Non-cognitive Abilities Research Articles

Inclusion of academic self-efficacy, motivation, and engagement with the pre-university cognitive ability to predict students' university GPA

In recent years, much attention is given by education researchers and accrediting bodies to the role of non-cognitive ability on academic success and potential employment. This research paper aimed to explore the combined influence of non-cognitive and cognitive predictors in forecasting the academic performance of students, measured by university grade point average (GPA), at the end of the second year in university in Saudi Arabia. Results indicate that the key predictors of university GPA were academic achievement test/general aptitude test (AAT/GAT) scores and High School GPA (HSGPA). Pre-university cognitive abilities (AAT, GAT, and HSGPA) were collected from 1,121 participant students. Academic self-efficacy (AS), achievement motivation (AM), academic engagement (AE), and social engagement (SE) of students as key non-cognitive abilities for academic performance were determined. A moderate positive correlation between cognitive factors and AS and AM was found. On the contrary, a weak negative correlation was found with the AE and SA. Using the stepwise regression analysis, AS, AM, and AE together significantly predicted the university GPA over and above AAT, GAT, and HSGPA. A binary logistic regression analysis model was able to predict college of medicine students with a percentage of 68.4% without prior knowledge of university GPA.

Creating a scale for measuring non-cognitive abilities developed through sports for elementary school students

Creating a scale for measuring non-cognitive abilities developed through sports for elementary school students

The role of character education programme in developing students’ cognitive and non-cognitive abilities and teachers’ competencies

At present, research on the character of students and their academic and social abilities has attracted the attention of researchers. The Ministry of Education has included character education in every lesson in order to develop students' academic and social abilities. This study aims to examine the role of character education programmes on the teacher's self-assessment ability to improve self-quality, perceptions and attitudes of students in socialising with school personnel and students' cognitive and non-cognitive abilities. This study uses a quasi-experimental method to pilot the character education programme designed by the researcher. Evaluation was conducted through self-assessment of the attitudes and academic abilities of teachers and students. The results show that the character education programme can improve students' social and cognitive abilities and can also increase the teacher's self-assessment ability to develop their professional competencies. The implication is that the programme of character education can be an alternative for schools to develop the social and academic abilities of teachers and students. Keywords: Character education programme, cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, teacher competencies

Effects of parenting styles on gender differences of adolescents’ non-cognitive abilities: an empirical study in China

ABSTRACT Gender differences in non-cognitive abilities are important in explaining the “female advantage” in education. The existing literature, however, has not yet given a clear answer as to why gender differences in non-cognitive skills arise. Based on the theoretical perspective of social interaction, this research analyses how parenting styles affect gender differences in adolescents’ non-cognitive skills during the family education process and discusses the differential patterns of these effects among different social classes. The study found that there are significant gender differences in the non-cognitive skills of Chinese adolescents. Girls’ non-cognitive skills are higher than that of boys, and this gender difference is more obvious among non-elite social class. Parents put stricter constraints on and communicate more frequently with girls than boys, which has a great impact on the gender differences in non-cognitive abilities of teenagers and exert differentiated impact on elite and non-elite class.

Guiding educational innovation to promote children's non-cognitive abilities to succeed: implementation of the Sesame Street curriculum in Japan

PurposeWhat does it take to successfully implement new educational innovation in schools, and what roles does lesson study play there? In order to answer this question, this study investigated the implementation of Sesame Street's Dream–Save–Do (DSD) curriculum that was designed to help children in a Japanese elementary school learn to pursue their own dreams.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first reviewed available documents on the DSD curriculum in the district, and then conducted DSD class observations. The authors also interviewed the students, teachers, the principal, the lead teacher at the school, the school district staff in charge of the operation as well as the Sesame Japan staff in order to collect the data for the study.FindingsThe study found that students were highly engaged in open-ended discussions about their future dreams and how to achieve them in observed DSD classes. The implementation of the new curriculum benefited from utilizing lesson study as the main arena for curricular innovation. A further analysis of the data suggests that the success of the curricular innovation owed much to an inside-out implementation process that situated the iterative lesson study cycle of the teachers as the key driver of change while external actors supported the lesson study process in an inside-out fashion.Research limitations/implicationsThe study implies that guiding an educational innovation to success requires not only institutionalized lesson study, but also cross-institutional collaborative dialogues to support the lesson study process with mutually established trust among key players of the innovation. Further studies are needed to investigate how this model sustains as principals and how this model works (or do not work) in other pilot schools and beyond.Practical implicationsThis study implies that what matters most is that the school embodies a vision shared among teachers, school leaders and external curriculum developers, all working together across institutions in a spirit of collaboration. This type of inside-out implementation would be a path to ensure and sustain the success for those who plan any new educational innovation.Social implicationsWhat matters most was found to be that the school embodies a vision shared among educators, school leaders and external curriculum developers working together across institutions in a spirit of collaboration.Originality/valueGuiding an educational innovation to success requires not only new ideas and effective curriculum plans but also a social structure that allows teachers to engage in effective implementations of the desired curriculum. Lesson study is often considered to be a within-school or school-to-school collaborative process. It is rarely connected to outside agents that bring in new ideas for educational innovation. This study found how inside- and outside-school actors can work together to actualize educational innovation, and what roles lesson study play there.

Multifactor Association Analysis Model of Preschool Education Based on Multivariate Nonlinear Matrix Theory

This paper uses the multivariate nonlinear matrix theory to conduct an in-depth study and analysis of the multifactor correlation in preschool education, and designs a multifactor correlation analysis model to be applied to the actual preschool education process. A nonlinear approach is used to define the dynamics of a planar segmented smooth system with visible folds on a switching surface, and conditions are given for the system to have a sliding periodic orbit through this visible fold. A curriculum relatedness analysis algorithm based on Euclidean distance is proposed, which takes distance as a perspective and calculates the curriculum relatedness by measuring the difference of the curriculum in different dimensions; a curriculum relatedness analysis algorithm based on cosine similarity is proposed, which takes a vector as a perspective and calculates the curriculum relatedness by measuring the cosine of the angle between different curriculum vectors; a curriculum relatedness analysis algorithm based on correlation coefficient is proposed. The course relevance analysis algorithm based on the correlation coefficient evaluates the relevance of different courses from a centralized perspective. After preprocessing the course results, two different types of datasets were selected for the experiments of the three algorithms. The results show that all three algorithms can calculate the correlation degree of the courses, which can provide scientific data support for the curriculum arrangement of the school so that the school can scientifically verify and optimize the curriculum arrangement. The three algorithms are compared from the calculation results and theories, among which the correlation coefficient correlation analysis algorithm has the best effect. This study proposes suggestions to promote students’ noncognitive ability development from the perspective of preschool education development; grasp the critical period of children’s noncognitive ability development and pay attention to preschool education investment; further develop inclusive preschool education to ensure the educational opportunities of disadvantaged groups; promote regional preschool education reform to ensure the quality of preschool education in rural areas; and guide parents’ participation and cooperate with schools to cultivate children’s noncognitive ability.

Relationship Between Grit and Academic Resilience Among University Students

The concept of Grit, a non-cognitive ability that indicates perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has been shown to predict academic resilience. The Current study aimed to evaluate the association of grit with academic resilience of university students and it has also explored the effect of age on the scores of grits. Data was collected from students of University of Swabi. The age range of the sample was from 20 to 30 years and data was collected from 100 undergraduate students by convenient sampling technique. The instruments used in this study were Demographic Information Sheet, Grit Scale and Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30). The study has shown a positive and significant correlation (r = .379, p).

Research on the Influence of Non-Cognitive Ability and Social Support Perception on College Students' Entrepreneurial Intention.

The entrepreneurship of college students is an important issue related to the harmony and sustainable development of society as a whole. At present, the existing research in the industry pays less attention to the influence mechanism of non-cognitive ability and social support perception on college students’ entrepreneurial intention. Using 450 survey data, this paper examines the relationship between non-cognitive ability and college students’ entrepreneurial intention in terms of five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability. At the same time, it focuses on the role of social environmental factors, namely, social support perception in the relationship between the non-cognitive ability and entrepreneurial intention, and explores the influence path. The results show that openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, and emotional stability have significant positive effects on entrepreneurial intention; agreeableness has no significant effect on entrepreneurial intention; openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability have significant positive effects on social support perception. The mediating effect of social support perception is as follows—it is part of the intermediary effect between openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and emotional stability on entrepreneurial intention; within the influence of agreeableness on entrepreneurial intention, it plays a complete intermediary role. This paper enriches the research results on the impact of non-cognitive ability on entrepreneurial intention, reveals the intermediary effect of social support perception on the impact of non-cognitive ability on college students’ entrepreneurial intention, and broadens the field of vision for the study of college students’ entrepreneurial intention. The research results can provide a decision-making reference for the promotion of the entrepreneurial intention of college students, alleviating the employment pressure of college graduates in China and promoting sustainable economic development.

Cognitive and non-cognitive abilities of immigrants: New perspectives on migrant quality from a selective immigration country

We study innate ability – a traditionally unobserved component of migrant quality – in Australia, one of the top six destination countries worldwide. We proxy innate ability with validated and widely used measures of non-cognitive (personality) and cognitive (task performance) skills. We find that both first- and second-generation immigrants consistently outperform Australian-born residents with no immediate migration background (natives) on socially beneficial personality traits (Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience) and cognitive ability measures associated with high levels of executive function (coding speed), independent of their gender. The migrant pool resulting from the phase in of a selective immigration policy since 1974 was significantly better educated and more diversified in terms of language background relative to earlier arrivals. Although this meant that the point system attracted migrants with poorer English-language skills relative to natives with equal educational attainment, it did not change their innate ability composition or labor market outcomes. We conclude that selecting migrants based on observable quality characteristics did not lead to a migrant pool of lower quality in traditionally unobservable characteristics in the Australian immigration context.

Validation of mental agility test and personal qualities assessment tools for selecting medical students in Nepal

Introduction: Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) decided to test mental agility and personal qualities to select undergraduate medical students, which was different than the conventional approach used in other health science universities in Nepal. PAHS emphasized testing cognitive and non-cognitive abilities than physic, chemistry and biology contents and this study shows how it was done for selecting medical students in Nepal.
 Method: Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) test batteries used to select medical students in twelve different countries were pilot tested with 10+2 non-science, 10+2 science and 10+3 health science students. PQA tools were forward translated in Nepali and back translated in English by bilingual experts independently. Face and content validity of these tools in Nepali language were established through discussions and consensus with the PAHS Admission team and PQA team in Australia.
 Result: PQA tools assessing non-cognitive qualities in Nepali language were found to be internally consistent in the first pre-test with science and non-science students. PQA tool assessing mental agility in English language showed acceptable internal consistency in the second pre-test with science and health science students.
 Conclusion: Mental agility test in English language is found to be suitable cognitive test for selecting medical students. Non-cognitive tests in Nepali language are found to be reliable and valid to identify applicants with unusual personal traits thereby leading to deselection. These tests can be considered for selecting undergraduate medical students at institute/university level or national level common entrance test in Nepal and beyond.

Can Physical Exercise Promote the Development of Teenagers' Non-Cognitive Ability?-Evidence from China Education Panel Survey (2014-2015).

Background: With the development of educational philosophy, physical exercise is considered to be an important factor in the development of individual cognitive abilities in adolescents. However, the effects of physical exercise on non-cognitive abilities in adolescents remain inadequate. Objective: This study examined the effect of physical exercise on non-cognitive ability and further examined the differences in this effect in different groups. Methods: Survey data on non-cognitive ability, physical exercise and covariates were collected in the China Education Panel Survey (2014–2015) from a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n = 7904) in the eighth (follow-up) grade. Results: The results show that, after controlling for the influence of other factors, physical exercise has a promoting effect on six non-cognitive abilities—social behavior (p < 0.001), communication ability (p < 0.01), perseverance (p < 0.05), school adaptation (p < 0.001), educational expectation (p < 0.01) and creative thinking (p < 0.01)—and there is no significant effect on emotional control (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the development of non-cognitive ability in physical exercise shows certain group differences. Conclusions: There are gender differences in the performance of non-cognitive ability. Girls perform better than boys in non-cognitive ability. Physical exercise is an important means to develop non-cognitive ability, which indicates that non-cognitive ability has plasticity in adolescence. Future intervention may improve the non-cognitive ability of Chinese adolescents by increasing physical exercise.

Spotlight on noncognitive skills: Views from nursing students and educators

BackgroundNoncognitive skills have a considerable role in influencing nursing students' performance in clinical and educational settings. Understanding how nursing students and educators perceive noncognitive skills is important given the broad classifications of noncognitive competencies. ObjectiveThis study sought to examine nursing students' and educators' perception of noncognitive skills. DesignThis study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach. SettingThis study was conducted virtually via Zoom in one university in Singapore. ParticipantsPurposive sampling through a maximum variation technique was used to select 35 nursing students and 12 educators. MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted through eight virtual face-to-face focus group discussions. Interviews were audio- and videorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. ResultsThe participants stated that individual and interpersonal skills contribute to one's noncognitive skills. Two themes emerged from the participants' narratives: (1) the ability to manage oneself and (2) social interactions with others. The first theme describes the various individual characteristics such as growth mindset, adaptability, resilience, and emotional regulation. The second theme describes the importance of empathy and meaningful relationships as types of non-cognitive skills. ConclusionsThe findings of this study provide the basis for the development of noncognitive assessment tools by educators. In addition, they pave the foundation for the curation of future programs that promote the noncognitive skills of nursing students. Hospital-based educators may use these findings to curate suitable programs for improving the noncognitive abilities of nurses.

GAMIFIED MOBILE COURSEWARE’S EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ COGNITIVE &amp; NON-COGNITIVE ABILITIES

The study used gamified mobile courseware in a Statistics and Probability class. A mixed-method design was employed to examine its effect on senior high school students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge and engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in learning mathematics. Of the 158 Grade 11 students, 104 participated and were divided into four groups. The students who used the gamified mobile courseware and self-learning modules for three weeks were randomly selected using a free random generator online. The respondents’ midterm grades in General Mathematics and pretest scores were used to establish the comparability of the two groups. Results showed that the gamified mobile courseware in Statistics and Probability positively affected students’ procedural knowledge and motivation in learning mathematics. Examining the effect of gamification elements on students’ cognitive and non-cognitive abilities may be considered for future studies.

The influence of SES, cognitive, and non-cognitive abilities on grades: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from two Swedish cohorts

It is well established that socioeconomic status, cognitive ability, and non-cognitive abilities such as self-efficacy are substantially associated with academic achievement. However, the specific relationships of these variables remain a relatively unexplored topic in regard to more recent and representative samples. The current study examined such relations by taking advantage of two cohorts (total N = 12,315) of Swedish students at the elementary (Grade 6) and lower-secondary school levels (Grade 8) in the compulsory school. The regression models showed that all three variables explained a substantial portion of grade variance, with cognitive ability having the strongest relationship, followed by non-cognitive abilities, and SES. Longitudinal associations, which accounted for previous academic achievement, showed that the three variables did still explain a substantial amount of grade variance.

Why women’s entrepreneurial activities are low in China? The psychological perspective of self-esteem

How to increase women’s entrepreneurial activities and expand the proportion of female entrepreneurs among entire entrepreneurs has been the long-term focus of scholars. For the first time, this article uses the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and the National Survey on Women’s Social Status of China (NSWSS) to study why women’s entrepreneurial activities are relatively low in China from the psychological perspective of self-esteem. After controlling for related variables, the regression results show that self-esteem has a positive effect on women’s entrepreneurial activities. It indicates that the relatively low entrepreneurial activities of women are partially attributed to their low level of self-esteem. In addition, compared with cognitive ability and ‘The Big Five’ non-cognitive ability, self-esteem plays a greater role in explaining women’s entrepreneurial activities. While using propensity score matching and instrument variable methods to deal with the self-selection bias and endogenous problem of self-esteem, the results corroborate the conclusion. Further analysis indicates that social capital and risk-taking attitudes are two important mechanisms for self-esteem to influence women’s entrepreneurial activities. The attempt to incorporate the unique psychological trait of self-esteem into female entrepreneurship sheds light on the interdisciplinary research, and provides a new path for improving women’s entrepreneurial activities.

A Narrative Review on Studies of Non-cognitive Ability in China

Non-cognitive ability has recently gained popularity as a hot topic in education and has appeared as a novel idea in contemporary study. Numerous studies on the definition, measurement, influencing factors, impact, and other aspects of non-cognitive talents have been conducted. With the intention of igniting additional conversation on this topic and encouraging student holistic development, this study attempts to present an overview of research on non-cognitive ability in China and outline the limits of existing studies.

A Narrative Review on Studies of Non-cognitive Ability in China

Non-cognitive ability has recently gained popularity as a hot topic in education and has appeared as a novel idea in contemporary study. Numerous studies on the definition, measurement, influencing factors, impact, and other aspects of non-cognitive talents have been conducted. With the intention of igniting additional conversation on this topic and encouraging student holistic development, this study attempts to present an overview of research on non-cognitive ability in China and outline the limits of existing studies.

Which Matters More, Cognitive or Non-cognitive Ability?

From a psychological perspective, both cognitive and non-cognitive abilities are significant drivers of human growth. The ability to gather, choose, and comprehend information is referred to as cognitive ability. To be more specific, it consists of human abilities to comprehend the nature and characteristics of objects, as well as how they relate to one another, fundamental laws, and the future course of the world. Any skill that is not cognitive is considered non-cognitive. Examples include emotional maturity, empathy, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for people to deal with various contexts.

Which Matters More, Cognitive or Non-cognitive Ability?

From a psychological perspective, both cognitive and non-cognitive abilities are significant drivers of human growth. The ability to gather, choose, and comprehend information is referred to as cognitive ability. To be more specific, it consists of human abilities to comprehend the nature and characteristics of objects, as well as how they relate to one another, fundamental laws, and the future course of the world. Any skill that is not cognitive is considered non-cognitive. Examples include emotional maturity, empathy, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for people to deal with various contexts.

Does parental migration impede the development of the cooperative preferences in their left-behind children? Evidence from a large-scale field experiment in China

In human capital theory, noncognitive abilities play an essential role in individual and societal success. Parents' migration for work purposes may inhibit the development of children's noncognitive abilities, but its influence on children's cooperation preferences remains unclear. Using three one-shot public goods games, we examine the impacts of parental migration on the development of children's cooperation preferences and whether introducing punishment mechanisms could partly exacerbate or offset the effects. We conducted a large-scale field experiment with more than 1600 rural students aged 6–16. Our main findings are as follows. First, the cooperation level of non-left-behind children increases significantly with age, while being left behind may affect this stable development track. Specifically, we find that paternal migration significantly decreases children's cooperation levels, while maternal or both parents' migration does not. Second, punishment mechanisms can significantly promote children's cooperation levels and offset the negative effect of paternal migration. Exogenous punishments work across ages, while endogenous punishments work only among middle school students. However, as the extent to which children were left-behind deepens, the offsetting effects of the punishment mechanisms gradually weaken.