The Moderating Role of the DYX1C1 Gene in the Effect of Home Supervision on Chinese Children's Reading Achievements: Evidence from the Diathesis-Stress Model

The current study aimed to explore whether susceptible children (with differences in DYX1C1 (dyslexia susceptibility 1 candidate gene 1) gene) are more likely to be influenced by either supportive or adverse home supervision in their reading achievements. Home supervision, reading achievements, and genotype data were collected from a total of 745 fourth and fifth grade children and their parents in Chongqing, China. The results showed that there was a significant interaction between the rs11629841 polymorphism of the DYX1C1 gene and home supervision on children's reading achievements. A further analysis based on the re-parameterized regression model showed that the interaction best fit a weak diathesis-stress model, which indicated that the home supervision had a stronger predictive effect on children's reading achievements among children with the susceptible genotype than children with a non-susceptible genotype in a more adverse environment rather than in a supportive environment. These results suggested that children carrying different genotypes may need targeted interventions and that their parents should emphasize home supervision to develop their children's reading skills.

The effects of parental's cultural and economic capital and parental support on being an elite scientists

Despite the rapid increase in the number of scientists all over the world in recent years, very few scientists can achieve to be part of elite scientist's category. Although there are many studies focusing on elite scientists, these studies generally do not focus on their childhood and parental background. In this study, which attempts to fill this gap, we focus on the cultural and economic capital of the families of elite scientists in Turkey and their parental support in childhood to analyze the roles of these variables in their being elite scientists. First, we assess the impact of cultural capital (institutional, objectified, and embodied), economic capital, parental support, and perceived academic success in basic education on the probability of becoming an elite scientist. Second, we analyze the differences among elite scientists to shed light on the gender gap in academia. We collected the data from 1,966 scientists working at 87 universities in Turkey through an online survey. Some of our main findings are as follows: (a) cultural capital, parental support, and academic success in basic education all have a strong positive effect on becoming an elite scientist; (b) objectified cultural capital has the highest impact in that an increase in this capital increases the probability of becoming elite scientists by 19%; (c) economic capital has no significant effect on elite scientists. Elite scholars have certain common characteristics, but significantly they are different from their average peers in terms of cultural capital and parental support and (d) elite female scientists have higher of cultural capital, economic capital, parental support, and academic success than elite male scientists. This finding supports the existence of the academic inequality and suggests that female scientists need higher cultural capital, economic capital, parental support, and perceived academic success to become elite scientists than their male counterparts.

School engagement profiles in Chilean secondary students

School engagement is considered a key variable in promoting educational trajectories. Previous research shows that maintaining high levels of school engagement is fundamental, given its association with multiple academic results and lower-risk behaviors. This article aims to show how school engagement profiles (based on the behavioral, affective, and cognitive subdimensions) relate to academic achievement (math and language), contextual factors (family, teachers, and peer support), and gender. This study involved 527 students enrolled in the 1st year of secondary education in public schools in Chile. All students came from vulnerable schools. Our study used cluster analysis to identify students' profiles. We identified the existence of three different profiles of school engagement (high, medium, and low) considering the three subdimensions of school engagement (behavioral, affective and cognitive). Secondly, ANOVA analysis showed differences in language and math academic achievement scores between the profiles, where higher engagement students showed higher academic performance in language and math. These findings are consistent with previous studies showing that contextual factors strongly influence school engagement and better behavioral engagement in female than male students. It will discuss the pertinence of person-centered approaches focusing on combinations of variables within students rather than taking each variable as the focal point when analyzing goals. These techniques are a favorable methodological alternative to investigate why some students have better results than others instead of just ranking students by their performance. It will conclude with some future lines of research and practical implications.

Literacy culture management of elementary school in Indonesia

Literacy has become one of the education needs in the 21st century. Literacy education implementation can be held through the management of literacy culture in schools. This step is taken as an effort to optimize the quality of education and equalize the students’ achievement at the international level. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of literacy culture management applied in elementary schools, in Indonesia. This research used the mixed-method sequential explanatory. The interviews, questionnaires, and documents study techniques were performed to collect data from teachers, students, and principals of public elementary schools in Boyolali, Central Java, Indonesia as data sources. Data were validated using the triangulation technique and triangulation sources. The data then were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of the study revealed: (a) literacy culture planning has been implemented optimally; (b) the organization of literacy culture has been carried out by establishing a school literacy team and it has operated optimally; (c) management of literacy culture; which consists of habituation, development, and teaching; has been implemented, and the objectives have been achieved (d) control includes regular academic supervision and evaluation has been carried out properly. This research implies that management literacy culture implementation in Boyolali, Indonesia can be a good reference and guideline for schools that will adopt a literacy culture program that needs intensive efforts to improve literacy culture in schools.

Examining the effects of ADHD symptoms and parental involvement on children's academic achievement

OBJECTIVE

Our understanding of the role of parental involvement in academic outcomes for children with ADHD is limited, with mixed evidence suggesting a positive association between parental involvement and academic achievement for pediatric ADHD but limited evidence regarding how this varies based on ADHD symptom severity, ADHD symptom domains, or co-occurring ODD symptoms. In this context, the present study aimed to examine the effects of parental involvement, ADHD symptoms, and comorbid ODD on children's overall, reading, and math achievement.

METHOD

A well-characterized clinically-evaluated sample of 162 children recruited through a university-based children's learning/behavioral health clinic and community resources (ages 8-13; 50 girls; 69% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) were administered standardized academic achievement tests, with parents and teachers completing measures of parental involvement and ADHD symptoms, respectively.

RESULTS

Inattention, but not hyperactivity-impulsivity, was associated with lower academic achievement in all tested models (β= -.16 to -.22, all p < .03). Surprisingly, parental involvement had significant negative associations with math and overall academic achievement (β= -.13 to -.26, both p< .05) and did not moderate the relations between ADHD symptoms and academic achievement in any tested model. Comorbid ODD symptoms did not significantly predict academic achievement or interact with parental involvement in any tested model. These findings were robust to control for child IQ, age, sex, SES, anxiety, and depression.

CONCLUSION

Parental involvement may not serve as a protective factor against academic underachievement for children with clinically elevated ADHD symptoms, and may predict lower rather than higher academic achievement for clinically evaluated children in general.

Parental involvement in homework of children with learning disabilities during distance learning: Relations with fear of COVID-19 and resilience

The present study investigated parental involvement in the homework of children with learning disabilities, during distance learning due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Also, the role of parents' fear of COVID-19 and resilience in their involvement in homework was examined. The study involved 271 parents (140 mothers and 131 fathers) of children with learning disabilities, who studied in the fifth and sixth grade from4 schools of Thessaloniki (Greece). Parents completed a set of self-reported questionnaires, which included a scale on parental involvement in homework, a scale on fear of COVID-19, and a scale on resilience. According to the results, both mothers and fathers expressed a high fear of COVID-19, a low sense of resilience, and were involved in homework mostly in terms of parental control. Parental involvement in homework was not significantly differentiated by children's gender and grade. Furthermore, the path analysis model showed that parents' fear of COVID-19 predicted, indirectly and positively, parental control through the mediating role of resilience. The findings show how parents' current emotional state affects their involvement in the homework of children with learning disabilities. Finally, the findings imply the need for parental counseling during the pandemic, to feel more resilient and consequently supportive towards children's learning.

Parents’ involvement, identification and alertness and their children’s functioning in school

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between parents’ involvement related to their alertness of what happens in school and their identification with school and their children’s attitudes toward school, social adjustment, self-efficacy and academic achievements.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were answered by 339 parents and 343 students, and yielded 34 parents whose levels of identification with school and alertness were low, and 57 parents whose levels were high. 10; path analysis was used (structural equation model). The theoretical model was tested by a software AMOS 7.0.

Findings

Involvement characterized by low identification and alertness predicted a direct, significant and negative relationship with children’s self-efficacy; alertness predicted a direct, significant and negative relationship with self-efficacy. The group with high identification and alertness predicted a direct, significant and positive relationship of their identification with children’s self-efficacy.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is recommended because of the small sample in this study. In addition, especially it is recommended to add to the study parents whose identification is low and their alertness is high.

Practical implications

The way to solve problems is not by mutual accusations, but by trusting each other. Parents and school must create useful communication channels and forums for straightening out issues and find solution through cooperation.

Originality/value

This paper reveals that parents’ alienation from school is a predictor of their children’s negative functioning in school. This document is intended for school principals, educational staff and parents to improve students’ functioning.

How parents were involved in a special school in Hong Kong

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on a case study of 93 parents’ attitude toward their involvement at various levels of school education in a special school. It also examines the relations between parents’ education backgrounds and different levels of parental involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study adopted quantitative research approach. A questionnaire composed of 30 items under six scales was developed with reference to Ng’s (1999) six-level Model of Home-School Cooperation which was adopted to frame the study.

Findings

– The study indicates that parents’ inclined to be involved more outside the school including “two-way communication,” “supervision of children at home” and “participation in parent organizations and activities” than that inside the school such as “volunteering,” “providing advice on school policies” and “participating in decision making.”

Research limitations/implications

– In spite of its small scale in a case-study special school, the paper does not aim at generalization but illuminates how parental involvement was carried out.

Practical implications

– The study carries implications for school management and policy makers when promoting and implementing parental involvement in special schools.

Originality/value

– For the school personnel, a total and positive relationship could help enhance efficient and effective management of education. Second, more resources should be provided by the Education Bureau for special schools to educate parents and subsidize their involvement. Third, more training opportunities regarding knowledge and skills of parental involvement should be provided for frontline teachers.

Successful transition to elementary school and the implementation of facilitative practices specified in the Reggio-Emilia philosophy

Systematic, mandated facilitation of school transitions is an important but understudied aspect of the Reggio-Emilia approach to early childhood education admired internationally as best practice. We studied the links between Northern Italian transition practices and academic achievement, school liking, cooperativeness, and problem behaviors. We followed 288 students across a transition from preschool to elementary school. Schools varied in their implementation of transition practices. High implementation of Reggio-type transition practices was related to significantly more school liking and significantly fewer problem behaviors after the transition. At follow-up at the end of the post-transition year, high-implementation schools were still characterized by lower levels of problem behavior. These data indicate that the facilitation of school transitions in the Reggio-Emilia tradition is associated with successful post-transition adjustment.

The long-term effects of early parent involvement and parent expectation in the USA

Building on social-cognitive theory and the expectancy-value theory, this study indicated that early parent expectations for children’s post-secondary educational attainment have a stronger effect on 8th-grade achievement than home-based parental involvement. With a nationally representative sample of kindergarten students and their parents in the United States of America, Structural Equation Modeling was employed in order to discern longitudinal effects on achievement via mediators. For instance, expectations held by parents in kindergarten exert much of their positive effect on adolescent academic achievement via expectations held in 8th grade. Student expectations (which are influenced by parental expectations) also significantly predict 8th grade achievement. Parent involvement in homework and grade checking in 8th grade has a slight negative effect on achievement. Home literacy in kindergarten predicts achievement in 8th grade indirectly via kindergarten achievement. These results indicate that parents can have a positive impact on academic achievement through early home literacy and maintaining a strong hope that their children will succeed in college. Because early parent expectations have long lasting effects on children, parent involvement interventions for young children need to be developed that also target elevating parental expectations. This study further clarifies the effects of the family environment on educational outcomes.

Content analysis of School Psychology International, 1990–2011: An analysis of trends and compatibility with the NASP Practice Model

Formal analysis of research publications serves as one indicator of the current status of a profession or a journal. Content analyses provide both practitioners and academicians with information on the status of research in the profession. These types of analyses can also provide information on the concordance between published research and what professional organizations consider key areas of practice. The current study examined articles published in one journal, School Psychology International, for a 22-year period from 1990 through 2011 ( n = 671 articles). All articles were coded for demographics of the author, including country of origin and level of international content, and the content matching categories found in the NASP Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services. Results indicated that the journal is very much international with authors coming from 57 countries. With regard to gender, a trend was noticed for increased participation by women. Finally, the analysis of content found a pattern that was not highly consistent with the categories identified by NASP. Factors contributing to the lack of consistency between research and areas of practice are discussed.