More and more research is showing how different environments can lead to greater or lower creative skills. The purpose of this concept paper is to introduce a novel application of the optimal-level of arousal model that could address inconsistencies present in the literature. After introducing possible definitions of creativity, I discuss the…

It is wildly held belief that one way to interest students in mathematics is to use real-world examples. Mathematics teachers are aware of the lack of interest in mathematics by many students and seek ways to improve their motivation. It seems reasonable to suggest that demonstrating to students the ubiquitous nature of mathematics may help…

In this chapter, I consider how and why gender continues to impact motivation, task engagement, self-regulation, and educational aspirations, choices, and outcomes among both boys and girls. How can motivation theory and research contribute to understanding gender differences in achievement at school, where girls now tend to do better than boys,…

The effects of video games on self-esteem is an understudied area in social science research, despite the gaming industries massive economic growth and how widespread games have become in everyday lives. This paper explores and investigates literature on how playing video games could impact psychological well-being, specifically self-esteem.…

Many students view PISA as a low-stakes assessment. Their lack of willingness to give the assessment "their all" is reflected in students' performance. Boys are often disengaged, resulting in low test performance. Disengagement should be measured in various different ways to better understand it and improve assessment design.

In this article, both the negative and positive roles of competition as a teaching strategy are explored. By using the lenses of culture, gender, second language learners and different levels of education, the strategy of competition is considered in terms of its component pieces in order to find how best to use it. By adjusting the use of…

For the past two decades, Chinese students have formed a substantial component of many business-related postgraduate degrees in UK Universities. However, there has been little research into what motivates Chinese students to choose one type of business degree over another. In this paper, we use student record data to analyze the choices made by…

The most recent OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey enables educators, policy makers and the wider community to compare Australian students with each other, as well as with their counterparts across the world. PISA measures the extent to which 15-year-old students near the end of compulsory education have acquired the…

Gender differences exist in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math. There are differences between male and female undergraduates in the learning of various subjects. This paper analyzed the gender differences caused by intellectual and non-intellectual factors, such as math ability, verbal ability, spatial capability,…

A named professional with responsibility for overseeing and coordinating the educational inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities has become an important school role in many countries. In England, the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) became a mandatory role in 1994, and associated mandatory training was…

Children's memberships in social groups have profound effects on their motivation. Stereotypes about social groups shape children's beliefs about what is expected for their group members. These beliefs can influence children's developing beliefs about themselves (self-perceptions). In this article, I review research on how gender stereotypes…

The conversation around reluctant readers continues to focus on boys, with research, practice and policy exploring what could be done to (re)engage boys in reading (see National Literacy Trust, 2012; Department for Education, 2019; OECD, 2021). Girls who don't enjoy reading or who don't read in their free time are seldom the focus of interest,…

Background: Data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) revealed that countries systematically differ in their respondents' literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments skills; skill levels also vary by gender, age, level of education or migration background. Similarly,…

Video games are a significant cultural and creative force, often involving a number of art forms, including narrative, design and audio composition. They have been the subject of a large-scale exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museums in London and Dundee, while the British Games Institute (BGI) was set up to support video game culture in…

America is in a reading crisis. The authors of this new report point out, two in three American fourth-graders are performing below proficient in the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)--known as the "Nation's Report Card." There's another troubling component to this crisis. Important segments of society are being left…