Category: Social and Motivational Outcomes

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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

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Primary School Education Secondary School Education Social and Motivational Outcomes

Are counselor-led SEL interventions effective? Insights from a recent meta-analysis

Social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions help students, educators, and school staff manage emotions, build relationships, and make thoughtful decisions. These programs are linked to improved academic performance and overall well-being. School counselors are crucial in implementing SEL programs but often face challenges due to limited resources, such as limited time and training. As students face increasing mental and social challenges, understanding the impact and best practices for these interventions is essential.

A recent meta-analysis reviewed the effectiveness of school counselor-led SEL interventions, including 28 studies published over the past 20 years. Using a random effects model, the analysis found an average statistically significant positive effect (ES = +0.31). Subgroup analyses and meta-regression revealed that while no moderators showed statistically significant differences, several factors were associated with larger effect sizes. Notably, larger effect sizes were observed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (ES =+0.31) and cluster RCTs (ES = +0.42) in samples with over 50% racial/ethnic minority students (ES = +0.40 versus ES = +0.21 in samples with less diversity). Effects were larger for low SES groups (ES = +0.35 compared to +0.21 for higher SES group), and for middle (ES = +0.45) and high school students (ES = +0.43) compared to elementary students (ES = +0.08).

The interventions were more effective for academic development (ES = +0.41) than for social-emotional (ES = +0.19) or career development (ES = +0.14). Small group interventions showed the highest effect (ES = +0.44), followed by classroom lessons (ES = +0.30). Interventions grounded in theory had larger effects (ES = +0.41 for multiple theories, ES = +0.32 for a single theory) compared to those without theoretical grounding (ES = +0.17). Applying theory to measure changes in relevant constructs led to larger effects (ES = +0.34) compared to those that did not (ES = +0.26), and discussing results in relation to theory also showed higher effect sizes (ES = +0.40 vs. +0.27).

Despite the limitation of including only peer-reviewed published papers, which may lead to an overrepresentation of positive findings, this meta-analysis suggests that school counselors contribute significantly to SEL-related outcomes, especially for academic achievement. Additionally, the integration of theory in SEL programming seems to be associated with more impactful intervention results.

 

Source: Lemberger‐Truelove, M. E., Li, D., Kim, H., Wills, L., Thompson, K., & Lee, Y. (2024). Meta‐analysis of social and emotional learning interventions delivered by school counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, jcad.12537. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12537… Read the rest