Academic Achievement In Reading Research Articles

Gender gap in school learning: Micro-level evidence from Morocco

The gender gap in education has been a significant concern for Moroccan policymakers and researchers, but the quantitative measurement of this gap has often been overlooked. This study specifically examines the gender gap in academic achievement in reading and mathematics at both the national and residential levels. The objective is to identify the factors that influence gender performance differences and their magnitude. To achieve this, micro-level data from 5427 students extracted from the PIRLS 2016 and TIMSS 2015 surveys were analyzed. The Blinder-Oaxaca (1973) decomposition technique was employed to assess the significance of the differences and to break down the performance gaps by incorporating explanatory variables related to schools, teachers, and students' characteristics. The results reveal a significant gender difference in favor of girls in reading, both nationally and in urban areas. In mathematics, the gender gap is not statistically significant and is approximately 3 points at the national level. Only 29% of the reading gap can be explained by the selected variables, while this percentage is around 20% for the math gap. Pre-school attendance, maternal education, schools, and schools' characteristics are identified as significant factors influencing the reading gap at the national and urban levels. In contrast, at the rural level, home conditions and the characteristics of the school and teacher play a more decisive role.

Performance and Perception of Creativity and Academic Achievement in Elementary School Students: A Normal Mixture Modeling Study

ABSTRACTCreativity can be assessed using various methods, including divergent thinking performance, self‐ratings, and teacher ratings. However, these measures may not always align, as they may not consistently identify creative potential in the same manner. The present study aimed to identify latent subgroups of students based on their observed originality, creative self‐efficacy, teacher‐rated originality, academic achievement in reading and mathematics, and demographic background characteristics. Data were collected from 243 elementary school students. We applied the normal mixture technique to classify participants into latent subgroups. Five latent subgroups of students were identified: Overconfident Low Performers, Creative High Achievers, Under‐Confident Below‐Average Achievers, Mathematically Oriented Students, and Calibrated Above‐Average Achievers. Female students tended to fall disproportionately into the subgroup of Creative High Achievers. Students receiving free/reduced lunch had a lower probability of being Creative High Achievers. Special education students had a higher probability of falling into the subgroup Overconfident Low Performers. Teacher ratings of students' originality were more in line with student academic performance rather than with their performance‐based originality scores. Students' self‐ratings of creativity bifurcated across subgroups, with Creative High Achievers and Overconfident Low Performers reporting the highest self‐ratings of originality, despite displaying very different levels of performance on the divergent thinking assessment.

Stimulus shapes strategy: Effects of stimulus characteristics and individual differences in academic achievement on the neural mechanisms engaged during the N-back task

This fMRI study of 126 youth explored whether the neural mechanisms underlying the N-back task, commonly used to examine executive control over the contents of working memory, are associated with individual differences in academic achievement in reading and math. Moreover, the study explored whether these relationships occur regardless of the nature of the stimulus being manipulated in working memory (letters, numbers, nonsense shapes) or whether these relationships are specific to achievement domain and stimulus type (i.e., letters for reading and numbers for math). The results indicated that higher academic achievement in each of reading and math was associated with greater activation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the N-back task regardless of stimulus type (i.e., did not differ for letters and numbers), suggesting that at least some aspects of the neural mechanisms underlying these academic domains are executive in nature. In addition, regardless of level of academic achievement, prefrontal regions were engaged to a greater degree for letters than numbers than nonsense shapes. In contrast, nonsense shapes yielded greater hippocampal activation than letters and numbers. Potential reasons for this pattern of findings are discussed.

Income inequality is associated with heightened test anxiety and lower academic achievement: A cross-national study in 51 countries

BackgroundResearch on predictors of test anxiety has focused primarily on the role of psychological factors and the proximal environment. However, the role of the broader socio-ecological context, specifically, national income inequality, is seldom explored. AimsThe present study aimed to test whether national income inequality is associated with greater test anxiety and whether test anxiety is associated with lower academic achievement. DataWe analyzed data from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), drawing on responses from 389,215 students nested in 51 countries. MethodsMulti-level structural equation modeling was used. ResultsResults indicated that students in more unequal countries experienced greater test anxiety and had lower levels of achievement. Test anxiety, in turn, was associated with lower academic achievement in reading, math, and science. However, test anxiety did not mediate the effects of income inequality on achievement nor did income inequality moderate the relationship between test anxiety and achievement. ConclusionTaken together, the results of this study demonstrate the importance of taking socio-ecological factors such as income inequality into account when examining anxiety and achievement in academic settings.

Fa'aliyyah Mawad Ta'lim Maharah al-Qira'ah li Tarqiyah Maharah al-Qira'ah al-Thullab

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of using teaching materials of reading to improve students’ reading skills at the Institute for Islamic Studies Ma’arif Nahdlatul Ulama (IAIMNU) in Metro Lampung. This research used the comparative quantitative method. For data analysis, the researchers used descriptive statistical analysis to produce the effectiveness of teaching materials for reading skills with a criterion based on descriptive perception in the degree to test the responses in the questionnaire scale. T-test using SPSS with Paired Sample Test was used to find out the differences between the results of before and after the experiment. Based on the statistical analysis, the value of experimental learning model was 14.462.The result of significance was Sig. (2-tailed) 000. The pre-test of academic achievement in reading - the post-test of academic achievement of reading was 8.295. The result of significance was Sig. (2-tailed) 000.The result of this research indicated that Hₒ was not acceptable, and H1was acceptable. The difference in the academic achievement of reading between before and after the experiment was indicative. Hence, the improvement of reading ability occurred after using reading materials designed based on David A. Kolb's experiential learning model.

Academic achievements and brain volume development in children and adolescents.

Children are expected to acquire both basic and numeric skills. Achievement of higher levels of reading, writing, arithmetic, and vocabulary are favorable and desirable. The relationship between each literacy skill and neural development has been investigated; however, association between brain development and the 4 literacy skills has not been examined. This longitudinal, structural, neuroimaging study explored the contribution of higher academic achievement in reading, writing, arithmetic, and vocabulary to neural development. The brain volumes of children and adolescents aged 9-16years were measured in the first test. Approximately 2.6years later, the brain volumes and 4 academic achievement scores of 77 participants were measured in the second test. Changes in the gray matter volume in the left fusiform gyrus were associated with vocabulary scores, whereas those in the left striatum were associated with arithmetic scores. The reading and writing scores showed no statistically significant relationship with changes in brain volume. The current vocabulary score correlated with current gray matter volume, while brain volumes in the first test showed no association with any achievement scores. These results suggest that academic achievement may modulate brain plasticity in various ways.

Examining Challenges that Affect the Implementation of the National Reading Programme by Teachers: A Case of Selected Schools in Malawi

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) in Malawi introduced the National Reading Programme (NRP) in 2015 to improve early grade learners’ literacy skills. However, results from the 2017 and 2018 national reading assessment for Standard 2, Standard 4, and the NRP monitoring strategy revealed that the state of reading achievement was still below average. This study therefore examined challenges that affect the implementation of NRP by teachers. The study was qualitative in nature and was guided by the Social Constructivist Theory. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with sixteen teachers, four head teachers, two Primary Education Advisors (PEAs) and one NRP Officer. Documentary analysis and classroom observations were done to triangulate data collected through interviews.The study revealed that improvements in aspects of education systems including proper training and distribution of teachers, improved school infrastructure and community involvement, etc., are certainly necessary to achieve universal literacy. The study also suggested that it is only through everyone’s hard work and commitment that would ensure the realisation of the important goal of having all Malawian children be able to read and write.The study is important because it provides a set of principles of learning about ideas and practices that promote learners’ academic achievement in reading and writing. Another anticipated value of the study is that it aggregates previous relevant studies on the problems surrounding language curriculum implementation and synthesises the findings of previous studies.

Sixth grade academic achievement among children conceived with IVF: a population-based study in Texas, USA

To compare academic achievement in reading and mathematics at the end of sixth grade and progress from third to sixth grade by children conceived with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to those conceived naturally. This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of IVF-conceived singleton and twin children who took the 3rd grade and 6th grade public school standardized reading and mathematics testing in Texas. There were 6623 children with reading scores in both the third and sixth grades and 6374 children with mathematics scores in both the third and sixth grades. Mean (± SE) scaled test scores for IVF and control singleton children for reading were 1544.6 ± 3.4 and 1527.7 ± 1.9, respectively, in third grade and 1701.2 ± 3.6 and 1681.0 ± 2.0, respectively, in sixth grade; for mathematics, the scores were 1564.4 ± 3.7 and 1548.9 ± 2.1, respectively, in third grade and 1774.0 ± 4.2 and 1752.0 ± 2.3, respectively, in sixth grade. In multivariate models, singleton IVF children scored significantly higher than control children in reading and mathematics, averaging 17.7 ± 4.0 points and 20.1 ± 4.1 points higher, respectively, in reading in third and sixth grades and 17.8 ± 4.4 points and 25.0 ± 4.8 points higher, respectively, in mathematics in third and sixth grades. Children conceived with IVF and aged 8-9 years and aged 10-12 years performed as well on third and sixth grade reading and mathematics assessments as their counterparts conceived naturally.

THE INTERPLAY OF READING ANXIETY, READING STRATEGY USE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTH OF VIETNAM

A quantitative research was carried out at the International School, Thai Nguyen University to measure the levels of reading anxiety among non-English majored students who had just finished one year of intensive English. These students were supposed to take a simulation IELTS exam with an expected result of 5.5 overall bands (B2-CEFR). The finding showed that the level of anxiety measured was at medium level (M = 3.31, SD = 0.59, SEM = 0.09, Min = 2.05, Max = 4.30, Skewness = -0.46, Kurtosis = -0.54). The second research question focuses on the correlation between reading anxiety and the use of reading strategies. The results showed that there was no significant difference between reading anxiety and the uses of reading strategies. The third research finding indicated that there was a significant difference between the levels of reading anxiety and academic reading achievement. Students with high level of anxiety attain low achievement. Low anxiety (M = 2.64, SD = 0.50) was significantly larger than for High anxiety (M = 1.40, SD = 0.52).

علاقةُ المشکلات السلوکیة بالتحصیل الأکادیمیِّ عند طلاب ذوی صعوبات التعلُّم من وجهة نظر معلمیهم The Relationship Between Behavioral Problems and Academic Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities as their Teachers’ Perspectives

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى معرفة المشکلات السلوکية الأکثر انتشارا لدى طلاب صعوبات التعلم، ومعرفة المشکلات السلوکية الأکثر تأثيرا على تحصيل الطلاب ذوي صعوبات التعلم من وجهة نظر معلميهم، وتحديد العلاقة بين المشکلات السلوکية والتحصيل الأکاديمي، ولتحقيق هذه الأهداف؛ استخدم الباحثان المنهج الوصفي الارتباطي، کما استخدم استبانة لسماح بشقة کأداة للبحث، واستخدم الباحثان أسلوب العينة العشوائية البسيطة. وتوصل الباحثان إلى مجموعة من النتائج؛ کان أبرزها ما يلي: أن أفراد عينة الدراسة موافقون بشدة على المشکلات السلوکية لدى طلاب ذوي صعوبات التعلم، کما تبين أن المشکلات السلوکية الأکثر تأثيرا في التحصيل الأکاديمي للطلاب من وجهة نظر معلميهم هي المشکلات المتعلقة بالسلوک الانسحابي، ثم المشکلات المتعلقة بالسلوک العدواني، ثم المشکلات المتعلقة بالنشاط الزائد. وکشفت النتائج عن وجود علاقة عکسية بين المشکلات السلوکية وبين التحصيل الأکاديمي في القراءة والکتابة والرياضيات. وفي ضوء هذه النتائج؛ يوصي الباحثان بـ (تطوير برامج تدريبية تقلل من تأثير المشکلات السلوکية المتعلقة بالطلاب ذوي صعوبات التعلم وبالتالي تساعدهم على تحسين تحصيلهم الأکاديمي). This study aims to identify the most common behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities. It also aims to identify the behavioral problems most likely to affect the achievement of students with learning disabilities, from their teachers’ point of view, and to find the relationship between the behavioral problems and academic achievement. To achieve these objectives, the researcher used the correlational descriptive approach. He also used a questionnaire, prepared by Samah Beshaka, as a tool for his study. The researcher used the simple random sample method. The study concluded a group of results, notable among these are:-Results showed that the study sample individuals responded with “strongly agree” on the most common behavioral problems among students with learning disabilities. It was also revealed that behavioral problems most likely to affect the achievement of students with learning disabilities, from their teachers’ point of view, are problems related to the withdrawal behavior, followed by problems related to the aggressive behavior, then problems related to hyperactivity. Results revealed that there is a negative correlation between the behavioral problems and the academic achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Considering these results, the study recommended the following:(develop training programs that reduce the impact of behavioral problems related to students with learning disabilities and therefore help them to improve their academic achievement).

A-162 Neurocognitive Functioning in Youth with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Examining Relations between Executive Functions and Academic Achievement

Abstract Objective Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder affecting approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. It is commonly associated with neurofibromas, café-au-lait spots, and optic gliomas. It has also been linked to neurocognitive deficits, including learning disabilities and ADHD. This study examined relationships among executive functions (EF) and academic achievement in children diagnosed with NF1. Methods Participants included 29 children (ages 2–21; M = 9.28, SD = 5.50) diagnosed with NF1 referred for neuropsychological evaluation as part of standard clinical care. A battery of tests was administered, including measures of intelligence (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition), attention (Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II), EF (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System), academic achievement in reading and math (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition), and parent rating scales examining EF in the home environment (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition). Results Relations between attention, EF, and academic achievement were examined using bivariate Pearson correlations. Lower scores on measures of EF (e.g., inhibition of prepotent responses) were linked to lower math achievement scores (r = .73, p < .05). Difficulties with sustained attention were associated with lower performance on measures of reading (r = −.60, p < .05) and math achievement (r = −.59, p < .05). Parent report of EF difficulties was correlated with lower reading scores (r = −.68, p < .05). Conclusions Results suggest that children with NF1 are at risk for deficits in EF and academic achievement. Problems in these two domains are likely to co-exist. Thus, interventions targeting these skills should be well integrated.

Excess Body Mass Attenuates The Effects Of Acute Exercise On Preadolescent Brain Function And Cognition

PURPOSE: This study investigated the transient effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise and excess body mass on cognitive and brain function in preadolescent children. METHODS: Thirty-nine children (8-10yrs; 16 females) completed baseline and demographic questionnaires, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and VO2max tests. Children were randomly allocated into a within-subjects crossover intervention design including 20-minutes of restful reading and 20-minutes of treadmill walking. Children completed post-intervention cognitive tasks that tap inhibition (Go-NoGo, flanker) with EEG (P3-ERP), and standardized tests of academic achievement in reading and math. SUMMARY OF RESULTS: Following the treadmill walking intervention, children of normal weight (NW) demonstrated improved response accuracy (p≤0.05), shorter reaction times (p≤0.05), and larger P3-ERP amplitudes (p≤0.05) during the Go task, relative to children with obesity (OB). Additionally, after the walking intervention, NW children demonstrated a trend for larger P3 amplitude (p=0.068) during the NoGo task. NW children also demonstrated shorter reaction times (p=.041), and reduced perceptual interference (p=0.039) compared to OB children during the flanker task. Lastly, NW children demonstrated improved performance on academic achievement tests of reading and math after the walking intervention, compared to OB children (p≤0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the beneficial effects following an acute bout of aerobic exercise on cognitive and brain function may be attenuated in children with obesity. These results provide evidence indicating that neuroelectric and behavioural indices of attention, inhibition, and academic achievement are influenced by aerobic exercise and body mass in children. Given that childhood obesity is a public health concern with an array of health complications, these results have important implications for the physical and cognitive health of children. Grant Funding: Supported by NIH Grant R01 HD094054

Metacognitive Strategy Use or English Proficiency? Influences in Academic Reading Achievement of STEM Students

Metacognitive Strategy Use or English Proficiency? Influences in Academic Reading Achievement of STEM Students

Motivation and self-related beliefs as predictors of academic achievement in reading and mathematics: Structural equation models of longitudinal data

This study examines the predictive power of motivational and self-related beliefs on reading and mathematics achievement. A representative sample (N = 2049 12–14-year-olds) was drawn for a large-scale longitudinal programme, with data collected at two measurement points separated by a two-year interval. In the research, two hypothesised models on the mediating role of self-related beliefs and motivational factors have been developed and tested. Results from structural equation modelling reinforced the mediating role of both self-related and motivational factors on academic achievement in Grades 6 and 8, although not each of the expected paths fit the model. Among the non-cognitive factors, self-concept had the highest effect on sixth graders’ achievement and sixth graders’ test results most dominantly determined eighth graders’ achievement.

Metacognitive Monitoring In Relation To Academic Achievement In Reading And Writing By First And Second Year Undergraduates

Metacognitive Monitoring In Relation To Academic Achievement In Reading And Writing By First And Second Year Undergraduates

Family trip and academic achievement in early childhood

Using nationally representative data, this study found positive impact of family trips on children's academic achievement in reading and math. Children who took at least one family trip in kindergarten or third-grade achieved on average 1% higher score on third-grade reading and math tests. The benefits were greater with more family trips, but differed by trip types. Family trips to cultural attractions most benefited the reading achievement, whereas those to athletic events benefited the math the most. This study's findings contribute to the understanding of family trip's educational benefits in early childhood; they also provide a rationale for the promotion of family trips for children's educational benefits and for the further examination of different types of trips and travel.

Improvement of EFL Students’ Academic Reading Achievement Through the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA)

This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) on the improvement of EFL students' academic reading achievement. Participants were 122 Jordanian EFL undergraduate students who were divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. Data were collected using academic reading test and focus group interviews (four groups; with six students in each). While the students in the experimental group were taught using CALLA, students in the control group were taught using the conventional method of teaching. While quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS package program, qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The statistical analysis of academic reading test data revealed that students’ reading achievement increased only in the experimental group. Further, the analysis of the interviews showed that students’ overall perceptions of the effectiveness of CALLA were positive. Thus, this study has revealed the feasibility of implementing CALLA in EFL academic reading contexts.

Attachment Aware Schools: the impact of a targeted and collaborative intervention

ABSTRACTThe Attachment Aware Schools (AAS) project was a targeted and collaborative intervention between academics and school-based practitioners. The aim of the project was to promote practitioner awareness of attachment in relation to child behaviours and learning. It focused on using relational-based strategies and interventions to address the needs of children and young people. The AAS framework promoted Emotion Coaching as a universal, relational-based practice approach, with specialised targeted support for children with additional needs. Supportive managerial strategies and setting policies sustained the integration and maintenance of attachment-informed practice and school ethos. This article reports the findings from the project which included over 200 participants (107 teaching and support staff and 94 pupils aged 5 to 16 years), from 40 schools, in two different Local Authorities within the UK. Adopting a mixed methods approach, qualitative and quantitative data provided hard and soft indicators of improved pupil and adult outcomes. Findings demonstrated significant improvements in pupils’ academic achievement in reading, writing and maths. There were significant decreases in sanctions, exclusions and overall difficulties. Practitioners reported a positive impact on professional practice, adult self-regulation and emotional self-control, and were more confident when talking with children about emotions. This project contributes to the growing evidence based on the effectiveness of whole school attachment-based strategies and is already demonstrating policy implications at a national level.

Teaching Students with Low Academic Achievement in Reading Through Multisensory Approach – Intervention Programme

Jolly Phonics is a multisensory approachdesigned to teach children how to read, write and spell using a systematic multisensory phonics program. It uses synthetic phonics method. In this programme children learn the letter sounds first and then move on to blending [putting together] the sounds in order to read words. Jolly Phonics was developed for children from junior kindergarten to grade 2. It can be used for children who have reading/ writing difficulties. The researchers have noticed, while working as supervisors in Cycle One Omani schools, that grade threestudents have certain weaknesses in reading. They realized that some students could not even read simple words though they have spent 2 years and a halfstudying English.In order to investigate this problem, six low achievers students from grade 3 were selected; they were males and females and their age is between 8-9 years old. A certain scheme was designed; it included teaching one lesson a week for 4 months using Jolly Phonics programme. The teacher was provided by the Jolly Phonics materials to help her teaching the lessons effectively. The programme included learning the letter sounds, learning the letter formation, blending, identifying sounds in words and spelling the tricky words. A certain exam has been given to the students before and after the programme. The results show that there is a noticeable improvement in the students' academic achievement comparing with their previous level. The presentation will be interactive, researcher and audience together will explore to what extent this programme has certain effectiveness on students’ performance. Findings will be set beside those from previous studies, implications for the Omani classroom will be discussed, and recommendations made for future research. Excerpts from students reading and writing will be shared with the audience.

Relationship between aerobic fitness and academic performance: the mediational role of executive function.

This cross-sectional study investigated whether the relationship between aerobic fitness and academic performance was mediated by executive functioning. A total of 378 children (9-10 years old) from nine primary schools in Stavanger, Norway were included. The children's aerobic fitness was measured by a 10-minute interval-running test; executive function was tested by four cognitive tests (Stroop, Trail Making, Verbal Fluency and Backwards Digit Span). A composite score for executive functions was computed and used in analyses. Academic achievement in reading, mathematics and English was determined using Norwegian national standardized tests. Bivariate correlation analysis showed the following significant associations: mathematic achievement with executive functions (r=0.48, P=0.001), aerobic fitness with mathematics (r=0.13, P=0.012) and executive functions (r=0.17, P=0.001). A regression-based mediation analysis (PROCESS) with executive function as a mediator variable was conducted. Mediation analysis showed that the relationship between aerobic fitness and mathematic achievement was mediated by executive functions (P<0.001). Findings revealed an indirect effect of executive function on the positive relationship between aerobic fitness and mathematic achievement.