Added value measures in education show genetic as well as environmental influence.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21311598.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0016006 and PMC identifier 3032733.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Does achievement independent of ability or previous attainment provide a purer measure of the added value of school? In a study of 4000 pairs of 12-year-old twins in the UK, we measured achievement with year-long teacher assessments as well as tests. Raw achievement shows moderate heritability (about 50%) and modest shared environmental influences (25%). Unexpectedly, we show that for indices of the added value of school, genetic influences remain moderate (around 50%), and the shared (school) environment is less important (about 12%). The pervasiveness of genetic influence in how and how much children learn is compatible with an active view of learning in which children create their own educational experiences in part on the basis of their genetic propensities.
Medical subject headings
- Educational Status
- Intelligence
- Social Environment