In this study we examined whether the underachievement of boys in language at the end of secondary education is related to school-related attitudes. Data were drawn from the LOSO project, a longitudinal research project in secondary education. The results showed that there were gender differences in language achievement in favour of girls in the lower tracks, but not in the highest track. The underachievement of boys was associated with boys' less positive relationships with teachers, less positive well-being at school and less positive attitude towards schoolwork. Furthermore, the results showed that-in the lower tracks-boys who were the least attentive in the classroom, the least interested in learning tasks and the least motivated towards learning tasks achieved better than expected. Post-hoc analyses revealed that these are the more intelligent boys. Possible explanations of the demotivation of the more intelligent boys in the lower tracks are discussed.

The present study was designed to examine how the attitudinal composition of class groups is related to the gender gap in language achievement at the end of secondary education. Data were drawn from the LOSO project and multilevel analyses were used. The results showed that the attitudes of the class groups, and, more specifically, the attitudes of same-sex classmates, had a stronger impact on the language achievement of boys than on the language achievement of girls. No gender differences were found in classes where students had good relationships with teachers, were motivated, and where students felt integrated, whereas boys performed less well than girls in classes where students did not have good relationship with teachers, were not very motivated, and felt poorly integrated.

Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.School effects on the development of motivation toward learning tasks and the development of academic self-concept in secondary education: a multivariate latent growth curve approach The main objective of the present study is to gain more insight into the school effects on the development of 2 noncognitive student outcomes, namely, the motivation toward learning tasks and the academic self-concept, and, more specifically, on the consistency of the school effects on these 2 outcomes. Data were drawn from the ''Longitudinaal Onderzoek Secundair Onderwijs'' (LOSO)-project and consisted of 2,687 students in 50 schools that were tested repeatedly at 4 different time points during secondary education (Grades 7-12). A multivariate multilevel latent growth curve model was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the school effects on the development of the noncognitive outcomes were considerable, and, more importantly, the school effects were larger on growth than on student status. Schools that were effective for the development of the motivation toward learning tasks also proved to be effective for the development of academic self-concept. However, the consistency of the school effects resulted largely from intake differences between schools.Keywords: multivariate multilevel latent growth curve model; motivation toward learning tasks; academic self-concept; secondary education IntroductionMeasuring and explaining school effects have been the central concern in school effectiveness research over the past decades. The vast amount of studies in the field has yielded an extensive knowledge base and expertise. However, several problems regarding the measurement of school effects remain underaddressed and problematic (Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000). The present study addresses three of these problems: school effects on students' noncognitive outcomes, school effects on students' progress, and consistency of school effects.First, despite several pleas, the dependent variable (or effectiveness criterion) in most studies is still student achievement. Noncognitive outcomes, such as learning styles, academic self-concept, values, or attitudes, are only seldom studied, probably because they are more dif...

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A considerable body of previous research has demonstrated that differences between schools and classes have an impact on students' learning and acquisition of skills. It is not yet clear, however, whether the effects persist in the longer term. The present study examines the effect of primary schools and classes on language and mathematics achievement over a period of two years after leaving primary education. Considerable short-term effects of the primary school and class on achievement levels at the end of primary education were found. Multilevel models with a crossclassified structure were constructed to estimate the long-term effects. Differences between secondary schools and classes turned out to be much more important for achievement in secondary education than the long-term effects of primary schools and classes, which were small and died out fast.