scholarly journals Top of the Class: The Importance of Ordinal Rank

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 2777-2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Murphy ◽  
Felix Weinhardt

Abstract This article establishes a new fact about educational production: ordinal academic rank during primary school has lasting impacts on secondary school achievement that are independent of underlying ability. Using data on the universe of English school students, we exploit naturally occurring differences in achievement distributions across primary school classes to estimate the impact of class rank. We find large effects on test scores, confidence, and subject choice during secondary school, even though these students have a new set of peers and teachers who are unaware of the students’ prior ranking in primary school. The effects are especially pronounced for boys, contributing to an observed gender gap in the number of Maths courses chosen at the end of secondary school. Using a basic model of student effort allocation across subjects, we distinguish between learning and non-cognitive skills mechanisms, finding support for the latter.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilith Rüschenpöhler ◽  
Silvija Markic

While science self-concepts of secondary school students have received considerable attention, several important aspects of chemistry self-concepts have not yet been understood: gender relations, the impact of students' cultural backgrounds, and the impact of chemistry self-concept on learning processes. In the present study, (i) we could confirm our hypothesis that chemistry self-concept is strongly related to learning goal orientations. This part of the study built upon knowledge from educational psychology. Our results open the field for practical interventions designed to influence chemistry self-concepts. (ii) We investigated the gender relations in chemistry self-concept with a special focus on students’ cultural backgrounds. The results show that chemistry self-concept differs from science self-concept: the gender gap traditionally described in the literature could not be found. Instead, the study suggests that an interaction of gender and cultural background might influence chemistry self-concepts. (iii) We were interested in the influence of the context of chemistry classroom and language on self-concept. In line with the literature, we found that a good relationship with the chemistry teacher seems to have a positive impact on chemistry self-concept. Also, the perception of chemistry language and chemistry self-concepts were strongly correlated. Suggestions are made for practical interventions based on these findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-196
Author(s):  
Dubravka Kuščević

A nation’s cultural and natural heritage is the wealth of the people it belongs to and one of the key elements for the creation of national identity and affirmation in the process of globalization. The aim of our study was to examine the attitudes, knowledge and thoughts of primary and secondary school students related to natural and cultural heritage. A total of 322 respondents from primary and secondary schools in Split-Dalmatia County, Šibenik-Knin County, and Zagreb County participated in the research. Our results indicate that secondary school students show better knowledge of cultural and natural heritage of their homeland and a higher degree of interest in learning about these contents than students in the final grades of primary school. Moreover, secondary school students more than primary school students recognize the value of attaching importance to these topics within the work of educational institutions and in various school subjects. In addition, secondary school students expressed a greater awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage and its connection with the development of the economy and the preservation of national identity compared to primary school students. No differences were found among students in terms of the impact of cultural heritage on encouraging their creativity, but it was shown that more frequent visits to archaeological institutions were associated with a higher interest in heritage-related content.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Berger ◽  
Caroline Xiaolei Gao ◽  
Jonathan Broder ◽  
Timothy Colin Heath Campbell ◽  
Darryl Maybery ◽  
...  

This study explored how exposure to a mine fire and smoke event influenced students’ academic outcomes. National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy scores for 303 students (aged 7.8-16.2 years) were obtained, along with self-reported event-related distress (Children’s Revised Impact of Events Scale [CRIES-13]). The longitudinal analysis found that adolescent students from more exposed schools, and not younger children, had delayed academic development after the event (14.9 months delay in year 7 (95% CI: 9.4 to 20.5) and 21.5 months in year 9 (95% CI: 13.6 to 29.5). Increased distress (CRIES-13) was not associated with academic delays. Results have implications for understanding the impact of disasters on adolescent school achievement and how educational institutions might respond to reduce this impact.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Lombardi ◽  
Daniela Traficante ◽  
Roberta Bettoni ◽  
Ilaria Offredi ◽  
Mirta Vernice ◽  
...  

Reading and writing skills influence the social status of students, exerting effects not only on learning, but also on wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the impact of diagnosis of specific learning disorder on well-being in secondary-school students, comparing students with a diagnosis of specific learning disorder (SLD-group), students showing learning difficulties without diagnosis (LD-group) and students without learning difficulties (control-group). Students were tested with neuropsychological screening tests in order to identify learning difficulties and were further assessed by means of psychological and school well-being questionnaires. The results show that LD group perceive themselves as having a low sense of mastery and autonomy, less interest and engagement in daily activities and low peer social support than their schoolmates. This result highlights, for the LD group, a low well-being experience, which is not observed in the SLD and control groups. On the contrary, SLD group students do not differ from control group students in any dimensions except for the perceived parents’ support and involvement in school life, in which the SLD group show the highest scores. This work underlines the importance of having a diagnosis as it seems to work as a protective factor for both the psychological and school well-being of the student.


Author(s):  
Fandi Nugroho ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal Arrosyad

This study aims to describe the implementation of multimedia learning in blended learning in mathematics in grade 4 elementary schools on the topic of fractions. Articulated storyline is an effective medium for elementary school students that is easily developed as one of the multimedia blended learning used in the blended learning method. In our research we examined how the impact of implementation blended learning using multimedia articulated storylines, In this case, it is also discussed how the influence of multimedia articulation storylines as one of the multimedia that can be developed easily to help teachers in distance learning, especially mathematics learning in schools. Primary school related to fraction learning. In this research, students are taught how to interpret the understanding of the concept of fraction problems and proof in life related to mathematics learning problems, so that they can describe mathematical problems and can understand the concept of fractions using logical reasoning so that they are able to prove reasoning about fraction problems according to their abilities. The use of reasoning is needed to determine the concepts that have been made based on the understanding of the concept of fractions that the students have. This study was designed to see the effect of blended learning which is applied as a learning model used to teach logical reasoning in mathematics learning, especially about fraction problems, and how the effect of the application of blended learning on learning outcomes of primary school students at Muhammadiyah Elementary School Pangkalpinang


Author(s):  
J. N. Baliya ◽  
Shivani Sharma

The purpose of this research was to study the impact of collaborative learning strategies on social maturity and its various dimensions viz. personal adequacy, interpersonal adequacy, and social adequacy, of secondary school students. The study was quasiexperimental and used matched pairs pre-test post-test research design. A Higher Secondary School in Educational Zone Hiranagar of District Kathua was chosen for the intervention. The study was conducted on sixty-six students of two sections of class 9th. Two sections were randomly assigned to collaborative and traditional learning conditions. Four methods of collaborative learning viz. Think-Pair-Share, Numbered Heads Together, Jigsaw, and Fish-Bowl were used for a period of over five weeks. The results were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and a critical ratio (CR). The results of the study showed that this approach was successful in increasing personal adequacy, interpersonal adequacy, social adequacy and overall social maturity of secondary school students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32
Author(s):  
Afolasade Airat Sulaiman ◽  
Stella Ihuoma Uhuegbu

This study examined the impact of cognitive restructuring and token economy techniques on the reduction of truancy among secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test, control group design with a multistage sampling technique as the sampling method. Judgmental sampling technique was used to select two from the six Education Districts in Lagos State, simple random sampling technique was adopted to select six schools; three schools from each of the two Education Districts and 170 truants out of the 216 randomly selected based on the class attendance register completed the study. Truancy Behaviour Questionnaire (TBQ) with a reliability index of .87 was the instrument for the study. Data were analysed and presented with descriptive and ANOVA statistics at .05 level of significance. Findings showed that the two techniques were effective for the reduction of truancy but the token economy technique had a better effect. Sex had no significant effect on the reduction of truancy but females play truants more than males. Based on the findings, the token economy therapy was recommended as an ideal technique for counselling and guiding students against truancy.


Author(s):  
Kizito Ndihokubwayo ◽  
Jean Uwamahoro ◽  
Irénée Ndayambaje

Science education in Rwandan schools still faces a number of challenges including the lack or shortage of equipment available for science experiments. This paper describes research conducted to assess the impact of using improvised versus conventional laboratory equipment in experiments. Eighty-five lower secondary school students were assessed using a semi-experimental post-test design on thermal expansion of bodies. Data analysis using a t-test produced a t-Stat of 2.74 over a t-Critical of 1.98 indicating a statistical significance between the two experimental groups in favour of the group using improvised equipment. As a result, it is recommended that improvised equipment be used in those instances in which there is a lack or shortage of conventional equipment since students’ achievement was similar regardless of the type of equipment used.


Author(s):  
Maysaa Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Ayadi

The objective of the current research is to identify the effect of using the student's guide bag on the attitudes and professional tendencies of high school students who have learning difficulties in Riyadh city. The researcher used two tools: the student's guide bag and the vocational awareness scale. After the data were collected and statistically analyzed by calculating the arithmetic mean to identify the differences between the pre-test and post-test of the occupational awareness scale, and the ETA box (2). The study found that there are statistically significant differences At a level of significance less than (0.05) among the average responses of secondary school students who have learning difficulties in the tribal and post-application of the vocational awareness scale. There is a high impact on the effectiveness of the student's student bag program to improve vocational awareness among high school students who have learning difficulties To study the need to pay attention to vocational guidance and support materially and morally, and to participate students who have learning difficulties themselves in planning guidance programs.


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