English Attainment Research Articles

Personality Traits, Motivation and Foreign Language Attainment

This paper reports on the results of a study of Chinese EFL learners’ personality traits and motivation in relation to their contributions to achievement in English at the tertiary level. An 88-item survey involving 934 first-year undergraduate non-English majors revealed that: (1) the participants were generally moderately extroverted, moderately prone to become anxious and be influenced by social desirability. Nevertheless, the majority reported to be dependent and tender-minded; (2) the majority of the participants reported to be moderately motivated to learn English; (3) the personality traits were significantly related to all or many of the motivation measures; and (4) most of the personality and motivation scales were significantly correlated with the students’ attainment in English, among which, language requirement, intrinsic motivation, psychoticism and lie were good predictors of the latter.

The Development of Learner Autonomy Through Internet Resources and Its Impact on English Language Attainment

Abstract Since the arrival of the Internet and its tools, computer technology has become of considerable significance to both teachers and students, and it is an obvious resource for foreign language teaching and learning. The paper presents the results of a study which aimed to determine the effect of the application of Internet resources on the development of learner autonomy as well as the impact of greater learner independence on attainment in English as a foreign language. The participants were 46 Polish senior high school students divided into the experimental group (N = 28) and the control (N = 18) group. The students in the experimental group were subjected to innovative instruction with the use of the Internet and the learners in the control group were taught in a traditional way with the help of the coursebook. The data were obtained by means questionnaires, interviews, learners’ logs, an Internet forum, observations as well as language tests, and they were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results show that the experimental students manifested greater independence after the intervention and they also outperformed the controls on language tests.

The impact of an intervention on children's reading and spelling ability in low-income schools in India

The aim of this study using a quasi-experimental design was to investigate whether utilising synthetic phonics in schools catering for low-income families in India would increase reading and spelling attainment in English. Over 500 children in 20 schools took part in the 6-month programme. Just over half of the children experienced lessons organised around the synthetic phonics materials, whilst the other children continued with their normal English lessons. The findings show that there were statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups in the improvements of the children in their test scores in reading and spelling.

The impact of mothers’ adult learning on their children’s academic performance at Key Stage 3: evidence from ALSPAC

This paper investigates whether the inter-generational benefits of parental adult education exist over and above the achievement of parental educational qualifications during schooling and whether returns to parental adult learning are greatest for children of parents with low levels of education. Using data from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, ALSPAC, results show that mothers’ participation in adult education is not associated with improvements in their children’s academic attainment in English and mathematics at age 14 once the previous parental academic qualifications are included. This lack of relationship was found for the overall sample, and for subgroups defined by the type of adult education (accredited, unaccredited or informal learning), the intensity of learning (duration and engagement) and by mothers’ prior educational qualifications. Although our results suggest that maternal adult learning is not a key factor for improvement in children’s test scores at age 14, further research is needed to investigate the role of parental adult learning at other stages of children’s cognitive development.

Sex, intelligence and educational achievement in a national cohort of over 175,000 11-year-old schoolchildren in England

General cognitive ability ( g) does not explain sex differences in academic test performance by the end of compulsory education. Instead, individual differences in specific reasoning abilities, after removing the effects of g, may contribute to the observed gender gaps. Associations between general or specific cognitive abilities, sex, and educational attainments were analysed in a cross-sectional study of 11-year-olds ( M = 133.5 months, SD = 3.5), at an age before substantive gender-related selection-bias occurred. The 178,599 pupils (89,545 girls and 89,054 boys) attending English state schools represented 93% of the UK's local education authorities. In 2004 each student completed the Cognitive Abilities Test—Third Edition (CAT3), assessing verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities. These data were linked to each child's attainment scores on national Key Stage 2 tests in English, mathematics and science. A sex difference in g, favoring girls, was statistically significant but of negligible effect size (Cohen's d = .01). Girls scored 26% of a SD higher than boys on a verbal residual factor, and boys scored 28% of a SD higher than girls on a quantitative residual factor, with negligible sex differences on a nonverbal residual factor (1% of a SD). In education, 10% more girls than boys achieved UK government targets in English. In mathematics and science, sex differences were less apparent at the government target grade (Level 4), although a 5% greater proportion of boys than girls performed at the highest level in mathematics (Level 5). General cognitive ability ( g) was strongly related to an educational factor score ( r = .83) as expected, and did not explain sex differences in academic performance. In general linear models, a verbal residual factor explained up to 29% of girls' higher English attainment, and better quantitative skills among boys explained 50% of their higher attainment in mathematics. Besides the significant contributions of specific cognitive abilities to gender differences in English and mathematics, there remains substantive variance of the educational gender gap left to explain.

Is there still a cognitive cost of being a twin in the UK?

Objective To investigate whether twins still perform below singletons in cognitive ability tests and in national educational attainment examinations in a recent UK cohort of 11-year-olds. Design Population-based cohort study, using a validated method of twin extraction. Setting English state schools. Participants 178,599 pupils (mean age 11 years) attending English state schools in 2004, representing 93% of local educational authorities. Main outcome measures Verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning measured by the Cognitive Abilities Test — Third Edition (CAT3), and educational attainment in English, maths and science from Key Stage 2 national curriculum tests. Results Twin-singleton differences in cognitive ability were of negligible effect size. Mean performance of twins was 1% of a SD below singletons on general cognitive ability, 3% lower on verbal reasoning, and less than 1% of a SD lower on quantitative and nonverbal reasoning, with and without adjustment for sex. Almost identical proportions of twins and singletons attained the expected standards of educational performance in English (80.4% versus 80.5%, respectively), maths (77.4% versus 77.3%), and science (90.1% versus 88.8%). There were no differences in rates of twins and singletons achieving higher or lower performance levels. Conclusion The cognitive cost of being a twin reported in previous cohorts of UK children no longer exists in a large, contemporary and population-representative sample.

Motivation and English Attainment: A Comparative Study of Hong Kong Students with Different Cultural Backgrounds

The main objective of this study is to investigate the motivation patterns of the two groups of Hong Kong students with different cultural backgrounds and examine the relationship between their motivation to learn English and English attainment. This study adopts the motivation framework of Dornyei (2001) to investigate the extent each social specific motivation component affects respective group of students' motivation to learn English. Results suggest that peer is the most influential factor affecting students' motivation to learn while parents play the least significant role. Attempts are also made to see how specific motivational components relate to English attainment. Results indicate that both groups of students' English attainment are positively correlated to course-specific motivation while teacher-specific motivation holds contrastive correlations with the two groups of students. With the results of this study, it is hoped that educators will be able to understand the fundamental differences between the two groups of students in terms of motivation and learning needs. Light can also be shed on shaping different teaching methodologies when teaching students with different cultural backgrounds.

Executive functions and achievements in school: Shifting, updating, inhibition, and working memory

Links have recently been established between measures of educational attainment and both verbal and visuo-spatial aspects of working memory. Relationships have also been identified between specific executive functions-shifting, updating, and inhibition-and scholastic achievement. In the present study, scholastic attainment, shifting, updating, inhibition, and verbal and visuo-spatial working memory were assessed in 11- and 12-year-old children. Exploratory factor analysis identified two executive factors: one associated with updating functions and one associated with inhibition. Updating abilities were closely linked with performance on both verbal and visuo-spatial working memory span tasks. Working memory was closely linked with attainment in English and mathematics, and inhibition was associated with achievement in English, mathematics, and science. Domain-specific associations existed between verbal working memory and attainment in English, and between visuo-spatial working memory and attainment in English, mathematics and science. Implications of the findings for the theoretical analysis of executive functioning, working memory and children's learning are discussed.

The Literacy Hour

In this paper, we evaluate the effect of the literacy hour in English primary schools on pupil attainment. The National Literacy Project (NLP) was undertaken in about 400 English primary schools in 1997 and 1998. We compare the reading and overall English attainment of children in NLP schools as compared to a set of control schools at the end of primary school education (age 11). We also compare the overall English performance of these children when they have reached the end of their compulsory education (age 16). We find a larger increase in attainment in reading and English for pupils in NLP schools as compared to pupils not exposed to the literacy hour between 1996 and 1998. We also find modest, but positive effects from exposure to the literacy hour that persist to age 16, as GCSE English performance is seen to be higher for children affected by the NLP introduction. Since there are gender gaps in English performance (in favour of girls), we consider whether the literacy hour has had a differential impact by gender. We find some evidence that at age 11, boys received a greater benefit than girls. Finally, we show the policy to be cost effective. These findings are of strong significance when placed into the wider education debate about what works best in schools for improving pupil performance. The evidence reported here suggests that public policy aimed at changing the content and structure of teaching can significantly raise pupil attainment.

Long-term language attainment of bilingual immigrants: Predictive variables and language group differences

This study examined the variables related to US immigrants' long-term attainment in English, their second language (L2), and their native language (L1). For 44 Mandarin–English bilinguals, with increasing age of arrival (AOA) in the United States, their accuracy in L2 grammaticality judgment tasks decreased and accuracy in an L1 grammaticality judgment task increased. Moreover, both AOA in the United States and mothers' English proficiency uniquely predicted a significant proportion of the variance for bilinguals' L2 proficiency. Finally, as a group, 72 speakers of three Asian languages showed lower levels of L2 proficiency and stronger AOA effects on the task performance than 32 speakers of six European languages. These differences in language proficiency were associated with differences in language use, language learning motivation, and cultural identification between the two groups. These findings suggest that L2 acquisition in the immigration setting is a complicated process involving the dynamic interactions of multiple variables.

Ability Grouping in English Secondary Schools: Effects on Attainment in English, Mathematics and Science

The impact of ability grouping on attainment is examined in a cohort of year-9 pupils in 45 mixed secondary comprehensive schools, representing a variety of grouping practices. Analyses using multilevel models reveal an effect of the extent of setting experienced by pupils on progress in mathematics, but not in English or science. In mathematics, pupils attaining higher levels at the end of year 6 make more progress in sets, whereas pupils attaining lower levels make more progress in mixed ability classes. Placement in a high, middle or low set also has a significant effect on mathematics attainment. Possible explanations are discussed and educational implications considered.

Accounting for Variations in Pupil Attainment at the End of Key Stage 1

AbstractThis article analyses pupil national assessment results at Key Stage 1 (KS1) in the three core curriculum areas (English, mathematics and science) and in terms of an overall measure of performance across these areas for a sample of over 2400 pupils drawn from 62 inner London primary schools. It explores the influence of pupil background characteristics and school attended on attainment at KS1 and provides a contextualised analysis of schools’ performance. The findings demonstrate the greater importance of background factors (gender, age, low income, fluency in English) as influences on English attainment in comparison with other subjects and the implications of this for the publication of raw national assessment results are highlighted. The extent to which process information about school and classroom organisation and teaching practices accounts for school‐level variation in pupils’ attainment is also explored. A number of significant relationships are identified and their implications discussed.

Student Variables in Second Language Learning

This study1 was undertaken to assess the role of the three stu dent variables, namely intelligence, language aptitude and motivation, in the acquisition of English as a second language. A total of 297 fifth form students (Grade Eleven) from seven schools in the Fiji Islands were administered psychological instruments to obtain measures on intelligence, language aptitude and motivation. These scores were then correlated with their scores on English obtained at the Fiji Junior School Certificate examination conducted by the Ministry of Education. Each of the three student variables was found to be significantly correlated to attainment in English at the .01 level for zero order correlation. (The body of the report contains coeffi cients for 1st and 2nd order correlations as well.) Intelligence was found to have the highest correlation coefficient for all the three ethnic groups constituting the sample while motivation registered the lowest. Multiple correlation between the three student variables and English was also significant at the .01 level. The 't' values computed for English scores of students in the upper and lower quartiles for both intelligence and language aptitude were found to be significant at the .01 level while the 't' value for English scores for students in the upper and lower quartiles for motivation was significant only at the .05 level.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE ATTITUDES AND ENGLISH ATTAINMENT OF SECONDARY STUDENTS IN HONG KONG

This study analyzes the relationship between English language attainment and attitudes towards English among Chinese‐speaking (Canton dialect) secondary school students in Hong Kong. The subjects were Form IV (10th grade) students from both English‐medium and Chinese‐medium schools. Attitude measures were obtained by use of both direct and indirect means. Attitudes towards English were measured directly by means of a series of statements concerning the study and use of English to which subjects were asked to respond on five‐point scales. Indirectly, attitudes were measured with a scale of stereotypes modelled on the work of Spolsky. English attainment was assessed by a cloze procedure as suggested by Oller. Results of factor analysis of the direct attitude questions regarding English show that several of these attitude factors are significantly related to English attainment as measured by the cloze test. In some cases, however, the correlations were contrary to the directions that one might expect. In general, the statistical results of this study indicate that, for the population under study, the direct measure of attitude was a better predictor of English attainment than an indirect measure. The indirect measures obtained by asking Ss to rate (1) themselves, (2) themselves as they would like to be, (3) Chinese people, and (4) Westerners did produce some significant results, but these were not as strong indicators of language attainment as the results obtained from the direct measures.

Attainment in English in the schools of Wales

Attainment in English in the schools of Wales

A RE‐EVALUATION OF THE JUNIOR EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY

Summary. The JEPI was re‐analysed by item, factor and cluster analysis. The item analysis demonstrated that many items in the extraversion scale do not discriminate effectively. Five factors and five clusters were extracted and related to attainment measures. The five factor solution explained 19 per cent of English attainment variance in comparison to 7 per cent by the JEPI as conventionally scored. The analysis also supported the view that extraversion is not a unitary dimension. The cluster analysis indicated the operation of response sets. Items of the lie scale appeared in different factors and clusters dependent on the specificity of reference in the item to a situational context. It is therefore suggested that inventories be developed in which items can be answered with reference to specific situations.

Divergent thinking abilities--a validation study.

Summary. Verbal reasoning and semantic divergent thinking scores together with assessments of conventional and creative English attainment were gained for 331 10‐year‐old children. A factor analysis demonstrated a separation of the ability and attainment measures. A zonal analysis showed that highly divergent children gained better scores on the creative attainment criterion than did highly convergent children. The threshold hypothesis was tested by relating convergent and divergent thinking at different levels of VRQ, and was rejected. Evidence concerning construct and academic validity is discussed.

THE EFFECTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ORGANISATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENCE, ATTAINMENT IN ENGLISH AND ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL

British Journal of Educational PsychologyVolume 39, Issue 2 p. 191-191 THE EFFECTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ORGANISATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLIGENCE, ATTAINMENT IN ENGLISH AND ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL A. GRIFFIN, A. GRIFFINSearch for more papers by this author A. GRIFFIN, A. GRIFFINSearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1969 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1969.tb02063.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume39, Issue2June 1969Pages 191-191 RelatedInformation

The effect of a single experience of success or failure on test anxiety

Abstract Junior high school pupils classified on attainment in English, sex, and socio-economic area of school were assigned at random to 1 of 2 treatments. One group was given a difficult vocabulary test which they were likely to fail while the second group was given an easy vocabulary test. The failing group scored significantly higher than the successful group in the TASC which was administered immediately after the treatments. Significant differences were also found for level of attainment, for sex and for the interaction of treatment with level of attainment. The results are discussed in relation to earlier research findings that streaming practices in schools tend to be associated with higher test anxiety in the lower streams.

PUBERTY, FAMILY SIZE AND THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS OF GIRLS

Summary. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of two variables: rate of physical maturation and family size on the intelligence and attainments of girls between the ages of 11 1/2 and 15 1/2 attending schools in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Differences in performance on Test AH4 and attainment in English and Mathematics were shown to exist between groups classified according to age at puberty but most differences were not statistically significant and could be accounted for by the fact that early maturing girls came from smaller families than late maturing girls. Correlations were calculated between the educational measures and four social and developmental variables and the results submitted to factor analysis. Two factors were identified: a social‐educational factor and a developmental factor. Family size contributed to both factors but contributed more to the educational variance than did age at puberty. It is suggested that rate of physical maturation and family size are related and act jointly to produce the effects formerly attributed to age at puberty alone.