German Secondary School Students Research Articles

Measurement-Invariant Fluid Anti-Flynn Effects in Population-Representative German Student Samples (2012-2022).

Generational IQ test scores in the general population were observed to increase over time (i.e., the Flynn effect) across most of the 1900s. However, according to more recent reports, Flynn effect patterns have seemingly become less consistent. So far, most available evidence on this phenomenon has been categorized by drawing on the classic fluid vs. crystallized intelligence taxonomy. However, recent evidence suggests that subdomain-specific trajectories of IQ change may well be more complex. Here, we present evidence for cross-temporal changes in measurement-invariant figural reasoning tasks in three large-scale, population-representative samples of German secondary school students (total N = 19,474). Analyses revealed a consistent pattern of significant and meaningful declines in performance from 2012 to 2022. Results indicate a decrease in figural reasoning of 4.68 to 5.17 IQ points per decade (corresponding to small-to-medium effects, Cohen ds from 0.34 to 0.38). These findings may be interpreted as tentative evidence for a decreasing strength of the positive manifold of intelligence as a potential cause of the increasing number of recent reports about inconsistent IQ change trajectories.

Does students’ awareness of school-track-related stereotypes exacerbate inequalities in education?

Early ability tracking increases inequalities in education. It has been proposed that the awareness of negative school-track-related stereotypes contributes to educational inequalities, as stereotype awareness interferes with students’ abilities to thrive, particularly those in lower, stigmatized tracks. The present study tested this assumption in a sample of 3880 German secondary school students from three tracks, who were assessed four times on stereotype awareness regarding their own school track and academic outcomes (achievement, engagement, self-concept) between Grades 5 and 8. Students in the lowest track reported higher levels of stereotype awareness than higher track students or students attending a combined track. Stereotype awareness increased across time in all tracks. Contrary to our preregistered hypotheses, however, the results from multigroup models revealed that (changes in) stereotype awareness were not more strongly related to (changes in) most outcomes in the lowest track in comparison with the other two tracks.

Learning to spend time in unusual times: An inquiry into the potential for sustainability learning during COVID-19-induced school closures

AbstractWhile current research on school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic is predominantly concerned with learning deficits, the exploratory study presented here focuses on the previously neglected question of young people’s concrete learning experiences during this disruptive period, with a focus on how they used their time and how this relates to their individual needs. The authors interviewed German secondary school students via Zoom and used a grounded theory approach and a transformative learning theory framework to derive recommendations for environmental and sustainability education (ESE). Their findings highlight two important insights: first, that the predominant focus on academic learning loss obscures a more comprehensive understanding of students’ learning experiences; and second, that real-world experiments such as the involuntary school closures during the pandemic may hold the potential to start meaningful, transformative learning processes and experimentation with new strategies for needs satisfaction.

Examining different motivational patterns in individualized learning

Past research on situated expectancy-value theory has regularly provided evidence of different motivational patterns indicating that not only can students be characterized by different levels of motivation (e.g., low vs. high), but also by divergent profiles (e.g., high success expectancies, low task values). This person-oriented two-wave study (a) identified and compared the motivational patterns of secondary school students from different learning environments (i.e., Student-Centered Learning vs. Teacher-Directed Learning), (b) analyzed the stability of and changes to these patterns during a school year, and (c) examined whether achievement-related choices and performance predicted the pattern changes. Using data from German secondary school students (T1: N = 1153; M = 13.97 years, SD = 1.37; 49% girls) multigroup latent transition analysis revealed four different motivational patterns, including a (a) High Motivational pattern, (b) Medium Motivational pattern, (c) Low Motivational pattern, and (d) Highly Confident/Hardly Interested pattern. The distribution of these patterns differed significantly between students from Student-Centered-Learning and Teacher-Directed-Learning environments. Approximately 47% of students in Teacher-Directed Learning were in the low motivational class whereas the Student-Centered Learning environment exhibited approximately half of that number. The extremely stable nature of these classes highlights the strong relevance of the educational context for student motivation and supports situated expectancy-value theory.

A Role of Gender in the Reciprocal Relations Between Intrinsic Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aims to better understand the role of gender in the reciprocal relations between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension during adolescence. Method Utilizing data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), this study focuses on a representative sample (N = 8,317) of German secondary school students, with approximately 48% female students and 26% students with immigration backgrounds. On average, students were 10.64 years old (SD = 0.37) at wave 1 in grade 5. Measurements for intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension were taken at three separate time points: grades 5, 7, and 9. A multi-group cross-lagged panel model was employed to examine gender similarities and differences in the reciprocal relations between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension over four years. Results The results revealed reciprocal cross-lagged effects between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension for both male and female students from grades 5 to 9. The strengths of cross-lagged effects between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension were largely similar across genders. Conclusions This study provides insights into the reciprocal relations between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension from grades 5 to 9, emphasizing that these relations are largely consistent across genders. The findings reinforce the generalization of the positive reciprocal relations between intrinsic reading motivation and reading comprehension, regardless of gender or age. It calls for caution in interpreting gender differences without considering the complex, reciprocal nature of these variables and highlights potential avenues for future research.

Parent-child school-related interactions and helplessness in maths: the role of maths self-efficacy

AbstractAlthough learned helplessness has a long research tradition, neither its contextual predictors nor the ways that they take effect are fully understood. This study inquired into the role of selected aspects of the home learning environment for academic helplessness. We tested whether three dimensions of parent-child school-related interactions—school-related assistance, structure, and responsiveness—predicted helplessness in maths. The study also verified whether student self-efficacy in maths partially mediated the relationships. The analyses were run on a sample of 6726 German secondary school students and used structural equation modelling. They confirmed that higher school-related assistance, structure, and responsiveness in Grade 7 were associated with lower helplessness in maths in Grade 7. Moreover, self-efficacy in maths was a partial mediator of these relationships. Additional analyses with helplessness in maths measured in Grade 9 revealed the same pattern of results for school-related assistance and responsiveness, but only an indirect link was present in the case of structure. The results highlight the protective role that parent-child interactions around school may play against academic helplessness.

Social and dimensional comparison effects in general and domain-specific test anxiety: a nested factor modeling approach

The generalized internal/external frame of reference (GI/E) model assumes social and dimensional achievement comparisons to form self-perceptions. These domain-specific comparisons have been shown to shape two facets of test anxiety (i.e., worry and emotionality) both directly and indirectly through academic self-concepts. However, examinations of such domain-specific relations have rarely integrated general components, although the hierarchical nature of both test anxiety and academic self-concept is well-known. Thus, the present study implemented a nested factor modeling approach. We examined social and dimensional comparison effects on worry and emotionality as well as mediation effects of academic self-concepts in the math and verbal domains while controlling for general components. We contrasted this approach with the conventionally used first-order factor model where general components were not considered. Data from N = 348 German secondary school students (Mage = 15.3 years, Grades 9–10) were analyzed using structural equation models. Direct negative within-domain and positive cross-domain achievement-anxiety relations emerged, yet, the pattern of cross-domain relations changed across modeling approaches. Only the nested factor model showed indirect cross-domain mediation relations. Our findings suggest the importance of structural representations of hierarchical constructs. The nested factor model approach enhanced predictions within the GI/E model, particularly those related to dimensional comparisons.

The importance of parents for key outcomes among socio-economically disadvantaged students: Parents’ role in emergency remote education

Parents play an important role in shaping behavioral and motivational outcomes in their child’s education, presumably even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, where concomitant school closures forced students worldwide to learn remotely at home, affecting socio-economically disadvantaged students most negatively. However, it remains unclear how different parent-focused family process variables (demanding-structuring and responsive-motivational parental involvement, responsibility for learning) and structure variables (socio-economic status, immigrant background) relate to important learning-related student outcomes, namely extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and actual participation in learning activities, during emergency remote education. Using questionnaire data from N = 117 German secondary school students (Mage = 15.14, SD = 0.93; 49.6% female) with a low average socio-economic status, structural equation models revealed associations between higher parental involvement and responsibility and higher motivational and behavioral student outcomes. Furthermore, immigrant background related negatively to some parent process variables, and indirectly negatively to extrinsic motivation. These results highlight parents’ role in learning, particularly during emergency remote education.

Classroom management and students' mathematics achievement: The role of students’ disruptive behavior and teacher classroom management

Establishing a well-organized classroom conducive to learning is a key element of high-quality teaching. However, less is known about the degree to which the classroom management process is affected by the specific students in the classroom. Using two large-scale datasets of German secondary school students, the present two studies examined the effectiveness of teachers' classroom management in mathematics while taking into account students' disruptive behavior in the classroom. When controlling for the average level of disruptions in the classroom, both students' disruptive behavior and teachers' monitoring activity were negatively associated with students' mathematics achievement, whereas no associations occurred for teachers' structure and rule clarity. The results suggest that teachers' monitoring activity needs to take into account students’ disruptive behavior in the classroom, highlighting the complexity of effective classroom management.

Students' intelligence test results after six and sixteen months of irregular schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected schooling worldwide. In many places, schools closed for weeks or months, only part of the student body could be educated at any one time, or students were taught online. Previous research discloses the relevance of schooling for the development of cognitive abilities. We therefore compared the intelligence test performance of 424 German secondary school students in Grades 7 to 9 (42% female) tested after the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., 2020 sample) to the results of two highly comparable student samples tested in 2002 (n = 1506) and 2012 (n = 197). The results revealed substantially and significantly lower intelligence test scores in the 2020 sample than in both the 2002 and 2012 samples. We retested the 2020 sample after another full school year of COVID-19-affected schooling in 2021. We found mean-level changes of typical magnitude, with no signs of catching up to previous cohorts or further declines in cognitive performance. Perceived stress during the pandemic did not affect changes in intelligence test results between the two measurements.

Personality, intelligence, and academic achievement: Charting their developmental interplay.

Although intelligence and personality traits have long been recognized as key predictors of students' academic achievement, little is known about their longitudinal and reciprocal associations. Here, we charted the developmental interplay of intelligence, personality (Big Five) and academic achievement in 3880 German secondary school students, who were assessed four times between the ages 11 and 14 years (i.e., in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8). We fitted random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPs) to investigate reciprocal within-person associations between (a) academic achievement and intelligence, (b) academic achievement and personality, as well as (c) intelligence and personality. The results revealed negative within-person associations between Conscientiousness and Extraversion assessed at the first wave of measurement and intelligence assessed at the second wave. None of the reciprocal personality-achievement associations attained statistical significance. Academic achievement and intelligence showed reciprocal within-person relations, with the strongest coefficients found for achievement longitudinally predicting intelligence. Our work contributes to developmental theorizing on interrelations between personality, intelligence, and academic achievement, as well as to within-person conceptualizations in personality research.

The relevance of basic numerical skills for fraction processing: Evidence from cross-sectional data.

Recent research indicated that fraction understanding is an important predictor of later mathematical achievement. In the current study we investigated associations between basic numerical skills and students' fraction processing. We analyzed data of 939 German secondary school students (age range = 11.92 to 18.00 years) and evaluated the determinants of fraction processing considering basic numerical skills as predictors (i.e., number line estimation, basic arithmetic operations, non-symbolic magnitude comparison, etc.). Additionally, we controlled for general cognitive ability, grade level, and sex. We found that multiplication, subtraction, conceptual knowledge, number line estimation, and basic geometry were significantly associated with fraction processing beyond significant associations of general cognitive ability and sex. Moreover, relative weight analysis revealed that addition and approximate arithmetic should also be considered as relevant predictors for fraction processing. The current results provide food for thought that further research should focus on investigating whether recapitulating basic numerical content in secondary school mathematics education can be beneficial for acquiring more complex mathematical concepts such as fractions.

Does Augmented Reality Help to Understand Chemical Phenomena during Hands-On Experiments?–Implications for Cognitive Load and Learning

Chemical phenomena are only observable on a macroscopic level, whereas they are explained by entities on a non-visible level. Students often demonstrate limited ability to link these different levels. Augmented reality (AR) offers the possibility to increase contiguity by embedding virtual models into hands-on experiments. Therefore, this paper presents a pre- and post-test study investigating how learning and cognitive load are influenced by AR during hands-on experiments. Three comparison groups (AR, animation and filmstrip), with a total of N = 104 German secondary school students, conducted and explained two hands-on experiments. Whereas the AR group was allowed to use an AR app showing virtual models of the processes on the submicroscopic level during the experiments, the two other groups were provided with the same dynamic or static models after experimenting. Results indicate no significant learning gain for the AR group in contrast to the two other groups. The perceived intrinsic cognitive load was higher for the AR group in both experiments as well as the extraneous load in the second experiment. It can be concluded that AR could not unleash its theoretically derived potential in the present study.

Effects of a Digital Math Training Intervention on Self-Efficacy: Can Clipart Explainers Support Learners?

In the mathematics domain, learning from worked examples is a best practice method for initial skill acquisition. However, open questions refer to effective digital training interventions in the field. Subject to these questions are the potential effects of self-explanations on self-efficacy, and the role of clip art explainers currently in vogue (cartoon teachers plus explanations in speech bubbles). We thus developed and field-tested a short-term (approximately 45 minutes) digital training intervention on mathematical proportionality with 113 German secondary school students (Mage: 14.12 years). We applied a quantitative experimental research design to analyse learning processes and outcomes with tests and questionaires. To investigate the potential supportive effects of the clipart explainers, we compared two versions of our intervention: with clip art explainers (clipart condition) and without them (control condition). Our training intervention revealed a significant positive within-subjects effect on the learners’ mathematical self-efficacy related to proportionality tasks. The clipart explainers had a significant negative between-subject effect on the subjective difficulty of the instructional material—with no indications of being detrimental to learning. Finally, we detected self-explanation quality and task engagement to be significant predictors for learning outcomes. Our findings underscore the importance of having learners deeply process the given materials.

Students’ interest and self-efficacy and the impact of changing learning environments

Interest and self-efficacy are two key components of motivation and learning, both of which decrease during adolescence. The situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), recently formulated by Eccles and Wigfield (2020), provides a detailed perspective on critical components of learning situations and the ways in which competence beliefs (e.g., self-efficacy) and value perceptions (e.g., interest) work together to impact students’ achievement. This four-wave study includes data from 754 German secondary school students (MAge = 13.56; SD = 1.2; 49.4% girls). The study analysis employed two latent change models and a latent neighbor change model with covariates (sex, age, grades) to examine the development and interconnections between interest and self-efficacy. The schools included in the sample expand instruction via two self-directed learning intervals during the school year. During the self-directed learning intervals, learning was driven by the students’ preferences for subject matter rather than curricular objectives. The findings indicate that students’ interest and self-efficacy increased not only during self-directed learning but also over the course of the school year. The results suggest that an instructional environment that has been enriched by SDL intervals benefits the interplay between interest and self-efficacy.

Rethinking Quality Science Education for Climate Action: Transdisciplinary Education for Transformative Learning and Engagement

Latest findings of the IPCC highlight the fact that there is an urgent need for climate action on both individual and societal levels, because political regulations and technical advances just would not be enough to counter climate change. Acknowledging young people’s role as present and future decision-makers, their engagement is absolutely imperative in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 13, “Climate Action.” Therefore, new methods of teaching and learning are necessary, and they need to encourage transformative learning, which, it is assumed, will lay foundations for transformative engagement. Research in the field of science education credits scientific literacy vision III as fostering transformative learning and engagement. In this study, transdisciplinary education is analyzed as a promising concept that enables exchange of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives between students and scientific partners while they jointly complete research on real-world issues. A quantitative analysis capturing scientific literacy and transformative engagement for climate action of Austrian and German secondary school students (N= 162) is carried out alongside a literature review. This study reveals that the didactical concept of transdisciplinary education notably contributes to the implementation of scientific literacy vision III as well as vision II. According to the results, the three visions of scientific literacy are predictors for transformative engagement for climate action, assuming to be preceded by a transformative learning process. These encouraging findings need to be replicated by further scholars in other contexts.

Exploring German Secondary School Students’ Conceptual Knowledge of Density

This article reports on the development and piloting of a German version of a concept test to assess students’ conceptual knowledge of density. The concept test was administered in paper-pencil format to 222 German secondary school students as a post-test after instruction in all relevant concepts of density. We provide a psychometric characterization of the instrument based on the student responses. Therefore, we use methods from classical test theory and item response theory. Our analysis shows that our concept test has good psychometric properties. Furthermore, it is shown to enable a reliable (α= 0.77) survey of students’ conceptual knowledge of density. Finally, we use the student responses to identify secondary school students’ difficulties with the density concept. We replicate student difficulties on density from the literature, but our study also reveals some new difficulties.

Uncovering everyday dynamics in students’ perceptions of instructional quality with experience sampling

Within-student dynamics in perceptions of instructional quality have been neglected, although student states constitute a major share of these perceptions. The present study examined the structure and correlates of student state perceptions of the three basic dimensions, teacher support, cognitive activation, and classroom management. We conducted a three-week experience sampling study using state measures in four subjects (observations: nmathematics = 2,681, nphysics = 1,555, nGerman = 2,026, nEnglish = 1,835) and analyzed data from 372 German secondary school students (Mage = 15.3 years), conducting two-level confirmatory factor analyses. Against more parsimonious solutions, the postulated three-factor structure was confirmed within- and between-students across subjects, entailing 51% within-student variance on average. Similar to trait-like perceptions, state perceptions were positively related to grades and academic interest. Our results support the factorial and convergent validity of state student perceptions of instructional quality, expanding upon between-person-based literature and uncovering opportunities to enhance teaching effectiveness.

Autonomy-related Parenting Profiles and their Effects on Adolescents’ Academic and Psychological Development: A Longitudinal Person-oriented Analysis

The important role of parenting is widely acknowledged, but as most studies have understood and examined it as a stable attribute (e.g., parenting style), the stability of and changes in parenting are less well understood. Using longitudinal person-oriented approaches (i.e., latent profile analyses and latent transition analyses), this study aimed to examine the stability of and changes in autonomy-related parenting profiles and their effects on adolescents’ academic and psychological development. Four autonomy-related dimensions (i.e., autonomy support, warmth, psychological control, conditional regard) were chosen to identify parenting profiles on the basis of Self-Determination Theory. Using five-year longitudinal data from 789 German secondary school students (50.06% female, Mage at T1 = 10.82 years, age span = 10–17), four autonomy-related parenting profiles were found: Supportive (~17%), Controlling (~31%), Unsupportive-Uncontrolling (~17%), and Limited Supportive (~35%). The results suggest that the Supportive profile contributes to adolescents’ positive academic and psychological development, whereas the Controlling profile, which thwarts autonomy development, exacerbates the development of psychopathology, and impairs academic achievement. More importantly, the Limited Supportive profile is as maladaptive as the Unsupportive-Uncontrolling profile. Regarding parenting profiles’ stability and changes, the results showed that about half of each profile stayed in the same group. Overall, it could be observed that parents became more supportive and less controlling over time. However, the findings also indicate that parenting profiles are less stable than expected and can still change during early-to-mid adolescence.

Hoe universeel zijn receptieve meertaligheidsstrategieën?

There are multiple ways in which language learners’ multilingual repertoire can be put to use in foreign language learning and teaching. One such use is receptive multilingualism (RM, cf. Blees & Ten Thije 2017). Despite the fact that RM has been found to be an effective means of communication between adult speakers of typologically related languages, like Dutch and German (see Beerkens, 2010; Van Mulken & Hendriks, 2015; Ribbert & Ten Thije, 2007), there is hardly any research investigating its use and effectiveness in younger learners in school settings (Ten Thije, Gulikers & Schoutsen, 2020). In this contribution, we present the results of a pilot study in which we investigate whether German secondary-school students make use of their multilingual repertoire by employing receptive multilingual strategies when decoding an unknown, but typologically related language (Dutch) and whether they can transfer these skills when decoding a less typologically related, unknown language (Maltese).