Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385

“What is the most significant factor that affects the variation in academic results between
twins?”

Key terms:
“dizygotic”, “monozygotic” - referring to the genetics behind if twins are identical/not.
ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (NHS 2021)
Meta – analysis, looking at results from multiple studies on the same topic (Cochrane 2022)
Twins
Separation

Achieving high academic results is thought to generally be down to a number of factors, such as the influence of the
school the child attends, personal factors including home environment and socioeconomic position, and individual
personality factors such intrinsic motivation and genetic differences such as having conditions including ADHD. I
wanted to explore this topic further through the route of twin studies as they give us a genetic basis of similarity that
provides a backbone to base any conclusions drawn. The assumption is that similarities between monozygotic twins
are due to shared genes, and any other differences may be due to environmental differences between the twins. This
is truer of monozygotic twins than dizygotic twins who share 100% genetic similarity. Following this path, results from
twin studies focusing on different aspects of twin’s influence on academics I will conclude which factor appears to
have the most significant impact on a twin’s education and hence academic achievement. I also plan to look into the
influence of biological sex on twins' academic performance – does different sex chromosomes have any impact on
behaviour in relation to academic performance?

Twin studies provide us with more definitive results than results between simply classmates as the lives of two twins
are so similar. Twin studies can be done in a longitudinal style meaning the results from the twins can be collected
over a number of years, and results compared, and a timeline created. Additionally, there is an ongoing debate around
the subject of classroom separation; is it best for twins to be kept together in school or to be separated? Which of
these options will fundamentally be the most beneficial for their academic achievement, social skills, as well as their
physical and mental well-being? I hope to delve deeper into this debate within this essay.

Furthermore, I intend to explore what impact family and parenting style has on a child’s academic development, asking
questions such as – ‘are richer children bound to get higher grades than poorer children?’ And ‘how does parenting
style impact a child’s development’. I will find results from twin studies to support the answers to these questions. I
believe looking at social-economic status of families will give me a more holistic view of what determines a child’s
academic achievement. This links into the Nature/Nurture debate, as wealthier families can therefore afford to provide
their children with more paid tuition and potentially more opportunities available to them, possibly increasing their
chances at reaching academic success. Alternatively, wealth may bear no relevance in relation to other factors that
affect academic achievement. I hope to weigh up all the possible factors that will have an effect and conclude which
factor is the most impactful.

Lastly, I hope to explore individual personality factors that may play a role in academic achievement. Surely more
motivated, determined individuals stand a better chance at achieving higher grades than those who are naturally more
easily distracted, have tendencies to procrastinate and are lazier. Additionally, IQ cannot be overlooked, I hope to
explore the nature/nurture debate – is academic achievement innate or perhaps is it down to environmental
influences – family, friends, parenting, celebrity influences and role models? I hope to find results to IQ tests from twin
studies which will give me an idea of what influences an academically high achieving individual, as well as exploring a
range of personality tests which draw conclusions about the effect of personality on academic achievements. I hope
to explore a range of results from children school age across the UK, Europe, and the World in order to gain a full
picture of what affects academic results in twins.

Genetic makeup
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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385

Genetics is a factor that must be taken into consideration when examining twin’s academic performance.

There are two types of twins, monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ). MZ twins share 100% DNA similarity as they come
from one gamete that has split into two, whereas DZ twins share 50% DNA, no more than siblings, as they are formed
from two separate gametes. This baseline makes it easy to compare identical and non-identical twins. Due to the fact
that identical twins have 100% genetic similarity, in theory therefore any difference in academic achievement must be
down to environmental influence and not a difference in genetics.

Boardman, J.D. and Fletcher, J.M. (2015) conducted a study exploring “the meaning of discordance among identical
twins” by examining img monozygotic twins who were adults from a study conducted by Brim et al (1995). The results
found that 91 of 339 twin pairs were “discordant for both education and health”. While 27% of the sample isn’t a high
number, it isn’t 0% which is what would be expected if genetics were as influential a factor as they might seem,
knowing that MZ twins share 100% DNA, this increases support for the role of environment factors in determining
academic success in twins.

Additionally, in a study conducted by Baker, L.A. et al. (1996) it was found that there was no variation between men
and women’s academic achievement. The sample was Australian twins. This suggests that a difference in
chromosomes did not influence academic achievement and instead similar environments influenced a similar
academic performance. Moreover, Baker, L.A. et al. (1996) examined a “psychometric model of twin resemblance”
which took place in 1981 and 1989 which found that genetics only accounted for “57% of the stable variance in
academic achievement” and “24% of the variance” was due to environmental influences. Again, this decreases the
validity of genetics being the only influential factor, instead academic achievement also appears to be down to
environmental influences.

ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ADHD is a condition that is influenced by genetics. In a journal article, Polderman (2010) conducted a study to find out
whether there was a correlation between attention problems (a symptom of ADHD) and academic achievement. They
measured academic achievement by measuring mathematics, spelling, reading and comprehension, at ages 5, 7 and
8, suing the Devereux Child Behaviour Rating Scale. The sample was “767 Dutch twins from 445 families” (Polderman
2010). The results were as follows: “Attention Problems were negatively associated with academic skills in each grade”.
(Polderman 2010). Owing to ADHD being a condition that is influenced by genetics, this research provides support for
genetics influencing academic results. If the child has a genetic condition such as ADHD that will negatively affect their
concentration, this may also impact their academic achievement.

However, there was only a negative correlation on some of the tests. There was no significant correlation between
attention problems and a decrease in achievement in reading. The other three tests – mathematics, spelling and
comprehension did find a negative correlation. Although the three tests outweigh the one finding of no significant
correlation, the results from the reading test still provide evidence to contradict the suggestion that genetic makeup
affects academic results in twins.

Female vs male

There may be a difference between academic performance of twin boys and twin girls. Twin boys have XY
chromosomes whereas twin girls have XX chromosomes, as well as different hormones. This naturally occurring
difference in genetics may provide an explanation as a factor influencing academic success.

Haworth (2008) conducted a study into the effect of biological sex on academic performance. She used a sample of
2,602 twin pairs and tested skills which they grouped under three categories: Scientific Enquiry, Life Processes and
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Physical Processes. The results were as follows; analysis “found only differences between the sexes, with boys showing
a greater variety in performance that girls” (Haworth 2008). Additionally, it was found that “genetic influences account
for 60% of the variance in scientific achievement”. Haworth 2008 stated the remaining 40% was due to environmental
influences on the children. However, this evidence supports genetic influence as a leading factor affection academic
variation, and as the 60% influence was the greater figure, weighs towards genetic influence over environmental
influence: how each twin experiences their environment. This study therefore supports the suggestion that biological
sex has a greater impact on academic achievement than non-biological factors.

Bütikofer, A. et al. (2019) conducted a study in which he gained evidence to support “prenatal testosterone transfer
from male twins reduced the fertility and socioeconomic success of their female co-twins”. This study was conducted
in Norway between 1967 and 1978 (all births within that time period were included in the study) and the results shows
that” females exposed to a male in utereo”( Bütikofer, A. et al. (2019) had a 15.2% decreased chance of graduating
high school and a 3.9% lower probability of completing college. Additionally, if the male twin died within the first post
natal year, these statistics remained unchanged suggesting that these impacts where from pre-natal exposure to
testosterone than socialisation with the male twin after birth. These findings suggest therefore that there is a biological
influence on academic success (in this case measured by tradition of high school and completion of college) which
occurs before birth, therefore supporting the influence of genetics in academic success in twins.

School environment

Primarily, it can be said that an expected large factor is the environment in which the twin pairs receive their education.

An ongoing debate throughout school communities is whether twins should be kept in the same class or separate. The
“study looks into “ongoing effects of separation”. In our school, City of London Freemen’s School, twins are ensured
to be kept separate until around age 14, when although the form groups are separate, classes are set and so twins
may well end up in the same class due to similar academic ability.

Freemen’s however’s not the only school to enforce this policy of separating twins. Over the world this is carried out
Tully (2004) – Gleeson et al (1990) found that in Australia it was official school policy to “separate all twins without
exception” In 10% of schools. Additionally, 1/3 of parents said they had no say in whether or not their children were
separated. Segel and Russell (1992) Carried out a survey in America which found that half of parents whose twins were
separated did not agree with the practise and did not have enough input in the decision. Preedy (1999) Carried out a
similar study in the UK and discovered that less than 1% of schools had an official policy in place that stated rules and
regulations on twins and multiple birth children.

White ET al 2018 conducted study on the effects of separating twins in the classroom. The twins were from Canada
and England aged 7 to 14 years old and the results showed That both monozygotic and eyes I got it twins did not differ
in level of academic achievement ability or motivation after taking various verbal and nonverbal tests as well as self-
report tests (Segal 2018). These findings suggest that separating twins has no negative impact on Academic
achievement. However, this study found that monozygotic academic achievement was slightly more similar when
placed in the same classroom. These findings suggest that school environment does have some impact academic
achievement, however these particular results did not state whether this similarity was positive or negative.

The study into whether classroom separation for twins the right system in place in order is to benefit their academic
achievement has been looked into since 1966, Koch (1966) found that twins perform better when separated. It is often
this piece of research that educators will refer to when they enforce the separation of twins in Schools. Koch (1966)
based this information on speech development and IQ tests. Alexander (1987) conducted a survey in the USA and
found that 83% of principals enforced twin separation in their school.

Additionally, there is an argument that suggests by placing twins in different classrooms, they are able to develop their
own personalities. Studies including Alexander (2012), Hay and Preedy (2006), DiLalla (2006) all support this theory.

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Alexander (2012) also suggested that if twins are placed in separate classrooms there is less competition between
them.

However, modern studies are providing evidence which contradicts this theory, and many studies today oppose the
view that twins have to be separated in school. In Canada, the “Declaration of Rights and Statement of Needs of
Multiples” is against inflexible policies such as enforced twin separation in schools, stating “a right to education which
respect and address their differences from single born children”.

A study was conducted by Gabrielle Garon-Carrier, Vincent Bégin and Michel Boivin (2021), and” examined the effects
of classroom placement in a sample of 560 twin pairs whose behaviours were assessed from ages 5 to 12”. Bovin
(2012) stated “The results that were found were there was no detrimental effect of classroom sharing on twin’s social
development”. This suggests that the impact of classroom sharing is not as important as it might have been presented
as initially. The study even goes to suggest that twins sharing a class may have a positive impact on the children.

In Tulley et al. (2004) study it was found that MZ twins (aged 7) had a” lower average reading age” than DZ twins after
being in separate classes for 18 months. The study was of a longitudinal design because the children were initially
assessed when they were five and then later at age seven. The twins were sorted into three groups; those who weren’t
in separate classes at both age 5 and 7, those who were in separate classes at both ages and, those who were separate
at age 7 but together at age 5, and so had been separated some point between the two. The results showed that
“those separated early had more teacher rated internalising problems” compared to the twins who weren’t separated,
and the twins separated between the ages of five and seven had ‘lower reading ages”. The study was conducted by
the University of Wisconsin USA and King’s College London. This is clear evidence to suggest that not only does the
classroom environment have a significant impact on academic achievement, but it strongly suggests that separating
twins has a detrimental effect on their development and therefore they should be kept in the same classroom at
school. However, Tulley stated that his study was culture bound as it took place in the UK and so findings cannot be
generalised to twins across other cultures.

Many of these studies support the fact that twins should not be separated in school due to a negative impact on
academic achievement, and from these pieces of evidence I can conclude that since older studies point towards twins
being separated, and modern studies point towards twins being kept together, the modern studies regarding a positive
impact on academic achievement provide the most up to date information and therefore I believe it is best that twins
should be kept together in schools, in line with most recent findings on the topic. Although some studies such as
Alexander (2012) were conducted more recently, their reasons focus on twin personality, whereas Tulley (2004)
focused on academic impact. In line with a focus on academic impact, I can conclude that although there is arguments
for and against twin separation, most of the studies are unanimous on the fact that classroom environment has a clear
impact on the twins academic achievement as well as general development.

Moreover, the impact of school environment on general academic achievement is something being looked into
continuously in an effort to to understand the factors affecting achievement and as a strategy to improve the school
system. In the UK, the clear differentiation between public schools funded by the government and private school
funded independently by the pupils that go there suggest the difference in resources provided is entirely due to a
difference in finical status. Additionally, private schools generally achieve higher results than public schools, suggesting
not only is there a correlation between financial background and academic achievement, but it can be concluded that
in many cases, a more finically stable background leads to a strongly academic outcome.

Are richer children bound to do better academically than poorer children?

Economic status is something bound to influence academic achievement. In theory, Children of parents with more
economic stability are provided with more opportunities throughout their development and therefore stand a higher
chance of achieving highly.

A study conducted by Mudassir Ibrahim Usani, Norsuhaily Binti Abubkar and Ado Abu Bichi in Malaysia (August 2015)
looked into ‘The influence of school environment on academic performance of secondary school students in kuala
Terengganu, Malaysia’. The study used 337 individuals who completed a self-report questionnaire. The sampling
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technique was stratified sampling, and the results were then analysed using ‘regression analysis ‘. The baseline of the
study was under knowledge that ‘children need a safe, healthy and stimulating environment in which to learn’. The
study also placed great importance on teacher quality, over facilities or other individual pupil factors, including ‘race,
class, prior academic record or school itself’. However, the study did find a correlation between poorer students as
well as students of an ethic minority group to be taught by less effective teachers, with ‘less experience, knowledge
and credentials.’ The results also stated that the gap between ffective and ineffective teachers was the reason behind
the achievement gap. The study identified a ‘tipping point’ where if ‘20% of the school faculty is comprised of
unqualified teachers who do not meet minimum state requirements’ the school ‘begins to lose its ability to improve
student achievement.

Where previously, my research has found that individual home factors affect academic achievement, this study
suggests it is in fact the other way round. The school environment has a great impact on life outside of school, ‘when
students find their school environment supportive and caring, they are less likely to become involved in substance
abuse, violent behaviour and other problem behaviour’. The study also explores the extent to which geographical
location has an impact on academic achievement. For example, if the layout of the buildings is particularly poor, or
the school is located in a rural town, or resources are not distributed evenly that will have a very negative impact on
the academic achievement of the pupils, according to the study. It states ‘urban students have a better school
environment than rural students’ but also suggests that there is no difference in academic achievement between
gender.

The information from this study can be applied to twins, as this suggests that the school environment may have a large
impact on twins and therefore will support/falsify studies done on twins who go to the same school, and twins who
go to different schools.

Home environment

Twins separated at birth will grow up in different home environments, providing strong evidence towards the impact
of environment on an individual. Lewis 2014 explores the case of twin boys separated at birth and raised apart. The
boys were named Jim Lewis and Jim Springer, born in 1950 and reunited in 1979. “When reunited they found a
staggering similarity despite being raised in different environments, such as both suffering from tension headaches,
driving the same type of car and going on holiday at the same beach.” Initially this information suggests that home
environment has very little impact on twins’ lives and therefore it is possible that academic achievement is not due
to environmental influence from the home.

Another example of identical twins Segal (2018) and researched by Yang (2018) featured Lim Xin Xiang and Lim Xin
Shan, who are now aged 30. (2018). Their academic achievement is very similar, they both studied biology at the
National University of Singapore. They went to different secondary schools however, but the similar career path and
academic achievement support the role of home environment as an influence on academic achievement. Their father
pushed him to work hard and “valued education”.

J..M.Muola (2010) published a paper on “the Relationship between academic achievement motivation and home
environment among eight standard pupils”. The students involved were aged between 13 and 17 years and the study
used was questionnaires about motivation and the home environment. The results showed that “A significant positive
relationship was found between six of the home environmental factors and academic achievement motivation”. The
fact that did not affect the academic achievement significantly was how much the parents pushed the child to do well
in school. Instead, what was important was the learning facilities provided at home. This study was conducted in Kenya,
where exams are important and the can you certificate of primary education is sat every year. Because the figures
suggest that 50% of primary school children do not get into their secondary school (Muola 2010) and poor
environments to work in for the children has been a reason behind the low figures.
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There are other questions regarding home environment that may influence academic achievement. Questions arise
such as how does parenting style affect twins’ development and academic achievement? What is the effect of sleep
and varying sleep patterns on academic achievement and ability to concentrate and recall information? And finally,
how does diet affect academic achievement in twins?

An article published in June 2011 describes a study conducted by Ken B. Hanscombe, Claire M.A. Haworth, Oliver S.P.
Davies, Sara R. Jaffee and Robert Plomin may provide answers to some of these questions. The hypothesis was ‘chaotic
homes predict poor school performance’. The study used more than 2,300 twin pairs and assessed the twins
‘perceptions of family chaos at ages 9 and 12’. Results schied that there was a direct negative correlation between
family chaos and a school achievement. It was found that ‘63% of results were accounted for due to environmental
factors. However, the conclusion was that a causal relationship could not be established (environment > child >
outcome) but instead a complex relationship between a wide variety of factors, including environmental, genetic etc.

The same article references how sleep has an impact on twins’ academic achievements and abilities. Evidence suggests
that ‘children living in unstable chaotic homes withdraw from academic challenges’ (Brown and Low, 2008) and this is
as a result of poor sleep hygiene and inconsistent sleep patterns. Additionally, evidence suggests that increased
television watching is linked with decreased sleep and decreased academic achievement in twins. Bruni et al (2006)
says that ‘difficulties getting to sleep, staying asleep and excessive tiredness is a predictor of poor school performance’.
These studies point towards the role sleep has on academic achievement.

The final environmental factor I will explore is the effect of parenting style on twin’s academic development. A report
was carried out in December 2022 run n by Mehdi Hassan, Asma Seemi Malik, Guoyuan Sang, Muhammad Rizwan,
Iqra Mushtaque and Shaheryar Naveed to ‘determine the association between parenting styles (authoritative and
permissive) and academic accomplishment of secondary school students in Punjab, Pakistan’. 720 students took part.
Authoritative parenting was defined as “children are overseen” as well as “focus on their child’s mistakes and failures”
(in extreme cases) but also “encourage youngsters to trust themselves within the fair bounds and healthy sovereignty”
whereas permissive parents are described as “showing warmth and care and do not set expectations” and “the only
way to love a child is to grant all their wants”. Results showed that “parental control correlated negatively with
academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and success” whereas parental involvement with homework (from a
permissive parental style) correlated negatively with academic independence. This research shows a clear link
between parental influence and academic achievement.

Individual factors

How do IQ tests correlate to academic success in twins? Is there a strong correlation between intelligence and
academic success? A study by Joseph F. Fagan, Cynthia R. Holland and Karyn Wheeler (2007) conducted a study on
‘the prediction , from infancy, of adult IQ and achievement’. The IQ score is defined as ‘how much information is
known” and intelligence as “the ability to process information”. These IQ tests were validated against a different,
verified measure of achievement and then used a longitudinal study to see if there was indeed a correlation between
IQ in early life and achievement in later life, measured at 3 years old and then again at 21 years old. “Correlations of
0.36 to 0.40” were found, suggesting a strong innate link between IQ and academic achievement, further supporting
the link between biological factors and their effect on academic achievement.

How does personality affect academic results in twins? Mikael Jensen (2015) published an article exploring this
question. He was able to draw two conclusions looking at the GPA (grade point average) and previous research

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suggesting a”relation between personality traits and academic achievement” – 1. “Intrinsic motivation, a deep
approach to learning are important factors that are associated with general knowledge and good test results” and 2.
“Extrinsic motivation, an achieving approach to learning and performance goals are associated with high grades”.
This article suggests that individual personality may have some bearing on academic results.

Throughout the course of this essay, I have explored multiple factors that affect the academic achievement of twin
pairs. For each factor, there has been evidence to support and evidence to dispute the importance. I believe that
overall, different factors will have different influences on the individual, however genetics seem to play one of the
most important roles. As with many pieces of research into psychological fields, it appears the answer lies not with
one factor, but a complicated and convoluted relationship between a multitude of factors, the nature nurture debate
is still unresolved, as it may well be for hundreds of years to come, and with any given individual there are influences
that will vary the way the individual outputs them. Environmental influences also came across to me as massively
important, the secret to success it seems within academic achievement is a healthy influence from environmental
factors (both in and out of school), luck of the draw with good genetics, and positive influences and opportunities
throughout life.

Looking in more depth at the breakdown of each topic, I can conclude that the influence of genetics has a strong
bearing on academic success, mainly that genetics can hinder success rather than help. Conditions such as ADHD are
inherited and therefore automatically predispose you to difficulties in learning. Naturally, ADHD is an obstacle that is
not impossible to overcome if support measures are in place, however it can be concluded that genetics can account
for a reason behind slower academic process in twins.

The influence of environment is also dominant, from school environment I can conclude that modern studies support
not separating twins in school, however that does not necessarily mean any older research is automatically wrong and
I also believe twins should be looked at case by case, working with the parents or guardians to ensure the best
opportunities for each twin. That being said, I do feel there needs to be some detailed guidelines, however I feel that
a hard and fast rule is unnecessary, instead there should be some flexibility built in.

Thirdly, the influence of home environment also plays a large role in the academic success of twins. It can be concluded
that in order to have the best chance at academic success, a stable, loving, caring and nurturing home environment is
the most suitable.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Haworth, C.M.A. et al. (2009) A twin study of the genetics of high cognitive ability selected from 11,000
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Lucinda, J. (2012) Review of research: School Placement and Separation of twins: A review ... Available at:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00094056.2010.10523142 (Accessed: 01 September
2023).

Stanton, S. (2012) To separate or not to separate? parental decision ... - sage journals, Sage Journals .
Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1476718X11430076 (Accessed: 07 December
2022).

Multiple Needs Canada (2007) Classroom placement and Twins’ social behaviors in elementary school
... Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08959048211015626 (Accessed: 01
May 2023).

Bütikofer, A. et al. (2019) ‘Evidence that prenatal testosterone transfer from male twins reduces the fertility
and socioeconomic success of their female co-twins’, Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 116(14), pp. 6749–6753. doi:10.1073/pnas.1812786116.

Boardman, J.D. and Fletcher, J.M. (2015) To cause or not to cause? that is the question, but identical twins
might not have all of the answers, Social science & medicine (1982). Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5830117/ (Accessed: 15 November 2022).

Baker, L.A. et al. (1996) Genetics of educational attainment in Australian twins: Sex differences and secular
changes - behavior genetics, SpringerLink. Available at:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02359887 (Accessed: 02 March 2022).

DiLalla, E.F. et al. (2007) The effect of classroom environment on problem behaviors: A twin study, Journal
of School Psychology. Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022440507000167 (Accessed: 07 December
2022).

Rooney, R. et al. (2006) Meeting the educational needs of multiple birth children, Early Human
Development. Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037837820600096X (Accessed: 24 October
2022).

Segal, N.L. (2012) Reflections on twin relationships: Twins reared apart and twins of opposite sex /
research reviews: Second language acquisition; Twin Research on political behavior; twinning rate in
Cândido Godói / Human Interest: Twin ‘cousins’ separated at birth; Chinese quadruplets; genetic
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testing; KÀ (Cirque du Soleil): Twin research and human genetics, Cambridge Core. Available at:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/twin-research-and-human-genetics/article/reflections-on-
twin-relationships-twins-reared-apart-and-twins-of-opposite-sex-research-reviews-second-language-
acquisition-twin-research-on-political-behavior-twinning-rate-in-candido-godoi-human-interest-twin-
cousins-separated-at-birth-chinese-quadruplets-genetic-testing-ka-cirque-du-
soleil/3CF0081FECA3892E6726200F2DA1A91F# (Accessed: 03 April 2023).

Lewis, T. (2014) Twins separated at birth reveal staggering influence of Genetics, LiveScience. Available
at: https://www.livescience.com/47288-twin-study-importance-of-genetics.html (Accessed: 30
October 2022).

Iacono, W.G. and McGue, M. (2012) Minnesota Twin Family Study: Twin Research and Human
Genetics, Cambridge Core. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/twin-research-and-
human-genetics/article/minnesota-twin-family-study/D30DD0AD62A9D6869428E57A7C7F6025
(Accessed: 19 May 2023).

lJoseph F. Fagan a et al. (2006) The prediction, from infancy, of adult IQ and achievement, Intelligence.
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289606000791 (Accessed: 06 July
2023).

Buchi, A. (2015) Influence of school environment on academic performance of secondary ..., INFLUENCE
OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS IN KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ado-
Bichi/publication/305659360_INFLUENCE_OF_SCHOOL_ENVIRONMENT_ON_ACADEMIC_P
ERFORMANCE_OF_SECONDARY_SCHOOL_STUDENTS_IN_KUALA_TERENGGANU_MAL
AYSIA/links/5798ae4c08ae33e89fb0a7d7/INFLUENCE-OF-SCHOOL-ENVIRONMENT-ON-
ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE-OF-SECONDARY-SCHOOL-STUDENTS-IN-KUALA-
TERENGGANU-MALAYSIA.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed: 01 April 2023).

Hassan, M. et al. (2022) Examine the parenting style effect on the academic achievement orientation of
secondary school students: The moderating role of Digital Literacy, Frontiers. Available at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1063682/full (Accessed: 22 March 2023).

Hensworth, K. (2011) Annual research review: Prenatal stress and the origins of ..., Chaotic homes and
school achievement: a twin study. Available at:
https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02371.x (Accessed: 13 May
2023).

Jensen, M. (2014) Personality traits, learning and academic achievements., Journal of Education and
Learning. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1097777 (Accessed: 17 May 2023).

Johnson, W. et al. (2009) How intelligence and education contribute to substance use: Hints from the
Minnesota Twin Family Study, Intelligence. Available at:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289608001840 (Accessed: 11 July 2023).

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385

PRESENTATION

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385
Candidate number Candidate’s full name
Jennifer Spratt

Presentation record part B

To be completed by the supervisor
Record and comment below on the delivery of the presentation

Supervisor’s record/comments

The nature of the audience

(include numbers of staff, 1x staff only
students and number of 7 x students only
others present)
The nature of the
presentation (include use of Used a teams presentation. Clear, concise, engaging graphics.
notes, use of display items, Text on the presentation was sufficient and very easy to read.
and use of presentation
software)
Comment on the content and Very good delivery. Very good structure with a clear understanding of
delivery of the presentation the topic as a whole and a very good level of attention to the relevant
(for example clarity of ideas, detail when required. Pace was appropriate. Research findings were
structure of presentation, excellent.
pace, engagement with
audience)
Very good interaction with the audience.
Comment on the response of The candidate had evidently prepared for the presentation in a very
the candidate to questions effective manner and obviously had worked hard to predict the type of
that demonstrated questions which were going to be asked. The candidate thought very
understanding and grasp of carefully about each of the answers given and was keen to answer all
the project and/or its questions with a good deal of confidence.
production. Give examples of
questions asked and answers
given.

Questions and Answers – please record at least 4:

Question Do you think twins should be separated in schools ?

Answer Modern studies suggest no, should talk to parents. Study in triplets showed negative
effects after separation.
Question Low sample size can be a problem with twins studies ?
Answer Yes, particularly with the ADHD study/twins separated at birth where sample sizes are
very small. Luckily, thanks to IVF and modern communications, more data is available
each year.
Question What was the most interesting part of the project?
Answer Twins separated at birth. In the example, male twins from the same city married women
with same name and named children with the same name.
Question IVF: has this increased frequency of twins/triplets and therefore increased data
available?
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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385
Answer Yes and this can only be of benefit for future twins studies.
Question Do you think there should be a UK policy
Answer Less than 1% of schools had a policy Yes, with wiggle room, eg Canada has a exemplar
system.

Supervisor Signature Date 7 Sept 2023

Evaluation of sources:

Source The prediction, from infancy of Adult

IQ and Achievement
Author’s background Joseph F Fagen works at Department
of Psychology, Case Western
Reserve University, Cleveland,
OH 44106–7123, United States,
and his email is given. He has
had three other articles
published.
Date published May – June 2007. This information may
lack validity because it is out of date.
Depth of review This study gives a very detailed review
into IQ, with an introduction,
participant details, empirical
conclusions and acknowledgments
Objectivity This study provides empirical evidence
to support its claims, including figures
for correlations.
Relevancy This study is relevant to my section on
the relationship between IQ and
academic results.
Justification for reliability This study is published by a trusted
author who has proved his findings
are valid. He also cites well known
psychologists to back up his findings.

Source Examine the parenting style on the

effect on the academic achievement
orientation of secondary schools.
Author’s background Mehdi Hassan works as 1Institute of
Teacher Education, Beijing
Normal University, Beijing,
China.

Date published 15th December 2022 – this information

is fairly up to date suggesting it has
good validity.
Depth of review This is a very detailed study which
explores the different types of
parenting and explores the self report
method in detail

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385
Objectivity The study provides empirical evidence
to support its findings, for example the
reliability of the self report scale being
0.89
Relevancy This study is relevant to my section on
the relationship between parenting
style and academic results
Justification for reliability This source appears to be reliable
because it can provide evidence to
support its claims and references
other pieces of research.

Source Chaotic homes and school

achievement: a twin study
Author’s background Ken B. Hanscome works at King’s
College London, MRC Social, Genetic &
Developmental Psychiatry Centre,
Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK and
has published two articles in 2010 –
2011
Date published 15th June 2011
Depth of review Very detailed
Objectivity This source provides objective
quantitative evidence, such as “Around
20% of the variation in experience of
chaos is driven by heritable factors”.
Relevancy This is relevant to my section on home
environmental factors affecting
academic results in twins.
Justification for reliability This article has been published in a
trusted journal and therefore is
reliable.

Source INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL

ENVIRONMENT ON ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KUALA
TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA
Author’s background Mudassir Ibrahim Usaini works at the
Faculty of Islamic Contemporary
Studies. Contact details are given.
Date published August 2015, this information may be
slightly out of date decreasing the
validity.
Depth of review Very detailed as it is a 7 page article.
Objectivity This source provides objective
statistics to back up its statements, for
example distribution of the
respondents.
Relevancy This study is relevant to my section on
how home environment impacts
academic results in twins.
Justification for reliability This is an indepth study with empirical
evidence to back up and published
authors therefore it is reliable.

Source A Twin Study into the Genetic and

Environmental Influences on

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385
Academic Performance in Science in
nine-year-old Boys and Girls

Author’s background Claire M A Haworth works at Kings

College London and has published 14
articles.
Date published 2008, this information lack validity as it
is more than ten years out of date.
Depth of review This is an overview of a study, and
although the study is very detailed, the
summary is brief.
Objectivity Statistics are given to add evidence to
the arguments. (“60% of the stable
variance”)
Relevancy This is extremely relevant as the study
focuses on twins and links to my
section on the gender differences in
academic achievement.
Justification for reliability The author is a trusted author and
there is empirical evidence given.

Source Twins Early Development Study: A

Genetically Sensitive Investigation
into Behavioral and Cognitive
Development from Infancy to
Emerging Adulthood

Author’s background Kaili Rimfeld has published 8 articles

and has worked at Social,Genetic
and Developmental Psychiatry
Centre, Institute of Psychiatry,
Psychology & Neuroscience,
King's College London, London,
UK.
Department of Psychology,
Queen Mary University of
London, London, UK.
Department of Speech and
Hearing Sciences, University of
New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,
USA.

Date published Sept 2019, this information was

published fairly recently and therefore
may have good validity.
Depth of review This is a brief summary of a very
detailed 5-page review.
Objectivity The author provides empirical
evidence, for example the sample
being “10,346 twins”.
Relevancy This is very relevant as the study
specifically looks at twins and links to
my section on the impact of genetics
on academic results.

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385
Justification for reliability This has been published by an official
website of the United States
Government.

Source Meeting the educational needs of

multiple birth children
Author’s background David A Hay works at Curtin
University of Technology, Perth,
WA, Australia.
[email protected] and has
published 12 articles.
Date published May 2006 – this information may lack
temporal validity as it is out of date
Depth of review Very detailed 6 page review
Objectivity There is empirical evidence provied –
“one child in 33 is a multiple”
Relevancy This is relevant to my research into the
debate, should twins be separated in
schools?
Justification for reliability This has been published by an official
website of the United States

Source Meta Analysis: what why and how

(Cochrane UK)
Author’s background Ammar Ismail is an MBChB
degree holder at Al-Azhar
school of medicine, interested
in EBM, internal medicine, and
public health, with expertise
in systematic reviews and
meta-analyses
Date published 2016
Depth of review This review is not so detailed as it is
only a page long
Objectivity There is not much objective evidence
given
Relevancy This is relevant to my understanding
of meta – analysis
Justification for reliability This is published by a trusted author
who has cited reputable articles in his
research.

EPQ Journal:

Tuesday 18th July

I wrote my introduction, and following my planned structure, I started on opening lines for many of the subsections within paragraphs.

Wednesday 19th July

I wrote the sections for classroom separation, and found I had more information than originally planned (around 300 words although I
planned for 100). This isn’t a problem as I suspect I will have less information on family makeup and hence will still meet the 5000 word
count.

Thursday 20th July

I wrote a section on evidence to support genetics having a role in academic performance. This study specifically looked into whether ADHD
has any effect on academic results. Although I did not originally plan to do so, I believe it would be useful to write a paragraph looking into
ADHD more as it would give more background knowledge to the study.

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EPQ Plans

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Jennifer Spratt Candidate Number - 2385

EPQ Plans

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