Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102820
Leonard Tetzlaff , Lothar Persic-Beck , Ulf Kröhne , Carolin Hahnel , Daniel Schiffner , Frank Goldhammer
The innovative PISA domain “Learning in the digital world (LDW)” integrates the assessment of knowledge and skills with opportunities for learning. To investigate whether learning took place during the assessment, we analyzed data from 737 German PISA 2022 students and modeled individual differences in test performance that could not be explained by students'prior knowledge and skills. We then related these differences to learning activity (the use of worked examples during a task) and learning prerequisites (general intelligence and mastery orientation) to validate their interpretation as performance based on knowledge and skills acquired during the task. We found substantial remaining variance in performance after controlling for prior knowledge (21 % of variance). Significant relationships of these differences with both learning prerequisites and learning activity provide further evidence for interpreting found differences as a result of learning during the task.
Educational relevance statement
This study provides initial evidence that a learning process takes place during PISA-LDW assessments. Students that made use of the provided learning opportunities and/or have high intelligence consistently performed better than would be expected based on their prior knowledge. The use of learning opportunities was related to the learning goal orientation of students. Digital environments should be designed in a way that is conducive to learning goal orientations and provide explicit learning opportunitites.
{"title":"Separating prior knowledge from acquired knowledge: An individual differences analysis of PISA - learning in the digital world","authors":"Leonard Tetzlaff , Lothar Persic-Beck , Ulf Kröhne , Carolin Hahnel , Daniel Schiffner , Frank Goldhammer","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The innovative PISA domain “Learning in the digital world (LDW)” integrates the assessment of knowledge and skills with opportunities for learning. To investigate whether learning took place during the assessment, we analyzed data from 737 German PISA 2022 students and modeled individual differences in test performance that could not be explained by students'prior knowledge and skills. We then related these differences to learning activity (the use of worked examples during a task) and learning prerequisites (general intelligence and mastery orientation) to validate their interpretation as performance based on knowledge and skills acquired during the task. We found substantial remaining variance in performance after controlling for prior knowledge (21 % of variance). Significant relationships of these differences with both learning prerequisites and learning activity provide further evidence for interpreting found differences as a result of learning during the task.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance statement</h3><div>This study provides initial evidence that a learning process takes place during PISA-LDW assessments. Students that made use of the provided learning opportunities and/or have high intelligence consistently performed better than would be expected based on their prior knowledge. The use of learning opportunities was related to the learning goal orientation of students. Digital environments should be designed in a way that is conducive to learning goal orientations and provide explicit learning opportunitites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102820"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102814
Liyan Yu , Catherine McBride , Xiuhong Tong
This study examined the associations between emotional intelligence and the initial level and growth rate of reading comprehension in narrative and non-narrative texts. A sample of 689 Chinese third-grade students (49.49 % girls; Mage = 9.23 years, SD = 0.66) from eight primary schools was assessed over three years. At Time 1, students completed measures of emotional intelligence, word reading, and listening comprehension. Reading comprehension was assessed at all three time points. Latent growth curve modeling revealed that emotional intelligence at Time 1 predicted the initial level of reading comprehension for both narrative and non-narrative texts but only predicted the growth rate for narrative texts. These findings highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in reading comprehension, particularly for narrative texts, and emphasize the need to incorporate it into reading comprehension models.
Educational relevance statement
The findings that emotional intelligence is associated with initial reading comprehension for both narrative and non-narrative texts and that it uniquely predicts growth for narrative texts, highlights new opportunities for enhancing reading instruction. Gender differences, with boys showing lower initial comprehension and slower growth, underscore the need for gender-sensitive instructional strategies. These results suggest that incorporating emotional intelligence into literacy education and adapting instruction based on text genre and gender may lead to more effective and equitable reading outcomes for diverse learners.
{"title":"Emotional intelligence predicts initial status and growth of reading comprehension in primary school students","authors":"Liyan Yu , Catherine McBride , Xiuhong Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined the associations between emotional intelligence and the initial level and growth rate of reading comprehension in narrative and non-narrative texts. A sample of 689 Chinese third-grade students (49.49 % girls; <em>M</em><sub>age</sub> = 9.23 years, <em>SD</em> = 0.66) from eight primary schools was assessed over three years. At Time 1, students completed measures of emotional intelligence, word reading, and listening comprehension. Reading comprehension was assessed at all three time points. Latent growth curve modeling revealed that emotional intelligence at Time 1 predicted the initial level of reading comprehension for both narrative and non-narrative texts but only predicted the growth rate for narrative texts. These findings highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in reading comprehension, particularly for narrative texts, and emphasize the need to incorporate it into reading comprehension models.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance statement</h3><div>The findings that emotional intelligence is associated with initial reading comprehension for both narrative and non-narrative texts and that it uniquely predicts growth for narrative texts, highlights new opportunities for enhancing reading instruction. Gender differences, with boys showing lower initial comprehension and slower growth, underscore the need for gender-sensitive instructional strategies. These results suggest that incorporating emotional intelligence into literacy education and adapting instruction based on text genre and gender may lead to more effective and equitable reading outcomes for diverse learners.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102814"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102816
Jinran Wu , Herbert W. Marsh , Jiesi Guo , Johnmarshall Reeve , Reinhard Pekrun , Theresa Dicke , Hye-Ryen Jang , Geetanjali Basarkod
Understanding how influence is structured within educational psychology is critical for advancing research quality, equity, and impact. We introduce a replicable, field-sensitive framework that combines (a) the Educational Psychology H-index (EP-H), which isolates within-field impact, and (b) a cross-citation network mapping journals and subfields. Using 27,482 articles from 60 Web of Science educational-psychology journals (2015–2024), we rank researchers, institutions, countries, and journals, examine convergent validity with established metrics, and identify thematic clusters centered on motivation, learning strategies, emotions, and cognition. Results reveal concentrated influence alongside meaningful international contributions. Leading journals include Journal of Educational Psychology and Educational Psychology Review, with Learning and Individual Differences showing strong connectivity across cognitive, emotional, and motivational subfields. The approach clarifies how citation volume and structural position jointly influence visibility, provides transparent tools for editors and institutions, and can be adapted to other disciplines where disciplinary context is relevant.
Educational relevance and implications
This study provides editors, institutions, and researchers with a clear understanding of who and what influences educational psychology. Using a field-specific Educational Psychology H-index (EP-H) and a cross-citation network, we identify journals that connect subfields and scholars who are most visible within the discipline. These tools help early-career scholars select venues and assist departments in evaluating contributions in core areas of educational psychology. The approach is transparent, replicable, and adaptable to related areas of education research.
了解影响在教育心理学中是如何构成的,对于提高研究质量、公平性和影响至关重要。我们引入了一个可复制的、领域敏感的框架,该框架结合了(a)教育心理学h指数(EP-H),该指数隔离了领域内的影响,以及(b)交叉引用网络映射期刊和子领域。使用来自60个Web of Science教育心理学期刊(2015-2024)的27,482篇文章,我们对研究人员、机构、国家和期刊进行了排名,用既定的指标检查了收敛效度,并确定了以动机、学习策略、情感和认知为中心的主题集群。结果显示,除了有意义的国际贡献外,还具有集中的影响力。包括《教育心理学杂志》和《教育心理学评论》在内的主要期刊,《学习与个体差异》显示了认知、情感和动机子领域之间的紧密联系。该方法阐明了引文量和结构位置如何共同影响可见性,为编辑和机构提供了透明的工具,并且可以适用于与学科背景相关的其他学科。教育的相关性和意义本研究为编辑、机构和研究人员提供了一个清晰的认识,谁和什么影响教育心理学。使用特定领域的教育心理学h指数(EP-H)和交叉引用网络,我们确定了连接子领域和在该学科中最引人注目的学者的期刊。这些工具帮助早期职业学者选择场所,并协助院系评估教育心理学核心领域的贡献。这种方法是透明的、可复制的,并且适用于教育研究的相关领域。
{"title":"Mapping the intellectual landscape of educational psychology: Citation rankings and network structures of 60 journals, scholars, and institutions","authors":"Jinran Wu , Herbert W. Marsh , Jiesi Guo , Johnmarshall Reeve , Reinhard Pekrun , Theresa Dicke , Hye-Ryen Jang , Geetanjali Basarkod","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how influence is structured within educational psychology is critical for advancing research quality, equity, and impact. We introduce a replicable, field-sensitive framework that combines (a) the Educational Psychology H-index (EP-H), which isolates within-field impact, and (b) a cross-citation network mapping journals and subfields. Using 27,482 articles from 60 Web of Science educational-psychology journals (2015–2024), we rank researchers, institutions, countries, and journals, examine convergent validity with established metrics, and identify thematic clusters centered on motivation, learning strategies, emotions, and cognition. Results reveal concentrated influence alongside meaningful international contributions. Leading journals include Journal of Educational Psychology and Educational Psychology Review, with Learning and Individual Differences showing strong connectivity across cognitive, emotional, and motivational subfields. The approach clarifies how citation volume and structural position jointly influence visibility, provides transparent tools for editors and institutions, and can be adapted to other disciplines where disciplinary context is relevant.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance and implications</h3><div>This study provides editors, institutions, and researchers with a clear understanding of who and what influences educational psychology. Using a field-specific Educational Psychology H-index (EP-H) and a cross-citation network, we identify journals that connect subfields and scholars who are most visible within the discipline. These tools help early-career scholars select venues and assist departments in evaluating contributions in core areas of educational psychology. The approach is transparent, replicable, and adaptable to related areas of education research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102816"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102818
Amelia Mañá , Lidia Altamura , Pablo Delgado , Laura Gil , Mario Romero-Palau , Marian Serrano-Mendizábal , Cristina Vargas , Ladislao Salmerón
Many high school students struggle to efficiently read complex digital documents that require different self-regulating processes, such as identifying main ideas or integrating multiple documents. To foster these processes, we designed and tested a long-term dynamic approach in which 700 students from grades 7 to 10 answered adjunct comprehension questions and received immediate feedback either about the performance (corrective) or about different processes and strategies to answer the questions (elaborated). Surprisingly, the effect of feedback on comprehension scores varied across samples. Elaborated feedback had a positive impact on 7th–8th grade students' self-regulation and comprehension scores, whereas Corrective Feedback yielded greater improvements in these domains for 9th–10th grade students. The effects were partially mediated by students' reviewing time in both samples. We discuss the need to adapt dynamic assessment interventions to students' educational level.
Educational relevance statement
In today's digital age, high school students face significant challenges in self-regulating their reading comprehension process. Addressing this particular concern, the current study examines how answering questions and receiving feedback while reading digital texts can enhance self-regulation and comprehension in high school students. Of particular relevance for instruction was the fact that different types of feedback had opposing effects depending on students grade level. Providing elaborated information aimed at guiding text processing to solve a comprehension question (e.g., “It is important to combine the information in the text with your own knowledge”) supported students in their early years of high school, while simply stating whether the response was correct or incorrect worked better for those in the final years of high school. These results can help educators make informed decisions about designing feedback in digital environments to promote self-regulation and comprehension.
{"title":"Enhancing digital reading comprehension through feedback messages: A large and long-term dynamic approach with secondary school students","authors":"Amelia Mañá , Lidia Altamura , Pablo Delgado , Laura Gil , Mario Romero-Palau , Marian Serrano-Mendizábal , Cristina Vargas , Ladislao Salmerón","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many high school students struggle to efficiently read complex digital documents that require different self-regulating processes, such as identifying main ideas or integrating multiple documents. To foster these processes, we designed and tested a long-term dynamic approach in which 700 students from grades 7 to 10 answered adjunct comprehension questions and received immediate feedback either about the performance (corrective) or about different processes and strategies to answer the questions (elaborated). Surprisingly, the effect of feedback on comprehension scores varied across samples. Elaborated feedback had a positive impact on 7th–8th grade students' self-regulation and comprehension scores, whereas Corrective Feedback yielded greater improvements in these domains for 9th–10th grade students. The effects were partially mediated by students' reviewing time in both samples. We discuss the need to adapt dynamic assessment interventions to students' educational level.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance statement</h3><div>In today's digital age, high school students face significant challenges in self-regulating their reading comprehension process. Addressing this particular concern, the current study examines how answering questions and receiving feedback while reading digital texts can enhance self-regulation and comprehension in high school students. Of particular relevance for instruction was the fact that different types of feedback had opposing effects depending on students grade level. Providing elaborated information aimed at guiding text processing to solve a comprehension question (e.g., “It is important to combine the information in the text with your own knowledge”) supported students in their early years of high school, while simply stating whether the response was correct or incorrect worked better for those in the final years of high school. These results can help educators make informed decisions about designing feedback in digital environments to promote self-regulation and comprehension.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102818"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102819
Susan Sonnenschein , Michele Stites , Besjanë Krasniqi
In spring 2020, an estimated 55.1 million children in the United States experienced school closures related to COVID-19 (Education Week, 2020). As a result of these closures, 93 % of families reported their children's schools transitioned to virtual learning (U.S. Census, 2021). Research has found significant gaps in students' learning because of these COVID-19 pandemic school closures. This paper describes the educational areas most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 school closures as identified by families and schools. The negative impacts were especially significant for students of color, families from near or below the poverty line, and students with disabilities. As discussed below, students' learning during COVID-19 was most negatively impacted by lack of internet/technology, quality of and frequency of engagement in instruction, and attendance at virtual learning sessions. The article presents recommendations for decreasing the learning gaps left in the wake of the COVID-19 school closures and areas of future research inquiry.
Educational relevance
This paper examines the complex impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's learning. We focus specifically on how systemic inequities were made worse during school closures. This review of the literature examines why specific student populations experienced more significant learning disruptions. Actionable recommendations, including differentiated instruction and the integration of UDL principles, are provided.
{"title":"Factors affecting children's learning during COVID-19","authors":"Susan Sonnenschein , Michele Stites , Besjanë Krasniqi","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102819","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In spring 2020, an estimated 55.1 million children in the United States experienced school closures related to COVID-19 (Education Week, 2020). As a result of these closures, 93 % of families reported their children's schools transitioned to virtual learning (U.S. Census, 2021). Research has found significant gaps in students' learning because of these COVID-19 pandemic school closures. This paper describes the educational areas most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 school closures as identified by families and schools. The negative impacts were especially significant for students of color, families from near or below the poverty line, and students with disabilities. As discussed below, students' learning during COVID-19 was most negatively impacted by lack of internet/technology, quality of and frequency of engagement in instruction, and attendance at virtual learning sessions. The article presents recommendations for decreasing the learning gaps left in the wake of the COVID-19 school closures and areas of future research inquiry.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance</h3><div>This paper examines the complex impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's learning. We focus specifically on how systemic inequities were made worse during school closures. This review of the literature examines why specific student populations experienced more significant learning disruptions. Actionable recommendations, including differentiated instruction and the integration of UDL principles, are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102819"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102807
Xiao-Yin Chen , Emily Q. Rosenzweig
Similar role models can be powerful tools to motivate participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, but it is unclear what types of similarity are most important to students' motivation. The current study investigated the different ways college students (n = 1185) perceived similarity to STEM role models and how different perceptions of similarity predicted students' STEM career motivation. We assessed overall trends as well as unique patterns among marginalized and non-marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Perceiving academic similarity to role models positively and robustly predicted students' STEM career motivation, whereas perceiving demographic similarity to role models played a more limited role. Perceiving similar academic efforts to role models seemed to be especially important for motivating students from marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Findings have important implications for how to leverage role models in college interventions designed to promote STEM motivation and career participation.
Educational relevance and implications statement
Though role models have been shown to be powerful tools in shaping motivation in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, not all STEM role models are equally powerful motivators to college students. Our results suggest that role models perceived as academically similar (i.e., in terms of academic abilities, interests, or efforts) may positively support college students' competence-related beliefs and values for pursuing STEM careers. Students' gender and racial/ethnic background also shaped how they related to and felt motivated by STEM role models. Presenting students with role models who put forth similar academic efforts to students may be especially helpful in supporting motivation among students from historically marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM.
{"title":"Investigating academic and demographic similarities to career role models for motivating diverse college students in STEM","authors":"Xiao-Yin Chen , Emily Q. Rosenzweig","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Similar role models can be powerful tools to motivate participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, but it is unclear <em>what types</em> of similarity are most important to students' motivation. The current study investigated the different ways college students (<em>n</em> = 1185) perceived similarity to STEM role models and how different perceptions of similarity predicted students' STEM career motivation. We assessed overall trends as well as unique patterns among marginalized and non-marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Perceiving academic similarity to role models positively and robustly predicted students' STEM career motivation, whereas perceiving demographic similarity to role models played a more limited role. Perceiving similar academic efforts to role models seemed to be especially important for motivating students from marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Findings have important implications for how to leverage role models in college interventions designed to promote STEM motivation and career participation.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance and implications statement</h3><div>Though role models have been shown to be powerful tools in shaping motivation in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, not all STEM role models are equally powerful motivators to college students. Our results suggest that role models perceived as academically similar (i.e., in terms of academic abilities, interests, or efforts) may positively support college students' competence-related beliefs and values for pursuing STEM careers. Students' gender and racial/ethnic background also shaped how they related to and felt motivated by STEM role models. Presenting students with role models who put forth similar academic efforts to students may be especially helpful in supporting motivation among students from historically marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 102807"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-21DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102815
Wei Wu , Yanan Zhang
Gender disparities in STEM career expectations emerge early and remain persistent worldwide. Drawing on PISA 2022 data from 75 societies (N = 578,627), this study examines how mathematics-related motivation and achievement interact with gender inequality in social institutions. Results indicate that males consistently report higher STEM career expectations than females. Intrinsic value in mathematics widens the gender gap, whereas academic achievement exerts a powerful equalizing effect that, at high levels, allows females to surpass males. Greater gender inequality in social institutions is linked to higher overall STEM expectations but simultaneously amplifies gender gaps. The equalizing effect of achievement is intensified in contexts of stronger family discrimination and restricted civil liberties but weakened when physical integrity is constrained. Conversely, the gap-widening effect of intrinsic value is attenuated under limited access to resources. Findings underscore the need for gender-responsive educational policies that address both individual processes and institutional conditions.
Educational impact and implications statement
This study demonstrates that mathematics-related motivation and achievement interact with gender inequality in social institutions to shape adolescents' STEM career expectations. While intrinsic value tends to widen gender gaps, high levels of academic achievement can act as an equalizer, underscoring the importance of supporting female students' achievement pathways. The moderating role of gender inequality in social institutions indicates that classroom interventions alone are insufficient; broader societal efforts to reduce restrictions on physical integrity are also essential to advance gender equity in STEM career expectations. The weakening of motivational effects under limited resources and assets highlights the need to ensure equitable access to STEM career opportunities. Together, these insights call for gender-responsive strategies and policies that enhance academic achievement, address structural barriers, and foster inclusive environments that encourage both female and male students to pursue STEM careers.
{"title":"Mathematics motivation, achievement, and gender inequality in social intuitions: Unpacking gender differences in STEM career expectations across 75 societies","authors":"Wei Wu , Yanan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102815","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102815","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gender disparities in STEM career expectations emerge early and remain persistent worldwide. Drawing on PISA 2022 data from 75 societies (<em>N</em> = 578,627), this study examines how mathematics-related motivation and achievement interact with gender inequality in social institutions. Results indicate that males consistently report higher STEM career expectations than females. Intrinsic value in mathematics widens the gender gap, whereas academic achievement exerts a powerful equalizing effect that, at high levels, allows females to surpass males. Greater gender inequality in social institutions is linked to higher overall STEM expectations but simultaneously amplifies gender gaps. The equalizing effect of achievement is intensified in contexts of stronger family discrimination and restricted civil liberties but weakened when physical integrity is constrained. Conversely, the gap-widening effect of intrinsic value is attenuated under limited access to resources. Findings underscore the need for gender-responsive educational policies that address both individual processes and institutional conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Educational impact and implications statement</h3><div>This study demonstrates that mathematics-related motivation and achievement interact with gender inequality in social institutions to shape adolescents' STEM career expectations. While intrinsic value tends to widen gender gaps, high levels of academic achievement can act as an equalizer, underscoring the importance of supporting female students' achievement pathways. The moderating role of gender inequality in social institutions indicates that classroom interventions alone are insufficient; broader societal efforts to reduce restrictions on physical integrity are also essential to advance gender equity in STEM career expectations. The weakening of motivational effects under limited resources and assets highlights the need to ensure equitable access to STEM career opportunities. Together, these insights call for gender-responsive strategies and policies that enhance academic achievement, address structural barriers, and foster inclusive environments that encourage both female and male students to pursue STEM careers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102815"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145362855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-20DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102811
Sophie von Stumm , Alexandra Starr , Ivan Voronin , Margherita Malanchini
We tested whether associations between household chaos, which refers to confusion and disorganisation in family homes, and educational achievement are confounded by genetics and family socioeconomic status (SES). We modelled the developmental interplay between chaos and achievement, including their reverse association (i.e., achievement → chaos), and its aetiology in up to 7591 twin pairs (49 % female), who were born in the mid-90s in the UK and assessed at age 9, 12, and 16 years. Associations between household chaos and educational achievement were consistently negative, bidirectional, and of small effect sizes across ages. These associations were best explained by genetic and environmental confounding. Family SES accounted for most of the confounding in the predictions from achievement to chaos; for the reverse, environments shared within families but distinct from SES were implied. Our findings suggest that long-term associations between children's experiences of household chaos and educational achievement are modest and non-causal.
Educational relevance and implications statement
Children's differences in educational achievement are evident from the first day of school. Understanding why children differ in educational achievement is key to improving their life chances. Here, we tested if a specific characteristic of children's rearing environment – the level of chaos that they experience in their family homes – predicted their educational achievement. We found that chaos and achievement were linked in both directions: Chaos influenced achievement, and achievement influenced chaos. However, these bidirectional influences did not reflect causal mechanisms. Instead, children's differences in the experience of chaos and educational achievement appear to have the same origin. Our study suggests that changing children's experience of chaos is unlikely to help better their educational achievement.
{"title":"The developmental interplay between household chaos and educational achievement from age 9 through 16 years: A genetically sensitive study","authors":"Sophie von Stumm , Alexandra Starr , Ivan Voronin , Margherita Malanchini","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We tested whether associations between household chaos, which refers to confusion and disorganisation in family homes, and educational achievement are confounded by genetics and family socioeconomic status (SES). We modelled the developmental interplay between chaos and achievement, including their reverse association (i.e., achievement → chaos), and its aetiology in up to 7591 twin pairs (49 % female), who were born in the mid-90s in the UK and assessed at age 9, 12, and 16 years. Associations between household chaos and educational achievement were consistently negative, bidirectional, and of small effect sizes across ages. These associations were best explained by genetic and environmental confounding. Family SES accounted for most of the confounding in the predictions from achievement to chaos; for the reverse, environments shared within families but distinct from SES were implied. Our findings suggest that long-term associations between children's experiences of household chaos and educational achievement are modest and non-causal.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance and implications statement</h3><div>Children's differences in educational achievement are evident from the first day of school. Understanding why children differ in educational achievement is key to improving their life chances. Here, we tested if a specific characteristic of children's rearing environment – the level of chaos that they experience in their family homes – predicted their educational achievement. We found that chaos and achievement were linked in both directions: Chaos influenced achievement, and achievement influenced chaos. However, these bidirectional influences did not reflect causal mechanisms. Instead, children's differences in the experience of chaos and educational achievement appear to have the same origin. Our study suggests that changing children's experience of chaos is unlikely to help better their educational achievement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102811"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145362856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-17DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102812
Peter A. Edelsbrunner , Leonard Tetzlaff , Katharina M. Bach , Denis Dumas , Sarah I. Hofer , Carmen Köhler , Zoya Kozlova , Julia Moeller , Frank Reinhold , Garrett J. Roberts , Marie-Ann Sengewald , Sarah Bichler
Research on aptitude-treatment interactions and the differential effectiveness of educational interventions faces statistical challenges that may contribute to sparse findings and unclear replicability. These challenges include the presence of nonlinear-, floor-, or ceiling effects, underpowered samples, and the multivariate nature of learner aptitudes. Linear regression, which prevails as the typical statistical approach in this research area, lacks the flexibility to meet these challenges. As alternatives, we present three statistical approaches: (1) Additive regression models to capture and control nonlinear or floor/ceiling effects, (2) Bayesian multilevel modeling, which can improve statistical power and allows for more complex models, and (3) clustering multivariate constellations of learner aptitudes via latent profile analysis. We demonstrate these three approaches on a motivating dataset from a scientific reasoning training, discussing their relative (dis-)advantages and how these and further models may aid research into differential effectiveness across different research topics and designs.
Educational relevance statement
In educational interventions, researchers and practitioners are often interested in knowing for whom an intervention works best or worst. We present three statistical models that can help examine this question and overcome issues that have long bugged this field. We discuss how these approaches can help research across multiple areas, for example to examine the effects of educational technologies (augmented & virtual reality).
{"title":"Beyond linear regression: Statistically modeling aptitude-treatment interactions and the differential effectiveness of educational interventions","authors":"Peter A. Edelsbrunner , Leonard Tetzlaff , Katharina M. Bach , Denis Dumas , Sarah I. Hofer , Carmen Köhler , Zoya Kozlova , Julia Moeller , Frank Reinhold , Garrett J. Roberts , Marie-Ann Sengewald , Sarah Bichler","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on aptitude-treatment interactions and the differential effectiveness of educational interventions faces statistical challenges that may contribute to sparse findings and unclear replicability. These challenges include the presence of nonlinear-, floor-, or ceiling effects, underpowered samples, and the multivariate nature of learner aptitudes. Linear regression, which prevails as the typical statistical approach in this research area, lacks the flexibility to meet these challenges. As alternatives, we present three statistical approaches: (1) Additive regression models to capture and control nonlinear or floor/ceiling effects, (2) Bayesian multilevel modeling, which can improve statistical power and allows for more complex models, and (3) clustering multivariate constellations of learner aptitudes via latent profile analysis. We demonstrate these three approaches on a motivating dataset from a scientific reasoning training, discussing their relative (dis-)advantages and how these and further models may aid research into differential effectiveness across different research topics and designs.</div></div><div><h3>Educational relevance statement</h3><div>In educational interventions, researchers and practitioners are often interested in knowing for whom an intervention works best or worst. We present three statistical models that can help examine this question and overcome issues that have long bugged this field. We discuss how these approaches can help research across multiple areas, for example to examine the effects of educational technologies (augmented & virtual reality).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102812"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102813
Jan L. Plass, Fabian Froehlich
Personalized learning has the potential to enhance learning outcomes but faces challenges such as problems measuring learning variables, the lack of theoretical guidance for interventions based on these variables, and ethical considerations. The availability of new AI tools, including generative AI based on large language models (LLMs), has resulted in claims that the problem of personalization has been solved. The goals of this paper are to provide a shared, systematic language for describing adaptivity, adaptability and personalization of learning environments; to broaden how we conceptualize personalization; to define the adaptation cycle; and to discuss which aspects of the cycle can be supported by AI. Also discussed are levels of AI integration, and a proposed architecture for AI-based personalized learning environments.
Education relevance
The personalization of learning, i.e., the accommodation of every person's individual needs during the learning process, has been a goal for educators and learning environment designers alike. However, achieving this goal has been a challenge as key aspects of the personalization cycle face challenges, such as the measurement of learning variables and the lack of theoretical guidance for interventions based on these variables. We also need to consider ethical considerations related to unintended consequences of personalization. In this paper, we aim to deepen the discourse about personalized learning by defining key terms, showing how to broaden current conceptualizations of personalization to include affect, motivation, and socio-cultural variables, and providing terminology for the adaptivity cycle that allows for a more conceptual clarity. We then discuss how AI can support personalization of learning, with a focus on applications beyond chatbots. We introduce levels of AI integration in personalization and discuss an architecture that may enable personalization of learning through generative AI.
{"title":"The future of personalized learning with AI","authors":"Jan L. Plass, Fabian Froehlich","doi":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Personalized learning has the potential to enhance learning outcomes but faces challenges such as problems measuring learning variables, the lack of theoretical guidance for interventions based on these variables, and ethical considerations. The availability of new AI tools, including generative AI based on large language models (LLMs), has resulted in claims that the problem of personalization has been solved. The goals of this paper are to provide a shared, systematic language for describing adaptivity, adaptability and personalization of learning environments; to broaden how we conceptualize personalization; to define the adaptation cycle; and to discuss which aspects of the cycle can be supported by AI. Also discussed are levels of AI integration, and a proposed architecture for AI-based personalized learning environments.</div></div><div><h3>Education relevance</h3><div>The personalization of learning, i.e., the accommodation of every person's individual needs during the learning process, has been a goal for educators and learning environment designers alike. However, achieving this goal has been a challenge as key aspects of the personalization cycle face challenges, such as the measurement of learning variables and the lack of theoretical guidance for interventions based on these variables. We also need to consider ethical considerations related to unintended consequences of personalization. In this paper, we aim to deepen the discourse about personalized learning by defining key terms, showing how to broaden current conceptualizations of personalization to include affect, motivation, and socio-cultural variables, and providing terminology for the adaptivity cycle that allows for a more conceptual clarity. We then discuss how AI can support personalization of learning, with a focus on applications beyond chatbots. We introduce levels of AI integration in personalization and discuss an architecture that may enable personalization of learning through generative AI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48336,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Individual Differences","volume":"124 ","pages":"Article 102813"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}