Showing papers in "Journal of Advanced Academics in 2012"
TL;DR: This paper examined the prediction of academic self-concept (English and Mathematics) and learning strategies (deep and surface), and their direction of effect, on academic achievement (English, Mathematics) in a study with over 1000 students.
Abstract: This study examined the prediction of academic self-concept (English and Mathematics) and learning strategies (deep and surface), and their direction of effect, on academic achievement (English and...
85 citations
TL;DR: For more than 30 years, underrepresentation of certain racial, cultural, and income groups in gifted and talented programs has been documented as a serious problem as mentioned in this paper, and not only does this issue make gi...
Abstract: For more than 30 years, underrepresentation of certain racial, cultural, and income groups in gifted and talented programs has been documented as a serious problem. Not only does this issue make gi...
82 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, focus group interviews with 31 disadvantaged students in an Early College High School (ECHS) program present insights to students' experience in the hybrid school, specifically regarding their perc...
Abstract: Focus Group interviews with 31 disadvantaged students in an Early College High School (ECHS) program present insights to students’ experience in the hybrid school, specifically regarding their perc...
77 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a 23-item, criterion-referenced inventory is presented for theoretically implied and empirically based outcomes or benefits for students engaging in inquiry, and includes research on overlapping pedagogical topics such as discovery learning and problem-based learning.
Abstract: Curricular reform efforts are underway in many countries, focused on adopting inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning. Therefore, it is increasingly important to understand what outcomes students attain in inquiry environments. Derived from a literature review, a 23-item, criterion-referenced inventory is presented for theoretically implied and empirically based outcomes or benefits for students engaging in inquiry, and includes research on overlapping pedagogical topics such as discovery learning and problem-based learning. Student outcomes include knowledge and skills, intrinsic motivation, and development of expertise, among others. Supporting research is primarily available in the areas of cognitive and affective outcomes (e.g., knowledge, skills, motivation, attitudes, and creativity). This list can be used as a starting point for research or converted into professional development tools.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a study aimed to empirically verify findings from qualitative studies that showed selective consumers could be distinguished from underachievers with regard to academic self-perception and thinking style preference.
Abstract: The study aimed to empirically verify findings from qualitative studies that showed selective consumers could be distinguished from underachievers with regard to academic self-perception and thinking style preference. Participants, gifted males from an independent secondary boys’ school in Sydney, Australia, were categorized as achieving, underachieving, or selective consuming and administered the School Attitude Assessment Survey–Revised and the Thinking Style Inventory to assess academic self-perception and thinking style preference. A multivariate analysis (MANOVA) with a Bonferroni-adjusted alpha level to control for Type I errors showed a statistically significant difference in academic self-perception between achievers and underachievers only. Selective consumers could not statistically be distinguished from achievers or underachievers. Results, although not statistically significant, supported the trend currently reported in the literature that selective consumers differ qualitatively from underachievers.
51 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that children who do not achieve often have problems with motivation and socioemotional adjustment and may also have learning disabilities, and propose a separate pathway for gifted underachievers.
Abstract: Gifted children who do not achieve often have problems with motivation and socioemotional adjustment and may also have learning disabilities. This article examines factors such as attachment difficulties and maternal depression as these may contribute to underachievement. The article reviews past and current practices of gifted identification and argues that schools have an important role in the early identification of socioemotional problems and learning difficulties, as these can create barriers to learning and achievement. Although Gagne did include underachievers in his Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent, he has also argued that only achieving children should be included in academic talent development programs, and he supports a separate pathway for gifted underachievers. This article demonstrates that such a pathway can be achieved through an inclusive model for gifted achievers and underachievers. A model involves the early triaging of children through identification of giftedness, socioe...
48 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the effects of distributed decision-making in the area of advanced education policy in the context of local level education policy delegating control of educational policy to the local level, and found that distributed decision making has a negative effect on educational policy.
Abstract: Policies delegating control of educational policy to the local level are widespread, yet there has been little examination of the effects of such distributed decision making in the area of advanced...
41 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a case study that focused on mathematic achievement for nongifted students in a district that incorporated a schoolwide cluster grouping model was conducted. And the results showed that students achieved at similar rates in mathematics in gifted cluster classrooms and those classrooms without the gifted cluster groups.
Abstract: An increasing number of schools are implementing gifted cluster grouping models as a cost-effective way to provide gifted services. This study is an example of comparative action research in the form of a quantitative case study that focused on mathematic achievement for nongifted students in a district that incorporated a schoolwide cluster grouping model. Although previous research found that gifted students performed better in the cluster setting, this study sought to determine the effects of the cluster model on nongifted students. Findings from this research indicate that general education students in the gifted cluster classes and those not in the gifted clusters experienced similar levels of academic growth in mathematics. Data disaggregated according to grade level, gender, ethnicity, and English language learner status showed that students achieved at similar rates in mathematics in gifted cluster classrooms and those classrooms without the gifted cluster groups.
30 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the reliability and validity evidence of using the translated version of My Class Activities with South Korean elementary students, and differences between gifted and general students, in order to compare the two groups.
Abstract: This study examined the reliability and validity evidence of using the translated version of My Class Activities with South Korean elementary students, and differences between gifted and general st...
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the factors that contribute to the selectivity of the college for academically talented students when making the transition to college and found that the decision-making process of academically-talented students is complex.
Abstract: The decision-making process of academically talented students when making the transition to college is complex. This study investigates the factors that contribute to the selectivity of the college...
21 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the essential environmental conditions that must exist before teachers of the gifted will integrate technology into their instruction are discussed, and a paucity of empirical research documenting these essential conditions is documented.
Abstract: To date, there is a paucity of empirical research documenting the essential environmental conditions that must exist before teachers of the gifted will integrate technology into their instruction. ...
TL;DR: The authors compared immigrant and non-immigrant educational achievement in math by reexamining the explanatory power of race and socioeconomic status (SES), two variables, perhaps, most commonly considered in educational research.
Abstract: This study compared immigrant and nonimmigrant educational achievement (i.e., the immigrant gap) in math by reexamining the explanatory power of race and socioeconomic status (SES)—two variables, perhaps, most commonly considered in educational research. Four research questions were explored through growth curve modeling, factor analysis, and regression analysis on a sample of participants in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort of 1998 (ECLS-K) from kindergarten to eighth grade (N = 6,861). Findings indicated that immigrant students who had been in the United States since at least their preschool years had lower math achievement than nonimmigrants when they began kindergarten; 1.75-generation students caught up to their nonimmigrant peers but second-generation students did not. Nationality played a greater role in determining immigrant performance than did race. Educational selectivity had significant explanatory power over SES in accounting for gaps between immigrant and nonimmigra...
TL;DR: In this paper, a mixed-method evaluation of two iterations of month-long enrichment programs for English-learning secondary students investigated impacts on participants' beliefs about school and academic achievement, and on actual course choices, test outcomes, and graduation rates.
Abstract: Mixed-method evaluation of two iterations of month-long summer enrichment programs for English-learning secondary students investigated impacts on participants’ beliefs about school and academic achievement, and on actual course choices, test outcomes, and graduation rates. Students (N = 85) from one ethnically diverse, high-poverty high school in a large school district in Georgia took part in science and academic English-themed summer enrichment programs in 2006 and 2008. Questionnaires, interviews, and transcript analysis demonstrated that after taking part, students aspired to attend college, were aware of the steps necessary, and took steps such as tracking themselves into more advanced courses. Participants also were able to create and sustain peer support groups in their school, fostering a culture of academic achievement. Findings suggest that even such short-term programs can positively influence students’ attitudes, aspirations, and actual behaviors supporting academic achievement, graduation, a...
TL;DR: Wigfield as mentioned in this paper was inspired by several professors and mentors, including Hunt, Asher, and Jacque Eccles, who was a teacher, professor, or colleague who influenced his learning experience and development.
Abstract: JOAA: Did you have any teacher, professor, or colleague who influenced your learning experience and development in any particular way? Wigfield: I was inspired by several professors and mentors. I took my first undergraduate child development class from Joseph McV. Hunt at the University of Illinois, and he later helped mentor my undergraduate honors thesis. His excitement about research and the prospects of conducting psychological research to contribute to the solution of educational problems was very inspirational. In graduate school, Steve Asher guided me in my early research efforts in the areas of reading and communication, and helped me learn how to write for publication. Ken Hill piqued my interest in student motivation and in intervening in schools to help reduce the deleterious effects of children’s anxiety on their achievement. Jacque Eccles was my postdoctoral mentor; the brilliance of her intellect, her excitement about research and new ideas, and her intellectual and social support of many graduate students, postdocs, and young scholars was very inspiring. I also appreciate how our relationship grew from mentor–mentee to colleagues.
TL;DR: Test speededness, the influence of time constraints on test taker performance, is often an overlooked threat to reliability and validity in assessment design as discussed by the authors, and it is often overlooked in the assessment design process.
Abstract: Reliability and validity are integral concepts in assessment design. Test speededness, the influence of time constraints on test taker performance, is often an overlooked threat to reliability and ...