Adolescent Academic Achievement Research Articles

Dysexecutive symptomatology in everyday functioning and academic achievement in adolescents

BackgroundDuring the educational stage, academic achievement depends on various social, family, and personal factors. Among the latter, executive skills in everyday life play a significant role in dealing with the academic demands of adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study is to ascertain the effects of executive symptomatology in everyday functioning on academic achievement in adolescents.MethodThe study involved 910 students aged between 13 and 15 years (M = 14.09, SD = 0.68) from both public and private schools in the Community of Madrid. The DEX, BDEFS-CA, and BRIEF-SR questionnaires were utilised to assess executive difficulties, while grades in language, mathematics, and natural sciences were used as a measure of academic achievement.ResultsThe data revealed statistically significant differences in working memory, emotional control, materials organisation, and task completion. In relation to language and natural sciences subjects. In the case of mathematics, emotional control and task completion were significant variables.ConclusionOur results indicate that certain executive skills that are manifested in everyday life activities can contribute, albeit in a variable way, to academic achievement in the subjects studied. This aspect is relevant insofar as it allows us to develop preventive interventions based on the executive training of these everyday skills.

Investigation of the effects of an 8-week cross-country skiing exercise program on various reaction time parameters, selective attention and academic achievement in adolescents

Exercise slows or helps reverse the shrinkage of key cognitive brain regions such as the hippocampus, which is important for information processing, learning, reasoning and planning. For this reason, it is thought that regular exercise of individuals, especially during adolescence, which is considered one of the most important processes of development, can increase their performance in areas where cognitive activities are at the forefront. Cross-country skiing, one of the leading branches of winter sports, has a much more complex structure, unlike the branches that are widely preferred today (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.) and is a branch where many motor skills are exhibited at the same time For this reason, the effect of cross-country skiing, which is defined as more complex and difficult in terms of biomotor than other branches, on cognitive activities is a matter of curiosity. Therefore, the aim of the research is; to examine the cognitive effects of cross-country skiing exercise. The study involved 54 (26 male, 28 female) adolescents who had no prior experience in any licensed sports. The average age of the participants was determined as 12.61 ± 1.32. The participants were divided in experimental and control groups. Reaction performances were determined using the ÇAĞIN Hand and Foot Reaction Tests, selective attention performances were evaluated using the Flanker Test and academic achievement was determined using the e-Okul system. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant group × time interactions for hand and foot simple, selective, discriminative reaction time, selective attention and academic achievement (p < 0.05) due to improved values at post-test for the experimental group but not for the control groups. No significant group × time interactions were observed for correct reaction rate for all reaction parameters (p > 0.05). The study concludes that the cross-country skiing exercise, which was applied to adolescents for eight weeks, had a positive impact on the parameters of reaction, selective attention and academic achievement. Therefore, parents are suggested to encourage their children to exercise and engage in sports practices like cross-country skiing to improve cognitive and academic performance during adolescence.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Food insecurity during pregnancy and secondary school educational achievement

The nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between early life nutrition and academic achievement in adolescence. The Pacific Islands families (PIF) birth cohort(1) were born in the year 2000. When their child was 6 weeks old mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the last year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Records of academic achievement for 649 youth were obtained from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement database in 2019. Highest qualifications and a composite ranking score allowed achievement to be assessed at levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA and for University Entrance (UE, lowest to highest). More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved level 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food secure households and 17% from food insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that being female increased the odds of achieving UE 1.8 fold and food security a further 1.6 fold. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different by sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH measure of food insecurity respectively. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

청소년의 그릿, 학업열의 및 학업성취도의 종단적 변화

This study examined the changes of grit, academic engagement, and&#x0D; academic achievement of adolescents in the 1st(year 2018) to 3rd(year 2020)&#x0D; data of KCYPS 2018. We also investigated how growth factors of grit and&#x0D; academic engagement would predict academic achievement directly and&#x0D; indirectly. Multivariate latent growth modeling was used to analyze data.&#x0D; Results demonstrates that growth rates of grit and academic engagement&#x0D; were not statistically significant, meaning that they were stable from first to&#x0D; third years. However, the growth rates of academic achievement was&#x0D; statistically significant. Happiness predicted 1st year’s grit, which in turn,&#x0D; positively affected academic engagement. Students who had higher initial&#x0D; status of academic engagement had higher academic achievement. Lastly, the&#x0D; mediating effect of academic engagement between grit and academic&#x0D; achievement was statistically significant.

School Discipline, Police Contact, and GPA: A Mediation Analysis

Exclusionary school discipline is one of the primary ways that schools address student behavior. Existing scholarship has focused on examining the implications of exclusionary school discipline for two sets of outcomes: academic achievement and future juvenile and criminal legal involvement. However, these two areas of scholarship are largely treated as separate. In this paper, we bridge these two research areas by drawing on scholarship examining the negative educational consequences of police contact for youth. Specifically, we formally test the proposition that the association between school suspension in childhood and adolescent academic achievement is mediated by police contact experienced in early adolescence. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find support for this hypothesis: Early adolescent police contact explains approximately 30% of the association between school suspension in childhood and adolescent GPA. By relying on exclusionary school discipline, our results suggest that schools are setting the stage for youth to become involved in the criminal legal system, which, in turn, hinders future academic achievement.

Adolescents with a Favorable Mediterranean-Style-Based Pattern Show Higher Cognitive and Academic Achievement: A Cluster Analysis-The Cogni-Action Project.

A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has emerged as a crucial dietary choice, not only in attenuating various adolescents' metabolic health issues but it has also been associated with improved cognitive and academic achievement. However, few studies have established patterns of food consumption linked to both cognitive and academic achievement in adolescents living in a developing country with non-Mediterranean-based food. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1296 Chilean adolescents (50% girls) aged 10-14 years. The MedDiet Quality Index was used to assess adherence to the MedDiet in children and adolescents. Through cluster analysis, four distinct dietary patterns were identified: Western diet (WD = 4.3%); low fruit and vegetables, high-sugar diet (LFV-HSD = 28.2%); low fruit and vegetables, low-sugar diet (LFV-LSD = 42.2%); and the MedDiet (25.3%). A mixed-model analysis was conducted to compare these clusters and their relationships with cognitive and academic achievements. Principal component analysis was performed to identify four primary cognitive domains: working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and fluid reasoning. Academic achievement was determined with five school subjects (Language, English, Mathematics, Science, and History) and included the Academic-PISA score derived from the mean scores in Language, Mathematics, and Science. Results: A marked difference was observed between the four clusters, which was mainly related to the consumption of sugar, ultra-processed foods, fruits, and vegetables. According to cognitive performance, the MedDiet group showed higher performance across all domains than the LFV-HSD, LFV-LSD, and WD groups. Regarding academic achievement, the WD underperformed in all analyses compared to the other groups, while the MedDiet was the unique profile that achieved a positive difference in all academic subjects compared to the WD and LFV-HSD groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that higher adherence to Mediterranean-style-based patterns and better food quality choices are associated with improved cognitive and academic achievements.

Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Achievement Goal Orientation.

This study examined the multiple mediating roles of achievement goal orientation between three parental psychological control (PPC) strategies and adolescents' academic achievement. The study sample consisted of 2613 Chinese middle school adolescents (52.6% boys) who were followed for one and a half years; they completed questionnaires on PPC (including love withdrawal, guilt induction, and authority assertion), achievement goal orientation (involving the mastery approach, the performance approach, and performance-avoidance goals), and academic achievement. We found that (1) the direct effects of the three strategies on academic performance differed, with love withdrawal directly and negatively predicting adolescents' academic achievement and guilt induction and authority assertion not being significant direct predictors. (2) The mediating role of achievement goal orientations differed across the psychological control strategies. Specifically, love withdrawal led to adolescents' academic achievement through their performance-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, and mastery goal orientation. Moreover, guilt induction and authority assertion had impacts only on adolescents' performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations. This study highlights the negative impact of love withdrawal on adolescents' internal motivation and academic achievement by warning parents not to use this strategy to influence their children's thoughts and feelings.

Does adolescent academic achievement predict future parenting?

AbstractThe effects of academic achievement may extend beyond economic success to influence social functioning, including future parenting. To evaluate whether adolescent academic achievement forecasts future parenting (both positive and negative) and the family home environment of parents. We used prospectively gathered intergenerational data from a population‐based birth cohort born in 1972/1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand, including data from Generation 1 (parents of the birth cohort), the birth cohort (Generation 2; G2), and G2's children (Generation 3). Adolescent academic achievement in G2 was used to predict observed and reported parenting outcomes when offspring (G3) were aged 3 years after controlling for a range of covariates, including G2's adolescent wellbeing, early childhood socioeconomic status (collected from G1), and G2's age at child's birth. We also evaluated 2‐way interactions between academic achievement and G2 parent sex, G3 child behaviour, and G2 adolescent wellbeing. Greater G2 academic achievement, net of controls, predicted more positive and less negative parenting (for mothers only), and a more positive home environment. For the home environment outcome, the effect of adolescent academic achievement was moderated by wellbeing. Adolescent academic achievement may positively influence parenting behaviour and the quality of the home environment.

“Is it beneficial to stress grades to my child?” – Relationships between parental attitudes towards academic achievement, motivation, academic self-concept and academic achievement in adolescents

In this study we analyse the relations of parental attitudes towards academic achievement (process-centred vs. performance-centred) with self-representations, motivational orientations and academic achievement. Participants were 498 students attending 7th and 9th grades. To collect data we used a self-concept scale (Peixoto &amp; Almeida, 1999), a scale of motivational orientations (Skaalvik, 1997), and a scale to assess parental attitudes towards academic performance (An-tunes &amp; Fontaine, 2003). Correlation analysis showed positive associations between processes centred attitudes and academic self-concept, self-esteem, task orientation, and academic achievement. Performance centred attitudes were negatively correlated with academic self-concept, self-esteem and academic achievement, and positively related to self-enhancing ego orientation, self-defeating ego orientation and avoidance orientation. Structural equation modelling revealed different paths, in the relationship between parental attitudes and academic achievement, for process centred attitudes and for performance centred attitudes. Results in this study support the idea that the perception of parental attitudes centred in the process are related to positive outcomes while parental attitudes centred on performance are related to less positive outcomes. Finally, data in this study converges with the existing literature that highlights the mediating role of individual characteristics such as self-concept and motivational orientations in the relationship between parental attitudes and academic achievement.

The Influence of Family Factors on Middle School Students' Academic Achievements

Under the current Chinese education system, academic performance is still a hot issue that is widely concerned by people. Academic performance reflects students' learning outcomes, which not only affects students' future development, but also reflects the quality of school education. Therefore, in-depth exploration and analysis of the reasons for differences in academic performance remains of practical significance. Middle school students are in their adolescence. Adolescents are a critical period of personal growth, and their academic performance is easily affected by a combination of factors. Family education plays a critical role in adolescent academic achievement. Based on the CEPS baseline survey data from the China Education Tracking Survey, this paper analyzes the basic situation of the family environment of adolescents, and explores the effect of various family factors on students' academic achievement through correlation analysis. Finally, based on the analysis of the above research results, we found that family relationships, parental education, and parental involvement are positively related to students' academic performance, and proposed relevant suggestions for improving junior high school students' academic performance.

Parental involvement and academic achievement of adolescents: The mediating roles of school adjustment

This study examines the relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement among adolescents and potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. Using data from six waves of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, this study estimated fixed effects models to account for individual-level heterogeneity. Sobel mediation tests were employed to examine the mediating roles of four aspects of school adjustment, namely: (a) academic engagement, (b) compliance with school rules, (c) positive peer relationships, and (d) positive teacher–student relationships. Results revealed that parental involvement is positively associated with adolescents’ academic achievement ( b = 0.172). Proposed mechanism variables explain approximately 68.6% of the association, with academic engagement being the most salient pathway. The findings highlight the importance of parental involvement in helping adolescents adjust to school environments and improve their academic performance.

Well-being and academic attitudes among secondary school students living in a context of life-threatening collective violence in Northern Nigeria

Collective violence limits well-being and academic achievement among the millions of young people in low- and middle-income countries who are exposed to armed conflict, terrorism, harassment, kidnapping, and other forms of communal violence. Most past research has focused on survivors or witnesses, neglecting the much larger number of young people who live under the prolonged threat of violence. This study addressed this gap by applying the Situated Expectancy-Value Model of adolescent academic achievement. This informed predictions about the relationship between well-being and adolescents’ orientation to formal education in a context of collective violence in which schools are a special target. Over the past decade, Northern Nigeria has experienced recurring terrorist attacks and large-scale abductions of school students. Students attending public secondary schools in Northern Nigeria (n = 371; male = 45.6%, age range = 16–17; mean age = 16.7 years) completed three questionnaires that assessed four domains of well-being (body image, self-esteem, a positive social orientation, and positive emotions), the perceived value of academic learning, and two behaviours strongly related to academic achievement (persistence and engagement). Multiple regression analyses found that the four domains of well-being accounted for 70.5%, 87.3%, and 88.3% of variance in the perceived value of academic learning, academic persistence, and academic engagement, respectively. Subsequent analyses revealed that the associations between multi-dimensional well-being and both persistence and engagement were partially mediated by the perceived value of academic learning. In summary, although the observational research design precluded conclusions about the direction of effect in associations between the variables, the results are consistent with the interpretation that psychological well-being allows students to appreciate the value of academic learning, and this contributes to higher academic engagement and greater persistence on academic tasks.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Household Food Security during Pregnancy and Secondary School Educational Achievement.

Nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between nutrition in early life and academic achievement in adolescence. The birth cohort of the Pacific Islands Families (PIF) study was born in the year 2000. When their child was six weeks old, mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the past year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). In 2020, records of academic achievement from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) for 649 (317 female, 332 male) cohort members showed progressive achievement at levels 1, 2, and 3 of NCEA and allowed University Entrance (UE) to be assessed. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different for sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH definitions of food insecurity, respectively. More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification, and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved NCEA levels 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food-secure households and 17% from food-insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that the odds of achieving UE were 1.8-fold (95% CI 1.2, 2.6, p = 0.003) higher in females than males and, independently, 1.6-fold (95% CI 1.1, 2.5 p = 0.026) higher if the household was food secure. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early-life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

Body image dissatisfaction and academic buoyancy in adolescents: The mediating roles of social anxiety and basic psychological needs satisfaction

AbstractAcademic buoyancy has a significant and stable effect on adolescent academic achievement. Thus, it is vital to examine the antecedent variables of academic buoyancy. However, little research has examined the effect of body image dissatisfaction on academic buoyancy. This study investigates the link between body image dissatisfaction and academic buoyancy in Chinese adolescents, focusing on the mediating roles of social anxiety and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Using the Negative Physical Self Scale, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, and the Academic Buoyancy Scale, questionnaires were administered to 516 high school students in Henan and Hunan provinces in China. The results revealed that: (1) basic psychological needs satisfaction mediated the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and academic buoyancy among Chinese adolescents; (2) social anxiety and basic psychological needs satisfaction had a serial mediating role between body image dissatisfaction and academic buoyancy among Chinese adolescents. This research provides a pioneering exploration of the effect of body image dissatisfaction on academic buoyancy and its mechanisms. Implications for secondary school education practices and directions for future research are discussed.

Augmenting Trait Meta-Mood: An Intervention to Enhance Psychological Well-being and Academic Achievement in Adolescents

Background The period of adolescence is a crucial phase of development marked by significant transformations in emotional experiences, cognitive processes, and social interactions. Throughout this stage, individuals encounter diverse challenges that can influence their psychological well-being and academic performance. Existing research has highlighted the importance of trait meta-mood, which involves the ability to understand and regulate one’s own emotions, in shaping overall functioning during adolescence. However, there is a lack of comprehensive interventions specifically focusing on enhancing trait meta-mood in this population. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by investigating the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to improve trait meta-mood in adolescents. Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the intervention program on academic achievement, psychological well-being, and trait meta-mood in adolescents. Methods The study employed a pre- and post-experimental design. Participants included adolescents aged 15–17 years. The intervention program consisted of a series of workshops and activities aimed at promoting self-awareness, emotional regulation, and positive cognitive strategies. Pre- and post-intervention measures were used to assess academic achievement, psychological well-being, and trait meta-mood. Results The findings of this study indicate that the intervention program significantly enhanced academic achievement, psychological well-being, and trait meta-mood of adolescents. Participants who underwent the intervention demonstrated improved self-awareness, emotional regulation skills, and positive cognitive strategies. Moreover, these improvements were associated with higher levels of psychological well-being and academic achievement. Conclusion The results suggest that the intervention program designed to enhance trait meta-mood in adolescents is effective in improving academic achievement, psychological well-being, and trait meta-mood. The findings highlight the importance of promoting self-awareness, emotional regulation, and positive cognitive strategies in interventions targeting adolescents, as they contribute to overall well-being and academic success.

A reciprocal perspective on the differential associations between personality traits and multiple indicators of academic achievement.

This study aims to explore the reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness and openness to experience) and academic achievement in adolescents, using the Personality Achievement Saturation Hypothesis (PASH). Personality traits, especially conscientiousness, and openness, have been identified as strong predictors of academic achievement. The PASH provides a framework for understanding these relationships but has mainly been studied from a unidirectional perspective. This study extends the PASH to examine reciprocal associations and how they vary with different achievement indicators. Using large-scale panel data (N = 6482) of secondary school students in Germany, we applied cross-lagged panel models and latent change score models to examine the differential reciprocal associations between personality traits (conscientiousness/openness) and academic achievement (school grades/achievement test scores) in language and math over two years from grades 7 to 9. In line with the PASH, initial levels of conscientiousness were more strongly associated with school grades than with achievement test scores over two years. Simultaneously, prior school grades were more strongly associated with conscientiousness over two years. However, initial levels of openness did not show differential associations with either school grades or achievement test scores over two years. Similarly, prior school grades and achievement test scores were also not differentially associated with openness over two years. Our findings introduce an innovative lens through which we observe how the PASH can be leveraged to explain the differential reciprocal associations between conscientiousness and academic achievement. Further research is needed to examine if PASH could be similarly extended to disentangle the associations between openness and academic achievement.

Perceived appearance, body shape and adolescent academic achievement: Evidence from Chinese middle school

AbstractUsing data from China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), this study aims to investigate the association between perceived appearance, body shape and adolescent academic achievement, elucidate underlying mechanisms, and examine the heterogeneous relationships across different groups. The results suggest that there is an ugliness penalty rather than a beauty premium in Chinese middle school. Overweight and obese students have lower academic achievement than normal weight students. These findings remain robust after replacing the independent variable and dealing with selection bias. Mechanism analysis reveals that teacher preference and non‐cognitive ability are important transmission mechanisms linking perceived appearance with academic achievement. Academic achievement disadvantage in obese students compared with normal weight students is partially transmitted through cognitive ability. Additionally, poor perceived appearance and obesity have a greater negative impact on the academic achievement of disadvantaged groups. These findings better our understanding of perceived appearance and body shape in the formation of educational stratification and provide a scientific basis for equalizing the educational process within schools.

The Role of Emotion Regulation for General Self-Efficacy in Adolescents Assessed Through Both Neurophysiological and Self-Reported Measures.

Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability and capacity to organize and execute actions required to achieve desired results, is associated with adolescent academic achievement and reduced risk for psychopathology. Adolescent emotion regulation represents an important component in the relationship between self-efficacy and developmental outcomes, but the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. It is unclear how emotion regulation strategies, which change with experience, and emotion regulation capacity, which is largely determined by genetics, contribute to the development of self-efficacy. The present study aims to explore the relationship between emotion regulation and self-efficacy in adolescents. We hypothesize that neurophysiological emotion regulation capacity moderates the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and self-efficacy. The present study applied a cross-sectional design. A sample of high-school students (N = 45, nfemale = 31, age = 17-18) provided answers on the General Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Vagal tone was used as an indicator for emotion regulation capacity. In the initial correlational analysis, reappraisal, but not expressive suppression nor vagal tone was associated with self-efficacy. Vagal tone was not associated with any self-report measures of emotion regulation or self-efficacy. Contrary to our hypothesis, vagal tone did not moderate the relationship between emotion regulation and self-efficacy. This is the first study assessing the relationship between neurophysiological indicators of emotion regulation and self-efficacy. Our results do not indicate that vagal tone moderates the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and general self-efficacy. Future studies should also assess the possible influence of metacognition and interoception on relationships.

The Influence of Parental Autonomy Support on Adolescent Academic Achievement: A Moderated Mediation Model

The Influence of Parental Autonomy Support on Adolescent Academic Achievement: A Moderated Mediation Model

Longitudinal Associations Between Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Academic Achievement in Adolescents: A Mediated Moderation Model.

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) was initially studied in the context of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but is now recognized as a distinct disorder. Despite the growing recognition of SCT, its impact on academic achievement among adolescents remains controversial, even when controlling for the level of ADHD. This may be due to the influence of other factors such as learning engagement and emotional distress. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal study with a sample of 782 Chinese senior high school students, measuring their SCT, learning engagement, and emotional distress at Grade 10 (Time1, T1) to predict their academic achievement evaluated based on final exams scores five months later (Time2, T2). Results showed that learning engagement mediated the negative relationship between SCT and later academic achievement. Additionally, individuals with high SCT showed less impact by emotional distress on learning engagement. These findings mayshed light on the complex interplay between SCT, emotional distress and learning engagement in shaping academic achievement, underscoring the potential adaptive function of SCT as a coping strategy for managing emotional challenges.