The Essence Of Academic Performance

This volume is a collection of research on academic performance. Chapters cover such topics as targeting underserved urban youth, education and science, community-based projects, pedagogy, and developing educational programs, among others. Written by experts, this book offers a comprehensive view of recent developments in the field of academic performance.

In this book, the authors gather and present current research in the study of the predictors, learning strategies and influences of gender on academic performance. Topics discussed include the gender effect on academic results and whether personality is a factor; the consequences of evening preference of adolescents on school achievement; performance standards in higher education; developments in the measure of intelligence; disciplinary consequence effects on the achievement of students with disabilities; teacher and student ethnicity in Texas elementary schools; and a study of gender and ethnic differences and success in the enrolment of advanced placement courses.

Academic performance is determined by several factors. The aim of the first paper in this book is to describe the relationship between the goals of adolescents, their everyday life and the influence these factors have on academic achievement. Chapter two focuses on a longitudinal investigation of students' well-being experiences within the framework of motivational beliefs. Chapter three aims to analyse differences in academic self-attributions and learning strategies between aggressive and nonaggressive Spanish adolescents, and to identify the predictive role of self-attributions and learning strategies in academic promotion of aggressive Spanish adolescents. Chapter four analyses a simulation software and sensitivity analysis for future student academic performance. Chapter five establishes how personal self-regulation and different contexts of stress produce differences in the coping strategies used by students, whether university students or graduates who are preparing for competitive exams. Chapter six provides a model with the main variables that can predict, with a certain degree of accuracy, school achievement and success, in order to put forward interventions and counseling to prevent students from dropping-out of health professions degree courses. Chapter seven critically reviews the different assessments and processes used within medical training and considers the affective implications for students, educators and eventually patients. Chapter eight addresses the teaching of physiology in different continents, and particularly, that of laboratories, and discusses a historical review of medicine in Mexico as well as the birth of Physiology in our country. Chapter nine analyses student performance on the Grade 8 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Mathematics exam for students in two Texas school districts to determine the extent to which differences were present as a function of Saxon Math instruction. The final chapter examines school district size and its impact on black student performance.

This integrative text spotlights what educators need to know about children's cognitive development across grade levels (PreK-12) and content areas. The book provides a concise introduction to developmental neuroscience and theories of learning. Chapters on general cognitive abilities probe such crucial questions as what children are capable of remembering at different ages, what explains differences in effort and persistence, and how intelligence and aptitudes relate to learning. Domain-specific chapters focus on the development of key academic skills in reading, writing, math, science, and history. Multiple influences on academic achievement and motivation are explored, including school, family, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Each chapter concludes with clear implications for curriculum and instruction.

This book presents an engaging as well as inspiring array of issues and insights drawn from the perspective of dialogic imagination aimed at quality teaching and learning experiences. The authors passionately uphold their belief that the prevalence of good discipline and good academic performance are mutually interrelated and if these two prevail in the ecosphere of any classroom, these can significantly enrich and enhance the quality of learning in any school settings. Based on this, South Africa has made huge strides towards improving the quality of education and people’s lives. However, discipline and academic performance still lag behind, due to the lack of quality teaching, which also prevents the Department of Education from accomplishing its objectives. Ironically, this takes place at a time when the government has resolved to prioritise education, among other important developmental issues. To this effect, this book explores how quality teaching and learning can ensure that discipline and academic performance prevail. It shows that quality teaching and learning have the potential to determine discipline and academic performance; particularly now that other disciplinary measures have been seen to be ineffective. It is framed theoretically by the school improvement theory supported by Radical Constructivism and Critical Realism, and uses case studies to highlight its findings. The book shows that quality teaching and learning can free human potential and ensure that it is developed in line with democratic ideals, and identifies the environment as playing an important role in ascertaining whether or not quality teaching and learning can determine discipline and academic performance in schools.

Add value to the student experience with purposeful residential programs Grounded in current research and practical experience, Student Learning in College Residence Halls: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why shows how to structure the peer environment in residence halls to advance student learning. Focusing on the application of student learning principles, the book examines how neurobiological and psychosocial development influences how students learn in residence halls. The book is filled with examples, useful strategies, practical advice, and best practices for building community and shaping residential environments that produce measureable learning outcomes. Readers will find models for a curriculum-based approach to programming and for developing student staff competencies, as well as an analysis of what types of residential experiences influence student learning. An examination of how to assess student learning in residence halls and of the challenges residence halls face provide readers with insight into how to strategically plan for the future of residence halls as learning centers. The lack of recent literature on student learning in college residence halls belies the changes that have taken place. More traditional-age students are enrolled in college than ever before, and universities are building more residence halls to meet the increased demand for student housing. This book addresses these developments, reviews contemporary research, and provides up-to-date advice for creating residence hall environments that achieve educationally purposeful outcomes. Discover which educational benefits are associated with living in residence halls Learn how residential environments influence student behavior Create residence hall environments that produce measureable learning outcomes Monitor effectiveness with a process of systematic assessment Residence halls are an integral part of the college experience; with the right programs in place they can become dynamic centers of student learning. Student Learning in College Residence Halls is a comprehensive resource for residence hall professionals and others interested in improving students' learning experience.