Differences in School Performance Between Only Children and Non-only Children: Evidence From China

This study aimed to investigate the features of only child status related to physical health, mathematics achievement, and school feelings and expectations from a different perspective. A representative sample of 91,619 Grade 4 students with an average age of 10.4 ± 0.7, among which 28,631 were only children, were assessed. We used propensity score matching (PSM) and the average treatment effects on the treatment to analyze data. The treatment was the only child of a family. The results indicated that only children have better academic achievement and school feelings (only for urban only child girls), while non-only children have better physical status and anaerobic fitness (AF). In addition, gender and rural vs. urban areas differences were also explored. The adverse situation for rural only boys is emphasized for families, researchers, and governments to focus on. Some suggestions are given under the Two- and Three-Child Policy.

Iron Status, Anemia, and Iron Interventions and Their Associations with Cognitive and Academic Performance in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

In adolescents, iron-deficiency anemia is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lost. The World Health Organization recommends delivering iron supplementation through school-based platforms, requiring partnerships with the education sector. This anemia-reduction intervention is valued for the perceived benefits of improved learning and school performance. This article aims to systematically review the available evidence on the relationship between iron status and anemia and impacts of iron interventions on cognitive and academic performance in adolescents. Fifty studies were included: n = 26 cross-sectional and n = 24 iron-containing interventions. Our review suggests that iron status and anemia may be associated with academic performance in some contexts and that iron supplementation during adolescence may improve school performance, attention, and concentration. However, nearly all supplementation trials were judged to have moderate or high risk of bias. We did not find evidence suggesting that iron status and anemia influenced or were associated with attention, intelligence, nor memory in adolescents. Further, iron supplementation did not improve memory and recall or intelligence. Overall, more high-quality research is needed to guide programmers and policy makers to understand the relationships between anemia and educational performance and the potential impacts of iron interventions, which effectively reduce anemia, on adolescents’ learning and school performance.

Lifestyles and school performance of health sciences students

Introduction: Lifestyles at the college stage involve fundamental changes in human development, which may have an impact on the school performance. The present work consists of a documentary review on the lifestyles of university students Objective: To identify the information that allows the evaluation of the lifestyles that are associated with the school performance of students of health sciences. Methodology: The research was carried out by using the keywords: lifestyles, school performance and students of health sciences, through PubMed and Crossref, in addition to the websites of public institutions, governments or organizations. The results of 20 studies were analyzed, which included a student population that was intervened through questionnaires about their lifestyles in school systems Results: It was found that students have unhealthy habits, 40% of students do not exercise, 90% of students consume junk food and 1 out of 5 students have mental health disorders. All of the above is striking, since being students of health sciences, it would be assumed that they practice healthy lifestyles, however, their knowledge has been little applied. Conclusion: Lifestyles and school performance are a problem that worries students, parents, teachers and authorities, not only in our country but also in other countries of the world.

Teachers’ Moral Evaluation of Students in an Inclusive Secondary School: A Study of Minority Students’ Behaviour and School Performance

This study aims to analyze the issue of morality in a teaching and learning set up. After discussion and answering the question “Is it ever the case that teachers hold students morally blameworthy or praiseworthy for factors that are known to be beyond their control?” the study concludes that teachers hold students to be morally blameworthy or praiseworthy for factors that are beyond their control, because they do not fully comprehend their lack of control over their situation, which is still bad. The study also found that most teachers do not have a clear cross-cultural knowledge of minority students’ background causing a moral judgement dilemma of students’ behaviours and actions. A critical look at other variables that may affect students’ learning is recommended by this study.Keywords: minority students, blameworthy, praiseworthy, knowledge, moral judgement

Effects of Principal Turnover on School Performance

This study asks: What is the relationship between principal turnover and school performance? We use data on all Colorado public schools for the years 2013 and 2018 to examine the relationship between turnover and school performance. Analyses included difference-in-difference and ordinary least squares regression after first differencing. Results indicated almost 50% of schools experienced principal turnover. The number of turnover events ranged from zero to three. Results showed no significant differences in school performance based on turnover status or number of leadership changes.

Strategic Approaches to Planning School Development and Improving Educational Outcomes

The article presents an example of strategic planning of school development in order to improve educational results. The author provides arguments and justifications for the choice of specific strategic approaches from understanding the categories of "school performance", "development factors", "management team", "social capital", "innovative activity" to researching the potential of the school, specific management decisions, demonstrating the structure and content developed development models. The material of the article reflects in detail the strategy of planning the educational process in a particular school in terms of development. The model of the innovative project "Educational Navigator" is described. A model of intraschool education quality assessment is presented. The article provides examples of the results of the study.

Personality, Learning Strategies, and School Performance in Adolescents

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between personality factors, learning strategies and school performance in adolescents. The study was attended by 499 students enrolled in seven high schools in Constanța County, 240 boys (48%) and 259 girls (52%), aged between 14 and 18 years, M = 16.80, SD = .82. The instruments used were the Questionnaire for Learning Strategies and School Motivation Assessment, SMALSI (Stroud & Reynolds, 2006) and the CP5F Questionnaire (Albu, 2008) based on the Five-Factor Personality Inventory, FFPI (Hendriks, 1997). School performance was represented by the general grade obtained by the students in the previous year of study. The results showed that, among the personality factors, only agreableness and autonomy are positively associated with school performance. However, personality factors are positively associated with learning strategies, which mediate the relationship between them and school performance. Students' weaknesses (low academic motivation, test anxiety, attention difficulties) are negatively associated with academic performance and mediate its relationship with personality factors. The practical implications of the study address the need to provide students with appropriate learning opportunities and especially to teach them how to learn, in order to adopt the most appropriate strategies that will lead them to success.