ERIC Number: EJ1438186
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Sep
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-726X
EISSN: EISSN-1573-336X
Available Date: N/A
Using DNA to Predict Education: A Meta-Analytic Review
Educational Psychology Review, v36 n3 Article 102 2024
Recent advances in genomics make it possible to predict individual differences in education from polygenic scores that are person-specific aggregates of inherited DNA differences. Here, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the strength of these DNA-based predictions for educational attainment (e.g., years spent in full-time education) and educational achievement (e.g., school grades). For educational attainment (k = 20, n = 16, N[subscript total] = 314,757), a multilevel meta-analysis showed an association with polygenic scores of [rho] = 0.27 (95% CI from 0.22 to 0.32). For educational achievement (k = 19, n = 10, N[subscript total] = 83,788), the association was [rho] = 0.24 (95% CI from 0.18 to 0.30). Eurocentric biases were evident with only 15% of estimates being reported in samples of non-European ancestry. After accounting for sample ancestry, age at assessment, and education measure, the meta-analytic estimates increased to [rho] = 0.29 (95% CI from 0.24 to 0.33) for educational attainment and [rho] = 0.50 (95% CI from 0.39 to 0.61) for educational achievement, indicative of large effect sizes. All meta-analytic estimates were associated with significant heterogeneity. Our findings suggest that DNA-based predictions of education are sizeable but vary across samples and studies. We outline three steps to safeguard potential applications of polygenic score predictions in education to maximize their benefits for personalizing learning, while minimizing the bioethical risks of perpetuating social, cultural, and economic inequalities.
Descriptors: Genetics, Heredity, Educational Attainment, Predictor Variables, Predictive Measurement, Academic Achievement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A