Non-cognitive Skills Research Articles

Reparative Ripple Effects? Exploring the Impacts of Sibling Exposure to School-Based Restorative Justice

This study leverages the rollout of restorative practices (RP) within Chicago Public Schools to investigate whether younger siblings in elementary school who are not directly exposed to RP are affected by their older siblings' RP exposure in high school. We find suggestive evidence that younger siblings' absent days decline in response to indirect RP exposure. In contrast, we do not find any evidence that indirect exposure affects perceived behavior or academic outcomes. Our analysis is intended to provide a useful data point for future work that more comprehensively assesses the scope of spillover effects associated with noncognitive skill development.

Relationship between teachers' assessments of non-cognitive skills and cognitive skills in junior high school mathematics

The assessment of non-cognitive skills and the relationship between non-cognitive skills and cognitive skills have been studied using an interdisciplinary framework; however, this has not resulted in learning or teaching improvements. This study focused on teachers’ observational assessment of non-cognitive skills specific to junior high school mathematics. Questionnaire surveys were used and a factor analysis was conducted. Three factors were identified to assess non-cognitive skills specific to junior high school mathematics based on teachers’ observations: cooperation in mathematical problem-solving, spirit of inquiry in mathematical problem-solving, and composure in mathematical problem-solving. To analyze the relationship between each factor and the overall assessment of cognitive skills in junior high school mathematics, each factor's assessment was divided according to the stages of cognitive skills. A positive proportionality emerged between the assessment of the non-cognitive skills and cognitive skills. If these two assessments are treated independently, the findings suggest that teachers may have difficulty distinguishing between the assessments, both of which are specific to junior high school mathematics.

The causal effect of genetic variants linked to cognitive and non-cognitive skills on education and labor market outcomes

We estimate the effect of genetic variants that are associated with differences in cognitive and non-cognitive skills on labor market and education outcomes by linking genetic data from individuals in the Swedish Twin Registry to government registry data. Genes are fixed over the life cycle and genetic differences between full siblings are random, making it possible to establish the causal effects of within-family genetic variation. We show that polygenic indices associated with cognitive skills and personality traits significantly affect income, occupation, and educational attainment. By comparing estimates that use only within-family variation to OLS estimates with and without socioeconomic controls, our results also provide indications of the degree of (residual) confounding, which can be useful for research conducted in datasets that do not contain sibling pairs. Overall, our results indicate that education and labor market outcomes are partially the result of a genetic lottery.

Are There Variations in Personality Traits Between Men and Women? The Evidence is from Indonesian Residents

Non-cognitive skills, such as personality traits, play a vital role in various facets of human life due to their association with individual decision-making. However, personality traits can vary significantly among individuals globally, particularly between males and females. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to analyze the disparities in personality traits between men and women and to investigate how non-cognitive skills influence well-being. The study utilizes nationally representative data from Indonesia, encompassing 17,560 men and 18,825 women. Employing distinct mean t-tests and linear regression estimations, we observe that men tend to exhibit higher levels of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness in their personalities compared to women. Conversely, women demonstrate a propensity for higher level of extraversion and neuroticism. Moreover, our analysis reveals that male well-being is positively correlated with extraversion, while female well-being is linked to openness and extraversion traits. These findings underscore the significance of considering personality attributes in crafting economic development policies. Presently, policymakers in emerging nations like Indonesia heavily prioritize cognitive skills such as technical training and technological innovation. This study suggests that incorporating residents' non-cognitive talents into policy-making could potentially lead to enhanced achievements and progress.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Situational Judgment Testing Among Applicants to an Anesthesiology Residency Program.

Background The Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) is a situational judgment test (SJT) that assesses noncognitive skills like professionalism, communication, and empathy. There are no reports of the effects of race/ethnicity and sex on CASPer scores among residency applicants. Objective We examined the effects of race/ethnicity, sex, and United States vs international medical school attendance on CASPer performance. Methods Our anesthesiology residency program required all applicants for the 2021-2022 Match cycle to complete an online video and text-based SJT (CASPer). We compared these results, reported as z-scores, with self-identified race/ethnicity, sex, United States vs international medical school attendance, and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 scores. Results Of the 1245 applicants who completed CASPer, 783 identified as male. The racial/ethnic distribution was 512 White, 412 Asian, 106 Black, 126 Hispanic, and 89 Other/No Answer. CASPer z-scores did not differ by sex. White candidates scored higher than Black (0.18 vs -0.57, P<.001) and Hispanic (0.18 vs -0.52, P<.001) candidates. Applicants attending US medical schools scored higher than those attending international medical schools (z-scores: 0.15 vs -0.68, P<.001). There was no correlation between CASPer z-scores and USMLE Step 1 scores. Conclusions Our results suggest that CASPer scores favor White applicants over Black and Hispanic ones and applicants attending US medical schools over those attending international medical schools.

A survey of children’s learning and non-cognitive attitudes in England and Pakistan

ABSTRACT Children’s learning attitudes and social emotional skills can be shaped by their family background and school experiences. This study compares 832 children aged 10–11 years old attending primary and middle schools in England and Pakistan, who completed a survey of non-cognitive skills and learning attitudes. Any comparison is cross-sectional and does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. The findings suggest that children in the sample from England were more developed than their counterpart sample in Pakistan in teamwork, social engagement, adaptability, problem solving and empathy. However, the children from Pakistan showed higher resilience and reported more happiness with general life than their counterparts in England. Policy level changes are suggested for Pakistan to give schools more mixed intakes of children and environments where they feel safe, cared for, and are fairly treated by teachers. Improving children’s resilience in academic activities can be useful for schools in England.

Can skills differences explain the gap in track recommendation by socio-economic status?

ABSTRACT Tracking early in the school career can significantly influence a student's educational path. Using data from a Dutch cohort study linked with administrative records, we examine the gap in track recommendation between students from different socio-economic groups at the end of primary school. We find that students whose parents are not tertiary educated receive significantly lower recommendations on average. A decomposition of the total difference in track recommendations shows that differences in cognitive and non-cognitive skills can explain around 57% of the gap. Adding additional information about the family, school, and place of residence reduces the unexplained gap to 28%.

Examining Differences in the Genetic and Functional Architecture of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosed in Childhood and Adulthood

BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with diagnostic criteria requiring symptoms to begin in childhood. We investigated whether individuals diagnosed as children differ from those diagnosed in adulthood with respect to shared and unique architecture at the genome-wide and gene expression level of analysis. MethodsWe used genomic structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate differences in genetic correlations (rg) of childhood-diagnosed (ncases = 14,878) and adulthood-diagnosed (ncases = 6961) ADHD with 98 behavioral, psychiatric, cognitive, and health outcomes. We went on to apply transcriptome-wide SEM to identify functional annotations and patterns of gene expression associated with genetic risk sharing or divergence across the ADHD subgroups. ResultsCompared with the childhood subgroup, adulthood-diagnosed ADHD exhibited a significantly larger negative rg with educational attainment, the noncognitive skills of educational attainment, and age at first sexual intercourse. We observed a larger positive rg for adulthood-diagnosed ADHD with major depression, suicidal ideation, and a latent internalizing factor. At the gene expression level, transcriptome-wide SEM analyses revealed 22 genes that were significantly associated with shared genetic risk across the subtypes that reflected a mixture of coding and noncoding genes and included 15 novel genes relative to the ADHD subgroups. ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that ADHD diagnosed later in life shows much stronger genetic overlap with internalizing disorders and related traits. This may indicate the potential clinical relevance of distinguishing these subgroups or increased misdiagnosis for those diagnosed later in life. Top transcriptome-wide SEM results implicated genes related to neuronal function and clinical characteristics (e.g., sleep).

Examining the relation of open thinking, critical thinking, metacognitive skills and usage frequency of open educational resources among high school students

The acquisition of cognitive, metacognitive, and noncognitive skills is essential for high school students, fostering academic success and personal and lifelonggrowth. Utilization of Open Educational Resources (OER) emerges as critical factor that can significantly influence these skills. Previous studies have examined the effect of OER use in enhancing students’ cognitive abilities (e.g., critical thinking), metacognitive skills (e.g., self-regulated learning), or noncognitive skills (e.g., open thinking) in a separate manner but failed to explain the dynamic relationship between OER, cognitive, metacognitive and noncognitive skills. This study investigated the relationship between the three skills and how using OER as a supplement material besides textbooks can predict those skills among high school students. To address those issues, 612 Egyptian high school students completed a survey on their frequency of using OER and their skills (critical thinking as cognitive skills, metacognitive skills, and open thinking as noncognitive skills). Findings from Structural Equation modeling analysis indicated that the utilization of OER had a positive relationship with cognitive and metacognitive skills. No direct relationship was found between OER and noncognitive skills; however, the relationship between OER and noncognitive skills was fully mediated by cognitive and metacognitive skills. This explained that when students engaged with OER, they experienced a positive enhancement in their critical thinking ability and metacognition,which directly contributes to their open thinking. This study supports the role of OER in high schools to understand the relationship between OER and their skills. Educators need to design curricula that allow students to use OER to develop their critical thinking and metacognition, leading them to be open thinkers. Future experimental studies are needed to measure the actual use of OER on students’ skills.

Exploring the influence of non-cognitive skills on academic achievement in STEM education: the case of Kazakhstan

IntroductionThis exploratory study delves into the relationships between non-cognitive skills and academic achievement within the unique context of STEM schools in Kazakhstan.MethodsSurvey data were collected from 109 teachers and 395 students at a STEM secondary school in Kazakhstan. Correlational, regression and path analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between non-cognitive skills and academic performance in Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Chemistry classes.ResultsThe results showed that out of the 26 skills, eight had a direct impact, 12 had an indirect impact, and six had no impact on academic achievement of students in the four STEM subjects.DiscussionThis study is the first to explicitly examine the impact of one group of non-cognitive skills on academic achievement of students in STEM subjects mediated by another group of these skills. Teachers are encouraged to integrate non-cognitive skill development into curricula, tailored to subject-specific needs. Policymakers can use findings to inform equitable skill development policies.

Human capital and migration: A cautionary tale

We analyze the impact that the option of migration might have on human capital accumulation. We show that, when the return to education for migrants is lower in the destination than in the origin, the overall incentive to accumulate human capital is reduced as restrictions on migration are relaxed. We use panel data from the Chinese Household Income Project to document that the return to education for rural individuals is lower in urban areas than in rural areas. We then use a difference-in-differences design to show that the 1983 reform that eliminated the strong restriction that existed for rural–urban migration resulted in a reduction of 0.4 years of schooling for rural people in China. Guided by these results, we estimate a life-cycle dynamic discrete choice model of education decisions and circular rural–urban migration in which individuals differ in observable characteristics and unobservable cognitive and non-cognitive skills. We validate the model by showing it is able to replicate the impact estimates from the difference-in-differences specification. Our simulations show that, while it would take a small subsidy (conditional on staying in school) to undo about 40% of the negative effects of the 1983 policy on rural education, the annual subsidy would need to be half of annual earnings to undo the effects entirely.

Non-Cognitive Skills as Correlates to Academic Performance among Senior High School Students

Today's teachers and students have a tremendous degree of duty for surviving in a competitive world and they have a growing level of responsibility to achieve in a highly competitive environment. Aside from cognitive skills, the non-cognitive skills are believed to play a crucial role for academic success as they can improve student motivation, engagement, and overall well-being. This study examined the correlation of non-cognitive skills to academic performance among students at General Luna National High School, Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte, Philippines. The main tools used to gather information were an adapted research questionnaire for Grades 11 and 12 students. The study respondents were the 302 senior high school students under the general academic strand at General Luna National High School during the school year 2022 – 2023. Data gathered were analyzed using Frequency Count and Percentage, Means and Standard Deviations, Mann Whitney U-Test and Kruskal Wallis H-Test, Independent T-Test, and Spearman Rho Correlation to yield a generally significant difference and relationship based on the data outcomes from the respondents’ responses.The descriptive-correlational research design was used to evaluate the non-cognitive skills in the learning of senior high school students that link to their academic achievement in which purposive sampling was done to obtain 302 respondents. Results showed that the respondents still need assistance writing high-quality research papers and more confidence especially when collaborating with teachers in doing class projects even outside the class. Majority of them (64%) got a grade point average below 85% which implies a need to demonstrate a higher degree of academic performance. With p-values of 0.0001 and 0.0120, significant differences exist in the respondents’ academic performance when grouped based on sex and grade level, respectively. Furthermore, with correlation coefficient of 0.29 and p-value of 0.0001, it was revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the respondents’ academic achievement and non-cognitive skills in terms of academic perseverance. These findings provide several implications especially in enhancing students’ academic achievement for low performing subject areas such as science and mathematics. Hence, it is recommended that teachers and school administrators may consider providing activities or programs to strengthen students’ academic perseverance to improve their performance across all subject areas, most especially in writing research.

Surname order and revaccination intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teachers in Japanese schools employ alphabetical surname lists that call students sooner, with surnames appearing early on these lists. We conducted Internet surveys nearly every month from March 2020 to September 2022 with the same participants, wherein we asked participants where the alphabetical columns of their childhood and adult surnames were located. We aimed to identify how surname order is important for the formation of noncognitive skills. During the data collection period, the COVID-19 vaccines became available; Japanese people could receive their third dose starting in December 2021. The 19th wave of the survey was conducted in January 2022. Therefore, to examine how a surname’s alphabetical order could influence intention to revaccinate, we used a subsample of data from December 2021 to September 2022. The major findings were as follows. Women with early surnames had an approximately 4% stronger likelihood of having such intentions than men with early surnames. Early name order was more strongly correlated with revaccination intention among women than among men. The surname effect for women was larger when a mixed-gender list was used compared with when it was not used. This effect was only observed for childhood surnames and not for adult surnames.

Solution-focused brief counseling to improve student’s social-emotional skills and psychological well-being

&lt;span&gt;Indonesian education has transformed along with the current situations. Through the implementation of guidance and counseling service, schools should facilitate students to develop various non-cognitive skills and ensure that student’s mental health can well-achieved. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of solution-focused brief counseling (SFBC) to improve student’s social-emotional skills and psychological well-being. Following the experimental pretest-posttest control group design procedure, 64 junior high school students were involved as research subjects. Instruments in this study used 71-item social-emotional skills questionnaire and 42-item psychological well-being scale. The experimental group will be following 9 sessions of counseling, while the control group will not involve in any intervention. Data analysis in this study was carried out using one-way ANOVA and MANOVA. Results of this study found that (1) SFBC is effective to improving student’s social-emotional skills, (2) SFBC is effective to improving student’s psychological well-being, and (3) SFBC is simultaneously effective to improve student’s social-emotional skills and psychological well-being. The findings of this study have implications for the use of SFBC model as an intervention method to improve student’s non-cognitive skills and psychological well-being.&lt;/span&gt;

Early Weight Status and Human Capital in Adulthood: A 32-Year Follow-Up of the 1970 British Cohort Study.

Objectives: To prospectively evaluate the effects of early weight status (childhood and adolescence) and changes in obesity status on human capital in adulthood. Methods: We employed data from the 1970 Birth Cohort Study in the United Kingdom. Data on height and weight during childhood and adolescence, human capital variables in adulthood were collected from 2,444 participants. Human capital includes cognitive ability, non-cognitive skill, educational attainment and health status. Data were analyzed through linear regression and logistic regression models. Results: Our results showed that obesity during adolescence was negatively associated with cognitive ability (β = -0.83, p < 0.01), educational attainment (β = -0.49, p < 0.01), and some health outcomes; and that underweight in childhood also adversely affected educational attainment in females (β = -0.66, p < 0.05). In terms of changes in obesity status, becoming obese in adolescence negatively affected cognitive ability (β = -1.18, p < 0.01), educational attainment (β = -0.62, p < 0.05) and some health outcomes, remaining obese was associated with all adverse health outcomes. Conclusion: Our results suggest that obesity during adolescence negatively affects a range of human capital outcomes in adulthood, and adolescence is a critical period during which early obesity affects adult human capital.

Computational thinking in the context of higher education: Analytical review

Introduction. Computational thinking is one of the categories that currently assess the quality of people’s preparedness for life, educational and professional activities in the modern world, saturated with information technologies and digital tools. Many issues related to university students’ computational thinking remain insufficiently studied as applied to general education.Aim. The present research aims to discuss the essence of the concept of “computational thinking” and, mainly, the composition of its structural elements, methods of their formation and assessment at the level of higher education; and to compare the requirements for university students’ computational thinking and digital competencies, which have similarities and differences.Methodology and research methods. The present review article has theoretical and applied aspects. Except for several fundamentally important works of general studies, which reveal the concept of “com­putational thinking”, the author analysed mainly review articles published in the past five years in order to identify and systematise modern solutions related to the purpose of the work.Results and scientific novelty. An analysis of the basic concepts associated with computational think­ing showed that at the level of definitions, due to their certain abstractness, the computational think­ing of university students does not have much specificity compared to the computational thinking of schoolchildren. This specificity is manifested at the level of the list of cognitive and non-cognitive skills associated with computational thinking, requirements for the level of their development and assess­ment methods. In computational thinking, cognitive skills include abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithmisation, visualisation, logical thinking, communicative competence, the ability to present, structure and analyse data, and some others skills. Non-cognitive skills include self-confidence, communication skills, flexibility, and others.Methods for assessing the maturity of students’ computational thinking include the results of solv­ing problems in block programming environments such as Scrath; knowledge/skill tests, self-assessment scales/surveys; tests on knowledge of the basics of computational thinking, interviews and observations; interviews, grades for assignments/courses, surveys/questionnaires, solving problems external to the class; the use of a special software environment, the use of criteria for assessing computational thinking and/or psychometric tools; assessments based on solving robotic problems or evaluating artifacts creat­ed during the game, and others.A comparison of computational thinking with digital competencies at the skill level leads to the conclusion that in computational thinking, skills represent a certain fixed set of meta-skills needed by a student regardless of solving specific problems (for example, abstraction skills). In digital competencies, skills are specified according to numerous types and are more specific.Practical significance. The results of this study can be used in the design of programmes for develop­ing computational thinking and digital competencies of university students.

Shorter can be better: Balancing length and predictive power when measuring noncognitive skills to predict academic outcomes

We develop shorter versions of a Big Five survey designed to measure students’ noncognitive skills and predict students’ later academic outcomes. We find that measures with fewer items can better predict students’ outcomes, suggesting that using shorter versions of a Big Five Inventory may be cost-effective in large-scale social surveys.

The Paradigm Shift in Education in Big Data Era: Exploring the Intersection of Historical Assessment Frameworks and AI-Powered Assessment Methods in Education

This paper delves into the dynamic intersection between traditional assessment processes and AI-powered technology assessment models within the expansive landscape of the big data era. Tracing the origins of large-scale standardized testing, from Francis Galton's pioneering intelligence testing proposals to the subsequent development of norm-referenced testing (NRT) by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, the historical trajectory underscores the evolution towards authentic assessment paradigms such as computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and performance-based assessment (PBA). These shifts reflect a broader aim of equipping educators with tools to measure student learning effectively and foster continuous learning beyond the confines of the classroom. However, despite the proliferation of methods integrating big data and AI technologies in educational settings, a discernible gap persists between technological capabilities and their practical implementation in education, notably in the realm of student assessment and evaluation. This gap highlights challenges in enhancing assessment accuracy and reliability, evaluating non-cognitive skills, and delivering personalized feedback. The introduction of AI-powered technologies like ChatGPT raises ethical considerations regarding fairness, privacy, and bias, necessitating responsible and equitable deployment.This paper addresses fundamental research questions concerning the historical influences on assessment frameworks, the role of AI-powered technology in driving paradigm shifts, and the ethical considerations surrounding its application. Through a comprehensive literature review, it explores the potential of AI technology to enhance assessment accuracy and reliability while advocating for its responsible use. Despite the challenges posed by traditional assessment processes and AI-powered technology assessment models, educators continually strive to improve student learning and readiness for lifelong learning.By celebrating the invaluable contributions of educators, we can shift the narrative surrounding assessment practices towards a more positive and supportive environment, fostering ethical and innovative uses of AI-powered technology. This celebration serves as inspiration for future research and development in assessment, emphasizing the importance of building upon educators’ innovative practices to shape the future of assessment in the big data era.

How Far Are NEET Youth Falling Behind in Their Non-Cognitive Skills? An Econometric Analysis of Disparities

Youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) refers to the most vulnerable group in the transition from school to work. While much research focuses on institutional factors behind the NEET incidence, the current study approaches the problem of the NEET youth from the perspective of non-cognitive skills. For measuring non-cognitive skills, the Big Five personality characteristics (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) as well as grit were analyzed. The analysis was carried out using propensity score matching based on the data of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS HSE) for 2016. This study shows that the majority of young people in the NEET group come from the poorest families. Nearly half of the NEET youth are not only not working, but they are also not looking for a job either. The analysis revealed that NEET youth fall behind in different non-cognitive abilities, with statistically significant differences in conscientiousness, extraversion, and grit, as well as a greater severity of neuroticism.

It's all in the stars: The Chinese zodiac and the effects of parental investments on offspring's cognitive and noncognitive skill development

AbstractParental investments in children's cognitive and noncognitive outcomes are deeply important to policymakers. However, because parental investments are arguably endogenous, estimating their importance empirically poses a challenge. To address this challenge, this paper exploits a rich and novel dataset, the China Family Panel Studies, and proposes a culture‐specific instrumental variable based on the Chinese zodiac. By comparing the outcomes of children born just before and just after the cutoff for a “lucky” (or ‘unlucky’) zodiac sign, we find that parents' investments have significant effects on offspring's development of both cognitive and noncognitive skills.