Abstract
Since there has been no clear overview of educational practices that benefit high-ability students in mixed-ability classrooms in grades one to six, this review aims to provide insight into the effects of educational practices on the cognitive and affective-motivational learning outcomes of high-ability students. In order to identify these educational practices, we conducted a review of the existing literature, comprising a systematic search of the Education Resources Information Center and Web of Science databases for studies from the last 25 years. Only empirical studies that investigated the impact of interventions were included. Applying these criteria resulted in the inclusion of seventeen studies. Four different educational practices were shown to have a positive impact on cognitive learning outcomes: providing dynamic feedback, enhancing self-regulated learning, adjusting the curriculum and providing differentiated instruction. The impact of educational practices on affective-motivational learning outcomes was inconclusive. Based on this review, we conclude that teachers can help high-ability students in mixed-ability classrooms in grades one to six across various educational contexts using the educational practices reported in this study.
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References
*References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the analysis.
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Bieke Finet and Marika Suetens for their support in specific stages of this study.
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This work was funded by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO), project number S002917N.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. The literature search and the data analysis were performed by Katelijne Barbier. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Katelijne Barbier, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Katelijne Barbier. Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Training and Education Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Current themes of research:
High-ability students. Classroom environment. Teacher professional development.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Barbier, K., Struyf, E., & Donche, V. (2022). Teachers' beliefs about and educational practices with high-ability students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 1-12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103566
Barbier, K., Donche, V., & Verschueren, K. (2019). Academic (under)achievement of intellectually gifted students in the transition between primary and secondary education: An individual learner perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(2533). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02533
Elke Struyf. Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Training and Education Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Current themes of research:
Teacher professional development. Classroom or school environment. Student–teacher relationships.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Barbier, K., Struyf, E., & Donche, V. (2022). Teachers' beliefs about and educational practices with high-ability students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 1-12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103566
Lavrijsen, J., Dockx, J., Struyf, E., & Verschueren, K. (2021). Class composition, student achievement, and the role of the learning environment. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000709
Van Mieghem, A. & Struyf, E. & Verschueren, K. (2020). The relevance of sources of support for teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards students with special educational needs. European Journal of Special Needs Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2020.1829866.
Karine Verschueren. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, School Psychology and Education in Context, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Current themes of research:
Child and adolescent development in schools. The role of student–teacher and peer relationships. High-ability students’ development.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Ramos, A., Lavrijsen, J., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Sypré, S. & Verschueren, K. (2021). Profiles of maladaptive school motivation among high-ability adolescents: A person-centered exploration of the motivational pathways to underachievement model. Journal of Adolescence, 88, 146- 161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.03.001.
Lavrijsen, J. & Vansteenkiste, M. & Boncquet, M. & Verschueren, K. (2021). Does motivation predict changes in academic achievement beyond intelligence and personality? A multitheoretical perspective. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000666.
Lavrijsen, J., Dockx, J., Struyf, E., & Verschueren, K. (2021). Class composition, student achievement, and the role of the learning environment. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000709.
Vincent Donche. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, School Psychology and Education in Context, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Current themes of research:
Learning and instruction. Higher education. Educational measurement.
Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:
Barbier, K., Struyf, E., & Donche, V. (2022). Teachers' beliefs about and educational practices with high-ability students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 1-12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103566
Willems, J., Coertjens, L. & Donche, V. (2021). First-year students’ social adjustment process in professional higher education: Key experiences and their occurrence over time. European Journal of Psychology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00530-8.
Vermunt, J. D., & Donche, V. (2017). A learning patterns perspective on student learning in higher education : state of the art and moving forward. Educational Psychology Review, 29(2), 269–299. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10648-017-9414-6.
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Barbier, K., Struyf, E., Verschueren, K. et al. Fostering cognitive and affective-motivational learning outcomes for high-ability students in mixed-ability elementary classrooms: a systematic review. Eur J Psychol Educ 38, 83–107 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00606-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00606-z