Circadian Preference and Thinking Styles: Implications for School Achievement

Research has shown that thinking styles could have an influence on academic achievement. Previous studies have described that evening types are usually right-thinkers who tend to be creative and intuitive, whereas morning types tend to be left-thinkers who prefer verbal and analytic strategies in processing information. However, these studies have been realized among undergraduates, who have more freedom to choose their time schedules according to their circadian preference than adolescents or adult workers. On other hand, the relationship between thinking styles and circadian preference has not been analyzed considering school achievement. The present study aims (1) to investigate the relationship between circadian preference, that is, behavioral differences in circadian rhythmic expression, and thinking styles, referring to the preference toward information processing typical of the right versus the left cerebral hemisphere; and (2) to test the implications for self-reported school achievement. A sample of 1134 preadolescents and adolescents (581 girls; mean?±?SD age: 12.1?±?1.47, range: 10–14?yrs) completed the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) as measure of circadian preference (morning, neither, or evening types), the Hemispheric Preference Test (HPT), conceived as a tool to measure thinking styles (right-, balanced-, and left-thinkers), and self-reported school achievement. Results indicated a greater percentage of left-thinkers among morning types and a greater percentage of right-thinkers among evening types. No differences were found among balanced-thinkers and neither types. Morning types and left-thinkers reported the highest subjective level of achievement, followed by evening types and left-thinkers, and morning types and right-thinkers. Evening types and right-thinkers reported the lowest subjective level of achievement. Finally, multivariate regression analysis indicated that age, left hemisphere and morning preferences accounted for 14.2% of total variance on self-reported achievement.     

Anemia in female adolescents]

Investigations for exploring the frequency and pathogenesis of anaemia were carried out in 164 female pupils of a minicipal grammar school for girls aged from 14 to 20 years. There were lowered haematocrit values below 37% in 81 cases (49%), which were due to iron deficiency in 31 girls. Only in one case a lowered vitamin B12 level was detected and in 8 girls there was a lowered folic acid content in the serum. The frequency of anaemia in girls of school age mainly caused by iron deficiency is emphasized.     

Biological Sciences Curriculum Study

In order to name an animal they see, children use their existing mental models to provide the animal with a name. In this study, pupils of a range of ages (4, 8, 11, and 14 years old) were presented with preserved specimens of six different animals and asked a series of questions about them. The results indicate that pupils of all ages mainly recognize and use anatomical features when naming the animals and explaining why they are what they are. However, older pupils are more likely to also use behavioural and habitat attributes. For both girls and boys, the home and direct observation are more important as sources of knowledge than school or books, although books seem more important for boys than for girls. As pupils age, their reasons for grouping animals become more complicated: in addition to relying on shared anatomical features, they begin to show evidence of an embedded taxonomic knowledge, knowing, for instance, what a mammal is and using this knowledge to group animals.     

There is more to the dissection of a pig's heart

In order to name and classify a plant they see, children use their existing mental models to provide the plant with a name and classification. In this study pupils of a range of ages (5, 8, 10, and 14 years old) were presented with preserved specimens of six different plants (strictly, five plants and a fungus) and asked a series of questions about them. Their responses indicate that pupils of all ages mainly recognise and use anatomical features when naming the plants and explaining why they are what they are. However, older pupils are more likely to also use habitat features. For both girls and boys, the home and direct observation are more important sources of knowledge than school, TV, videos, CD-Roms, or books, although TV, videos, CD-Roms, and books seem more important for boys than for girls. As pupils age, their reasons for grouping plants become more complicated: in addition to relying on shared anatomical and habitat features, they begin to show evidence of a knowledge of taxonomy and use this knowledge to group plants.     

Acne in schoolchildren: no longer a concern for dermatologists.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the prevalence and severity of acne among schoolchildren in Glasgow. DESIGN--Secondary schools in Glasgow were divided by postcode into five socioeconomic cluster groups. Different numbers of schools were selected at random from the five groups to ensure proportional representation. One class from each registration year of the chosen schools was selected at random and the whole class recruited into the study. SETTING--15 Secondary schools in Glasgow. SUBJECTS--2014 Randomly selected schoolchildren aged 12-17 (5% of total secondary school roll). INTERVENTIONS--None. END POINT--Assessment of facial acne by two independent examiners by a recognised acne scoring system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--The prevalence of acne in boys increased from 40% (75/189) at age 12 to 95% (108/114) at age 16, and in girls it increased from 61% (114/187) at age 12 to 83% (136/164) at age 16. On a scale of 0 to 10 only 18 boys (1.8%) and three girls (0.3%) had grades of acne of 1.0 or greater; most of the pupils had grade 0.05-0.375 (minimal) acne. Nine per cent of boys (88/973) and 14% of girls (145/1041) had visited their general practitioner specifically for advice on and treatment for acne; only five pupils (0.3%) had been referred to a dermatologist. CONCLUSIONS--Both the prevalence and severity of acne have decreased over the past 20 years. This has probably been due to improvement of treatment for acne by primary care doctors and the greater availability and use of over the counter preparations for acne.     

Teenagers' knowledge of emergency contraception: questionnaire survey in south east Scotland.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the level of knowledge of emergency contraception among 14 and 15 year olds. DESIGN--Confidential questionnaire survey. SETTING--10 secondary schools in Lothian, south east Scotland. SUBJECTS--1206 pupils predominantly (98.7%) aged 14 and 15 in the fourth year of secondary school. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Knowledge of the existence of emergency contraception; of its safety, efficacy, and time limits; and of where to obtain it. RESULTS--1121 (93.0%) fourth year pupils aged 14-16 had heard of emergency contraception. 194 girls (32.7%) and 168 boys (27.5%) had experienced sexual intercourse. Of girls who had experienced sexual intercourse, 61 (31.4%) had used emergency contraception. Knowledge of correct time limits was poor, sexually active girls being the most knowledgeable. Pupils attending schools ranked lower than the national average for academic attainment were less likely to have heard of emergency contraception and more likely to have been sexually active. 861 (76.8%) pupils knew they could obtain emergency contraception from their doctor. 925 (82.5%) pupils believed emergency contraception to be effective but 398 (35.5%) thought it more dangerous than the oral contraceptive pill. CONCLUSIONS--One third of sexually active girls aged under 16 in Lothian have used emergency contraception. This may help explain the fairly constant teenage pregnancy rates despite increasing sexual activity. Scottish teenagers are well informed about the existence of emergency contraception. However, many do not know when and how to access it properly. Health education initiatives should target teenagers from less academic schools as they are more likely to be sexually active at a young age and are less well informed about emergency contraception.     

The role of chronotype,gender, test anxiety,and conscientiousness in academic achievement of high school students

Previous findings have demonstrated that chronotype (morningness/intermediate/eveningness) is correlated with cognitive functions, that is, people show higher mental performance when they do a test at their preferred time of day. Empirical studies found a relationship between morningness and higher learning achievement at school and university. However, only a few of them controlled for other moderating and mediating variables. In this study, we included chronotype, gender, conscientiousness and test anxiety in a structural equation model (SEM) with grade point average (GPA) as academic achievement outcome. Participants were 158 high school students and results revealed that boys and girls differed in GPA and test anxiety significantly, with girls reporting better grades and higher test anxiety. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between conscientiousness and GPA (r = 0.17) and morningness (r = 0.29), respectively, and a negative correlation between conscientiousness and test anxiety (r = –0.22). The SEM demonstrated that gender was the strongest predictor of academic achievement. Lower test anxiety predicted higher GPA in girls but not in boys. Additionally, chronotype as moderator revealed a significant association between gender and GPA for evening types and intermediate types, while intermediate types showed a significant relationship between test anxiety and GPA. Our results suggest that gender is an essential predictor of academic achievement even stronger than low or absent test anxiety. Future studies are needed to explore how gender and chronotype act together in a longitudinal panel design and how chronotype is mediated by conscientiousness in the prediction of academic achievement.     

Comparison of BMI and percentage of body fat of Indian and German children and adolescents

Today, serious health problems as overweight and obesity are not just constricted to the developed world, but also increase in the developing countries (Prentice 2006, Ramachandram et al. 2002). Focusing on this issue, BMI and percentage of body fat were compared in 2094 schoolchildren from two cross-sectional studies from India and Germany investigated in 2008 and 2009. The German children are in all age groups significantly taller, whereas the Indian children show higher values in BMI (e.g. 12 years: Indian: around 22 kg/m2; German: around 19 kg/m2) and in the percentage of body fat (e.g. 12 years: Indian: around 27%; German: around 18-20%) in most of the investigated age groups. The Indian children have significantly higher BMI between 10 and 13 (boys) respectively 14 years (girls). Indian children showed significant higher percentage of body fat between 10 and 15 years (boys) and between 8 and 16 years (girls). The difference in overweight between Indian and German children was strongest at 11 (boys) and 12 (girls) years: 70% of the Indian but 20% of the German children were classified as overweight. In countries such as India that undergo nutritional transition, a rapid increase in obesity and overweight is observed. In contrast to the industrialized countries, the risk of overweight in developing countries is associated with high socioeconomic status. Other reasons of the rapid increase of overweight in the developing countries caused by different environmental or genetic factors are discussed.     

Association between circadian preference and academic achievement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The association between circadian preference and academic achievement has been assessed through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature searches retrieved 1647 studies; 31 studies, with a total sample size of 27?309 participants, fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. With reference to all these 31 studies, before running the meta-analysis, the sign of the correlation between the investigated variables was set in a way that a positive correlation showed that eveningness was related to worse academic performance. The meta-analysis yielded a small overall effect size of 0.143 (CI [0,129; 0,156]) under a fixed effects model (Z?=?20.584, p?<?0.001, I^2?=?72.656; Q?=?109.715) and of 0.145 (CI [0.117; 0.172]) under a random effects model (Z?=?10.077, p?<?0.001). A random effects model with a grouping variable (participants) revealed 15 studies based on school pupils and 16 on university students. The random model showed a higher effect size in school pupils (0.166, CI from 0.127 to 0.206) compared to university students (0.121, CI from 0.080 to 0.163). Self-report measures of grades revealed a stronger effect size (0.171; CI: 0.137 to 0.206; N?=?20) compared to objective measures (0.093; CI: 0.047 to 0.140; N?=?19). Overall, the present results suggest that evening orientation is associated with a worse academic performance, both in school pupils and university students; for the first time, it has been shown that such relationship changes over time, being weaker in university students.     

Measuring exposure to injury risk in schoolchildren aged 11-14.

OBJECTIVE--To apply a measure of exposure to injury risk for schoolchildren aged 11-14 across a population and to examine how risk factors vary with sex, age, and affluence. DESIGN--Self completion questionnaire survey administered in schools in May 1990. SETTING--24 schools in Newcastle upon Tyne. SUBJECTS--5334 pupils aged 11-14, of whom 4637 (87%) completed the questionnaire. RESULTS--Boys were exposed to greater risk than girls in journeys to places to play outdoors; they took longer trips and were more likely to ride bicycles (relative risk 5.30 (95% confidence interval 4.23 to 6.64)) and less likely to travel by public transport or car. Younger pupils (aged 11-12) were less exposed to traffic during journeys to and from school: their journeys were shorter, they were less likely to walk (trip to school, relative risk 0.88 (0.83 to 0.94)), and they were more likely to travel by car (trip to school, relative risk 1.33 (1.13 to 1.56)) or school bus (1.33 (1.10 to 1.62)). Poorer children were exposed to greater risk than affluent children (from families that owned a car and a telephone): they were less likely to travel to school by car (relative risk 0.26 (0.20 to 0.33)) or to be accompanied by an adult (0.39 (0.32 to 0.48)). CONCLUSION--Injury risk data can provide useful information on child injury prevention and can be used to identify priorities and target resources for injury prevention on a citywide scale or for an individual school.     

Ethological analysis of children-parent interaction in outdoor play

Previous studies clarified more affinity toward fathers by boys and toward mothers by girls (FB&MG tendency) in indoor play interactions between infants (a few years old) and parents of Western countries. In the present study, behavioral interactions by Japanese parents and children including infants and elementary school pupils were examined in a naturalisitic outdoor park. The results indicated that the FB&MG tendency is also seen in infants of a non-Western country (Japan), in outdoor play interaction, and in older children. The meaning of the FB&MG tendency was discussed based on the results of the present study and the related previous ones.     

The readability of school biology textbooks

In a study of 104 biology lessons, evidence was found of the widespread use of texts as sources of information, often unsupported by other teaching. The readability of three popular texts for the 14–16 age range was estimated by three different measures. Comprehension tests of material from the books (cloze tests) were given to 100 school biology pupils (aged 15–16 years). The results confirmed that the texts presented serious problems of comprehension for some pupils.

Some implications for teachers and authors are discussed.     

A study of Nigerian pupils' understanding of selected biological concepts

120 Nigerian Secondary school biology pupils, mostly aged 16–18, were interviewed individually to assess their level of understanding of a range of biological concepts. The concepts were related to growth, reproduction, and transport mechanisms within living organisms. The responses of each pupil were scored and examined to determine whether they revealed concrete or formal operational thinking. Given 21 opportunities to do so, almost 50 per cent of pupils either failed to exhibit formal thinking at all, or revealed it on only one occasion. Fewer than 5 per cent exhibited formal thinking on ten or more occasions. There was no significant difference in the performance of boys as compared with girls, nor between pupils whose parents were from different socio-economic groups. Pupils from urban schools performed significantly better than those from rural schools. Pupils' common misconceptions were identified. The importance of ascertaining pupils' misconceptions and their levels of understanding of biological concepts is discussed from the viewpoint of the classroom teacher.     

Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in girls aged 14-18 years in Isfahan, Iran

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of clinical polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 14- to 18-year-old high school girls in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1,000 high school girls (14-18 years old) were selected by multi-stage random sampling from different high schools in Isfahan. Following physical examination, a single physician recorded the presence of hirsutism, severe acne, androgenic alopecia, menstrual dysfunction and obesity using a validated questionnaire. Clinical PCOS was diagnosed if menstrual dysfunction and clinical hyperandrogenism were detected. RESULTS: Clinical PCOS was present in 30 (3%), hirsutism in 60 (6%), menstrual dysfunction in 74 (7.4%) and severe acne in 47 (4.7%) of the population studied. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of clinical PCOS in our study population was similar to those of other studies; however, the prevalence could have been higher with hormonal assessment.     

Children’s knowledge and contact with native fauna: a comparative study between Portugal and Spain

ABSTRACT

The present study compared Portuguese and Spanish children in the 6^th year of primary school in terms of their knowledge and live experience of animals from the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and the African savannah. A questionnaire was administered to 420 children from state schools, 215 from Portugal and 205 from Spain. The questionnaire included photos of eleven mammals from each region. The pupils had to identify them, to say if they had observed them live and where, and if they are native in the IP. The results showed a greater knowledge of both groups of the savannah species, also the ones most had seen live. However, the Spanish children had a better performance in the identification of the native mammals and which animals are native on IP, probably because these children are from a less urban zone, with more direct contact with some of the species presented. The school does not seem to play, in either group, an important role in the learning about native species. Boys from both countries performed better than girls on the issues under study. A high percentage of children from both countries think that several of the savannah species occur wild on the IP.     

Parents’ assessment of circadian preference in elementary school-aged children: Validity and relations to educational outcomes

Meta-analyses suggest that morning-oriented students obtain better school grades than evening-oriented students. This finding has generally been found for students in high school using self-report data for the assessment of circadian preference. Two studies (N = 2718/192) investigated whether these findings generalize across samples (i.e. elementary school-aged students) and methods (i.e. parent reports). These studies also explored whether the relation between circadian preference and school achievement could be explained within an expectancy-value framework. To this end, the Lark-Owl Chronotype Indicator (LOCI) was modified to obtain parents’ evaluations of their children’s circadian preference, while students completed a battery of assessments designed to explore the test-criterion evidence. Structural equation modeling and correlational analyses revealed: (1) morning and evening orientation were two separable factors of children’s circadian preference; (2) correlations with behavioral (e.g. sleep and eating times) and psychological (e.g. cognitive ability) data supported the test-criterion validity of both factors; (3) morning orientation was positively related to school achievement and (4) consistent with an expectancy-value framework this relation was mediated by children’s academic self-concept (ASC). These findings have important research and policy implications for considering circadian preference in the schooling of elementary students.     

Correlation between morningness-eveningness and final school leaving exams

Pupils shift their time of day preferences from morningness to eveningness during the age of puberty. Therefore, early school start times may have a negative influence on school functioning, adolescent health and on grade point average. Here, we show that morningness - eveningness influences school performance as measured by the final school leaving/university entrance certificate. One hundred and thirty-two university students aged between 20 and 22 years participated in our study. We found a highly significant positive correlation between the average grading of the final exam and the morningness score, suggesting that pupils with morning preferences performed better in school achievement. Evening types seem at a serious disadvantage because the final exams are used for university entrance decisions.     

Frequency of micronuclei in the cells of buccal epithelium in Ukrainian schoolchildren of various age and sex

The frequency of micronuclei (MN) has been studied in 266 schoolchildren, participants of All-Ukrainian school competitions on biology and ecology. The distribution of MN frequencies was Poissonian with λ = 2.5. The mean MN frequency was 2.4 ± 0.15‰ in boys and 2.7 ± 0.14‰ in girls; the difference is not statistically significant. The individual MN frequency varied from 0 to 8.3‰ and on the average was 2.5 ± 0.11‰ which does not exceed known mean population values. We have shown differences in the MN frequency between sexes in some age groups: MN frequency was significantly higher in girls than in boys aged 16 years. The dynamics of age-related changes in the MN frequency of boys and girls also differed in the period studied (14–18 years of age).     

Current age of the menarche in Belgium

In Belgium, as in most industrialized countries, studies about menarcheal age have shown an earlier physical and sexual maturation. In this paper we will consider the secular trend in menarcheal age over the last twenty years in Brussels. The results concerning menstruation have been obtained in 1980-1982 from 1048 Belgian girls aged between 9 and 17. These girls have very varied socio-economic backgrounds, representative of the diversity of social origin in the Belgian population of Brussels (city and suburbs). Our data were collected using the status quo-method and compared with Jeurissen's (menarcheal age in Belgium between 1915 and 1959). Percentiles and probits were used. The lower limit, where 10% of the girls have had their menarches remains more or less constant. Between 1915 and 1959, Jeurissen noted the tendency of the median menarcheal age toward earlier sexual maturation from 14 years 4 months to 13.0. But, for the first time in Belgium, it seems that the median age is stabilized at 13.0 years. However, the higher limit (age, where 90% have had their menarches) is attained at a lower age: 15.0 for girls born between 1950-1954 and 14.0 in our sample. In conclusion, it seems that better conditions of life cause an evolution in the cases of late menarches but have no more repercussions on the median menarcheal age in this Belgian group.     

Age at menarche: the influence of environmental conditions

Age at menarche was studied by the recollection method in two groups of Causasian Jewish high school girls, inhabitants of two towns in Israel, Safad and Elat. The two towns differ mainly in climatic conditions. The age at menarche was found to be significantly lower (P<0.02) in the hot town of Elat than in the temperate town of Safad: 13.30±1.21 and 13.58±0.9 years, respectively (mean ±SD). A significant association was found between the age at menarche and the town in which the girls lived. Accordingly, in the hot town of Elat, the percentage of girls who had their first menstrual cycle by the age of 12 years and earlier, was more than double that of the girls in Safad (17.9% and 7.1%, respectively). It is concluded that the environmental temperature, with or without any possible interaction of humidity, is probably responsible for the tendency for an earlier onset of menarche in girls living in the hot town of Elat.