Gender, planning, and academic expectations in first-year higher education students: testing two alternative mediation models.

We examined the relationships among gender, planning, and academic expectations through the testing of two alternative models with latent variables tested with LISREL 8.80: one model considered planning as a mediator of the relationship between gender and academic expectations, and the other model considered academic expectations as mediators of the relationship between gender and planning. Participants were 662 first-year higher-education students from two academic years, predominantly female (60%) and mainly with majors in the juridical-social field (66.2%). The Inventario sobre Estrategias Metacognitivas (IEM; Inventory of Metacognitive Strategies) and the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) were applied at the beginning of the first semester to assess planning and academic expectations, respectively. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the IEM's structure after examining its psychometric properties with the sample from the first academic year (N = 338). The test of the alternative mediation models with the full sample indicates that the best model was that with planning as a mediator. In this model, gender directly predicted only two APQ academic expectations, but with the mediation of planning, gender predicted all seven academic expectations. Women showed higher levels of academic expectations and planning than did men. The results are discussed at both the theoretical and practical levels.

Mathematical Difficulties vs. High Achievement: An Analysis of Arithmetical Cognition in Elementary School.

This study analyzed the contribution of cognitive processes (planning, attention, simultaneous and successive processing) and domain-specific skills (counting, number processing and conceptual comprehension) to the arithmetic performance achieved in the last three grades (4th, 5th, and 6th) of elementary school. Three groups of students with a different arithmetic achievement level were characterized. The predictive value of the cognitive processes and the math specific skills are explored through diverse covariance and discriminant analyses. Participants were 110 students (M = 10.5 years, SD = 1.17) classified in three groups: mathematical difficulties (MD; n = 26), high achieving (HA; n = 26), and typical achieving (TA; n = 58). Cognitive processes and domain-specific skills were evaluated in two individual sessions at the end of the school year. Nonverbal intelligence was assessed in a final collective session with each class. The mathematical difficulties group's achievement was deficient in simultaneous and successive processing, number processing, and conceptual comprehension compared to the typical achievement group. High achievement children obtained significantly better results than the typical achievement children in simultaneous processing, counting, number processing, and conceptual comprehension. Number processing and conceptual comprehension were the most consistent classifiers, although successive and simultaneous processing, respectively, also contributed to identifying students with mathematical difficulties and high achievement. These findings have practical implications for preventive and intervention proposals linked to the observed profiles.

Gender, planning, and academic expectations in first-year higher education students: testing two alternative mediation models

Abstract We examined the relationships among gender, planning, and academic expectations through the testing of two alternative models with latent variables tested with LISREL 8.80: one model considered planning as a mediator of the relationship between gender and academic expectations, and the other model considered academic expectations as mediators of the relationship between gender and planning. Participants were 662 first-year higher-education students from two academic years, predominantly female (60%) and mainly with majors in the juridical-social field (66.2%). The Inventario sobre Estrategias Metacognitivas (IEM; Inventory of Metacognitive Strategies) and the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) were applied at the beginning of the first semester to assess planning and academic expectations, respectively. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the IEM's structure after examining its psychometric properties with the sample from the first academic year (N = 338). The test of the alternative mediation models with the full sample indicates that the best model was that with planning as a mediator. In this model, gender directly predicted only two APQ academic expectations, but with the mediation of planning, gender predicted all seven academic expectations. Women showed higher levels of academic expectations and planning than did men. The results are discussed at both the theoretical and practical levels.

Equivalencia factorial de las versiones en español y portugués de un cuestionario de expectativas académicas / Factorial equivalence of the Spanish and Portuguese versions of a questionnaire of academic expectations

Resumen Este estudio presenta los resultados de una investigación sobre expectativas académicas de estudiantes universitarios de primer año de Enseñanza Superior (ES) pertenecientes al norte de Portugal y noroeste de España. Su objetivo es replicar las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento utilizado obtenidas con una versión anterior del mismo. La muestra está integrada por 1.268 estudiantes de primer año de ES con edades comprendidas entre los 17 y 52 años (Mdn = 18, siendo de más de 23 años el 7.4%). Proceden de la región noroeste de España 413 estudiantes (Galicia, Universidad de Vigo) y 855 de la región norte de Portugal (Minho, Universidade do Minho). El 58.1% del total de la muestra son mujeres. Por ámbito de estudio, el 58.4% cursa titulaciones del ámbito científico-tecnológico y los demás del ámbito jurídico-social. Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Percepciones Académicas-Expectativas (CPA-E), estructurado en siete dimensiones: Formación para el empleo/carrera, Desarrollo personal y social, Movilidad estudiantil, Implicación político/ciudadana, Presión social, Calidad de formación e Interacción social. La invarianza del modelo factorial oblicuo del CPA-E fue testada con el LISREL 8.80 mediante el método bivariado latente normal y la estimación de máxima verosimilitud, con la corrección de Satorra y Bentler (1994). Todos los ítems representaron bien a sus respectivos factores y los factores mostraron una buena validez y fiabilidad para los países y el género. Se obtuvo, por tanto, invarianza factorial del modelo para los países y el género. Se asume una versión final del cuestionario común para España y Portugal, así como para mujeres y hombres.

Abstract We present the results of a study conducted with first-year students from the Euro-region of Galicia-North Portugal, with the aim of replicating the psychometric properties of the instrument as obtained from a prior version. Participants included 1268 first-year students with ages ranging from 17 to 52 years (Mdn = 18; 7.4% with ages above 23 years). Four-hundred and thirteen students are from the North Spanish region (Galicia, University of Minho) and 855 are from the North Portuguese region (Minho, University of Minho), and 58.1% of the students are women. Students are enrolled in scientific-technological courses (58.4%) and juridical-social studies. We administered the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire- Expectations (APQ-E), which is structured in seven dimensions: Training for career development, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political engagement and citizenship, Social pressure, Training quality, and Social interaction. The invariance of the factorial model of the APQ-E was tested with LISREL 8.80, based on a bivariate latent model and maximum likelihood estimation, with Satorra and Bentler correction (1994). All items contributed to the representation of the factors, and the factors showed good validity and reliability for country and gender. Therefore, we obtained factorial invariance of the measurement model for country and gender. We present the final version of the common questionnaire for Portugal and Spain, and for women and men.

Mathematical learning disabilities and attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder: A study of the cognitive processes involved in arithmetic problem solving.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of cognitive functioning to arithmetic problem solving and to explore the cognitive profiles of children with attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). METHODS: The sample was made up of a total of 90 students of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade organized in three: ADHD (n=30), MLD (n=30) and typically achieving control (TA; n=30) group. Assessment was conducted in two sessions in which the PASS processes and arithmetic problem solving were evaluated. RESULTS: The ADHD group's performance in planning and attention was worse than that of the control group. Children with MLD obtained poorer results than the control group in planning and simultaneous and successive processing. Executive processes predicted arithmetic problem solving in the ADHD group whereas simultaneous processing was the unique predictor in the MLD sample. CONCLUSIONS: Children with ADHD and with MLD showed characteristic cognitive profiles. Groups' problem-solving performance can be predicted from their cognitive functioning.

Arithmetical Difficulties and Low Arithmetic Achievement: Analysis of the Underlying Cognitive Functioning.

This study analyzed the cognitive functioning underlying arithmetical difficulties and explored the predictors of arithmetic achievement in the last three grades of Spanish Primary Education. For this purpose, a group of 165 students was selected and divided into three groups of arithmetic competence: Mathematical Learning Disability group (MLD, n = 27), Low Achieving group (LA, n = 39), and Typical Achieving group (TA, n = 99). Students were assessed in domain-general abilities (working memory and PASS cognitive processes), and numerical competence (counting and number processing) during the last two months of the academic year. Performance of children from the MLD group was significantly poorer than that of the LA group in writing dictated Arabic numbers (d = -0.88), reading written verbal numbers (d = -0.84), transcoding written verbal numbers to Arabic numbers (-0.75) and comprehension of place value (d = -0.69), as well as in simultaneous (d = -0.62) and successive (d = -0.59) coding. In addition, a specific developmental sequence was observed in both groups, the implications of which are discussed. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed simultaneous coding (ß = .47, t(155) = 6.18, p < .001) and number processing (ß = .23, t(155) = 3.07, p < .01) as specific predictors of arithmetical performance.

Arithmetical difficulties and low arithmetic achievement: analysis of the underlying cognitive functioning

This study analyzed the cognitive functioning underlying arithmetical difficulties and explored the predictors of arithmetic achievement in the last three grades of Spanish Primary Education. For this purpose, a group of 165 students was selected and divided into three groups of arithmetic competence: Mathematical Learning Disability group (MLD, n = 27), Low Achieving group (LA, n = 39), and Typical Achieving group (TA, n = 99). Students were assessed in domain-general abilities (working memory and PASS cognitive processes), and numerical competence (counting and number processing) during the last two months of the academic year. Performance of children from the MLD group was significantly poorer than that of the LA group in writing dictated Arabic numbers (d = -0.88), reading written verbal numbers (d = -0.84), transcoding written verbal numbers to Arabic numbers (-0.75) and comprehension of place value (d = -0.69), as well as in simultaneous (d = -0.62) and successive (d = -0.59) coding. In addition, a specific developmental sequence was observed in both groups, the implications of which are discussed. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed simultaneous coding (β = .47, t(155) = 6.18, p < .001) and number processing (β = .23, t(155) = 3.07, p < .01) as specific predictors of arithmetical performance (AU)

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Program of arithmetic improvement by means of cognitive enhancement: an intervention in children with special educational needs.

This study reports the cognitive and arithmetic improvement of a mathematical model based on the program PASS Remedial Program (PREP), which aims to improve specific cognitive processes underlying academic skills such as arithmetic. For this purpose, a group of 20 students from the last four grades of Primary Education was divided into two groups. One group (n=10) received training in the program and the other served as control. Students were assessed at pre and post intervention in the PASS cognitive processes (planning, attention, simultaneous and successive processing), general level of intelligence, and arithmetic performance in calculus and solving problems. Performance of children from the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group in cognitive process and arithmetic. This joint enhancement of cognitive and arithmetic processes was a result of the operationalization of training that promotes the encoding task, attention and planning, and learning by induction, mediation and verbalization. The implications of this are discussed.

Propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de Percepciones Académicas para la evaluación de las expectativas de los estudiantes de primer año en Enseñanza Superior / Psychometric properties of the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire for the assessment of first-year university students´ expectations

Desde una concepción multidimensional de las expectativas, este artículo pretende analizar la validez y precisión psicométrica de una escala para su medida en los estudiantes universitarios de primer año. La muestra (N = 759) estaba compuesta por alumnado de primer año, de diversas titulaciones académicas de la Universidad de Vigo-Campus de Ourense y de la Universidad de Minho. El valor de la Mdn de edad fue de 19, siendo sólo el 5.3% mayor de 23 años. A los participantes se les aplicó un conjunto de 56 ítems agrupados en siete dimensiones diferentes de expectativas. Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio, se obtuvieron con el LISREL. Se garantizó la validez factorial, tanto convergente como discriminante de los factores. Ésta junto con su fiabilidad sugieren que el Cuestionario de Percepciones Académicas quedaría finalmente con 42 ítems distribuidos en siete dimensiones de expectativas: Formación para el empleo/carrera, Desarrollo personal y social, Movilidad estudiantil, Implicación política/ciudadanía, Presión social, Calidad de formación e Interacción social. Se comprobó la equivalencia del modelo de medida del instrumento en los dos idiomas y en dos grupos resultantes de la bipartición aleatoria de la muestra. Los resultados de la validez estructural de este estudio avalan la utilización del cuestionario para la medida de las expectativas de los estudiantes que inician por primera vez sus estudios en la Enseñanza Superior

This paper aims to test the psychometric validity and reliability of a measure of first-year university students’ expectations, based on a multidimensional conception of expectations. The sample consisted of 759 first-year students, attending various academic degrees at the Universities of Vigo - Ourense and University of Minho. The value Mdn age was 19,with only 5.3% with ages above 23 years. Participants answered a set of 56 items based on seven different dimensions of expectations. Results of confirmatory factor analysis, were carried out with LISREL. Factorial validity, and factors’ convergent and discriminant validity were assured. These results, along with evidences reliability, suggest that the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire presents a final structure composed of seven expectation dimensions, including 42 items: Training for employment/career, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political and citizenship involvement, Social pressure, Quality of education, and Social interaction. The equivalence of measurement model in the two languages and in two groups randomly derived from the full sample was also verified. The results of this structural validity study support the assessment of the expectations of first-year students in Higher Education with the questionnaire

Effect of an intervention program on the reading comprehension processes and strategies in 5th and 6th grade students / Efecto de un programa de intervención en los procesos y estrategias para la comprensión lectora en estudiantes de 5º y 6º grado

BACKGROUND: Various investigations have revealed that the promotion of cognitive and metacognitive strategies can improve reading comprehension and that when readers receive this type of instruction, they can use monitoring processes and regulation strategies adequately. The goal of this work is to analyze the effects of strategic and metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension processes and strategies, using the «Aprender a Comprender» [Learning to Understand] program. METHOD: Instruction was carried out in the classroom by two teachers during six months. Ninety-four students participated, 49 from 5th grade and 45 from 6th grade. A pretest-intervention-posttest-follow-up design was used with a comparison group by grade. RESULTS: The analysis of variance shows an impact of the intervention and its differential maintenance in each grade. The 5th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group in the reading comprehension test, both at posttest and at follow-up. The 6th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group n the Planning scale, both at posttest and at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Textual strategy instruction favors reading comprehension and the progressive development of planning, which is necessary for supervision and regulation, and its effects are maintained over time

ANTECEDENTES: diferentes investigaciones han evidenciado que el fomento de estrategias cognitivas y metacognitivas puede mejorar la comprensión lectora y su instrucción favorece la utilización adecuada de los procesos de monitoreo y de las estrategias de regulación. El objetivo del estudio es analizar los efectos de la instrucción estratégica y metacognitiva con el programa "Aprender a Comprender" en los procesos y estrategias para la comprensión lectora. MÉTODO: la instrucción se llevó a cabo durante seis meses, en el aula, a cargo de dos docentes. Participaron 94 escolares, 49 de 5º grado y 45 de 6º grado. Se utilizó un diseño pretest-intervención postest- seguimiento con un grupo de comparación por grado. RESULTADOS: los análisis de varianza muestran un impacto de la intervención y su mantenimiento diferencial en cada grado. Los estudiantes del grupo de intervención de 5º grado puntuaron más alto en la prueba de comprensión lectora en postest y en el seguimiento. Los del grupo de intervención de 6º grado puntuaron más alto en la escala de planificación tanto en postest como en el seguimiento. CONCLUSIONES: la instrucción estratégica textual favorece la comprensión lectora y el progresivo desarrollo de la planificación necesaria para su supervisión y regulación, manteniendo sus efectos en el tiempo

Effect of an intervention program on the reading comprehension processes and strategies in 5th and 6th grade students.

BACKGROUND: Various investigations have revealed that the promotion of cognitive and metacognitive strategies can improve reading comprehension and that when readers receive this type of instruction, they can use monitoring processes and regulation strategies adequately. The goal of this work is to analyze the effects of strategic and metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension processes and strategies, using the "Aprender a Comprender" [Learning to Understand] program. METHOD: Instruction was carried out in the classroom by two teachers during six months. Ninety-four students participated, 49 from 5th grade and 45 from 6th grade. A pretest-intervention-posttest-follow-up design was used with a comparison group by grade. RESULTS: The analysis of variance shows an impact of the intervention and its differential maintenance in each grade. The 5th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group in the reading comprehension test, both at posttest and at follow-up. The 6th-grade intervention group scored higher than the comparison group in the Planning scale, both at posttest and at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Textual strategy instruction favors reading comprehension and the progressive development of planning, which is necessary for supervision and regulation, and its effects are maintained over time.

Facilitación del conocimiento alfabético en preescolar a través del entrenamiento en codificación, grafomotricidad y lectura / Facilitating alphabet knowledge in preschool through training in coding, graphomotor and reading

El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar los efectos del entrenamiento en la iniciación al aprendizaje lector. Los participantes en el estudio fueron 144 niños de Preescolar de cuatro escuelas públicas de Galicia, pertenecientes a la zona rural de la Comarca del Paradanta. Del total, 72 formaron los tres grupos experimentales y otros 72 los tres grupos de control. El diseño utilizado fue un pretestpostest con sujetos aleatorizados. La medida de las habilidades lectoras se hizo mediante el Test de Reconocimiento Visual y Conversión Grafema-Fonema (TECOL). Los datos recogidos se trataron a través de un análisis de varianza de medidas repetidas. El entrenamiento incrementó significativamente las puntuaciones de las habilidades lectoras de los grupos experimentales, comparado con los grupos controles. El programa ha mostrado una triple interacción entre Medida × Entrenamiento × Nivel Escolar. Ello significa que hubo variación significativa en las puntuaciones medias de las habilidades lectoras fruto del entrenamiento y según los distintos niveles escolares. Se concluyó que la habilidad de lectura básica a desarrollar en la Educación Infantil es la habilidad de identificación y nombramiento de letras (AU)

The goal of the present study is to analyze the influence of training in initiation to learning reading. Participants in the study were 144 preschool children from four public schools of Galicia, from a rural area of the Region of Paradanta. Out of the total sample, 72 were assigned to the experimental groups and 72 to the control groups. The design was pretest-posttest with randomized participants. Reading skills were measured with the Visual Recognition and Grapheme-Phoneme Conversion Test (TECOL). The data was analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance. Training significantly increased the reading skill scores of the experimental groups, compared to the control groups. The program has shown a triple interaction between Measure × Training × Level School. This means that there was significant variation in mean scores of reading skills as a result of training and according to the different school levels. It is concluded that the basic reading skill to develop in early childhood education is the identification and naming of letters (AU)

[Facilitating alphabet knowledge in preschool through training in coding, graphomotor and reading]. / Facilitación del conocimiento alfabético en preescolar a través del entrenamiento en codifi cación, grafomotricidad y lectura.

The goal of the present study is to analyze the influence of training in initiation to learning reading. Participants in the study were 144 preschool children from four public schools of Galicia, from a rural area of the Region of Paradanta. Out of the total sample, 72 were assigned to the experimental groups and 72 to the control groups. The design was pretest-posttest with randomized participants. Reading skills were measured with the Visual Recognition and Grapheme-Phoneme Conversion Test (TECOL).The data was analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance. Training significantly increased the reading skill scores of the experimental groups, compared to the control groups. The program has shown a triple interaction between Measure Training × Level School. This means that there was significant variation in mean scores of reading skills as a result of training and according to the different school levels. It is concluded that the basic reading skill to develop in early childhood education is the identification and naming of letters.

Cognitive processing and mathematical achievement: a study with schoolchildren between fourth and sixth grade of primary education.

This investigation analyzed the relation between cognitive functioning and mathematical achievement in 114 students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Differences in cognitive performance were studied concurrently in three selected achievement groups: mathematical learning disability group (MLD), low achieving group (LA), and typically achieving group (TA). For this purpose, performance in verbal memory and in the PASS cognitive processes of planning, attention, and simultaneous and successive processing was assessed at the end of the academic course. Correlational analyses showed that phonological loop and successive and simultaneous processing were related to mathematical achievement at all three grades. Regression analysis revealed simultaneous processing as a cognitive predictor of mathematical performance, although phonological loop was also associated with higher achievement. Simultaneous and successive processing were the elements that differentiated the MLD group from the LA group. These results show that, of all the variables analyzed in this study, simultaneous processing was the best predictor of mathematical performance.

Procesamiento cognitivo en estudiantes con y sin deficiencia auditiva / Cognitive processing in students with and without hearing loss

Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar el procesamiento cognitivo de los sujetos deficientes auditivos comparados con los oyentes, así como el efecto del implante coclear en dicho procesamiento.Para ello se utilizó una muestra de 90 participantesde edades comprendidas entre los 5 y los 17 años(media de edad 10,9 años) distribuidos en cinco grupos:oyentes, deficientes auditivos ligero-moderados,severos, profundos portadores de audífono y profundosportadores de implante coclear.Los instrumentos de valoración utilizados han sidola batería Das.Naglieri: Cognitive Assesssment System(D.N:CAS) y el test de matrices progresivas de Raven.Los resultados se enmarcan en la teoría de planificación,atención, procesamiento simultáneo y procesamientosucesivo (PASS).Las puntuaciones más bajas en los procesos estudiados(planificación, atención, procesamiento simultáneoy procesamiento sucesivo) corresponden a lossujetos con deficiencia auditiva profunda portadoresde audífono, en tanto que los profundos con implantecoclear apenas se diferencian de los oyentes que sonel grupo con puntuaciones más elevadas.Los procesos afectados por el grado de audiciónson la planificación que diferencia a los sujetos oyentesde los no oyentes; el procesamiento sucesivo,afectado en los grupos con mayor pérdida auditiva(severos y profundos); y la atención que es un procesoespecialmente afectado en el grupo de deficientesauditivos profundos con audífono. El procesamientosimultáneo no parece afectarse por el grado de pérdidaauditiva en condiciones normales de educación

This research has as objective to analyze cognitiveprocessing in subjects with hearing loss comparingwith hearings, and also the effect of cochlear implant in that processing.For that, a sample was used, including 90 subjects with ages between 5 and 17 years old (average age 10,9 years old), gathered in five groups: hearings, light-moderate hearing loss, severe, deep with hearing aid and deep withcochlear implant.The instruments of assessment used were Das.Naglieri:Cognitive Assessment System (D.N:CAS) battery and Raven Progressive MatricesTest. The results were analyzed according to thePlanning, Attention, Simoultaneous processingand Successive processing Theory (PASS).The lowest scores in the different PASS Processings(planning, attention, simultaneous processingand successive processing) were reached by the group with deep hearing loss with hearing aid, and the scores of subjects with deep hearing loss and cochlear implant, are only slightly different from the hearings, the group who reached the highest scores.Processings affected by the hearing degree arePlanning which makes hearings different from deafsubjects; Successive proccessing is also affected inthe groups with more hearing loss (severe and deep);And attention which is a processing speciallyaffected in the deep hearing loss group with hearingaid. Simultaneous processing does not seem to beespecially affected by the degree of hearing loss innormal conditions of education (AU)