Category: Social and Motivational Outcomes

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Primary School Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

More Than Just Grades: Why Social Emotional Learning Matters in Early Hong Kong Education

Educational transition from kindergarten to primary school in Hong Kong is a key milestone in children’s lives. While this milestone is known to shape long-term academic and social success, existing literature is mostly in Western contexts, leaving a gap in understanding the experience in Eastern educational systems characterized by high academic pressure and distinctive cultural values. Zhoc, Tse & King (2025) aim to examine the multifaceted transition experiences of children, specifically focusing on their academic and social challenges. By identifying these factors, Zhoc, Tse & King (2025) seek to highlight the necessity of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in facilitating smoother adjustments and optimal functioning for young students entering a more formal, assessment-driven primary school environment.

To capture a holistic view of the transition process, Zhoc, Tse & King (2025) conducted a qualitative research design involving multiple stakeholders from four government-aided, co-educational primary schools in Hong Kong. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 38 children from Primary 1 and Primary 2, aged 6-8. To ensure the reliability of the children’s perspectives and provide triangulation, the study also conducted focus group discussions with 15 class teachers and 17 parents from the four schools. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and core themes regarding the children’s transition experiences.

The analysis revealed three major themes characterizing the transition: positive experiences, academic problems, and social problems. Positively, many children enjoyed making friends, engaging in new learning activities, and receiving support from adults. However, significant challenges were evident. Academic struggles included immense pressure from high self-expectations and parental demands, frustration over test results, and a heavy workload of homework and dictations. Socially, some children reported difficulties in forming friendships, feelings of loneliness, and involvement in hostile interactions or conflicts. The findings paint a picture of a “drilling to learn” culture where academic stress is prevalent, and social skills are often underdeveloped.

Zhoc, Tse & King (2025) conclude that early Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is indispensable for navigating the complex demands of the Hong Kong education system. They interpret that academic stress from cultural values could equate to the achievement with family pride, leading to the necessity of interventions that foster a “growth mindset” to help children view failure as part of learning. Socially, the study highlights a critical need to teach prosocial behaviors, conflict resolution, and emotion regulation. Ultimately, Zhoc, Tse & King (2025) argue that successful transitions depend not just on academic readiness, but on equipping children with the psychological resources to manage stress and build supportive relationships.

 

Source (Open Access): Zhoc, K. C., Tse, J. K., & King, R. B. (2025). The importance of social and emotional learning in facilitating positive transitions from kindergarten to primary school in Hong Kong. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 1476718X251349938.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X251349938… Read the rest

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Higher Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

Learners’ Preferences for Feedback from AI and Human Instructors

Le and his team examined whether learners’ preferences for feedback from human instructors versus generative artificial intelligence (AI) would change after receiving feedback from different sources and interface types in an academic English writing task. The study recruited 114 university students who were non-native English speakers and randomly assigned them to four groups: no feedback (control), human instructor feedback, ChatGPT 4.0 in a free-conversation interface, and a structured writing analysis tool powered by ChatGPT. Learners’ preferences were measured both before and after the task using rating scales and binary-choice questions, and the four groups were compared in terms of post-task preference and preference change.

The results showed that learners already had a clear preference for human instructors before the task (87.2% chose human), and this preference remained stable after the task (86.0% chose human), reflecting a phenomenon of algorithm aversion in educational settings. However, post-test preference scores differed significantly among the four groups: the human instructor group rated significantly higher than both the free-conversation AI group and the control group. On the binary human/AI choice measure, significant differences were also found — the human instructor and structured AI tool groups both scored higher than the free-conversation AI group. Regarding preference change, the overall mean shift was close to zero, but the differences among groups were significant: the free-conversation AI group showed a slight increase in preference for AI, whereas the human instructor and structured AI tool groups remained more favorable toward humans. In other words, although all three feedback types were effective, the free-conversation interface was the only one that reduced algorithm aversion and increased learners’ acceptance of AI, while the structured, one-time feedback tool further reinforced their preference for human instructors.

Based on these findings, the authors argue that enhancing the interactivity and dialogic nature of AI-based learning tools may influence learners’ preferences more effectively than purely improving their technical performance. Interactive dialogue allows for clarification and correction, which reduces learners’ unrealistic expectations that algorithms must be perfect and mitigates distrust. Overall, the study situates human preference within the context of interface design, providing both empirical insights and cautions for the adoption, product design, and pedagogical integration of AI in education.

 

Source (Open Access): Le, H., Shen, Y., Li, Z., Xia, M., Tang, L., Li, X., … & Fan, Y. (2025). Breaking human dominance: Investigating learners’ preferences for learning feedback from generative AI and human tutors. British Journal of Educational Technology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13614… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Primary School Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

To whom do results of SEL programs apply?

For decades, education experiments and meta-analyses have focused on how effective an intervention is on average. However, this assumes that the same effect is expected with all students and in all contexts, which educators know is unrealistic. The effectiveness of an intervention can vary depending on factors such as student characteristics, how the program is delivered, or its duration. More recently, there has been a shift toward designing experiments that clearly identify which populations results can be generalized to, helping practitioners better understand what effects to expect.

A recent review by Tiffany Jones and colleagues explored to what extent ethnic diversity of students was represented in studies evaluating SEL programs and which SEL programs benefitted ethnic minorities. They analyzed 97 experimental studies on school-based interventions listed in the CASEL framework, focusing on U.S. students aged 3-11.

The review found that ethnicity was not reported for 18% of students in these studies. Among those with reported data, White students were the most represented group (35%), followed by African American (28%) and Hispanic (23%), with less than 5% belonging to other ethnicities. Of the 69 trials that included a mix of ethnicities, only 13 investigated effects by ethnic group. Results showed that seven SEL programs had proven benefits for Black students, while four benefitted Hispanic students. These findings were based on studies that either focused on a single racial group or showed positive effects for a specific subgroup.

The authors concluded that most of the trials did not adequately consider the role of ethnicity in their evaluations, and that more research is needed to understand how SEL programs impact racial minority groups.

 

Source (Open Access): Jones, T. M., Kim, B.-K. E., Fleming, C. B., Deng, J., Duane, A., Gavin, A. R., & Shapiro, V. B. (2025). To whom do these results apply? Assessing evidence for the generalizability of social and emotional learning programs among specific racial and ethnic groups. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241310184. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241310184… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Higher Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

Low academic self-efficacy may lead to AI dependency through stress

Generative AI tools are emerging in classrooms and on student laptops across the globe. Policymakers, educators, and other influencers must understand the negative consequences of becoming unhealthily dependent on AI. Using the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, which examines how psychological factors contribute to problematic technology use, researchers studied AI dependency among 300 university students in Seoul. While they hypothesized a link between self-efficacy (students’ belief in their abilities) and AI dependency, they found no direct association. Instead, academic stress emerged as the key driver in AI dependency among students. In other words, the more academically stressed a student is, the more likely they are to become dependent on AI tools.

Notably, 84% of the students surveyed used ChatGPT for academic help, though not all showed signs of dependency. The researchers also sought to discover the negative consequences of AI dependency. Students reported that AI dependency led to increased laziness, the spread of misinformation, a lower level of creativity, and reduced critical and independent thinking. The researchers also examined the role of performance expectations: students who perceived that AI would help their performance were more likely to become dependent.

The emergency of AI tools in schools is a conundrum that generates many different opinions and policy recommendations. Rather than focusing primarily on AI restrictions and teaching AI literacy, schools may need to prioritize stress management and low-stakes practice opportunities to reduce AI dependency.

 

Source (Open Access): Zhang, S., Zhao, X., Zhou, T., & Kim, J. H. (2024). Do you have AI dependency? The roles of academic self-efficacy, academic stress, and performance expectations on problematic AI usage behavior. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00467-0… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Secondary School Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

The impact of vision on mental well-being among rural Chinese students

Research findings have shown that visual impairment associates with mental illness such as depression and anxiety among children, especially when refractive errors remain uncorrected. A recent study published in Scientific Reports by Pang and colleagues explored the relationship between visual impairment, academic performance, and mental health among junior high school students in rural China.

The research involved a random sample of 19,425 seventh and eighth grade students from 124 schools in rural Ningxia, northwest China.  Data on students’ visual acuity, eyeglasses usage, academic performance (via standardised math test), and mental health (using SDQ) were gathered in the last quarter of 2019. The key findings included:

  • Of the students, 37.2% had visual impairment, 56.6% of whom did not wear glasses. About 9% of the total sample were at high risk for mental health problems based on SDQ scores.
  • Visual impairment students wearing glasses were less likely to experience mental health problem compared to those with normal vision, while those without glasses were more likely to have mental health problems.
  • Visual impaired students without glasses exhibited significantly poorer mental health compared to both their peers who wore glasses and those with normal vision. However, there was no significant difference in mental health between visually impaired students with glasses and those with normal vision.
  • Among visually impaired students, high math performance students who wore glasses reported better mental health than those without eyeglasses. For low math performance students, there was no significant relationship between eyeglasses usage and mental health. In addition, eyeglasses usage positively influenced students’ aspirations for higher education, regardless of academic performance.

The study highlights the importance of providing eyeglasses to visually impaired students to improve their mental health. It suggests that interventions and policies should focus on supplying eyeglasses to enhance students’ overall well-being in low-income rural settings.

 

Source (Open Access): Pang, X., Wang, H., Qian, Y., Zhu, S., Hu, Y. A., Rozelle, S., Congdon, N., & Jiang, J. (2024). The association between visual impairment, educational outcomes, and mental health: Insights from eyeglasses usage among junior high school students in rural China. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 24244. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72119-2… Read the rest

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K-12 Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

Did interventions improve teacher well-being?

A meta-analysis by Li and colleagues investigated the effects of intervention programs on K-12 in-service teacher well-being. A total of 44 studies, comprising 176 effect sizes, published from 1990 to 2022 were included in the three-level meta-analysis. About 80% effect sizes was obtained from interventions with duration 8 weeks or less. Among these studies, 31 used a pre-test/post-test control group design, while 14 studies only compared pre/post intervention results. The overall mean effect size of 0.35.

The moderation analysis explored factors influencing effect variability across studies. The quality of each study was assessed based on five criteria (e.g., sampling method, study design), and were classified into strong, moderate, and weak. Analysis revealed that strong quality studies (g = 0.53, k=21) had the largest effect size, followed by weak (g=0.40, k=45) and moderate quality (g = 0.26, k =110) studies. Moreover, studies with a control group (g=0.39, k=111) had larger effects than those without (g=0.26, k=65), though not statistically significant.

Regarding intervention type, mindfulness-based interventions (g = 0.39, k = 79) had significantly larger effects than those targeting the mitigation of negative emotions (g = 0.15, k=13), but comparable to positive-psychology based interventions (g=0.38, k=29). While no significant differences were found, interventions had greater impact on personal well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, reducing stress) than occupational well-being (e.g., job satisfaction, occupational burnout).

The findings of the study may be inflated due to several limitations: 1) the study only included published peer-reviewed journal articles, excluding grey literature; 2) significant publication bias was found; and 3) all studies used self-report questionnaires for measurement.

Nevertheless, this meta-analysis provides a comprehensive and updated synthesis of the effects of interventions on teacher well-being.

 

Note: k = number of effect sizes.

 

Source: Li, Y., Wang, X., Chen, J., Lee, J. C.-K., Yan, Z., & Li, J.-B. (2024). The Intervention Effects on Teacher Well-being: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36(4), 129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09966-y… Read the rest