Background: Schools are commonly asked to take on roles that support the emotional well-being of students. These practices are in line with humanistic education theory and can be difficult to fulfil by schools. Broader ecological pressures, such as periods of austerity, are likely to add to the difficulty in meeting students' needs. Aims: To…

Background: The self-concept of children has an impact on later behavioural development and psychopathology; therefore, evidence of the accurate measurement of self-concept is important. Harter and Pike's (1984, "Child Development," 55, 1969) commonly used measure of self-concept, the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social…

Background: Bullying and poor theory of mind (ToM) are both considered to negatively impact academic performance. However, it is unclear if they have separate effects. Aim: The aim of the current study was to examine the potentially separate associations of bullying and ToM with academic performance. Sample: A general population sample of 1,170…

Background: Much of the literature on school transfers has centred on academic adjustment and/or achievement, but school transfers also involve social adaption. Children who are socially anxious or lack emotional self-efficacy are likely to have difficulties with social aspects of the transition. Aim(s): We examined the influence of social…

Background: The need to focus more on children's abilities to change requires new assessment technologies in education. Process-oriented assessment can be useful in this regard. Dynamic testing has the potential to provide in-depth information about children's learning processes and cognitive abilities. Aim: This study implemented a…

Background: Primary-secondary school transition is a major life event for 11-year-old children in the United Kingdom and can also be a stressful period for parents and teachers. However, most research focuses on the impact of transition on children's academic performance and social well-being and we have a limited understanding of their emotional…

Background: The cross-lagged panel (regression) model (CLPM) is the usual framework of choice to test the longitudinal reciprocal effects between self-concept and achievement. Criticisms of the CLPM are that causal paths are over-estimated as they fail to discriminate between- and within-person variation. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel…

Background: Transition Year (TY) is a quasi-gap year offered midway through post-primary education in Ireland. TY is intended to provide a low-stakes environment to promote maturity and social skills, and to prepare students for adult life. Previous interview-based research has found that TY is seen as a positive experience by many students and…

Background: Work-related learning is particularly important at the start of graduates' careers. Preparing students for work-related learning is a chief aim of higher education, demonstrating its relevance when investigating the transition to work. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the role of personal factors for work-related learning during…

Background: Academic dishonesty (AD) is an increasing challenge for universities worldwide. The rise of the Internet has further increased opportunities for students to cheat. Aims: In this study, we investigate the role of personality traits defined within Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) as potential determinants of AD. RST defines…

Background: Risk factors for poor school functioning rarely occur in isolation, but instead are likely to cluster together. As they accumulate, cumulative risk theory (CRT) predicts that the likelihood of negative outcomes increases, often disproportionately. Aims: We build upon and extend previous research by (i) examining two critical aspects of…

Background: Previous studies have shown that subjective well-being and adaptability are linked to adaptive educational outcomes, including higher achievement and lower anxiety. It is not presently clear, however, how school-related subjective well-being and adaptability are related, or predict behavioural outcomes such as student conduct. Aim: The…

Background: Language-based cognitive fitness describes the ability to carry out cognitive tasks with vigour and alertness, to learn, and to adapt. Aims: The purpose of this research was to test the efficacy of a brain fitness training programme to better understand the role played by three precursor abilities for language-based cognitive…

Background: The powerful role of self-efficacy on student achievement is clear. Less clear, however, is our understanding of the specific roles of the different factors of writing self-efficacy on student writing self-regulation and success. Aims: This study expands our knowledge about student writing self-efficacy -- including its dimensions and…

Background: Dot enumeration is the basic mathematics competency in young children and a significant indicator of later mathematics achievement. Aim: The present study focused on (1) how children's dot enumeration ability changed as they progressed from late kindergarten years (K3) to the second year of primary school in Hong Kong (P2), and (2) the…