Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 
Education Research Report

Pathways to student motivation

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

Students’ self-determined motivation (acting out of interest, curiosity, and abiding values) is associated with higher academic well-being, persistence, and achievement. Self-determination theory posits that self-determined motivation is dependent on the satisfaction of three psychological needs (relatedness, competence, and autonomy), which are in turn facilitated through need-supportive behavio

An integrated science and literacy curriculum for kindergartenT

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

This study examines the efficacy, cost, and implementation of an integrated science and literacy curriculum for kindergarten. The study was conducted in a large urban district and included 1,589 students in 71 classrooms in 21 schools. The research includes a multi-site cluster-randomized controlled trial and mixed-methods cost and implementation studies. Analysis revealed significant impacts on

Parents of higher SES being more likely to believe that parental investments impact child development

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

Socioeconomic inequalities in child development crystallize at early stages, with associated disparities in parental investment in children. A key to understanding the data patterns is to document the sources underlying the observed inequalities. This study shows that there are dramatic differences in parental beliefs across socioeconomic backgrounds (SES), with parents of higher SES being more l

The impact of school closures during the Corona crisis

India School Closures

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by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

This study quantifies the impact of school closures during the Corona crisis on children affected at different ages and coming from households with different parental characteristics. The data suggests that secondary schools were closed for in-person learning for longer periods than elementary schools (implying that younger children experienced less school closures than older children), and that

Free/reduced price lunch eligibility shows large benefits: spending, dietary composition, and food insecurity

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

This study finds evidence that exposure to universal free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) had a meaningful impact on grocery spending for households with children, with monthly food purchases declining by about $11, or 5 percent. For households in zip codes with higher exposure, the decline is as high as $39 per month, or 19 percent. The composition of food purchase

Biracial Students’ Perceptions of Threat and Belonging Across School Contexts

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

Stereotype threat posits that students who are members of negatively stereotyped groups in school should feel more threat and less belonging, especially in schools with large achievement disparities and low racial/ethnic minority representation. This research has focused primarily on the experiences of negatively stereotyped monoracial minority students, but for a biracial Black/White student who

A Comparison of Academic Outcomes in Courses Taught With Open Educational Resources and Publisher Content

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

What difference do open educational resources (OER) make compared with publisher content (non-OER) when costs and instructors remain constant? A total of 215 community college students enrolled in online, introductory courses were randomly assigned to OER or non-OER sections in this study and compared on retention at the tuition drop date, completion with a C or better, course completion, and mea

Academic Mindsets and Behaviors and the Transition to Middle School

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Middle school is an important crossroad in the academic journey, and poor performance in middle school is a strong signal of future negative academic outcomes. This is true particularly for Black and Latinx students. Previous research suggests that academic mindsets and behaviors are associated with—and may even drive—academic outcomes around the transition to middle school. To better understand

Adolescent health professionals critique new abstinence-only sex ed standards

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

New K-12 “standards” from the Medical Standards Institute of Health are woefully incomplete, inaccurate, and wrongly focus on marriage and abstinence as solutions to adolescent sexual health Experts at the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) are calling attention to a crisis in sex education, specifically the continued creation and endorsement of abstinence-only curricula being taug

Study Reviews: Instructional Practices in Middle School Math

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

Not all education research is equal—the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identifies high-quality studies and meaningful findings to inform educator decisions and improve student outcomes. This week, the WWC highlights three new study reviews of instructional practices for teaching middle school math, adding to the evidence from more than 11,000 citations about what works in education. The studies e

Mathematics Interventions for Adolescents with Mathematics Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 14d

This study quantitatively synthesized findings of quasi-experimental and randomized control studies of interventions designed to improve the mathematics achievement of secondary school students with mathematics difficulties (MD). The authors identified 45 studies (49 interventions) published between 1978 and 2020 and classified interventions into five categories: technology-based interventions (T

Targeted school‐based interventions improve achievement in reading and maths for at‐risk students in Grades K‐6

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 14d

Complete study School‐based interventions that target students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in kindergarten to Grade 6 have positive effects on reading and mathematics. The most effective interventions include peer‐assisted instruction and small‐group instruction by adults. These have substantial potential to decrease the achievement gap.These have substantial potential to decrease

Postsecondary Graduation Rates, Outcome Measures, Student Financial Aid, and Admissions

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 15d

About 22 percent of first-time full-time students who enrolled in 2-year institutions in 2015 graduated within two years (100 percent of normal time), according to new postsecondary data. However, that rate jumped to 40 percent when the time for graduation was extended to four years (200 percent of normal time). The National Center for Education Statistics released a set of web tables today (Octo

NAEP Long-Term Trend Report for Ages 9 and 13

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 15d

A new report reveals how a nationally representative sample of 9- and 13-year-old students performed on the 2019–20 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) long-term trend assessments in reading and mathematics. The report compares overall average scores, selected percentiles, and performance-level results over time. Long-term trend assessments were first administered in the early 1970

Cognitive study shows lack of bilingual education adversely affects English language learners' writing skills

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 16d

First-of-its-kind work shows importance of key brain functions in teaching writing to Hispanic learners As the number of Spanish-speaking English learners has increased in U.S. schools, research and attention have focused on how to boost students' reading and speaking skills. A first-of-its-kind study from the University of Kansas has examined three key cognitive functions and their role in learn

Low-performing computer science students face wide array of struggles

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17d

Complete report Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted a broad student experience survey to learn which factors most impact student success in early computing courses, a field that has historically seen high failure rates and poor student retention. They found that lower performing students reported higher stress levels on multiple factors— including cognitive, socio-econ

Predicting Early Fall Student Enrollment

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17d

Predicting incoming enrollment is an ongoing concern in school districts with school choice, substantial student mobility, or both. Inaccurate predictions can disrupt learning as districts adjust to enrollment fluctuations by reshuffling

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