Teaching maths outside the classroom: does it make a difference?

Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) is a teaching method that is gaining traction, aiming to promote learning and well-being. However, research on the association between EOtC and well-being is limited. This quasi-experimental trial involved pupils (9-13 years) from 16 Danish public schools which implemented EOtC in some classes. Pupils (N = 511) from 27 classes were regularly exposed to EOtC (2-7 hours per week), and pupils (N = 120) from 7 parallel comparison classes were much less exposed (less than 2 hours per week). The pupils' psychosocial well-being was measured at the beginning and end of the school year using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results were compared between the groups. Pupils regularly exposed to EOtC showed the greatest improvement in prosocial behavior. Negative associations were seen between EOtC and hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems in pupils of low socioeconomic status (SES). The observed improvements were smaller when the EOtC was spread over a larger number of sessions. Results were independent of sex. Regular exposure to EOtC was found to promote social well-being, especially for pupils of low SES, and was most beneficial when concentrated in fewer, longer sessions.

The association between education outside the classroom and students’ school motivation: Results from a one-school-year quasi-experiment

The study aimed to determine the effect of using Digi-tech apps on the mathematical skills of selected Grade 8 students of Lumban National High School, Lumban, Laguna, School Year 2021-2022. It determined the level of the attributes of Digi-tech apps, student?s mathematical skills, the significant difference on the level of students? mathematical skills before and after the utilization of Digi-tech apps, and the significant effect on the mathematical skills of the students. The level of the attributes of Digi-tech apps used in the study is Very High. The student?s mathematical skills used in this study the scores revealed that the post-test scores of the students are higher than the pre-test scores. The test of difference between the scores of the students on the assessment tool for the mathematical skills before and after the utilization of the Digi-tech apps of the respondents resulted in rejecting the null hypothesis. This implies that there is a significant difference on the mathematical skills of students. Moreover, it shows how the Digi-tech apps significantly affect the mathematical skills of students in terms of their analytical skills, computational skills, graphing skills, and problem-solving skills. It will motivate the students to create an interest and attitude towards mathematics to learn at their own pace. It is highly recommended the continuous utilization of Digi-tech Apps used in this study as additional learning tools of the students especially those who are under the modular distance learning modality. The utilization of Digi-tech apps as a tool may help the students to learn and improve their Mathematical skills. The continuous advancement of technology leading to new learning tools must be applied to the learning setting to ensure the provision of quality education. Further studies may be conducted in line with the new normal education that may improve the teaching-learning process.

Motor proficiency and socioeconomic status are considered critical role players in setting children on an early trajectory of academic failure or success. To determine longitudinal influences of motor proficiency (MP) and socioeconomic status (SES) on academic achievement of primary school learners, a mediating model was constructed and tested with structural equation modelling (SEM). Primary school learners (N = 381) took part in this 7 school year NW-CHILD longitudinal study, with baseline measurements in grade 1 and follow-up measurements in grades 4 and 7. Academic achievement was based on school, national, and provincial assessments, and the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2) assessed MP. SES was operationalized as poverty classification which was based on school SES. Significant small to moderate correlations (r = .19 to r = .36) were confirmed between early MP and later academic achievement, with impaired academic achievement and MP (p < .05) in low SES participants. MP, SES and academic performance in grade 1 were all significantly related. A direct association between academic achievement in grade 1 and grade 7 were confirmed. Academic achievement in grade 4 did however act as mediator and indirectly associated SES (− .413; − .417), MP (.083; .093) and academic achievement in grade 1 (.401; .398) with academic achievement in grade 7. Grade 4 academic achievement portrayed the largest standardized regression coefficients with grade 7 (.693; .731). Low SES, and poor MP in first graders can contribute to compounded academic risk that are detrimental to academic achievement throughout the primary school years and should be addressed by timely interventions.

Summer learning studies have been set up to investigate the evolution of initial group differences in academic achievement, for example, between low- and high-socioeconomic status (SES) children. Moreover, this approach has been used to demonstrate the absolute effect of going to school on children's learning. In the present study, we used multilevel piecewise linear growth modeling to analyze growth in mathematics skills throughout kindergarten and 1st grade. First, we added to the evidence of an absolute schooling effect by demonstrating that average learning rates were faster during both school years than during the intervening summer vacation. Second, mathematics achievement gaps between children from different socioeconomic, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds were found to remain stable during kindergarten and the summer vacation. During 1st grade, however, the ethnic and linguistic achievement gaps disappeared, whereas the SES achievement gap remained unchanged. Finally, we found no evidence for school-level variation in summer learning rates.

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Early reading and mathematics skills predict later academic success, and child self-regulation and secure parent–child relationships are both predictors of early academic skills. Self-regulatory and family relationship factors have rarely been studied together as predictors of early academic success in populations of young children at risk for academic difficulties. This study examined child self-regulation and parents’ representations of parent–child relationships as predictors of young children’s academic achievement. Participants were 106 kindergartners attending charter schools that served impoverished neighborhoods in a large city. In a path analysis, child self-regulation and parental secure base script scores each uniquely predicted kindergartners’ academic achievement at the end of the school year when several key covariates were accounted for. Practice or Policy: Children’s self-regulation skills should be assessed at school entry to help identify the children at greatest risk for academic difficulties. The findings also provide further support for programs that promote healthy parent–child relationships and self-regulation prior to school entry.

Competencies of primary school children in conceptual and procedural knowledge involving fractions need to be strengthened so that higher knowledge and skills in mathematics can be understood and learned effectively. Self-efficacy factors drive the ability of pupils to master something in the academic field. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the impact of gender and academic achievement on student's self-efficacy and fraction knowledge. In addition, the objective of the study was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and pupils' fraction knowledge. A total of 128 year-four pupils from a school in Nilai consisting of 63 male pupils and 65 female pupils were selected using stratified random sampling techniques as respondents in this study. This survey was conducted using a self-efficacy questionnaire and fraction knowledge test. The results of the two-way ANOVA analysis showed that there were significant differences in self-efficacy based on gender and academic achievement. However, these two factors did not have a significant effect on the pupils' fraction knowledge. In addition, the findings also found positive relationships between self-efficacy and pupils' fraction knowledge. Research implications are also discussed.

Author Index for Volume 32

This study analyzes the extent to which students in inclusive elementary classrooms select classmates for collaboration and play activities on the basis of academic achievement. To investigate this association, second and third graders (n = 506, mean age 7.6 years) were asked to nominate classmates with whom they collaborate and play at the beginning and middle of the school year. The academic achievement level of students was assessed with a standardized mathematical test at the first measurement point. Two longitudinal social network models were specified to analyze whether academic achievement level functions as a selection criterion for collaboration (academic context) and play activities (play context). Structural network effects, selection effects, and sex-related effects were included in the models. The selection effects on academic achievement revealed that high achieving students were more likely selected by peers for collaboration but not for play activities. Thus, academic achievement was only relevant for peer selection processes in the academic context. Further, a negative homophily effect on academic achievement was found, which indicates that students selected dissimilar peers in terms of academic achievement level for interactions in the academic and play context. Thus, on one hand there was no similarity in academic achievement among peers who liked to collaborate and play together, which is a positive result from an educational and inclusive perspective; on the other hand, there was a tendency to select high achieving rather than low achieving peers for collaborative activities. Teaching practices that can help prevent the formation of such a hierarchy in the classroom and implications for future studies on the link between academic achievement and peer selection processes are discussed.

Students’ motivation and well-being are not only highly relevant for success at school, they also facilitate students’ inherent growth, optimal functioning, and health. However, both motivation and well-being tend to decline over the school year, presenting a risk for students’ academic achievement and health. Although both constructs are closely related, longitudinal evidence of their relationship is still lacking. Following achievement goal theory and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, it is the goal of the current study to explore how achievement goal-orientation is related to students’ physical and psychological well-being. A total of 733 seventh- and eighth-grade students (MAge = 14.73, SD = 0.69; 52% girls) participated in the study, completing the questionnaire once at the beginning and again at the end of the school year. By applying path analysis in Mplus, this study shows that students who tend to exhibit an avoidance goal orientation at the beginning of the school year tend to report lower levels of psychological and physical well-being at the end of the school year. Students who exhibit appearance performance approach goals reported higher levels of physical well-being at the end of the school year. Results also indicate that boys tend to report higher physical and psychological well-being at both time points.

This descriptive research focused on the effects of academic achievement in specialized subjects to work immersion performance of Grade 12 Accountancy Business Management (ABM) students of a public senior high school in the Philippines, during the last quarter of School Year 2018-2019. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. A school-developed work immersion monitoring and evaluation tool was used to get the data on the work immersion performance. To get the data on academic achievement, the School Forms 9 &amp; 10 were reviewed. Percentage distribution and mean and the Department of Education (DepEd) standard rating scale were utilized to describe the academic performance of learners. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) is utilized to identify the differences among the variables. Findings revealed that the Grade 12 students’ academic achievement was satisfactory (M=82.00) in the specialized courses of their strand. Their work immersion performance was rated outstanding in the three components, personality (M=93.68), work ethics (M=91.84) and job skills (M=91.00). Generally, the components of work immersion performance are not affected by the academic performance in specialized subjects of ABM strand under academic track. Curriculum review on the competencies is recommended.

The purpose of this study is to determine wether the improvement of students' mathematical communication skills using the IMPROVE learning model is better than the improvement of students' mathematical communication skills using the conventional method, and also to find out the students' thinking habits towards mathematics learning through the IMPROVE learning model. This research was conducted at SMPN 1 Bojongpicung grade VII of the 2018-2019 school year. The method used is a quasi experiment method with nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design research. This research involved a sample of 64 students divided into two classes . One class as the experimental group that received learning with the IMPROVE learning model and then another one as the control group that was used the ordinary learning method . Sampling is done by purposive sampling technique. To get the data of the research results , the researcher used a mathematical communication ability test instrument and questionnaire for students' thinking habits. Data processing enhances students' mathematical communication skills using Mann Whitney, habitual data thinking students use the percentage of answers for each student. Based on data analysis, the improvement of students' mathematical communication skills using the IMPROVE learning model is better than increasing students' mathematical communication skills using conventional method , and students' thinking habits are positive towards the learning mathematics using the IMPROVE learning model.

Critical thinking is an important aspect of education that encompasses cognitive, metacognitive, and ethical dimensions. This study aims to examine the impact of inquiry-based learning on students' critical thinking skills in fourth-grade mathematics at elementary school. This research employs a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design. This research involves fourth-grade students from Lempuyangwangi Public Elementary School, class A as the experimental group and Class B as the control group. The results of the Paired sample t-test for critical thinking skills in Table 4 between the pretest and posttest of the control class are 8.744 &gt; 1.697 (t table N=30), and for the experimental class, it is 29.078 &gt; 1.699 (t table N=29). In each class, the significance value is 0.001. When compared to the threshold value that must be met for a significance level of 0.05, the calculated significance being less than 0.05 indicates that there is a positive effect. The findings indicate a positive and significant influence of inquiry-based learning on enhancing students' critical thinking skills in mathematics. These results suggest that educators need to consider integrating inquiry-based learning into their teaching strategies to enhance the quality of education. Keywords: critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, mathematic. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i2.pp752-764

This study was generally conducted to determined the learning styles, motivation and academic achievement in Araling Panlipunan of the Grade IV pupils in the Pangantucan North District, Division of Bukidnon for the school year 2022-2023. Specifically, this study aimed to: determine the learning styles preference of student in terms of: a. visual, b. auditory and c. kinaesthetic; determine the level of motivation of the pupils in terms of: a. Interest; b. Perceived Competence; c. Effort; and d. Pressure; to assess the academic achievement of Grade VI pupils and to analyze the significant relationship among the academic achievement, motivation and learning style of the pupils. The data were gathered from 137 Grade IV pupils of Pangantucan North District with different learning style preference, level of motivation and academic achievement. This research study was a descriptive-correlational type of research. Primarily, it involved gathering of data to test the hypotheses. A survey questionnaire was used as the primary instrument in recording the response of the respondents’ learning style and motivation. The records of the academic achievement of the pupils were taken from the teacher of the grade four pupils of Pangantucan North District, Pangantucan, Bukidnon. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the Academic Achievement of the Grade IV learners. Mean and standard deviation was used to determine the preferred learning style and motivation of the Grade IV Learners while Pearson r was used to determine the relationship between the learning style, motivation and the academic achievement of the Grade IV pupils. Findings revealed that the learning style of the majority of Grade IV Learners is Visual learners while others were auditory learners and then kinesthetic learners. Effort is their highest motivation followed by interest, perceived competence and pressure. Their academic achievement in Araling Panlipunan is satisfactory and that there is no significant relationship between pupils’ academic achievement, learning styles and motivation. Therefore, the null hypotheses were accepted.

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe aim of the study was to examine variations in the academic achievement and mental health service utilization of foreign-born adolescents in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and to subsequently identify predictors of this variation. The objectives of the study were to (a) characterize the academic achievement and mental health service utilization trajectories of foreign-born adolescents over the course of high school, (b) identify assets and risks predicting their academic achievement and mental health service utilization trajectories, and (c) identify the relationship between academic achievement and mental health service utilization.ApproachLeveraging administrative data from the BC Ministry of Health, BC Ministry of Education, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the study looked retrospectively at a population-based cohort of foreign-born adolescents in BC over the course of their high school years (Grades 10-12), in comparison to a random sample of their Canadian-born peers. ResultsUtilizing Group-based Trajectory Modeling, the study identified that foreign-born adolescents in BC followed a range of academic achievement and mental health service utilization paths. By way of multinomial logistic regression, the study subsequently identified a number of assets and risks that helped to explain the odds of membership in each trajectory group. Finally, utilizing dual trajectory modeling, the study found a relationship between academic achievement trajectory group membership, conditional upon mental health service utilization group membership.ConclusionAs expected, a number of assets and risks as well as cumulative assets and risks associated with migration experiences were found to be powerful predictors of the variation in academic achievement and mental health service utilization for foreign-born adolescents in BC. The results support moving away from a one-size-fits-all understanding of the impact of migration on adolescent development. The utility of contextualizing migration experiences to gain a better understand of who is most likely to struggle or succeed is discussed.