The magic of hope: Hope mediates the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement

Two studies examined whether hope partially mediates the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. Guided by recent theoretical formulations about social class and the social cognitive process, in Study 1 a mediational pathway from SES to academic achievement via hope was documented in a diverse sample of adolescents. The mediational pathway was replicated in Study 2 in a minority sample of high school students. In both studies, hope was found to partially mediate the relationship between SES and grade point average. In addition, the unique contribution of hope to academic achievement replicated across the 2 studies, indicating that the additional stressors and challenges associated with being a minority did not affect the mediation. These results have implications for achievement gap interventions.     

The relationships between first name desirability and school readiness,IQ, and school achievement

The relationships between first name desirability and school readiness, IQ, and school achievement were explored using 1,727 elementary school children. Ratings of the desirability of first names were completed by 2,212 boys and girls in elementary and secondary schools. School readiness, IQ, and achievement variables showed small, but significant, correlations with first name desirability for girls; boys also showed a first name effect, but the magnitude was less. Most correlations remained significant even when the effects of parental education and ethnicity were partialled out. First name desirability was discussed as a specific case of stereotyping.     

The relationship between school culture and IEPs

IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are now established practice in most schools although they have remained problematic in some, particularly secondary, schools. Sue Pearson, a lecturer at Leeds University, suggests that the influence of the existing school culture on this innovative practice has received insufficient attention and that the changes in a school may be a demonstration of compliance to external pressures rather than the development of good practice. She describes the way in which the staff of one secondary school capitalised on existing strengths through collaborative working and highlights the implications for both individual students and for the school itself.     

The mediating role of cultural capital in the relationship between socioeconomic status and student achievement in 14 economies

More empirical evidence is needed to answer the question of in what way a family's socioeconomic status (SES) affects student academic achievement, so this study explores the mediating role of cultural capital (CC) in the relationship between SES and student achievement, using the latest approach to testing mediating effects. The data sets from 14 economies in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 were analysed. In general, the results supported the mediation effects of CC, and the mean of ratios of mediation effects to total effects was 23%. For the three frequently used indices of SES, parents’ occupations and education levels had larger impacts on student literacies than did family wealth possession. For most economies, objectified cultural capital (OCC) can explain the effects of all three SES indices on student literacies, but embodied cultural capital (ECC) can only explain the effects of parents’ occupations and education levels on student literacies. Whether for reading literacy, science literacy or mathematics literacy, CC theory is applicable in most economies. However, the mediating effects on reading and science literacies were higher than those on mathematics literacy. For different economies, the explanatory power of CC theory was also different.     

A multilevel analysis of Japanese middle school student and school socioeconomic status influence on mathematics achievement

The author examined the simultaneous influence of Japanese middle school student and school socioeconomic status (SES) on student math achievement with two-level multilevel analysis models by utilizing the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Japan data sets. The theoretical framework used in this study was Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner and Morris 1998). The data sets contained 4,856 students from 146 public and private middle schools. The results indicated that at the student level, different aspects of student SES (i.e., number of books, the possession of computers, paternal, and maternal educational achievements) were positively related to Japanese student math achievement. At the school level, two aspects of school SES (i.e., less populated schools and economically disadvantaged schools) were negatively related to Japanese student math achievement. None of the cross-level interactions were significant, but the random effect for the computer slope was significant. Although this study found both student and school SES effects on student achievement, the proportional reduction of prediction error explained by both student and school SES were was small, meaning the residual variances at student and school levels did not capture the majority of variance explained by math achievement. The implications of theoretical framework and educational policy are discussed.     

The relation between perceptual development (as part of school readiness) and school success of Grade I learners

Abstract

Teacher-educators need to know and understand their roles in order to develop their competence and improve the quality of the service that they provide (Kwakman 1998, 57). The roles and functions of teacher-educators as spelt out in the policy document, ‘Norms and Standards for Educators, (1996)’, may be sufficient to enable them to develop their competence and improve service delivery, but do they (teacher-educators) know and understand these roles and consequently take advantage of them (teachereducator roles) as intended in the policy guidelines?

This article discusses educator roles and factors that influence the way in which these (roles) could be interpreted for teacher-educators. Knowing and understanding these roles and factors will help technology education teacher-educators in the interpretation of the policy guidelines about their roles.     

Socially constructed readiness for school

Educational researchers, early childhood educators, and parents often think of readiness for school as a measurable child characteristic. This ignores the social process by which readiness is used to group, rank, and compare children and the variability in the term's use from community to community. This study proposes that readiness for school should be conceived as being “socially constructed.” Using a conceptual framework based on Vygotskian theory and cultural anthropology, we develop the concept of “activity setting” as a social process in which cognitive processes and meaning structures develop. The emerging meaning of readiness is examined by using an activity‐setting analysis in three different communities and kindergarten settings.     

The relationship between social behavior and self-concept in school settings

The relationship between social behavior, as measured by the School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS), and self-concept, as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), was studied. Subjects included 41 public school students in Grades 5 and 6. These subjects were rated on the SSBS by their classroom teachers and also completed the SPPC as a self-report measure. A number of significant positive relationships were found between the Social Competence scores of the SSBS and the SPPC self-concept scores. Relationships between the Problem Behavior scores of the SSBS and the SPPC scores were extremely weak, and none of the obtained coefficients was statistically significant. The pattern of associations identified through this investigation provides support for the criterion-related validity of both the SSBS and SPPC, and raises some interesting questions regarding the relationship between social behavior and self-concept in children.     

Migrant preschool children's school readiness and early elementary school performance

Little is known about the early educational performance of children in migrant farmworker families. The authors examined the school readiness and early school success of 289 four-year-old preschool children of migrant families attending Redlands Christian Migrant Association centers. Children's school readiness was assessed and public school records were used for longitudinal follow-up. Children improved on age-4 school readiness domains, and although some struggled with emergent English literacy, many performed well on school readiness measures and later coursework. Children quickly became proficient in oral English, and had above-average school attendance. Many scored low on high-stakes tests; however, typically well enough for grade promotion. Students in the sample were comparable to similar students in poverty. School teachers and administrators should have high expectations for students from migrant families because many of them do stay in the public school system, and appear to be quite resilient despite many challenges they face.     

The quadratic relationship between socioeconomic status and learning performance in China by multilevel analysis: Implications for policies to foster education equity

The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between family socioeconomic status and mathematics performance on the base of a multi-level analysis involving a large sample of Chinese primary school students. A weak relationship is found between socioeconomic status and performance in the Chinese context. The relationship does not follow a linear, but a quadratic curve, implying that students from a disadvantaged family and higher socioeconomic background have a higher probability to attain higher mathematics scores. This can be explained on the basis of Chinese cultural beliefs about education, exams and social class mobility. Moreover, the aggregated socioeconomic status at the school level seems to moderate in the relation between individual SES and academic performance. This suggests that individuals from a disadvantaged family will achieve higher in the school with a higher family socioeconomic status than students who are enrolled in schools with a lower and average family socioeconomic status.     

Screening for school readiness: The influence of birthdate and sex

School readiness has been measured in many ways; chronological age, sex, and developmental age all have been used, with varying success, to predict young children's readiness for school. One hundred and fifty-two children were classified by birthdate and sex, and compared on their performances on the Gesell Screening Test, the Gesell School Readiness Test (GSRT), and the Stanford Achievement Test. The Gesell measures were sensitive to the different birthdate groups; however, these differences diminished as the children aged. There were no significant differences between birthdate groups on the Stanford Achievement Test. Females scored higher than males on the GSRT at the end of kindergarten, but no interactions between birthdate and sex were found. Implications of the varying ways to determine school readiness are discussed.