2018 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 31-50
Developmental aspects of academic achievement were analyzed based on longitudinal data collected during six years of elementary school. Participants were children attending a private elementary school (N=613; 275 boys and 338 girls). Their achievement test results (mathematics and Japanese) for six years were used analyzed in Study 1 by using latent growth modeling. Results indicated the poor goodness of fit of the model. Various patterns in changes of academic achievement during six years at elementary school were suggested. In Study 2, the patterns of changes were classified using the method suggested by Yamada (1990), and typical patterns were identified for both math and Japanese. Moreover, they were classified into three types. (1) Those not showing significant changes during six years. (2) Those showing drastic changes in the lower grades (1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades). (3) Those showing drastic changes in the higher grades (4th, 5th, and 6th grades). The above results support ed tendencies that have been indicated to date; high-achieving and low-achieving students are separated at an early stage and fixed, and the academic achievement of many students stagnate in 3rd and 4th grades.
