Since the turn of the century, an increasing number of low-stakes assessments (i.e., assessments without direct consequences for the test-takers) are being used to evaluate the quality of educational systems. Internationally, research has shown that low-stakes test results can be biased due to students’ low test-taking motivation and that students’ effort levels can vary throughout a testing session involving both cognitive and noncognitive tests. Thus, it is possible that students’ motivation varies throughout a single cognitive test and in turn affects test performance. This study examines the change in test-taking motivation within a 2-h cognitive low-stakes test and its association with test performance. Based on expectancy-value theory, we assessed three components of test-taking motivation (expectancy for success, value, and effort) and investigated its change. Using data from a large-scale student achievement study of German ninth-graders, we employed second-order latent growth modeling and structural equation modeling to predict test performance in mathematics. On average, students’ effort and perceived value of the test decreased, whereas expectancy for success remained stable. Overall, initial test-taking motivation was a better predictor of test performance than change in motivation. Only the variability of change in the expectancy component was positively related to test performance. The theoretical and practical implications for test practitioners are discussed.

Although the general development of mathematical abilities in primary school has been the focus of many researchers, the development of place value understanding has rarely been investigated to date. This is possibly due to the lack of conceptual approaches and empirical studies related to this topic. To fill this gap, a theory-driven and empirically validated model was developed that describes five sequential conceptual levels of place value understanding. The level sequence model gives us the ability to estimate general abilities and difficulties in primary school pupils in the development of a conceptual place value understanding. The level sequence model was tried and tested in Germany, and given that number words are very differently constructed in German and in the languages used in South African classrooms, this study aims to investigate whether this level sequence model can be transferred to South Africa. The findings based on the responses of 198 Grade 2-4 learners show that the English translation of the test items results in the same item level allocation as the original German test items, especially for the three basic levels. Educational implications are provided, in particular concrete suggestions on how place value might be taught according to the model and how to collect specific empirical data related to place value understanding.

In der vorliegenden Studie wurde das Ausmaß der sozialen Partizipation von Grundschülerinnen und Grundschülern mit einem und ohne festgestelltem sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf (SPF) untersucht. Insgesamt wurden N = 1436 Schüler der 2. und 3. Jahrgangsstufe mittels Fragebögen zum peerbezogenen Klassenklima, zur Einschätzung der eigenen sozialen Integration, zum Gefühl des Angenommen-Seins durch die Lehrkraft und zur Anzahl ihrer Freundschaften befragt. Mithilfe des Propensity Score Matching-Verfahrens wurden den Schülern mit einem festgestellten SPF in den Bereichen Lernen, emotionale und soziale Entwicklung oder Sprache (N = 91) basierend auf theoretisch und empirisch abgeleiteten Hintergrundvariablen statistische Zwillinge ohne SPF zugeordnet. Zu den Hintergrundvariablen zählten familiäre, leistungs- und verhaltensbezogene Merkmale. Der Vergleich der Schüler mit einem festgestellten SPF mit ihren statistischen Zwillingen ohne SPF lieferte keine Hinweise auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen dem Status eines SPF und der sozialen Partizipation.