Student Achievement In Science Research Articles

The Impact of Using Educational and Digital Games on Middle School Students Science Achievement

The Impact of Using Educational and Digital Games on Middle School Students Science Achievement

Bayesian causal forests for multivariate outcomes: application to Irish data from an international large scale education assessment

Abstract Bayesian Causal Forests (BCF) is a causal inference machine learning model based on the flexible non-parametric regression and classification tool, Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART). Motivated by data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which includes data on student achievement in both mathematics and science, we present a multivariate extension of the BCF algorithm. With the help of simulation studies, we show that our approach can accurately estimate causal effects for multiple outcomes subject to the same treatment. We apply our model to Irish data from TIMSS 2019. Our findings reveal the positive effects of having access to a study desk at home (Mathematics ATE 95% CI: [−0.50, 10.14]) while also highlighting the negative consequences of students often feeling hungry at school (Mathematics ATE 95% CI: [−8.86, −1.56] , Science ATE 95% CI: [−10.35, −0.94]) or often being absent (Mathematics ATE 95% CI: [−11.88, −2.27]). Code for replicating the results can be found at https://github.com/Nathan-McJames/MVBCF-Paper.

Effects of Online Cooperative Learning (OCL) Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) Method to the Motivation, Self – efficacy, And Academic Achievement of Students in Science 10

This study explores the impact of Online Cooperative Learning (OCL) using the Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) method on science 10 students’ self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. Conducted at Ocampo National High School during the COVID-19 pandemic, the quasi-experimental design involved 90 tenth-grade students split into control and treated groups. Pre- and post-experiment assessments included Likert-scale questionnaires on motivation and self-efficacy, along with summative tests. Data analysis, conducted with R software, employed descriptive statistics, t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated significantly heightened motivation (weighted mean=4.17, p=0.056), increased self-efficacy (weighted mean=4.2, p=0.04), and improved academic performance (weighted mean=38.69, p=0.00) among students using OCL-STAD. Path analysis revealed the direct effects of self-efficacy on academic achievement (path coefficient=0.25) and motivation (path coefficient=0.04). Keywords: motivation, online cooperative learning, Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) method, self-efficacy

Effect of Brain-Based Instructional Strategies on Achievement in Science of Elementary School Students with different Learning Styles.

No two individuals are alike and so are their learning styles. Brain-based learning strategies that are based on the core principles of human brain development can be promising in improving the achievement of students catering to the need of diverse learners with varying learning styles. These strategies are having a sound basis in Neurosciences and these strategies can be instrumental towards students’ performance as well as retention. The current research attempts to examine the effect of these strategies on achievement in science of elementary students with different learning styles. The sample of 100 students was taken which was randomly divided into two groups namely Experimental and Control Group. The students in the experimental group who received teaching using brain-based instructional methodologies outperformed than students in the control group on achievement test. In addition, students in the experimental groups with accommodation and divergent learning styles had considerably higher mean scores on achievement in science as compared to convergent and assimilation learning styles. Hence, the students' achievement in science improved significantly when they were taught using brain-based teaching methodologies.

Longitudinal study examining immersing students with IEPs in argument-based inquiry to improve the learning of science

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effect of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach, an argument-based inquiry approach, on the science achievement growth of students with and without Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs). Through a longitudinal study design students were divided into control (no or less than one-year of SWH experience) and treatment (at least one-year of SWH experience) groups. A polynomial growth mixed modelling was used to analyse a longitudinal data set collected from elementary (grade 4) to high school (grade 11) – utilising Iowa Assessment Test data. Two major outcomes emerged: younger students in the SWH approach had better achievement growth, and years of experience with the SWH approach resulted in a differential impact on science achievement for students with and without IEPs. The findings are consistent with previous studies on the importance of early intervention for students with disabilities in inclusive education settings.

From silos to synergy in STEM education: Promoting interdisciplinary STEM education to enhance the science achievement of students with learning disabilities

Recent studies have posited that K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education should go beyond traditional subject silos and take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates these core subjects into a cohesive curriculum to foster authentic problem-solving skills. The purpose of this study was to field test one of five proposed packages of interdisciplinary STEM lessons to examine its feasibility for further revisions of lesson development. The study employed a piecewise linear growth model to examine growth patterns of students’ science vocabulary acquisition and contextualized problem-solving skills during a 40-week observation period. Results showed that all students with learning disabilities ( N = 9) made significant knowledge gains in these two areas and maintained them for a long term—two and four weeks post intervention. Our findings are encouraging and provide initial evidence for effective lesson design to support STEM education for students with learning disabilities.

Designing a video-stimulated questionnaire about teachers’ adaptive expertise in interdisciplinary mathematics and science teaching

Research investigating teachers’ knowledge and practices aimed to improve student participation, engagement and achievement in mathematics and science has often used qualitative methods involving observation and analysis of lesson videos. Some researchers have used excerpts of videos in various ways to gather data about their participants’ anticipated actions in the moment. In the current study, we aimed to track primary teachers’ developing adaptive expertise when teaching interdisciplinary mathematics and science lessons over a two-year period. In this paper, we describe the processes followed to design a questionnaire that used episodes from videos of interdisciplinary mathematics and science lessons to construct multiple choice items. The adaptive expertise scoring for the items was reliable but this improved when including an open-ended question for participants to explain their selection of an action for the classroom moment captured in the video episode.

The impact of science teaching strategies in the Arabic-speaking countries: A multilevel analysis of TIMSS 2019 data

This paper analyses teaching strategies in relation to the science achievement of 4th-grade students using TIMSS 2019 data. It focuses on seven Arabic-speaking countries, which share similar cultures and distinct features of their societies and school systems. It applies multilevel modeling with student- and classroom-level information to decompose variance and understand relationships at these two levels. Overall, the results show the importance of analysis at the classroom level, as half of the science achievement variance is associated with differences between classrooms. Our results indicate that in the Arabic-speaking countries, emphasis on academic success and more active instruction are positively related to student achievement. On the other hand, science investigation methods such as planning and running experiments are negatively related to achievement, although the effects are small in magnitude. Moreover, the results from multilevel models with random coefficients for home resources suggest that higher emphasis on academic success increases differences in student achievement depending on their socioeconomic background.

Influence of Social Media Usage on Science Students’ Academic Achievement and Behaviour in Two School-Types in Nigeria

Students’ achievements and behavior have continued to dwindle over the years and are getting worse in Nigeria with advancements in technology. Both Public and Private school students who have access to Android phones for social networking are spending less time studying after school. This paper was carried out to find out how the time spent on social media can influence the basic science achievement and behavior of secondary school students from two school types. The study sample consisted of 180 junior secondary schools three students of Delta State public and private schools who had access to an Android phone for social media activities after school. Four research hypotheses guided this study. The research instruments used were the social media time questionnaire (SMTQ) with a reliability coefficient of 0.66 and the 2020/2021 academic session results of the students. Access to their results made it possible to compare their basic science and behavioral achievements. The data contained no significant outliers (p=0.054 Kolmogorov-Smirnov- normality test). Data analysis was done using descriptive, t-test, and 2-way ANOVA statistics. Results showed differences in Basic science achievement in favor of private schools and differences in behavior assessment in favor of public schools but the differences were not significant (p= 0.242; p= 0.656). No significant interactions were found between social media usage time and school type on students’ behavior [p=0.470] and basic science achievement [p= 0.549]. Major recommendations are the emphasis on a reduction in social media usage times irrespective of the school type and an increase in study times.

Effect of Blended Learning on the Academic Achievement in Social Science of Secondary School Students

This study has been undertaken to examine the correlation between Blended learning and Academic Achievement of Secondary school students of Mayurbhanj District. The Investigators used Experimental research method to study the variables for which 40 (18 male and 22 female) 9th class students of Govt. Secondary school of Baripada town in Mayurbhanj District were selected as samples by using Simple random sampling technique. For collection of data the investigators used Self-made achievement test for collection of data and the collected data were analyzed using Statistical Techniques like Mean, Standard Deviation and Independent t-test and tested at 0.01 and 0.05 Significance levels. The results showed that there is a significance positive relationship between the effect of blended learning and Academic Achievement of secondary school students of Baripada town in Mayurbhanj District. The findings also showed that there exists no significant difference between the boys and girls’ students of 9th class students in academic achievement using blended learning.

Can either using cognitive science principles or improving teacher content knowledge boost student achievement in middle school science?

AbstractThis study used a cluster randomized controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of two approaches to increasing middle school students' science learning when using an inquiry‐based science curriculum. Eighty‐nine schools, with 253 teachers and 20,591 students, were randomly assigned into one of three conditions: (a) a treatment condition in which the textbook curriculum was modified based on three principles of cognitive science coupled with teacher professional development (PD), (b) a second treatment condition in which teachers received PD designed to improve their knowledge of the science content, and (c) a business‐as‐usual control group. The cognitive science treatment had a small but statistically significant positive effect on content learning, with a stronger impact on students of higher prior achievement. Compared to business‐as‐usual, the intervention to increase teacher content knowledge had no impact.

Investigating student collaborative problem-solving competency and science achievement with multilevel modeling: Findings from PISA 2015

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) competency is critical for 21st century students. However, reports from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 have revealed significant deficiencies in this competency among young students globally, indicating a critical need for the cultivation of CPS skills. Therefore, it is essential for educators and researchers to examine the factors that influence CPS competency and understand the potential role of CPS in secondary education. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between collaboration dispositions and students’ CPS competency as well as the relationships of CPS competency and inquiry-based science instruction (IBSI) with science achievement using the PISA 2015 data. A total of 408,148 students from 52 countries and economies (i.e., regions) were included in our analysis. Unlike most previous studies that only investigated one country at a time and neglected the multilevel data structure of PISA, this study provided a global view through adopting multilevel modeling to account for the cluster effect at the school and country levels. Our findings revealed that valuing relationship was positively associated with CPS, whereas valuing teamwork was negatively associated with CPS. Furthermore, CPS competency was found to be a dominant and positive predictor of science achievement among all study variables, underscoring the importance of integrating CPS into teaching practices to promote student success in science. Additionally, different IBSI activities show varying relationships with science achievement, indicating that caution should be taken when recommending any specific practices associated with IBSI to teachers.

Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Numbered Head Together (NHT) Untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Mata Pelajaran IPA Pada Siswa Kelas V MI Al-Kifayah Pekanbaru

The research purpose is to describe the application of Numbered Head Together (NHT) to improve students’ science achievement at the third grade students of MI Al-Kifayah Pekanbaru. The subjects of this study were 20 students at fifth grade of MI Al-Kifayah Pekanbaru consist of 5 boys and 15 girls in heterogeneous student abilities. Meanwhile, the object of this research is to improve students’ science achievement through the application of the Numbered Head Together, one of type of cooperative learning model. The research procedure used Classroom Action Research. In order to ensure this classroom action research run well, the researcher used the steps; 1) Planning/preparing for action, 2) Action implementation, 3) Observation, and 4 ) Reflection. The results of the study proved that the application of the numbered head together type of cooperative learning model in fifth grade of MI Al-Kifayah Pekanbaru. The result of the research showed that there is an increase in students’ science achievement before the action to cycle I and cycle II. Before the action, before the action to cycle I and cycle II, only 40%. students who reached criteria level minimum (KKM). In the first cycle the student who reached criteria level minimum (KKM ) became 75% and in the second cycle students who reached criteria level minimum (KKM) increased to 90%. It proved that improvement of students’ science achievement of fifth grade students of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Al-Kifayah Pekanbaru by applying the numbered head together type of cooperative learning model is considered well done as the individual and class reached 90% of criteria level minimum (KKM).

Predicting cross-national sex differences in large-scale assessments of students' reading literacy, mathematics, and science achievement: Evidence from PIRLS and TIMSS

Causes of sex differences in educational achievement have been controversially discussed in the extant literature. It has been speculated that differing prosperity and equality of opportunities may be linked to these differences, but conclusive empirical evidence for such effects is unavailable. Here, we present evidence for sex differences in international large-scale assessments of reading literacy, mathematics, and science across 16 cohorts from 1995 to 2019. Our analyses of PIRLS and TIMSS reading literacy, mathematics, and science achievement data (N = 3,999,062; 90 countries) showed consistent advantages for girls in reading literacy (d range: −0.02 to 0.66). For mathematics and science this pattern was less unambiguous, yielding non-trivial effects in both directions (d ranges: −0.44 to 0.36 and − 0.50 to 0.46, respectively). Sex differences in all three domains were more pronounced in more egalitarian countries (β range 0.16 to 0.20). Higher national prosperity and educational investment predicted larger sex differences favoring fourth grade boys in mathematics and science (β range: 0.07 to 0.39) and became less meaningful with increasing student ages (β range for eighth graders: 0.17 to 0.21). In all, our findings suggest that influences of economic macro-indicators on sex differences in educational achievement are differentiated according to subject, indicating larger sex differences in mathematics and science in more egalitarian and prosperous countries.

Multi-level structural equation modelling for factors affecting science achievement of Korean middle school students before and after COVID-19: based on 2018–2020 national assessment of educational achievement data

ABSTRACT Science academic achievement is a key construct for examining students’ science learning outcomes. While international comparative assessments like TIMSS and PISA have shown high science achievement of Korean middle school students, there is a lack of comprehensive investigation of factors influencing the achievement using domestic data. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 on science achievement-related factors remains largely unexplored. This study utilises multi-level structural equation modelling to examine the factors affecting science achievement among Korean middle school students. By analysing data from the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA), we identify individual- and school-level variables that affect student science achievement. The model fitting results were compared before (2018–2019; N = 5771 and N = 5614) and after (2020; N = 4,623) the COVID-19 outbreak. The analysis results reveal that individual-level factors, such as self-efficacy, affective domain of science learning, and self-studying time had significant effects on science achievement consistently throughout years. School-level factors, including principal’s supervision, school climate, and science teacher’s efficacy, demonstrated significantly positive effects on science achievement only in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak. This study enhances our understanding of the characteristics of high-achieving Korean middle school students and highlights the role of school community in supporting student learning during uncertain circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teacher‐perceived science inquiry‐based instructional practice on student achievement and motivational beliefs in classroom contexts

AbstractA hotly debated topic is the effectiveness of inquiry‐based instructional practice in science classrooms on student achievement and motivation. Numerous studies based on multinational large‐scale education data show such student‐centered instructional practice positively led to students' motivational beliefs but was negatively associated with science achievement. Current literature, however, drew such a conclusion based on the measures of instructional practice from students' perceptions, not teachers, despite teachers being the subject matter experts and actual implementers of classroom activities. Thus, this study examined the relationships between teacher‐perceived instructional practice, science motivational beliefs, and science achievement. Specifically, this study investigated the predictive effects of instructional practices on aggregated student motivational beliefs (i.e., self‐concept, utility value, and intrinsic value) and science achievement in the classroom context. Moreover, the study explored the contextual effects of student motivational beliefs on science achievement. We examined 3861 eighth graders' data nested within 168 science classrooms in the Korean portion of the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study using multilevel structural equation modeling. The results showed that the inquiry‐based instructional approach did not predict science achievement or motivational beliefs at the classroom level. On the other hand, student self‐concept and utility value positively predicted individual achievement, while classroom‐level utility value statistically predicted average classroom achievement. In other words, the significant effect of classroom‐level utility value on achievement was beyond the effect of individual utility value. The unique contributions of the study lie in advancing the science education literature with a fresh reflection on such relationships by using a less examined data source (i.e., teacher perceptions), focusing on the classroom context (i.e., classroom‐level science motivational beliefs and achievement), and situating in an underrepresented country (i.e., Korea) in the literature. The results shed light on the discrepancies in the effectiveness of instructional practice perceived by teachers versus students on desired educational outcomes in a learning context. This study also discusses the practical and methodological implications for instructional and motivational research.

Multilevel Analysis of Factors that Determine the Science Achievement of Fourth-grade Students in TIMSS 2019

This study examined the factors that determined the science achievement of fourth-grade students on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 in the USA. The data were retrieved from the TIMSS international database and imported to the R program for manipulation. The EdSurvey package was used to conduct multilevel analysis, taking plausible values of outcome variables, and weighting into account. Level 1 predictors included gender, sense of school belonging, no student bullying, instructional clarity, and attitude toward science. Level 2 predictors included instruction being affected by science resource shortages, school emphasis on academic success, a lack of school discipline problems, and students’ preexisting with literacy and numeracy skills. The findings include that the variance between schools equals 33% and boys outperformed girls in science. Students’ attitudes toward science, their confidence, and the school’s emphasis on academic success were the two strongest positive predictors of both individual student’s achievement and the school’s mean science achievement. The other predictive variables were found to have only trivially positive or no effect. The utilized models could explain the variance within and between schools by 6% and 39%, respectively. The implications for policymakers and educational practitioners include boosting up confidence in learning science and by actively engaging students in inquiry-based activities and providing instant and constructive feedback, encouraging, and treating all students regardless of gender identity equally in teaching and learning science and schools should emphasize academic success.

The effects of a STEM-based intervention on middle school students science achievement and learning motivation

The effects of a STEM-based intervention on middle school students science achievement and learning motivation

Searching for the impact of national culture dimensions on student achievement: implications for educational effectiveness research

ABSTRACT To explore the wider educational environment included in the dynamic model of educational effectiveness, this paper reexamines the association between student achievement and two national culture dimensions: Monumentalism-Flexibility and Collectivism-Individualism. Using Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 data of 317,127 students, 12,058 schools, and 41 countries, we evaluated three-level regression models controlling for students’ socioeconomic status, gender, and grade; school’s average socioeconomic status; and countries’ wealth. The results of the multilevel regressions show significant negative associations of the two culture dimensions with student achievement in mathematics, science, and reading. However, our models indicate that Monumentalism-Flexibility is a better predictor of student achievement in mathematics and science, and that there is variation in effect sizes across domains. Implications for educational effectiveness research are drawn.

Exploring Basic and Integrated Science Process Skills and Their Impact on Science Achievement among University Students

Learning science is important to gain a broader view and clear understanding of the complex world. This study aimed to examine the effect of the level of understanding of basic and integrated science process skills (SPSs) on student science achievement. The test instrument was administered to measure the level of understanding of basic and integrated SPSs from 73 students studying in the Science Foundation Studies Program. Findings: The findings of the study reveal level of understanding of basic science processes was satisfactory whereas integrated science process skill was poor. A moderate correlation was found between basic SPSs and integrated SPSs. A weak positive correlation was found between basic SPSs and science achievement. There was an insignificant correlation between integrated SPSs and science achievement. The level of understanding of SPSs among both females and males was fair with females and males. The results of the independent sample t-test indicated there were no significant differences in the level of understanding of SPSs between females and males. It is hoped that the findings provide insight into the ability level of students and would be useful to bring a positive change in the Foundation Studies Program.