Middle School Students In China Research Articles

The Effects of Equiprobability Bias and Representativeness Heuristics on the Performance in Probability Comparison and Calculation Tasks Among Middle School Students in China

The Effects of Equiprobability Bias and Representativeness Heuristics on the Performance in Probability Comparison and Calculation Tasks Among Middle School Students in China

Parent-child attachment mediates the association between parental conflict perceptions and suicide intention: a cross-sectional survey among middle school students in China.

Adolescent suicide is a prevalent issue globally, with various factors contributing to this phenomenon. This study aimed to investigate these factors and their interrelationships to better understand the causes of adolescent suicide and provide evidence for its prevention. This study conducted among middle school students in Liaoning Province, China, from April to May 2016, A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1,028 students aged 10-19, using instruments such as the Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC), and revised version of Inventory of Parent Attachment (IPPA-R). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that adolescents aged 15-19, adolescents with strong perceptions of parental conflict were at high risk of suicide intention. Adolescents living in rural areas, adolescents with high mother-child attachment, adolescents with high father-child attachment were at low risk of suicide intention. Furthermore, parent-child attachment played a mediating role between two dimensions of parental conflict perception (resolved situations and response effect) and suicide intention. The study concludes that adolescents living in urban areas, older adolescents, adolescents with a high level of parental conflict intensity, and those with low levels of parent-child attachment are at high risk of suicide intention. parent-child attachment played a mediating role between two dimensions of parental conflict perception (resolved situations and response effect) and suicide intention. Interventions aimed at reducing family conflicts and improving parent-child relationships are recommended to decrease the incidence of adolescent suicide.

Unveiling the effects of other-gender friendships: evidence from middle-school students in China

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of having other-gender friends on middle-school students’ cognitive and noncognitive performance in the context of China. To address the endogeneity of the existence of other-gender friends, we rely on parents’ strictness with friends-making and the share of other-gender schoolmates. We find that having at least one other-gender friend is estimated to have a significantly negative effect on students’ Mathematics scores and a significantly effect on increasing students’ negative mood states. Our estimates indicate that the negative effect of other-gender friends is more pronounced for girls, highlighting the importance of paying attention to girls who build the other-gender friendships during the transition from childhood to adolescence. By focusing on both cognitive and noncognitive performance, we are able to paint a more accurate picture of the impact of other-gender friends on the development of adolescents.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cardiovascular disease prevention among middle school students in China: a cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rapidly increasing globally. With a concerning increase among adolescents due to unhealthy habits, obesity, and hypertension, understanding the current status of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to CVD prevention among middle school students is crucial for developing effective school-based health programs to prevent CVD. The analytic cross-sectional survey is used in questionnaires to assess KAP related to CVD prevention among middle school students (N = 17,731) from 50 schools across 16 provinces in China in June-July 2023. The pass rate of KAP scores is categorized as good and poor. Independent predictors of good KAP of CVD prevention are ascertained using a binary logistic regression model. The study surveyed 8,118 (45.78%) junior high school students and 9,613 (54.22%) high school students. The overall mean [standard deviation (SD)] for the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 26.88 (8.12), 53.53 (7.22), and 39.80 (5.96), respectively. The knowledge scores had the lowest pass rate at 56.89%. Only 6.83% of the students know "the definition of blood pressure in adolescents." Attitudes toward health were positive, though the attitude regarding "the danger of prolonged sedentary to cardiovascular health" scored lowest at 73.55%. The practice section had a pass rate of 89.30%; 40.27% of students reported that they spend more than an hour a day on screens. Only one-third of the students would go to bed before 12 o'clock. In univariate analysis, junior high school and high school students differed significantly in knowledge and practice (p < 0.001), but attitude did not differ significantly (p = 0.103). The majority of students lack sufficient knowledge about CVD. It is also found that socioeconomic background, family environment, and educational levels have an impact on cardiovascular health behaviors among students. Strengthening health education involving students, parents, teachers, and communities is essential to promote health knowledge and practices among adolescents.

A neglected health burden of shadow education?—Effects of private supplementary tutoring on middle school students’ vision in China

Virtually all educational activities require visual inputs, but little is known about how extra out-of-school learning activities may impact children’s vision. Based on panel data from the China Education Panel Survey, a large-scale, nationally representative survey on middle school students in China, this study applies a value-added model (with lagged outcome measures as explanatory variables) to estimate the impacts of private supplementary tutoring (PST, also known as “shadow education”) participation on Chinese middle school students’ visual outcomes. The results suggest that PST participation exerts a statistically significant and adverse effect on Grade-8 students’ vision. One year of PST participation raises the prevalence of myopia among 8th graders by 4.6 ∼ 5.4 percentage points, leading to a more negative (i.e., more myopic) refractive error of −0.12 ∼ -0.18 diopters in their (better-seeing) eyes. Further analysis reveals that these effects work by increasing not only students’ time spent on out-of-school learning activities but also their time spent on homework assigned by regular teachers, thereby creating a spillover effect.

Social anxiety and suicidal ideation among middle-school students in China: a mediation model of internet addiction.

Suicide is a fatal public health issue for adolescents, and it is of great significance to explore the precursors of suicidal behaviors, especially suicidal ideation. However, the relationship between social anxiety and suicidal ideation and its mechanism are still unclear. The study aims to examine the association between social anxiety and suicidal ideation and the mediating effect through Internet addiction. A total of 2,278 middle-school students aged 12 to 16 years were recruited through a multistage cluster sampling method in this cross-sectional study. Logistical regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted to examine the direct and indirect effects of social anxiety. During the past year, 262 (11.50%) participants reported suicidal ideation. Females had a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation than males (12.9% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.034), and urban adolescents reported a higher prevalence than their rural counterparts (13.4% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.006). In the total sample, social anxiety and Internet addiction were independently associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis, the association between social anxiety and suicidal ideation was significant only among rural females and urban males (p < 0.05). SEM demonstrated that social anxiety had direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation, and Internet addiction partially mediated the relationship, with a mediating ratio of 30.53%. The partial mediating effect was also significant only in rural females and urban males. Adolescents may overuse the Internet to cope with social anxiety and further have suicidal ideation. Limiting Internet use and improving interpersonal skills in real life may be efficient for suicide prevention. In addition, targeted interventions should be tailored by different sexes across urban and rural regions.

Writing and Speaking Difficulties of Students in One Chinese Middle School

Writing and speaking difficulties are prevalent among middle school students, posing significant challenges to their academic success and overall communication abilities. This study aimed to evaluate the writing and speaking difficulties of selected middle school students in China. This descriptive study was participated by middle school students. It made use of an adopted questionnaire as its primary data gathering instrument. This study aimed to determine the relationship between writing and speaking difficulties of students in a selected middle school in China. Specifically, the study sought to: describe  the profile of the respondents in terms of sex, level, and kind of community; determine the respondents’ writing difficulties in terms of organization of ideas, content and focus, style, and mechanics; assess the speaking difficulties of the respondents with regards to organization of ideas, content and focus, diction, and spontaneity; test the significant difference of the responses when grouped according to their profile; test the significant relationship between writing difficulties and speaking difficulties; and  propose a Language Proficiency Program for Middle Schools. The study found that majority of the respondents were male, under the junior middle school, and are living at the urban community. Middle school students rarely encountered writing difficulties and speaking difficulties Male, senior middle school students, and are living in the rural areas experienced greater writing and speaking difficulties. Writing difficulties and speaking difficulties are highly related with each other which implies that the more students experience difficulty in writing, the more they experience difficulty in speaking. A proposed Language Proficiency Program was devised for Middle Schools for an enhanced English program in their curricula. Future researchers may further explore on the cognitive, linguistic, and social factors that contribute to writing and speaking difficulties.

Time flies, but you’re in control: the mediating effect of self-control between time attitude and academic procrastination

BackgroundAcademic procrastination has become an increasing concern in the educational sector. Prior studies identified various correlations among academic procrastination, time attitude and self-control. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the past time attitude and the mechanism underlying those relationships, and the existing studies have been implemented during regular school time. To fill those gaps, the present study includes all three dimensions of time attitude (past-oriented, present-oriented and future-oriented in both positive and negative perspectives), and proposes self-control as a mediator between academic procrastination and time attitude. The study was carried out during an extraordinary winter holiday in China, with final exams waiting at the end of the holiday.MethodsA total of 323 middle school students in China (178 girls and 145 boys, 12–19 years old) completed an online survey with questions on their academic procrastination, time attitude and self-control. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and Hayes SPSS macro PROCESS (Model 4).ResultsThe results showed that academic procrastination was negatively associated with all three positive time attitudes and positively correlated with the present negative time attitude. Moreover, self-control significantly mediates the relationship between academic procrastination and all three positive time attitudes.ConclusionBased on these findings, self-control could be the underlying mechanism in the relationship between academic procrastination and time attitude. This study broadens the scope of relevant empirical research to the past time attitude, and determines the mechanism that underlies the association between academic procrastination and time attitude under a novel context. Further implications for teaching regulation and intervention are discussed.

Middle school students’ mental unwellness and academic performance in China: The effects of parental involvement

This study investigated the relationship between the mental unwellness of middle school students in China and their academic performance in the subjects of Chinese, mathematics, and English. Additionally, this study explored the potential ameliorating effects of parental involvement variables (parental non-academic activity involvement and parent-child communication) on the adverse impact of mental unwellness on academic performance. The examination of the effects of parental involvement also considered the differential effects of involvement by mothers and fathers. This study utilized national longitudinal representative data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). Findings of the two-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses indicated that mental unwellness in Grade 7 negatively impacted academic performance in the aforementioned subjects in Grade 8. Nonetheless, these adverse impacts were alleviated when the parental involvement variables were taken into account. Furthermore, the results revealed that mother-child communication and father-child communication had moderating effects on the negative relationship between mental unwellness and academic performance in Chinese and English, respectively. This study contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the beneficial effects of parental involvement and highlighting the differential involvement of mothers and fathers.

The Influence of Teaching Methods in Classroom Learning Ecological Environment on Self-Regulation of Junior High School Students

The classroom learning environment is a comprehensive entity composed of interpersonal relationships, rules and regulations, class ethos, material conditions, etc., and is an important component of classroom teaching. This study aims to explore the influence of teaching methods based on the classroom learning environment on middle school students’ self-regulated learning. Convenient sampling was used for the questionnaire survey, with 276 middle school students in China’s A city as the research subjects. The research results showed that teaching methods have a significant impact on middle school students’ self-regulated learning; teaching methods have a significant impact on the classroom learning environment; the classroom learning environment has a significant impact on middle school students’ self-regulated learning; the classroom learning environment plays an important role in the relationship between teaching methods and middle school students’ self-regulated learning.

Social Networking Site Use and Emotional Eating Behaviors among Chinese Adolescents: The Effects of Negative Social Comparisons and Perspective-Taking.

Emotional eating has emerged as a significant disordered eating and public health concern among adolescents. Despite the widespread prevalence of social networking site (SNS) use among this population, research investigating the influence of SNS use on adolescent eating behaviors remains limited. This study is to examine the impact of SNS use on emotional eating among Chinese adolescents, with a specific focus on exploring the mediating role of negative social comparisons and the moderating effect of perspective-taking. Data were obtained through an online survey involving 778 middle school students in China. The findings indicate that SNS use exerts a positive influence on adolescents' engagement in emotional eating, with this association being mediated by the presence of negative social comparisons. Perspective-taking demonstrated a protective role in the context of adolescents' utilization of social media platforms. For individuals characterized by high levels of perspective-taking, the effects of SNS use on negative social comparisons are mitigated, subsequently reducing its impact on emotional eating.

The Relationship of Basketball Participation Motivation, Involvement, Satisfaction, and Adherence among Middle School Students in China

The Relationship of Basketball Participation Motivation, Involvement, Satisfaction, and Adherence among Middle School Students in China

The spillover effect and external welfare of extracurricular tutoring: evidence from academic tutoring for middle-school students in China

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the spillover effects of middle school students taking up academic tutoring on students’ cognitive and noncognitive skills in the same class in China. The identification relies on variations across classes within schools, which are formed roughly randomly. Correcting for measurement error, we find a significantly positive spillover effect of peers’ academic tutoring on students’ English test scores, and no spillover effect exists on students’ ranks at the school level. For noncognitive performance, we find a positive spillover effect of academic tutoring on improving confidence. Our results show no positive external welfare exists for academic tutoring for students’ grades or ranks, consistent with the newly released ‘Double Reduction’ policy that the Chinese government prohibits extra academic tutoring.

Population attributable fractions of adverse childhood experiences for emotional problems and self-harming behaviors among middle school students in China.

The population attributable fractions of health outcomes attributed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Chinese middle school students is unknown. Of all the 22,868 middle school students, 29.8 % had exposure to four or more ACEs. Findings showed a graded relationship between ACE scores and those adverse outcomes. The PAFs of six outcomes attributed to experiencing ≥4 ACEs ranged from 23.1 % to 44.2 %. The results emphasized the significance of preventive interventions to alleviate the negative legacies of ACEs.

How to Improve Middle School Students' Ability to Tell Chinese Stories Well in English in the New Era

As a widely used language in economic, political, technological, cultural, and other activities in the world today, English is an important communication tool for international communication and cooperation, as well as one of the carriers for disseminating the achievements of human civilization. It plays an important role in moving China towards the world and letting the world understand China. As economic globalization continues to strengthen, China's position on the world stage is increasingly prominent, and its voice is also heard by more and more people. It is increasingly important to tell China's story well in foreign languages. However, there are still a series of problems in English teaching in China, which contradict the requirements for improving middle school students' English language proficiency and comprehensive quality, and are not conducive to implementing the requirements of English teaching in the new era. This article briefly analyzes the current situation of English teaching for middle school students in China, and puts forward some personal suggestions on “how to improve the ability of middle school students to tell Chinese stories well in English”, with a view to providing new ideas for English teaching under the conditions of the new era, better improving the English expression ability of middle school students in China, cultivating their national feelings and international perspective, and better implementing the overall goal of “cultivating morality and cultivating people”.

The relationship between technology acceptance and self-regulated learning: the mediation roles of intrinsic motivation and learning engagement.

The current study assessed 495 middle school students in China using self-report questionnaires, to examine the multiple mediating effects of intrinsic motivation and learning engagement (vitality, dedication and absorption) in the relations between technology acceptance and students' self-regulated learning. The results indicated that technology acceptance had a significant impact on self-regulated learning, intrinsic motivation mediated the relations between technology acceptance and self-regulated learning, and learning engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) mediated the relations between technology acceptance and self- regulated learning. The findings suggested that students' perceived acceptance of technology can help them improve their ability to engage in self-regulated learning by enhancing intrinsic motivation and increasing learning engagement. The results expand our understanding of self-regulated learning for Chinese middle school students in the context of information technology, and have substantial theoretical and practical implications for educator and relevant researchers.

Student interest in mathematics homework: Do peer interest and homework approaches matter?

AbstractThe current investigation examined models of homework interest according to the data from middle school students in China. Homework interest was positively related to homework favorability, feedback quality, deep approach, monitoring motivation, peer interest, self‐concept, teacher control, and family homework help. Additionally, homework interest was negatively associated with the surface approach. At the class level, homework interest was related positively to feedback quality, yet negatively to parent education. Thus, the current study extended prior research on homework, by indicating that student interest in homework was further associated with peer interest and homework approaches. Implications for further investigation and practice are discussed based on these findings.

Demands for sexual health education among middle school students in China

Demands for sexual health education among middle school students in China

The relationship between emotional neglect and non-suicidal self-injury among middle school students in China: the mediating role of social anxiety symptoms and insomnia

 BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a vital public concern around the world, and it often starts in adolescence. Emotional neglect (EN) has been considered a distal risk factor for NSSI, but the effects of social anxiety symptoms (SA) and insomnia on this relationship have remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential pathways from EN to NSSI, examining the role of SA and insomnia in this association.MethodsOne thousand three hundred thirty seven Chinese middle school students (Mage = 13.040, SD = 0.981, 50.2% males) in China were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Emotional Neglect sub-scale of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescent (SAS-A), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and non-suicidal self-injury assessment. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the possible mediation model among these variables.Results231(17.3%) students reported NSSI history during last year and 322 (24.1%) participants reported experiences of EN. Students who experienced EN have higher rates of NSSI compared to students without EN history (29.2% vs 13.5%). EN, SA, insomnia and NSSI were positively related to each other. Furthermore, both SA and insomnia played a mediating role in the relationship between EN and NSSI, the series mediating effect of SA and insomnia on this association was also significant after controlling for demographics. Indirect effects accounted for 58.26% of the total effects (EN → NSSI).ConclusionsOur study revealed that EN was associated with NSSI, SA and insomnia play indirect roles in the association between EN and NSSI. The findings of our research may have implications for clinicians, families, and schools in their efforts to lower the risk of NSSI in adolescents.

How growth mindset influences mathematics achievements: A study of Chinese middle school students.

It has been suggested that students with growth mindsets are more likely to achieve better mathematics learning results than their counterparts with fixed mindsets. However, inconsistent and some even contradictory results have been reported in recent studies which examined the associations between growth mindset and mathematics achievements, suggesting the complexity regarding the effects of growth mindset on academic achievements. This study aims to examine students' growth mindsets, failure attributions, intrinsic motivation, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievements in one model to capture the sophisticated functioning processes of growth mindset. A total number of 266 middle school students in China participated in this study. Students' mindset and related variables (i.e.,motivations to learn mathematics, attributions of failure in mathematics, mathematics anxiety, mathematics self-efficacy) were measured at year 7, the first year of junior middle school in China. These students' mathematics learning outcomes were tracked from year 7 to year 9, the end of junior middle school. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to investigate the relations among students' growth mindsets, failure attributions, intrinsic motivation, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievements. The results show that: (1) growth mindset doesn't directly predict mathematics achievements; (2) growth mindset indirectly influences mathematics achievements through intrinsic motivation; (3) failure attributions and mathematics self-efficacy sequentially mediate the association between growth mindset mathematics achievements; (4) failure attributions and mathematics anxiety sequentially mediate the relationship between growth mindset mathematics achievements. The results of this study contribute a better understanding about how growth mindsets make impacts on middle school students' mathematics achievements. These findings have important implications for mathematics education in that we could not simply cultivate students' growth mindset in schools with expectations of higher mathematics learning outcomes. Instead, along with the growth mindset intervention, it is fundamental to make interventions on students' intrinsic motivation, failure attribution, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics anxiety in mathematics teaching and learning.