This issue of Snapshots explores how student effort may vary depending on the perceived stakes of the assessment. We revisit the self-reported levels of effort that students invested in the PISA test and compare them with the effort they indicated they would have made if the results counted towards their school marks. Australia's results are…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of missing data imputation methods, namely regression imputation (RI), multiple imputation (MI) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) on differential item functioning (DIF). In this regard, the datasets used in the research were created by deleting some of the data via the missing completely at random…

Social identity is an important social determinant of student outcomes such as mental health and well-being. Currently, no validated social identity measures exist for adolescents in secondary school settings. A new 'Adolescent Social Identity' measure was developed by adapting two social identity dimensions from a validated reputation enhancement…

Career development learning is increasingly emphasized as a curricular strategy to prepare students for their post-compulsory school transitions to further study or employment. Educators require career development frameworks and resources to support students' reflective learning. The present research tested a hypothesized Career Education and…

The rapid decline in Australian students' performance on the "National Assessment Program--Literacy and Numeracy" (NAPLAN) writing test is an issue of national concern. This paper presents the first investigation into patterns of achievement and progress on the NAPLAN writing test across the tested year levels (3, 5, 7 and 9) between…

Mathematics self-efficacy is considered an important variable in mathematics education because of its links to mathematics achievement. This paper reports on the development of the "Self-efficacy-effort in Mathematics Scale" (SEEMS), an instrument that has strong theoretical and psychometric properties. Based on a sample of n = 224…

The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency -- Second Edition (BOT-2) is a commonly used assessment of children's skills. It is important that assessments have validity evidence reported about them. The objective of the study was to investigate the structural validity of the BOT-2's eight subscales and four composite scales. A sample of 117…

The reading literacy skills of Australian adolescents, as measured in successive PISA waves, have declined since 2000. Literacy achievement is not low by international standards, but it is lower in Australia than it is in Anglophone countries with which we compare ourselves, e.g. Canada. Using PISA 2018 and PIRLS 2021 data, we investigated both…

Mathematics anxiety in initial teacher education is a growing issue that reflects on teacher quality and their student's maths anxiety and abilities. Previous studies have presented a range of different perspectives to mathematics anxiety. We aimed to explore further the reasons of mathematics anxiety in preservice teachers and suggest some…

Developing students' reading and numeracy skills remain key goals of contemporary schooling. In Australia, the National Assessment Program -- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests have assessed these skills since 2008. Previous research found a significant gender gap in favour of females for the NAPLAN writing test, yet no study has examined…

Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the positive effects of intrinsic motivation to learn mathematics and the negative impact of mathematics anxiety on students' performance in mathematics literacy. The study examined how the introduction of cognitive activation in mathematics lessons, a mediator variable, would alter these effects…

Australia has seen declining numbers of students choosing mathematics and science subjects in the senior secondary years, running counter to economic projections of an accelerating need for science and mathematics skills. Many students become less engaged with these subjects in the junior secondary years but attitudes such as self-concept, utility…

As international focus increasingly turns to the need to build a future mathematics workforce, research has aimed to better understand the salient individual and contextual factors that influence maths engagement and achievement across development. This study investigates self-reported general anxiety, test anxiety, and maths anxiety in two…

This meta-analysis examines gender differences in acculturative stress among international students. Despite numerous studies on cultural adjustment, inconsistencies persist regarding gender differences in acculturative stress. This study synthesizes findings from 12 empirical studies. Comprehensive searches across databases, including…

Objective: The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence -- Fourth Edition Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition (WPPSI-IV[superscript A&NZ]) is one of the most widely used intelligence assessments for children aged 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months. Given the impact of clinical and placement decisions that are…