High-achieving Groups Research Articles

Cognitive characteristics of children with high mathematics achievement before they start formal schooling.

This 5-year longitudinal study examined whether high mathematics achievers in primary school had cognitive advantages before entering formal education. High mathematics achievement was defined as performing above Pc 90 in Grades 1 and 3. The predominantly White sample (Mage in preschool: 64 months) included 31 high achievers (12 girls) and 114 average achievers (63 girls). We measured children's early numerical abilities, complex mathematical abilities, and general cognitive abilities in preschool (2017). High mathematics achievers had advantages on most tasks in preschool (ds > 0.62). Number order, numeral recognition, and proportional reasoning were unique predictors of belonging to the high-achieving group in primary school. This study shows that the cognitive advantages of high mathematics achievement are already observed in preschool.

멘토링 장학 프로그램을 경험한 저소득층 고등학생의 진로개척역량 전이 양상과 심리·사회적 자본이 미치는 영향 분석

In order to explore the career development characteristics of low-income high school students, this study classified latent groups of career development competency of low-income high school students who participated in the mentoring scholarship project before and after participating in the scholarship program. In addition, the study examined transition pattern between the two latent groups at each time point and verified the impact on the classification of latent groups by inputting variables on the student's psychological and social capital as covariates. For this purpose, a latent transition analysis applying a 3-step approach was conducted using data from the mentoring dream scholarship project of the longitudinal data on educationally marginalized children and youth collected by the Samsung Dream Scholarship Foundation. As a result, the participants were categorized into two groups: a 'high achievement group' and a 'low achievement group' in common before and after participating in the scholarship project. In addition, students with higher self-efficacy, resilience, and social capital were more likely to belong to the 'high-achievement group'. In addition, after participating in the scholarship project, students with higher satisfaction with scholarship students are more likely to belong to the 'high achievement group'. Through this, educational implications for customized career education were discussed by exploring variables that affect the career development of low-income high school students.

Patients Engaged in Losing Weight Preoperatively Experience Improved Outcomes After Hiatal Hernia Repair.

Adherence to preoperative weight loss recommendations may serve as a surrogate for the level of engagement in hiatal hernia (HH) patients. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between achieving preoperative weight loss goals and outcomes after HH repair. A retrospective review of 235 patients undergoing laparoscopic HH repair at a single institution was performed. Patients were grouped based on the percentage of weight loss goal achieved. Low achievement was defined as the bottom quartile of goal achievement (≤75%); high achievement was defined as the top quartile (≥140%). Baseline characteristics, clinical outcomes, and patient reported outcomes (PROMs) were compared between groups. 131/235 (55.7%) achieved their weight loss goal. No differences in baseline characteristics or clinical outcomes were observed between the low and high achievement groups. While both groups experienced improvements in PROMs postoperatively, patients in the high achievement group demonstrated significantly lower symptom burden at one-month postoperatively. Further, high-achievement patients were more likely to experience complete resolution of common HH symptoms at one-month postoperatively, including no difficulty swallowing food, no breathing difficulties or choking episodes, no choking when eating food, no choking when drinking liquid, and no regurgitation of food or liquid. In patients undergoing laparoscopic HH repair, patients achieving their preoperative weight loss goals experienced less overall symptom burden and lower prevalence of common symptoms one-month postoperatively than those with low levels of goal achievement. These results demonstrate that patients can take an active role in improving their own surgical outcomes and health status.

Item Analysis of Single Best Response Type Multiple Choice Questions for Formative Assessment in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

MCQs (multiple choice questions) can be used to assess higher-order skills and be utilised for creating a question bank. To perform post-validation item analysis of MCQs constructed by medical faculty for formative assessment of final-year medical students and to explore the association between difficulty index (p value) and discrimination indices (DI) with distractor efficiency (DE). An observational study was conducted involving 50 final-year MBBS students and 10 faculty members for a period of one year (October 2020 to September 2021). After training the faculty in item analysis, a MCQ test was prepared after collecting the peer-reviewed 25 MCQs (five each from various subtopics of the subject). The result of this test was used to calculate the FV (facility value), DI (discrimination index), and DE (distractor efficiency) of each item. Student and faculty feedback was also obtained on a five-point Likert scale. The mean FV was 46.3 ± 19.3 and 64% of questions were difficult; the mean DI was 0.3 ± 0.1 and 92% of questions could differentiate between HAG (high achiever's group) and LAG (low achiever's group); the mean DE was 82% ± 19.8 and 48% of items had no NFDs (non-functional distractors). MCQs can be used to assess all the levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Item analysis yielded 23 out of 25 MCQs that were suitable for the question bank.

TYPES OF ITEM WRITING FLAWS IN MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS IN MEDICAL EDUCATION AND THEIR EFFECT ON PASSING RATE OF STUDENTS

Background: The most popular written exam in health professions education is the multiple-choice style question (MCQ). This study sought to understand the effects of multiple-choice writing errors on students' academic performance in medical education. Methods: This descriptive study was done from December 2017 to June 2019 in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Medical College, Muzaffarabad. Ten block examinations were included. The item review committee reviewed all MCQs for flaws. Two tests from each class of MBBS were taken. The original tests containing all items were labeled as flawed tests and the result of each flawed test was evaluated. The students were graded into high, moderate and low achievement groups with scores of more than 79.9, between 50–79.9 and less than 50 percent respectively. Flawed items were then removed from the tests by the review committee and the scores of each test (standard test) were determined and compared with flawed tests and its effects were assessed in three achieving groups of students. Optical mark reading (OMR) classic-4 software was used for post-exam analysis and data were analyzed by using SPSS-25. Results: The passing rate ranged from 68.18% to 90.82% in flawed and 75.54% to 93.69% in standard tests. Most standard tests (7) had higher passing rates than flawed tests. Conclusion: Tests containing in-house developed MCQs have frequent item writing flaws and their inclusion in assessment did affect the passing rates of students but were not statistically significant. Pak J Physiol 2023;19(4):49–52

Strategies Used by High, Medium and Low Achieving EFL Students in Learning English

As an international language whose role and use are dominant in various aspects in this era of globalization, English is suitable to be used as the main provision for students to support their academics and careers. Therefore, it is very important to analyse the English learning Strategies applied by students so that learning has appropriate results. The Objectives of this research are to describe the types of English learning strategies used by high, medium, and low achieving students at Dehasen University Bengkulu, and to find out whether there are any differences in the use of English learning strategies among three groups. This was descriptive research. The population consisted of the students from two departments, namely physical education and Early Childhood Education year 2022-2023 were 159 students reported as students of the high (got A score), medium (got B score), and low achiever group (got C/D score). Purposive sampling technique was used. Purposive sampling technique was used. The instruments were students’ scores of English mastery and SILL questionnaire. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics by using SPSS 16 as well as in finding out the differences use of six categories of English learning strategies among the three groups. The results were as follows. All types of English learning strategies (memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies) were used by all groups in the “moderate” category that were in the range 2.5 to 3.4. Metacognitive strategy was the strategy with the highest rank of use, whether for high which has a 3.37 mean score or medium achiever groups which has a 3.40 mean score. Meanwhile, memory strategy was the strategy with the highest rank of use for the low achiever group which has a 3.26. Furthermore, there were no differences in the use of English learning strategies among all groups, as can be seen from the result of two-way ANOVA data analysis

The Effects of Forest Walking on Physical and Mental Health Based on Exercise Prescription

This study aimed to verify the effects of prescribed personalized forest walking by considering individuals’ characteristics. To prescribe individualized exercise programs, we developed an algorithm to calculate exercise intensity based on each participant’s age, regular exercise, fatigue level, and chronic disease type, if any. To investigate the effects of forest walking on physical and mental health based on exercise prescription, we recruited 59 participants (average age: 39.1 ± 19.0 years old) aged 18 years or older. Physiological and psychological responses were compared before and after walking in the forest. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, percent body fat, negative affect, and emotional exhaustion significantly decreased, while the pulse rate significantly increased following the forest walking. Additionally, we investigated the effects of exercise relative to successfully maintaining one’s target heart rate and found that these effects were even greater when success score of maintaining the target heart rate while walking improved. Comparison of the groups relative to successfully achieving the target heart rate indicated that the high-achievement group had significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body fat mass, percent body fat, negative affect, and emotional exhaustion, and a significant increase in pulse rate. However, the low-achievement group only showed a significant reduction in emotional exhaustion. This study showed that prescribed forest walking has a positive impact on human health and is expected to have a positive effect on the motivation to start and continue exercising.

Perfectionism, test anxiety, and neuroticism determines high academic performance: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAcademic performance is an important issue for Korean students. Various psychological factors contribute to academic performance. We aimed to evaluate the psychological factors that affect academic performance integratively.MethodsA total of 102 academic high achievers and 120 comparison participants were recruited. We evaluated psychological factors (test anxiety, perfectionism, personality traits, resilience, and self-efficacy) and measured academic performance using the College Scholastic Ability Test and the current college grade. We compared psychological factors and academic performance between the academic high achiever and comparison groups. Multiple linear regression was then conducted to identify the significant psychological factors for high academic performance. Further, we used cluster analysis to classify the comparison group by the significant psychological factors and compared them among clusters and academic high achievers to determine the psychological characteristics of academic high achievers.ResultsThe academic high achiever group showed lower test anxiety (p = .002), less neuroticism (p = .001), higher self-efficacy (p = .028), and less socially prescribed perfectionism (p < .001) than the comparison group. Multiple linear regression results (p = .020) clarified that neuroticism (p = .020), test anxiety level (p = .047), and perfectionism (p = .035) were important factors predicting better academic performance. Academic high achievers had moderate test anxiety and perfectionism levels, with the best performance on the College Scholastic Ability Test.ConclusionsNeuroticism, test anxiety levels, and perfectionism are important psychological factors for high academic performance. Interventions targeting these factors may help to improve academic accomplishments.

Enriching Multimodal Data

Collaboration is a complex, multidimensional process; however, details of how multimodal features intersect and mediate group interactions have not been fully unpacked. Characterizing and analyzing the temporal patterns based on multimodal features is a challenging yet important work to advance our understanding of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). This paper highlights the affordances, as well as the limitations, of different temporal approaches in terms of analyzing multimodal data. To tackle the remaining challenges, we present an empirical example of multimodal temporal analysis that leverages multi-level vector autoregression (mlVAR) to identify temporal patterns of the collaborative problem-solving (CPS) process in an immersive astronomy simulation. We extend previous research on joint attention with a particular focus on the added value from a multimodal, temporal account of the CPS process. We incorporate verbal discussion to contextualize joint attention, examine the sequential and contemporaneous associations between them, and identify significant differences in temporal patterns between low- and high-achieving groups. Our paper does the following: 1) creates interpretable multimodal group interaction patterns, 2) advances understanding of CPS through examination of verbal and non-verbal interactions, and 3) demonstrates the added value of a complete account of temporality including both duration and sequential order.

The Influence of High-Stakes English Examinations on Students’ Out-of-Classroom English Learning Practices: A Comparative Study

Exams with high stakes may affect test takers’ learning endeavors. Given the students’ different academic backgrounds, it is not yet clear how much of an effect the tests will have on their out-of-classroom learning practices. This study, thus, aimed to close the knowledge gap by employing a mixed method of embedded research design and collecting data via questionnaire, focused group discussion (FGD), and document analysis. The questionnaire was administered to a stratified random sample of 94 12th grade students. The students with their one-semester academic achievements were selected from two secondary schools found in East Wollega zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, multivariate and one-way ANOVA. The data gathered through document analysis and FGD were to substantiate the questionnaire. The contents of the three consecutive years of past Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate English Examination (ESSLCEE) questions were analyzed quantitatively. The qualitative method was used to conduct FGD with the selected participants from each school. The recorded data were subsequently transcribed, translated, analyzed, and discussed thematically. The study found significant differences between students of low-achieving groups (“Fair” and “Satisfactory” scorers) and high-achieving groups (“Very Good” and “Excellent” scorers) in studying non-ESSLCEE-related learning activities out-of-classroom. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between low-achieving groups and high-achieving groups regarding practicing ESSLCEE-related language components. The washback of high-stakes ESSLCEE on students’ out-of-classroom English learning practices was observed regardless of the students’ specific academic achievement groups they belonged to. The results suggest that there are differences in the impact of high-stakes exams on the efforts that students from different academic backgrounds make for out-of-classroom learning practices.

From engagement to performance: the role of effort regulation in higher education online learning

ABSTRACT Online learning democratizes and provides flexibility in accessing education, but it also places greater demands on students’ self-regulated learning strategies. Previous studies have explored the important impact of effort regulation on academic performance. However, there remains more to explore on the dynamics of effort regulation among undergraduates and their group differences. This study investigates how the effort regulation of the learning process varies between achievement categories in an online learning environment using a sample of 240 undergraduates. Findings suggest that students in the high-achieving group had significantly higher effort regulation throughout the semester than their low-achieving counterparts on three dimensions: conversation, navigation, and click-through events. However, there were no significant differences in task time. Further test results also show that the high-performing students had significantly higher levels of engagement in all behaviours compared low-performing students during anaphase. Surprisingly, all students significantly lowered their effort levels near the final exam period. Results herein ultimately provide insight into the design of online learning environments.

Individuals in a group: exploring engagement patterns via within-group configurations of role profiles and their impact on performance in collaborative problem solving

ABSTRACT Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) has been widely used in K-12, higher education, and informal learning to enhance the quality of student learning. Understanding the relationship between learning engagement and group performance is crucial for CPS pedagogy and analytics. However, few empirical studies investigated individual engagement role profiles in CPS and the impact of individual engagement, as reflected in within-group configurations of role profiles, on learning performance. In this study, deep learning was employed to evaluate learner engagement, cluster analysis was performed to identify engagement role profiles, and the qualitative cases were used to in-depth compare within-group configurations of role profiles in higher- and lower-achieving groups. The results showed that six distinct role profiles with varying levels of cognitive and socio-emotional engagement have been identified: free-rider, normal-constructer, immersed-engager, balanced-engager, questioning-refuter, and active-constructer. In addition, high-achieving groups were generally characterized by dominant role profiles of active-constructers and balanced-engagers, while lower-achieving groups were characterized by dominant role profiles of free-riders. Based on these findings, some implications for promoting high-quality collaborative learning through optimal design and structure of CPS activities are discussed.

과학 성취 우수 집단 예측 변인 분석

This study investigates the predictors of science high-achievement group among Korean high school students, considering raw data of the students’ responses to PISA 2015. In particular, the factors differentiating the excellent group from the general group were analyzed using a random forest analysis with hybrid sampling and hyper-ensemble approach on the responses of 92 individual questions. The results revealed distinct gender-based patterns. Male students captured higher rankings in factors related to science-related reading at the age of 10 and experimental practices. Conversely, female students displayed a stronger correlation between high achievement and non-cognitive characteristics such as connecting the value of science subjects to their future careers. Despite the gender differences in the magnitude of increase in prediction probabilities and variations, their overall direction remained consistent. Notably, both male and female students who were introduced to science-related books around the age of 10 and were presently exposed to scientific literature exhibited a higher likelihood of belonging to the high-achievement group. These findings will aid the development of tailored education support plans for high-achieving students, facilitating the success of these students to foster a scientific potential and brighter future.

Positive reading achievement outcomes in children who experience out-of-home care: Characteristics and predictors

BackgroundChildren who enter out-of-home care (‘care’) are at increased risk for low academic achievement. Nonetheless, some children who have experienced out-of-home care achieve highly. Several qualitative studies of academically successful young adults with care histories have highlighted factors that may contribute to positive outcomes; however longitudinal cohort research is needed to identify characteristics and predictors of higher achieving younger children who experienced care. ObjectiveTo describe characteristics and circumstances of children with higher reading achievement who had entered care, and predictors of higher achievement. Participants and settingThe study included 778 children from the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) in New South Wales, Australia. MethodsProspective cohort data from interviews and linked administrative child protection and education data were used to identify factors associated with higher Year 3 reading achievement among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children that may assist in improving outcomes. ResultsAlthough a lower proportion than the general population, almost half (46 %) of children who entered care were in the higher achievement group. Higher achieving students were a diverse group and faced many adversities commonly found among children who experienced care generally. Multivariable logistic regression showed higher achievement in the cohort was significantly associated with: average or above cognitive ability, low externalizing behaviour, highly-educated carers, and non-Aboriginal students. Several supports and services were associated with higher achievement, but inconsistently across analyses. ConclusionsResults indicate potential interventions could target cognitive ability, wellbeing and environmental factors, and involve interventions directly with children and via carers to improve student outcomes.

대학생의 학업참여도와 학업성취도 관계 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in academic participation between the low-achievement group and the high-achievement group according to the level of academic achievement, and to identify the relationship between the factors of academic participation and academic achievement. This is to preemptively identify academic participation factors related to academic achievement at the university level and prepare strategies for customized learning support for each learner's characteristics.&#x0D; Methods For the purpose of this study, a total of 306 students from A University located in Gyeonggi-do were selected as subjects of study, one with a score of less than 2.5 and those with a score of 4.0 or higher based on the GPA, which is the average GPA of the semester. In addition, cumulative academic data related to academic participation and academic achievement were collected and analyzed. Independent variables The variables for academic participation are attendance score, course credits, number of LMS accesses, number of access to the non-department integrated system, number of times to participate in the non-department program, the number of consultations with advisors, and the number of book loans. Dependent variables are GPA, which is academic achievement, and whether or not academic achievement is low or high. For data analysis, SPSS 28.0 statistical program was used. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare the difference in academic participation between low-achieving students and high-achieving students, and multiple regression analysis was performed to verify the relationship between academic participation and academic achievement.&#x0D; Results According to Research Question 1, the degree of academic participation was found to be statistically significantly higher in the high-achieving group than in the low-achieving group in attendance score, number of credits taken, the number of LMS accesses, the number of access to the non-departmental integrated system, the number of times of participation in the non-departmental program, and the number of consultations with the advisor. According to Research Question 2, It was confirmed that the higher the attendance score, the number of credits taken, and the number of consultations with the advisor, the higher the academic achievement level.&#x0D; Conclusions In this study, the fact that the difference in academic participation between the two groups according to the level of academic achievement was identified and the relationship between academic participation and academic achievement was reconfirmed has educational significance as the justification for differentiated educational support for each group and the establishment of evidence. In addition, by recalling the importance of academic data, it can be used as a reference material for educational use of academic data in universities in the future.

청소년의 학업스트레스, 분노대처방식과 행복감과의 관계

Objectives This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between academic stress, anger coping strategies and happiness of adolescents, verifying the moderating effect of their academic performance on these variables and examining the influence of academic performance-high, medium and low-. methods To this end, this study conducted frequency analysis, reliability testing, measurement model analysis and confirmatory factor analysis of survey data from 550 middle and high school students in District D in Gwangju and City S and City G in Jeollanam-do using SPSS program and verified the moderating effect using AMOS 21 program. Results The results of this study are as follow. First, academic stress affected anger-out and anger-in while anger control affected happiness, and academic stress affected happiness. Second, academic performance showed a moderating effect in the relationship between academic stress, anger coping strategies and happiness. In addition, the analysis of the influence of academic performance on the variables showed that the academic stress of the high academic achiever group affected their happiness; that of the medium academic achiever group affected their anger-out and anger-in; and anger control and academic stress affected happiness. The academic stress of the low academic achiever group had a significant effect on their anger-out, anger-in and anger control. Conclusions These findings confirm that adolescents’ academic performance has a different effect on their happiness and anger coping strategies according to the characteristics of each group. This suggests the importance of counselling, educational intervention and implementation of programs to relieve academic stress.

Comparing Middle School Students’ Scientific Problem-Solving Behavior in Hands-On Manipulation Performance Assessment: Terms by Eye-Tracking Analysis

This study specifically designed an eye-tracking supported scientific problem-solving assessment: hands-on manipulation task system to explore the differences in visual attention and cognitive processes between high and low science achievement groups. Thirteen students with high science achievement and fourteen students with low science achievement participated. Students needed to complete the hands-on manipulation assessment, consisting of three modules, including selecting experimental equipment, experimental design, and building the experimental model. Behavioral and eye movement data were collected during the process. The results showed that the high science achievement group allocated more visual attention to the hands-on manipulation task, acquired more information through visual fixation, and assigned more attention to the key area. In module three of the hands-on manipulation task, the high science achievement group transformed from a visual channel to a tactile channel, and they generated more hands-on behaviors depending on the experimental area. Furthermore, the results showed a high correlation between students’ eye movement behavior and the performance of scientific problem-solving assessments. Eye movement behavior could predict students’ performance in scientific problem-solving. The average fixation duration and the average fixation duration of the interest area were two significant determining parameters. The implications of the experimental results for front-line science education, curriculum designers, and science assessment were also discussed.

The Effect of Dialogic Practical Work on Secondary School Students' Attitudes towards Physics

This study investigated the effect of dialogic practical work on students’ attitudes towards physics. The sample of the study was 91 grade 11 secondary school students selected randomly from two schools in Bahir Dar town, Ethiopia. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest between groups research design was used. The treatment group participated in dialogic practical work while the comparison group conducted traditional practical work. A 30-item physics attitude questionnaire with Cronbach alpha value of 0.84 was used to collect the data before and after intervention. T-test and one way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The result of the study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between treatment and comparison group in favor of the treatment group with no gender differential effects. In addition, the finding showed that the most significant attitude change occurred between the high and low achievement groups. However, no significant difference was observed between the high and medium achievement groups. Dialogic practical work can be used to enhance secondary school attitudes towards physics.

Attitude and Achievement of First-Year Chemistry Undergraduate Students at The University of the South Pacific

Student attitude toward chemistry may influence engagement and achievement in chemistry-related courses, however, equivocal results in studies conducted in Western countries to date indicate this relationship requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the correlation between attitude toward chemistry and achievement amongst a cohort of first-year undergraduate students from The University of the South Pacific (USP). A cluster analysis was used to identify low- and high-achieving groups of students to further explore potential correlations. There was a positive correlation between the cognitive and affective components of attitude among low-achieving students, but not among high-achieving students. The cognitive component of attitude did not appear to be strongly correlated with achievement in students from either group, although the affective component was positively correlated with achievement. The single item most strongly correlated with student achievement was their response on the Worthless-Beneficial scale. One of the notable findings was the differences in the attitude-achievement relationship between low-achieving and high-achieving students, suggesting that combining these clusters of students into a single group for analysis may obscure underlying correlations. Chemistry educators should continue to target their teaching styles to cater to different learning styles and achievement levels of students, including cognitive and non-cognitive learning styles.

Modeling temporal cognitive topic to uncover learners’ concerns under different cognitive engagement patterns

ABSTRACT Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide learners with high-quality learning resources, but learners drop out frequently. Learners’ concerns (e.g. the topics in course content or logistics) and cognitive engagement patterns (e.g. tentative or certain) are considered the essential factors affecting learners’ course completions. However, it is still unclear what different learning achievement groups focus on in each cognitive engagement pattern. In this study, we adopted an unsupervised computational model, the temporal cognitive topic model (TCTM), to automatically investigate learners’ cognitive engagement patterns in discussing different topics, as well as the changes under each cognitive engagement pattern over time. A data experiment of 4080 learners enrolled in a Modern Etiquette course revealed that the high-achievement group preferred to discuss on-task topics in an exclusive cognitive engagement pattern; the low-achievement group preferred to discuss off-task topics in a tentative pattern, including certificate acquisition and examination grades; the medium-achievement group showed less variation in different cognitive engagement patterns. Additionally, a moderation analysis showed that there was a significant moderating effect of discussion guidance, especially for instructor-led guidance, between the salient cognitive topics and learning achievements. The analytical results can help instructors to conduct (e.g. feedback and guidance) and timely intervention of cognitive knowledge construction in MOOCs.