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Background: Writing is an important and complex skill, which could be enhanced by teaching students effective writing strategies such as outlining. Electronic outlining - integrated feature in Microsoft® Word -- has been shown to enhance students' writing performance. However, little is known about the optimal didactic approach for electronic outlining. Objective: This study examined the effects of learning to use electronic outlining either via observational learning or via learning-by-doing on students' argumentative writing performance. Methods: Students (N = 129, 10th-grade) were assigned with their complete class to one of three conditions: a control (traditional pen and paper outlines via learning-by-doing), outline (electronic outlines via learning-by-doing) or observation (electronic outlines via observational learning) condition. Students followed an argumentative writing lesson-series that differed across conditions in terms of planning strategies and didactic approaches used. To examine the influence of the different conditions on students' writing, argumentative texts were used as pre- and post-tests, and the quality was evaluated with an analytic assessment protocol. In addition, data regarding students' perceived mental effort and the organisation of the writing process were collected. Finally, students' attitudes towards electronic outlining were assessed. Results and Conclusion: Although the overall text structure had improved after the lesson series, no significant differences were found between conditions. Electronic outlining increased the total amount of time dedicated to the texts as well as the revision ratio. Students in the observation condition showed a higher pause ratio and a lower fluency on the post-test as compared to students who learned by doing (both control and outline conditions). With regard to perceived mental effort, students in the outline and control conditions perceived significant decreases over tasks, as opposed to those in the observation condition. In conclusion, the self-reports indicate that students in the outline condition appropriated electronic outlining significantly better than those in the observation condition, suggesting that practice enhanced students' appropriation of electronic outlining.

In this study, we explored associations between perception of musical features (pitch, tonality, timing, timbre, and loudness), vocal abilities (singing accuracy, melodic achievement, and rhythmic performance), and cognitive levels (reading accuracy and comprehension, grammar, and math) among children ages 6 to 12. Musical perception abilities were measured using the Implicit Tonal Ability Test. Vocal abilities were measured using the Vocal Musical Ability Test. Cognitive levels were measured using standardized Dutch performance tests on academic skills. We investigated which factors (age, gender, cognitive levels, school type, music perception abilities, and participation in music education) predict vocal abilities and how these abilities differed by age. Results showed that singing accuracy was best predicted by gender, math level, and music perception abilities. Melodic achievement was best predicted by age, school type, math level, and music perception abilities. Rhythmic performance was best predicted by age, instrumental music education, and music perception abilities. Regardless of their age, differences in singing abilities between children were large. We advise teachers to provide activities in which repetition and prediction of patterns, scales, all intervals, and intonation are practiced, including transposing melodies and repeating rhythmic patterns.

Although various academic disciplines use data papers to support effective research practices, data papers are still uncommon in the educational sciences. Main goals of data papers are enhancing transparency regarding research processes and supporting data sharing among researchers and thus, open science. As many educational research projects include personal data often of minors, publishing raw data can be challenging due to privacy regulations and laws (GDPR). The present article aims at exploring how a data paper can contribute to open science and enhancing transparency regarding research and publication processes for educational research projects, often containing personal data that cannot be made openly available in its raw form. To this end, we describe a dataset of a research project on teachers' noticing as basis for their classroom management. As this project includes rich process-tracing recording methods, the dataset is diverse and serves as basis for multiple analyses and publications while containing personal data of teachers and minors. By elaborating on the characteristics of the dataset, its gathering, analysis approaches and sharing preprocessed and anonymized data files, this data paper explores how to contribute to transparency and open science in educational sciences while acting within the boundaries set by privacy regulations and laws.

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent student-perceived parental involvement predicted academic motivation in vocational education and training (VET) students. The sample comprised 2108 young adults participating in a VET institute. Thirty-three items were developed to measure student-perceived parental involvement in VET, as no appropriate questionnaire was available for this educational setting. This questionnaire was analysed with factor analyses which resulted in a new, short, and valid questionnaire with 10 items to measure parental involvement on five indicators. Consistent with prior research, parental involvement significantly predicted motivation in VET students. Three out of five parental involvement indicators were found related to motivation. Specifically, two indicators were positively related to motivation: (1) parent-child educational discussions, and (2) parental aspirations and expectations. The indicator 'reinforcement of learning at home' was negatively related to motivation. These findings provide additional evidence for the significance of parental involvement based upon its link with students' motivation in a VET context.

The objective of this study was to develop and validate an instrument measuring the perception and interpretation of several distinct musical features (pitch, tonality, timing, loudness, and timbre). Therefore, we developed the Implicit Tonal Ability Test (ITAT), a listening test containing 49 multiple-choice items. A total of 233 children aged 6 to 12 participated in this study. Rasch model-based analysis of dimensionality and differential item functioning was chosen as the principal analysis strategy. Results revealed that the ITAT discriminated between high and low performers. Responses to distinct musical features behaved as one Rasch dimension in the test and reliability measures were sufficient for persons and items. The ITATwas variable across age and gender, with a positive relation between age and ITAT-score. The ITAT can be reliably used in elementary education to measure children's musical ability for perception and interpretation of distinct musical features in just one test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the trustworthiness of sources is important in today’s society. However, research has shown that students struggle when applying this skill. This study in history education aims to gain insight into students’ procedural knowledge about evaluating the trustworthiness of sources and into the value students attach to learning this skill. Grade 9 students (N = 132) performed tasks and filled out a questionnaire. Students applied more correct criteria of trustworthiness than they reported knowing. They considered this skill somewhat important and useful, but less interesting. Procedural knowledge and task value were significant predictors of students’ task performance. Therefore, it is important to make students aware of the knowledge they implicitly possess and to make learning this skill more interesting for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fake news and disinformation are easily spread in today's digital society. Therefore, it is important that students learn how to evaluate the trustworthiness of online information, but this skill is often confined to a limited number of subjects in secondary education. History classes can potentially contribute to developing this skill. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between how Grade 9 students (N = 112) perform while evaluating the trustworthiness of historical sources and internet sources. Average student performance on both kinds of sources was similar, but the distribution of the scores was significantly different. There was a moderate correlation between students’ total scores on the historical task and the internet task. Two of the three criteria of trustworthiness that could be used on both kinds of sources were used by a great majority in both tasks. The second aim was to gain more insight into students’ (N = 8) and teachers’ perspectives (N = 8) on the usefulness of the evaluation skill learned in history class for other contexts, especially when searching on the internet. While most of the teachers mentioned the importance of the skill when using the internet, none of the students did so spontaneously. We suggest that history classrooms are an appropriate place to teach students not only about historical sources but also about internet sources, provided that more explicit attention is given to the relationship between both types of sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]