Koury, Abel
(2016)
HOW GENDER, ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL SKILLS, AND COGNITIVE STIMULATION RELATE TO SUMMER LEARNING AND TO EACH OTHER.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Using a subsample of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011; n = 4880), the current study examined summer learning in reading and math between the end of kindergarten and the beginning of first-grade. Utilizing a multilevel regressor variable approach, gender differences in summer learning were examined as well as whether behavior, baseline academic skills, and/or cognitive stimulation helped explain gender differences in summer learning. Further, this study investigated whether parents provided different types and levels of cognitive stimulation based on their child's gender or as a function of their child's behavioral (self-control and impulsivity) and/or academic skills. Contrary to the well-established finding that children lose skills over summer break, this study found that children gain in reading and math. Results also suggest that girls tend to gain more than boys in reading over summer break, even when they start the summer with equivalent reading skills. On the other hand, children who begin summer break with equivalent math skills gain similarly regardless of gender. Additionally, baseline academic skills and cognitive stimulation (but not behavior) helped explain some of the relation between gender and summer learning. Children with better self-control did, however, gain somewhat more in reading while those with lower impulsivity gained more in math compared to children with similar academic scores at the end of kindergarten but lower self- and impulse-control. With regards to cognitive stimulation, parents tended to provide girls with more stimulation and more academically-oriented activities compared to boys, some of which could be attributed to girls’ better self- and impulse-control. This study adds to a growing literature base acknowledging that children are active agents in their development, eliciting certain parenting strategies and thus driving their development. Findings from this study have implications for teachers, parents, and policy-makers, highlighting that both well-developed behavioral and academic skills can promote summer learning. Results also suggest that the recent media attention devoted to summer learning may partially explain the summer growth rather than summer slide in this sample of children.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
20 January 2016 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
15 September 2015 |
| Approval Date: |
20 January 2016 |
| Submission Date: |
17 December 2015 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
92 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
summer learning, academic achievement, behavior, gender differences |
| Date Deposited: |
20 Jan 2016 21:47 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:31 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26681 |
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