Postponement in the completion of the final dissertation: an underexplored dimension of achievement in higher education

Research on academic achievement at a university has mainly focused on success and persistence among first year students. Very few studies have looked at delay or failure in the completion of a final dissertation. However, this phenomenon could affect a substantial proportion of students and has considerable costs. The purpose of the present study is to identify factors which predict postponement in the completion of the final dissertation. Several potential predictors (e.g., background, personality, social support, motivational beliefs, and engagement) were selected through an integrative review of the literature on achievement in higher education. A questionnaire assessing these variables was administered to 341 students a few months before the deadline for their final dissertation. Results indicate that perceived peer support, perceived relatives support, role conflict, and age have an independent and significant effect on whether or not the final dissertation is completed on time. In addition, self-efficacy and behavioral engagement appeared to be mediators of the relationship between the social support and the final dissertation completion.     

Students with reading and spelling disabilities: peer groups and educational attainment in secondary education

The present study investigated whether the members of adolescents' peer groups are similar in reading and spelling disabilities and whether this similarity contributes to subsequent school achievement and educational attainment. The sample consisted of 375 Finnish adolescents whose reading and spelling disabilities were assessed at age 16 with the Finnish dyslexia screening test. The students also completed a sociometric nomination measure that was used to identify their peer groups. Register information on participants' school grades also was available, and educational attainment in secondary education was recorded 5 years after completion of the 9 years of basic education. The results revealed that the members of adolescent peer groups resembled each other in reading disabilities but not in those of spelling. Reading disabilities and academic achievement shared within the peer group also contributed to educational attainment in secondary education. Finally, reading disabilities played a larger role in educational attainment among males than among females.     

Capabilities‐based educational equivalency units: Beginning a professional dialogue

Abstract

This article proposes a basic model for the transformation of academic equivalency in distance education, shifting from a unit of measurement that relies on time in the classroom (the Carnegie unit) to one that focuses on learner achievement. The Capabilities‐Based Educational Equivalency (CBEE) model puts forward a framework of academic equivalency that is founded on valid and useful instructional design objectives. While allowing time to be variable (rather than constant) and holding academic achievement relatively constant, the CBEE model permits the comparison of student achievement in face‐to‐face and distance education, as well as between programs delivering instruction via a wide variety of media.     

The peer group as a context: mediating and moderating effects on relations between academic achievement and social functioning in Chinese children

The purpose of the study was to examine, in a large sample of Chinese children and adolescents at 9, 13, and 16 years of age, the contextual effects of the peer group on relations between academic achievement and social functioning. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning and academic achievement were collected from multiple sources. It was found that peer groups were highly homogenous on academic achievement. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that academic achievement and social adjustment were associated at both the within-group individual level and the group level. Moreover, group academic performance moderated the relations between academic achievement and social adjustment such as peer acceptance, social competence, and leadership, suggesting that individual-level relations might be enhanced or exacerbated by group academic norms.     

Black males' self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in advanced science classes

The purpose of this research effort was to examine Black male students' self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in science. The purposeful sample consisted of nine Black males between the ages of 14 and 18 years. Four categories of self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential emerged from the data. These included: (a) gifted high achievers; (b) gifted “could do better” high achievers; (c) gifted “could do better” situational nonachievers; and (d) gifted “could do better” underachievers. Science teachers' influences that referenced participants' academic achievement pointed to validation. Participants' perceptions regarding how science teachers' influenced their academic performance focused on science teachers' content knowledge. Power dynamics germane to Black male participants' value or worth that directed their efforts in science learning environments are discussed. Implications are posited for science teaching, science education programs, and future research. This research endeavor was based on two premises. The first premise is that Black males' self‐perceptions of academic ability affect their science academic achievement. The second premise is that, given parental, peer, and community influences, science teachers have considerable influence on students' self‐perceptions of academic ability. However, the focus of this research was not on parental influences, peer influences, or any potential influences that participants' communities may have on their academic achievement. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 888–911, 2005     

The addition of audio‐teleconferencing to interactive telecourses: An experimental anaysis of drop‐out rates

Audio‐teleconferencing which allows peer interaction has been proposed as a potentially effective means to increase student completion rates in distance education courses. This hypothesis was examined in two experiments in which audio‐conferences were added to a telecourse which also included live‐interactive (one‐way video, two‐way audio) segments. Although there were differences in the completion rates between the groups of students involved in the audio‐teleconferencing and the control groups, these were not found to be statistically significant. It is suggested that the on‐air live interactive telecourse component may have made the audio‐teleconferences redundant. There were generally high completion rates overall.     

Robust and specific personality traits as predictors of adolescents’ final grades and GPA at the end of compulsory schooling

The study investigated the predictive value of robust and specific personality traits in adolescents (M _age?=?14.7 years), in explaining their academic achievement at the end of basic compulsory schooling. Personality data were obtained through self, maternal, and peer reports using the Inventory of Child/Adolescent Individual Differences. Adolescent gender and maternal education predicted 36, 26, 19, and 26 % of the variance in the final grades in Slovene, English, and mathematics and the overall GPA, respectively. Personality ratings by each of the three groups of informants substantially improved the prediction of students’ academic achievements, over and beyond gender and maternal education. The robust trait scores contributed to significant increments in the variance explained, across the academic achievement indicators, ranging from 8 to 17 % (self-report), 15 to 24 % (maternal report), and 20 to 32 % (peer report). Conscientiousness was consistently the most powerful predictor of students’ academic success and extraversion was negatively associated with all achievement indicators. The study provided support for a relatively stronger predictive utility of specific, rather than robust personality traits. Likewise, peer ratings of the students’ personality provided relatively larger increments in variance explained in academic achievements than maternal and self-ratings; in general, the personality trait ratings added more to the prediction of mathematics grades and the GPA relative to the prediction of success in languages. Among specific traits, subjectively perceived student intelligence was the most powerful and consistent predictor of final grades and GPA.     

‘Fitting in’ or ‘standing out’: Working‐class students in UK higher education

Drawing on case studies of 27 working‐class students across four UK higher education institutions, this article attempts to develop a multilayered, sociological understanding of student identities that draws together social and academic aspects. Working with a concept of student identity that combines the more specific notion of learner identity with more general understandings of how students are positioned in relation to their discipline, their peer group and the wider university, the article examines the influence of widely differing academic places and spaces on student identities. Differences between institutions are conceptualised in terms of institutional habitus, and the article explores how the four different institutional habituses result in a range of experiences of fitting in and standing out in higher education. For some this involves combining a sense of belonging in both middle‐class higher education and working‐class homes, while others only partially absorb a sense of themselves as students.     

INDIRECT EFFECTS IN THE PEER VICTIMIZATION‐ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT RELATION: THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC SELF‐CONCEPT AND GENDER

Peer victimization is a concern because victimized youth are more likely to have social, emotional, and academic difficulties. The current study examined the link between peer victimization and academic achievement by exploring the indirect effect of academic self‐concept on two variables. The sample consisted of 140 middle school students (40% male, 60% female). Using structural equation modeling, a mediation model revealed a significant indirect effect of victimization on academic achievement through academic self‐concept; however, when tested for gender differences, the indirect effect was only significant for girls. Interpretation of these results and suggestions for future studies are discussed.     

Effects of the peer group on the development of social functioning and academic achievement: a longitudinal study in Chinese children

This longitudinal study examined, in a sample of Chinese children (initial mean ages = 9.5 and 12.7 years, N = 505), how the peer group contributed to social functioning and academic achievement and their associations. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning, and academic achievement were collected from multiple sources. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that group academic performance made direct contributions to children's social development. Group academic performance also moderated the individual-level relations between academic performance and later social functioning. Whereas high-achieving groups strengthened the positive relations between academic achievement and social competence, low-achieving groups facilitated the negative relations between academic achievement and social problems. The results indicate the significance of the peer group for social functioning from a developmental perspective.     

Examining the relationship between treatment outcomes for academic achievement and social skills in school‐age children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between treatment‐induced changes in academic achievement and social skills in elementary school‐age children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder. A sample of 123 children in grades 1 through 4 with symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity, and significant achievement problems in math or reading were identified for participation. Participants were exposed to academic interventions mediated by their teachers, parents, peers, computers, or the student themselves. Data were collected on academic competence using the Woodcock‐Johnson III Test of Achievement and the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales; social skills were assessed using the Social Skills Rating System. Correlations between changes in academic competence and social skills from preintervention to approximately 10 months later were calculated. Results showed that as teacher ratings of reading improved, there were corresponding improvements in social skills. For students in peer‐mediated math interventions, increases in math fluency were correlated with improvements in self‐control. Results are discussed in the context of possible reasons for these findings and implications for practice and future research. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

CLASSROOM VICTIMIZATION: CONSEQUENCES FOR SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Peer victimization is a well‐established risk factor for children's adjustment, but it has rarely been studied as a feature of classroom climate. This study examines the consequences of classroom victimization for children's social and academic adjustment. Classroom victimization, social functioning, and academic adjustment were assessed in two subsamples taken from a full sample of 523 children nested in 28 classrooms, followed over the course of a school year. Results from a subsample of 213 students suggested that higher classroom levels of victimization predicted attenuated growth in children's reading achievement as well as greater stability of reading achievement over the course of the year. Results from a subsample of 490 children suggested that lower levels of classroom victimization predicted reduced stability of peer social preference and mitigated the trajectory between children's externalizing behavior and poor social preference. Implications for prevention of and interventions targeting peer victimization are discussed.     

The extent to which teacher attitudes and expectations predict academic achievement of final year students

Competition in the market is a perennial and ever‐increasing problem for independent schools. How schools can meet this pressure and find ways to attract (the best) students is a continuing question and one that will get more onerous as the government funding for education is, in relative terms, decreasing. One of the ways in which schools can show their worth is the attraction of the best teachers and being able to show potential clients how their staff contribute to the academic success of their graduating students. This study considers the relationship between teachers’ attitudes toward their work and the expectations and the extent to which their attitudes and expectations predict the academic achievements of their final year students. Results found that academic achievement is enhanced when school leadership provides an academically oriented context where values and expectations of high academic achievement are part of the school culture. Other teacher variables found to improve academic achievement are the teachers’ need for greater input into decision‐making at their schools; less formalisation of rules, procedures and process; and support through personnel, facilities, finances, equipment and resources.     

Testing a developmental–ecological model of student engagement: a multilevel latent growth curve analysis

US schools fail to engage a significant proportion of adolescent students. Although student engagement is significantly related to academic achievement, there is a dearth of longitudinal research simultaneously examining the impact of personal and contextual factors on student engagement at both individual and school levels. Using a nationally‐representative sample, multilevel growth curve analyses found significant factors related to adolescents’ student engagement both in initial status and rate of growth. Significant factors at the student level were students’ locus of control, self‐esteem, peer academic value, parental expectation and parent–child communication along with the students’ socio‐economic status, previous grades and friend dropout history. Significant factors at the school level were teacher rules on homework, teacher support, and school safety. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Testing for invariance in a structural model of academic achievement across underachieving and non-underachieving students

This work aimed to test the invariance of a causal structural model of the determinants of academic achievement in underachieving and non-underachieving students. A theoretical model of the relationships between personal, social, and familial variables and academic performance was derived empirically using data from a large sample obtained in a previous study, prior to testing for invariance across the two student groups. Underachieving students were identified using the Rasch model procedure. The sample comprised 259 underachieving and 258 non-underachieving students. The latter were selected randomly from a large non-underachieving sample of Spanish secondary education students. For model comparisons between groups, multiple-group causal structural analyses were performed, following a sequence of nested models with increasing constraints. The results showed a good fit of the model in both groups, although about half of the parameters were not invariant across groups. Underachieving students were characterized by their lack of learning strategies, an academic self-concept that exerted less influence on achievement, and a positive effect of the parent-school relationship on academic performance/achievement. Non-underachieving students were characterized by their use of metacognitive strategies, which led to higher academic achievement, a greater effect of self-concept on their achievement, the perception of parental support leading to higher performance, and the positive effects of peer acceptance on academic achievement.     

Academic Functioning and Peer Influences: A Short‐Term Longitudinal Study of Network–Behavior Dynamics in Middle Adolescence

In this study, the associations between peer effects and academic functioning in middle adolescence (N = 342; 14–15 years old; 48% male) were investigated longitudinally. Similarity in achievement (grade point averages) and unexplained absences (truancy) was explained by both peer selection and peer influence, net of acceptance, and connectedness. Friendships were formed and maintained when adolescents had low levels of achievement or high levels of truancy. Friends influenced one another to increase rather than decrease in achievement and truancy. Moreover, friends’ popularity moderated peer influences in truancy in reciprocal friendships but not in unilateral friendships, whereas friends’ acceptance moderated peer influences in achievement in both unilateral and reciprocal friendships. The findings illustrate the dynamic interplay between peer effects and academic functioning.     

Perspective matters: The internal/external frame of reference model for self- and peer ratings of achievement

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model posits that students' academic self-concept in one domain (e.g., math) is positively associated with achievement in the same domain but negatively associated with achievement in a comparison domain (e.g., English). Whereas academic self-concept encompasses self-ratings of achievement, peer academic reputation (PAR) encompasses peer ratings of the same achievement and PAR was shown to have an incremental predictive effect on a range of positive academic outcomes. Considering the importance of PAR, we hypothesized that the I/E model would also apply to PAR both as predictor and as outcome. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 850 seventh-grade students in 47 classes in math and English. Therein, PAR was measured in a round-robin design where students rated each classmate's level of achievement. We tested I/E models with academic self-concept and PAR as outcomes. Results supported the I/E model for academic self-concept as outcome with academic achievement and PAR as predictor but not for PAR as outcome with achievement as predictor. For PAR as outcome, the effects across domains were positive rather than negative. These results were consistent across replications over three years using the same sample. Thus, whereas academic self-concept was characterized by contrasts between domains, PAR was characterized by assimilation between domains.     

Peer Effects in Preschool Classrooms: Is Children’s Language Growth Associated With Their Classmates’ Skills?

With an increasing number of young children participating in preschool education, this study determined whether peer effects are present in this earliest sector of schooling. Specifically, this work examined whether peer effects were influential to preschoolers' growth in language skills over an academic year and whether peer effects manifest differently based on children's status in reference to their peers. Peer effects were assessed for 338 children in 49 classrooms. A significant interaction between the language skills of children's classmates and children's fall language skills indicated that peer effects were strongest for children with low language skills who were in classrooms that served children with relatively low skill levels, on average. Findings further showed that reference status, or children's relative standing to their peers, has the greater consequence for children with very low language skills in relation to their peers.     

Systematic review of educational interventions for looked‐after children and young people: Recommendations for intervention development and evaluation

Looked‐after children and young people (LACYP) are educationally disadvantaged compared to the general population. A systematic review was conducted of randomised controlled trials evaluating interventions aimed at LACYP aged ≤18 years. Restrictions were not placed on delivery setting or delivery agent. Intervention outcomes were: academic skills; academic achievement and grade completion; special education status; homework completion; school attendance, suspension, and drop‐out; number of school placements; teacher‐student relationships; school behaviour; and academic attitudes. Fifteen studies reporting on 12 interventions met the inclusion criteria. Nine interventions demonstrated tentative impacts. However, evidence of effectiveness could not be ascertained due to variable methodological quality, as appraised by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Theoretical and methodological recommendations are provided to enhance the development and evaluation of educational interventions.