Background Executive functions (EFs) play crucial roles in students’ learning across domains, yet how these functions are systematically related to academic performance over time remains unclear. Aims The study aims to investigate how EFs relate to academic performance across subjects and identify critical developmental stages that affect these relationships. Sample A total of 863 students (Grades 3–5, Mage = 10.43, SD = 1.19) were assessed at Time 1, with 788 followed up at Time 2 (Mage = 10.93, SD = 1.18). Methods Using network topology analysis and network comparison methods, this study provides a comprehensive examination of the developmental relationships between EFs and academic performance. Results Results revealed that mathematics served as the core academic hub linking to both EFs and academic performance (expected influence, EI = 0.94), while working memory updating (WMU) emerged as the key cross–domain predictor (bridge expected influence, BEI = 0.23), with both indices showing strong bootstrap stability (CS = 0.75 and 0.67). The fourth–grade cohort displayed a distinctive pattern of EF–achievement connectivity, most notably a significant within–cohort six–month increase in the bridging role of response inhibition (C = −0.19, p < 0.001), suggesting that Grade 4 is a potentially important transitional stage that warrants confirmation in genuinely longitudinal designs. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of grade–specific cognitive scaffolding and suggest that integrating EF–based instructional strategies, particularly in mathematics, may promote broad academic development.
Background Teachers' emotions are transmitted to students motivation via nonverbal behaviors, but how teacher emotions relate to situational dynamics of teachers' nonverbal behavior and students’ engagement remains unclear. Aims We examine (a) reciprocal interrelations between situation-specific teachers' nonverbal immediacy (NVI) and student cognitive engagement within lessons (Level 1) and (b) relations of between-person teachers’ enjoyment and anxiety (Level 2) with the situational consistency and interrelations of NVI and engagement (Level 1) and their interindividual levels (Level 2). Sample We analyzed data from 46 teachers and 1030 students participating in the German TALIS Video Study. Methods Longitudinal multimodal analyses combined machine-learning-assessed teacher NVI, observer-rated student cognitive engagement, and self-reported teacher emotions. Two-level dynamic structural equation models were applied to examine dynamicswithin lessons (Level 1) and their relations to characteristics of teachers (Level 2). Results Student engagement in one situation was negatively related to teacher NVI in the next situation, but not vice versa (Level 1). Teacher enjoyment (Level 2) was associated with greater temporal consistency in NVI, but not in engagement (Level 1). Teacher anxiety (Level 2) was associated with lower time-aggregated student engagement (Level 2) and moderated the within-teacher relation between NVI and engagement (Level 1). Conclusions Once NVI and students' engagement are established, they persist across learning situations to a large degree. Student engagement in one moment associates with teacher NVI in the next moment. Possibly, teachers adapt their situational behaviors to their students. Teacher emotions serve different functions. Higher teacher enjoyment corresponds with more temporally consistent NVI. Higher teacher anxiety coincides with lower time-aggregated student engagement.
Background Despite growing emphasis on evidence-informed practice, a persistent gap remains between psycho-educational research and its implementation in classrooms. Understanding how teachers interpret and respond to research-informed recommendations is critical to improving the impact of educational research. Purpose Addressing the final guiding question of this Special Issue, this practitioner commentary examines why research findings often fail to translate effectively into teaching practice and considers what it means for researchers to “go the distance” in supporting educational improvement. Approach Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a secondary school teacher, educational leader, and researcher, the commentary integrates personal reflections and classroom-based case studies with themes arising from the accompanying articles in this Special Issue. Key insights The commentary argues that developmental perspectives in educational research have largely overlooked two important dimensions: the development of teachers as practitioners and the evolution of research-informed practice itself. Factors influencing teachers’ receptiveness to research include research fatigue, skepticism arising from previously debunked initiatives, contextual constraints, restricted professional autonomy, and variations in teacher expertise. Research-informed recommendations are often interpreted and implemented through a one-size-fits-all lens that neglects substantial differences between teachers, classrooms, and school contexts. Conclusions Educational research is more likely to influence practice when it acknowledges teacher agency, differentiates recommendations for varying teacher profiles, and explicitly situates new findings within existing bodies of evidence and pedagogical knowledge. By highlighting how research advice is received in practice, this commentary offers practical considerations for improving the relevance, credibility, and uptake of educational research in schools.
Background The integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into second language (L2) writing has attracted increasing interest, particularly in higher education. Yet little is known about its pedagogical value in primary education, especially regarding how younger learners’ writing motivation, engagement, and performance may change in GenAI-supported contexts. Aims This study investigates the impact of a GenAI-supported writing program on primary students’ motivation (i.e., growth mindset, ideal L2 writing self, academic buoyancy), engagement (i.e., cognitive, behavioral, emotional, metacognitive), and performance (i.e., opinion and content, organization, language use). Sample Participants were 301 Grade 5 and Grade 6 students from a primary school in Eastern China. Methods A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Eight classes were randomly assigned to either a GenAI-supported writing experimental group or a conventional writing control group. Writing motivation, engagement, and performance were assessed at pre-test (Week 1) and post-test (Week 9). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with selected students in the experimental group (N = 12) to explore their learning experiences. Results Quantitative analyses (MANCOVA and paired sample t-tests) revealed significant group effects on ideal L2 writing self, academic buoyancy, behavioral and emotional engagement, and two performance domains: language use, and opinion and content. Within-group analyses showed varying degrees of improvement across constructs. Qualitative findings highlighted GenAI's multifaceted roles in shaping these outcomes. Conclusions This study extends GenAI-integrated writing research to the primary level, demonstrating its potential to enhance L2 writing by supporting key motivational, engagement, and performance dimensions. Practical implications are offered for integrating GenAI meaningfully into primary-level L2 writing instruction.
Background Achievement goals are relatively high-order goals that shape how students pursue daily academic goals. When facing setbacks, students use emotion regulation strategies to cope. We extended achievement goal theory to examine whether distinct emotion regulation strategies underlie the links between mastery-approach and performance-approach goals and daily goal pursuit outcomes. Aims We hypothesized mastery-approach goals would predict volitional emotional exploration (emotional integration), whereas performance-approach goals would predict rumination. Emotional integration and rumination, in turn, were expected to differentially predict daily goal outcomes. Sample Sample 1 comprised 366 U.S. undergraduates. Sample 2 comprised 187 Israeli undergraduates. Sample 3 comprised 102 Israeli high school students. Methods We conducted three correlational intensive longitudinal studies: a 10-day diary study (Sample 1), an experience sampling study (Sample 2), and a 7-day diary study (Sample 3). These designs and samples allowed examination of both day-level and real-time momentary reports of emotion regulation processes within different educational and developmental contexts. Students reported achievement goals, emotion regulation strategies, and goal outcomes (progress, effort, depressed mood). Mediation hypotheses were tested using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM). Results Across studies, mastery-approach goals predicted emotional integration, whereas performance-approach goals were associated with rumination (with one study also showing links to integration). In turn, emotion regulation strategies differentially predicted goal outcomes. Conclusions Motivational and emotion regulation processes are tightly interconnected. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting mastery-approach goals should also incorporate emotional integration as a strategy for coping with academic setbacks.
Background Conceptual change emerges from cognitive conflicts between new information and prior understanding. Confronting learners with their incorrect solutions and asking them to compare these to correct solutions can facilitate successful acquisition of new concepts. This learning process of committing errors and comparing solutions occurs, for instance, in problem-solving prior to instruction (PS-I). However, it is not clear how well this comparison has to be aligned to students’ individual errors. Aims We examine if conceptual change is more effectively supported by comparing a correct solution to an individually aligned incorrect solution rather than to a typical incorrect solution example. Sample Participants were 184 sixth graders. Methods In a computer-based learning environment, learners solved a fraction problem. They then received: 1) the correct solution only (control condition), 2) a correct and an individually aligned incorrect solution (alignment condition), or 3) a correct and non-aligned incorrect solution (contra-alignment condition). Results Unlike in previous studies, using both correct and incorrect solutions (i.e., regardless of the alignment) did not outperform the correct solution only approach. However, learners in the alignment condition had the highest learning outcomes, supporting conceptual change theories. Intermediate knowledge after the problem-solving phase (visible in students’ solutions) significantly influenced learning outcomes. Prior knowledge predicted learning outcomes only in the alignment and the control condition, a trend not observed in the contra-alignment condition. Conclusions This study highlights that comparison processes can support conceptual change when tailored to individual misconceptions.
This systematic review investigates the developmental trajectory of self-regulated learning (SRL), emphasizing its critical role in academic and lifelong learning. Despite its importance, limited understanding exists regarding SRL's progression across different educational stages and the factors influencing its development. The review synthesizes current research, revealing a clear developmental pattern where executive functions (EF) and metacognitive knowledge become more sophisticated from early childhood through primary school. However, a concerning decline in SRL strategy use is observed during the transition from primary to secondary school, despite continued improvement in metacognitive knowledge and accuracy. This decline, identified through both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, challenges the assumption that SRL naturally improves with age, highlighting the need for targeted interventions during this critical transition period. The findings underscore the importance of early and sustained support for SRL development, informing educational practices and policies aimed at fostering these skills. The review also emphasizes the necessity for future research to employ rigorous methodologies, longitudinal designs, and consider contextual and motivational factors to deepen our understanding of SRL development. By elucidating these developmental processes, the review contributes to the advancement of educational theory and practice, with significant implications for promoting academic success and lifelong learning. The insights gained from this review highlight the multifaceted and dynamic nature of SRL development, advocating for targeted educational interventions to support the cultivation of self-regulation skills in children and adolescents.
Background Given the decline in students’ interest in mathematics during secondary school, autonomy-supportive interventions such as choice may help counteract this trend. Aims This study investigates the effects of within-context choice on task-specific interest and performance in solving problems with and without real-world connections (termed real-world and intra-mathematical problems, respectively). Sample Participants were 132 ninth- and tenth-grade students who were randomly assigned to either a group with choice options (n = 49) or one of two no-choice groups with a fixed option (n = 42 and 41). Method Participants first reported their individual interest in mathematics. They then rated their anticipatory task-specific interest after reading each real-world and intra-mathematical problem and selecting (choice condition) or receiving (no-choice condition) a task option. These ratings were made before solving each problem. Results Task-specific interest was higher in the choice condition than in the no-choice conditions. These differences did not vary with students’ individual interest in mathematics but did depend on problem type, with larger differences observed for intra-mathematical than for real-world problems. No differences between conditions were observed for problem-solving performance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that within-context choice can support task-specific interest in secondary mathematics classrooms, particularly for intra-mathematical problems. They further indicate that choice effects may depend on problem type and available task options.
Background Sign language is vital for the deaf or hard-of-hearing (D/HH) community, but traditional learning methods (books, videos, face-to-face classes) often lack interactivity, feedback, and cultural immersion. The metaverse provides a cost-effective, interactive alternative for sign language education, where learners interact via digital avatars. Aims This study compares metaverse-based learning with traditional face-to-face instruction for sign language education, focusing on learning outcomes and motivation among secondary and university students.Sample(s): The study involved 66 hearing students with no prior sign language experience, individually and randomly assigned to either a traditional face-to-face (n = 35) or metaverse-based learning group (n = 31). Participants included 41 females and 25 males, primarily aged 19-24, with 34 from secondary school and 32 from university. Methods Sign language classes followed a four-stage curriculum, using identical materials in both groups. Learning outcomes were assessed using standardized tests (e.g., Word Memory Test, Expressive Test) based on the Sign Language Learning Evaluation Model. Motivation was evaluated via a 21-item questionnaire grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests analyzed differences due to small sample size. Results Traditional methods yielded significantly higher scores in word memory, expressive, receptive, grammar, and sign accuracy tests, while no significant difference was found for interactive signing fluency. The metaverse-based learning approach enhanced autonomy, value, and overall motivation, while traditional methods fostered stronger social connection and perceived competence. Conclusions While the metaverse boosts motivation through immersive engagement, traditional methods remain superior for learning outcomes. Future research should refine metaverse-based instruction to bridge this gap.
Background Knowledge abstractness is one of the factors affecting learning outcomes, particularly in learning from multimedia texts. However, most previous studies on multimedia learning have focused on manipulating pictorial abstractness, while the role of text topic abstractness remains largely unexplored. Aims 1. Examine how topic abstractness influences multimedia learning outcomes when pictorial abstractness remains constant. 2. Investigate how this effect manifests across testing tasks targeting different outcomes of multimedia learning. Sample Sixty four university students (18-32 years, M = 21.4; 81% female, 19% male; all native Russian speakers). Methods We conducted a within-subject experiment, which included learning and testing stages. During the learning stage, participants read one abstract and one concrete multimedia text. The testing stage consisted of a series of tasks, including Recognition, Verification, Transfer, Concept Definition, and Summary. Results Participants performed better on the Picture Recognition, Verification, Transfer, and Concept Definition tasks after learning from the concrete text compared to the abstract one. However, no significant differences were observed between the two texts in performance on the Text Recognition and Summary tasks. Conclusions In line with the concreteness effect, participants generally performed more efficiently on post-reading tests after learning from the concrete text compared to the abstract one. This effect may be attributed to insufficient processing of pictures embedded in the abstract text. However, the equal performance on Summary for both abstract and concrete texts further clarifies the findings and suggests that the effect of topic abstractness on multimedia learning outcomes is non-linear.
Background Research on how facilitation design and facilitator interventions influence adaptive learning outcomes in simulation games remains limited. While previous studies have examined individual learning conditions in simulation games, less is known about how these conditions operate in combination to support adaptive learning. Aims This study investigates which combinations of facilitation design conditions and facilitator interventions enhance adaptive learning outcomes in simulation games. Samples The study analyses 31 simulation game cases from educational and organizational contexts. Methods A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) was conducted to examine configurations of five learning conditions: buy-in (buyin), expectancy guidance (expect), intervention approach (interv), learning loops (loops), and debriefing setup (debrf). Data were retrieved from multiple sources, including session transcripts, interviews with facilitators and participants, session reports, questionnaires, in-game assessments, and reflection materials. Results Two intermediate configurations leading to adaptive learning outcomes were identified. Configuration 1 consisted of buyin(& lowast;)expect(& lowast;)loops similar to debrf, while Configuration 2 consisted of buyin(& lowast;)interv(& lowast;)loops(& lowast;)debrf. The parsimonious solution (buyin(& lowast;)loops) indicates that buy-in and learning loops constitute core conditions across configurations linked to the outcome. Necessity analysis further shows that expect and interv also function as necessary conditions, although they appear in different configurations. Debriefing does not emerge as a necessary condition and contributes to the outcome only within specific configurations. Conclusions These findings provide insight into how facilitation design conditions interact in simulation games and offer guidance for preparing facilitation strategies that support adaptive learning.
Background: Adaptive scaffolding, designed to assist students based on their needs, has been shown to have promising results in multiple studies. However, most of these designs of adaptations are informed by student choice or rely on aggregated measures of behavioural and performance indicators. Aims: We study students' CPS interactions under maximal and minimal scaffolds, and propose a conceptual design of an adaptive scaffold approach that considers the dynamic nature of individual students' processes during CPS. Sample: 78 students aged between 14 and 15 years from a public school worked in triads on a mathematics collaborative problem-solving task through online video conferencing. Methods: We examined sequences of students' processes during CPS at the individual level using speech and task logs. The adaptive scaffold design is derived using sequential patterning mining with independent effects logistic regression to obtain a list of sequence-based patterns associated with students' performance improvements in solving a mathematics problem similar to that in the CPS task. Results: Although students with the maximal scaffold had greater performance improvements and were significantly more on-task than students with the minimal scaffold, they engaged in more scripting behaviours. The derived adaptive scaffold design informed conceptual strategies in CPS phases, such as prompting students capable of answering questions to ask questions in the 'problem identification' phase. Conclusions: This study confirms the need for an adaptive scaffold of CPS for secondary school students and proposes a design that highlights specific strategies for the 'problem identification' and 'ideation, planning and decision making' phases in CPS.
Background: The perspective effect in video modeling suggests that learning is enhanced when instructional videos are recorded from a first-person angle (presenter's viewpoint) rather than a third-person angle (external viewpoint). Two explanations have been proposed: the Embodied Resonance Hypothesis, which attributes this advantage to greater mirror neuron activation during first-person observation, and the Expectation Alignment Hypothesis, which suggests that learning is impaired when there is a mismatch between the recording angle and expectations about the task angle. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the perspective effect by examining the recording angle, task angle, and expected task angle in observational learning. Sample: A total of 128 undergraduate psychology students participated in the study. Methods: Participants viewed two video modeling examples demonstrating circuit board assemblies, recorded either from a first-person or third-person angle. Their expectations regarding the angle from which they would perform the task were manipulated beforehand (first-person vs. third-person). Subsequently, participants replicated the assemblies from varying angles (first-person vs. third-person). Task performance and cognitive load were outcome variables. Results: Results supported both hypotheses. First-person videos led to better learning outcomes overall, supporting the Embodied Resonance Hypothesis. In addition, performance was impaired and cognitive load increased when the expected task angle did not align with the recording angle, supporting the Expectation Alignment Hypothesis. Conclusions: The perspective effect in video learning appears to result from both an inherent advantage of first-person and by expected misalignment with the task angle. These insights offer practical implications for optimizing instructional video design.
Background: Competitiveness is a core feature of educational systems. We hypothesized that students from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds would feel less competent and perform worse in more competitive environments, as these environments conflict with their norms and values. Aims: This preregistered study investigated whether school competitivenem widens SBS achievement gape in studenta zelf-vieves and academic achievement Sample The final Analytical sample consisted of 315,095 fifteen-year-old students from 10,021 schools across 69 countries. Methods: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 data were analyzed using three-level hi-erarchical linear models that distinguished between perceived competitiveness (how competitive students perceive their school to be) and peer competitiveness (how competitive peers in school are). Outcomes included self-efficacy, self-perceived ability, mathematics achievement, and reading achievement. Renula: Contrary to our hypotheses, students from lower SES backgrounds had more positive self-views and performed better in more competitive environments, narrowing achievement gaps. While these interactions were statistically significant, effects sizes were small. Conclusions: Competitive school environments do not necessarily widen SES achievement gaps. Our results suggest that students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds benefit more from competitive school environments that their more advantaged peers do. We discuss possible explanations (eg., competitive envi ronments may provide clear goals, structures, and rewards that foster engagement, which could be particularly beneficial for students who are less familiar with such environments).
Background: Differentiated instruction (DI) is a fundamental component of teaching quality, particularly in diverse and inclusive classrooms. While DI has been shown to enhance students' academic achievement, research at the secondary education level remains limited, and its impact on students' subjective well-being-widely recognized as essential for learning-has been largely unexplored. Moreover, effects may differ for students with special educational needs in learning (SEN-L). Aim: This study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of classroom-level DI practices on students' academic achievement and subjective well-being in lower secondary education, incorporating both student and teacher perspectives. Additionally, it examined whether the effects of DI differ between students with and without SEN-L. Sample: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions (Grades 6, 7, and 9). The sample comprised 4654 sixth-grade students, along with 417 German and 398 mathematics teachers. Methods: Multilevel regression analyses with latent variables were conducted to investigate cross-sectional effects. To examine longitudinal effects, latent neighbor change models were applied. Results: Cross-sectionally, DI showed some small positive associations with academic achievement and, particularly student-reported DI, small positive associations with subjective well-being. DI predicted some changes in both outcomes over time, albeit inconsistently and with small-to-negligible effect sizes. The findings indicate only two small differential effects for students with SEN-L compared to other students. Conclusions: The study extends research on DI by focusing on both students' academic achievement and subjective well-being in lower secondary education, while calling for continued research into its longitudinal effects and underlying mechanisms.
