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The summer learning effect has been identified as a major barrier in creating equitable outcomes in the United States, especially in reading and mathematics. Less is known about the effect in other education systems and subject domains. This research draws on a large sample (N = 4390) to examine the summer learning effect in the comparatively under-researched domain of writing in New Zealand. Results indicate a considerable loss among students despite the relatively short summer break. The drop is substantially larger than the overall summer drop found previously across subjects, and for reading and mathematics specifically. Students from minority ethnic groups showed the greatest drops. Although indigenous students progressed at an equivalent rate than their European peers, the summer drop meant that the gap evident at the beginning of the academic year had widened by the beginning of the next year. At the school level, lower-income schools, which were over-represented by ethnic minority students, were also associated with a greater summer drop even after accounting for ethnicity. The growing inequities created by the effect underscore the importance of addressing this issue. Our findings point to the significance of supporting students' literacy developments in and outside of school. They call for greater policy attention that would see an examination of the financial and educational resourcing to support schools and families, but also of the access and resourcing of communities in regard to education, libraries and community services.

Background: Lecturers give feedback on assessed work in the hope that students will take it on board and use it to help regulate their learning for the next assessment. However, little is known about how students' conceptions of feedback relate to students' self-regulated learning and self-efficacy beliefs and academic performance. Aims: This study explores student beliefs about the role and purpose of feedback and the relationship of those beliefs to self-reported self-regulation and self-efficacy, and achievement. Sample: A total of 278 university students in a general education course on learning theory and approaches in a research-intensive university. Methods: Self-reported survey responses for students' conceptions of feedback (SCoF), self-regulation (SRL), academic self-efficacy (ASE), and Grade Point Average (GPA) were evaluated first with confirmatory factor analysis and then interlinked in a structural equation model. Results and conclusions: Three SCoF factors predicted SRL and/or GPA. The SCoF factor "I use feedback" had positive associations with SRL (ß = 0.44), GPA (ß = 0.45), and ASE (ß = 0.15). The SCoF factors "tutor/marker comments" and "peers help" both had negative relations to GPA (ß = -0.41 and -0.16, respectively). "Peers help" had a positive connection to SRL (ß = 0.21). ASE itself made a small contribution to overall GPA (ß = 0.16), while SRL had no statistically significant relation to GPA. The model indicates the centrality of believing that feedback exists to guide next steps in learning and thus contributes to SRL, ASE, and increased GPA.

Background: Longitudinal studies can generate valuable scientific knowledge, but can be compromised by systematic attrition. Previous research shows that sociodemographic characteristics (eg, ethnicity, age, educational level, socioeconomic circumstances) are associated with attrition rates. However, little is known about whether these characteristics differ by ethnicity, and how this impacts cohort retention strategies., Methods: Using antenatal to 12-year data from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort study (N=6743), we examined transversal response rates by ethnicity (Māori, Pacific, Asian, European), used sequence analysis and cluster analysis to identify unique longitudinal response patterns, and binary logistic regression to examine ethnic-specific sociodemographic characteristics associated with these response patterns., Results: The overall response rate at 12 years was 71.0%, with ethnic differences in response rates widening over the six data collection waves. Three longitudinal response patterns were identified: frequent responders (65.2%), intermittent non-responders (29.6%) and frequent non-responders (5.2%). Sociodemographic characteristics such as younger maternal age and lower maternal education were associated with a higher likelihood of membership in the non-response clusters across all ethnic groups. However, there were also important nuances by ethnicity. Individual level factors (eg, household material deprivation and maternal general health) tended to be associated with non-response for Europeans, whereas structural level factors (eg, area-level deprivation and racial discrimination) tended to be associated with non-response for Māori, Pacific and Asian peoples., Conclusion: Ethnic differences in longitudinal response patterns are due to multiple factors of disadvantage, and therefore require targeted retention strategies. Stratifying analyses by ethnicity is important for revealing nuanced insights., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)