Keep DRAGging ON: Is solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ associated with higher mathematical performance during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Prior research has shown that game-based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in-game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh-graders (12–13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between students' progress within DragonBox and their algebraic knowledge and general mathematics achievement, (b) the moderating effects of students' prior performance on these relations and (c) the potential factors associated with students' in-game progress. Among students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, higher in-game progress was related to higher algebraic knowledge after the intervention. Higher in-game progress was also associated with higher end-of-year mathematics achievement, and this association was stronger among students with lower prior mathematics achievement. Students' demographic characteristics, prior knowledge and prior achievement did not significantly predict in-game progress beyond the number of intervention sessions students completed. These findings advance research on how, for whom and in what contexts game-based interventions, such as DragonBox, support mathematical learning and have implications for practice using game-based technologies to supplement instruction.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• DragonBox 12+ may support students' understanding of algebra but the findings are mixed.
• Students who solve more problems within math games tend to show higher performance after gameplay.
• Students' engagement with mathematics is often related to their prior math performance.

What this paper adds

• For students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ is related to higher algebraic performance after gameplay.
• Students who make more in-game progress also have higher mathematics achievement, especially for students with lower prior achievement.
• Students who spend more time playing DragonBox 12+ make more in-game progress; their demographic, prior knowledge and prior achievement are not related to in-game progress.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• DragonBox 12+ can be beneficial as a supplement to algebra instruction for students with some understanding of algebra.
• DragonBox 12+ can engage students with mathematics across achievement levels.
• Dedicating time and encouraging students to play DragonBox 12+ may help them make more in-game progress, and in turn, support math learning.

     

A Complex quest: The development and research of underachievement interventions for gifted students

The seeming lack of motivation of many academically gifted students is an area of frustration and concern for many parents, teachers, and psychologists. This article explores two studies in which researchers designed interventions to improve academic achievement. Both interventions were created using the Achievement‐Orientation Model. The first study matched the intervention to the student and found that the students' grades increased over the intervention period, t(45) = 2.56, p = .014, d = .38. Students using treatments linked to goal valuation and environmental perceptions showed the greatest academic grade growth; the self‐efficacy and self‐regulation groups showed little or no grade improvement. Building on the finding that goal valuation was important, the second study used a mixed‐methods design to pilot an intervention focused on goal valuation and student autonomy. The results of this study were mixed, as the intervention appeared to help two of the three students. Although these studies offer further insight into possibilities for promoting academic achievement among gifted students, further research examining how to best support and foster academic achievement in underachieving gifted students is needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Self-Monitoring Strategies as a Unique Predictor of Latino Male Student Achievement

We examined how self-monitoring (i.e., regulating one’s behaviors; Snyder, 1987) relates to Latino male achievement. In Study 1, college students (N = 413) completed self-monitoring items and reported SAT math scores. As hypothesized, self-monitoring was positively correlated with achievement for Latino male students but was unrelated to achievement for Latina and White male and female students. Study 2 used a high school sample (N = 174) and observed math performance. Analyses revealed that, again, self-monitoring was positively related to achievement for Latino male students but unrelated to achievement for Latinas. These findings demonstrate the unique effects of self-monitoring on Latino male student achievement.     

Evaluation of a Math Intervention Program Implemented With Community Support

Abstract

Evidence-based interventions exist for improving multiple fundamental math competencies, but delivering interventions with fidelity and within a data-driven, tiered framework is a practical challenge faced by most schools. The current study evaluated a math intervention program delivered with community-based resources via AmeriCorps. At the beginning of the school year, students in Grades 4–8 (n?=?550) were randomly assigned to receive math support via the program or to a waitlist control group. Outcomes were measured with a broad-based assessment of math achievement in the winter. Results from intent-to-treat analyses showed a significant and positive effect (d?=?.17) for the program that increased slightly under optimal dosage conditions (d?=?.24). The observed results extend existing literature on math interventions in schools by illustrating the potential for partnerships between community-based organizations and schools to improve outcomes for at-risk students.     

Performance Trajectories and Performance Gaps as Achievement Effect-Size Benchmarks for Educational Interventions

Abstract

Two complementary approaches to developing empirical benchmarks for achievement effect sizes in educational interventions are explored. The first approach characterizes the natural developmental progress in achievement made by students from one year to the next as effect sizes. Data for seven nationally standardized achievement tests show large annual gains in the early elementary grades followed by gradually declining gains in later grades. A given intervention effect will therefore look quite different when compared to the annual progress for different grade levels. The second approach explores achievement gaps for policy-relevant subgroups of students or schools. Data from national- and district-level achievement tests show that, when represented as effect sizes, student gaps are relatively small for gender and much larger for economic disadvantage and race/ethnicity. For schools, the differences between weak schools and average schools are surprisingly modest when expressed as student-level effect sizes. A given intervention effect viewed in terms of its potential for closing one of these performance gaps will therefore look very different depending on which gap is considered.     

Effects of antibullying programs on teachers’ interventions in bullying situations. A meta‐analysis

Even though teachers are key figures of a program's effectiveness, most intervention studies have not focused explicitly on the effects of antibullying programs at teacher level. We conducted a meta‐analysis into the effects of school‐based antibullying programs on determinants of teacher intervention, including teachers’ attitudes towards bullying, their self‐efficacy and knowledge regarding intervention strategies, and the effects on teachers’ bullying intervention itself. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 13 peer‐reviewed papers were retrieved that reported outcomes on teachers, staff, and students (N = 948, 2,471, and 138,311, respectively). Antibullying programs had a significant moderate effect on determinants of teacher intervention (g = 0.531) and a significant small to moderate effect on teacher intervention in bullying situations (g = 0.390). Results of the meta‐analysis indicate that the effectiveness of antibullying programs may increase when components are included to reinforce teachers’ attitudes, subjective norms, self‐efficacy, knowledge, and skills towards reducing bullying in the school.     

Cooperative Learning and Literacy: A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of cooperative and collaborative learning to support enhanced literacy outcomes. Interventions considered were provided in regular education settings (i.e., not pull-out instruction) with students from Grades 2 through 12. Reviewing more than 30 years of literacy research, we located 18 intervention studies with 29 study cohorts. Included studies primarily used standardized assessments to report on students’ reading, vocabulary, or comprehension achievement, which we analyzed separately. Overall, students had significantly higher literacy achievement scores when instructional interventions utilized cooperative and collaborative activity structures. The overall weighted mean effect sizes ranged from 0.16 to 0.22 (p < .01) with more than 94% of the point estimates being positive. Because cooperative or collaborative learning was always one of multiple intervention components, it was impossible to estimate the unique, added effects of cooperative/collaborative learning. Although the small number of eligible studies precludes any claims about the effectiveness of specific forms of grouping and the circumstances under which programs have more impact, our findings suggest that cooperative and collaborative grouping was a core component of effective literacy interventions, particularly at the elementary level.     

Language‐Focused Interventions on Math Performance for English Learners: A Selective Meta‐Analysis of the Literature

This meta‐analysis synthesized research on math performance outcomes for English learners (EL) as a function of language‐focused (math vocabulary) interventions. We included group and single‐subject design studies with children from kindergarten to 8th grade (3,766 students for group, 30 for single‐subject). Group studies yielded a mean Hedges’ g of 0.26 in favor of the interventions relative to the control conditions, whereas single‐subject studies yielded a mean Percentage of Non‐Overlapping Data of 81.01% and Phi coefficient of .66 relative to baseline. Although group studies yielded small effect sizes (ESs), we found significant moderators for grade level, intervention focus, and length of intervention. Single‐subject studies yielded higher ESs than group studies, and were considered generally effective, with a high ES. This finding was attributed to a direct focus on children with math difficulties and one‐to‐one instruction. The implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Professional development on fostering students’ academic language proficiency across the curriculum—A meta-analysis of its impact on teachers’ cognition and teaching practices

This meta-analysis aggregates effects from 10 studies evaluating professional development interventions aimed at qualifying in-service teachers to support their students in mastering academic language skills while teaching their respective subject areas. The analysis of a subset of studies revealed a small non-significant weighted training effect on teachers’ cognition (g’ = 0.21, SE = 0.14). An effect aggregation including all studies (with 650 teachers) revealed a medium to large weighted overall effect on teachers’ classroom practices (g’ = 0.71, SE = 0.16). Methodological variables moderated the effect magnitude. Nevertheless, the results suggest professional development is beneficial for improving teachers’ practice.     

Longitudinal Evaluation of a Scale-Up Model for Teaching Mathematics With Trajectories and Technologies

Abstract

We used a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a research-based model for scaling up educational interventions, focusing on the persistence of effects with and without a follow-through intervention. The instantiation of the Technology-enhanced, Research-based, Instruction, Assessment, and professional Development (TRIAD) model emphasized teaching early mathematics for understanding via learning trajectories and technology. The TRIAD implementation began in 42 schools in two city districts serving low-resource communities, randomly assigned to three conditions. In pre-kindergarten, the 2 experimental interventions were identical, but 1 included follow-through in the kindergarten year, including knowledge of the pre-K intervention and ways to build upon that knowledge using learning trajectories. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that students in both the follow-through condition (g = .33) and non-follow-through condition (g = .22) scored statistically significantly higher than children in the control condition. Both groups outperformed the control condition in treatment-on-the-treated analyses (g = .38, follow-through; g = .30 non-follow-through). Moderators and mediators were also analyzed. We conclude that the instantiation of the TRIAD model was successful and that follow through may contribute to the persistence of the effects of preschool interventions.     

A Systematic Review of Interventions for Algebraic Concepts and Skills of Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Improving the algebraic concepts and skills of secondary school students with learning disabilities is critical for their success in college and in the job market. This research reviewed 12 studies to examine interventions for students with learning disabilities in relation to algebraic notions and competencies. The results indicate that in regard to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) Content Standards, the majority of the studies address linear equations and expressions, linear inequalities, and quadratic expressions; they show that following interventions, students’ performance improved with respect to algebraic concepts and skills. The Tau-U and Hedges’ g of the intervention effects computed were typically large or very large. The most commonly used instructional components in the interventions were multiple representations, a sequence and/or range of examples, and explicit instruction. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Development of a ‘universal’ rubric for assessing undergraduates' scientific reasoning skills using scientific writing

We developed a rubric for measuring students' ability to reason and write scientifically. The Rubric for Science Writing (Rubric) was tested in a variety of undergraduate biology laboratory courses (total n = 142 laboratory reports) using science graduate students (teaching assistants) as raters. Generalisability analysis indicates that the Rubric provides a reliable measure of students' abilities (g = 0.85) in these conditions. Comparison of student performance in various biology classes indicated that some scientific skills are more challenging for students to develop than others and identified a number of previously unappreciated gaps in the curriculum. Our findings suggest that use of the Rubric provides three major benefits in higher education: (1) to increase substance and consistency of grading within a course, particularly those staffed by multiple instructors or graduate teaching assistants; (2) to assess student achievement of scientific reasoning and writing skills; and (3) when used in multiple courses, to highlight gaps in alignment among course assignments and provide a common metric for assessing to what extent the curriculum is achieving programmatic goals. Lastly, biology graduate students reported that use of the Rubric facilitated their teaching and recommended that training on the Rubric be provided to all teaching assistants.     

Associations between Fine Motor and Mathematics Instruction and Kindergarten Mathematics Achievement

Research Findings: This study investigates the role of fine motor and mathematics instruction in mathematics achievement in an international sample of kindergarteners from the United States and China. Multilevel modeling was used to assess the interaction between students’ entering skills and classroom time spent on basic math, higher-order math and fine-motor instruction. For American children, the effect of basic math and higher-order math instruction on student achievement depended on entering skills; however, fine motor instruction had negative average effects on student achievement and did not depend on students’ entering skills. Instruction time was not a significant predictor of achievement for Chinese students. Practice or Policy: Though fine motor skills have a robust correlation with mathematics achievement, a causal link has not been established. Our study indicates that time spent in fine motor instruction does not advance mathematics achievement in kindergarten and in fact may weaken mathematics achievement, given the limited time in the instructional day. American teachers in our sample who spent more time in fine-motor instruction tended to spend less time on basic math and higher-order mathematics instruction. Educators should weigh instructional trade-offs carefully and work to tailor instruction to students’ skill levels.     

A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Improve Reading Comprehension Outcomes for Adolescents with Reading Difficulties

This meta-analysis synthesized 97 effect sizes extracted from 37 intervention studies for students with reading difficulties (RDs) in Grades 6 to 12 published between 1982 and 2021 to identify the overall impact of reading interventions and the moderating effects of intervention characteristics and study design characteristics. Random-effects robust variance estimation (RVE) was used to account for dependencies within studies. Overall, interventions designed to improve reading comprehension outcomes for adolescents with RDs were effective (g = 0.63). Meta-regression analyses identified several significant moderators that were associated with intervention efficacy, such as text content, duration of intervention, agent of intervention, status of student, type of dependent measure, and study quality. We provide study limitations as well as implications for research and practice.     

Instructing Struggling Older Readers: A Selective Meta‐Analysis of Intervention Research

This article synthesizes the experimental literature on reading interventions for upper elementary and middle school students identified with reading disabilities on norm‐referenced reading measures. Ten studies (12 independent samples) yielded 70 effect sizes on norm‐referenced reading measures with an aggregated mean of 0.41 (SE= .04) in favor of the experimental condition. Moderate effect sizes emerged on norm‐referenced measures of word identification (M= 0.41), decoding (M= 0.43), and comprehension (M= 0.73) and low effect sizes for fluency (M=–.29). Intervention outcomes did not significantly vary as a function of the reading skills measured, type of reading instruction, and/or variations in sample characteristics. Studies yielding low and relatively moderate effect sizes shared a number of instructional components. Overall, the magnitude of the results for experimental reading intervention studies for students with reading disabilities in the middle school age range was small to moderate. Implications of the study were discussed.     

The effect of relative age on achievement in middle school

To determine the relationship between relative age and achievement in middle school, standardized math and reading scores for a sample of middle-class, suburban middle school students (N = 933) were examined. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference among relative age groups in only one area, sixth-grade reading, F(2, 146) = 3.1, p < .05. There was no main effect for gender and no interaction between age and gender in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade. When the birth month of students who had repeated one or more grades was examined, it was revealed that a large percentage of these students would have been the youngest in the class when beginning school. Results suggest that a relationship between relative age and achievement may exist in the lower grades but diminishes or disappears by seventh or eighth grade because of the retention of a larger proportion of the youngest children.     

Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition (neuro)psychological predictors of math performance for typical children and Children with Math Disabilities

Concerns about the ability‐achievement discrepancy method for specific learning disability (SLD) determination led to alternative research‐based methods, such as failure to respond to intervention. Neither of these regulatory methods address the statutory SLD definition, which explicitly includes a deficit in basic psychological processes. Examining neuropsychological processing differences among typical children and children with math SLD, commonality analyses revealed that Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition (DAS‐II) predictors accounted for more achievement variance in typical children (46% to 58%) than in children with math SLD (33% to 50%), with substantial loss of predictive validity when General Conceptual Ability was used instead of subcomponent scores. Results suggest that differences in typical predictor‐outcome relationships may provide a foundation for developing specific cognitive and academic interventions for children with math SLD. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reading Recovery: Exploring the Effects on First-Graders' Reading Motivation and Achievement

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of Reading Recovery on children's motivational levels, and how motivation may contribute to the effect of the intervention on literacy achievement. Prior studies concluded that Reading Recovery was positively associated with increased student motivation levels, but most of those studies were limited methodologically. The achievement and motivation levels before and after the intervention of Reading Recovery students and similarly low-performing first-grade students were compared using structural equation modeling. It was found that Reading Recovery had a .31 treatment effect on achievement after controlling for baseline achievement and motivational differences among the treatment and comparison students. Reading Recovery also was associated with greater average levels of posttest motivation, and motivation was found to mediate the treatment-achievement relationship. This study highlights how important it is for early reading interventions to consider the role motivation plays in literacy acquisition.     

Housing Interventions and the Chronic and Acute Risks of Family Homelessness: Experimental Evidence for Education

This study considers risk associated with family homelessness for school functioning and experimental evidence on the effects of different housing interventions over time. Students in homeless families (N = 172; M_age = 7.31; SD = 4.15) were randomized to housing interventions that focus on acute risks (community-based rapid rehousing), chronic risks (permanent subsidy), or usual care (UC). A matched group of low-income, housed students served as an additional reference for effects on attendance, school mobility, and reading and math achievement across 4 years. Findings partially support the chronic-risk hypothesis that family homelessness interferes with achievement through its relation to deep poverty. Children randomly assigned to UC perform as well or better than children assigned to housing interventions in this municipality.     

Association between schoolwide positive behavioural interventions and supports and academic achievement: a 9-year evaluation

This study evaluated the long-term impact of schoolwide positive behavioural interventions and supports (PBIS) on student academic achievement. In this quasi-experimental study, academic achievement data were collected over 9 years. The 21 elementary, middle, and high schools that achieved moderate to high fidelity to the Save & Civil Schools’ PBIS model were matched with 28 control schools to assess academic gains. There were 5 years of baseline data (no intervention in treatment schools) and 4 years of intervention data, including 1 year of maintenance. Results indicate that implementation of the PBIS programme was significantly associated with increased student academic achievement (p = .001) and that the rate of change for students’ academic achievement in treatment schools was greater than for students in control schools. This study suggests that PBIS programmes, such as Safe & Civil Schools’ Foundations, may complement other efforts to improve academic outcomes.