Deductive Reasoning Skills in Children Aged 4-8 Years Old.

Young children possess the fundamental deductive reasoning skills for solving their upcoming problems in their daily lives. These skills are of great importance for their school readiness and academic development. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the age differences and predictive variables of deductive reasoning skills in young Hungarian children aged 4-8 years old who reside in Hungary and Slovakia. Face-to-face data were collected from 3050 participants. The instrument of deductive reasoning skills assessment was extracted from the school readiness test, DIFER (Diagnostic System for Assessing Development). Utilizing various statistical analyses with R, AMOS, and MPlus8 packages, it was found that there were significant differences in young children's deductive reasoning skills across countries and age groups. Parents' education levels had significant positive relationships with children's deductive reasoning skills development. And the variables of country and age were identified as significant predictors of children's deductive reasoning skills. And children's family background variables such as parental education played a significant role in predicting children's deductive reasoning skills in Hungary. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of educational contexts, parental involvement, cross-cultural exchange, and further research, with the potential to enhance young children's educational experiences and prospects in Hungary, Slovakia, and beyond.

The Relationship among Internet Addiction, Moral Potency, Mindfulness, and Psychological Capital.

This research aimed to contribute to the literature on internet addiction (IA) and moral development among university students. Moral potency (MP) encompasses the interconnected dimensions of moral courage, moral ownership, and moral efficacy. Studies on the relationships between students' problematic behaviors (e.g., IA) and cognitive processes like MP, mindfulness (MI), and psychological capital (PsyCap) are scarce in educational research. Therefore, this study investigated the relationships among IA, MP, MI, and PsyCap in university students. This study included 868 undergraduate students from a state university in Ethiopia, with 526 male students (60.6%) and 342 female students (39.4%). Participants' ages ranged from 21 to 29 years, with a mean age of 22.31 and a standard deviation of 4.03. The findings indicated that IA was negatively correlated with MI, PsyCap, and MP. Both MI and PsyCap showed positive correlations with MP. Importantly, this study revealed that IA had a direct and negative impact on MI, PsyCap, and MP. Further, MI and PsyCap partially mediated and fully mediated the relationship between IA and MP. These findings suggest that cultivating MI and positive PsyCap among university students could be an important strategy to reduce the risks of IA and enhance their moral development. This study contributes to the limited research on the complex relationships between technology use, psychological resources, and moral functioning in emerging adulthood.

Exploring the Accuracy and Consistency of a School Readiness Assessment Tool for Preschoolers: Reliability, Validity and Measurement Invariance Analysis.

This study focuses on examining the psychometric properties of the DIFER test, a widely used assessment tool for measuring school readiness. DIFER, which stands for Diagnostic Assessment Systems for Development, has gained prominence in Hungary and some European countries as an effective means of evaluating children's readiness for school. By investigating the reliability and validity of the DIFER test, this study aims to enhance the understanding of the suitability of the DIFER test for cross-cultural and longitudinal studies in assessing school readiness. Conducted as a survey study, the research involved 3050 Hungarian students from Slovakia and Hungary. Employing Rasch analysis and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) aid in verifying the precision of the DIFER test as a valuable assessment instrument for determining school readiness. The results revealed a strong alignment between the difficulty level of the test and students' actual abilities, demonstrating its reliability and validity. Importantly, the analysis found measurement invariance across various factors, including country, gender, and age. This indicates the consistent performance of the DIFER test in assessing school readiness across diverse groups. However, mean differences in latent abilities were observed among different age groups, indicating that older students exhibited notably higher proficiency in pre-mathematical skills compared to their younger counterparts. The findings offer valuable insights to educators, providing a reliable tool for assessing school readiness and identifying areas for improvement.

Subject Specific Mastery Motivation in Moldovan Middle School Students.

Given the crucial role of mastery motivation in the cognitive development of children, the present study investigates subject-specific mastery motivation in the multilingual educational system of the Republic of Moldova. We applied cross-sectional data from fifth, seventh, and ninth graders studying either in the Romanian (n = 583) or Russian (n = 353) language using the Subject Specific Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (SSMMQ). To ensure the validity of the comparison of latent mean differences, the Romanian and Russian versions of SSMMQ were validated and measurement invariance of the constructs across language, grade, and gender was assessed. The full scalar invariance across grades and gender and the partial scalar invariance across language held. Thus, a comparison of latent mean differences across these three groups is plausible. The findings proved that there was no difference between the Romanian and Russian samples, but we found girls self-rated themselves significantly higher than boys in the Reading, Art, and Music mastery motivation scales. Results with respect to the comparison of latent mean differences between the grade levels demonstrated that the Reading mastery motivation of the Moldovan students stayed stable from fifth to ninth grades, whereas Art had a constant declining path.

The Dynamics of Mastery Motivation and Its Relationship with Self-Concept in Music Education.

Musical education hinges on students' mastery motivation and self-concept, which are crucial for effective musical learning. Despite the acknowledgement of their individual importance, the relationship between these factors within music education remains unexplored. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the dynamics of mastery motivation (MM) and its relationship with self-concept (SC) in the context of music education. A survey was administered to 139 Hungarian grade 7 students, employing a musical MM questionnaire, a musical SC inquiry, and the collection of demographic information collection. We employed descriptive statistics (IBM SPSS 23), a Rasch analysis (WINSTEPS), and correlational and regression analyses (R programming and SmartPLS4) for data analysis. The findings demonstrated that the utilized instruments were reliable and valid in measuring students' MM and SC in music education. This study revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.778) between students' MM and SC, with moderate to strong inter-relationships among various subfactors. Furthermore, comparisons unveiled significant disparities in musical MM across school levels, with higher MM and SC observed among female students. Furthermore, gender, a musical family background, and awareness of musical lesson usefulness were predictive factors for both students' MM and SC within music education. This study provides valuable insights for professionals and policy makers to enhance music education, nurturing students' musical growth effectively. By understanding the relationship between MM and SC and considering predictive factors, stakeholders can develop strategies that optimize the impact of music education on students' musical development.

Assessment of Mastery Motivation and Neurodevelopment of Young Children at High Risk for Developmental Delays.

Young children's mastery motivation and neurodevelopmental evaluation can contribute to overall early assessment for early intervention evaluation. At present, children born preterm (<37 weeks gestation) and with a low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) are at increased risk of experiencing developmental delays and more nuanced cognitive and language challenges. The main objective of this exploratory study was to examine the connection between preterm children's mastery motivation and their neurodevelopment, as well as to determine whether assessing mastery motivation can enhance assessment practices for early intervention (EI) programs. Parents of children born preterm completed the revised Dimensions of Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DMQ18). Neurodevelopment was measured on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). Results revealed significant correlations between DMQ18 and BSID-III measures. Multivariate analysis showed that infants and toddlers born with a very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) scored significantly lower on the infant DMQ18 and the BSID-III measures. Regression analyses revealed that birth weight and home environment were significant predictors of the children's eligibility for EI programs. Infants' social persistence with other children, gross motor persistence, and mastery pleasure, as well as toddlers' objective cognitive persistence, social persistence with adults, gross motor persistence, mastery pleasure, and negative reaction to frustration, were important markers for evidenced-based practices in EI programs. This study demonstrates the utility of the DMQ18 as a contributory assessment measure and the importance of birth weight and home environment in predicting EI enrollment.

Long-Term Impacts of Early Musical Abilities on Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Study.

Numerous neurological, psychological, and transfer studies confirmed the role of learning music in cognitive development and education. However, exploring the long-term impacts of early musical abilities on academic achievement has gained relatively little attention thus far. In a seven-year longitudinal study, we examined the predictive role of musical abilities in future success in school. The sample consisted of 76 Hungarian students. The independent variables were mothers' education and the tests administered to Grade-1 students, which included Raven's Progressive Matrices and tests on word reading, mathematics, and musical abilities. The dependent variable was GPA in Grade 7. All tests demonstrated adequate reliability. In the regression model with the most significant predictive role, the independent variables explained 46% of GPA in Grade 7 when taken together. We established the long-term predictive role of musical abilities in later success in school. Rhythm perception and reproduction demonstrated the most significant explanatory power (11%) of variance for GPA. Mathematics and mothers' education each explained 10% of the variance. The findings shed light on the positive impacts that early musical training may play in later academic achievement, even in the long run.

The Relationship between Early Word Reading, Phonological Awareness, Early Music Reading and Musical Aptitude.

A wide range of evidence has demonstrated the impact of music learning on phonological awareness and the development of reading. Music reading, its relationship with linguistic abilities and reading skills are all highly researched areas. However, limited information is available regarding the relationship between early text reading and early music reading. This study examined the relationship between word reading and music reading, musical aptitude and phonological awareness. The sample consisted of 119 Hungarian grade 1 elementary school students, who were at the beginning of both their text-reading and music-reading studies. They had commenced their studies just nine months before the point of assessment. Phonological awareness, musical aptitude and music reading were the independent variables in the linear-regression model, whilst word reading was the dependent variable. Together, the independent variables explained 50% of the level of development of word reading. The findings suggest a link between early word reading and early music reading. Moreover, further research as well as transfer research may benefit from looking at the possible effects of acquiring and practicing symbol reading, a process most frequently accompanying music learning, on the development of text reading.

School Readiness Test and Intelligence in Preschool as Predictors of Middle School Success: Result of an Eight-Year Longitudinal Study.

Research has shown that the development of cognitive and social skills in preschool predicts school readiness in kindergarten. However, most longitudinal studies are short-term, tracking children's development only through the early elementary school years. This study aims to investigate the long-term impact of preschool predictors, intelligence, and mothers' education on grade six school performance. This study presents the results of an eight-year-long longitudinal study. The sample includes 202 Hungarian children (89 boys) from a disadvantaged region of southeastern Hungary. The independent variables were the preschool measures: DIFER (Diagnostic System for Assessing Development), a widely used, standardized school readiness test that measures cognitive and social skills; the Raven intelligence test; and socioeconomic status. The dependent variables in grade six were: National Standardized tests in math and reading (NABC, National Assessment of Basic Competencies) and school grades (GPA). Cronbach's alpha reliability of each test is above 0.76. Correlations and a series of multiple regressions were used for analysis. All three independent variables have significant predictive power for school performance in sixth grade. DIFER skills were the best predictors for reading achievement, intelligence for math achievement, and GPA was best predicted by mothers' education. The results show that developing preschool skills, mothers' education and IQ in preschool are essential to long-term learning success.