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Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
Cognitive abilities, sociocultural background and academic achievement
António Diniz1, Margarida Dias Pocinho, Leandro Silva Almeida
1Universidad de Évora, Portugal.
Psicothema
|November 4, 2011
Summary
Student socioeconomic status impacts academic success, with cognitive abilities mediating this link. This mediation effect varies by grade level, highlighting the role of educational transitions.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Student sociocultural background significantly influences academic achievement.
- Sociocultural background is also linked to cognitive abilities, which in turn affect academic achievement.
- The mediating role of cognitive abilities in the sociocultural background-academic achievement relationship requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the mediating role of cognitive abilities on the relationship between sociocultural background and academic achievement in Portuguese junior high school students.
- To analyze how this mediation effect differs across grade levels (7th, 8th, and 9th grades).
Main Methods:
- A structural equation model was employed.
- Data were collected from a sample of 728 Portuguese junior high school students.
- Multigroup analysis was used to test the proposed model across different grade levels.
Main Results:
- The study found a significant mediation effect of cognitive abilities between sociocultural background and academic achievement in the 7th and 9th grades.
- This mediation effect was not significant in the 8th grade.
- The findings suggest grade-level differences in how cognitive abilities mediate the impact of sociocultural background on academic achievement.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive abilities play a crucial mediating role in the relationship between sociocultural background and academic achievement, particularly during key academic transition points.
- The absence of this mediation in the 8th grade may be linked to the specific academic demands and parental involvement patterns in the Portuguese educational system.
- Educational interventions should consider the varying influence of cognitive abilities across different grade levels and transition periods.
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