Cognitive ability and education: How behavioural genetic research has advanced our knowledge and understanding of their association

Abstract

Cognitive ability and educational success predict positive outcomes across the lifespan, from higher earnings to better health and longevity. The shared positive outcomes associated with cognitive ability and education are emblematic of the strong interconnections between them. Part of the observed associations between cognitive ability and education, as well as their links with wealth, morbidity and mortality, are rooted in genetic variation.The current review evaluates the contribution of decades of behavioural genetic research to our knowledge and understanding of the biological and environmental basis of the association between cognitive ability and education. The evidence reviewed points to a strong genetic basis in their association, observed from middle childhood to old age, which is amplified by environmental experiences. In addition, the strong stability and heritability of educational success are not driven entirely by cognitive ability. This highlights the contribution of other educationally relevant noncognitive characteristics. Considering both cognitive and noncognitive skills as well as their biological and environmental underpinnings will be fundamental in moving towards a comprehensive, evidence-based model of education.

Intra- and Inter-Group Differences in the Cognitive Skills of Toddler Twins with Birth Weight Discordance: The Need to Enhance Their Future from Early Education

“…Quality early education increases educational success and adult productivity, allowing for society's development [6][7][8]. One of the aspects that defines quality early education is teachers being able to adapt their practices to the needs of children [21,22,82]. As reflected in the T-patterns detected in our study, children have distinct and ever-changing trajectories and needs that require specific instruction and support to enable optimal growth [22,29].…”

“…Nevertheless, if education program do not respect their characteristics and differences, they may experience continuous failure and their keenness for learning can be "turned off". This results in the need for pedagogical work more sensitive to the individual differences [21]. Therefore, to be able to offer the education practice more suitable for each children taken into account their differences, including their different genetic propensity to learn, reason and solve problems, is a pending challenge.…”

“…So, "it describes genetic or environmental effects that are conditional upon each other-for example, the effects of genetic variation that become apparent only in the presence of specific environmental conditions, or the effects of social contexts that are more or less potent depending on the underlying genotype of the individual who experiences them" [20] (p. 65). It means that there is a difference in the effect of a given relevant environment on individuals depending on their genotypes for that trait [19,21]. "This is because during gene-environment interactions, genetically different individuals have different experiences (i.e., pay attention to, absorb, or respond differently) to the same environmental stimulation" [19] (p. 9).…”

“…"This is because during gene-environment interactions, genetically different individuals have different experiences (i.e., pay attention to, absorb, or respond differently) to the same environmental stimulation" [19] (p. 9). In the educational framework, it involves that the same education program does not necessarily produce the same effects in all students given their genetic differences for intelligence [21]. Therefore, establishing effective environments and experiences that facilitate infant abilities requires deep knowledge about the characteristics of each child in each moment of their development and knowledge about the formative dynamics that come with this.…”

The practical utility of genetic screening in school settings

“…Recent studies on PGS in educational settings have shown that currently, PGS can predict a composite academic achievement measure, educational attainment, and reading comprehension abilities with up to 10%, 15%, and 5% accuracy, respectively 13 , 25 – 27 . As molecular genetics methods get better and reference sample sizes get bigger, the predictive power of PGS to educationally relevant outcomes are expected to substantially increase, with some research estimating predictive limits as high as about 50% in student outcomes 13 , 28 . However, adding to the complexity of testing the incremental value of using PGS as part of personalized education, the current and hypothesized future predictive values of PGS are currently debated.…”