Excellence gaps are differences in advanced education outcomes among student groups. This study replicates and extends an earlier study on the prevalence and magnitude of excellence gaps based on student sex and immigrant status using Grade 8 TIMSS data. Data were included for the 12 countries that have participated in each TIMSS administration…

Physical activity in youth is significant as it lays the foundation for a healthier lifestyle. However, in physical education classes, the voice of the student often goes unheard. The purpose of this study was to determine how the perception or preference of physical activity differs by age, gender, and/or ethnicity in a middle school setting.…

Despite a growing body of evidence suggesting that establishing sporting repertoires during youth is intimately related to ongoing participation in sport, little is known about how such repertoires develop during the crucial early teenage years, when the sporting habits that provide a basis for sporting careers take shape. The aim of the study…

Motivated by a curriculum privileging number-based strategies but national tests highlighting students' reliance on standard algorithms, this study analyses 2,216 Danish Grade 3, 6 and 8 students' solutions to various multidigit arithmetic tasks, each designed to elicit shortcut strategies, against background variables including sex, ethnicity and…

This Data Appendix provides the data behind the Fact Sheet, "California's K-12 Test Scores."

This study examines emotional well-being variations among students (n = 13,398) across 5 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analysis is conducted using data from the "Responses to Educational Disruption Survey" (REDS), which focused on the pandemic experiences, including well-being, of 8th-grade students. The study…

An examination of middle school students' attitudes towards mathematics and their mathematical competence is the central goal of this study. The sample is comprised of 998 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from middle schools in the Fethiye district of Mugla province in the 2021-2022 academic year. The attitudes of the middle school students…

Aspirations and expectations are conceptually and empirically different. Given their differential impact on various educational outcomes, it is expected that they, and consequently their convergence, would be affected by different factors. This study examines the factors leading to high aspirations, high expectations and to their alignment by…

Like most other states, Missouri uses assessments intended to measure whether students are on a pathway to "college and career readiness." The state longitudinal data system now has the capacity to directly test that claim. We make use of 8th-grade assessment (MAP) scores in Math, Science, and Communication Arts for roughly 260,000…

Background: Although prior research has explored students' affective experiences in mathematics and its demographic correlatives, additional studies are needed that: (1) use large national data sets; (2) incorporate a broad range of affective constructs; (3) consider trends in student affect over time; and (4) include younger children and…

In recent years, the complexity of post-modern societies has gained increasing attention. In terms of education, the attention involves focusing on how students experience inclusion and meaningful learning, regardless of their ethnic and/or socioeconomic background. These matters are particularly relevant in health and physical education (PE),…

This study examines the influence of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education on nurturing creativity and innovation among middle school students in Pakistan. A total of 164 students participating in diverse STEM programs nationwide provided data through a comprehensive questionnaire addressing demographics, perceptions,…

Extended testing time is a common accommodation given to students with disabilities. However, little is known about whether students who are eligible for the accommodation actually use it, and with what effect. The present study used process data available from the digitally delivered 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)…

This study aimed to explore if there was a significant difference in student performance in ELA and Math in middle school grades six through eight, pre- and post-COVID-19. This study aimed to identify student performance deficiencies in grades six through eight relating to gender, socioeconomic status, and race. The significance of this study is…

This study investigates how gender and school year influence students' perceptions of the learning environment in Swedish compulsory schools. Using the adapted patterns of adaptive learning scales (PALS) questionnaire, this research examined 831 students from years 3, 6 and 8 (ages 9-14). Data were analysed using principal component analysis…