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- All Subjects: Academic Achievement
- Creators: Bradley, Robert H
- Creators: Lemery-Chalfant, Kathryn
- Resource Type: Text
The second study expands the current literature regarding instructional quality thresholds. Limited research has addressed the question of whether there is a minimum level of instructional quality that must be experienced in order to see significant changes in children's academic performance, and the limited research has focused primarily on preschoolers. The goal of study two was to determine if high-quality first-grade instructional support predicted children's first-, third-, and fifth-grade academic performance. Using piecewise regression analyses, results did not show evidence of a relation between first-grade instructional support quality and children's academic performance at any grade. Possible reasons for inconsistencies in findings from this study and previous research are discussed, including differences in sample characteristics and measurement tools. Because instructional quality remains at the forefront of discussions by educators and policy makers, the inconsistencies in research findings argue for further research that may clarify thresholds of instructional support quality that must be met in order for various subgroups of children to gain the skills needed for long-term academic success.
Expectation for college attendance in the United States continues to rise as more jobs require degrees. This study aims to determine how parental expectations affect high school students in their decision to attend college. By examining parental expectations that were placed on current college students prior to and during the application period, we can determine the positive and negative outcomes of these expectations as well as the atmosphere they are creating. To test the hypothesis, an online survey was distributed to current ASU and Barrett, Honors College students regarding their experience with college applications and their parents' influence on their collegiate attendance. A qualitative analysis of the data was conducted in tandem with an analysis of several case studies to determine the results. These data show that parental expectations are having a significant impact on the enrollment of high school students in college programs. With parents placing these expectations on their children, collegiate enrollment will continue to increase. Further studies will be necessary to determine the specific influences these expectations are placing on students.
Expectation for college attendance in the United States continues to rise as more jobs require degrees. This study aims to determine how parental expectations affect high school students in their decision to attend college. By examining parental expectations that were placed on current college students prior to and during the application period, we can determine the positive and negative outcomes of these expectations as well as the atmosphere they are creating. To test the hypothesis, an online survey was distributed to current ASU and Barrett, Honors College students regarding their experience with college applications and their parents' influence on their collegiate attendance. A qualitative analysis of the data was conducted in tandem with an analysis of several case studies to determine the results. These data show that parental expectations are having a significant impact on the enrollment of high school students in college programs. With parents placing these expectations on their children, collegiate enrollment will continue to increase. Further studies will be necessary to determine the specific influences these expectations are placing on students.
The neighborhood context is an important predicator of developmental outcomes, as it is where children spend much of their time. Especially when it comes to urban, low-income areas, high neighbor danger and crime have been considered a developmental risk. Research has documented the links between neighborhood environments and academic achievement, but less is known regarding the holistic view that considers contexts in conjunction with the neighborhood, despite these being important levels of influence. Thus, this study examined: 1) the direct associations between parent report of neighborhood danger and objectively measured neighborhood crime and academic achievement (e.g., Woodcock-Johnson IV), 2) family level stress as a potential mediator in these links, and 3) the teacher-child relationship as a potential moderator of these associations. Participants were from the ethnically and socioeconomically diverse Arizona Twin Project study (N=707 twin children, Mage = 8.44 years; SD = 0.69; 28.0% Hispanic/Latino, 57.7% Non-Hispanic White, 3.4% Asian American, 3.8% African American, 2.6% Native American, and 2.8% multiethnic or other; 53.5% middle to upper class, 15.6% lower middle class, 21.6% living near the poverty line, and 7.4% living in poverty as calculated by an income to needs ratio). There were no direct effects between subjective neighborhood danger and indicators of academic achievement, but there was a positive association between objective crime and scores on applied problems (an indicator of math achievement). Family- level stress was a significant mediator of perceptions of neighborhood danger and scores on passage comprehension (an indicator of reading achievement) but did not play a mediating role in the relation between objective crime and academic achievement. Specifically, higher levels of danger and crime were associated with greater levels of family stress, and lower levels of academic achievement scores. The teacher-child relationship was not a moderator in the relation between neighborhood danger/crime and academic achievement. Study findings provide additional evidence regarding the differences in subjectively versus objectively obtained data on the neighborhood environment and can inform future intervention (e.g., in the home and at schools) that support student’s academic achievement by addressing multiple levels of contextual influence.
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the situational shyness measure consistently supported that shyness in the hypothetical scenarios can be separated into three components: shyness with familiar peers, shyness with unfamiliar peers, and shyness in formal situations. These components had differential associations with other measures of shyness. Self-reported general and anxious shyness were related consistently to shyness with unfamiliar peers and in formal situations, and occasionally to shyness with familiar peers. Self-reported regulated shyness was not related to self-reported shyness in any situation. Peer-reported conflicted shyness was associated with shyness with familiar and unfamiliar peers, whereas peer-reported general shyness was associated with shyness with unfamiliar peers and in formal situations. Moreover, situational shyness showed differential relations to maladjustment. Shyness with familiar peers was associated positively with maladjustment in multiple domains, especially academic and peer difficulties. Shyness with unfamiliar peers and shyness in formal situations, in contrast, were associated primarily with internalizing problems. In addition, shyness with unfamiliar peers and in formal situations occasionally related to positive adjustment, suggesting shyness in specific situations may still be protective in contemporary urban China. The findings provided new evidence that the correlates of shyness depend on the situation in which shyness occurs, and may inform future intervention programs.
