Background: Although there is an increasing recognition of the importance of critical thinking in science education across the world, the relevant research literature is extremely thin. There is an urgent need to generate more empirical evidence. Purpose: We examined two essential issues concerning critical thinking (the relationship between…

Inspired by complex system theory, this study adopts a multilevel piecewise regression model to examine the relationship between homework time and the development of students in different grades using a large-scale testing database in China. The results indicate that the relationship between homework time and students' performance is positive when…

Background: Students' academic performance and learning experiences are crucial in school education, yet their relationships with instructional characteristics remain an open question. Aims: The present study examined how cognitive activation and teacher support were associated with students' academic emotions and achievement in math classrooms…

The factors that influence student academic performance have long been discussed by academics. However, to our knowledge, there are no data on the informal learning activities organised by parents. Therefore, there is a need to explore how parents influence student academic performance. To do so, we acquired a dataset from the China Education…

This study examined relations of affinity for solitude with social-behavioral, academic, and psychological adjustment in Chinese children and adolescents. The participants included 3,417 students (1,714 boys) in fourth, sixth, and eighth grades (M[subscript ages] = 10, 12, and 14 years, respectively) in China. Data on affinity for solitude were…

Using an integrated school leadership framework, this research intended to investigate 1.whether and to what extent transformational leadership could leverage teacher leadership; 2 the integrated effects of principal transformational leadership and teacher leadership on teacher self-efficacy and student academic performance. This study used a…

Teachers can be biased, especially toward low achievers and students with behavioral issues. However, creative students often appear to be disruptive in the classroom, and many of them struggle academically. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which teachers' perceptions of students' creativity is associated with…

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) has received much attention in industrial-organizational research because it is linked to a broad spectrum of adaptive work-related outcomes. However, few studies have been conducted on PsyCap in non-Western school contexts, especially in the ethnic minority areas of Mainland China. The present study aims to validate…

This longitudinal study was initiated to assess the predictors of peer- and teacher-identified Chinese adolescent leaders. Participants were 764 8th grade (14.42 years, 348 girls) and 783 11th grade (17.67 years, 427 girls) students that completed two waves of data collection separated by 1 year. Prosocial behavior, aggression, and the interaction…

The Chinese education system is characterized as highly meritocratic and examination-oriented. Scores in high-stakes public standardized examinations mainly determine upward educational transitions. Private tutoring classes (PTCs) are a typical measure to boost students' academic achievement. Mental health is also assumed to affect one's behaviors…

This study investigated the relationship among academic achievement, academic emotions, and resilience of grade eight students in Guiyang, China. Via a convenience sampling approach, 172 students (45.9% female) were recruited in this study. Students' academic emotions and resilience were measured respectively by using the adolescent academic…

Shadow education helps students become academically competitive. Currently, little is known about whether shadow education can effectively fulfill either remedial or enrichment purposes in China. Using the nationally representative data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) collected in 2013 and 2014, this paper explored the opportunity gap…

Extensive research has suggested that there is a large rural-urban student achievement gap in China. However, less is known about the effects of family background and parental expectations on student achievement. Using a large representative sample of Chinese eighth graders, this study examines these relationships. We find that: (1) Rather than a…

Homework is a multifaceted process that involves a complex interplay of factors. However, the processes underlying homework behavior are not yet fully understood. In Study 1, we tested a model of homework processes by examining the influences and consequences of homework behavior based on 473 Chinese students. In Study 2 with 159 British students,…

While such connection between an instructional leader and a vigorous teacher-leader team seems natural in the school with instructional effectiveness, the research evidence is surprisingly limited. To fill the gap, these factors are linked such that principals' effort on instruction will lead them to change the school's leadership structure by…