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Genetic and environmental influences on pupil performances

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Siv Fischbein ,
Ruth Guttman  and
Michael Nathan
Siv Fischbein*
Affiliation:
Department of Special Education, Stockholm Institute of Education, Stockholm, Sweden. [email protected]
Ruth Guttman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Michael Nathan
Affiliation:
Oranim School of Education of the Kibbutz Movement, Israel.
*
*Correspondence: Dr Siv Fischbein, Department of Special Education, Stockholm Institute of Education, PO Box 47308, S-100 74 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: 46 8 737 55 00, 46 8 737 96 74; Fax: 46 8 737 96 30;

Abstract

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The results presented in this paper are part of a current comparative study of genetic and environmental influences in three educational settings: Stockholm, Jerusalem and the Israeli kibbutz. We specifically wanted to investigate whether a more restrictive educational setting would decrease genetic influences. Here we report on comparisons of cognitive performance measures at several time points for twins/controls, boys/girls and within-pair similarity in MZ, DZ and controls. The tests used were the Raven Progressive Matrices, verbal, reading comprehension and arithmetic. The results show no differences between twins and controls, whilst gender differences seem to be smallest in the Stockholm sample and largest in Jerusalem. A pattern of genetic influences on cognitive performance was also clearly visible in Jerusalem. In Stockholm shared environmental influences at home and at school seemed even stronger than in the kibbutz. No consistent differences were found between tests or occasions.

Keywords

twinseducational settingfollow-upcognitionschool achievementpermissivenessrestrictivenesscross-cultural influencesheredity/environment
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , 01 June 1999 , pp. 183 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999