Washington, DC – Research on school climate; shifts in race, income and gender-based achievement gaps; learning tools and approaches; and more appeared in the 20 most popular journal articles published by the American Educational Research Association in 2016. Based on the number of times they were accessed online, the following were the most popular AERA research articles published in 2016.
(Full articles can be accessed at no cost here. All files are PDF.)
1. Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?Researchers found that over a 12-year period, kindergarten classes have become increasingly like first grade. Kindergarten teachers in 2010 have much higher expectations of their students than in 1998, and their classrooms have become more similar to first-grade classes from the ‘90s.AERA Open, January 2016Daphna Bassok, Scott Latham, Anna Rorem
2. Discretion and Disproportionality: Explaining the Underrepresentation of High-Achieving Students of Color in Gifted ProgramsThis study found that even among elementary school students with high standardized test scores, black students are half as likely as their white peers to be assigned to gifted programs in math and reading. However, when black students are taught by a black classroom teacher, this gap largely disappears.AERA Open, January 2016Jason A. Grissom, Christopher Redding
3. Have Gender Gaps in Math Closed? Achievement, Teacher Perceptions, and Learning Behaviors Across Two ECLS-K CohortsThis study reveals that over the last decade the gender gap in mathematics achievement has been largely consistent, with gaps developing early and spreading quickly. Teachers consistently rate girls’ mathematical proficiency lower than that of boys with similar achievement and learning behaviors.AERA Open, October 2016Joseph R. Cimpian, Sarah T. Lubienski, Jennifer D. Timmer, Martha B. Makowski, Emily K. Miller
4. Science Achievement Gaps Begin Very Early, Persist, and Are Largely Explained by Modifiable FactorsAnalyzing children from kindergarten entry to the end of eighth grade, researchers found that science achievement race- and income-based gaps at the end of eighth grade are rooted in large general knowledge gaps already present by the time children enter kindergarten.Educational Researcher, January 2016Paul L. Morgan, George Farkas, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Steve Maczuga
5. Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten EntryThis study found that in a sharp reversal of a decades-long trend, the gap in kindergarten academic readiness between high- and low-income students narrowed by 10 percent to 16 percent between 1998 and 2010.AERA Open, August 2016Sean F. Reardon, Ximena A. Portilla
6. Online Mathematics Homework Increases Student AchievementResearchers found that an online homework tool with teacher training improved mathematics learning among seventh-grade students, significantly increasing student scores on an end-of-the-year standardized mathematics assessment.AERA Open, October 2016Jeremy Roschelle, Mingyu Feng, Robert F. Murphy, Craig A. Mason
7. Big Data Comes to School: Implications for Learning, Assessment, and ResearchThis article explores the effects of big data in education, focusing on data generated by student writing. The authors discuss new sources of evidence of learning and argue that they have significant consequences for the traditional relationships between assessment and instruction.AERA Open, April 2016Bill Cope, Mary Kalantzis
8. The Importance of Minority Teachers: Student Perceptions of Minority Versus White TeachersAuthors found that students perceive minority teachers more favorably than white teachers, underscoring the demographic divide between teachers and students and the importance of minority teacher recruitment and retention.Educational Researcher, October 2016Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, Peter F. Halpin
9. The Life Between Big Data Log Events: Learners’ Strategies to Overcome Challenges in MOOCsThis study revealed that important student experiences in massive open online courses are absent from MOOC tracking logs: the practices at learners’ workstations, learners’ activities online but off-platform, and the wider social context of their lives beyond the MOOC.AERA Open, June 2016George Veletsianos, Justin Reich, Laura A. Pasquini
10. Digital Games, Design, and Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisResults of this meta-analysis indicate that digital games significantly enhance learning for K–16 students relative to nongame conditions.Review of Educational Research, March 2016Douglas B. Clark, Emily E. Tanner-Smith, Stephen S. Killingsworth
11. A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Classroom Management Strategies and Classroom Management Programs on Students’ Academic, Behavioral, Emotional, and Motivational OutcomesThis meta-analysis examined which classroom management strategies and programs enhanced students’ academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and motivational outcomes, revealing small but significant effects on all outcomes.Review of Educational Research, July 2016Hanke Korpershoek, Truus Harms, Hester de Boer, Mechteld van Kuijk, Simone Doolaard
12. Does College Teach Critical Thinking? A Meta-AnalysisAuthors analyzed research reports published over the past four decades and found that students’ critical thinking skills, as well as their dispositions toward critical thinking, improve substantially over a normal college experience.Review of Educational Research, June 2016Christopher R. Huber, Nathan R. Kuncel
13. The Association Between Student Reports of Classmates’ Disruptive Behavior and Student AchievementThe authors found that a disruptive classroom climate can hinder the learning environment and lower the academic achievement of the entire class, regardless of the conduct of any particular student.AERA Open, June 2016Carmel Blank, Yossi Shavit
14. Socioeconomic Gaps in Early Childhood Experiences: 1998 to 2010This study found that between 1998 and 2010, low- and high-income families significantly increased the amount of time they spend engaging in educational experiences with their children, with the biggest changes seen among the lowest-income children.AERA Open, August 2016Daphna Bassok, Jenna E. Finch, RaeHyuck Lee, Sean F. Reardon, Jane Waldfogel
15. The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across Content AreasIn this research synthesis, the authors sought examples of research connecting culturally relevant education to positive student outcomes across content areas, to serve as a reference to educational researchers, parents, teachers, and education leaders.Review of Educational Research, March 2016Brittany Aronson, Judson Laughter
16. Authoritative School Climate and Student Academic Engagement, Grades, and Aspirations in Middle and High SchoolsFindings from this study added new evidence that schools with higher disciplinary structures and higher student support are associated with higher student engagement, higher course grades, and higher educational aspirations in middle and high schools.AERA Open, February 2016Dewey Cornell, Kathan Shukla, Timothy R. Konold
17. A Research Synthesis of the Associations Between Socioeconomic Background, Inequality, School Climate, and Academic AchievementIn this comprehensive research analysis, researchers found evidence that schools with positive climates can narrow achievement gaps among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds and among students with varying academic abilities.Review of Educational Research, November 2016Ruth Berkowitz, Hadass Moore, Ron Avi Astor, Rami Benbenishty
18. The Trans-Contextual Model of Autonomous Motivation in Education: Conceptual and Empirical Issues and Meta-AnalysisThe authors evaluated the trans-contextual model — the processes by which independent motivation toward in-school physical education predicts motivation toward physical activity outside of school — and determined that future research needs to provide further replications of the model in diverse settings and use experimental methods.Review of Educational Research, June 2016 Martin S. Hagger, Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis
19. School Choice Decision Making Among Suburban, High-Income ParentsResearchers found that when determining whether to send their children to a traditional public or charter school, high-income parents rely on their social networks and “do their homework,” reporting the importance of effective teachers, distance to school, and academic quality.AERA Open, January 2016 Shannon Altenhofen, Mark Berends, Thomas G. White
20. The Politics of Achievement Gaps: U.S. Public Opinion on Race-Based and Wealth-Based Differences in Test ScoresResearchers found that when asked about wealth- and race-based academic achievement gaps, Americans are more concerned about the gap between poor and wealthy students, more supportive of policies that might close it, and more prepared to explain the reasons behind it.Educational Researcher, August 2016Jon Valant, Daniel A. Newark
In addition to the preceding list of the top 20 articles, AERA also announced the top 10 articles accessed for six of AERA’s peer-reviewed journals. Due to its publication date in late 2016, there is not a top 10 list available for Review of Research in Education.
Browse Most Read Articles by Journal:
AERA Open American Educational Research Journal Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Educational Researcher Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics Review of Educational Research
AERA Open
1. Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?AERA Open, January 2016Daphna Bassok, Scott Latham, Anna Rorem
2. Discretion and Disproportionality: Explaining the Underrepresentation of High-Achieving Students of Color in Gifted ProgramsAERA Open, January 2016Jason A. Grissom, Christopher Redding
3. Have Gender Gaps in Math Closed? Achievement, Teacher Perceptions, and Learning Behaviors Across Two ECLS-K CohortsAERA Open, October 2016Joseph R. Cimpian, Sarah T. Lubienski, Jennifer D. Timmer, Martha B. Makowski, Emily K. Miller
4. Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten EntryAERA Open, August 2016Sean F. Reardon, Ximena A. Portilla
5. Online Mathematics Homework Increases Student AchievementAERA Open, October 2016Jeremy Roschelle, Mingyu Feng, Robert F. Murphy, Craig A. Mason
6. Big Data Comes to School: Implications for Learning, Assessment, and ResearchAERA Open, April 2016Bill Cope, Mary Kalantzis
7. The Life Between Big Data Log Events: Learners’ Strategies to Overcome Challenges in MOOCsAERA Open, June 2016George Veletsianos, Justin Reich, Laura A. Pasquini
8. The Association Between Student Reports of Classmates’ Disruptive Behavior and Student AchievementAERA Open, June 2016Carmel Blank, Yossi Shavit
9. Socioeconomic Gaps in Early Childhood Experiences: 1998 to 2010AERA Open, August 2016Daphna Bassok, Jenna E. Finch, RaeHyuck Lee, Sean F. Reardon, Jane Waldfogel
10. Authoritative School Climate and Student Academic Engagement, Grades, and Aspirations in Middle and High SchoolsAERA Open, February 2016Dewey Cornell, Kathan Shukla, Timothy R. Konold
American Educational Research Journal
1. Do Top Dogs Rule in Middle School? Evidence on Bullying, Safety, and BelongingAmerican Educational Research Journal, October 2016Amy Ellen Schwartz, Leanna Stiefel, Michah W. Rothbart
2. Exploring the For-Profit Experience: An Ethnography of a For-Profit CollegeAmerican Educational Research Journal, June 2016Constance Iloh
3. It’s the Quality Not the Quantity of Ties That Matters: Social Networks and Self-Efficacy BeliefsAmerican Educational Research Journal, April 2016Michael D. Siciliano
4. Assessing the Effects of a School-Wide Data-Based Decision-Making Intervention on Student Achievement Growth in Primary SchoolsAmerican Educational Research Journal, April 2016Marieke van Geel, Trynke Keuning, Adrie J. Visscher, Jean-Paul Fox
5. A Multination Study of Socioeconomic Inequality in Expectations for Progression to Higher Education: The Role of Between-School Tracking and Ability StratificationAmerican Educational Research Journal, February 2016Philip D. Parker, John Jerrim, Ingrid Schoon, Herbert W. Marsh
6. Income Segregation Between Schools and School DistrictsAmerican Educational Research Journal, August 2016Ann Owens, Sean F. Reardon, Christopher Jencks
7. Improving Children’s Competence as Decision Makers: Contrasting Effects of Collaborative Interaction and Direct InstructionAmerican Educational Research Journal, February 2016Xin Zhang, Richard C. Anderson, Joshua Morris, Brian Miller, Kim Thi Nguyen-Jahiel, Tzu-Jung Lin, Jie Zhang, May Jadallah, Theresa Scott, Jingjing Sun, Beata Latawiec, Shufeng Ma, Kay Grabow, Judy Yu-Li Hsu
8. Easy In, Easy Oout: Are Alternatively Certified Teachers Turning Over at Increased Rates?American Educational Research Journal, August 2016Christopher Redding, Thomas M. Smith
9. The Meanings of Race Matter: College Students Learning About Race in a Not-so-Postracial EraAmerican Educational Research Journal, August 2016Marc P. Johnston-Guerrero
10. Student Perceptions of School Climate as Predictors of Office Discipline ReferralsAmerican Educational Research Journal, June 2016Nicholas A. Gage, Alvin Larson, George Sugai, Sandra M. Chafouleas
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
1. Should Students Assessed as Needing Remedial Mathematics Take College-Level Quantitative Courses Instead? A Randomized Controlled TrialEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, September 2016A. W. Logue, Mari Watanabe-Rose, Daniel Douglas
2. Promise and Paradox: Measuring Students’ Non-Cognitive Skills and the Impact of SchoolingEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 2016Martin R. West, Matthew A. Kraft, Amy S. Finn, Rebecca E. Martin, Angela L. Duckworth, Christopher F. O. Gabrieli, John D. E. Gabrieli
3. Surprising Ripple Effects: How Changing the SAT Score-Sending Policy for Low-Income Students Impacts College Access and SuccessEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, September 2016Michael Hurwitz, Preeya P. Mbekeani, Margaret M. Nipson, Lindsay C. Page
4. Classroom Composition and Measured Teacher Performance: What Do Teacher Observation Scores Really Measure?Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, June 2016Matthew P. Steinberg, Rachel Garrett
5. The Effect of High School Shootings on Schools and Student PerformanceEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 2016Louis-Philippe Beland, Dongwoo Kim
6. Evaluating Teacher Preparation Using Graduates’ Observational RatingsEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, December 2016Matthew Ronfeldt, Shanyce L. Campbell
7. An Effort to Close Achievement Gaps at Scale Through Self-AffirmationEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 2016Geoffrey D. Borman, Jeffrey Grigg, Paul Hanselman
8. Working for College: The Causal Impacts of Financial Grants on Undergraduate EmploymentEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, September 2016Katharine M. Broton, Sara Goldrick-Rab, James Benson
9. Head Start at Ages 3 and 4 Versus Head Start Followed by State Pre-K: Which Is More Effective?Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 2016Jade Marcus Jenkins, George Farkas, Greg J. Duncan, Margaret Burchinal, Deborah Lowe Vandell
10. Effects of School Segregation and School Resources in a Changing Policy ContextEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, March 2016Adam Gamoran, Brian P. An
Educational Researcher
1. Science Achievement Gaps Begin Very Early, Persist, and Are Largely Explained by Modifiable FactorsEducational Researcher, January 2016Paul L. Morgan, George Farkas, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Steve Maczuga
2. The Importance of Minority Teachers: Student Perceptions of Minority Versus White TeachersEducational Researcher, October 2016Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, Peter F. Halpin
3. The Politics of Achievement Gaps: U.S. Public Opinion on Race-Based and Wealth-Based Differences in Test ScoresEducational Researcher, August 2016Jon Valant, Daniel A. Newark
4. Research on Teaching and Teacher Education and Its Influences on Policy and PracticeEducational Researcher, March 2016Linda Darling-Hammond
5. Research; Practice Partnerships in Education: Outcomes, Dynamics, and Open QuestionsEducational Researcher, January 2016Cynthia E. Coburn, William R. Penuel
6. Testing the Causal Links Between School Climate, School Violence, and School Academic Performance: A Cross-Lagged Panel Autoregressive ModelEducational Researcher, April 2016Rami Benbenishty, Ron Avi Astor, Ilan Roziner, Stephani L. Wrabel
7. A Call for a More Measured Approach to Reporting and Interpreting PISA ResultsEducational Researcher, May 2016Leslie Rutkowski, David Rutkowski
8. Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle SchoolsEducational Researcher, April 2016Margaret R. Blanchard, Catherine E. LePrevost, A. Dell Tolin, Kristie S. Gutierrez
9. Alignment and Accountability in Policy Design and Implementation: The Common Core State Standards and Implementation ResearchEducational Researcher, May 2016Cynthia E. Coburn, Heather C. Hill, James P. Spillane
10. Building a More Complete Understanding of Teacher Evaluation Using Classroom ObservationsEducational Researcher, August 2016Julie Cohen, Dan Goldhaber
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics
1. Tools for Educational Data Mining: A ReviewJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, September 2016Stefan Slater, Srecko Joksimovic, Vitomir Kovanovic, Ryan S. Baker, Dragan Gasevic
2. Bad Questions: An Essay Involving Item Response TheoryJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, February 2016David Thissen
3. Propensity Score Analysis in R: A Software ReviewJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, June 2016Bryan Keller, Elizabeth Tipton
4. Construct Meaning in Multilevel SettingsJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, October 2016Laura M. Stapleton, Ji Seung Yang, Gregory R. Hancock
5. Power to Detect Intervention Effects on Ensembles of Social NetworksJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, April 2016Tracy M. Sweet, Brian W. Junker
6. Response Styles in Rating Scales: Simultaneous Modeling of Content-Related Effects and the Tendency to Middle or Extreme CategoriesJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, June 2016Gerhard Tutz, Moritz Berger
7. The New (Educational) Statistics: Properties of Scales That MatterJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, February 2016Andrew Dean Ho
8. An Application of M2 Statistic to Evaluate the Fit of Cognitive Diagnostic ModelsJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, February 2016Yanlou Liu, Wei Tian, Tao Xin
9. The Validity and Precision of the Comparative Interrupted Time-Series Design: Three Within-Study ComparisonsJournal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, June 2016Travis St. Clair, Kelly Hallberg, Thomas D. Cook
10. Using Data-Dependent Priors to Mitigate Small Sample Bias in Latent Growth Models: A Discussion and Illustration Using M+Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, February 2016Daniel M. McNeish
Review of Educational Research
1. Digital Games, Design, and Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisReview of Educational Research, March 2016Douglas B. Clark, Emily E. Tanner-Smith, Stephen S. Killingsworth
2. A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Classroom Management Strategies and Classroom Management Programs on Students’ Academic, Behavioral, Emotional, and Motivational OutcomesReview of Educational Research, July 2016Hanke Korpershoek, Truus Harms, Hester de Boer, Mechteld van Kuijk, Simone Doolaard
3. Does College Teach Critical Thinking? A Meta-AnalysisReview of Educational Research, June 2016Christopher R. Huber, Nathan R. Kuncel
4. The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across Content AreasReview of Educational Research, March 2016Brittany Aronson, Judson Laughter
5. A Research Synthesis of the Associations Between Socioeconomic Background, Inequality, School Climate, and Academic AchievementReview of Educational Research, November 2016Ruth Berkowitz, Hadass Moore, Ron Avi Astor, Rami Benbenishty
6. The Trans-Contextual Model of Autonomous Motivation in Education: Conceptual and Empirical Issues and Meta-AnalysisReview of Educational Research, June 2016Martin S. Hagger, Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis
7. Motivation Interventions in Education: A Meta-Analytic ReviewReview of Educational Research, June 2016Rory A. Lazowski, Chris S. Hulleman
8. Meta-Analysis of Inquiry-Based Learning: Effects of GuidanceReview of Educational Research, September 2016Ard W. Lazonder, Ruth Harmsen
9. Teaching Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Restricted Interests: A Review of Evidence for Best PracticeReview of Educational Research, June 2016Kerry C. M. Gunn, Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt
10. Culturally Responsive School Leadership: A Synthesis of the LiteratureReview of Educational Research, December 2016Muhammad A. Khalifa, Mark Anthony Gooden, James Earl Davis
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