Children Who Enjoy School Aged Six Tend To Get Better Grades Ten Years Later

By Emily Reynolds Multiple factors influence how we perform educationally: the way we’re taught, our particular needs and how they’re met, our parents, and our socio-economic background to name a few. Gaps in attainment can start from very early on: some children have already fallen behind before the age of seven. But what about how much we enjoy school? A new study in npj Science of Learning, led by the University of Bristol’s Tim Morris, looks at this relatively under-explored factor. And the team finds that enjoyment at the age of six has a significant impact on achievement, which was visible even years later when participants took their GCSEs. Data was gathered from participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which has been tracking parents and their children from 1991 onwards. At the age of six, participants were asked if they liked school, before answering further questions on their enjoyment six months later. Educational attainment was measured through exam results aged 16, and the team also looked at sex, month of birth and school year, ethnicity, cognitive ability aged eight, maternal education and the socioeconomic position of parents. Mothers who took part in the study also reported how much their children liked their teachers aged six, and children themselves self-reported their temperament by answering questions on how happy or angry they were. From the age of eight, children answered questions on their confidenc...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Developmental Educational Source Type: blogs