Refining the experimental analysis of academic skills deficits: Part I. An investigation of variables that affect generalized oral reading performance

Experimental analyses for improving reading fluency deficits have rarely targeted generalized increases in academic responding. As a consequence, the variables that may help students to generalize newly learned forms of academic responding like reading are not well understood. Furthermore, experimental analyses of reading fluency interventions have not systematically examined difficulty level as a variable that may affect instructional outcomes. The experiment reported in this paper expands (a) the measurement of the dependent variables to include generalized increases across tasks (reading passages) and (b) the combination of independent variables used to produce measurable generalized increases. The results demonstrate the importance of combining reward and instructional variables (including difficulty level) to produce generalized increases and how those variables can be meaningfully investigated prior to making treatment recommendations.     

Effects of exposure to community violence on school functioning: The mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms

This study investigated the association between exposure to community violence (ECV) and school functioning, as well as posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms as a potential mediator of the relationship. PTS symptoms are commonly associated with ECV, and are characterized by difficulty regulating emotions and behaviors. Thus, PTS symptomatology may be one mechanism through which community violence impacts school functioning. The community-based sample included 47 low-income African American children (aged 10-13). Results revealed that ECV was inversely related to academic performance and attendance. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress emerged as a mediator of the relation between ECV and academic performance. Results have implications for urban students who face violence in their communities, and emphasize the need for school-based mental health services.     

Jotting down notes or preparing for the future? Action identification and academic performance

The purpose of the present study was both to extend the performance optimality hypothesis of action identification theory to the realm of education and to examine the indirect role of action identification levels and action maintenance difficulty on the relationship between initial and final performance. Results demonstrated that students’ final performance is related to their initial performance and that this relationship is mediated by the way they identify the action of “attending a class”, which is itself inconsistently mediated by action maintenance difficulty. These findings pave the way for new educational applications in order to improve students’ academic performance.     

International Genetic Counseling Students’ Perspective on Their Training Experience in the United States

International students face social, psychological and academic challenges upon moving to a foreign country to pursue higher education. Clinical disciplines such as genetic counseling present additional challenges adapting to an unfamiliar health care system and different interactions and expectations with patients and colleagues. This study used semi-structured interviews to identify challenges that international genetic counseling students face during training in the United States. Eight international genetic counseling alumni who graduated from U.S.-accredited programs were interviewed. Participants stated that the U.S. academic system was unfamiliar—class participation and paper-writing required the greatest adjustment. There was a need for help in understanding social norms in academic settings. Clinically, they were unfamiliar with the dynamics and communication style of U.S. families. Non-native English speakers experienced greater difficulty in all areas. Most participants reported that they were uncomfortable asking for help in transitioning to life, study and work. Participants identified mentorship programs for international students as potentially useful in clarifying expectations in academic and clinical settings. These results may assist international students preparing to study genetic counseling in the U.S. and may help genetic counseling training programs identify the academic and clinical challenges faced by international students.     

Academic Integrity in a Mandatory Physics Lab: The Influence of Post-Graduate Aspirations and Grade Point Averages

Research on academic cheating by high school students and undergraduates suggests that many students will do whatever it takes, including violating ethical classroom standards, to not be left behind or to race to the top. This behavior may be exacerbated among pre-med and pre-health professional school students enrolled in laboratory classes because of the typical disconnect between these students, their instructors and the perceived legitimacy of the laboratory work. There is little research, however, that has investigated the relationship between high aspirations and academic conduct. This study fills this research gap by investigating the beliefs, perceptions and self-reported academic conduct of highly aspirational students and their peers in mandatory physics labs. The findings suggest that physics laboratory classes may face particular challenges with highly aspirational students and cheating, but the paper offers practical solutions for addressing them.     

Self-efficacy,parent–child relationships,and academic performance: a comparison of European American and Asian American college students

Parent–child relationships play an important role in successful academic outcomes. Previous research suggests that the association between parent–child relationships and offspring’s academic achievement may be mediated by offspring’s self-efficacy levels, although these relationships are not fully understood. Furthermore, the association between family support and academic outcomes is well-documented among European Americans, but not across cultures. Therefore, the present study examined how parent–child relationship quality relates to young adults’ academic achievement and self-efficacy among European Americans and Asian Americans. Participants were 258 undergraduate students (85 male, 173 female) who completed a survey. Overall, both parent–child relationships and self-efficacy were significantly associated with the offspring’s academic performance, and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between parent–child relationships and school outcomes. Ethnicity moderated these relationships: among European American students, quality of parent–child relationships was not associated with self-efficacy level whereas for Asian Americans, parent–child relationships were associated with self-efficacy. These findings suggest that European American college students’ self-efficacy levels are less dependent on parent–child relationship quality, but for Asian Americans college students it may be important for educators to facilitate communication and family support so students may continue to use family as a resource for self-efficacy levels.     

小学生学业负担与数学成绩的关系研究:基于潜在剖面分析

应用潜在剖面分析方法对广州市58所学校的六年级学生数学成绩进行潜在分类,并分析不同类别学生的学业负担状况。结果表明,学生样本按数学成绩可以分为三个类别:数学成绩良好组、数学成绩中等组、数学成绩较差组。此外,学业负担的轻重对不同数学成绩层次的学生会产生不同程度的影响。     

Postgraduate research students: People in context?

This article seeks to explore learning, development and academic success, using postgraduate research students' experiences and relating them to submission and completion rates. The perceptions and circumstances of a sample of postgraduate research students from one cohort in a large civic university were examined via questionnaire and interviews. Significant associations between data gained via questionnaire and outcome of research study are presented, together with qualitative illustrations from comments and interviews with participating individuals. A developmental, sociocultural understanding of the learner is discussed. This supports a brief review of a package of practical measures designed to assist universities to support research students, especially those who may have difficulty negotiating the experience of research study, and their supervisors, and ultimately improve retention and submission rates.     

Use of student support services among university students: associations with problem-focused coping,experience of personal difficulty and psychological distress

ABSTRACT

Universities provide a range of problem-focused social support services to help students who are experiencing personal difficulties. The current study examines how the effectiveness of students' (N = 131) problem-coping style, experience of personal difficulty and psychological distress are associated with actual use of support services in the academic setting. Results indicate that students who experienced a personal difficulty and who had a more reflective problem-coping style were more likely to use student support services. In addition, students with less effective problem-focused coping styles (more reactive and suppressive, less reflective) reported greater psychological distress. The potential personal, psychological and academic benefits of the reflective problem-coping style are discussed.     

The Effects of Locus of Control and Task Difficulty on Procrastination

The authors investigated the effects of locus of control expectancies and task difficulty on procrastination. Forty-two college students were administered an academic locus of control scale and a task that was similar to a typical college homework assignment. The students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 task difficulty levels. Although none of the results involving task difficulty was significant, several results involving locus of control were significant. Specifically, analyses revealed that students with internal locus of control expectancies tended to begin working on the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control expectancies. In addition, students with internal locus of control completed and returned the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control. The results are discussed within the context of J. B. Rotter's (1966, 1975, 1982) social learning theory.     

Relationship between first-grade marks and the high school dropout problem

Academic records were obtained for students from two towns in southwestern Ontario who attended their town's major public elementary school from first through eighth grade and then completed their secondary education in each town's only public high school between 1982 and 1986. The evidence showed that students who experienced the most difficulty in mastering the two main areas of the first-grade curriculum (reading and arithmetic) had a much higher probability of leaving high school without graduating and of experiencing serious academic problems while in high school than students who received B to A + marks in first grade.     

The College Pushout

In a study designed to discover whether suspended students are characterized by common factors in their backgrounds and college records that tend to distinguish them from other students, a comparison of SAT scores, grade-point averages, and selected demographic data indicated that the suspended student: (a) had, in terms of family background and intellectual aptitude, the same opportunity for success in college as did other students; (b) was far below other college-bound students in high school academic achievement; (c) was likely to be in scholastic difficulty for the duration of his pre-suspension days; and (d) tended to be a rather passive, apathetic individual.     

网络教学情境下正念对学业拖延的影响：心理韧性和自我控制的链式中介作用

本研究以157名大学生为对象,选用正念五因素量表、心理韧性量表、自我控制量表和Aitken拖延量表,探索在网络教学情境下正念对学业拖延的作用机制。结果表明：正念能够直接对网络教学情境下的大学生学业拖延产生影响,也能够通过心理韧性和自我控制的链式中介作用对大学生学业拖延产生影响。研究结论为发挥正念的作用,改善网络教学情境下的学业拖延提供了参考。     

A longitudinal study of students' academic self‐concept in a streamed setting: The Singapore context

Background. Although several studies support the existence of a negative stream effect on lower‐ability stream students' academic self‐concept, there is not enough longitudinal research evidence to preclude the possibility that the stream effect may only be temporary. In addition, not much is known about the effect of streaming on changes in students' academic self‐concept over time. Aims. The main aims of the study were to examine the effect of streaming on (a) the students' academic self‐concept immediately after the streaming process, and at yearly intervals for 3 consecutive years, and (b) the changes in students' academic self‐concept over a 3 year period. Sample. The sample comprised 495 Secondary 1 students (approximate age 13) from three government coeducational schools in Singapore. Method. A longitudinal survey using a self‐reported questionnaire. Results. Results showed that the lower‐ability stream students had a more negative academic self‐concept than the higher‐ability stream students immediately after streaming, but they had a more positive academic self‐concept 3 years after being streamed. In addition, it was established that the students' academic self‐concept declined from Secondary 1 to Secondary 3. Nonetheless, the decline was more pronounced for the higher‐ability stream students than the lower‐ability stream students. Conclusions. Streaming may have a short‐term negative impact on lower‐ability stream students' academic self‐concept. However, in the long run, being in the lower‐ability stream may not be detrimental to their academic self‐concept.     

Failure to warn: How student race affects warnings of potential academic difficulty

In two studies, we document “failure to warn”—a reduced likelihood of warning Black students against potential academic difficulty compared to White students. In both studies, participants placed in the role of academic advisors saw a highly challenging academic course plan, attributed to either a Black or a White student, and gave Black students less warning about the potential negative consequences of taking on the proposed plan. Study 1 (N = 172) demonstrates this effect using undergraduate peer academic advisors, and Study 2 (N = 58) provides evidence that this effect is moderated by Internal Motivation to Respond Without Prejudice (Plant & Devine, 1998), suggesting that this effect is driven by the fear that discouraging an ambitious Black student might reflect prejudice. This well-intentioned concern can have the ironic consequence of leading the recipients of this advice into academic difficulties.     

课堂情境与任务难度对学业求助之影响的研究

本实验以初二年级学生为被试,研究了课堂情境、任务难度、学业成绩以及性别对学业求助的影响。结果表明：(1)任务关注的课堂情境比自我关注的课堂情境导致更多的求助行为,求助方式上,则倾向于工具性求助。(2)完成难度适中学习任务的学生比完成高难度学习任务的学生表现出更多的求助行为,求助方式上,则倾向于工具性求助。(3)在任何条件下,成绩好的学生都比成绩差的学生更善于作工具性求助。(4)从总体来看,初二学生的求助行为不存在性别差异。但在自我关注的课堂中,男生比女生表现出更多的回避求助。     

Classroom cheating among natural science and engineering majors

The topic of cheating among college students has received considerable attention in the education and psychology literatures. But most of this research has been conducted with relatively small samples and individual projects have generally focused on students from a single campus. These studies have improved our understanding of cheating in college, but it is difficult to generalize their findings and it is also difficult to develop a good understanding of the differences that exist among different academic majors. Understanding such differences may be important in developing improved strategies for combating college cheating. The objective of this paper is to examine the relation between cheating and the choice of academic major with a particular focus on natural science and engineering majors. The data source for this analysis is a study of over 4,000 students from 31 campuses which was conducted in the 1995–1996 academic year.     

Are There Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Academic Performance and Social Behavior?

A growing body of research suggests that peer-related communication skills and experiences may facilitate academic achievement, especially in the college environment. However, there is substantial evidence that men and women differ in peer-related interaction skills and patterns, suggesting that there may be gender differences in the relationship between academic performance and interaction with peers. Thus far, only one study has systematically examined this gender difference: that of Nezlek, Wheeler, and Rets. In their 1990 work, they reported data that they interpreted as supporting the existence of gender differences in the relationship between the scholastic performance of college students and aspects of their social interactions. The current article presents a reanalysis of their data, snowing that there are no gender differences in the relationship between academic achievement and social participation. This article also reports a study assessing gender differences in relationships between academic performance and loneliness, communication skills, and social acceptance. Participants (208 college students) completed the revised UCLA loneliness scale, tasks assessing five communication skills, and sociometric measures providing multiple indices of social acceptance. Cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) were obtained from the university registrar. Although several significant associations were detected between CPA and the loneliness and communication skill measures, no gender differences in the associations were found. The results are discussed in terms of relationships between the orientations that students exhibit toward peers and their studies.     

An Examination of Lexical and Sublexical Reading Skills in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an inherited neurocutaneous disorder associated with a high frequency of cognitive and learning difficulties. Based on discrepancies between IQ and academic achievement, approximately 17% of children with NF1 have been classified as having reading impairments. In this study, the lexical and sublexical reading skills of children with NF1 (n = 30) were examined using the Castles' Word/Non-Word Test (modified version), together with measures of neuropsychological functioning and academic achievement. Twenty children (67%) demonstrated deficits in one or more reading subskills, with 75% of these meeting criteria for phonological dyslexia and 20% classified with mixed dyslexia. These findings indicate that a large proportion of children with NF1 may be characterized by a specific difficulty with the sublexical procedure, suggesting a difficulty employing spelling-to-sound rules to assemble a pronunciation when reading. In line with previous studies, the present findings also suggest that discrepancy-based methods may not be sufficiently sensitive to identify children who experience reading difficulties.     

认知能力对学业成绩的影响:有中介的调节模型

学业成绩是衡量学生掌握知识水平的重要指标,受到认知能力、社会支持和学习动机等多重因素的显著影响,而这多重因素间的关系及其对学业成绩的共同作用机制尚不明确。本研究采用标准化的认知能力测验、社会支持量表、学习动机量表对4,973名初中生进行测试,并以各科测验成绩总分的平均值作为学业成绩指标。结果表明：（1）认知能力、社会支持、学习动机均与学业成绩正相关;（2）社会支持在认知能力对学业成绩的影响中起调节作用,学生感受到的社会支持水平越高,学业成绩表现越好,且其认知能力对学业成绩的预测作用越强;（3）社会支持的调节作用部分通过学习动机这一中介变量实现。本研究构建了一个基于个体因素（认知能力和学习动机）和环境因素（社会支持）共同影响学业成绩的理论模型,有利于人们深入理解认知能力影响学业成绩的内在机制和边界条件,为提升学生学业成绩提供了理论依据和实证支持。