Low Academic Achievement Research Articles

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

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

Public Relation Detachment of Community Schools: A Study of Duduwa Rural Municipality, Banke, Nepal.

A strong bond between school family and community should be indispensable. Students severely suffer when they fail to maintain mutual respect between these two stakeholders. The research suggests a viable solution after unfolding the existing detachment of the secondary level community schools with the social accessory in Duduwa Municipality of Banke district in the western part of Lumbini Province, Nepal. I purposively selected the secondary schools of Duduwa Rural Muncipality to explore the problematic in relationship with society and the school family. The rationale behind the selection lies in the low academic achievement of the students. I used observation, interview, and document review to collect the information from the selected schools. The school teachers and guardians have a grudge against the lack of proper educational value and quality upgrading education. The academic discussion got the inference that imagined dominant knowledge of the head teacher, members of the school management committee, president of parent teachers’ association and teachers detaches relation with the society. Therefore, the research recommends measures to be taken by the school management committee and the school family to develop smooth and healthy relations with the public to improve public involvement in quality accreditation.

Developmental deviation in delay discounting as a transdiagnostic indicator of risk for child psychopathology.

The tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards is known as delay discounting (DD). Developmental deviations in DD may be key in characterizing psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Recent work empirically supported DD as a transdiagnostic process in various psychiatric disorders. Yet, there is a lack of research relating developmental changes in DD from mid-childhood to adolescence to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, examining the interplay between socioeconomic status/total household income (THI) and psychiatric symptoms is vital for a more comprehensive understanding of pediatric pathology and its complex relationship with DD. The current study addresses this gap in a robust psychiatric sample of 1843 children and adolescents aged 5-18 (M = 10.6, SD = 3.17; 1,219 males, 624 females). General additive models (GAMs) characterized the shape of age-related changes in monetary and food reward discounting for nine psychiatric disorders compared with neurotypical youth (NT; n = 123). Over 40% of our sample possessed a minimum of at least three psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders. We used bootstrap-enhanced Louvain community detection to map DD-related comorbidity patterns. We derived five subtypes based on diagnostic categories present in our sample. DD patterns were then compared across each of the subtypes. Further, we evaluated the effect of cognitive ability, emotional and behavioral problems, and THI in relation to DD across development. Higher discounting was found in six of the nine disorders we examined relative to NT. DD was consistently elevated across development for most disorders, except for depressive disorders, with age-specific DD differences compared with NTs. Community detection analyses revealed that one comorbidity subtype consisting primarily of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Combined Presentation and anxiety disorders displayed the highest overall emotional/behavioral problems and greater DD for the food reward. An additional subtype composed mainly of ADHD, predominantly Inattentive Presentation, learning, and developmental disorders, showed the greatest DD for food and monetary rewards compared with the other subtypes. This subtype had deficits in reasoning ability, evidenced by low cognitive and academic achievement performance. For this ADHD-I and developmental disorders subtype, THI was related to DD across the age span such that participants with high THI showed no differences in DD compared with NTs. In contrast, participants with low THI showed significantly worse DD trajectories than all others. Our results also support prior work showing that DD follows nonlinear developmental patterns. We demonstrate preliminary evidence for DD as a transdiagnostic marker of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. Comorbidity subtypes illuminate DD heterogeneity, facilitating the identification of high-risk individuals. Importantly, our findings revealed a marked link between DD and intellectual reasoning, with children from lower-income households exhibiting lower reasoning skills and heightened DD. These observations underscore the potential consequences of compromised self-regulation in economically disadvantaged individuals with these disorders, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions and further research to support improved outcomes.

Hubungan Pola Asuh Orang Tua Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Siswa Kelas V Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Kota Bekasi

This research discusses the relationship between parenting style and learning achievement of fifth grade at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Bekasi. Based on observations, some grade V at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Bekasi have low academic achievement. This is indicated by the presence of students who are still late for school and when a teacher gives homework (PR) there are some students who do not work on it and during daily tests and semester tests some students get score below the Minimum Completeness Criteria (KKM), so that a re-examination must be carried out to achieve the KKM score. The purpose of this research was to obtain data about the relationship between parenting parents and the learning achievement of fifth grade at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Bekasi. The research method used is a quantitative correlation approach with observation techniques and distributing questionnaires to fifth grade at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Bekasi, academic year 2022/2023, totaling 45 respondents. The results showed that the value of Alpha Sig. 0.000 <0.05, which is equal to 0.011 <0.05 or with the test results using rcount > rtable, which is equal to 0.375 > 0.301 so that Ha failed to reject and H0 was rejected. In conclusion, there is a significant relationship between parenting style and learning achievement of fifth grade at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah At-Taqwa 51 Bekasi with a correlation of 14.1%. The permissive type of parenting is the parenting style most widely applied by parents of fifth grade students compared to democratic and authoritarian parenting styles.

중학교 2학년 학생의 진로 활동 경험 잠재계층 분류 및 영향요인

Objectives This study used data from the 4th(2019) to 5th(2020) years from the 4th to 5th years of the Busan Education Longitudinal Study (BELS) Elementary School panel to classify latent classes according to their career experience, identify factors that affect career maturity, learning participation, and academic self-efficacy.
 Methods The latent classes were classified into four based on the presence or absence of seven career activities, including ‘counseling with homeroom teachers’, ‘counseling with private education workers’, ‘counseling with parents’, ‘conducting career-related tests’, ‘attending senior school entrance briefing’, and ‘collecting media use information’. The four latent classes were named ‘primary teacher-dependent group’, ‘active career search group’, ‘career teacher-dependent group’, and ‘career information collection group’, reflecting the characteristics of each type related to career activity experience.
 Results High career maturity, learning participation, and academic self-efficacy were found in the “active career search group” and “career information collection group” with high parental communication. However, while the “active career search group” showed low academic achievement, the “career information collection group” showed high results in parental attachment, self-esteem, and academic achievement. In the case of students with high anxiety and depression, it was found that they were likely to be included in the “career information search group” or the “career teacher-dependent group”.
 Conclusions This study is meaningful in that it classified latent classes by dividing career activity experiences by type, and analyzed the impact of each latent class on psychological factors related to learning.

ACADEMIC AND ADAPTATION DIFFICULTIES OF MEDICAL STUDENTS WITH LOW ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS

Background: Academic difficulties and lack of adaptation ability of students to their educational environment are often encountered in the early period of their education, including for those enrolled in medical faculties. The academic difficulties encountered could be reflected in the low academic achievement of students. This study aimed to explore the academic difficulties and adaptation processes of students with low academic achievement (GPA <2.50) in the first two years at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Pattimura (UNPATTI), Ambon.Methods: This study used a qualitative method involving 23 informants from the first and second year at the Faculty of Medicine UNPATTI who had low academic achievement (GPA <2.50). Data were collected from March to April 2022 using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews (IDI) techniques. Data analysis was performed using the thematic analysis method based on the research objectives.Results: This study shows that the academic difficulties of first-two-year students with low academic achievement are influenced by several factors, including the transition from school to university, tight scheduling, difficulty in understanding lecture material, and the online lecture system due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurred since 2020. These difficulties were also exacerbated by student attitudes, family influence, and the socio-economic environment.Conclusion: It is necessary to identify students who experience academic difficulties as early as possible. This will help educational institutions assist them, including by strengthening the role of academic supervisors and peer mentors for students in need.

Influence of Parenting Style on the Behavior of Preschool Children Born Very Preterm: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Abstract Date Presented 04/21/2023 Behavioral difficulties in very preterm children may lead to lower academic achievement and school performance. The influence of parenting style on behavior will be an indicator for parental coaching in the early intervention program. Primary Author and Speaker: Suja Angelin Chandrasekaran Contributing Authors: Hima B John, Sanjeev M. Padankatti, Miraclyn B. Lydia D, Mahasampath Gowri S, Sridhar Santhanam

Curricular and Extracurricular Learning among Students with Resilience Potential. Social Inequalities in Higher Education

Does resilience potential in higher education mature into success or does it remain merely a promise of success due to rising social inequality? We studied curricular and extracurricular learning of students with outstanding academic achievement who entered higher education despite their disadvantage of social background (= students with resilience potential). A student survey database compiled in the research project “Higher Education for Social Cohesion – Cooperative Research and Development in a Cross-border Area” (HERD) (HURO/0901/253/2.2.2.) in 2012 was analyzed. Students of three Eastern Hungarian higher education institutions were surveyed (N = 1205). Students with resilience potential were identified in the intersection of two groups of variables: social background and input academic achievement. We have conducted a cluster analysis, which has resulted in the identification of students with resilience potential and other researched groups: drifters (low social background and low input academic achievement), beneficiaries (high social background and high academic achievement) and indifferent prodigals (high social background and low academic achievement). To sum up our results, the students with resilience potential only use higher education to fulfill curricular requirements, and hit a ceiling, compared to the beneficiaries, when it comes to the student year mining, meaningful extracurricular activities. Thus social inequalities crawl through these invisible channels into higher education and beyond.

Factors Contributing to Low Academic Achievement Among Pupils with Hearing Impairment: A Case of Selected Inclusive Primary Schools in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania

The aim of this study was to contribute to knowledge about learners’ academic achievement by examining factors impeding the academic achievement of pupils with hearing impairmentsin public inclusive primary schools in DodomaCity, Tanzania. The study used a qualitative approach informed by a case study design. It had a sample size of 67 participants, including 24 inclusive primary school teachers, 6 head teachers, 1 special education officer, and 36 hearing-impaired pupils from six (6) inclusive primary schools in Dodoma municipality. Interview guide and observation checklists were used to collect data. Qualitative data analysis procedures were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that inappropriate pedagogical approaches, lack of expert teachers and professional development, as well as a lack of learning facilities in inclusive classroom, were key factors responsible for low academic achievement among hearing impairments pupils. In conclusion, curriculum developers couldconstruct curriculum that is flexible and consumable by all types of learners. The study recommends that, in-service training of inclusive classroom teachers should cover new methods of teaching; identification other disabilities in hearing impairments pupils; teaching; preparation and usage of appropriate teaching and learning materials.Keywords:Disability, hearing impairment, inclusive, inclusive education, impairmentJINSTITUTE OF ADULT EDUCATIONJournal of Adult Education in TanzaniaJAET June 2023, Vol. 25, Issue 1 pp. 17-40eISSN:2961-6271(Online)Copyright © The Author(s)All Rights Reserved. Published by IAEDOI: https://doi.org/10.61408/jaet2023v25i01.02

Reasons for High School Dropout: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Based on Students' Common Experiences

The purpose of this study is to describe the shared experiences of high school students who have left school. The study is based on the qualitative research pattern of "Descriptive Phenomenology". The sample of the study consists of 10 students who left school at the secondary level. "Criteria sampling" which is among purposeful sampling methods was used when determining the sample. The data obtained from semi-structured interviews with students who had left the school were subjected to content analysis, which is a qualitative data analysis method. MAXQDA qualitative data analysis program was used when this analysis was carried out. As a result of the analysis, it is seen that students leave school due to reasons such as low academic achievement, class repetition, absenteeism, poor economic situation, work, reluctance, apathy, negative behaviors, bad peer group, bad social environment, disciplinary referrals, peer bullying, different career orientations and negative role models. In the study, these reasons were classified as low academic motivation, risky behaviors and social disadvantage.

Neurobiological perspective on the development of executive functions.

Executive functions are a set of top-down cognitive processes necessary for emotional self-regulation and goal-directed behaviour supporting, among others, academic abilities. Premature infants are at high risk for subsequent cognitive, psychosocial, or behavioural problems even in the absence of medical complications and in spite of normal brain imaging. Given that this is a sensitive period of brain growth and maturation, these factors may place preterm infants at high risk for executive function dysfunction, disrupted long-term development, and lower academic achievements. Therefore, careful attention to interventions at this age is essential for intact executive functions and academic development.

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.

Are low academic achievers less resilient? Resilience of low and high academic achievers in Mainland China

AbstractResilience is essential for students to resist adversity, and low academic achievers (LAA) may experience more challenges in resilience development than high academic achievers (HAA). This study aimed to compare resilience between LAA and HAA and to analyse the effects of protective factors in order to inform social work practices. This study analysed 1125 school‐aged subjects derived from a large survey conducted in 23 districts/counties in eight provinces in mainland China. We ran independent sample t‐tests to compare resilience between LAA and HAA, ran linear regression models to analyse the effects of internal and external protective factors on resilience, and tested the mediation effects of the protective factors. This study found that LAA were less resilient and more vulnerable to adversity than HAA. Internal protective factors helped to explain resilience, two main subfactors of which—self‐efficacy and confidence—fully mediated the effects of academic performance and resilience. External protective factors did not significantly impact resilience. We propose service strategies to enhance self‐efficacy and confidence in LAA in order to improve their resilience in social work practices.

Development of Early Detection Instruments of Building Intention in Elementary School Students

Bullying in childhood is very detrimental and has a negative impact both in the short and long term. Bullying can cause stress, decreased self-esteem, difficulty getting along, causing psychosocial problems such as depression, loneliness, and anxiety, triggering somatic symptoms, low academic achievement, dropping out of school, increasing psychosis, and encouraging suicidal ideation. Bullying must be prevented and reduced through various efforts such as bullying prevention programs, namely detection and intervention against bullying. In order to detect the potential for bullying to occur, this research focuses on producing instruments for the early detection of child bullying intentions in elementary school students. The instrument developed was an early detection questionnaire on child bullying intentions (DDIPA). The study involved 1260 elementary school students in the early grades. Data analysis using Rasch modeling. The result is a DDIPA instrument consisting of 39 valid and reliable statement items. The DDIPA instrument can be used by researchers, teachers, and counselors in order to detect potential bullying in schools.

THE EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS TOWARDS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE

Personality traits can have a significant impact on the academic performance and personal growth of students. Certain personality traits, such as conscientiousness, openness, and emotional stability, are associated with higher academic achievement, while others, such as neuroticism and impulsivity, are associated with lower academic achievement. This paper explores the importance of addressing personality traits in students and encouraging self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, this study explores the importance to better understand the relationship between different personality traits and its impact towards student’s overall performance. The data was collection from 200 students of UiTM Kedah and the data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. The findings reveals some traits were significantly impacting the performance of the university students. By developing strategies for personal growth and self-improvement, students can increase their confidence, resilience, and adaptability in all areas of their lives. The paper concludes that understanding and addressing personality issues in students is crucial in supporting their academic and personal success.

Dropout in youth and adult education: a multilevel analysis of students and schools in Chile.

School dropout is an increasing worldwide phenomenon, marked by inequality and educational exclusion. In Chile, many students who have dropped out of regular schools attempt to reenter youth and adult education (YAE). However, some of them drop out again from YAE. The aim of this study was to identify and jointly analyze school and individual factors that influence dropout in YAE. This secondary multilevel analysis of official datasets from Chile's Ministry of Education focused on students enrolled in YAE (N = 10,130). According to the findings, YAE dropout can be explained by the individual risk factors of age (19-24 years), low academic achievement, and school-level factors such as number of teachers (raw and student-to-teacher ratio), economic resources, and school management quality. We discuss the need to develop school-level protective factors that build connections, foster student engagement, and ultimately, promote students' permanence and progress in YAE.

Anxiety and Answer-Changing Behavior in Nursing Students.

Anxiety in college students, including nursing students, has increased significantly and has been implicated as a cause of lower academic achievement and answer-changing behavior. This study investigated the relationship between student anxiety and answer-changing behaviors. One hundred thirty-one nursing students from a large midwestern baccalaureate nursing program were enrolled in a quasiexperimental prospective research study. Data included demographics, analysis of student movement through the examination to identify changed answers, and completion of the PROMIS Short Form version 1.0-Emotional Distress-Anxiety 8a tool. PROMIS anxiety scores did not covary significantly with the rate of answer-changing behaviors including rate of negative changes. This study did not identify a relationship between students' answer-changing behavior and anxiety. Future studies should evaluate other characteristics, such as confidence and level of examination preparation, as possible reasons for changing answers. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(6):351-354.].

The genetics of gaming: A longitudinal twin study.

Gaming is a popular past-time activity among children and adolescents, but it there is also a possible link to negative consequences such as psychological distress and lowered academic achievement. However, there are fundamental knowledge gaps remaining regarding central characteristics of gaming such as heritability, stability over time, and sex differences. We examined the genetic and environmental contribution to gaming behavior, including sex differences, continuity and change, in a longitudinal cohort of twins. This is the first longitudinal twin study on gaming, involving 32,006 twins in Sweden. Parents were asked about the twins' gaming at ages 9, 15 and 18. We used univariate and multivariate twin analyses to estimate the relative contribution of genetic and environmental influences at each time-point as well as across time. Sex-differences were also explored. The results showed large sex differences, where genetics explained more of the variance for boys (31.3%-62.5% depending on age) than for girls (19.4%-23.4%). Genetic factors explained an increasing amount of the variance for boys (31.3% at age 9, 62.5% at age 15 and 53.9% at age 18). Shared environmental factors explained a larger proportion of the variance among girls, which remained relatively stable over time (70.5% at age 9, 61.8% at age 15 and 60.5% at age 18). The results also indicated that most of the variance came from genetic and environmental sources specific to each age. Compared to many other behavioral phenotypes, such as gambling, gaming was relatively unstable with a large degree of genetic innovation. There were large sex differences in the contribution of genetic and environmental factors. This suggests that excessive gaming could be the result of age- and sex-specific genetic and environmental factors, and should be taken into account when mapping gaming behaviors, since these behaviors might be under continual etiological transformation.

What happens in 650 multicultural primary classrooms?: A critical incident technique

This study explores the cultural diversity-related challenges in the primary classrooms, examines the reasons, effects of and solutions to these challenges, and identifies teacher profiles based on how they react to those challenges. Employing critical incident technique, we analyzed qualitative data from 650 primary teachers inductively. Results showed that primary teachers frequently faced challenges related to ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and disability. The most salient challenges were identified as low academic achievement, student adaptation, bullying and challenges in implementing the curriculum. As a result of the analysis, three teacher profiles emerged as the strugglers, the dreamkeepers, and the color-evasive teachers.

Does reading anxiety impact on academic achievement in higher education students?

Poor readers have lower academic achievement and increased anxiety, including reading anxiety, which may perpetuate lower academic achievement. We explored reading anxiety in university students, investigating whether the association between reading ability and academic achievement is mediated by reading anxiety (independent of general anxiety). Participants were students (n = 169, 69% female, age = 20.70) at an Australian university who completed an online reading assessment (decoding skills, phonological awareness, orthographical knowledge and comprehension), and a survey examining reading anxiety, trait anxiety and self-reported reading history. Academic achievement was based on university grades. Two reading anxiety factors (social and non-social) were identified; both factors were distinct from trait anxiety. Reading ability was negatively correlated with reading anxiety and positively correlated with academic achievement. Reading anxiety was not correlated with academic achievement and it did not mediate the relationship between reading ability and academic achievement as expected. As this was the first study to explore reading anxiety in adults, further research is required to determine the impact reading anxiety may have on university students beyond academic achievement.