What, then, do we need to know about our students to better provide for more equitable outcomes? Who will succeed depend on many factors, and student personality traits is one factor less discussed in the engagement and First year experience literature. The aim of this study is to add to the teaching in higher education discussion by exploring how student differ regarding personality traits profile (IPIP-NEO-PI test; Goldberg, 1999), approaches to learning (R-SPQ-2F test; Biggs, Kember & Leung, 2001), and preference for teaching and learning activites and assessment modes. The on-line survey study was carried out in a small, teaching intensive Swedish university on students in a Business (n=144) and Pre-school teacher education program (n=179). Findings were that there seem to be systematic differences between the types of modes preferred, and also significant differences between the two majors regarding learning approach, motive and strategy. Findings are discussed in relation to Jarvis’ (2010) model of learning and disjuncture, Biesta’s (2005) discussion on educational relationships and risk, and Trowler’s (2008) concept of teaching and learning regimes (TLRs). There are two clear risks that teachers and curriculum developers face. First, teachers who are new or come from a different TLR may face the risk of alienating students and exposing them to extreme anxiety if using TLAs and assessment modes students are uncomfortable with and unused to. Second, teachers and curriculum developers run the risk of not challenging students enough, thus depriving them of valuable learning experiences.

Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect children’s cognitive function positively, while hunger and thirst during lessons before lunch affect academic performance negatively. This pilot study addresses methodological challenges in studying if a berry smoothie, offered to schoolchildren as a mid-morning beverage, affects academic performance.

The objective was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study these effects in a school setting.

Therefore, in order to investigate assay sensitivity, 236 Swedish children aged 10–12 years were administered either a berry smoothie (active) or a fruit-based control beverage after their mid-morning break. Both beverages provided 5% of child daily energy intake. In total, 91% of participants completed the study. Academic performance was assessed using the d2 test of attention. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3.

The results showed that the children consumed less of the active berry smoothie than the control (154 g vs. 246 g). Both beverages increased attention span and concentration significantly (p = 0.000). However, as there was no significant difference (p = 0.938) in the magnitude of this effect between the active and control beverages, the assay sensitivity of the study design was not proven. The effect of the beverages on academic performance was attributed the supplementation of water and energy.

Despite careful design, the active smoothie was less accepted than the control. This could be explained by un-familiar sensory characteristics and peer influence, stressing the importance of sensory similarity and challenges to perform a study in school settings. The employed cross-over design did not reveal any effects of bioactive compound consumption on academic performance. In future studies, the experimental set up should be modified or replaced by e.g. the parallel study design, in order to provide conclusive results.

Background and aims: In many countries, the consumption of fruit, berries, and vegetables is about half the recommended. Berries contain bioactive compounds that may affect cognitive functions. School children are often hungry and thirsty during the lectures before lunch and this affects performance. Could a berry-smoothie decrease thirst and hunger, and thereby affect school performance? The aim was to investigate if a cross-over design can be used to study the effects of a smoothie on performance in a school setting.

Methods: Methodological challenges included developing an appetizing berry-smoothie and choosing a suitable experimental design that could be adapted to school conditions.

In the pilot study, 236 Swedish children aged 10–12 years participated in a cross-over design and were administered either a berry-smoothie or a fruit-based placebo after the midmorning break. Both beverages provided 5% of the daily energy intake. Performance was assessed using the d2 Test of Attention measuring attention span and concentration. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test in StatXact v 10.3.

Results: The consumption of both the smoothie and the placebo increased the attention span and concentration significantly.

Conclusion: The children's performance in the d2 Test of Attention was positively affected by beverage consumption. The effect was attributed to the supplementation of water and energy. In this design, the study did not permit any conclusive results regarding the effect of bioactive compounds on performance. In a coming study, a third group, receiving no beverage, should be included aiming to identify the cause of the effect.

Introduction: Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and other bioactive substances, which are important for intellectual performance. In a previous study it was shown that approximately two third of the pupils were hungry the last lesson before lunch. The average fruit and vegetable intake at lunch was much lower than the recommendations.

Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate effect on attention and school performance of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruits and vegetables, served at the mid-morning brake.

Method / Design: In total 250 Swedish children aged 10-12 years participated. The study was designed as a cross-over trial with two study periods of ten schooldays. The children were randomly divided into two groups and were administered either an active smoothie (smoothie 1; group A) or a fruit-based placebo with the same energy content (smoothie 2; group B). Both smoothies were designed to provide 5% of the daily energy. After a three week wash-out period, group A was administered smoothie 2 and group B, smoothie 1. Statistical tests were performed using SPSS package, version 22.0, using Independent-Samples T test. Analysis included processing speed (PTO), concentration performance (CP) and percentages of error (Ep) as assessed by the D2-test

Results: Preliminary analyses indicate that PTO and CP increased during the intervention period, whilst Ep decreased, for both groups. The effect was stronger in the group drinking the active smoothie, than in the group drinking the placebo. The effect might partly be caused by the addition of water and energy

Conclusions: Attention, and thereby also school performance, may be improved by mid-morning consumption of a smoothie containing water, energy and preferably nutrients and other bioactive substances.

Effect on attention of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruits

and vegetables, served at the school mid-morning brake. Viktoria

Ohlsson. Kristianstad University

Purpose:

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate effect on

attention of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruits and

vegetables, served at the mid-morning brake. The smoothie was

designed to provide only 5% of the daily energy. The effect was

assessed by the D2-test of attention.

Participants and setting:

Pupils, aged 10 to 12 years, from twelve school classes in southern

Sweden, were invited to participate in the study. In total 250

children participated. Children suffering from serious food allergies

or food intolerance were excluded from the study.

Data collection:

The study was designed as a cross-over trial with two study

periods of ten schooldays. The children were randomly divided

into two groups and were administered either an active smoothie

(smoothie 1; group A) or a fruit-based placebo with the same

energy content (smoothie 2; group B). After a three week washout

period, group A was administered smoothie 2 and group B,

smoothie 1.

Prior to the study, all children answered a questionnaire about their

consumption of fruit, berries and vegetables, physical activity habit

and and their perceived hunger during the school day. Age, height

and weight was also recorded.

Data analysis:

Analysis of the data focused on concentration performance as

assessed by the D2-test.

The aim of the present study was to explore the ability of personality to predict academic performance in a longitudinal study of a Swedish upper secondary school sample. Academic performance was assessed throughout a three-year period via final grades from the compulsory school and upper secondary school. The Big Five personality factors (Costa & McCrae, 1992) - particularly Conscientiousness and Neuroticism - were found to predict overall academic performance, after controlling for general intelligence. Results suggest that Conscientiousness, as measured at the age of 16, can explain change in academic performance at the age of 19. The effect of Neuroticism on Conscientiousness indicates that, as regarding getting good grades, it is better to be a bit neurotic than to be stable. The study extends previous work by assessing the relationship between the Big Five and academic performance over a three-year period. The results offer educators avenues for improving educational achievement.

The aim of the present doctoral thesis was to examine to what extent personality traits and approaches to learning contribute to academic performance in upper secondary school (high school), after controlling for the well-known fact that general intelligence accounts for a large part of the variance. The general proposition of the thesis is that personality traits are stable dispositions and therefore predispose an individual to behave or act in a specific manner (Costa & McCrae, 1976). Additionally, another important determinant of academic performance is students’ approaches to learning, the way someone studies and makes sense of a particular school subject (Biggs, 1999). Study I examined how personality traits, divided into facets, predict academic performance in different school subjects. The results from several SEM analyses showed that personality, specifically Conscientiousness, has a positive influence on academic performance. In addition, there was a negative relation between Extraversion and academic performance and a positive relation between Neuroticism and academic performance. There were also interesting findings on the facet levels for all traits. The major conclusion of this study is that personality traits, both on the factor level and on the facet level, are important to academic performance in general, but sometimes more specifically to different school subjects. In Study II, the aim was to investigate the unique contribution of learning approaches to academic performance. A second aim was to explore possible gender differences in learning approaches. It was found that learning approaches contributed uniquely to academic performance, over and above personality and general intelligence. Differences between girls and boys were found, both with respect to the use of learning approaches and the consequences of these learning approaches for performance results. Based on a longitudinal design, the aim of Study III was to explore to what extent personality traits predict academic performance. Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Neuroticism were found to predict overall academic performance. Results suggest that personality traits, as measured at the age of 16, can predict academic performance at the age of 19, and more specifically: the grades of conscientious students improved from age 16 to age 19. This study extends previous work by assessing the relationship between the Big Five and academic performance over a three-year period.

The present study investigated the unique contribution of learning approaches to academic performance, also taking gender differences into account. The participant sample consisted of 476 school pupils (53% girls and 47% boys) from two upper secondary schools in Sweden who completed two self-reported measures related to personality and learning approaches and one cognitive ability test. A series of hierarchical regressions were performed with participants' school subject-specific grades as the criterion variable and learning approaches as the predictor variable, after controlling for all variance related to IQ and personality. The results showed that learning approaches accounted for 6% and 16% of the variance in academic performance for girls and boys, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of possible explanations for and implications of the gender differences found.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which personality traits, after controlling for general intelligence, predict academic performance in different school subjects. Upper secondary school students in Sweden (N=315) completed the Wonderlic IQ test (Wonderlic, 1992) and the IPIP-NEO-PI test (Goldberg, 1999). A series of hierarchical structural equation models showed that general intelligence, Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Neuroticism were significantly linked to overall academic performance. There were also different findings for a lower level of personality traits, e.g. different personality traits were associated with different subjects. The findings are discussed with regard to previous results on personality traits as determinants of academic performance in different school subjects and the fact that lower level traits may facilitate achievement in particular subjects.