Emotional Response to Testing in Gifted and Highly Gifted Children

Whether intellectually gifted children have a greater emotional response when tested is still unclear. This may be due to the marked heterogeneity of this particular population, and the fact that most studies lack the power to reduce the noise associated with this heterogeneity. The present study examined the relationship between performance and emotional response in 468,423 Italian fifth-graders taking a national test on mathematics and language. Analyses were performed using statistical models with polynomial terms. Special attention was paid to estimating the mean emotional response of the children who were gifted (1.5-2.5 standard deviations above the mean) or highly gifted (more than 2.5 standard deviations above the mean). The results showed that, although a lower emotional response correlated with a higher achievement, this relationship is nonlinear, and the estimates for gifted and highly gifted children were virtually the same. Girls showed a greater emotional response than boys on all levels of performance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Psychological Correction of School Deadaptation of Pupils at the Transition to the Middle Level

The article is devoted to the study of the effectiveness of methods of psychological correction of school deadaptation of fifth graders during the transition from junior to middle level. The problem of school deadaptation in the Russian pedagogical and psychological literature is revealed. The features of deadaptation in primary school age during the transition to the secondary level of education, the features of the correction of school deadaptation of pupils are revealed. Particular attention is paid to the study of manifestations in individual components of school deadaptation: cognitive, emotional-evaluative, behavioral, and personal. A package of psychological diagnostic techniques has been developed. The description of the study of maladjustment of primary schoolchildren during the transition to the secondary level of education is given. The content of the program of psychological correction of school deadaptation during the transition from junior to secondary level, including recommendations for teachers and parents, is disclosed. The results of diagnostics are presented. Analysis of the effectiveness of the program showed that the program allows achieving positive changes in the emotional-evaluative, behavioral and personal components of school deadaptation of fifth graders. At the same time, school adaptability increases.

ANALISIS PENGAJARAN GURU UNTUK PENGUATAN PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER MANDIRI SISWA KELAS V SDN 2 SIDOREKSO

The purpose of this study is to describe a good way to plan the character of students' independence to strengthen the character education of fifth graders at SDN 02 Sidorekso, Kudus Regency. The research method used in this research is qualitative with qualitative descriptive data analysis. Collecting data in this study by observation, interviews, and documentation. The result of this research is that the teacher plans to strengthen independent character by planning routine activities and integrating the subjects listed in the lesson plans. The teacher's way of organizing in carrying out student independence is by organizing it according to what has been planned based on the learning objectives. Meanwhile, the supervision carried out by the teacher for the independence of students is by supervising during learning and evaluating after learning.AbstrakTujuan Penelitian ini yaitu pertama, untuk mendekripsikan cara yang baik untuk melakukan perencanaan karakter kemandirian siswa untuk pengokohan pendidikan karakter siswa kelas V SDN 02 Sidorekso Kabupaten Kudus. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu kualitatif dengan analisis data deskriptif kualitatif. Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini dengan observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian ini yaitu guru melakukan perencanaan pengokohan karakter mandiri dengan merencanakan kegiatan rutin dan pengintegrasian mata pelajaran yang tercantum dalam RPP. Cara guru dalam pengorganisasian dalam menjalankan kemandirian siswa yaitu dengan mengoorganisasikannya sesuai dengan apa yang telah direncanakan dengan berpedoman tujuan pembelajaran. Sedangkan pengawasan yang dilakukan guru untuk kemandirian siswa yaitu dengan melakukan pengawasan saat berlangsungnya pembelajaran dan melakukan evaluasi detelah pembelajarannya.

Gender Differences Concerning Physical Activity Beliefs and Practices among Fourth and Fifth Graders in Rural Virginia

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Physical activity (PA) is a known preventative factor. It is recommended that children participate in 60 minutes of PA daily, but most do not meet these guidelines. Further, boys, aged 8-17 years, spend more time in PA than girls of the same age. The purposes of this study were to identify gender differences in PA beliefs and practices among fourth and fifth graders and to determine when gender disparities in self-confidence regarding PA and fitness occur. Subjects were 41 fourth (19 boys; 22 girls) and 33 fifth (16 boys; 17 girls) graders in a public elementary school in the rural northwest. They participated in the FitnessGram, a nationwide assessment of flexibility, aerobic capacity, and muscular strength and endurance, and a proctored survey about their PA beliefs, self-confidence, and participation. There were no differences in FitnessGram data between boys and girls for aerobic capacity or muscular strength and endurance, but girls had increased flexibility when compared to boys in both grades. Importantly, survey results showed fifth grade girls had less confidence they could improve their physical fitness (p = 0.002) or their overall health (p = 0.004) when compared to fourth grade girls. Research is needed to determine how these changes in self-confidence contribute to the gender gap in time spent in PA. We recommend physical education programs throughout all grades teach healthy behaviors, including time spent in PA, and work to build and maintain self-confidence in girls.

Emotional Response to Testing in Gifted and Highly Gifted Children

Whether intellectually gifted children have a greater emotional response when tested is still unclear. This may be due to the marked heterogeneity of this particular population, and the fact that most studies lack the power to reduce the noise associated with this heterogeneity. The present study examined the relationship between performance and emotional response in 468,423 Italian fifth-graders taking a national test on mathematics and language. Analyses were performed using statistical models with polynomial terms. Special attention was paid to estimating the mean emotional response of the children who were gifted (1.5-2.5 standard deviations above the mean) or highly gifted (more than 2.5 standard deviations above the mean). The results showed that, although a lower emotional response correlated with a higher achievement, this relationship is nonlinear, and the estimates for gifted and highly gifted children were virtually the same. Girls showed a greater emotional response than boys on all levels of performance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILDREN ENTREPRENEURIAL SCIENCE THINKING TEST FOR STEM EDUCATION

There are limited research studies about the development of test instrument to assess the level of entrepreneurial thinking among children in STEM education. The purpose of this research was to develop an Entrepreneurial Science Thinking Test (ESTT) for primary school children in STEM Education and evaluate its validity and reliability. The ESTT was developed using experiential learning theory which comprised of five constructs, namely Observation, New Ideas, Innovation, Creativity, and Value. The ESTT consisted of ten open-ended question items that require children to answer questions in statements and draw sketches of ideas. The evaluation was conducted to determine the reliability and validity of ESTT which involved five subject matter experts and 166 11-year-old fifth graders from five urban schools in Sabah, Malaysia. The data obtained from fifth graders were computed using WINSTEPS software version 3.73 and analysed using the Rasch measurement model. The results indicated a high acceptable content validity and construct validity, high internal consistency, and excellent item reliability and item separation. Through item fit analysis, all items were retained. The finding established the reliability and validity of the ESTT and would therefore represent a valid and highly reliable instrument for measuring entrepreneurial science thinking among fifth graders in STEM Education. Keywords: experiential learning theory, science entrepreneurial thinking, validity and reliability, STEM education

EXPLORING THE EFFECTS ON FIFTH GRADERS’ CONCEPT ACHIEVEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS: APPLYING THE PREDICTION-OBSERVATION-EXPLANATION INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING MODEL IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

The inquiry-based learning model can facilitate students’ understanding of scientific concepts. Scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs) are related to students’ beliefs about the nature of the process of knowledge in science education. However, whether the “prediction-observation-explanation” (POE) inquiry-based learning model can facilitate fifth graders’ concept achievement and SEBs in science education has not been extensively studied. This study selected the unit of Light Refraction to explore the effects of POE learning on fifth graders’ science concept achievement and SEBs. The Light Refraction Test and Scientific Epistemological Beliefs measurement were applied to the two groups prior to and following the experiment. The experimental group (N=86) participated in POE inquiry-based learning, whereas the control group (N=88) participated without POE inquiry-based learning. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups, with the experimental group learners performing better than the control group in the concept achievement. In addition, the results showed better positive effects of POE on experimental group learners’ SEBs in the scales of Source and Certainty. Findings suggested that learners achieved better concept achievements and SEBs with the approach of POE inquiry-based learning, which pointed to certain implications for inquiry-based teaching, as well as in education of future science instructors. Keywords: inquiry-based learning model, light refraction, prediction-observation-explanation, science education, scientific epistemological beliefs