions promoting the initiative. Firstly, it is argued that the initiative attempts a rapprochement between ‘reputation’ and ‘respectability’ (McDowell, 2003) by presenting ‘military masculinity’ as the solution to problematic ‘protest masculinity’. Secondly, the paper highlights three contradictions that emerge when the proposal is read alongside broader educational policy: teaching as a career only for high academic achievers versus teaching as appropriate for those with low levels of educational attainment; education as offering everyone the same opportunities versus practices which intentionally segment educational experience along class lines; and male teachers as the embodiment of traditional masculinity or as undermining gender stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In French cities, because of a rigid school catchment area policy based on students' place of residence, there is a strong correlation between socio-residential segregation and school segregation. But the latter is not merely a simple, mechanical reflection of the former. Many processes (the choice of private schools or of specific and very often selective and rare curricula that make it possible to avoid the local public middle school; disability; siblings; personal convenience) contribute to exacerbating the correlation. Using data from the Ministry of Education, the current paper develops a typology of middle schools according to their socio-economic composition (using Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Agglomerative Classification), and looks at their unequal spatial distribution across the Paris metropolitan area. We measure school segregation using classical indices, and show that school segregation is higher than socio-residential segregation, particularly for students from upper-middle class backgrounds and for students from working class backgrounds. The spatial analysis of segregation, when compared with test scores, reveals strong inequalities between locations. The impact of school segregation on school success has been mainly analysed in terms of the effect of students' social background. If one looks at the number of top tier marks ('mention bien et très bien') obtained at the final middle school exam in the Paris metropolitan area from 2006 to 2012, it is possible to see that girls and boys are not equally sensitive to these contextual effects. Based on logistic regressions, the analysis of the interactions between individual characteristics (socio-economic background and gender) and contextual variables (the school's status [private/public], its location, its socio-economic composition) gives a more complex picture. This raises both methodological and political questions that suggest the need for an intersectional approach. Such a finding presents a challenge not only for social scientists studying segregation and school inequalities, but also for policy makers who want to reinforce mixed schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that family-based mind-body therapy programs (FMBTs) act as an important alternative for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment in the youth with minimal side-effects. Moreover, FMBTs contribute to improving the family functioning of those affected by ADHD. To summarize and analyze the benefits and mechanisms, an extensive literature search of the EBSCOhost, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted to identify eligible studies. Fifteen studies published between 2010–2023 were reviewed. The included FMBTs were implemented with 850 children/adolescents and 996 parents/caregivers, of whom 201 parent couples attended the programs together with their children. All included FMBTs adopted mindfulness/meditation as the core practice to enhance the participants' mental focus and attention, and were designed for long-term engagement, with six including parent–child joint session(s). Positive changes were observed in both children and adolescents, including improvements in ADHD symptoms, behavioral problems, executive function, and school performance. Additionally, parents experienced positive changes in ADHD traits/symptoms, mental health, and parenting behaviors. Furthermore, FMBTs were found to enhance family functioning by delivering mindful strategies to family, restoring psychological capacity and interpersonal skills in family members, and improving parent–child relationships. The reviewed FMBTs demonstrated high levels of feasibility and participant satisfaction. The factors and issues potentially influencing the effectiveness and feasibility of FMBTs are also discussed. The findings indicate that FMBT holds promise as an ADHD treatment option in home settings. Future efforts may focus on optimizing the design of FMBTs to better address the diverse needs of families in varying circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of the study was to explore the current situation of Chinese music majors' self-regulated learning (SRL) in the individual music practice context. Two undergraduate piano players' music practice profiles were collected using SRL microanalysis protocols and follow-up semi-structured interviews. The results have shown: (1) there were obvious differences between the two Chinese music majors' before, during, and after their practice sessions; (2) both participants' SRL during music practice could be enhanced by developing advanced practice strategies (including metacognitive and mental strategies); (3) music majors' SRL has been influenced by Chinese culture when seeking help from teachers and in self-attribution; (4) the SRL microanalysis can effectively obtain specific contextualized information regarding music majors' behavior, cognition, and affect during their practice in the Chinese context. This study reflects the Chinese music majors' current situation in terms of self-regulated music practice and provides insights useful to understanding the practices of students influenced by Chinese culture and improving them to achieve higher levels of self-regulated music practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through its constitution, South Africa has declared provision of high-quality education to all citizens is a human right. However, violence, bullying and poverty threaten to impede, if not preclude attainment of this goal. This voice from practice highlights social work interventions that provide psychosocial support to learners to tackle the challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses how educational and initial vocational training systems in Europe vary regarding the way in which they structure educational routes for pupils of different academic ability. The study uses cluster analysis to explore the degree of similarity between 25 European countries, including variables related to: stratification within compulsory education; vocational orientation; links between initial vocational education and the labour market; transitions from secondary education; stratification within tertiary education; and links between educational qualifications and labour market outcomes. I identify three clusters of countries that have distinct patterns of stratification. This article contributes to the literature on educational regimes and school-to-work transitions by adding countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and integrating multiple dimensions pertaining to the link between educational and social stratification. Thus, it develops a more encompassing representation of the architecture of educational pathways in different European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the lives of three New South Wales Aboriginal women, mothers, artists and academics. It will identify the women's success in academia as demonstrated by their pathways to education, employment, job satisfaction, commitment and leadership experiences. In addition, the challenges they have faced, together with balancing family and community commitments and the importance and influence of mentors who assisted them on their pathway to success will be discussed. They employ Aboriginal methodologies that privilege Aboriginal ways of being, knowing and doing utilising a yarning methodology which is a culturally appropriate conversational process of sharing stories to develop knowledge and educate younger generations. In this way, they generate new knowledge on what works and why for Aboriginal women in academia, identifying historical pathways and platforms to success, revealing common significant influences in order to uncover key drivers of success and aspects of cultural and social life, which have enabled them as Aboriginal women to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has documented the strong correlation between independent reading and academic achievement, and the school library can serve a crucial role in encouraging reading. Drawing from one case study out of a larger dataset of six schools, this paper details how one school transformed its school library, making it a central place for reading within the school. Data collected provided evidence of the kinds of strategies, programmes and design that works to encourage reading. Data collection to help us understand the reading and school library culture included: A school-wide reading survey, interviews with the principal, teachers and students, library observations, timed counts, narratives and time-lapse photographs of library space contributed. Factors for building a reading culture include: (1) Curating the book selection for readers, (2) Making books visible (3) Creating programmes to excite readers, (4) Designing spaces for reading, and (5) Building an ecology for reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent statistical advances in cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA), the CDA approach has been increasingly applied to non-diagnostic tests partly to meet accountability demands for student achievement. The study aimed to evaluate critically the validity of the CDA application to an existing non-diagnostic L2 reading comprehension test and to provide information about challenges and conditions for the CDA approach. Based on Jang's study (2005), this paper focuses on the dependability of the Fusion Model's skill profiling, the characteristics of resulting L2 skill profiles, and the diagnostic capacity of LanguEdge™ test items. In addition, the paper examines the validity arguments from the users' perspective by focusing on the usefulness of the diagnostic feedback. The results suggest that the CDA approach can provide more fine-grained diagnostic information about the level of competency in reading skills than traditional aggregated-test scoring can. While various empirical evidence supported the dependability of the skill profiling process, the results also raised some concerns about the application of the CDA approach to a test developed for non-diagnostic purposes, most significantly, a lack of diagnostic capacity of some of the test items with extremely easy or difficult levels. The results offer useful information about the potential challenges and conditions for future application of cognitive diagnostic assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Does taking advanced courses improve scores on basic achievement tests? This question is difficult to answer because there are many systematic differences between students who choose to take advanced courses and those who don’t. This paper uses cutting-edge propensity score methods to control for the selection bias that exists when studying the effects of advanced course-taking on a basic achievement test in math and science. In particular, the differential achievement between advanced course-taking and non-advanced course-taking students in a basic math and science proficiency test in high school is estimated, controlling for several background variables and using data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Because propensity score methods adjust for selection bias on observed background variables, but not on unobserved background variables, we also consider the potential impact of selection bias due to unobserved measures (hidden bias) through a sensitivity analysis. Our analysis found that advanced course-taking is consistently associated with higher achievement. Sensitivity analysis suggests that this can be the result of hidden bias due to extreme differences in unobserved background variables, but cannot be explained if the differences in unobserved background variables are only moderate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A cultural-ecological approach posits that multiple sources of relational support can contribute to youths' strengths development. Some such strengths are positive future expectations (PFE) and hope, both of which represent beneficial, future-oriented cognitive-motivational constructs; however, they have not been fully explored among Latinx youth. Furthermore, it is unknown how different socializing agents (i.e., family, teachers, friends) influence youths' PFE, hope, and academic achievement, and if relations differ by gender and special education (SPED) designation. The present study (5th–12th grade Latinx students living in the Southwest U.S.; n = 748; 49% male; 15% SPED) investigated whether students' relational supports longitudinally related to their PFE (for education/work, self-satisfaction, community involvement), hope, and academic achievement 1 year later. In the non-SPED designated sample, family support related to PFE for work/education and self-satisfaction for boys. Conversely, teacher support related to PFE for work/education and self-satisfaction for girls. PFE for community involvement was low across the sample. The same pattern emerged for hope, with family support significant for boys and teacher support for girls. For achievement, teacher support related positively across gender. Friend support had few significant associations overall, although a significant negative relation emerged between friend support and achievement for SPED students. SPED students had a positive path between family support and PFE for work/education. Findings support a multidimensional approach to increasing strengths and resilience through increased attention to family, teacher, and friend support across unique groups of Latinx youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated 195 Chinese adolescents' (Mage = 15.9, SD = 1.46, 56% female) everyday secret-keeping behaviors and their rationale for their behaviors as reported in a two-week daily diary. A total of 860 secrets were reported. Chinese adolescents primarily kept secrets involving personal activities, followed by academic events and events concerning interpersonal relationships and electronic use. Justifications for their secretive behaviors mainly included reports of fear of parental disapproval in all types of events, particularly in personal events. Adolescents' fear of parental disapproval was often referenced in the context of adolescents' belief that their parents differed when it came to the value of doing activities outside of academics and attitudes towards adolescents' academic successes and failures. Our findings highlighted the significance of academic events and achievement in Chinese adolescents' secret-keeping behaviors and the central role of avoiding parental punishment or criticism in their justifications across all types of events. Girls reported a greater proportion of secrets concerning personal activity and a smaller proportion concerning electronic use than boys. Developmental differences were also found in the reporting of keeping secrets in personal activity and electronic use, i.e., adolescents reported more secrets in personal activity but fewer secrets concerning electronic use when they grew older. The findings highlight the importance of balancing adolescents' needs for autonomy development and academic achievement in adolescent-parent relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a major and growing international focus on improving the quality of teaching for decades. In Australia, there have been numerous key national initiatives introduced since 2007 with the aim of improving school, teacher and student performance. These include national testing and reporting of student achievement, national professional standards for teachers, a national curriculum, national accreditation of teacher education courses and a national framework for teacher development and performance. However, there are growing concerns over Australia's performance on international measures of student achievement and growing criticism of teacher education, teachers and schools from various sectors. Educators themselves, however, have largely been silent. Various simplistic solutions to the perceived problem of teacher quality have been promulgated, yet these have not been successful elsewhere. The paper calls for educators to find their voices in this current debate and to argue from a position of evidence to counter the misinformed and misguided views that currently predominate and influence government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a research study investigating the role of pleasure reading in the lives of 12—15 year old residents of an eastern Canadian regional municipality. Pleasure reading was found to fulfil three broad functions: it enhanced academic performance, social engagement and personal development. In conclusion, the study confirms that teens, like adults, unconsciously use pleasure reading as a means of everyday life information seeking and the reasons for personal salience identified in the foregoing discussion have a strong developmental theme: in their pleasure reading, teens gain significant insights into mature relationships, personal values, cultural identity, physical safety and security, aesthetic preferences, and understanding of the physical world, all of which aid teen readers in the transition from childhood to adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to advance knowledge of labour market segmentation by examining the ways in which employment opportunities for young people are structured by age. Segmentation theorists often suggest that `youth' and `adult' labour markets operate separately. In this paper I describe entry patterns within different occupational groups in order to determine whether the concept of separate labour markets is a valid one. Because of the Governments' intention to remove some of the legislative barriers to the employment of young people, this paper also attempts to assess the likely impact of such legislation by determining the extent to which barriers are a result of age rather than qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rurality is an identified point of disadvantage in measures such as the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) and school resourcing models. However, socioeconomic disadvantage is commonly used as an explanation for lower average student achievement in rural locations. Thus, policies are often directed towards reducing disadvantage associated with socioeconomic status, and rurality is overlooked. This research tests the validity of these assumptions using a matched study approach. We examine data on New South Wales (NSW) students, schools and courses to investigate how the English and Mathematics achievement levels of students in their final year of secondary school are associated with family and school characteristics across locations. The findings show that socioeconomic variation does not fully account for differences in achievement in rural locations. Instead, rurality appears to mediate other effects on student achievement in a complex interplay of factors contributing to lower average results. This highlights the need to consider the specificities of rurality in schooling, particularly the role of rural knowledges and perspectives in schooling and student achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the causal impact of smartphone use on academic performance, we collected – for the first time worldwide – longitudinal data on students' smartphone use and educational performance. For three consecutive years, we surveyed all students attending classes in 11 different study programmes at two Belgian universities on general smartphone use and other drivers of academic achievement. These survey data were merged with the exam scores of these students. We analysed the resulting data by means of panel data random-effects estimation controlling for unobserved individual characteristics. A 1 SD increase in overall smartphone use results in a decrease of 0.349 points (out of 20) and a decrease of 2.616 percentage points in the fraction of exams passed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short training program for evaluating responses to an essay writing task consisted of scoring 20 training essays with immediate feedback about the correct score. The same scoring session also served as a certification test for trainees. Participants with little or no previous rating experience completed this session and 14 trainees who passed an accuracy threshold proceeded to score other essays. Performance of the newly-trained raters was compared to that of 16 expert raters with extensive experience in scoring responses to the writing task. Results showed that the scores from the newly-trained group of raters exhibited similar measurement properties (mean and variability of scores, reliability and various validity coefficients, and underlying factor structure) to those from the experienced group of raters. Implications for the place of initial training and screening of raters on rater performance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Given the uncertainty about factors that influence receipt of Clinical Excellence Awards (CEA) and recent availability of advanced research metrics, we examined the factors that predict CEA success using a convenience sample of English psychiatrists. Design: Observational study examining region, subspecialty, H-index, M-index, number of publications, years since registration and years in specialty. Setting ACCEA Nominal Roll, cross-referenced with data from the GMC’s list of registered medical practitioners and Thompson’s Web of Science database. Participants A total of 494 psychiatrists including 245 with national levels awards and a random sample with local level awards. Main outcome measures Receipt of local or national CEA awards in 2008 and 2009. Results: Of those with national awards, 126 had university contracts and 119 NHS contracts. Across all staff, years since qualification in medicine and H-index were the dominant influences. For local awards we found that years worked in the specialty was the main predictor of a CEA award with a smaller contribution from H-index. For national awards to university staff (academics) years on the medical register and publication rate were significant predictors. For national awards to NHS staff (non-academics) H-index and total cites were predictive, but these were themselves related to age. Conclusions: Progression in CEAs among psychiatrists is strongly influenced by age (years spent in specialty and years on the medical register) with an additional contribution from research productivity. Currently, research impact is crudely assessed in the CEA process. We suggest that CEA committees formally assess the impact of NHS-related research using standardized research metrics which are openly available. We also suggest that supporting organizations and local trusts adhere to the rules mandated by the ACCEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports about the inclusion of Seth Hutchinson to the Editorial Board of this journal. He has acquired knowledge of both robotics and visual servoing through his research. He has also been part of two books, most recently the 2005 revision of "Robot Modeling and Control," a popular robotics textbook. After completing their terms on the Editorial Board, members eventually move over to the journal's Advisory Board. Hutchinson completed his doctorate from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1988. He has also coauthored the book "Principles of Robot Motion: Theory, Algorithms and Implementation."

This study's objective was to examine direct and indirect relationships among family socioeconomic status, subjective social status, and achievement motivation within the first 3 months after college freshmen enrollment in China. A longitudinal dataset was collected over a 3-month period at four measurement points with 4-week intervals. A cluster sample of 1,983 college freshmen from the eastern, central, and western economic regions of China was surveyed. Latent growth modeling was conducted. The results indicated that achievement motivation decreased over time and was positively related to a decline in subjective social status. Mediation analyses demonstrated that, after controlling for sex and economic region, family socioeconomic status predicted the initial level of achievement motivation directly and indirectly through the initial level of subjective social status, and notably, the directions of these effects were opposite. Further, family socioeconomic status also significantly predicted the rate of change in achievement motivation indirectly through the initial level of subjective social status. These results highlight the longitudinal relationship between family socioeconomic status and achievement motivation via different pathways and have implications for improving college freshmen's achievement motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, a campaign was launched by students and academics to decolonise university curricula in South Africa. As a response, we reflect on our experiences at Stellenbosch University, based on the premise that not only does our Social Work curriculum require adaptation and renewal through a process of authentication, but that a prerequisite for this process would entail a hybridisation of both a salutary authentic academic culture and curriculum. A value-driven approach guides us through this endeavour in order to create authentic values, principles and student attributes, based on a determined inventory of cultural dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the importance of the need to belong in motivating behavior, we examined whether interpersonal and academic stress differentially influence social and solitary alcohol consumption and whether social and solitary alcohol consumption differentially predict next-day interpersonal and academic stress. Based on research suggesting that drinking with friends is related to increased alcohol consumption following belongingness threat, we also examined whether peer consumption moderates associations between daily interpersonal stress and social drinking. Each day for 30 days, 1641 undergraduates reported stress, alcohol consumption, and peer consumption. Academic stress was related to lower levels of social and solitary alcohol consumption. Interpersonal stress was associated with greater social alcohol consumption, but only when students reported being around others who were drinking greater than average peer quantities. However, although social drinking was related to lower next-day academic stress, it was unrelated to next-day interpersonal stress. Findings are consistent with the notion that individuals' perceptions of peers' alcohol use might serve as a signal to join in this behavior to reduce belongingness threats associated with interpersonal stressors, although this may not be an effective strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STS teaching is at present underdeveloped at the level of secondary education in Britain. This paper suggests that while integrated curricula undeniably present the best opportunity for future STS curriculum design, other possibilities exist which remain substantially unexploited. These possibilities can be ascertained from an analysis of models of secondary school science. Three models -- 'product', 'inquiry' and 'relevance' -- are considered, and suggestions are made about how STS teaching can be developed in each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocational education and training (VET) often suffers from a lack of social standing among students and their families. Parents have been shown to discard vocational education because of social status maintenance considerations. How adults perceive the social prestige of occupations might therefore be key in understanding the reasons of the image deficit of VET. While the existing literature on occupational prestige ranking stresses the role of the salience in science or the training intensiveness of occupations for the perception of their social prestige, it fails at accounting for the distinct types of knowledge involved and the variety of the skill content of occupations. More precisely, differences in the salience of physical tasks and cognitive skills should be particularly relevant. We contribute to the literature by analysing a unique data set in Switzerland, a country characterized by a well-established and well-functioning vocational education and system, based on a survey of adults' perception of the social prestige of occupations requiring academic or vocational education. Using several dimensions of the skill content of occupations, we find that the sophistication of skills performed within occupations, whether manual or intellectual, clearly improves the social prestige of the occupations investigated. However, the negative or positive effect of the previous dimensions of the skill content of occupations is small to inexistent at lower levels of educational requirements and becomes stronger as occupations become more training intensive. The desirability of occupations requiring vocational education depends therefore less on the skill content of occupations than on the level of education that is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional intelligence has a strong link with academic anxieties. It is apparent from the published literature that a student with high emotional intelligence would face low academic anxiety and vice versa. Similarly, library anxiety, which is an academic anxiety, also affects students' academic performance. Library anxiety of students may increase or decrease along with their ability to understand and manage their own emotions and those of others. However, there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between these two concepts. Data regarding these concepts were collected from university undergraduates. Findings established significant relationships between emotional intelligence, library anxiety and academic performance among the participants. This study has practical implications for academicians and professional librarians to deal with the library anxiety of students and their academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, several countries have attempted to encourage life-long learning and to widen university accessibility to include a wider mix of students. In Australia, numerous new pathways with the Vocational Education and Training sector have been established for these purposes. This study reports on the effects that two variables, gender and age, had on the university academic performance of students who had taken a Vocational Education and Training pathway to an Australian university using whole cohort data (n = 542) for Vocational Education and Training pathway students enrolled between 2005 and 2012; two-way between-group analyses of variance were conducted to assess the effects of both gender and age on undergraduate academic achievement. Age and gender were both related to students' academic performance, with higher performance among female students and groups of older students. There were also differences in the effects that gender had on academic performance depending upon age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Hong Kong Chinese parents believe that music training enhances the academic achievement of their children. The current study investigates the relationship between the extent and outcome of students' music training, their perceptions of the value of the subjects they study and their academic achievement. A total of 286 students in Primary 4, 5 and 6 from one school in Hong Kong reported the extent and outcome of their music training, including the number of instruments they studied, the number of years spent training, highest grade and highest level achieved. For value, students completed a subscale of the Achievement Task Value Questionnaire to measure their liking and interest, perceived importance and usefulness of their school subjects. A nested structural equation model showed that, for both boys and girls, the extent and outcome of music training positively predicts academic achievement in Chinese, English and mathematics. Furthermore, the model shows that for both boys and girls, students' perceived value of their school subjects negatively predicts academic achievement in Chinese, and age has a direct and negative effect on mathematics achievement. For girls, age positively moderates the extent and outcome of music training on academic achievement whereas the moderator effect of age on students' perceived value of academic subjects is non-significant. For boys, in contrast, the moderator effect of age on extent and outcome of music training is non-significant, whereas its effect on students' perceived value of academic subjects is negative. In broad terms, the results show that parents are justified in believing that music training is positively related to academic achievement. However, the results differ for boys and girls in connection to the role of age in this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achievement goal orientation (AGO) might help music teacher candidates make their learning processes more effective by revealing how they are motivated towards the learning tasks. In this respect, the purpose of this study was to examine the levels of achievement goal orientation of pre-service music teachers according to eight variables. The participants of the study consisted of 1250 undergraduate students studying in the departments of music education during the academic year 2013–2014 in Turkey. The data were collected through an Information Form and the Achievement Goal Orientation Scale (AOS). The results of the study revealed that gender, grade level, students’ achievement level and willingness had small effects on students’ learning goal orientation. Practice time in music, students’ evaluation of their own achievement levels among their peers, the extent to which students found themselves skilled in music and pursuing another profession had a medium effect on learning goal orientation. Informing students about the achievement goal orientation and the effects of these goals on the teaching and learning process may help students with their achievement goal orientations towards the desired direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study explores differences in Internet access and use among school-aged children in Italian-speaking Switzerland and whether and how these differences contribute to inequalities in academic performance. Applying multilevel structural equation modeling with two-wave original survey data from 843 students, their parents, as well as students' end-term school grades, we show that a family's socio-economic status indirectly affects children's school grades as lower parental income leads children to use the Internet more frequently for entertainment and online communication purposes. This form of Internet use also increases as children have more personal digital media devices. As children's increased use of the Internet for entertainment and online communication worsens their academic performance, our results suggest that social inequalities due to children's socio-economic status are reinforced by a second-order digital divide. We discuss potential reasons for our findings as well as their implications and recommendations for possible interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on two longitudinal studies, where we examined how stability and change in attachment to parents and peers from the first to last year of college were associated with changes in theoretically relevant outcomes. As expected, students with consistently secure parental and peer attachment evidenced the best academic, social, and emotional functioning overall. Participants with “stable secure” parental attachment reported significant increases in their academic and emotional functioning and their social competencies; on the other hand, students with consistently low parental attachment showed a decline in their emotional functioning. Participants with stable secure peer attachment also reported lower overall levels of depression and loneliness, better social competence, and more favorable attitudes about help-seeking. Finally, students who transitioned from lower to higher parental attachment showed significant declines in loneliness; those transitioning from low to high peer attachment evidenced a significant increase in social functioning. We discuss implications for how college-based programming might serve to forestall declines in parental/peer attachment and/or facilitate skill building among students who identify with a more insecure style at college entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the structure of the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (Best Start) of literacy and numeracy, with the aim of confirming a two-factor measure of attainment at school entry comparable in structure to standardised measures of literacy and numeracy administered in later school years. Administrative data from the 2009 Best Start were obtained from the New South Wales Department of Education for 37,734 children aged ∼5 years (i.e. as they entered their first year of compulsory schooling) as part of the New South Wales Child Development Study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed on the 11 Best Start scales using a split half methodology, with the findings supporting a two-factor solution underpinning literacy and numeracy attainment. The availability of this two-factor Best Start measure of literacy and numeracy at school entry, which precedes the repeated national assessments conducted later in the primary and high school years, facilitates research to examine pathways of academic performance over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students who have parents deployed to a war zone are more vulnerable to an increased level of stress and anxiety, health problems, behavioural disorders and academic under-achievement. Yet, little is known about the processes employed by schools to support these students. This study investigated the deployment support work conducted by Defence School Transition Aides who are employed in some Australian schools to support students from Australian Defence Force families to manage the transitions associated with school mobility and parental absence for service reasons. Fifteen parents, 17 teachers and 15 Defence School Transition Aides were asked, in semi-structured interviews, to describe students’ responses to parental deployment, how their schools supported students and what specific processes were employed by Defence School Transition Aides to assist students’ coping during parental deployment. Findings from qualitative analyses, suggest that Defence School Transition Aides assist school communities to build their schools’ capacity to support students with deployed parents by raising the school communities’ awareness of these students’ specific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some aspects of child non-cognitive development in pre-school have independently been shown to predict academic outcomes in later primary and early high school. However, the extent to which each aspect uniquely predicts these outcomes remains unclear. It is also unclear as to what mechanisms may predict these aspects of non-cognitive development. To address these issues, the current study sought to explore the antecedents to, and the predictive strength of, prominent aspects of early non-cognitive development (e.g. hyperactivity, pro-social behaviour, peer and conduct problems at 4–5 years of age) on children’s academic achievement at 6–11 years of age from a large, longitudinal and nationally representative sample. The study found early hyperactivity to be the strongest predictor of academic achievement at age 10–11 years of age. Further, early hostile parenting styles, child’s gender, and parental educational levels were the strongest and most consistent predictors of children’s non-cognitive development. Findings from this study further clarify the relational nature of aspects of non-cognitive development and academic outcomes, as well as the factors that best predict early non-cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have limited understanding of the precursors of academic achievement in resettled adolescents from refugee backgrounds. To date, no clear model has been developed to conceptualise the academic trajectories of adolescents from refugee backgrounds at postsettlement. The current review had two aims. First, to propose an integrated adaptive model to conceptualise the impact of individual, premigration, and postsettlement factors on academic achievement at postsettlement; and second, to critically examine the literature on factors that predict academic achievement in adolescents from refugee backgrounds in relation to the proposed model and highlight issues deserving future exploration. Following the protocol of a systematic literature review, 13 studies were identified for full-text review. Gender, ethnicity, English proficiency, psychological distress, premigration trauma, premigration loss, postsettlement social support, and postsettlement school connectedness, were found to predict academic achievement in adolescents from refugee backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing number of students enrolling into Australian universities, developing an understanding of the variables underlying academic success, is growing in importance. In the present study, three first-year cohorts (2013–2015) studying towards five allied health or science degrees (n = 1,676 students) were examined to ascertain the impact of students’ entrance pathways and demographic background on academic performance and retention. Results identified gender and the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank as significant predictors of academic performance, with female students (p < .05) and students entering with the highest quartile of Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank score (p < .001) performing strongest. Results also revealed that students from government secondary schools performed significantly higher in terms of first year grade point average (p < .05) compared with students from non-government schools and that secondary school tuition fees correlated positively with ATAR score but negatively with first year GPA (p < .05). The findings from this study have implications in the formulation of education policy, particularly highlighting the strength of students from government schools transitioning to university science and allied health degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examines book circulation patterns among undergraduate university students at an English-language University in Istanbul, Turkey, in order to investigate the relationship between students’ academic achievement and discipline of study, gender and book borrowing habits. Overall, this study supports the important role of the academic library’s print book collection in supporting and contributing to student success and demonstrates a significant positive correlation between undergraduate students’ level of academic achievement and the number of books they borrowed from the university library. This positive correlation was found for students in all faculties and fields of study, but was strongest for students studying qualitative disciplines and was particularly strong for students enrolled in English as a foreign language programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to investigate undergraduate music education majors’ confidence in teaching improvisation, according to the NAfME (1994) K–12 Achievement Standards. Specific research questions were: 1) How confident are music education majors in implementing the 11 improvisation achievement standards for grades K–12? 2) How confident are they in their own improvisation ability? 3) How interested or motivated are they in learning more about how to teach improvisation? 4) Are there differences in confidence among music education majors by year in school? 5) Are there differences in confidence among music education majors by primary instrument? Participants were 397 undergraduate music education majors from National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accredited institutions in the United States, whose confidence in teaching improvisation decreased as grade level increased. Sophomore and senior means were higher than freshman and junior means, and slight differences were observed by primary instrument (woodwind, piano, brass, voice, string, percussion, in increasing confidence). Participants reported slight to moderate confidence in their own ability to improvise, but moderate to great interest in learning more about how to teach improvisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) has long sought to identify traits of good language learners, in an effort to teach these traits to less successful language learners (Rubin, 1975). Emotional Intelligence has recently come to the forefront of research on language learning and teaching, and is now increasingly recognized as an important predictor of success in academic achievement in general, and success in learning a language (Goleman, 1995; Rastegar and Karami, 2013; Sucaromana, 2012). Recent years have seen a proliferation of research linking Emotional Intelligence to success in the English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Hence researchers have recommended explicit Emotional Intelligence instruction in language classrooms.With the importance of English in today’s globalized world, and the greater need to communicate in English, fostering a student’s communicative ability is important, particularly in an EFL context like Oman. The Government of Oman has invested heavily in English language instruction, but unfortunately, the investment has not paid off. While there exists a substantial volume of research identifying possible reasons for students’ inadequate grasp of English even after years of language instruction both at the school and university levels, research linking emotional skills and language learning success in Oman is lacking. This article investigates whether a lack of Emotional Intelligence skills could be one of the reasons for the failure of students to achieve competence in English. Results from questionnaires of multiple choice and open-ended questions distributed to 60 university students at a large public university in the Sultanate of Oman show that a lack of Emotional Intelligence impacts a student’s ability to learn. The authors conclude that directly focusing on Emotional Intelligence skills in Omani university classrooms could result in improving students’ overall achievement both at university in general, and in English specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library anxiety has been identified as a contributory factor to poor academic performance among students, and libraries are being challenged to give serious consideration to this phenomenon in order to develop strategies for reducing the problem. This study sought to determine if there were any indicators of the presence of library anxiety among a sample of 150 undergraduates in the faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and some of the factors contributing to this condition. The findings indicated the presence of library anxiety of short-term duration among the students due to both personal and institutional factors. Some personal factors included a lack of the relevant information literacy skills, absence of previous library experience, ignorance of the capability and extent of the library information retrieval systems and confusion when trying to find their way around the library. Institutional factors included the relatively large size of the library, the layout and organization of floors and collection, unavailability of computers and lack of appropriate signage. Recommendations were made to help alleviate the problems that appear to have triggered library anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between reading habits and reading materials, and academic success of primary school students in the Ontulili community of Kenya. The study revealed high levels of satisfaction and contentment among the participants with respect to the availability of resources, reading abilities, educational performance, and overall preparedness for further education; yet, the data pointed to severe scarcity of learning materials, low reading skills, poor infrastructure, below average educational performance, and low preparedness for further education. It was concluded that lack of exposure to relevant reading materials, educational resources, and opportunities leads to subtle contentment alongside individual inability to excel as manifested by low test scores in the national examinations. In order to realize academic success in the study area and other comparable communities, well-designed interventions such as promotion of reading across the school curriculum and establishment of fully equipped libraries consistent with the rigors of modern academic demands, must be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective intervention into educational inequalities is dependent on having an accurate understanding of the factors which predict it. Research on the educational attainment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Australia has typically focused on closing the academic achievement gap in the hope that this will resolve the issue. However, recent research is beginning to find that Indigenous youth also have significantly different choice behaviours and resources. Using the work of Boudon, the current research used a Bayesian logistic regression model to explore the extent to which differences in university entry rates are due to achievement differentials (primary effects) versus differences in choice behaviours and resources (secondary effects) for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Australia. This was applied to 10,000 Australian youth, followed over eight years. Results suggest that primary effects were predominant, however, a moderate proportion of the Indigenous university entrance rate gap is due to secondary effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of self-construal on goal instrumentality in close friendships. Participants (105 female friend dyads, N = 210) were asked to set personal academic goals and were followed up over the course of a semester. Using the actor–partner interdependence model, results revealed that those with a high relational self-construal were more likely to perceive their friends to be instrumental to their goals. This in turn led to greater friendship commitment and closeness as well as greater goal progress over the course of the semester. Actor’s perception of goal instrumentality did not lead to friend’s goal progress but did have positive relational consequences. The results highlight the benefits of relying on others in self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Writing for academic purposes in a second/foreign language is a major challenge faced by many students at both secondary and tertiary levels. This suggests that displaying content knowledge and understanding of a subject through a second language is a very complex process. This article discusses the findings of a longitudinal intervention study that attempted to investigate the impact of writing strategy instruction on writing strategy use and writing performance of a group of undergraduate students following a course in English for Academic Purposes in Sri Lanka. The study used a pre-test post-test experimental research design and the data were collected using multiple methods. The results revealed that the students could be trained to use writing strategies effectively and their writing strategy use and writing performance increased significantly after strategy instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Each year, all Australian students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit nationwide large-scale tests in literacy and numeracy which have their validity frequently questioned. We compared the performance of grade 3 twins on these large-scale reading tests with their performance on three individually administered literacy tests in comprehension, word reading and vocabulary within a genetically sensitive design. Comprehension, word reading and vocabulary accounted for a substantial amount of the variance in school reading tests. Performance on large-scale reading tests and individually administered tests was moderately to substantially heritable and the same genes contributed to performance in both types of test. These results confirm that large-scale school reading tests measure, at least in part, the literacy skills assessed by individual tests that are frequently considered to be the ‘gold-standard’ in testing. Also, as could be expected, the individually administered literacy tests were more closely related to performance on large-scale reading tests than to performance on large-scale school numeracy tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores reading and library factors related to secondary school student academic outcomes in rural areas in Uganda. This mixed methods study utilized quantitative data collected as part of a more extensive project to explore six student factors in relation to students’ school, library, and home environments. The Kitengesa Community Library in Uganda (www.kitengesalibrary.org) served as the site for this study. The factors explored for this study include reading frequency, library use frequency, library access, overall grade average, and presence and type of reading materials in the home. Results indicated that both reading frequency and certain types of reading materials read for recreational purposes are correlated with higher overall grade average. Reading frequency was positively correlated with student overall grade average for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]