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Background: This paper examines the use of augmented reality (AR) as a concept‐association tool in schools, with the aim of enhancing primary school students' learning outcomes and engagement. Conflicting findings exist in previous studies regarding the cognitive load of AR‐enriched learning, with some reporting reduced load and others indicating increased demand and poorer performance. Understanding these implications is essential for effectively leveraging AR in education. The study offers a fresh perspective on the potential of AR technology in improving educational experiences. Objectives: The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an AR‐assisted concept‐association strategy for improving essential knowledge acquisition and skills outcomes, increasing cognitive load, and increasing self‐efficacy and learning motivation among primary school students. Methods: A quasi‐experimental design with a control group was employed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention. Results and Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the implementation of the AR‐assisted concept‐association strategy effectively enhanced essential knowledge acquisition and skills outcomes, increased cognitive load, and increased self‐efficacy and learning motivation among primary school students. These findings highlight the potential of AR technology to improve the learning experience and engagement of primary school students. The study contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of AR technology in education, suggesting future research directions. Ultimately, it offers a practical solution for improving the learning experience by presenting a new approach for teaching using AR technology. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Augmented reality (AR) technology has been increasingly explored in educational settings.Previous research has shown that AR can enhance learning outcomes and engagement among students.AR applications have the potential to serve as concept‐association tools to improve the learning experience. What this paper adds: This paper investigates the effectiveness of using an AR application as a mobile concept‐association tool in school settings.The study demonstrates that the AR‐assisted concept‐association strategy effectively enhances knowledge acquisition, skills outcomes, cognitive load, self‐efficacy, and learning motivation among primary school students.The findings highlight the potential of AR technology in improving learning experiences and engagement for primary school students.The study offers practical implications for integrating AR technology into educational settings, and suggests avenues for future research in this area. Implications for practice and/or policy: Incorporating AR applications as concept‐association tools can enhance learning outcomes and engagement in primary school settings.AR technology can be used to increase cognitive load, and to increase self‐efficacy and motivation among students.Educators and policymakers should consider integrating AR technology into teaching practices to improve the overall learning experience.Future research and exploration should be conducted to understand the full potential and limitations of AR technology in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A practical test that measures the information and communication technology (ICT) skills students need for effectively using ICT in primary education has yet to be developed (Oh et al., 2021). This paper reports on the development, validation, and reliability of a test measuring primary school students' ICT skills required for effectively using ICT (the ECC‐ICT test). Objectives: Based on existing literature, three ICT use domains were identified for effectively using ICT: Effective, collaborative, and creativeuse of ICT. For these three domains, 24 corresponding teaching objectives were identified from a widely used digital literacy framework. Thirty‐four test items cover these teaching objectives in an online test. Methods: A mixed‐method approach was used for the ECC‐ICT test. Four pilot rounds (n=25) implemented qualitative interviews for cognitive validity and refining the test items, followed by a qualitative usability study(n=6). Confirmatory factor analysis and ANOVA provided quantitative insight into the large‐scale test administration(n=575). Results and Conclusions: Composite reliability of our conceptual 3‐factor confirmatory model showed that the test reliably measured primary school effective use of ICT (ω = 0.82), collaborative use of ICT (ω = 0.80) and creative use of ICT (ω = 0.64). Convergent validity (ranging from 0.41 to 0.46) was acceptable. Internal consistency (ranging from 0.84 to 0.91) and discriminant validity (HTMT values below 0.90) are good. ANOVA results show that mean test scores are higher for students in higher grade levels (p < 0.001). The post hoc Bonferroni results show that most grade‐by‐grade comparisons are significant (p < 0.001). Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Information and communication technology (ICT) skills are finding their way into national curriculums as teachers implement more digital learning environments.Teachers currently do not have a measurement instrument for the ICT skills primary education students need to learn in a personalised way. What this paper adds: This paper gives teachers a test that reliably measures the effective, collaborative, and creative ICT skills required for primary school students to learn using ICT.To our knowledge, this test is the first of its kind.Al materials to reproduce the test are available digitally for teachers. The implications of study findings for practitioners: For policy, this test can be used to check if a student is ready to use ICT in a self‐regulated setting.With this test, teachers can assess and support students' growth on the effective, collaborative, and creative ICT skills required for primary school students using ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the cultivation of computational thinking (CT) skills in programming activities has become a key issue in the K‐12 curriculum, however, there is no unified conclusion on how to design programming activities to promote the acquisition of CT skills more effectively. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using programming to enhance K‐12 students' CT skills and explore the influence of various programming instructional design factors on the acquisition of CT skills. This study presents a quantitative meta‐analysis. A systematic search of randomized controlled studies on the influence of programming on CT skills. A total of 86 empirical studies with 114 effect sizes met the study selection criterion. The results showed that programming improved K‐12 students' CT skills in general (Hedges' g = 0.601, 95% CI [0.505, 0.697], p < 0.001). No publication bias was detected. Besides, we found that the interdisciplinary integration of programming, the duration of programming intervention within 1 week to 1 month, the class size of less than 50 students, and a reasonable selection of programming instruments and CT assessment types may be more conducive to promoting students' CT skills. Based on these findings, we suggest that programming instructional design should be planned reasonably to make the best use of technology towards developing students' CT skills. This will be of great significance to programming teaching and CT education in K‐12. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The cultivation of computational thinking (CT) in K‐12 has become a key issue.One of the latest trends in the education field is computer programming in K‐12 classrooms to cultivate students' CT skills.Programming teaching design may affect the influence of programming education on students' CT skills. However, there is a lack of overall quantitative synthesis of existing empirical research. What this paper adds: A meta‐analysis of 86 studies was conducted to provide systematic evidence that programming education is effective to promote K‐12 students' CT skills.Programming teaching design factors such as subjects, intervention duration, sample size, programming instruments and assessment types can affect CT skills in programming activities.Programming activity forms cannot affect CT skills in programming activities. Implications for practice and/or policy: The implementation of programming education in K‐12 schooling can effectively cultivate students' CT skills.Programming teaching design should be planned reasonably to make the best use of technology towards developing students' CT skills.The interdisciplinary integration of programming, the duration of programming intervention within one week to one month, control of class size to less than 50 students, and a reasonable selection of programming instruments and assessment types may be more conducive to promoting students' CT skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large volume of published studies describing the positive role of Augmented Reality (AR) in educational settings. However, there is a paucity of empirical work that explores its role in supporting primary school pupil's motivation and creativity. Moreover, numerous studies have confirmed that pupils have difficulties in learning geometry and thinking geometrically. In this context, this paper explores the possibility of using AR software for low‐grade primary school pupils to enhance their creative thinking and increase their motivation during the informal geometry training course. A research‐based design process is adopted to replicate the primary school pupil's learning in this study, where pupils in the experimental group used mobile application to access AR virtual manipulatives, pupils in the control group used physical manipulatives. The applied AR technology allows pupils to handle 2D and 3D rounded corners and simple closed curves to find the most effective solutions for some learning challenges. Sixty‐two pupils from the first‐grade primary school in Egypt have participated in this study with the aim of investigating: (a) the primary school pupil's achievements and creative thinking in using AR techniques, and (b) the specific strategies that can increase their motivation and engagement. The most obvious finding to emerge from this study is that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in geometry learning achievement, while statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the motivation and creative thinking skills in favour of the experimental group. Lay Description: What is already known about this topicAugmented Reality must have three characteristics: combining the real and virtual worlds, having real‐time interaction with the user and is being registered in a 3D environment.There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of the 21st century skills in the new global economy.There has been significant interest in utilized AR in higher education. However, limited research has been conducted about integrating AR techniques to enhance young children's creative thinking skills and motivation in informal learning scenarios.To date, there are few studies that have investigated the association between augmented environment and learning theories. What this paper addsIntroduced an iterative methodology based on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning integrating the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as the inclusive learning approach for creating Smart‐flashcard as a mobile AR applications for elementary school.Research studies on informal learning are particularly limited, so this study can fill a gap in the literature.This paper provides a conceptual approach for AR design, based on multimedia learning theory.AR Smart‐flashcard application represents a shift away from traditional textbooks, flashcards and other learning material where children are limited to viewing learning content passively towards a more dynamic and augmented one. Implications for practice and/or policyUsing AR applications, children interact with the 3D models, enhance creativity and collaboration in teams.The informal education can play a crucial role in developing some of the skills required for the 21st century.The study also highlights the need for new approaches combing the technical learning tools and pedagogical foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important educational goal for the next generation is the ability to think computationally. Cultivating K‐12 students' computational thinking (CT) requires the capacity building of teachers through teacher development programs. However, if students' learning outcomes were not assessed, it is not known whether the enhancement of teacher capacity could impact on students' learning. This study aimed to examine how a teacher development program changed teachers' content knowledge and collaborative engagement, which in turn influenced their students' learning achievement. The participants were 81 teachers and 3226 students from primary schools. We employed multi‐level modelling to study the relationships between teacher‐level variables and student achievement assessed by a CT concepts test. The teachers' content knowledge and collaborative engagement were significantly enhanced through the program, which in turn had a significant impact on student achievement. Teachers' years of teaching experience, but not their gender or whether they had majored in computer science, could also affect student achievement. The results indicate that a teacher development program can play a significant role in enhancing the teachers' CT content knowledge and collaborative engagement, which can then have a positive effect on student learning. Practitioner notes: What is already known about this topic The cultivation of students' computational thinking (CT) in K‐12 education requires the capacity building of teachers.A teacher development program can improve teachers' knowledge and attitudes related to CT.Whether the enhancement of teacher capacity can in turn affect students' learning achievement in CT is less studied. What this paper adds We found that a teacher development program could significantly enhance teachers' knowledge in CT and their collaborative engagement in the program.Using multilevel modelling, we found further that the enhancement of teachers' knowledge and collaborative engagement could affect students' understanding of CT concepts positively.Teachers' years of teaching experience, but not their gender or whether they had majored in computer science, could also influence student achievement. Implications for practice and/or policy In designing similar teacher development programs for teachers, collaborative engagement opportunities should be provided as it can have a positive impact on student achievement.Although the majority of teachers do not have a background in computer science, a teacher development program can play a significant role in enhancing their knowledge in CT, no matter they had majored in computer science or not.The significance of the program is not limited to the development of teachers, as the enhancements of teachers' knowledge and collaborative engagement through the program can in turn have a positive impact on students' understanding of CT concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior research has indicated that high levels of motivation and subjective well‐being can predict engagement in challenging academic situations and achievement. Yet studies in the field have yielded inconsistent results in young elementary school students indicating a need to further examine this topic. This is particularly urgent for young children during the foundational years of early elementary school when they are learning critical academic skills including reading. Method: We examined the relationships between reading motivation, school‐based well‐being as covitality, and literacy achievement in 268 second graders in the process of reading acquisition in Hebrew. Well‐being and reading motivation were examined by questionnaires designed and/or adapted for young elementary school students and literacy skills by language and reading tests. Results: Findings showed a positive correlation between reading motivation and full‐scale covitality scores, as well as most of its first order factors (gratitude, optimism, zest and persistence). Furthermore, both reading motivation and covitality were positively correlated to reading skills and language abilities. Significant differences were found between students with low–medium reading motivation and those with high motivation in all covitality subfactors and most literacy measures, in favour of children with high reading motivation. Conclusions: The worrisome picture, that children with low reading motivation also report low levels of covitality, suggests that proper attention should be paid throughout first grade to both reading motivation and school‐based well‐being, both of which might affect learning. Because children's cognitive readiness is related to their socioemotional well‐being, children with poor language abilities and emergent literacy skills may require special support to prevent their expected reading difficulties and the negative emotions attached to them. Thus, designing reading instruction programmes that implement motivational aspects should be a high priority interest for educators that teach young children. Implications for Practice: What is already known about this topic?There is a correlation between reading motivation and reading achievement for students in various grade levels, and a similar positive correlation has been found between school‐related well‐being and academic achievement.The very few studies that have investigated whether there is a positive correlation between reading motivation and school well‐being have been conducted almost exclusively with adolescents.Correlational studies have demonstrated that students with lower levels of reading motivation and school‐based well‐being have lower academic achievement when compared with their peers with higher levels of motivation and school‐based well‐being. What this paper adds?In a sample of second‐grade students, the associations between the following three factors were examined: reading motivation, school‐based well‐being (covitality) and reading achievement.Reading motivation, school well‐being and reading achievement are all positively correlated.Students with high levels of reading motivation also demonstrate significantly higher levels of school‐based well‐being and reading achievement when compared with their peers with lower reading motivation level. Implications for theory, policy, or practiceThe explicit cultivation of reading motivation and school‐based well‐being should be a central goal during reading instruction as they are both correlates of reading achievement.The educational context in which the act of reading takes place should be considered because emotional factors interact with cognitive processes during reading instruction, and these emotional factors can be leveraged to encourage children to engage with literacy activities.Students' levels of school‐based well‐being and its emotional correlates can be explicitly addressed by schools and are critical in creating an encouraging learning environment for young elementary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying students facing difficulties and providing them with timely support is one of the educator's key responsibilities. Yet, this task is becoming increasingly challenging as the complexity of physical learning spaces grows, along with the emergence of novel educational technologies and classroom designs. There has been substantial research and development work focused on identifying student social behaviours in digital platforms (eg, the learning management system) as predictors of academic progression. However, little work has investigated such relationships in physical learning spaces. This study explores the potential of using wearable trackers for the early detection of low‐progress students based on their social and spatial (socio‐spatial) behaviours at the school. Positioning data from 98 primary school students and six teachers were automatically captured over a period of eight weeks. Fourteen socio‐spatial behavioural features were extracted and processed using a set of machine learning classifiers to model students' learning progression. Results illustrate the potential of prospectively identifying low‐progress students from these features and the importance of adapting classroom learning analytics to differences in pedagogical designs. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicLearning analytics research on predicting students' academic progression is emerging in both digital and physical learning spaces.Students' social behaviours in learning activities is a key factor in predicting their academic progression.Emerging sensing technologies can provide opportunities to study students' real‐time social behaviours in physical learning spaces.What this paper addsFourteen progression‐related socio‐spatial behavioural features are extracted from students' physical (x‐y) positioning traces.Predictive learning analytics that achieved 81% accuracy in prospectively identifying low‐progress students from their real‐time socio‐spatial behaviours.Empirical evidence to support the need for classroom learning analytics to have instructional sensitivity (ie, be calibrated according to the learning design).Implications for practice and/or policySensing technologies and machine learning algorithms can be used to capture and generate valuable insights about higher‐order learning constructs (eg, performance and collaboration) from students' physical positioning traces in classrooms.Researchers and practitioners should be cautious with generalised classification algorithms and predictive learning analytics that do not account for the pedagogical differences between different subjects or learning designs.Researchers and practitioners should consider the potentially unforeseen ethical issues that can emerge in using sensing technologies and predictive learning analytics in authentic, physical classroom settings. [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]

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]

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]

This paper reports on our participatory multi‐faceted community‐wide intervention to change gender perceptions and encourage support for girls' education to improve their school attendance and performance. The intervention involved community and education stakeholders in implementing a context‐specific multi‐faceted intervention to improve opportunities for girls in 123 primary schools in the rural Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia. We implemented a repeated‐measures quasi‐experimental design in a sample of 30 schools (15 project and 15 control schools) to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness. Over 3 years we assessed gender perceptions of a cohort of 750 Grade 6 girls, their parents and teachers in project and control schools. In addition, participative group discussions were conducted with various stakeholders. In project schools, we recorded significant changes (e.g., provision of sanitary pads, counselling, tutorial classes and community involvement). Teachers and parents reported improved gender attitudes and support for girls' education; while girls' self‐esteem scores and educational aspirations increased. The findings showed a change in community perceptions of the value of girls' education and some evidence of increased equality in gender perceptions. We concluded that these systemic changes marked the start of a long‐term change process. This intervention showed the value of a participatory approach in a systemic community intervention. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have suggested that flipped learning can be enhanced by designing effective in‐class learning activities to improve students' higher order thinking skills. Problem posing has been recognized as such a learning strategy that has great potential for improving students' higher order thinking skills. However, it has been reported as a challenging task for most students. Research evidence has indicated the potential of engaging students in group learning with step‐by‐step hints when conducting problem‐posing activities. Therefore, this study proposed a multilevel concept mapping‐based problem‐posing strategy to assist students in completing the problem‐posing tasks in flipped learning. To understand the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, a flipped learning system was developed and adopted in the science class of an elementary school. Seventy‐five fifth graders from three classes were divided into experimental group A, experimental Group B and a control group. Students in Group A used the concept map‐guided problem‐posing strategy for flipped learning (CMPP‐FL), students in Group B used the problem‐posing strategy‐based flipped learning, while students in the control group used the conventional flipped learning strategy. The results showed that the CMPP‐FL was effective in terms of improving students' learning performance, especially for students with higher levels of critical thinking tendency. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Flipped learning enabled teachers to have more class time to engage students in applying knowledge.Scholars have suggested that the value of flipped learning can be enhanced by designing effective in‐class learning activities to improve students' higher order thinkingProblem‐posing has been recognized as such a learning strategy that has great potential for improving students' higher order thinking. What this paper adds: This study proposed a multilevel concept mapping‐based problem‐posing strategy to assist students in completing the problem‐posing tasks in flipped learning.A flipped learning system was developed and adopted in the science class of an elementary school.It was also found that the results showed that the concept map‐guided problem‐posing strategy was effective in terms of improving students' flipped learning performance, especially for those with higher levels of critical thinking tendency. Implications for practice and/or policy: Employing concept maps as a guidance for problem posing is a promising approach.It is worth investigating the impacts of the concept map‐guided problem posing approach on the students with different personal characteristics, such as knowledge levels or motivational levels.It is worth applying the approach to other courses in the future to further explore its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is international concern over persistent low rates of participation in postcompulsory science-especially the physical sciences-within which there is a notable underrepresentation of girls/women. This paper draws on data collected from a survey of more than 9,000 10/11-year-old pupils and 170 interviews (with 92 children and 78 parents) from a 5-year study of children's science aspirations and career choice in England, to explore how gender interacts with girls' science aspirations. The research found that even though most children aged 10/11 years enjoy science, the majority already see science careers as 'not for me.' Using a feminist poststructuralist theoretical lens, this paper explores the identity work undertaken by the minority of girls who do identify with science and who express science aspirations at this age. It is argued that dominant associations of science with 'cleverness' and masculinity pressurize girls to balance their science aspirations with performances of popular heterofemininity to render them 'thinkable' (and that this occurs only within narrow parameters, through identity performances as either 'feminine scientists' or 'bluestocking scientists'). The paper concludes by discussing potential challenges girls may face in sustaining 'thinkable' identifications with science and wider implications for encouraging greater female participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96: 967-989, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of physical and virtual tangrams on preschool children's learning engagement and achievement. Children listened to an e‐storybook narration and solved puzzles individually. The experimental group (N = 31) completed puzzles embedded in the e‐storybook using virtual tangrams, while the control group (N = 30) completed the same puzzles using physical tangrams on outlines drawn on a paper. Results indicated that the experimental group had significantly higher overall engagement than the control group. The experimental group had significantly higher learning achievement (time taken to complete outlines) when using virtual tangrams. It is hoped that the study will be beneficial to classrooms concerning how to use tangrams in teaching and learning and to instructional designers on how to design an e‐storybook for young readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between time devoted to homework and children's academic achievement has long been an issue of great debate. A small number of mainly correlational studies have been conducted into this issue in a primary school setting, but have produced somewhat mixed results. In this paper we contribute to this literature by investigating the relationship between time spent upon homework and children's outcomes across 24 countries. By using a student fixed-effects approach, capturing differences in homework time amongst the same student across different school subjects, we argue that our results are likely to be subject to less confounding than much of the existing literature. We find little evidence that the amount of homework time primary school children are assigned is related to their academic achievement. This holds true across a large number of countries, survives various robustness tests and does not vary by gender or socio-economic status. We interpret this finding as suggesting that the homework assigned to primary school pupils may not be adequate to produce a positive association, and needs be improved if this time-consuming activity is ever going to bring benefits for children's academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an established literature that suggests teacher perceptions of pupils affect how they interact with them, how they teach them and how they rate their ability and behaviour. Evidence also indicates that a teacher's perception of a child is often based on ascriptive characteristics such as gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background independent of a child's ability. This paper builds on the literature by examining whether teacher ratings of a child's ability and behaviour are associated with their perception of a particular ascriptive characteristic of the children they teach - their attractiveness. Using data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) results show that not only do teachers rate the academic ability of students they perceive to be attractive more highly than less attractive students both in terms of their performance across different areas of learning (general knowledge, numbers, books and oral ability) and whether they show any outstanding potential, but they are also more likely to overrate and less likely to underrate their ability than other students. This is true even after controlling for a wide range of other factors related to the child, their family, their teacher and their school that could influence the relationship, many of which are shown to be independently related to teacher ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the relationship between computer use and achievement is still puzzling, there is a need to prepare and analyze good quality datasets on computer use and achievement. Such a dataset can be derived from TIMSS data. This paper describes how this dataset can be prepared. It also gives an example of how the dataset may be analyzed. The analysis evidenced that (1) computers should not be used frequently, and (2) they should be used as a learning tool more often than as an information tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's school performance is often associated with parenting practices, implying a direct link between parents' behavior, child development, and academic success. Through the case of an Indian forest‐dwelling community, I offer an alternative view of child development, learning, and teaching, which prioritizes social skills above—and as a precondition of—academic/practical ones. I discuss the implications of such view to the evaluation of parenting, and more broadly, of formal education for marginalized indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with special educational needs ( SEN) are known to experience lower average educational attainment than other children during their school years. But we have less insight into how far their poorer educational outcomes stem from their original starting points or from failure to progress during school. The extent to which early identification with SEN delivers support that enables children who are struggling academically to make appropriate progress is subject to debate. This is complicated by the fact that children with SEN are more likely to be growing up in disadvantaged families and face greater levels of behavioural and peer problems, factors which themselves impact attainment and progress through school. In this paper, we evaluate the academic progress of children with SEN in England, drawing on a large-scale nationally representative longitudinal UK study, the Millennium Cohort Study, linked to administrative records of pupil attainment. Controlling for key child, family and environmental factors, and using the SEN categories employed at the time of data collection, we first establish that children identified with SEN in 2008, when they were age 7, had been assessed with lower academic competence when they started school. We evaluate their progress between ages 5-7 and 7-11. We found that children identified with SEN at age 7 tended to be those who had made less progress between ages 5 and 7 than their comparable peers. However, children with SEN continued to make less progress than their similarly able peers between ages 7 and 11. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There is much concern with group differences in educational attainment in school. Better understanding of pupils' academic ability perceptions promises to help understanding of differences in attainment. Aims. The aim of this paper is to examine ethnic and sex differences in academic self assessments at 7, 11 and 16 years, and ethnic and sex differences in the degree of under and overestimation of self assessment. Samples. Results come from a longitudinal study of white and black UK pupils in inner London schools. Samples sizes at 7, 11 and 16 years were 133, 175, 108 respectively. Methods. Self assessments, other self report data and attainments were collected at each age. Results. White pupils by the end of junior and secondary school were less positive about their own attainments, and about themselves at school. While black girls showed confidence in their attainments, and had the highest attainments in reading/English, white girls tended to underestimate and have little confidence in their school attainments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many western countries, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has achieved celebrity status, such that it probably no longer requires introduction. The disorder is a global phenomenon, spreading rapidly as result of the increasing dominance internationally of US psychiatric models, the need for new markets for major pharmaceutical companies, increasing use of the internet by parents and professionals and changing approaches to schooling. There is a broad consensus among international experts and organisations that ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder based on empirical research. However, many critics have questioned the legitimacy of ADHD. This paper reviews the arguments for and against the ADHD construct. First, the review examines the literature and research endorsing ADHD as a 'real' disorder. Second, the criticisms levelled against the ADHD construct are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the authors' commentary on the issue's featured section of papers researching the impact of parental involvement on school children's motivation and performance. Topics addressed include identifying the theoretical assumptions made throughout these studies, proposals of alternative explanations regarding children's influence and agency within the parent-child relationship, and compliments on the positive aspects of the papers.

This paper is a report of the impact of an externally funded, multiyear systemic reform project on students' science achievement on a modified version of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS) test in 33 small, rural school districts in two Midwest states. The systemic reform effort utilized a cascading leadership strategy of professional development delivered at summer workshops and through distance technologies and local leadership groups that focused on helping teachers work in communities of practice to adapt science inquiry lessons to teach and reinforce strategies and skills in language arts in the lessons. Science achievement scores of Grade 3 and Grade 6 student cohorts on the two forms of the TIMSS administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the professional development effort revealed a V-shaped pattern of scores, suggesting that teachers struggled with the newly adapted science inquiries at first but then became more effective in their use. The impact of the adaptation strategy on the students' achievement, questions about the time needed for new instructional strategies to be embraced by teachers, and the wisdom of using 'low stakes' achievement tests in studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 60 million children have been left behind in rural China by parents going to work in cities. Given the effects of child–parent separation (CPS) on development, this phenomenon has drawn considerable governmental and academic attention in recent years. Outlining developments with reference to relevant studies, this review characterizes the perspectives used to explore and understand this phenomenon in terms of three major paradigms: (1) the diagnostic approach, which takes for granted the assumption that CPS would be the only cause of negative effects observed among left‐behind children (LBC), and has focused primarily on measuring psychological and behavioral disorders among these "problematic kids"; (2) the advanced diagnostic approach, which refines the previous approach by incorporating theories and techniques developed outside of China, elaborating on the early approach by bringing into consideration more factors and exploring the interactions between CPS and these factors, particularly social ones; (3) the sociologically oriented approach, which provides the research with a much broader framework in terms of how to orient the phenomenon of LBC, especially the transformation of China's social and economic systems during the last 30 years of urbanization, where the reproduction of labor has been based on a "splitting family structure," such that problems associated with the phenomenon of LBC cannot be solved without systematic social and economic changes. Based on these analyses, future directions for research on LBC in China are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recent research on achievement motivation has begun to examine the effects of environmental factors affecting students' motivational beliefs and goal tendencies. However, when interpreting and applying the results, individual factors underlying students' different perceptions of their learning environment are often ignored. An implicit assumption seems to be that regardless of their dispositional differences (e.g. motivational basis), students will experience and benefit from instructional practices in the same way. Aims. This paper highlights the importance of students' dispositional motivational factors when examining differences in their perceptions of and preferences for the learning environment. The study builds on a conception of student motivation that emphasizes the interaction of individual and contextual factors. Sample and method. Questionnaires served as self-report tools and assessed students' achievement goal orientations, self-esteem, causality beliefs, academic withdrawal and perceptions of and preferences for the learning environment. The sample consisted of 208 sixth grade elementary school students. Results. Based on latent class cluster analysis and one-way analyses of variance, it was found that students' perceptions of and preferences for the learning environment vary depending on differences in students' motivational tendencies. Conclusions. Students' dispositional motivational characteristics should be taken into account both in theoretical considerations and in instructional interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than five million children suffer from brain injuries each year. While the majority of these children are treated and released without permanent consequences, many children return to the classroom with lasting effects. Symptoms of brain injury can be misconstrued as common behaviour or academic problems. Therefore, teachers need to recognize how traumatic brain injury can be manifested in the classroom. This paper presents information regarding the nature of brain injury for the educational professional. It describes types of brain injuries, introduces the con sequences of brain injuries in school-age children and adolescents, and provides examples of common cognitive, physical, psycho-social, behavioural, and emotional manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims. There is uncertainty about the extent or even existence of sex differences in the mean and variability of reasoning test scores ( Jensen, 1998; Lynn, 1994, 1998; Mackintosh, 1996). This paper analyses the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) scores of a large and representative sample of UK pupils to determine the extent of any sex differences. Sample. A nationally representative UK sample of over 320,000 school pupils aged 11-12 years was assessed on the CAT (third edition) between September 2001 and August 2003. The CAT includes separate nationally standardized tests for verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal reasoning. The size and recency of the sample is unprecedented in research on this issue. Methods. The sheer size of the sample ensures that any sex difference will achieve statistical significance. Therefore, effect sizes (d) and variance ratios (VR) are employed to evaluate the magnitude of sex differences in mean scores and in score variability, respectively. Results. The mean verbal reasoning score for girls was 2.2 standard score points higher than the mean for boys, but only 0.3 standard points in favour of girls for nonverbal reasoning (NVR), and 0.7 points in favour of boys for quantitative reasoning (QR). However, for all three tests there were substantial sex differences in the standard deviation of scores, with greater variance among boys. Boys were over represented relative to girls at both the top and the bottom extremes for all tests, with the exception of the top 10% in verbal reasoning. Conclusions. Given the small differences in means, explanations for sex differences in wider domains such examination attainment at age 16 need to look beyond conceptions of ‘ability’. Boys tend to be both the lowest and the highest performers in terms of their reasoning abilities, which warns against the danger of stereotyping boys as low achievers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This paper presents results from the first wave of a longitudinal study examining the effects of various psychosocial variables on scholastic achievement and behaviour at school. Aims. The main aim is to investigate the nature and strength of the effects of major individual difference dimensions on important outcome variables at school level, including academic performance, truancy, and antisocial behaviour Samples. Data were collected from a sample of 901 pupils on verbal ability (as a proxy for cognitive ability), personality traits, and a number of behavioural indices, including academic performance at 14 and 16 years, number of authorized and unauthorized absences, and exclusions from school due to antisocial conduct Methods. During the first stage of the study, seven schools participated in all three phases. Teachers administered a questionnaire battery in class according to a detailed protocol. Additional data were collected from school archives. Results. Analysis of the data through multi-group (male and female puplis) structural equation modelling indicated a very strong effect of verbal ability on academic performance. Extraversion and psychoticism were negatively related to academic performance, although their effects were weak and moderated by gender Verbal ability, extraversion, and psychoticism predicted absenteeism, truancy, and exclusions from school due to disruptive conduct. The latter three were negatively associated with academic performance. Conclusions. The findings indicate that major individual difference dimensions like verbal ability and personality traits, have a strong influence on important outcome variables at school level, including academic performance, truancy, and antisocial behaviour Without fully acknowledging the crucial role of individual differences in shaping behaviour and achievement at school, the timely identification of pupils at risk, and the development of effective intervention schemes will be difficult [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women underperform on standardized math tests compared to men. However, girls perform as well if not better than boys in math. In this paper, it is proposed that this discrepancy may be explained in part by a process of stereotype stratification, in which targets of a negative in-group stereotype view themselves as a member of a subgroup to which the stereotype does not apply. Two experiments with elementary-school children provide support for this theory. In Study 1, girls placed advanced math pictures with males more often than basic math pictures. In addition, girls rated men as liking and as being better at math than women, but viewed boys and girls as being equal on these variables. In Study 2, girls were more likely to draw a man when told a story about an adult mathematician, but were more likely to draw a girl when told of a child mathematician. The social and educational implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The purpose of this paper is to highlight the link between children's nutritional status and their educational achievement. It is argued that education policy makers must consider nutrition as a key factor in the design of educational interventions to improve the participation and academic performance of school-age children. Historically, analyses aimed at improving accessibility and quality of schooling in countries struggling with educational issues have focused on school-related factors such as location, the availability of teaching materials, teacher quality, and institutional management. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of households are also frequently cited as important determinants of school participation and school achievement. Surprisingly, except for age and gender, individual characteristics such as health and nutritional status are rarely considered as underlying factors. However, studies have shown that undernourished children have lower attendance, shorter attention span, lower performance scores, and more health-related problems than their well-nourished counterparts. Eight hundred million primary school-age children form a substantial fraction of the world's 2000 population; a number that is growing by about 10 million each year. The resulting pressure on schools implies the need for cost-effective approaches that support both education and health. The key is the nutrition/learning nexus. Current problems found in both the developing and developed world relevant to the role of nutrition for tangible educational impact, efficient use of resources, and development of health promoting policies, are illustrated using data from the United Arab Emirates as an example. The problems and possible solutions are applicable to many other regions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid automatized naming (RAN) has been proven to be important for students' academic performance, but it remains unclear whether and how dealing with stressors (e.g., active coping) is associated with children's development of RAN. To examine this question, this research views the growth of RAN as a cross‐stressor adaptation process and proposes that school‐aged children may build up adapted and modified stress response systems through active coping in dealing with stressors and cognitive tasks. Based on the broaden‐and‐build theory and the mind–body unity theory, we explored the impact of active coping on RAN and hypothesized that subjective vitality and aerobic fitness chain mediated the relationship between active coping and RAN. We used two Likert‐like scales to measure active coping and subjective vitality, used a number‐reading task to measure RAN, and used the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) test to measure aerobic fitness. We recruited 303 elementary students in grades 3–5 in China. Results showed that both subjective vitality and aerobic fitness mediated the impact of active coping on time for RAN. Further, the chain indirect effect of active coping→subjective vitality→aerobic fitness→time for RAN was significant, but the reversed chain mediation was not significant. General resources (e.g., subjective vitality) have been shown to be relatively more important than simple physical resources (e.g., aerobic fitness) for RAN. These preliminary findings may contribute to both the cross‐stressor‐adaptation and active coping literature and have potential implications for improving RAN in school‐aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving is common during middle childhood, but links between move type and children's development are less well understood. Using nationally‐representative, longitudinal data (2010–2016) of ~9900 U.S. kindergarteners (52% boys, 51.48% White, 26.11% Hispanic/Latino, 10.63% Black, 11.78% Asian/Pacific Islander), we conducted multiple‐group fixed‐effects models estimating associations of within‐ and between‐neighborhood moves, family income, and children's achievement and executive function, testing whether associations persisted or varied by developmental timing. Analyses suggest important spatial and temporal dimensions of moving during middle childhood: between‐neighborhood moves had stronger associations than within‐neighborhood moves, earlier moves benefited development whereas later moves did not, and associations persisted with significant effect sizes (cumulative Hedges' g = −0.09–1.35). Research and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is interest in the role of peers in children's schooling experiences, few researchers have examined associations and related underlying processes between peers' emotionality, an aspect of temperament, and children's academic achievement. This study evaluated whether target children's (N = 260) own self‐regulation, assessed with two behavioral measures, served a moderating function for associations between peers' emotionality and children's own academic achievement in second grade. There was a positive association between peers' positive emotionality and reading scores for children with higher self‐regulation. Peers' negative emotionality was negatively related to target children's reading scores, particularly for children with higher self‐regulation levels, but was unrelated to math scores. Peers' positive and negative emotionality did not predict math scores, and there was no strong evidence for the moderating role of target children's self‐regulation in this association. This study highlights the potential role of children's self‐regulation in modulating peer effects on academic achievement, particularly reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article studies normative grade placement of light concepts. It discusses the results of a previous study which suggested that the normative grade categories of a standardized science achievement test might be used to classify the difficulty of science concepts for elementary school pupils. The present paper is a report of an additional study to determine if similar results would be obtained when the normative grade placement approach is applied in a new situation and with a different sample of intermediate grade pupils.

Purpose: Examine concussion effects on academic outcomes, including student perspectives. Methods: This study included a systematic review and meta‐analysis examining post‐concussion school attendance, academic performance, perceptions of academic difficulty, and accommodations for students in elementary through college settings. The analysis considered pre‐ and post‐injury factors, along with injury factors that contribute to post‐concussion academic outcomes. Results: The systematic review showed that students with concussion miss more school days and perceive higher levels of academic difficulty, but results about academic performance varied. Meta‐analysis yielded small concussion effects on school absence and academic performance and moderate effects on perceptions of academic difficulty. Female sex, older age, history of migraine, prior concussions, severe or persistent symptoms, vestibular‐ocular motor, and cognitive disruptions are risk factors, but these moderators were not identified in the meta‐analysis due to lack of effect sizes. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: This study confirmed negative concussion effects on academic absences, performance, and perceptions of academic difficulty. Identified contributing factors will guide future practices to support students returning to learn after concussion. Conclusions: Negative impacts to academics from concussion may be amplified by complicating factors. Future investigations are needed to confirm risk factors and mitigating effects of early identification and post‐injury supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An interplay of emotional and cognitive aspects underlies academic performance. We focused on the contribution of such interplay to text comprehension. Aims: We investigated the effect of worry on comprehension and the role of two potential moderators of this effect: physiological self‐regulation as resting heart rate variability (HRV) and working memory updating. Sample: Eighty‐two seventh graders were involved in a quasi‐experimental design. Methods: Students read an informational text in one of two reading conditions: to read for themselves to know more (n = 46; low‐worry condition) or to gain the highest score in a ranking (n = 36; high‐worry condition). Students' resting HRV was recorded while watching a video of a natural scenario. The executive function of working memory updating was also assessed. After reading, students completed a comprehension task. Results: Findings revealed the moderating role of HRV in the relationship between induced worry and text comprehension. In the high‐worry condition, students with higher resting HRV performed better than students who read under the same instructions but had lower HRV. In contrast, in the low‐worry condition, students with higher resting HRV showed a lower performance as compared to students with lower HRV. Finally, working memory updating was positively related to text comprehension. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the cognitive component of anxiety, that is, worry, plays a role in performing a fundamental learning activity like text comprehension. The importance of physiological self‐regulation emerges clearly. In a condition of high worry, higher ability to regulate emotions and thoughts acts as a protective factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duration schedules of reinforcement for continuous behavior abide by several preexisting operant behavioral economic equations for reinforcer cost, otherwise known as price, and consumption. Duration schedules require behaviors to occur for a set duration of time prior to accessing reinforcement, unlike interval schedules that produce reinforcement after the first instance of a behavior after a given period. Despite extensive examples of naturally occurring duration schedules, translational research regarding duration schedules is quite limited. Further, a lack of research investigating the implementation of such reinforcement schedules, combined with concepts such as preference, represents a gap in the applied behavior analysis literature. The current study measured three elementary students' preferences for fixed‐ and mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement during academic work completion. Results suggest students prefer mixed‐duration schedules of reinforcement that provide the opportunity to access reinforcement at a reduced price and that such arrangements could be employed to increase work completion and academic‐engaged time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the cognitive processes central to mathematical development is crucial to addressing systemic inequities in math achievement. We investigate the "Groupitizing" ability in 1209 third to eighth graders (mean age at first timepoint = 10.48, 586 girls, 39.16% Asian, 28.88% Hispanic/Latino, 18.51% White), a process that captures the ability to use grouping cues to access the exact value of a set. Groupitizing improves each year from late childhood to early adolescence (d = 3.29), is a central predictor of math achievement (beta weight =.30), is linked to conceptual processes in mathematics (minimum d = 0.69), and helps explain the dynamic between the ongoing development of non‐symbolic number concepts, systemic educational inequities in school associated with SES, and mathematics achievement (minimum beta weight =.11) in ways that explicit symbolic measures may miss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated reader (AR) is a computerized reading program commonly used in schools. The program aims to enhance students' reading achievement and encourage students to read more through goal setting and frequent reading practice. A meta‐analytic review of the AR was conducted to analyse its effectiveness as an evidence‐based intervention for improving student reading achievement, attitude, and motivation. This study investigated potential moderating variables, including publication type, participant, and study characteristics that impact student reading outcomes. A total of 44 studies from peer‐reviewed journal articles and dissertations met the inclusion criteria. Participants included 16,653 students enrolled in elementary, middle, and high school. Hedges' g effect sizes measures suggest pretest–posttest one‐group AR studies have moderate effects (g = 0.541) while comparison group AR studies have marginal effects (g = 0.278). A meta‐regression model of six potential categorical moderators of comparison group studies indicted no significant moderators. Implications and the need for further research regarding evidence‐based and culturally appropriate reading interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Evidence for longitudinal associations between childhood weight status and academic achievement remains unclear due to considerable heterogeneity in study design, measures of academic achievement and appropriate categorization of weight status. Objective: To examine longitudinal associations between childhood weight status (underweight, healthy weight, overweight/obese) and academic achievement in the transition from preschool to primary (elementary) school among Australian school children. Methods: Data were from the Healthy Active Preschool and Primary Years study. Height and weight, for calculating BMI were measured at baseline (preschool age 3–5 years; 2008/9) and follow‐up (primary school age 6–8 years; 2011/12). Academic achievement was measured at age 9 years. Results: No associations between BMI z‐score or weight category in the preschool years and later NAPLAN scores were found for boys. For girls, having a higher BMI z‐score (B = −13.68, 95%CI: −26.61, −0.76) and being affected by overweight (B = −33.57, 95%CI: −61.50, −5.24) in preschool was associated with lower language scores. Remaining affected by overweight from preschool to primary school was associated with lower numeracy (B = −25.03, 95%CI: −49.74, −0.33), spelling (B = −33.5, 95%CI: −63.43, −3.58), language (B = −37.89, 95%CI: −72.75, −3.03) and total achievement scores (B = −24.24, 95%CI: −44.85, −3.63) among girls. For boys, becoming affected by overweight was associated with lower spelling (B = −38.76, 95%CI: −73.59, −3.93) and total achievement scores (B = −27.70, 95%CI: −54.81, −0.58). Conclusions: Associations between being affected by overweight/obesity and poorer academic achievement were more pronounced in girls than boys, indicating potentially inequitable impacts of excess weight and highlighting the greater need for intervention among girls. However, stronger study designs are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to explore the contribution of psychosocial vulnerability and resilience to the academic achievement of primary school children attending a low‐fee, private, primary school in a township in Gauteng province, South Africa. In poorer communities, family and community challenges can be overwhelming, compromising the capacity of children to engage in education and achieve academically. The study draws on quantitative data from 116 primary school children, plus at least one family member (mostly mothers), including measures of family vulnerability and resilience, child resilience and reading and spelling scores. Vulnerability on its own had little impact on participants' academic achievement. However, the resilience of the child, as perceived by the family member, did impact academic achievement, but only for children with higher levels of vulnerability. This supports the buffering and differential impact theories in resilience. Implications for school social work practice are set out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on sex differences in mathematical achievement shows mixed findings, which have been argued to depend on types of math tests used and the type of solution strategies (i.e., verbal versus visual‐spatial) these tests evoke. The current study evaluated sex differences in (a) performance (development) on two types of math tests in primary schools and (b) the predictive value of verbal and visual‐spatial working memory on math achievement. Children (N = 3175) from grades 2 through five participated. Visual‐spatial and verbal working memory were assessed using online computerized tasks. Math performance was assessed five times during two school years using a speeded arithmetic test (math fluency) and a word problem test (math problem solving). Results from Multilevel Multigroup Latent Growth Modeling, showed that sex differences in level and growth of math performance were mixed and very small. Sex differences in the predictive value of verbal and visual‐spatial working memory for math performance suggested that boys seemed to rely more on verbal strategies than girls. Explanations focus on cognitive and emotional factors and how these may interact to possibly amplify sex differences as children grow older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of parental expectations in determining children's higher education participation is important in understanding both participation and potential policy responses. Using a nationally representative longitudinal survey of Australian households, providing repeat observations on expectations for individual children, this study extends the literature in several respects. First, it examines the adaptation of parental expectations over a 4‐year time frame. Second, it looks at how parental expectations for school children are associated with actual higher education outcomes in the future. Third, the longitudinal aspect of the dataset permits more robust analyses of factors that shape parental expectations. The findings indicate that parental expectations of their children's attendance at university are generally stable across time. Perceptions of children's academic achievement at school are shown to be the key influence in shaping parents' expectations, and behavioural issues at school adversely affect expectations. Australian parents from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds were more likely to form positive expectations of university participation by their children, consistent with studies from other countries. A more nuanced picture of the formation of expectations for sole‐parent mothers is also presented. Positive effects of parental education and children's enrolment in a private school on parents' expectations, over and above any effect on school achievement, highlight these socioeconomic factors as potential causal channels for the intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In Spring 2020, Georgia public schools implemented remote learning to manage the spread of COVID‐19. This study explores the effects of remote schooling on the learning of young children in Georgia during the early COVID‐19 pandemic from the perspectives of school administrators and essential working parents. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted with eight school administrators and 26 essential working parents of children in kindergarten through third grades of two rural and two urban schools in Georgia. Data collection included online surveys, virtual interviews and focus groups. Descriptive analyses of the demographics provided context to emerging themes from qualitative data. RESULTS: Most school administrators and parents reported declines in student learning and academic behavior related to remote learning. Lack of Wi‐Fi, technology, and digital literacy were often cited as barriers to learning. Challenges with remote learning were amplified for students and parents of vulnerable groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study illustrate the need to institute policies, procedures, and supports to maximize schools' ability to safely offer in‐person learning during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Considerations should be made of the needs of essential working parents, vulnerable populations, and the digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving human capital through quality education remains a global and national priority, particularly for developing countries. Academic performance is the standard indicator of a successful acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for improving human capital. However, recent data, particularly in wildlife areas shows that pupils often perform poorly on academic tests in low‐income countries. This study aims to determine the impact of elephants on academic performance in Trans Mara District, Kenya. We use data from 137 schools and 749 pupils who wrote the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education between 2010 and 2014, and 15 key informants. We used descriptive statistics to analyze and interpret our data. Results show that locating a school outside the elephant range positively contributed to higher mean scores compared to ethnicity, pupil–teacher ratio and gender. Whereas day facilities only strongly contributed to lower scores compared to examination entry, age of the pupil, and ethnicity. The study places elephants on both ends of the villain‐scapegoat continuum since their presence alone does not make a major contribution to poor academic performance in the Trans Mara District. We recommend providing cheaper and accessible transport to pupils, expanding both day and boarding facilities, establishing additional schools closer to pupils within elephant range to reduce the distances to school. These initiatives must be linked to the conservation of elephants as a suit of direct incentives for coexisting with elephants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The link between oral diseases and school performance and school attendance remains unclear among Middle Eastern children. Aim: To investigate the relationship of oral conditions with schoolchildren's school performance and attendance using the life‐course approach. Design: A cross‐sectional study was conducted with 466 schoolchildren aged 7‐8 years from Kingdom of Bahrain (KoB) and their parents. Questionnaire data on children's current and at‐birth environmental characteristics were completed by their parents. Children's oral health measures, including ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System), PUFA (pulp, ulcer, fistula, abscess), and DDE (developmental defects of enamel) indices, were the exposure variables. School performance and school attendance data obtained from the school register were the outcome variables. The data were analysed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression. Results: The odds of excellent school performance were significantly lower for children with untreated dentinal caries (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96‐0.99). Children with caries‐treated teeth showed greater odds of excellent school performance (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.15‐1.74). Disease Control and PreventionNone of the dental conditions were significantly associated with children's school attendance. A permissive parental style was associated with poor school attendance (OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.08‐6.42). Conclusion: Dental caries was associated with poor school performance but not with school attendance. Treated caries was associated with good school performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at validating two non-verbal, non paper-and-pencil tests, namely Panga Munthu and Porteus Maze (wooden form) on the basis of age differentiation and school performance. The subjects included Zambian school children from an intellectually average group aged 7–8 years, 9–10 years and 11–12 years; and also 11–12 years-old bright and dull school children. The results show that the two tests differentiate the three age groups, but not the bright, average and dull 11–12 year old children. The tests in their present form thereby seem to measure some factor which matures with age, but they are not useful at predicting school performance. In Africa, especially rural Africa, intelligent behaviour is not usually measured by acadmic excellence. A study of the relationship between these tests and the African criteria for intelligence is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the results of a test on a scientific thinking in the U.S. It is noted that the average total scores for the successive grades increase with considerable regularity from the eighth to the twelfth. The widely different scores made by the pupils of the same grade level on the several exercises of the test and the very different rate of improvements in their skill in the use of several elements and safeguards as progress are made from the lower grades to the upper. It appears that the ability to think scientifically is a complex of a number of component abilities and that it develops at varying rates and different communities. The test has been printed merely to facilitate gathering the data needed as a basis for its revision, improvement or replacement.