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Anthony CJ, Ogg J, Winkelman EH. Dynamics of a dynamic interrelationship: Exploring whether bidirectional learning behaviors-achievement relations differ across student-teacher relationship profiles. J Sch Psychol 2024; 104:101308. [PMID: 38871417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Children who engage more in classroom instruction tend to also have higher levels of academic achievement relative to their peers who engage less. Although research has clearly established an association between such learning behaviors and academic achievement, the directionality of this relationship, and the possibility of bidirectional relations, remain unclear. It is possible that this lack of clarity stems from the fact that interrelationships between achievement and learning behaviors may differ across student-teacher relationship contexts. We evaluated this possibility using a large nationally representative sample of kindergarten to third grade students (N = 2010) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 2011. Using latent profile moderation analyses, we identified three profiles of student-teacher relationships across kindergarten through third grade students: (a) Close (68%), (b) Conflictual (16%), and (c) Uninvolved (16%). Our follow-up models identified bidirectional relations that differed across these profiles, indicating more robust bidirectional learning behavior-achievement interrelationships in the Close profile and more unidirectional achievement to learning behavior relations in the Conflictual and Uninvolved profiles. These findings illustrate how differences in environmental contexts impact the relationship between students' learning behaviors and their achievement. Future studies should consider contextual influences when investigating children's academic growth processes and developing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Anthony
- School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, USA.
| | - Julia Ogg
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, USA
| | - Emily H Winkelman
- School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, USA
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2
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Starr A, Riemann R. Common genetic and environmental effects on cognitive ability, conscientiousness, self-perceived abilities, and school performance. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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3
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Xiao F, Sun L, Zeng Y, Zhan J. Examining the association between two aspects of grit and test anxiety among Chinese University students. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02393-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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4
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Trait and state math EAP (emotion, appraisals and performance) profiles of Dutch teenagers. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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5
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Self-Esteem and Motivation for Learning in Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Reasoning and Verbal Fluidity. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12145768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to analyze the joint role that non-cognitive (motivation and self-esteem) and cognitive (verbal fluency and reasoning) factors play on academic achievement, both as a global score and in relation to specific subjects, such as language and literature and mathematics. We also analyzed the mediating role of cognitive factors. We recruited a sample of 133 primary education students (aged 6–9 years old) (47.6% girls, 52.6% boys), to whom various measures of the above-indicated variables were administered. Several predictive models were tested through a mediational regression analysis. The results indicated the relevance of intrinsic motivation together with self-esteem as predictors of academic achievement mediated by the cognitive abilities verbal fluency and reasoning. These relationships differed depending on the specific subject. We discuss the educational implications of these findings and emphasize, on the one hand, that academic achievement depends on both cognitive and non-cognitive factors and, on the other hand, the malleability of cognitive factors, as they seem to improve based on motivation and self-esteem.
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6
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Malanchini M, Rimfeld K, Allegrini AG, Ritchie SJ, Plomin R. Cognitive ability and education: How behavioural genetic research has advanced our knowledge and understanding of their association. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 111:229-245. [PMID: 31968216 PMCID: PMC8048133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive ability and educational success predict positive outcomes across the lifespan, from higher earnings to better health and longevity. The shared positive outcomes associated with cognitive ability and education are emblematic of the strong interconnections between them. Part of the observed associations between cognitive ability and education, as well as their links with wealth, morbidity and mortality, are rooted in genetic variation. The current review evaluates the contribution of decades of behavioural genetic research to our knowledge and understanding of the biological and environmental basis of the association between cognitive ability and education. The evidence reviewed points to a strong genetic basis in their association, observed from middle childhood to old age, which is amplified by environmental experiences. In addition, the strong stability and heritability of educational success are not driven entirely by cognitive ability. This highlights the contribution of other educationally relevant noncognitive characteristics. Considering both cognitive and noncognitive skills as well as their biological and environmental underpinnings will be fundamental in moving towards a comprehensive, evidence-based model of education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
| | - Kaili Rimfeld
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea G Allegrini
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
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7
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Harden KP, Domingue BW, Belsky DW, Boardman JD, Crosnoe R, Malanchini M, Nivard M, Tucker-Drob EM, Harris KM. Genetic associations with mathematics tracking and persistence in secondary school. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2020; 5:1. [PMID: 32047651 PMCID: PMC7002519 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-0060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Maximizing the flow of students through the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline is important to promoting human capital development and reducing economic inequality. A critical juncture in the STEM pipeline is the highly cumulative sequence of secondary school math courses. Students from disadvantaged schools are less likely to complete advanced math courses. Here, we conduct an analysis of how the math pipeline differs across schools using student polygenic scores, which are DNA-based indicators of propensity to succeed in education. We integrated genetic and official school transcript data from over 3000 European-ancestry students from U.S. high schools. We used polygenic scores as a molecular tracer to understand how the flow of students through the high school math pipeline differs in socioeconomically advantaged versus disadvantaged schools. Students with higher education polygenic scores were tracked to more advanced math already at the beginning of high school and persisted in math for more years. Analyses using genetics as a molecular tracer revealed that the dynamics of the math pipeline differed by school advantage. Compared to disadvantaged schools, advantaged schools buffered students with low polygenic scores from dropping out of math. Across all schools, even students with exceptional polygenic scores (top 2%) were unlikely to take the most advanced math classes, suggesting substantial room for improvement in the development of potential STEM talent. These results link new molecular genetic discoveries to a common target of educational-policy reforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | | | - Daniel W. Belsky
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Jason D. Boardman
- Department of Sociology and Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CA USA
| | - Robert Crosnoe
- Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Michel Nivard
- Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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8
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Malanchini M, Rimfeld K, Wang Z, Petrill SA, Tucker-Drob EM, Plomin R, Kovas Y. Genetic factors underlie the association between anxiety, attitudes and performance in mathematics. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:12. [PMID: 32066693 PMCID: PMC7026074 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0711-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Students struggling with mathematics anxiety (MA) tend to show lower levels of mathematics self-efficacy and interest as well as lower performance. The current study addresses: (1) how MA relates to different aspects of mathematics attitudes (self-efficacy and interest), ability (understanding numbers, problem-solving ability, and approximate number sense) and achievement (exam scores); (2) to what extent these observed relations are explained by overlapping genetic and environmental factors; and (3) the role of general anxiety in accounting for these associations. The sample comprised 3410 twin pairs aged 16-21 years, from the Twins Early Development Study. Negative associations of comparable strength emerged between MA and the two measures of mathematics attitudes, phenotypically (~ -0.45) and genetically (~ -0.70). Moderate negative phenotypic (~ -0.35) and strong genetic (~ -0.70) associations were observed between MA and measures of mathematics performance. The only exception was approximate number sense whose phenotypic (-0.10) and genetic (-0.31) relation with MA was weaker. Multivariate quantitative genetic analyses indicated that all mathematics-related measures combined accounted for ~75% of the genetic variance in MA and ~20% of its environmental variance. Genetic effects were largely shared across all measures of mathematics anxiety, attitudes, abilities and achievement, with the exception of approximate number sense. This genetic overlap was not accounted for by general anxiety. These results have important implications for future genetic research concerned with identifying the genetic underpinnings of individual variation in mathematics-related traits, as well as for developmental research into how children select and modify their mathematics-related experiences partly based on their genetic predispositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK.
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Kaili Rimfeld
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | | | - Elliot M Tucker-Drob
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
- International Centre for Research in Human Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
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9
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Zheng A, Briley DA, Malanchini M, Tackett JL, Harden KP, Tucker-Drob EM. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Achievement Goal Orientations Shift with Age. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2019; 33:317-336. [PMID: 34083874 PMCID: PMC8171310 DOI: 10.1002/per.2202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Students engage in learning activities with different achievement goal orientations. Some students pursue learning for learning sake (i.e. mastery goal orientation), some are driven by gaining favorable judgement of their performance (i.e. performance approach goal orientation), and others focus on avoiding negative judgement (i.e. performance avoidance goal orientation). These goal orientations are linked with academic achievement, and troublingly, students report decreasing levels of goal orientations across the school years. However, little is known concerning the mechanisms that drive this decline. In a large (N = 891 twin pairs) cross-sectional genetically informative sample (age = 8 to 22 years), we found that older students reported lower goal orientations. Then, we identified shifts in the magnitude of genetic and environmental variance in each goal orientation. For example, variance in mastery goal orientation was primarily associated with environmental factors during the elementary school years. As students entered high school, genetic influences increased, replacing shared environmental influences. Finally, we situated these findings in the larger nomological network by testing associations with psychological constructs (e.g. personality and cognitive ability) and contextual variables (e.g. parents, schools, and peers). The development of academic motivation is complex with many interconnecting factors that appear to shift with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqing Zheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Daniel A Briley
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | | | | | - K Paige Harden
- Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Elliot M Tucker-Drob
- Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
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10
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Malanchini M, Engelhardt LE, Grotzinger AD, Harden KP, Tucker-Drob EM. "Same but different": Associations between multiple aspects of self-regulation, cognition, and academic abilities. J Pers Soc Psychol 2018; 117:1164-1188. [PMID: 30550329 DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Self-regulation describes the ability to control both behaviors and internal states against a backdrop of conflicting or distracting situations, drives, or impulses. In the cognitive psychology tradition, individual differences in self-regulation are commonly measured with performance-based tests of executive functioning, whereas in the personality psychology tradition, individual differences in self-regulation are typically assessed with report-based measures of impulse control, sustained motivation, and perseverance. The goal of this project was (a) to comprehensively examine the structure of associations between multiple self-regulatory constructs stemming from the cognitive and personality psychology traditions; (b) to estimate how these constructs, individually and collectively, related to mathematics and reading ability beyond psychometric measures of processing speed and fluid intelligence; and (c) to estimate the extent to which genetic and environmental factors mediated the observed associations. Data were available for 1,019 child participants from the Texas Twin Project (M age = 10.79, range = 7.8-15.5). Results highlighted the differentiation among cognitive and personality aspects of self-regulation, both at observed and genetic levels. After accounting for processing speed and fluid intelligence, EF remained a significant predictor of reading and mathematics ability. Educationally relevant measures of personality-particularly an openness factor representing curiosity and intellectual self-concept-incrementally contributed to individual differences in reading ability. Collectively, measures of cognition, self-regulation, and other educationally relevant aspects of personality accounted for the entirety of genetic variance in mathematics and reading ability. The current findings point to the important independent role that each construct plays in academic settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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11
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Rubinsten O, Marciano H, Eidlin Levy H, Daches Cohen L. A Framework for Studying the Heterogeneity of Risk Factors in Math Anxiety. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:291. [PMID: 30559654 PMCID: PMC6286963 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety is a prevalent disorder which affects many people worldwide. Here, we draw together ample evidence to suggest a dynamic developmental bio-psycho-social model. The model highlights the complex pathways towards the development of math anxiety, with a focus on dynamism. That is, math anxiety is viewed here as a dynamic interplay between environmental (parenting style, as well as social style including teachers' attitude, instruction strategies and wider social effects) and intrinsic factors (i.e., neuro-cognitive and genetic predispositions, including brain malfunctions, heritability, predisposition towards general anxiety) and basic numerical cognition and affective factors. The model predicts that the dynamic interplay between these factors can either prevent or promote math anxiety's effects on the development of heterogeneous symptoms. Considering the universal nature of math anxiety, a systematic description of the vulnerability factors that contribute to the development of math anxiety is vital. Such information may be of particular value in informing the design of preventive interventions as well as of specific intervention tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Rubinsten
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hadas Marciano
- Department of Psychology, Tel Hai College, Kiryat-Shmona, Israel
- Ergonomics and Human Factors Unit, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hili Eidlin Levy
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lital Daches Cohen
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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12
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13
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Wang Z, Shakeshaft N, Schofield K, Malanchini M. Anxiety is not enough to drive me away: A latent profile analysis on math anxiety and math motivation. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192072. [PMID: 29444137 PMCID: PMC5812593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematics anxiety (MA) and mathematics motivation (MM) are important multi-dimensional non-cognitive factors in mathematics learning. While the negative relation between global MA and MM is well replicated, the relations between specific dimensions of MA and MM are largely unexplored. The present study utilized latent profile analysis to explore profiles of various aspects of MA (including learning MA and exam MA) and MM (including importance, self-perceived ability, and interest), to provide a more holistic understanding of the math-specific emotion and motivation experiences. In a sample of 927 high school students (13-21 years old), we found 8 distinct profiles characterized by various combinations of dimensions of MA and MM, revealing the complexity in the math-specific emotion-motivation relation beyond a single negative correlation. Further, these profiles differed on mathematics learning behaviors and mathematics achievement. For example, the highest achieving students reported modest exam MA and high MM, whereas the most engaged students were characterized by a combination of high exam MA and high MM. These results call for the need to move beyond linear relations among global constructs to address the complexity in the emotion-motivation-cognition interplay in mathematics learning, and highlight the importance of customized intervention for these heterogeneous groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Shakeshaft
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry Schofield
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
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14
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Gunderson EA, Park D, Maloney EA, Beilock SL, Levine SC. Reciprocal relations among motivational frameworks, math anxiety, and math achievement in early elementary school. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2017.1421538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daeun Park
- Chungbuk National University, South Korea
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15
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Malanchini M, Wang Z, Voronin I, Schenker VJ, Plomin R, Petrill SA, Kovas Y. Reading self-perceived ability, enjoyment and achievement: A genetically informative study of their reciprocal links over time. Dev Psychol 2017; 53:698-712. [PMID: 28333527 PMCID: PMC5363396 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Extant literature has established a consistent association between aspects of reading motivation, such as enjoyment and self-perceived ability, and reading achievement, in that more motivated readers are generally more skilled readers. However, the developmental etiology of this relation is yet to be investigated. The present study explores the development of the motivation-achievement association and its genetic and environmental underpinnings. Applying cross-lagged design in a sample of 13,825 twins, we examined the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the association between reading enjoyment and self-perceived ability and reading achievement. Children completed a reading comprehension task and self-reported their reading enjoyment and perceived ability twice in middle childhood: when they were 9-10 and 12 years old. Results showed a modest reciprocal association over time between reading motivation (enjoyment and perceived ability) and reading achievement. Reading motivation at age 9-10 statistically predicted the development of later achievement, and similarly, reading achievement at age 9-10 predicted the development of later motivation. This reciprocal association was observed beyond the stability of the variables and their contemporaneous correlation and was largely explained by genetic factors. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhe Wang
- Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech
| | - Ivan Voronin
- Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education
| | | | - Robert Plomin
- MRC Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
| | | | - Yulia Kovas
- Psychology Department, Goldsmiths University of London
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16
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Tosto MG, Asbury K, Mazzocco MMM, Petrill SA, Kovas Y. From classroom environment to mathematics achievement: The mediating role of self-perceived ability and subject interest. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016; 50:260-269. [PMID: 27766018 PMCID: PMC5063534 DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Drawing on Bandura's triadic reciprocal causation model, perceived classroom environment and three intrapersonal factors (mathematics self-efficacy, maths interest and academic self-concept) were considered as predictors of test performance in two correlated mathematics assessments: a public examination (GCSE) and an on-line test, both taken by UK pupils at age 16 (n = 6689). Intrapersonal factors were significantly associated with both test scores, even when the alternative score was taken into account. Classroom environment did not correlate with mathematics achievement once intrapersonal factors and alternative test performance were included in the model, but was associated with subject interest and academic self-concept. Perceptions of classroom environment may exercise an indirect influence on achievement by boosting interest and self-concept. In turn, these intrapersonal factors have direct relationships with achievement and were found to mediate the relationship between perceived classroom environment and maths performance. Findings and their implications for mathematics education are discussed. Can learning environment (classroom) and intrapersonal factors (self-perceived ability and interest) predict maths at age 16? Intrapersonal factors are associated with maths performance at 16. Learning environments are associated with intrapersonal factors at this age. In particular, perceived maths classroom environment predicts interest in maths. Intrapersonal factors mediate the relationship between perceived classroom environment and maths performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Tosto
- Psychology in Education Research Centre, Department of Education, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Tomsk State University, 36, Lenina Avenue, Tomsk 634050, Russia
| | - Kathryn Asbury
- Psychology in Education Research Centre, Department of Education, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Michèle M M Mazzocco
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Stephen A Petrill
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Tomsk State University, 36, Lenina Avenue, Tomsk 634050, Russia; SGDP Centre (PO80), Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
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17
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Genetics affects choice of academic subjects as well as achievement. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26373. [PMID: 27310577 PMCID: PMC4910524 DOI: 10.1038/srep26373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that individual differences in educational achievement are highly heritable throughout compulsory education. After completing compulsory education at age 16, students in England can choose to continue to study for two years (A-levels) in preparation for applying to university and they can freely choose which subjects to study. Here, for the first time, we show that choosing to do A-levels and the choice of subjects show substantial genetic influence, as does performance after two years studying the chosen subjects. Using a UK-representative sample of 6584 twin pairs, heritability estimates were 44% for choosing to do A-levels and 52-80% for choice of subject. Achievement after two years was also highly heritable (35-76%). The findings that DNA differences substantially affect differences in appetites as well as aptitudes suggest a genetic way of thinking about education in which individuals actively create their own educational experiences in part based on their genetic propensities.
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18
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Malanchini M, Tosto MG, Garfield V, Dirik A, Czerwik A, Arden R, Malykh S, Kovas Y. Preschool Drawing and School Mathematics: The Nature of the Association. Child Dev 2016; 87:929-43. [PMID: 27079561 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The study examined the etiology of individual differences in early drawing and of its longitudinal association with school mathematics. Participants (N = 14,760), members of the Twins Early Development Study, were assessed on their ability to draw a human figure, including number of features, symmetry, and proportionality. Human figure drawing was moderately stable across 6 months (average r = .40). Individual differences in drawing at age 4½ were influenced by genetic (.21), shared environmental (.30), and nonshared environmental (.49) factors. Drawing was related to later (age 12) mathematical ability (average r = .24). This association was explained by genetic and shared environmental factors that also influenced general intelligence. Some genetic factors, unrelated to intelligence, also contributed to individual differences in drawing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aysegul Dirik
- Goldsmiths University of London.,Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry (WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development), Queen Mary University of London
| | | | | | - Sergey Malykh
- Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Goldsmiths University of London.,Tomsk State University.,King's College London.,New York University in London
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Garon-Carrier G, Boivin M, Guay F, Kovas Y, Dionne G, Lemelin JP, Séguin JR, Vitaro F, Tremblay RE. Intrinsic Motivation and Achievement in Mathematics in Elementary School: A Longitudinal Investigation of Their Association. Child Dev 2015; 87:165-75. [PMID: 26548456 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the associations between intrinsic motivation and achievement in mathematics in a sample of 1,478 Canadian school-age children followed from Grades 1 to 4 (ages 7-10). Children self-reported their intrinsic motivation toward mathematics, whereas achievement was measured through direct assessment of mathematics abilities. Cross-lagged models showed that achievement predicted intrinsic motivation from Grades 1 to 2, and from Grades 2 to 4. However, intrinsic motivation did not predict achievement at any time. This developmental pattern of association was gender invariant. Contrary to the hypothesis that motivation and achievement are reciprocally associated over time, our results point to a directional association from prior achievement to subsequent intrinsic motivation. Results are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michel Boivin
- School of Psychology, Université Laval.,Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University
| | - Frédéric Guay
- Department of Basic and Applied Education, Université Laval
| | - Yulia Kovas
- School of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London.,Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioural Genetics, Tomsk State University
| | | | | | - Jean R Séguin
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal.,CHU Ste-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Department of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Institute of Genetic, Neurobiological, and Social Foundations of Child Development, Tomsk State University.,Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, Université de Montréal.,University College Dublin
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Kovas Y, Garon-Carrier G, Boivin M, Petrill SA, Plomin R, Malykh SB, Spinath F, Murayama K, Ando J, Bogdanova OY, Brendgen M, Dionne G, Forget-Dubois N, Galajinsky EV, Gottschling J, Guay F, Lemelin JP, Logan JAR, Yamagata S, Shikishima C, Spinath B, Thompson LA, Tikhomirova TN, Tosto MG, Tremblay R, Vitaro F. Why children differ in motivation to learn: Insights from over 13,000 twins from 6 countries. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015; 80:51-63. [PMID: 26052174 PMCID: PMC4372262 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Genes rather than environment contribute to family resemblance in academic motivation. Environmental influences stemmed entirely from individual specific experiences. Attending same vs. different classes did not affect twin similarity in motivation. Results are similar across ages, countries and academic subjects.
Little is known about why people differ in their levels of academic motivation. This study explored the etiology of individual differences in enjoyment and self-perceived ability for several school subjects in nearly 13,000 twins aged 9–16 from 6 countries. The results showed a striking consistency across ages, school subjects, and cultures. Contrary to common belief, enjoyment of learning and children’s perceptions of their competence were no less heritable than cognitive ability. Genetic factors explained approximately 40% of the variance and all of the observed twins’ similarity in academic motivation. Shared environmental factors, such as home or classroom, did not contribute to the twin’s similarity in academic motivation. Environmental influences stemmed entirely from individual specific experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kovas
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia ; Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK ; King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, UK ; Psychological Institute, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Michel Boivin
- Université Laval, Québec, Canada ; Tomsk State University, Russia
| | | | - Robert Plomin
- King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, UK
| | - Sergey B Malykh
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia ; Psychological Institute, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Frank Spinath
- Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Kou Murayama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Olga Y Bogdanova
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia
| | | | | | | | - Eduard V Galajinsky
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia
| | | | | | - Jean-Pascal Lemelin
- Département de psychoéducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Jessica A R Logan
- Crane Center for Early Child Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shinji Yamagata
- National Center for University Entrance Examinations, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Birgit Spinath
- Department of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Lee A Thompson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tatiana N Tikhomirova
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioral Genetics, Tomsk State University, Russia ; Psychological Institute, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Richard Tremblay
- Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada ; School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Public Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland ; Department of Psychology, University of York, UK
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21
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Mussolin C, Nys J, Content A, Leybaert J. Symbolic number abilities predict later approximate number system acuity in preschool children. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91839. [PMID: 24637785 PMCID: PMC3956743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 02/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
An ongoing debate in research on numerical cognition concerns the extent to which the approximate number system and symbolic number knowledge influence each other during development. The current study aims at establishing the direction of the developmental association between these two kinds of abilities at an early age. Fifty-seven children of 3-4 years performed two assessments at 7 months interval. In each assessment, children's precision in discriminating numerosities as well as their capacity to manipulate number words and Arabic digits was measured. By comparing relationships between pairs of measures across the two time points, we were able to assess the predictive direction of the link. Our data indicate that both cardinality proficiency and symbolic number knowledge predict later accuracy in numerosity comparison whereas the reverse links are not significant. The present findings are the first to provide longitudinal evidence that the early acquisition of symbolic numbers is an important precursor in the developmental refinement of the approximate number representation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Mussolin
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Laboratory Cognition Language Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Julie Nys
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Laboratory Cognition Language Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alain Content
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Laboratory Cognition Language Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacqueline Leybaert
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Laboratory Cognition Language Development, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Evidence of gene–environment correlation for peer difficulties: Disruptive behaviors predict early peer relation difficulties in school through genetic effects. Dev Psychopathol 2013; 25:79-92. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579412000910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEarly disruptive behaviors, such as aggressive and hyperactive behaviors, known to be influenced by genetic factors, have been found to predict early school peer relation difficulties, such as peer rejection and victimization. However, there is no consensus regarding the developmental processes underlying this predictive association. Genetically informative designs, such as twin studies, are well suited for investigating the underlying genetic and environmental etiology of this association. The main goal of the present study was to examine the possible establishment of an emerging gene–environment correlation linking disruptive behaviors to peer relationship difficulties during the first years of school. Participants were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study of twins who were assessed with respect to their social behaviors and their peer relation difficulties in kindergarten and in Grade 1 through peer nominations measures and teacher ratings. As predicted, disruptive behaviors were concurrently and predictively associated with peer relation difficulties. Multivariate analyses of these associations indicate that they were mainly accounted for by genetic factors. These results emphasize the need to adopt an early and persistent prevention framework targeting both the child and the peer context to alleviate the establishment of a negative coercive process and its consequences.
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