Unraveling the Relationship Between Teacher-Assigned Grades, Student Personality, and Standardized Test Scores.
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SUBMITTER: Westphal A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8017135 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Children in the UK go through rigorous teacher assessments and standardized exams throughout compulsory (elementary and secondary) education, culminating with the GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 16 and A-level exams (Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 18. These exams are a major tipping point directing young individuals towards different lifelong trajectories. However, little is known about the associations between teacher assessments and exam performance or how well these two measurement approaches predict educational outcomes at the end of compulsory education and beyond. METHODS:The current investigation used the UK-representative Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) sample of over 5,000 twin pairs studied longitudinally from childhood to young adulthood (age 7-18). We used teacher assessment and exam performance across development to investigate, using genetically sensitive designs, the associations between teacher assessment and standardized exam scores, as well as teacher assessments' prediction of exam scores at ages 16 and 18, and university enrolment. RESULTS:Teacher assessments of achievement are as reliable, stable and heritable (~60%) as test scores at every stage of the educational experience. Teacher and test scores correlate strongly phenotypically (r ~ .70) and genetically (genetic correlation ~.80) both contemporaneously and over time. Earlier exam performance accounts for additional variance in standardized exam results (~10%) at age 16, when controlling for teacher assessments. However, exam performance explains less additional variance in later academic success, ~5% for exam grades at 18, and ~3% for university entry, when controlling for teacher assessments. Teacher assessments also predict additional variance in later exam performance and university enrolment, when controlling for previous exam scores. CONCLUSIONS:Teachers can reliably and validly monitor students' progress, abilities and inclinations. High-stakes exams may shift educational experience away from learning towards exam performance. For these reasons, we suggest that teacher assessments could replace some, or all, high-stakes exams.
| S-EPMC6848749 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:Children's sleep problems are associated with poorer student functioning in the school environment, including impairment in peer relationships; yet, no studies have examined sleep functioning in relation to the student-teacher relationship. The objective of this study was to examine whether child-rated total sleep problems or specific sleep problem domains (bedtime problems, nighttime problems, or daytime sleepiness) were associated with teacher-rated student-teacher closeness and conflict after controlling for student mental health symptoms known to be associated with both greater sleep problems and poorer student-teacher relationship quality. The study also examined whether age moderated the relation between sleep problems and student-teacher relationship quality. PARTICIPANTS:Participants were 175 children (81 boys and 94 girls) in the first to sixth grades (age = 6-13 years) and their teachers. METHODS:Children completed the Sleep Self-Report. Teachers completed a measure of student mental health symptoms (ie, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and anxiety/depression) and a measure of their relational closeness and conflict with each student. RESULTS:Total sleep problems were associated with greater student-teacher conflict, after controlling for child mental health symptoms and demographic factors. This association was moderated by age such that sleep problems were associated with conflict for younger children but not older children. Notably, daytime sleepiness specifically was associated with less student-teacher closeness. CONCLUSIONS:This is the first study to demonstrate a relation between student sleep functioning and the student-teacher relationship. Results of the study suggest that sleep may be an important component of school-based screening and evaluation efforts, as sleep is an important malleable factor related to school success.
| S-EPMC5993579 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Racial/ethnic disparities in academic performance may result from a confluence of adverse exposures that arise from structural racism and accrue to specific subpopulations. This study investigates childhood lead exposure, racial residential segregation, and early educational outcomes. Geocoded North Carolina birth data is linked to blood lead surveillance data and fourth-grade standardized test scores (n = 25,699). We constructed a census tract-level measure of racial isolation (RI) of the non-Hispanic Black (NHB) population. We fit generalized additive models of reading and mathematics test scores regressed on individual-level blood lead level (BLL) and neighborhood RI of NHB (RINHB). Models included an interaction term between BLL and RINHB. BLL and RINHB were associated with lower reading scores; among NHB children, an interaction was observed between BLL and RINHB. Reading scores for NHB children with BLLs of 1 to 3 µg/dL were similar across the range of RINHB values. For NHB children with BLLs of 4 µg/dL, reading scores were similar to those of NHB children with BLLs of 1 to 3 µg/dL at lower RINHB values (less racial isolation/segregation). At higher RINHB levels (greater racial isolation/segregation), children with BLLs of 4 µg/dL had lower reading scores than children with BLLs of 1 to 3 µg/dL. This pattern becomes more marked at higher BLLs. Higher BLL was associated with lower mathematics test scores among NHB and non-Hispanic White (NHW) children, but there was no evidence of an interaction. In conclusion, NHB children with high BLLs residing in high RINHB neighborhoods had worse reading scores.
| S-EPMC9407651 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceType 1 diabetes has been associated with cardiovascular disease and late complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy. However, it is unclear whether there is an association between type 1 diabetes and school performance in children.ObjectiveTo compare standardized reading and mathematics test scores of schoolchildren with type 1 diabetes vs those without diabetes.Design, setting, and participantsPopulation-based retrospective cohort study from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015 (end date of follow-up), including Danish public schoolchildren attending grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. Test scores were obtained in math (n = 524 764) and reading (n = 1 037 006). Linear regression models compared outcomes with and without adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics.ExposuresType 1 diabetes.Main outcomes and measuresPrimary outcomes were pooled test scores in math and reading (range, 1-100).ResultsAmong 631 620 included public schoolchildren, the mean (SD) age was 10.31 (SD, 2.42) years, and 51% were male; 2031 had a confirmed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Overall, the mean combined score in math and reading was 56.11 (SD, 24.93). There were no significant differences in test scores found between children with type 1 diabetes (mean, 56.56) and children without diabetes (mean, 56.11; difference, 0.45 [95% CI, -0.31 to 1.22]). The estimated difference in test scores between children with and without type 1 diabetes from a linear regression model with adjustment for grade, test topic, and year was 0.24 (95% CI, -0.90 to 1.39) and 0.45 (95% CI, -0.58 to 1.49) with additional adjustment for socioeconomic status.Conclusions and relevanceAmong Danish public schoolchildren, there was no significant difference in standardized reading and mathematics test scores of children with type 1 diabetes compared with test scores of children without diabetes.
| S-EPMC6439618 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEarly relationships with teachers play an important role in children's development and significantly influence students' cognitive and academic performance. Studies suggest that working memory (WM) is a strong predictor of academic achievement, especially of reading and arithmetic outcomes. The associations between teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality, children's WM skills and their academic performance have been reported in numerous observational studies. However, the potentially bidirectional and temporal nature of the relationships between these constructs is understudied.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between primary school children's WM and TSR by applying a cross-lagged design and measuring these constructs at three time points throughout the academic year. More exploratively, this study investigated how WM and TSR bidirectionally relate to children's academic performance.ResultsThe findings of this study revealed a temporal relationship between WM and TSR: between WM-related problems in the classroom at baseline and conflict at 3-month follow-up, and between closeness at 3-month follow-up and WM-related problems in the classroom at 5-month follow-up. Moreover, the findings showed a bidirectional relationship between arithmetic performance and WM-related problematic behaviour.DiscussionThis study highlights that relationships between the teacher and students play an important role in supporting students' cognitive and academic development. Importantly, this study suggests that children with WM problems may benefit from interventions that focus on improving their relationships with teachers. Additionally, the findings propose that interventions targeting WM may also have positive effects on children's academic performance.
| S-EPMC10556679 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In education research and education policy, much attention is paid to schools, curricula, and teachers, but little attention is paid to the characteristics of students. Differences in general cognitive ability (g) are often overlooked as a source of important variance among schools and in outcomes among students within schools. Standardized test scores such as the SAT and ACT are reasonably good proxies for g and are available for most incoming college students. Though the idea of g being important in education is quite old, we present contemporary evidence that colleges and universities in the United States vary considerably in the average cognitive ability of their students, which correlates strongly with other methods (including international methods) of ranking colleges. We also show that these g differences are reflected in the extent to which graduates of colleges are represented in various high-status and high-income occupations. Finally, we show how including individual-level measures of cognitive ability can substantially increase the statistical power of experiments designed to measure educational treatment effects. We conclude that education policy researchers should give more consideration to the concept of individual differences in cognitive ability as well as other factors.
| S-EPMC6480800 | biostudies-other
Project description:IntroductionThe effect of emergency department (ED) crowding has been recognized as a concern for more than 20 years; its effect on productivity, medical errors, and patient satisfaction has been studied extensively. Little research has reviewed the effect of ED crowding on medical education. Prior studies that have considered this effect have shown no correlation between ED crowding and resident perception of quality of medical education.ObjectiveTo determine whether ED crowding, as measured by the National ED Overcrowding Scale (NEDOCS) score, has a quantifiable effect on medical student objective and subjective experiences during emergency medicine (EM) clerkship rotations.MethodsWe collected end-of-rotation examinations and medical student evaluations for 21 EM rotation blocks between July 2010 and May 2012, with a total of 211 students. NEDOCS scores were calculated for each corresponding period. Weighted regression analyses examined the correlation between components of the medical student evaluation, student test scores, and the NEDOCS score for each period.ResultsWhen all 21 rotations are included in the analysis, NEDOCS scores showed a negative correlation with medical student tests scores (regression coefficient= -0.16, p=0.04) and three elements of the rotation evaluation (attending teaching, communication, and systems-based practice; p<0.05). We excluded an outlying NEDOCS score from the analysis and obtained similar results. When the data were controlled for effect of month of the year, only student test score remained significantly correlated with NEDOCS score (p=0.011). No part of the medical student rotation evaluation attained significant correlation with the NEDOCS score (p?0.34 in all cases).ConclusionED overcrowding does demonstrate a small but negative association with medical student performance on end-of-rotation examinations. Additional studies are recommended to further evaluate this effect.
| S-EPMC4651593 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Student-teacher relationships (STRs) have been examined by many studies. However, an omission still exists, the existing scales are not appropriate for studying STRs in private colleges because of the special character of these schools. This paper presents the development and validation of Private-College Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (PCSTRS), the first instrument to evaluate student-teacher relationships (STRs) in private colleges. The PCSTRS has six dimensions: trust, interaction, intimacy, care, approval, and comfort. In our main study, the validity and reliability of the six-factor PCSTRS model were demonstrated. The result of internal consistency coefficient indicated the high reliability of the scale, and the result of concurrent validity indicated the significant correlational relationships between the PCSTRS with other STR measures. In supplementary study, the PCSTRS was administered to 360 participants to confirm the applicability of PCSTRS and investigate the relation of STRs and students' traits, performance, and wellbeing, as well as the differences between the private school and the public school in this relation; the analyses revealed that there were significant differences in trust, intimacy, and care between private and public colleges; positive correlations were found between STRs and self-esteem, self-efficacy, academic performance, extracurricular activity involvement, and subjective wellbeing. Present research firstly develops the PCSTRS, examined the reliability and validity, and provides the proposed nomological network among related constructs.
| S-EPMC8964106 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Previous studies have demonstrated positive correlations between children's interpersonal trust and social adjustment. However, the psychological mechanism underlying this effect is still unclear. The current study tested the indirect roles of teacher-student relationships from both students' and teachers' perspectives in a Chinese context. In total, 709 pupils from grade three to grade five, and their 17 head teachers from a Chinese public primary school participated in this study. The Children's Generalized Trust Beliefs Scale, Social Adjustment Scale for Children and Adolescents, and Teacher-Student Relationship Questionnaire were used in this study. All these variables were correlated with each other. Structural equation models showed that the interpersonal trust indirectly influenced social adjustment through the teacher-student relationship from students' perspectives, while the teacher-student relationship from teachers' perspectives did not play an indirect role. These findings suggest that the teacher-student relationship perceived by students is more important for children's social adjustment than that perceived by teachers. Both parents and teachers should pay more attention to developing children's interpersonal trust, build better teacher-student relationships, and focus more on how children feel about the relationship.
| S-EPMC7847853 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceAn increasing number of individuals fill antipsychotic prescriptions during pregnancy, and concerns have been raised about prenatal antipsychotic exposure on neurodevelopmental outcomes.ObjectiveTo examine whether maternal prescription fill for antipsychotics during pregnancy was associated with performance in standardized tests among schoolchildren.Design, setting, and participantsThis register-based cohort study included 667 517 children born in Denmark from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2009, and who were attending public primary and lower secondary school. All children had completed at least 1 language (Danish) or mathematics test as part of the Danish National School Test Program between 2010 and 2018. Data were analyzed from November 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.ExposuresAntipsychotic prescriptions filled by pregnant individuals were obtained from the Danish National Prescription Register.Main outcomes and measuresDifferences in standardized test scores (range, 1-100; higher scores indicate better test results) in language and mathematics between children of mothers with and without antipsychotic prescription fills during pregnancy were estimated using linear regression models. Seven sensitivity analyses, including a sibling-controlled analysis, were performed.ResultsOf the 667 517 children included (51.2% males), 1442 (0.2%) children were born to mothers filling an antipsychotic prescription during pregnancy. The mean (SD) age of children at the time of testing spanned from 8.9 (0.4) years in grade 2 to 14.9 (0.4) years in grade 8. Maternal prescription fill for antipsychotics was not associated with performance in language (crude mean test score: 50.0 [95% CI, 49.1-50.9] for the exposed children vs 55.4 [95% CI, 55.4-55.5] for the unexposed children; adjusted difference, 0.5 [95% CI, -0.8 to 1.7]) or in mathematics (crude mean test score: 48.1 [95% CI, 47.0-49.3] for the exposed children vs 56.1 [95% CI, 56.1-56.2] for the unexposed children; adjusted difference, 0.4 [95% CI, -1.0 to 1.8]). There was no evidence that results were modified by the timing of filling prescriptions, classes (first-generation and second-generation) of antipsychotics, or the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic monotherapies, including chlorprotixene, flupentixol, olanzapine, zuclopenthixol, quetiapine, perphenazine, and methotrimeprazine. The results remained robust across sensitivity analyses, including sibling-controlled analyses, negative control exposures analyses, and probabilistic bias analyses.Conclusions and relevanceIn this register-based cohort study, maternal prescription fill for antipsychotics during pregnancy did not appear to be associated with standardized test scores in the offspring. The findings provide further reassuring data on offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with antipsychotic treatment during pregnancy.
| S-EPMC9379822 | biostudies-literature